Method for producing remotely a display device storing one or more audio messages

• US 6,377,926 B2
• Filed: 02/13/2001
• Issued: 04/23/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 06/06/1991
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: LJ Talk LLC
• Original Assignee: LJ Laboratories L.L.C.
• Inventors: Loudermilk, Alan R.
• Primary Examiner(s): SMITS, TALIVALDIS IVARS
• Application Number:
  US09/782,921
• Publication Number:
  US 20010041975A1
• Time in Patent Office: 434 Days
• Field of Search: 704/272, 407/17, 407/20, 404/55
• US Class Current: 704/272
• CPC Class Codes: A47G 1/0616 Ornamental frames, e.g. with illumination, speakers or decorative features
• CPC Class Codes: A47G 2001/145 Picture cubes
• CPC Class Codes: A47G 2200/143 producing means
• CPC Class Codes: A47G 2200/146 recording or detecting means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/167 Audio in a user interface, e.g. using voice commands for navigating, audio feedback
• 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: G10L 13/00 Speech synthesis; Text to speech systems

Abstract

A picture frame and accompanying audio message circuit is provided such that one or more desired audio messages stored in the audio message circuit associated with one or more display pictures can be played upon the touching of the pictures or the frame, or in response to a voice recognition device sensing an audio command associated with the particular audio message and/or pictures. When audio message playback is desired, a switch on the frame or under a protective cover for the picture is activated by touching, or a position sensitive device may be used to sense whether a particular position on the picture has been touched. Digital or analog information representing the desired audio message is retrieved from a memory device, which is subsequently transmitted to a speaker which produces the desired audio message perceptible to a human. In other embodiments, multiple picture and multiple messages are provided such that the user can touch a particular picture, or the switch associated with that picture, and an audio message corresponding to the picture is then played through the speaker. In still other embodiments, a system is provided with a plurality of pictures mounted in the perimeter faces of a cube or other geometrical shape, each picture having associated with it a switch for activating a message or plurality of messages. In still other embodiments, a position sensitive device or a voice recognition device is utilized to initiate audio message playback.

Claims

1. A method for remotely producing a display device having a visual element and also storing one or more audio messages corresponding to the visual element at least one second location remote from a first location, wherein a speaker is provided with the display device for playback of the one or more audio messages through the speaker, the method comprising the steps of:

generating electrical representations corresponding to the one or more audio messages at the first location;

transmitting the electrical representations from the first location to the second location over a transmission medium;

receiving the electrical representations from the transmission medium at the second location; and

storing electrical representations of the one or more audio messages in the display device at the second location, wherein the one or more audio messages corresponding to the visual element are played back through the speaker.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more audio messages corresponding to the visual element are played back through the speaker in response to activation of one or more switches.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the one or more switches are located on the display device.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the one or more switches comprise one or more touch sensitive switches.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the one or more touch sensitive switches comprise capacitive or membrane type switches.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein the one or more switches comprise switches that are unnoticeable to a user.

7. The method of claim 2, wherein the one or more switches comprise at least two switches.

8. The method of claim 2, wherein the one or more audio messages comprise at least two audio messages.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein a first audio message is played back in response to activation of a first switch, wherein a second audio message is played back in response to activation of a second switch.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein a first audio message is played back in response to a first activation of a switch, wherein a second audio message is played back in response to a second activation of the switch.

11. The method of claim 2, wherein the one or more switches comprise a light activated switch.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein a predetermined audio message is played back in response to activation of the light activated switch.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein a first audio message is played back in response to activation of a first switch, wherein the predetermined audio message is played back in response to the activation of the light activated switch.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the first audio message and the predetermined audio message comprise different audio messages.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the display device displays one or more images captured with a camera.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the display device stores and plays back an audio message associated with one or more of the one or more images captured with the camera.

17. The method of claim 15, further comprising the steps of:

transmitting electrical representations of the one or more images captured with the camera over the transmission medium;

receiving the electrical representations of the one or more images captured with the camera from the transmission medium at the second location; and

displaying the one or more images captured with the camera in the display device.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more audio messages is/are stored in the display device in digital form.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more audio messages is/are stored in the display device in analog form.

20. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more audio messages is/are transmitted over the transmission medium in digital form.

21. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more audio messages is/are stored in the display device via an input port of the display device.

22. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more audio messages is/are stored in memory of the display device.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the one or more audio messages is/are retrieved from memory under control of a CPU, wherein the one or more audio messages is/are played back through the speaker.

24. The method of claim 1, wherein the transmission medium comprises a digital data transmission link, wherein the one or more audio messages is/are transmitted over the transmission medium in digital form.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the digital data transmission link includes processing elements at the first location and the second location, wherein the processing element at the first location and the processing element at the second location operate in a coordinated manner to ensure the integrity of the transmitted one or more audio messages.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the processing element at the first location and the processing element at the second location operate to perform error checking.

27. The method of claim 25, wherein the processing element at the first location and the processing element at the second location operate to perform error checking and correction.

