Sound-signal generator having ball-shaped housing with keyboard incorporated therein

• US 5,260,512 A
• Filed: 04/13/1992
• Issued: 11/09/1993
• Est. Priority Date: 12/29/1989
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Texas Instruments, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Texas Instruments, Inc.
• Inventors: Chomette, Michel, Mathews, Robert J., Sautreau, Remond
• Primary Examiner(s): Shoop, Jr., William M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): DONELS, JEFFREY
• Application Number:
  US07/870,723
• Time in Patent Office: 575 Days
• Field of Search: 84/600, 84/644, 84/670, 84/718, 84/743, 84/DIG. 7, 84/DIG. 17, 84/94.1, 84/94.2, 84/95.1, 84/95.2, 273/58 E, 273/58 G, 273/65 EF, 273/58 R, 446/143, 446/299, 446/302, 446/409, 446/719, 446/720, 446/744, 446/745, 446/397, 446/484
• US Class Current: 84/644
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 1/00 Details of electrophonic musical instruments
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 1/26 for automatically producing a series of tones
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 84/07 Electric key switch structure

Abstract

Sound signal generator, comprising a housing (1,2) containing a microcontroller for the storage and control of reproduction of several sound messages, and a loudspeaker for reproducing the said sound messages connected to the in lieu thereof microcontroller. The housing of the sound-signal generator also carries, over at least a portion of its outer wall, a keyboard associated with the microcontroller and formed by selection keys (3) respectively bearing identification symbols for the sound messages stored in the microcontroller.

Claims

1. A sound-signal generator comprising:

a segmental housing, said segmental housing including first and second domes of relatively rigid material;

electronic means for storing and controlling the reproduction of a plurality of sound messages disposed within said housing;

means for reproducing said sound messages disposed within said housing and connected to said electronic means;

a keyboard disposed over at least a portion of at least one of said first and second domes of said housing and including a plurality of independently operable selection keys;

said keyboard being operably connected to said electronic means;

individual keys of said keyboard respectively having indicia thereon related to a particular sound message of said plurality of sound messages stored in said electronic means; and

a particular sound message of said plurality of sound messages being provided by said electronic means to said reproducing means which generates the particular sound message as an audible output in response to the selective actuation of one of said plurality of keys included in said keyboard.

2. A sound-signal generator as set forth in claim 1, wherein said first and second domes are hemispherical in shape such that said housing is spherical.

3. A sound-signal generator as set forth in claim 1, further including means for connecting said first and second domes together for closing said housing and defining a chamber therein in which said electronic means and said reproducing means are disposed.

4. A sound-signal generator as set forth in claim 1, further including first and second flexible casings arranged on said first and second domes respectively and of complementary form with respect thereto;

said plurality of keys of said keyboard being provided on the outer surface of at least one of sad first and second flexible casings and having different images thereon providing the indicia for said plurality of keys of said keyboard;

a plurality of conductors disposed on the outer surface of at least one of said first and second domes corresponding to said at least one of said first and second flexible casings on the outer surface of which are said plurality of keys of said keyboard;

said plurality of conductors being connected to said electronic means and having a plurality of contact zones arranged in spaced relationship with respect to each other but in electrical connection to said electronic means;

the inner surface of said at least one of said first and second flexible casings being provided with a plurality of conductive zones respectively corresponding to the images of said plurality of keys; and

said conductive zones on said at least one of said first and second flexible casings being disposed in opposing relation to respective key-forming images for providing an electrical connection between a contact zone of said plurality of conductors and a conductive zone on the inner surface of said at least one of said first and second flexible casings upon depression of a selected key-forming image for obtaining the selection of the sound message to be generated.

5. A sound-signal generator as set forth in claim 3, wherein each of said first and second domes has a respective centering rim internally of said housing and mutually complementary with respect to the other centering rim, said centering rims being positioned for respective abutment with each other when said first and second domes of said housing are disposed in a closed position.

6. A sound-signal generator as set forth in claim 5, wherein said centering rims have notches respectively defined therein and are disposed in mating relationship when said first and second domes of said housing are disposed in assembled relationship for closing said housing so as to define a plurality of louvers at the junction between said mutually complementary centering rims of said first and second domes to enable the sound messages as generated by said reproducing means to pass therethrough.

7. A sound-signal generator as set forth in claim 6, further including a printed circuit board disposed in said housing;

said electronic means being provided on said printed circuit board.

