Voice book system

• US 6,064,855 A
• Filed: 04/27/1998
• Issued: 05/16/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 04/27/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Frederick Pak Wai Ho
• Original Assignee: Frederick Pak Wai Ho
• Inventors: Ho, Frederick Pak Wai
• Primary Examiner(s): Cheng, Joe H.
• Application Number:
  US09/066,996
• Time in Patent Office: 750 Days
• Field of Search: 434/156, 434/169, 434/185, 434/307 R, 434/308, 434/309, 434/317, 434/362, 434/365, 345/156, 345/173, 345/901, 369/31, 369/64, 462/17, 462/55, 462/66, 704/258
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 345/901 Electronic book with display

Abstract

A voice book system includes a sound generating device equipped with at least a voice book. The voice book includes a front cover, a back cover and a plurality of page sheets. The voice book further contains an information storing device for storing a plurality of sound messages with respect to the content of each of the page sheets and a book connector for electrically communicating the information storing device with the sound generating device. The sound generating device includes a housing, a book holder provided on the housing for holding the back cover of the voice book on the housing, an audio device for converting the sound messages from the voice book to speaking sound, at least a speaker for boardcasting the speaking sound, a device connector for electrically connecting with the book connector when the voice book is held on the housing by the book holder for transmitting the sound messages stored in the information storing device to the audio device, and a detecting device which is electrically communicated with the audio device for detecting which page sheet of the voice book is turned in so that the audio device will select the particular sound messages with respect to the content of that turned in page sheet which is then converted to the speaking sound to broadcast through the speaker.

Claims

1. A voice book system, comprising

a voice book which comprises a front cover, a back cover and a plurality of page sheets bound between said front cover and said back cover for respectively printing a predetermined content or information thereon, wherein said voice book further contains an information storing means for storing a plurality of sound messages with respect to said content of each of said page sheets and a book connector, and

a sound generating device, comprising

a housing,

a book holder provided on said housing for connecting said voice book with said housing by holding said back cover of said voice book in position,

an audio means which is installed inside said housing for converting said sound messages transmitted from said voice book to speaking sound,

at least a speaker installed inside said housing for boardcasting said speaking sound,

a power source electrically connected with said audio means,

a device connector, which is electrically connected with said book connector when said voice book is held on top of said housing by said book holder, for transmitting said sound messages stored in said information storing means to said audio means, and

a detecting means which is electrically communicated with said audio means for detecting which of said page sheets of said voice book is turned in so as to activate said audio means to select said particular sound message with respect to said content of said turned in page sheet and convert said particular sound message to said speaking sound to broadcast through said speaker.

2. A voice book system, as recited in claim 1, wherein said information storing means comprises a plurality of memory chips having a predetermined thickness, each page sheet comprising a sheet body having a thickness at least equal to said thickness of said memory chip, in which each of said sheet bodies has a cavity to receive one of said memory chips therein, a sound content which is a sound message with respect to a written content of each of said page sheets being stored in said respective memory chip.

3. A voice book system, as recited in claim 2, wherein said book connector comprises a plurality of electrical contact-strip terminals adjacently aligned in parallel manner, and said book connector is affixed to an outer bottom corner of an exterior side of said back cover, moreover, a plurality of electrical wires are respectively connected between said contact-strip terminals and said memory chips so as to electrically connect each of said memory chips with each of said contact-strip terminals.

4. A voice book system, as recited in claim 3, wherein said housing has a top platform for supporting said back cover of said voice book to flatly sit thereon, said book holder comprising a pocket shelter raised above a side edge of said top platform to define a receiving pocket between said top platform and said pocket shelter, wherein a height of said receiving pocket must be at least equal to said thickness of said back cover of said voice book, so that an outer side portion of said back cover of said voice book is able to be fitly inserted into said receiving pocket.

5. A voice book system, as recited in claim 4, wherein said top platform has a communication opening which is positioned at a side corner of said top platform and underneath said pocket shelter.

6. A voice book system, as recited in claim 5, wherein said audio means, which is installed inside said housing, comprises a circuit board electrically connected with said speaker and said power source, and a switch for switching a power supply of said circuit board on or off.

7. A voice book system, as recited in claim 6, said device connector comprises a plurality of electrical contact springs disposed at said communication opening of said top platform, each of said contact springs has a connected leg electrically connected to said circuit board and an elongated arm having a V-shaped tip upwardly extended into said receiving pocket, so that when said outer side portion of said back cover of said voice book is inserted into said receiving pocket of said housing, said contact-strip terminals of said book connector respectively press down said V-shaped tips of said contact springs to a lower position, and that each contact spring is in good electrical contact with said respective contact-strip terminal, moreover, each of said resilient contact springs has a tendency to spring back to its upper position that renders each of said contact propping against said respective contact-strip terminal so as to ensure good electrical connection.