28. The method of claim 1, wherein the transmission medium comprises a telephone line.

29. The method of claim 1, wherein the transmission medium comprises a data line or satellite link.

30. The method of claim 1, wherein the electrical representations are transmitted or received at least in part using digital or, analog transmit or receive devices.

31. The method of claim 1, wherein the electrical representations are transmitted or received at least in part using a modem.

32. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more audio messages comprise a commemorative message corresponding to the visual element.

33. The method of claim 1, wherein the speaker is part of the display device.

34. The method of claim 1, wherein the speaker is external to the display device.

35. The method of claim 1, wherein the visual element comprises a sketch, drawing, lettering, photograph or fixed object.

36. A method for displaying a visual element with a visual element display device and playing an audio message at at least one second location remote from a first location, comprising the steps of:

generating electrical representations corresponding to the one or more audio messages at the first location;

transmitting the electrical representations from the first location to the second location over a transmission medium;

receiving the electrical representations from the transmission medium at the second location;

storing electrical representations of the one or more audio messages in the display device at the second location; and

playing the one or more audio messages with the display device at the second location.

37. The method of claim 36, wherein the one or more audio messages is/are played through a speaker.

38. The method of claim 37, wherein the speaker is part of the display device.

39. The method of claim 37, wherein the speaker is external to the display device.

40. The method of claim 36, wherein the one or more audio messages correspond to one or more displayed visual elements.

41. The method of claim 40, wherein the display device displays one or more visual elements at the second location, and wherein a user hears the one or more audio messages at the second location while the one or more visual elements are displayed on the display device.

42. The method of claim 36, wherein the one or more audio messages corresponding to the visual element are played back in response to activation of one or more switches.

43. The method of claim 42, wherein the one or more switches are located on the display device.

44. The method of claim 42, wherein the one or more switches comprise one or more touch sensitive switches.

45. The method of claim 44, wherein the one or more touch sensitive switches comprise capacitive or membrane type switches.

46. The method of claim 42, wherein the one or more switches comprise switches that are unnoticeable to a user.

47. The method of claim 42, wherein the one or more switches comprise at least two switches.

48. The method of claim 36, wherein the one or more audio messages comprise at least two audio messages.

49. The method of claim 48, wherein a first audio message is played back in response to activation of a first switch, wherein a second audio message is played back in response to activation of a second switch.

50. The method of claim 48, wherein a first audio message is played back in response to a first activation of a switch, wherein a second audio message is played back in response to a second activation of the switch.

51. The method of claim 42, wherein the one or more switches comprise a light activated switch.

52. The method of claim 51, wherein a predetermined audio message is played back in response to activation of the light activated switch.

53. The method of claim 52, wherein a first audio message is played back in response to activation of a first switch, wherein the predetermined audio message is played back in response to the activation of the light activated switch.

54. The method of claim 53, wherein the first audio message and the predetermined audio message comprise different audio messages.

55. The method of claim 36, wherein the display device displays one or more images captured with a camera.

56. The method of claim 55, wherein the display device stores and plays back an audio message associated with one or more of the one or more images captured with the camera.

57. The method of claim 55, further comprising the steps of:

transmitting electrical representations of the one or more images captured with the camera over the transmission medium;

receiving the electrical representations of the one or more images captured with the camera from the transmission medium at the second location; and

displaying the one or more imaged captured with the camera in the display device.

58. The method of claim 36, wherein the one or more audio messages is/are stored in the display device in digital form.

59. The method of claim 36, wherein the one or more audio messages is/are stored in the display device in analog form.

60. The method of claim 36, wherein the one or more audio messages is/are transmitted over the transmission medium in digital form.

61. The method of claim 36, wherein the one or more audio messages is/are stored in the display device via an input port of the display device.

62. The method of claim 36, wherein the one or more audio messages is/are stored in memory of the display device.

63. The method of claim 62, wherein the one or more audio messages is/are retrieved from memory under control of a CPU, wherein the one or more audio messages is/are played back through the speaker.

64. The method of claim 36, wherein the transmission medium comprises a digital data transmission link, wherein the one or more audio messages is/are transmitted over the transmission medium in digital form.

65. The method of claim 64, wherein the digital data transmission link includes processing elements at the first location and the second location, wherein the processing element at the first location and the processing element at the second location operate in a coordinated manner to ensure the integrity of the transmitted one or more audio messages.

66. The method of claim 65, wherein the processing element at the first location and the processing element at the second location operate to perform error checking.

67. The method of claim 66, wherein the processing element at the first location and the processing element at the second location operate to perform error checking and correction.

68. The method of claim 36, wherein the transmission medium comprises a telephone line.

69. The method of claim 36, wherein the transmission medium comprises a data line or satellite link.

70. The method of claim 36, wherein the electrical representations are transmitted or received using digital or analog transmit or receive devices.

71. The method of claim 70, wherein the electrical representations are transmitted or received at least in part using a modem.

72. The method of claim 36, wherein the one or more audio messages comprise a commemorative message corresponding to the visual element.

73. The method of claim 36, wherein the visual element comprises a sketch, drawing, lettering, photograph or fixed object.