Digital sound reproducing system for toy trains with stored digitized sounds recalled upon trackside triggering

• US 5,174,216 A
• Filed: 03/13/1991
• Issued: 12/29/1992
• Est. Priority Date: 03/13/1991
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Miller Electric Company
• Original Assignee: Miller Electric Company
• Inventors: Miller, Gary L., Green, Keith F.
• Primary Examiner(s): Oberleitner, Robert J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): MORANO IV, SAMUEL J
• Application Number:
  US07/668,973
• Time in Patent Office: 657 Days
• Field of Search: 104/295, 104/296, 104/297, 104/300, 104/307, 104/DIG. 1, 105/1.5, 105/27, 191/4, 246/193, 246/197, 246/246, 246/247, 446/409, 446/410, 340/384 E
• US Class Current: 104/296
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 19/14 Arrangements for imitating locomotive features, e.g. whistling, signalling, puffing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 104/01 Toy railroad

Abstract

A digital sound reproducing system which produces a plurality of sound effects from digital data stored at predetermined addresses in a digital sound memory. A controller connected to the digital sound memory causes recall of a sound data from a predetermined sequence of addresses when triggered. This recalled sound data is converted into an analog audio signal for reproduction by a speaker. In a first embodiment the digital sound reproducing system is disposed in the car of a model train. Magnets disposed between the tracks trigger corresponding sound effects when the digital sound reproducing system detects passage of the magnets. A speed sensor detects the rotation rate of a wheel of the car to permit sound effects to be synchronous with the rate of speed of the model train. The digital sound reproducing system may alternately be disposed in a fixed structure and triggered by a command signal or by detection of passage of the model train. In a second embodiment, a detector indicates when a space may be occupied triggering a radomized sound sequence as background noise.

Claims

1. A digital sound reproducing system for a model train traveling on a track comprising:

a digital sound memory storing, at predetermined addresses, a plurality of digitized sound effects;

a trigger sensor for producing a coded trigger signal upon detection of a predetermined condition corresponding to a particular location of the track when the car passes each of a plurality of locations of the track;

a controlled connected to said digital sound memory and said trigger sensor for recalling from said digital sound memory one of a plurality of differing predetermined sequences of said digitized sound effects upon each generation of said coded trigger signal; and

a sound reproducing means connected to said digital sound memory and said controller for audibly reproducing sound corresponding to said predetermined sequence of digitized sound effects recalled from said digital sound memory;

said digital sound memory, said trigger sensor, said controller and said sound reproducing means all being disposed in a car of the model train.

2. The digital sound reproducing system for a model train claimed in claim 1, wherein the model train further includes a pair of electrified rails for powering the model train, said digital sound reproducing system further comprising:

an electric power supply disposed in said car of the model train including

a pair of power pick-ups, one electrically coupled to each of the electrified rails,

a full wave rectifier circuit having a first pair of terminals coupled to said pair of power pick-ups and a second pair of terminals producing unidirectional DC power regardless of the polarity of electricity of the pair of electrified rails,

a rechargeable battery coupled to said second pair of terminals of said full wave rectifier, and

a regulating power supply connected to said full wave rectifier and said rechargeable battery for powering said digital sound reproducing system, whereby said rechargeable battery is recharged by electric power from the pair of electrified rails and electric power is available to said digital sound reproducing system from said rechargeable battery regardless of the voltage of the pair of electrified rails.

3. The digital sound reproducing system for a model train claimed in claim 2, wherein:

said electric power supply further includes

a first power supply coupler connected to said rechargeable battery, and

an external source of unidirectional DC power of the same polarity as produced by said second pair of terminals of said full wave rectifier connected to a second power supply coupler mating with said first power supply coupler, whereby externally produced electric power may be supplied via said first and second power supply couplers to recharge said rechargeable battery.

4. The digital sound reproducing system for a model train claimed in claim 3, wherein:

said trigger sensor generates a crossing coded trigger signal when the car passes a first location of the track corresponding to a road crossing and generates a station coded trigger signal when the car passes a second location of the track corresponding to a station; and

said controller recalls from said digital sound memory

a first predetermined sequence of said digitized sound effects including at least a horn upon generation of said crossing coded trigger signal, and

a second predetermined sequence of said digitized sound effects including at least a bell upon generation of said station coded trigger signal.

5. The digital sound reproducing system for a model train claimed in claim 3, wherein:

said trigger sensor generates a crossing coded trigger signal when the car passes a first location of the track corresponding to a road crossing and generates a station coded trigger signal when the car passes a second location of the track corresponding to a station; and

said controller recalls from said digital sound memory

a first predetermined sequence of said digitized sound effects including at least a whistle upon generation of said crossing coded trigger signal, and

a second predetermined sequence of said digitized sound effects including at least a bell upon generation of said station coded trigger signal.