8. A voice book system, as recited in claim 7, wherein said detecting means comprises a plurality pair of signal emitters and signal receivers disposed along a side edge of said housing, and each said pair of said signal emitter and signal receiver, which are electrically connected to said audio means, must be positioned proximately, wherein a detecting signal is continuously emitted upwardly from said signal emitter when said switch is turned on and said back cover of said voice book is held in position on said housing, moreover each of said page sheets has a tab member which is protruded outwardly from an edge side thereof and disposed staggeredly, in which each of said tab members is extended just above a respective pair of said signal emitter and signal receiver so as to shelter said detecting signal emitted from said corresponding signal emitter and reflect said detecting signal to said proximate signal receiver, whereby when said voice book held on said housing of said sound generating device is closed, said detecting signals emitted from all said signal emitters are sheltered by said tab members and reflected toward said signal receivers, and at that moment, said audio means is deactivated and does not provide any sound, however, when said voice book is opened and turned in to a particular page sheet, said particular page sheet is turned aside so that said sheltering and reflecting of said detecting signal emitted from said respective signal emitter is cleared, so that said audio means precisely selects said sound message with respect to said particular page sheet and converts said selected sound message to said speaking sound to broadcast through said speaker.

9. A voice book system, as recited in claim 8, wherein said detecting signal is an infrared beam.

10. A voice book system, as recited in claim 3, wherein said detecting means comprises a plurality pair of signal emitters and signal receivers disposed along a side edge of said housing, and each said pair of said signal emitter and signal receiver, which are electrically connected to said audio means, must be positioned proximately, wherein a detecting signal is continuously emitted upwardly from said signal emitter when said switch is turned on and said back cover of said voice book is held in position on said housing, moreover each of said page sheets has a tab member which is protruded outwardly from an edge side there of and disposed staggeredly, in which each of said tab members is extended just above an respective pair of said signal emitter and signal receiver so as to shelter said detecting signal emitted from said corresponding signal emitter and reflect said detecting signal to said proximate signal receiver, whereby when said voice book held on said housing of said sound generating device is closed, said detecting signals emitted from all said signal emitters are sheltered by said tab members and reflected toward said signal receivers, and at that moment, said audio means is deactivated and does not provide any sound, however, when said voice book is opened and turned in to a particular page sheet, said particular page sheet is turned aside so that said sheltering and reflecting of said detecting signal emitted from said respective signal emitter is cleared, so that said audio means precisely selects said sound message with respect to said particular page sheet and converts said selected sound message to said speaking sound to broadcast through said speaker.

11. A voice book system, as recited in claim 5, said device connector comprises a plurality of electrical contact springs disposed at said communication opening of said top platform, each of said contact springs has a connected leg electrically connected to said circuit board and an elongated arm having a V-shaped tip upwardly extended into said receiving pocket, so that when said outer side portion of said back cover of said voice book is inserted into said receiving pocket of said housing, said contact-strip terminals of said book connector respectively press down said V-shaped tips of said contact springs to a lower position, and that each contact spring is in good electrical contact with said respective contact-strip terminal, moreover, each of said resilient contact springs has a tendency to spring back to its upper position that renders each of said contact springs propping against said respective contact-strip terminal so as to ensure good electrical connection.

12. A voice book system, as recited in claim 11, wherein said detecting means comprises a plurality pair of signal emitters and signal receivers disposed along a side edge of said housing, and each said pair of said signal emitter and signal receiver, which are electrically connected to said audio means, must be positioned proximately, wherein a detecting signal is continuously emitted upwardly from said signal emitter when said switch is turned on and said back cover of said voice book is held in position on said housing, moreover each of said page sheets has a tab member which is protruded outwardly from an edge side thereof and disposed staggeredly, in which each of said tab members is extended just above a respective pair of said signal emitter and signal receiver so as to shelter said detecting signal emitted from said corresponding signal emitter and reflect said detecting signal to said proximate signal receiver, whereby when said voice book held on said housing of said sound generating device is closed, said detecting signals emitted from all said signal emitters are sheltered by said tab members and reflected toward said signal receivers, and at that moment, said audio means is deactivated and does not provide any sound, however, when said voice book is opened and turned in to a particular page sheet, said particular page sheet is turned aside so that said sheltering and reflecting of said detecting signal emitted from said respective signal emitter is cleared, so that said audio means precisely selects said sound message with respect to said particular page sheet and converts said selected sound message to said speaking sound to broadcast through said speaker.

