Interactive educational and training system with concurrent digitized sound and video output
First Claim
1. An apparatus for playing audio output through a computing device while a central processing unit of the computing device concurrently runs a computer program, comprising:
- memory comprising dual data buffers operable so that one buffer receives audio sampling data from a data source for temporary storage while the other buffer passes the stored audio sampling data to provide a continual source of audio sampling data is memory;
a latch for latching the audio sampling data stored within the memory;
a timer separate from the central processing unit for transferring the sampling data into the latch at a sampling rate; and
a digital-to-analog converter for converting the latched sampling data to a corresponding analog signal,the central processing unit thereby free to concurrently run a computer program independent of the playing of audio output through the computing device.
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Accused Products
Abstract
The system allows a student to randomly select instructional lessons and also provides sound concurrently with the running of an application program. In one embodiment the training system includes an audio unit that incorporates a cassette recorder and includes a tutorial program operating within the computing device along with the application program the student is working with. In another embodiment the system includes a digital data storage device such as a CDROM drive for providing instructional audio or video output concurrent with the running of the application program. Concurrency is provided by transferring audio or video instructional data through the computing device without passing such data through the CPU of the computing device. This allows the CPU to run the application program independently of the playing of the sound or video output.
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Citations
13 Claims
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1. An apparatus for playing audio output through a computing device while a central processing unit of the computing device concurrently runs a computer program, comprising:
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memory comprising dual data buffers operable so that one buffer receives audio sampling data from a data source for temporary storage while the other buffer passes the stored audio sampling data to provide a continual source of audio sampling data is memory; a latch for latching the audio sampling data stored within the memory; a timer separate from the central processing unit for transferring the sampling data into the latch at a sampling rate; and a digital-to-analog converter for converting the latched sampling data to a corresponding analog signal, the central processing unit thereby free to concurrently run a computer program independent of the playing of audio output through the computing device. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A training system for providing audio or video instruction for a computer program through a computing device while a central processing unit of the computing device concurrently runs the computer program, comprising:
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a digital data storage medium containing audio or video instructional data; dual data buffers for receiving the instructional data from the data storage medium, the buffers operable so that one buffer provides instructional data while the other buffer receives instructional data; a latch for latching instructional data provided by the dual data buffers; a timer separate from the central processing unit for transferring the instructional data into the latch at a sampling rate; and a digital-to-analog converter for converting the latched instructional data to a corresponding analog signal representing the audio or video instructions, the central processing unit thereby free to concurrently run the computer program independent of the playing of the audio or video instructions through the computing device. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13)
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Specification