8. A sound-signal generator as set forth in claim 3, wherein said means for connecting said first and second domes together comprises a hinge integral with said first and second domes and connecting said first and second domes of said housing in relation to each other for enabling said first and second domes to be moveable between positions opening and closing said housing.

9. A sound-signal generator as set forth in claim 3, wherein said means for reproducing said plurality of sound messages comprises a loudspeaker disposed within said housing;

and

means within one of said first and second domes for retaining said loudspeaker in place within the chamber as defined by said housing in closed position.

10. A sound-signal generator as set forth in claim 9, wherein said means for retaining said loudspeaker within the chamber of said housing includes an annular shoulder formed within said first dome of said housing;

and

a plurality of fastening hooks arranged about the internal periphery of said annular shoulder and releasably attached to said loudspeaker for retaining said loudspeaker in place.

11. A sound-signal generator as set forth in claim 7, wherein said first dome of said housing further includes a plurality of inwardly extending projections for retaining said printed circuit board thereon;

and

a plurality of inwardly extending hooks provided in said first dome of said housing and secured to said printed circuit board for retaining said printed circuit board in stationary relation within said first dome of said housing.

12. A sound-signal generator as set forth in claim 11, wherein said housing further includes a plurality of projections extending inwardly from said second dome and disposed in opposed spaced relationship with respect to said projections provided in said first dome;

and

said printed circuit board being interposed between said projections of said first and second domes of said housing and being disposed on the projections of said first dome when said housing is in a closed position.

13. A sound-signal generator as set forth in claim 12, wherein said housing further includes a plurality of ribs extending inwardly within said second dome and defining a cradle;

a support disposed on said printed circuit board and arranged in spaced relationship with respect to said cradle; and

battery means mounted on said support and extending partially within said cradle so as to be retained in place thereby.

14. A sound-signal generator as set forth in claim 4, wherein at least one of said first and second domes of said housing is provided with a slot therethrough;

said plurality of conductors comprising a printed conductor strip having a plurality of branches including a connection branch and other branches on which said contact zones are provided; and

said connection branch of said printed conductor strip extending through said slot in said at least one of said first and second domes of said housing and being connected within said housing to said electronic means.

15. A sound-signal generator as set forth in claim 14, wherein said at least one of said first and second domes of said housing has a plurality of flats arranged in spaced relationship on the outer surface thereof;

the outer surface of said at least one of said first and second domes being provided with a plurality of relatively shallow grooves forming a connecting network with respect to the plurality of flats and arranged along meridians of said at least one of said first and second domes;

said contact zones on said other branches of said printed conductor strip corresponding to said flats on the outer surface of said at least one of said first and second domes and being respectively received thereon;

said plurality of branches of said printed conductor strip being received within said shallow grooves; and

said printed conductor strip being secured to the outer surface of said at least one of said first and second domes.

16. A sound-signal generator as set forth in claim 15, wherein said printed conductor strip further includes a positioning tab provided thereon;

and

the outer surface of said at least one of said first and second domes with which the said printed conductor strip is associated being provided with a positioning groove therein for receiving said positioning tab of said printed conductor strip.

17. A sound-signal generator as set forth in claim 15, further including a printed circuit board disposed in said housing;

said electronic means being provided on said printed circuit board;

said printed circuit board having a set of conductors thereon corresponding to said plurality of conductors of said connection branch of said printed conductor strip; and

a connecting clip for securing said plurality of conductors of said connection branch of said printed conductor strip to the corresponding conductors of said set of conductors on said printed circuit board.

18. A sound-signal generator as set forth in claim 17, wherein said connecting clip includes elastic means for disposing the connection branch of said printed conductor strip against the conductors of said set of conductors on said printed circuit board;

said connection branch of said printed conductor strip and said printed circuit board respectively being provided with positioning means; and

said connecting clip further including positioning means thereon complementary with respect to said positioning means of said connection branch of said printed conductor strip and said positioning means of said printed circuit board to retain said printed conductor strip in place with the connection branch thereof connected to said corresponding conductors of said set of conductors on the printed circuit board.

