JP2006047419A - Electronic device for intellectual training, and area designation device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an electronic device for intellectual training wherein the variation of the content of related information that can be voice outputted can be made greater than in the conventional practice. <P>SOLUTION: In the electric device for intellectual training: a wireless IC tag 18 having identification information is fitted to a designating unit 17; an IC tag reading antenna 15 is arranged on the device main body 3 side; related information correlated with the identification information in the designating unit 17 and an area in a page of a book 2 prescribed by the antenna 15 is stored beforehand in a related information storage means 22; a data reading means 23 reads, based on the identification information in the designating unit 17 and the area prescribed by the antenna 15, the related information from the related information storage means 22; and a voice output means 24 outputs the related information. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to an educational electronic device and an area designation device suitable for use in the device.

  The educational electronic device disclosed in Japanese Patent No. 3120085 uses a book in which a ROM that stores information related to information such as pictures and characters displayed on the information display surface of each page is integrated. . In this conventional apparatus, position detection means for detecting which area of the opened book page is designated by the designation unit made of a touch pen is provided in the apparatus main body placed with the book opened. ing. In the conventional apparatus, when the position detecting unit detects the designated position, the related information related to the information displayed at the designated position is read from the ROM, and the related information is displayed by voice. The specific position detecting means is configured to detect the coordinates of the information display surface of the book designated with the touch pen. Therefore, the ROM provided integrally with the book stores related information in association with the coordinates.

  In Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 10-500780, a switch is used as position detecting means. In the technique disclosed in this publication, a designated position is detected by pressing a switch through a card with a designation unit placed on a card as an information carrier.

  Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 9-218695 discloses a technique for specifying a designated position on a book using a bar code and outputting related information regarding information displayed at the designated position by voice.

Furthermore, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2000-325668 discloses a technique for making a reading device that reads a mark such as a bar code displayed on a book into the shape of a character such as a bear and making it appear as if the character is outputting sound. Has been.
Japanese Patent No. 3120085 FIG. 1 and FIG. Japanese Patent Publication No. 10-500780 Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 9-218695 FIG. JP 2000-325668 A FIG.

  In the conventional apparatus, based on detection of designation of an area where information on the information display surface such as a book or a card is displayed, related information related to the information described in the designated area is output as voice. Therefore, the related information output by voice is always the same, and there is a problem that the user gets bored after using it several times.

  An object of the present invention is to provide an educational electronic device capable of increasing variations in the content of related information that can be output as a sound compared to the related art.

  It is another object of the present invention to provide an educational electronic device that can increase variations in the content of related information that can be output by voice using a plurality of types of designation units.

  Another object of the present invention is to provide an educational electronic device that can increase variations in the content of related information that can be output as a sound in accordance with the type and number of a plurality of designation units to be used.

  Another object of the present invention is to provide an educational electronic device capable of changing variations in the contents of related information that can be output as a sound according to the order in which a plurality of designation units are placed on an information display surface.

  It is still another object of the present invention to provide an educational electronic device that can change the content of related information that can be output as a voice even when the designation unit leaves the information display surface.

  Another object of the present invention is to provide an educational electronic device that can achieve the above-mentioned objects simply and reliably.

  Another object of the present invention is to provide an area designating device suitable for use in an educational electronic device or the like.

  The educational electronic device of the present invention includes an information carrier mounting unit, related information storage means, information display surface specifying means, region specifying means, data reading means, and voice output means. The information carrier mounting unit has a structure in which an information carrier in the form of a sheet or book can be placed with the information display surface on which information such as pictures, characters, figures, etc. is displayed facing up. Note that a book can be defined as a sheet or book that is composed of a plurality of information display sheets on which information visually recognized such as pictures, characters, figures, etc. is displayed. One or both sides of each page can be used as an information display surface. When using a book, if the size of the information carrier mounting portion is increased, both sides of all pages can be used simultaneously as information display surfaces.

  The related information storage means stores related information related to the information shown on the information display surface of the information carrier placed on the information carrier placing part. This related information storage means may be non-exchangeable, but may be exchangeable. If the related information storage means is not exchangeable, the stored contents may be rewritable. Further, when the exchangeable related information storage means is used, there is an advantage that it can be easily handled even if the number of types of information carriers increases. Further, if related information relating to a plurality of types of information carriers is stored in one related information storage means, it is necessary to exchange the related information storage means each time the information carrier placed on the information carrier mounting portion is changed. Eliminates operability. In the case where the related information storage means is constituted by a replaceable storage medium, it is preferable to use a ROM cassette as the storage medium at present from the viewpoint of ease of handling and price.

