Height measurement device with voice readout

• US 5,379,028 A
• Filed: 03/11/1993
• Issued: 01/03/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 03/11/1993
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: With Design In Mind Co.
• Original Assignee: With Design In Mind Co.
• Inventors: Chung, Caleb
• Primary Examiner(s): Peng, John K.
• Assistant Examiner(s): MULLEN, THOMAS J
• Application Number:
  US08/029,626
• Time in Patent Office: 663 Days
• Field of Search: 340/692, 340/573, 340/555, 340/686, 340/384 E, 340/384.3, 340/384.1, 33/512, 177/45, 177/245, 446/175, 446/397, 128/905
• US Class Current: 340/692
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1079 using optical or photographic means
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/741 using synthesised speech
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7415 Sound rendering of measured values, e.g. by pitch or volume variation A61B5/741 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 5/061 height gauges

Abstract

A mechanical slide carrying a measuring arm is movable in relation to a vertical scale, in association with voice commands and/or other novelty audio signals to position the measuring arm on top of a person'"'"'s head, at a position representing the person'"'"'s height. Depression of a readout button then activates a voice readout of the measured height.

Claims

1. A height measurement device comprising:

a housing adapted for mounting onto a wall;

a measuring arm carried by said housing for vertical displacement manually within a selected height measurement range to a position seated on top of a person'"'"'s head to represent that person'"'"'s height;

a control circuit including voice synthesizer means for producing preprogrammed voice audio outputs, said control circuit further including audio means for producing an audio signal in response to said vertical displacement of said measuring arm;

start means on said housing for activating said control circuit to generate instructional voice commands to explain how to operate said device;

said control circuit including means for tracking the vertical position of said measuring arm and for correlating said vertical position with a height measurement; and

readout means for activating said control circuit to generate a voice readout announcing the vertical position of said measuring arm.

2. The height measurement device of claim 1 further including mode range control means for variably selecting said height measurement range in accordance with the vertical position of said housing on the wall.

3. The height measurement device of claim 1 further including a calibration switch connected to said control circuit, said instructional commands including commands to displace said measuring arm to a reference position for contacting said calibration switch and thereby signalling said control circuit that said measuring arm is in said reference position.

4. The height measurement device of claim 3 wherein said instructional commands further include commands to move said measuring arm from said reference position to said position seated on top of the person'"'"'s head representing that person'"'"'s height.

5. The height measurement device of claim 1 wherein said audio signal comprises a signal of increasing pitch in response to upward movement of said measuring arm, and a signal of decreasing pitch in response to downward movement of said measuring arm.

6. The height measurement device of claim 1 wherein said means for tracking the vertical position of said measuring arm comprises an optical sensor unit.

7. The height measurement device of claim 6 wherein said optical sensor unit includes means for monitoring the direction of movement of said measuring arm.

8. The height measurement device of claim 1 wherein said housing defines a vertical track, and said height measurement device further including a slide, and belt means carried by said housing for mounting said slide for vertical displacement along said track, said measuring arm being carried by said slide.

9. The height measurement device of claim 8 further including means for pivotally mounting said measuring arm to said slide for movement between a deployed position projecting outwardly from said housing and a stored position lying against said housing.

10. The height measurement device of claim 1 wherein said start means comprises a manually operated start button on said housing.

11. The height measurement device of claim 10 wherein said readout means includes a manually operated readout button on said housing.

12. The height measurement device of claim 1 wherein said readout means includes a manually operated readout button on said housing.

13. A height measurement device comprising:

a housing adapted for mounting onto a wall;

a measuring arm carried by said housing for vertical displacement within a selected height measurement range to a position seated on top of a person'"'"'s head to represent that person'"'"'s height; and

a control circuit including audio means for producing an audio signal in response to said vertical displacement of said measuring arm, said control circuit further including means for tracking the vertical position of said measuring arm and for correlating said vertical position with a height measurement, and said device further including readout means for activating said control circuit to indicate the height measurement.

14. The height measurement device of claim 13 wherein said control circuit further includes voice synthesizer means for producing preprogrammed voice audio outputs, said readout means activating said control circuit to generate a voice readout announcing the vertical position of said measuring arm.

15. The height measurement device of claim 13 wherein said device further includes start means on said housing for activating said control circuit to generate instructional voice commands to explain how to operate said device.

16. The height measurement device of claim 13 wherein said audio signal comprises a signal of increasing pitch in response to upward movement of said measuring arm, and a signal of decreasing pitch in response to downward movement of said measuring arm.