19. A sound-signal generator as set forth in claim 18, wherein said elastic means of said connecting clip comprises a pad having a foam strip mounted thereon to provide uniform pressure of the connection branch of said printed conductor strip on the corresponding conductors of said set of conductors on said printed circuit board;

said positioning means of said connecting clip comprising arms extending therefrom and having hooks on the ends thereof;

said positioning means of said printed circuit board being provided by orifices formed therein on opposite sides of the set of conductors on said printed circuit board for receiving said hooks of said connecting clip; and

said positioning means formed in said connection branch of said printed conductor strip being provided by lateral notches formed in said connection branch for reception of the arms of said connecting clip so as to dispose said connection branch of said printed conductor strip between the arms of said connecting clip with said foam strip overlying said connection branch of said printed conductor strip.

20. A sound-signal generator as set forth in claim 1, wherein said electronic means for storing and controlling the reproduction of said plurality of sound messages comprises a microcontroller, and said means for reproducing said sound messages comprises a loudspeaker;

oscillator means connected to said microcontroller for driving said microcontroller;

the output of said microcontroller being connected to said loudspeaker;

plural switch means interposed between said microcontroller and said plurality of keys of said keyboard and respectively corresponding to each of said keys; and

said microcontroller being provided with input/output terminals connected to said switch means and being selectively responsive to the actuation of a particular key closing the one of said plural switch means corresponding thereto for accessing the one of said plurality of sound messages corresponding to the selected key.

21. A sound-signal generator as set forth in claim 4, further including a layer provided with deformable microballs thereon interposed between the inner surface of said at least one of said first and second flexible casings and said contact zones of said plurality of conductors facing the inner surface of said at least one of said first and second flexible casings.

22. A keyboard for an electronic device contained in a housing, said keyboard comprising:

a rigid support of ball-like shape forming at least part of a housing;

a flexible outer casing conforming to having an outer non-planar surface and said rigid support and secured thereto;

said flexible outer casing having a plurality of indicia on its outer surface and conductive zones corresponding to said plurality of indicia on its inner surface defining respective ones of a plurality of keys;

printed conductor means interposed between the flexible outer casing and said rigid support and including a plurality of branches of printed conductors;

a plurality of contact zones provided on said plurality of branches of said printed conductor means and corresponding to said plurality of conductive zones on the inner surface of said flexible outer casing;

said printed conductor means having an interconnecting branch of printed conductors for connection to the electronic device within said housing; and

said contact zones on said plurality of branches of said printed conductor means being respectively disposed in opposed relation to corresponding ones of said plurality of conductive zones on the inner surface of said flexible outer casing;

each of said plurality of keys being selectively actuable in response to pressure being applied to a selected one of said indicia on the outer surface of said flexible outer casing causing a corresponding conductive zone to engage a contact zone on one of said plurality of branches of said printed conductor means.

23. A keyboard as set forth in claim 22, wherein the outer surface of said rigid support to which said flexible outer casing conforms is a non-planar surface.

24. A keyboard as set forth in claim 22, wherein the housing is spherical and comprises first and second rigid domes as respective rigid supports;

first and second flexible outer casings respectively corresponding to said first and second rigid domes and conforming thereto;

each of said first and second flexible outer casings being provided with said plurality of indicia and corresponding conductive zones on its outer and inner surface respectively defining said plurality of keys and secured to the one of said first and second rigid domes corresponding thereto; and

said printed conductor means being disposed on the outer surface of said first and second rigid domes.

25. A keyboard as set forth in claim 24, wherein each of said first and second rigid domes is provided on its outer surface with a plurality of flats arranged in a spaced apart configuration and a plurality of relatively shallow grooves connecting the flats in a network arranged along meridians of the corresponding dome;

and

the plurality of contact zones of said printed conductor means being received by said flats and the plurality of branches of printed conductors of said printed conductor means being received in said shallow grooves on the outer surface of each dome.

26. A keyboard as set forth in claim 25, wherein said printed conductor means is provided with first and second positioning tabs;

and

the outer surface of each of said first and second domes having a positioning groove formed therein corresponding to the respective one of said first and second positioning tabs of said printed conductor means for receiving said respective one of said first and second positioning tabs.

27. A keyboard as set forth in claim 22, wherein said printed conductor means is fixed to said flexible outer casing;

and

a layer having deformable microballs provided thereon interposed between the inner surface of said flexible outer casing and the plurality of contact zones of said printed conductor means facing the inner surface of said flexible outer casing.

28. A keyboard as set forth in claim 27, wherein the surface of said rigid support with which said flexible outer casing is associated is a smooth outer surface.