Interactive audio-visual work

• US 5,437,552 A
• Filed: 08/13/1994
• Issued: 08/01/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 08/13/1993
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: PHIL Orbanes Productions Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Western Publishing Company, Inc.
• Inventors: Baer, Ralph H., Orbanes, Philip E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Apley, Richard J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Richman, Glenn E.
• Application Number:
  US08/106,422
• Time in Patent Office: 353 Days
• Field of Search: 434/308, 434/309, 434/317, 434/322, 434/327, 434/156, 434/157, 434/167, 434/169, 434/185, 434/319-321, 364/410, 364/419.01, 364/419.02-419.07
• US Class Current: 434/317
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 5/062 Combinations of audio and printed presentations, e.g. magnetically striped cards, talking books, magnetic tapes with printed texts thereon

Abstract

Apparatus for use in conjunction with a book containing intermixed text and symbols, includes a randomly accessible sound storage-and-playback memory having addressable storage locations, and a plurality of actuatable selectors, each selector being associated with a respective symbol corresponding to a symbol in the book. A switch selects between a recording mode of operation and a playback mode of operation. A microprocessor controls recording at respective addressable storage locations in the memory respective sounds produced by the user, the recorder being active during the selected recording mode of operation. The microprocessor controls the playback from the memory of a respective recorded sound, the playback means being actuated by the microprocessor upon actuation of a respective one of the selectors during the selected playback mode of operation.

Claims

1. Apparatus for use in conjunction with a book containing intermixed text and symbols, said apparatus comprising:

(A) a microprocessor;

(B) a randomly accessible sound storage-and-playback memory having addressable storage locations;

(C) a plurality of actuatable selectors, each selector being associated with a respective symbol corresponding to a symbol in the book;

(D) means for selecting between a recording mode of operation and a playback mode of operation;

(E) means for recording at respective addressable storage locations in said memory respective sounds produced by the user, said recording means being active during the selected recording mode of operation; and

(F) means for playback from said memory of a respective recorded sound, said playback means being active upon actuation of a respective one of said selectors during the selected playback mode of operation.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said recording means is active, upon actuation of a respective one of said selectors during the selected recording mode of operation, for recording at a respective memory location the respective sound produced by the user.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said playback means, upon actuation of a respective one of said selectors in the selected playback mode of operation, plays back the sound recorded in a respective memory location.

4. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the respective recorded sound played back upon actuation of said respective one selector in the selected playback mode of operation is generally the same respective sound previously recorded upon actuation of said respective one selector in the selected recording mode of operation.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 additionally including an actuatable frequency modifying means which, when actuated, modifies the pitch of the sound played back by said playback means so that it differs in frequency from the sound recorded in said memory.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein said frequency modifying means includes a switch which is user-actuatable.

7. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein said frequency modifying means is actuatable under program control.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said recording means, upon actuation of a respective one of said selectors in the selected recording mode of operation, records the sound produced by the user in a respective memory location associated with said one selector.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein said playback means, upon actuation of a respective one of said selectors in the selected playback mode of operation, plays back the sound recorded in a respective memory location associated with a different one of said selectors.

10. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein said playback means, upon actuation of respective one of said selectors in the selected playback mode of operation, plays back the sound recorded in a randomly selected one of said respective memory locations.

11. The apparatus of claim 9 additionally including means for determining according to a first algorithm the respective memory location where the sound produced during actuation of a given one of said selectors is recorded in the selected recording mode of operation, and according to a second algorithm the respective memory location from which the sound will be played back in the selected playback mode of operation upon actuation of said given one of said selectors.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein said first and second algorithms determine the same memory locations.

13. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein said second algorithm determines a randomly selected one of said respective memory locations.

14. The apparatus of claim 11 additionally including an actuatable randomizing switch which, when actuated, causes said second algorithm to differ from said first algorithm and to randomly associate respective memory locations with respective selectors.

15. The apparatus of claim 11 additionally including an actuatable randomizing switch which, when actuated, causes said playback means to playback a randomly selected respective recorded sound from said memory.

16. The apparatus of claim 1 additionally including means for receiving functional codes.

17. The apparatus of claim 16 whereby said microprocessor operates according to at least one of a plurality of functional algorithms stored in said microprocessor according to the functional code received.

18. The apparatus of claim 17 wherein one of said algorithms causes a change in the pitch of said playedback sounds.

19. The apparatus of claim 17 wherein one of said algorithms causes a change in the volume of said playedback sounds.

20. The apparatus of claim 17 wherein one of said algorithms causes specific ones of said memory locations to be addressed sequentially during said selected playback mode of operation, thereby to concatenate playedback sounds from said specific memory locations.

21. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein one of said algorithms controls the relationship between said selectors and said respective memory locations during said selected playback mode of operation.

22. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said microprocessor interprets as a functional code actuation of predetermined ones of said selectors during said selected recording mode of operation.

23. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said recorded sounds remain in said respective memory locations despite temporary removal of power from said memory.

24. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said respective sounds remain recorded in said respective memory locations until new sounds are recorded thereover in the selected recording mode of operation, thereby to enable multiple re-readings of the same text with the same sounds being produced in the selected playback mode of operation.

25. In combination, the apparatus of claim 1 and a children'"'"'s reading book.

26. In combination, the apparatus of claim 1 and a game book.

27. In combination, the apparatus of claim 1 and a puzzle book.

28. In combination, the apparatus of claim 1 and an external ROM unit.

29. In combination, the apparatus of claim 1 and an external device operating under control of the apparatus.

30. Apparatus for use in conjunction with a book containing intermixed text and symbols, said apparatus comprising:

(A) a microprocessor;

(B) a randomly accessible sound storage-and-playback memory having addressable storage locations;

(C) a plurality of actuatable selectors, each selector being associated with a respective symbol corresponding to a symbol in the book;

(D) means for selecting between a recording mode of operation and a playback mode of operation;

(E) means for recording at respective addressable storage locations in said memory respective sounds produced by the user, said recording means being active upon actuation of a respective one of said selectors during the selected recording mode of operation;

(F) means for playback from said memory of a respective recorded sound, said playback means being active upon actuation of a respective one of said selectors during the selected playback mode of operation; and

(G) microprocessor means for determining according to a first algorithm the respective memory location where the sound produced during actuation of a given one of said selectors is recorded in the selected recording mode of operation, and according to a second algorithm the respective memory location from which the sound will be played back in the selected playback mode of operation upon actuation of said given one of said selectors;

said respective sounds remaining recorded in said respective memory locations until new sounds are recorded thereover in the selected recording mode of operation, thereby to enable multiple re-readings of the same text with the same sounds being produced in the selected playback mode of operation.