13. A voice book system, as recited in claim 5, wherein said detecting means comprises a plurality pair of signal emitters and signal receivers disposed along a side edge of said housing, and each said pair of said signal emitter and signal receiver, which are electrically connected to said audio means, must be positioned proximately, wherein a detecting signal is continuously emitted upwardly from said signal emitter when said switch is turned on and said back cover of said voice book is held in position on said housing, moreover each of said page sheets has a tab member which is protruded outwardly from an edge side thereof and disposed staggeredly, in which each of said tab members is extended just above a respective pair of said signal emitter and signal receiver so as to shelter said detecting signal emitted from said corresponding signal emitter and reflect said detecting signal to said proximate signal receiver, whereby when said voice book held on said housing of said sound generating device is closed, said detecting signals emitted from all said signal emitters are sheltered by said tab members and reflected toward said signal receivers, and at that moment, said audio means is deactivated and does not provide any sound, however, when said voice book is opened and turned in to a particular page sheet, said particular page sheet is turned aside so that said sheltering and reflecting of said detecting signal emitted from said respective signal emitter is cleared, so that said audio means precisely selects said sound message with respect to said particular page sheet and converts said selected sound message to said speaking sound to broadcast through said speaker.

14. A voice book system, as recited in claim 6, wherein said detecting means comprises a plurality pair of signal emitters and signal receivers disposed along a side edge of said housing, and each said pair of said signal emitter and signal receiver, which are electrically connected to said audio means, must be positioned proximately, wherein a detecting signal is continuously emitted upwardly from said signal emitter when said switch is turned on and said back cover of said voice book is held in position on said housing, moreover each of said page sheets has a tab member which is protruded outwardly from an edge side thereof and disposed staggeredly, in which each of said tab members is extended just above a respective pair of said signal emitter and signal receiver so as to shelter said detecting signal emitted from said corresponding signal emitter and reflect said detecting signal to said proximate signal receiver, whereby when said voice book held on said housing of said sound generating device is closed, said detecting signals emitted from all said signal emitters are sheltered by said tab members and reflected toward said signal receivers, and at that moment, said audio means is deactivated and does not provide any sound, however, when said voice book is opened and turned in to a particular page sheet, said particular page sheet is turned aside so that said sheltering and reflecting of said detecting signal emitted from said respective signal emitter is cleared, so that said audio means precisely selects said sound message with respect to said particular page sheet and converts said selected sound message to said speaking sound to broadcast through said speaker.

15. A voice book system, as recited in claim 7, wherein each of said page sheets has a tab member which is protruded outwardly from an edge side thereof and disposed staggeredly, and said detecting means comprises a plurality magnetic field sensors which are disposed along a side edge of said housing and electrically connected to said audio means, and a plurality, of magnetic field generators which are mounted on said bottom sides of said tab members respectively, in which each of said magnetic field generators must be positioned just above one of said magnetic field sensors, therefore, when said voice book is closed, each of said magnetic field sensors detects a specific magnetic field generated from said respective magnetic field generator so that said audio means is deactivated and does not provide any speaking sound, however, when said voice book is turned into a particular page sheet of said page sheets, said respective tab member as well as said magnetic field generator mounted thereon is turned over, so that said magnetic field generated by said respective magnetic field generator is not sensed and said audio means reacts to broadcast said sound content with respect to that particular page sheet.

16. A voice book system, as recited in claim 1, wherein said housing has a top platform for supporting said back cover of said voice book to flatly sit thereon, said book holder comprising a pocket shelter raised above a side edge of said top platform to define a receiving pocket between said top platform and said pocket shelter, wherein a height of said receiving pocket must be at least equal to said thickness of said back cover of said voice book, so that an outer side portion of said back cover of said voice book is able to be fitly inserted into said receiving pocket.

17. A voice book system, as recited in claim 1, wherein said audio means, which is installed inside said housing, comprises a circuit board electrically connected with said speaker and said power source, and a switch for switching a power supply of said circuit board on or off.