6. The digital sound reproducing system for a model train claimed in claim 1, wherein:

said trigger sensor includes means for generating a corresponding coded trigger signal when the car passes at least one predetermined marker disposed along the track.

7. The digital sound reproducing system for a model train claimed in claim 6, wherein:

said trigger sensor includes a magnetic sensor; and

said predetermined markers consist of magnets disposed along the track.

8. The digital sound reproducing system for a model train claimed in claim 7, wherein:

said trigger sensor includes a Hall effect device.

9. The digital sound reproducing system for a model train claimed in claim 6, wherein:

said trigger sensor produces said corresponding coded trigger signal based upon the number of said predetermined markers disposed within a predetermined distance along the track.

10. The digital sound reproducing system for a model train claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

a model train speed sensor disposed in said car of the model train for detecting the model train speed; and

wherein

said plurality of digitized sound effects stored in said digital sound memory includes a speed related digitized sound effect;

said controller being further connected to said model train speed sensor and further including means for recalling from said digital sound memory a predetermined sequence of said digitized sound effects consisting of said speed regulated digitized sound effect at intervals proportional to said detected model train speed.

11. The digital sound reproducing system for a model train claimed in claim 10, wherein:

said model train speed sensor includes

a reflector mounted on an axle of the car, and

a combined illumination and detection means for illuminating the axle and generating a rotation signal upon detection of the passage of illumination reflected by said reflector; and

said speed related digitized sound effect corresponds to a chug of a steam train piston;

said controller further including means for recalling from said digital sound memory said predetermined sequence consisting of said speed related digitized sound effect once for a predetermined number of said rotation signals.

12. The digital sound reproducing system for a model train claimed in claim 11, wherein:

said predetermined number of rotation signals is two.

13. The digital sound reproducing system for a model train claimed in claim 10, wherein:

said controller further includes means for recalling from said digital sound memory a predetermined sequence of speed related digitized sound effects corresponding to the application of train brakes when said detected model train speed falls below a predetermined model train speed.

14. A digital sound reproducing system for a model train travelling on a track, said digital sound reproducing system disposed in a car of the model train and comprising;

a location sensor for producing a corresponding coded location signal when the car passes each of a plurality of predetermined locations of the track;

a microcontroller connected to said location sensor for generating a predetermined sequence of sound commands upon each generation of said location signal, wherein said microcontroller generates one of a plurality of predetermined sequences of said sound commands corresponding to said coded location signals generated; and

a digital sound memory storing at predetermined addresses a plurality of digitized sound effects;

a voice processor connected to said microcontroller for receiving said sound commands and to said digital sound memory for recalling said digitized sound effects stored in said digital sound memory from said addresses corresponding to said sound commands from said microcontroller, converting said recalled digitized sound effects into an analog audio signal upon each generation of said sound command by said microcontroller; and

a sound reproducing means connected to said voice processor for audibly reproducing sound corresponding to said analog audio signal.

15. The digital sound reproducing system for a model train claimed in claim 14, wherein:

said location sensor includes a magnetic sensor for generating a detection signal upon each detection of a magnet disposed along the track; and

said microcontroller generates one of a plurality of differing predetermined sequences of said sound commands corresponding to the number of said detection signals generated within a predetermined period of time.

16. The digital sound reproducing system for a model train claimed in claim 14, further comprising:

a model train speed sensor including

a reflector mounted on an axle of the car, and

a combined illumination and detection means for illuminating the axle and generating a rotation signal upon detection of the passage of illumination reflected by said reflector;

said microcontroller being further connected to said model train speed sensor and further including means for generating a chug sound command once for a predetermined number of said rotation signals; and

said digitized sound effects stored in said digital sound memory includes a chug digitized sound effect corresponding to a chug of a steam train piston stored at said address corresponding to said chug sound command.

17. The digital sound reproducing system for a model train claimed in claim 14, further comprising:

a model train speed sensor including

a reflector mounted on an axle of the car, and

a combined illumination and detection means for illuminating the axle and generating a rotation signal upon detection of the passage of illumination reflected by said reflector;

said microcontroller being further connected to said model train speed sensor and further including means for generating a brake sound command when the time interval between generation of said rotation signals exceeds a predetermined time; and

said digitized sound effects stored in said digital sound memory includes a brake digitized sound effect corresponding an application of train brakes stored at said address corresponding to said brake sound command.