Auditory playing device

• US 5,451,178 A
• Filed: 03/04/1993
• Issued: 09/19/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 03/26/1992
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Hattori, Emi, Yorozu, Hiromu, Yasuhara, Nae
• Primary Examiner(s): Hafer, Robert A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Carlson, Jeffrey D.
• Application Number:
  US08/026,484
• Time in Patent Office: 929 Days
• Field of Search: 446/175, 446/397, 446/408, 434/309, 434/308, 434/311, 434/312, 395/2.81, 381/52, 360/12, 84/97, 84/600, 84/639
• US Class Current: 446/175
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2009/2423 Discs, e.g. CD or DVD
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2009/247 audible, e.g. using a loudspeaker
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 5/00 Musical or noise- producing devices for additional toy effects other than acoustical musical tops A63H1/28; sound-producing dolls A63H3/28; musical toy vehicles A63H17/268; acoustical vehicle-signalling devices A63H17/32; whistling toy locomotive arrangements A63H19/14; music, sound or noise production in general G10
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 2019/06243 concentric-code
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 15/00 Teaching music metronomes G04F5/02
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 5/04 with audible presentation of the material to be studied sound recording or reproducing G11B
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 5/06 with both visual and audible presentation of the material to be studied

Abstract

An auditory playing device has a plurality of circular or polygonal tone plates marked with respective identification codes. Each of the tone plates has concentric dark and bright stripes that are placed, one at a time, in a recess defined in a casing substantially in any direction with respect to the recess. The casing houses an array of detectors disposed in the recess for detecting the identification code on the tone plate that is placed in the recess. A microcomputer determines whether a tone plate is placed in the recess based on signals from the detectors. When one of the tone plates is placed in the recess, the microcomputer controls a loudspeaker to produce a sound represented by the identification code on the tone plate placed in the recess. The auditory playing device can easily be handled by children and is effective to train them for sharpening their auditory senses.

Claims

1. An auditory playing device comprising:

a tone plate marked with a concentric identification code corresponding to a sound, said identification code comprising concentric dark and bright regions;

a recess in which said tone plate is placed in a stationary position;

detecting means disposed in said recess for detecting the identification code of said tone plate while said tone plate is in said stationary position in said recess, said detecting means detecting said identification code regardless of the orientation of said tone plate when the tone plate is in said recess; and

generating means for generating the sound corresponding to the identification code detected by said detecting means.

2. An auditory playing device according to claim 1, wherein said tone plate is of a circular shape with the identification code thereof being arranged from the center of said tone plate to the outer circumferential edge thereof, each of said regions corresponding to one bit of said identification code.

3. An auditory playing device according to claim 1, wherein said tone plate is of a polygonal shape with the identification code thereof being arranged symmetrically from the center of said plate with respect to all sides thereof, said regions being positioned on said tone plate to be disposed in proximity to corresponding elements of said detecting means regardless of the orientation of said tone plate when placed in said recess.

4. An auditory playing device according to claim 1, wherein said recess has an area facing said tone plate placed therein, said area being smaller than the tone plate so that when the tone plate is placed in said recess, a marginal edge of the tone plate projects out of said recess.

5. An auditory playing device according to claim 1, wherein said tone plate is one of a plurality of tone plates each having an unique identification code.

6. An auditory playing device according to claim 5, wherein said concentric identification codes are attached to backs of said tone plates, respectively, said tone plates being marked on faces thereof with respective pictures corresponding to said concentric identification codes, respectively.

7. An auditory playing device according to claim 1, wherein said detecting means includes a plurality of photodetectors each of which detects a different portion of said identification code and outputs a corresponding logic signal indicative thereof to said generating means.

8. An auditory playing device comprising:

a tone plate marked with an identification code corresponding to a sound, said identification code comprising concentric dark and bright stripes;

a recess in which said tone plate is placed in a stationary position, said tone plate being placed substantially in any orientation with respect to said recess;

optical detecting means disposed in said recess for optically detecting the identification code of said tone plate while said tone plate is in said stationary position; and

generating means for generating the sound corresponding to the identification code detected by said optical detecting means.

9. An auditory playing device comprising:

a tone plate marked with an identification code corresponding to a sound, said identification code comprising concentric dark and bright stripes;

means for defining a recess for placing said tone plate therein substantially in any orientation with respect thereto;

optical detecting means disposed in said recess for optically detecting the identification code of said tone plate while said tone plate is in said stationary position; and

generating means for generating the sound corresponding to the identification code detected by said optical detecting means;

wherein said optical detecting means comprises an array of reflective detectors arranged across the identification code of the tone plate placed in said recess, each of said reflective detectors comprising a light-emitting device for applying light to the identification code and a photodetector for detecting light reflected by the identification code.

10. An auditory playing device comprising:

a tone plate marked with an identification code corresponding to a sound, said identification code comprising concentric dark and bright stripes each corresponding to a bit of said identification code;

means for defining a recess for placing said tone plate therein substantially in any orientation with respect thereto;

optical detecting means disposed in said recess for optically detecting the identification code of said tone plate while said tone plate is in said stationary position;

generating means for generating the sound corresponding to the identification code detected by said optical detecting means; and

control means for determining whether the tone plate is placed in said recess based on at least some of the bits of the identification code detected by said optical detecting means, and energizing said generating means when the tone plate is determined as being placed in said recess.

11. An auditory playing device according to claim 10, wherein said control means comprises means for determining that the tone plate is not placed in said recess when at least two of the bits of the identification code detected by said optical detecting means are of a pattern depending on extraneous light applied to the identification code.

12. An auditory playing device according to claim 10, wherein said control means comprises means for determining that the tone plate is not placed in said recess when all of the bits of the identification code detected by said optical detecting means are of a pattern depending on extraneous light applied to the identification code.

13. An auditory system comprising:

a unit having a recess formed therein;

a plurality of tone disks having a shape adapted to fit at least partially within said recess, each disk having an identification code provided on a face thereof, said identification code consisting of a plurality of concentric solid light or dark bands extending from a center of each disk, each band corresponding to one bit of said identification code;

a plurality of photodetectors provided in said recess, each photodetector being provided proximate to a corresponding one of said solid bands when one of said plurality of tone disks is within said recess whereby each photodetector outputs a logic signal indicative of whether the corresponding band is light or dark regardless of the angular orientation of the tone disk within said recess; and

a processor provided in said unit which receives the logic signals output from said plurality of photodetectors and provides signals in response thereto which initiate prerecorded sound corresponding to said identification code to be played by a speaker operatively coupled to the processor.

14. The auditory system of claim 13 further comprising a mode selecting switch provided on said unit, said mode selecting switch providing a mode signal to said processor indicating a type of sound to be played in response to said identification code.

15. The auditory system of claim 13 wherein at least two bands of said identification code provide at least two bits indicative of the presence of the tone disk within said recess.

16. The auditory system of claim 13 wherein said prerecorded sound is encoded in memory as digital audio data, said digital audio data being accessed by said processor in response to an identification code provided from said photodetectors.

17. The auditory system of claim 13 wherein each said tone disk is provided with a picture on a second face, said picture visually indicating the sound produced in response to the disk being placed within said recess.