Computerized reading display

• US 6,051,769 A
• Filed: 11/25/1998
• Issued: 04/18/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 11/25/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Donival Brown Jr
• Original Assignee: Donival Brown Jr
• Inventors: Brown, Donival Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nappi, Robert E.
• Assistant Examiner(s): HSIEH, SHIH YUNG
• Application Number:
  US09/199,102
• Time in Patent Office: 510 Days
• Field of Search: 84/470 R, 84/477 R, 84/484, 84/483.1
• US Class Current: 84/477.00R
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 15/023 Electrically operated

Abstract

An electronic reading system is provided including a housing and a display mounted on the housing. Also included is a storage device drive positioned within the housing for removably receiving a portable storage device and reading therefrom reading indicia. Next provided is an input device for accepting signals. A controller is positioned within the housing and connected between the display, the storage device drive, and the input device. In use, the controller serves to read the reading indicia from the portable storage device and display the same on the display while manipulating the reading indicia on the display as a function of the signals received from the input device.

Claims

1. An electronic music reading system comprising, in combination:

a housing including a pair of panels each with a planar rectangular configuration and having an inner face, an outer face and a thin periphery formed therebetween, the panels of the housing being hingably coupled along the peripheries thereof for being folded in a first orientation with the inner faces abutting and a second orientation with the inner faces in coplanar relationship;

a pair of liquid crystal displays each mounted on one of the inner faces of the panels for displaying music reading indicia thereon, wherein each panel defines a frame on the inner face of the associated panel which is defined by a top portion, a bottom portion, an inner side portion and an outer side portion;

a microphone mounted on the top portion of the frame of a first one of the panels adjacent to the inner side portion for receiving audio signals;

a metronome unit mounted on the outer side portion of the frame of the first panel adjacent to the top portion thereof for generating a plurality of intermittent signals upon the actuation thereof, the metronome unit including a vertical slider switch for selecting a speed at which the intermittent signals are generated, a push button positioned below the slider switch for selectively actuating the metronome unit, a speaker for audibly transmitting the intermittent signals, and a mute button for selectively deactuating the speaker;

a portable unit including a case with a rectangular configuration and a top face having a plurality of numeric keys, a play button, a pause button, a stop button, and a pair of toggle keys, the portable unit removably connected to a port on the bottom portion of the frame of the first panel via an elongated wire;

a storage device drive positioned within the housing for removably receiving a portable storage device and reading therefrom music reading indicia; and

a controller positioned within the housing and connected between the displays, the microphone, the metronome unit, the portable unit, and the storage device drive, the music reading indicia being readable by the controller from the portable storage device for displaying the same on the displays while the controller operates in a first mode of operation for manipulating the music reading indicia on the display as a function of the audio signals received via the microphone, a second mode of operation for manipulating the music reading indicia on the display as a function of the intermittent signals received from the metronome unit, and a third mode of operation for manipulating the music reading indicia on the display as a function of the depression of the toggle keys of the portable unit, wherein the controller is being for manipulating the music reading indicia using a plurality of methods including scrolling the music reading indicia page-by-page upwardly, scrolling the music reading indicia page-by-page laterally, and highlighting the music reading indicia between scrolling.

2. An electronic reading system comprising:

a housing;

a display mounted on the housing;

a storage device drive positioned within the housing for removably receiving a portable storage device and reading therefrom reading indicia;

an input device for accepting signals, the input device being a pair of toggle keys, wherein the toggle keys are positioned on a portable unit connected to the housing remote therefrom; and

a controller positioned within the housing and connected between the display, the storage device drive, and the input device, the reading indicia being readable by the controller from the portable storage device for displaying the same on the display while manipulating the reading indicia on the display as a function of the signals received from the input device.

3. An electronic reading system as set forth in claim 2 wherein the reading indicia is music reading indicia.

4. An electronic reading system as set forth in claim 3 wherein the input device is a metronome and the signals are intermittent signals.

5. An electronic reading system as set forth in claim 2 wherein the input device is a microphone and the signals are audio signals.

6. An electronic reading system as set forth in claim 2 wherein the controller manipulates the reading indicia by scrolling the reading indicia page-by-page upwardly.

7. An electronic reading system as set forth in claim 2 wherein the controller manipulates the reading indicia by scrolling the reading indicia page-by-page laterally.

8. An electronic reading system as set forth in claim 2 wherein the controller manipulates the reading indicia by highlighting the reading indicia between scrolling.

9. An electronic reading system as set forth in claim 2 wherein the housing includes a pair of panels each with a substantially planar rectangular configuration and having an inner face, an outer face and a thin periphery formed therebetween, the panels of the housing being hingably coupled along the peripheries thereof for being folded in a first orientation with the inner faces abutting and a second orientation with the inner faces in coplanar relationship.