18. As voice book system, as recited in claim 1, wherein said detecting means comprises a plurality pair of signal emitters and signal receivers disposed along a side edge of said housing, and each said pair of said signal emitter and signal receiver, which are electrically connected to said audio means, must be positioned proximately, wherein a detecting signal is continuously emitted upwardly from said signal emitter when said switch is turned on and said back cover of said voice book is held in position on said housing, moreover each of said page sheets has a tab member which is protruded outwardly from an edge side thereof and disposed staggeredly, in which each of said tab members is extended just above a respective pair of said signal emitter and signal receiver so as to shelter said detecting signal emitted from said corresponding signal emitter and reflect said detecting signal to said proximate signal receiver, whereby when said voice book held on said housing of said sound generating device is closed, said detecting signals emitted from all said signal emitters are sheltered by said tab members and reflected toward said signal receivers, and at that moment, said audio means is deactivated and does not provide any sound, however, when said voice book is opened and turned in to a particular page sheet, said particular page sheet is turned aside so that said sheltering and reflecting of said detecting signal emitted from said respective signal emitter is cleared, so that said audio means precisely selects said sound message with respect to said particular page sheet and converts said selected sound message to said speaking sound to broadcast through said speaker.

19. A voice book system, as recited in claim 18, wherein said detecting signal is an infrared beam.

20. A voice book system, as recited in claim 1, wherein each of said page sheets has a tab member which is protruded outwardly from an edge side thereof and disposed staggeredly, and said detecting means comprises a plurality magnetic field sensors which are disposed along a side edge of said housing and electrically connected to said audio means, and a plurality of magnetic field generators which are mounted on said bottom sides of said tab members respectively, in which each of said magnetic field generators must be positioned just above of said magnetic field sensors, therefore, when said voice book is closed, each of said magnetic field sensors detects a specific magnetic field generated from said respective magnetic field generator so that said audio means is deactivated and does not provide any speaking sound, however, when said voice book is turned into a particular page sheet of said page sheets, said respective tab member as well as said magnetic field generator mounted thereon is turned over, so that said magnetic field generated by said respective magnetic field generator is not sensed and said audio means reacts to broadcast said sound content with respect to that particular page sheet.

21. A voice book system, as recited in claim 1, wherein said information storing means comprises a memory chip installed inside said back cover to store a sound content which comprises a plurality of sound messages with respect to a written content of each of said page sheets, wherein said book connector comprises a plurality of electrical contact-strip terminals adjacently aligned in parallel manner, and said book connector is affixed to an outer bottom corner of an exterior side of said back cover, and that a plurality of electrical wires are connected between said contact-strip terminals and said memory chip so as to electrically connect each of said memory chip with each of said contact-strip terminals.

22. A voice book system, as recited in claim 21, wherein said housing has a top platform for supporting said back cover of said voice book to flatly sit thereon, said book holder comprising a pocket shelter raised above a side edge of said top platform to define a receiving pocket between said top platform and said pocket shelter, wherein a height of said receiving pocket must be at least equal to said thickness of said back cover of said voice book, so that an outer side portion of said back cover of said voice book is able to be fitly inserted into said receiving pocket.

23. A voice book system, as recited in claim 22, wherein said top platform has a communication opening which is positioned at a side corner of said top platform and underneath said pocket shelter.

24. A voice book system, as recited in claim 23, wherein said audio means, which is installed inside said housing, comprises a circuit board electrically connected with said speaker and said power source, and a switch for switching a power supply of said circuit board on or off.

25. A voice book system, as recited in claim 24, said device connector comprises a plurality of electrical contact springs disposed at said communication opening of said top platform, each of said contact springs has a connected leg electrically connected to said circuit board and an elongated arm having a V-shaped tip upwardly extended into said receiving pocket, so that when said outer side portion of said back cover of said voice book is inserted into said receiving pocket of said housing, said contact-strip terminals of said book connector respectively press down said V-shaped tips of said contact springs to a lower position, and that each contact spring is in good electrical contact with said respective contact-strip terminal, moreover, each of said resilient contact springs has a tendency to spring back to its upper position that renders each of said contact springs propping against said respective contact-strip terminal so as to ensure good electrical connection.

26. A voice book system, as recited in claim 25, wherein each of said page sheets has a tab member which is protruded outwardly from an edge side thereof and disposed staggeredly, and said detecting means comprises a plurality of contact switches, which are spacedly mounted on a vertical wall adjacent to a top side edge of said top platform and electrically connected to said audio means, wherein when said voice book held on said housing of said sound generating device is closed, all said tab members are in contact with said contact switches respectively, so that said audio means is deactivated and does not provide any sound, however, when said voice book is opened and turned in to a particular page sheet of said page sheets, said particular page sheet is turned aside and said respective contact switch does not contact with said tab member of said particular page sheet, so that said audio means precisely selects said sound message with respect to said particular page sheet and converts said selected sound message to said speaking sound to broadcast through said speaker.