  The information display surface specifying means has a function of specifying the information display surface of the information carrier placed on the information carrier placement part. If the information carrier is a sheet, the information display surface specifying means indicates whether the sheet is placed on the information carrier placing portion with the type of sheet, the back of the sheet or the front side facing up Identify. If the information carrier is a book, the information display surface specifying means specifies the type of book and how many pages of the book are placed on the information carrier placing part. This specification is a so-called page specification. For specifying a page, a known page detection structure using light or magnetism as shown in Patent Document 1 described above can be used. Note that a wireless IC tag provided with information for confirming a page may be attached to each of a plurality of information display sheets. In this case, the information display surface specifying means is configured to be able to specify the information display surface based on the wireless IC tags attached to the plurality of information display sheets.

  The area designating unit is configured to designate one or more areas on the information display surface. The configuration of the area designating unit employed in the present invention will be described in detail later. The data reading means is configured to read, from the related information storage means, related information related to information included in one or more areas specified by the area specifying means on the information display surface specified by the information display surface specifying means. The voice output unit is configured to output the related information read by the data reading unit by voice.

  In the present invention, the area designating means is provided in one or more designation units each including a detectable element to be detected, and the information carrier mounting part, and the detected element is predetermined on the information carrier mounting part. And a detected element detecting means for detecting that the information carrier is positioned on one or more regions. The detected elements provided in one or more designation units include identification information for identifying the designation unit. The element to be detected is preferably one that can be detected electrically (electromagnetic coupling method, microwave method, electromagnetic induction method, etc.). For example, when a wireless IC tag storing identification information is used as the element to be detected, necessary and sufficient identification information can be stored, and the identification information can be easily decoded. Here, the wireless IC tag communicates by non-contact communication using radio waves or electromagnetic waves. Note that when a passive type wireless IC tag that receives wireless energy from an antenna, which will be described later, and communicates using this energy, there is no need to provide a battery used as a power source for communication on the wireless IC tag side.

  Further, in this case, the detected element detecting means is provided with respect to the information carrier mounting part, and includes one or more wireless IC tag reading antennas for determining one or more areas, and one or more wireless IC tag readings. And a discriminating means for discriminating identification information based on an input signal from the antenna. The wireless IC tag reading antenna may be provided either outside or inside the information carrier mounting portion. In order to determine a plurality of areas, it is necessary to prepare a plurality of wireless IC tag reading antennas. In this case, the antennas may be arranged so as not to overlap each other.

  In the present invention, the detected element detecting means has a function of specifying an area on the information carrier mounting portion on which the detected element is placed and a function of recognizing identification information. The related information storage means stores the related information in association with the identification information of one or more designation units and the area specified by the detected element detecting means. The data reading means is configured to read related information from the related information storage means based on the identification information of the one or more designation units recognized by the detected element detecting means and the area specified by the detected element detecting means. Has been. In this case, the identification information of the designation unit is added as a condition when the related information is stored in the related information storage means and when the related information is read from the related information storage means. Can be increased.

  In the case of using a plurality of designation units, the detected element detecting means is configured to be able to recognize the identification information of each of the plurality of designation units. The data reading means is configured to read the related information from the related information storage means based on the plurality of identification information detected by the detected element detecting means and the area specified by the detected element detecting means. In this way, as the number of designation units is increased, the types of related information increase, and it is possible to greatly increase variations in audio output as compared to the conventional case.

  In addition, when designating an area on the information display surface, the area can be designated with one or more designation units selected from a plurality of designation units prepared in advance. By changing the designated unit or changing the combination, you can enjoy the joy of changing audio output in various ways.

  The related information storage means may also store the entire display surface related information related to the entire information display surface. In this case, when the information display surface specifying means specifies the information display surface, the data reading means prioritizes the specification from the area specifying means and the display surface related to the information display surface specified from the related information storage means. It is preferable that the entire related information is read out and output to the audio output means. If it does in this way, the display surface whole related information relevant to the whole information display surface will be audio-displayed first. For example, in the case of a story, the premise of one scene of the story can be first output as audio. Thereafter, related information related to the area of the information display surface designated by the designation unit is output as a sound. As a result, the development of the story in one scene of the story after that changes by changing the area designated by the designation unit or using a plurality of designation units. By doing so, the audio output is not changed indiscriminately, and it is possible to change the audio output within a range in which the educational purpose can be achieved.

  Various methods of reading data by the data reading means can be considered and are not limited to one. For example, the data reading means is configured to read the related information from the related information storage means based on the types of identification information recognized by the detected element detecting means and the area specified by the detected element detecting means. be able to. The data reading means may read the related information from the related information storage means based on the order in which the detected element detecting means recognizes the plurality of identification information and the area specified by the detected element detecting means. Further, the data reading means is based on the fact that the detected element detection means has stopped recognizing one or more pieces of identification information from the state in which the detected element detection means has recognized one or more identification information and the area specified by the detected element detection means, It can comprise so that relevant information may be read from a relevant information storage means. In this way, how to combine multiple specification units, which area to specify by multiple specification units, the order in which areas are specified by multiple specification units, whether or not to cancel the area specification by the specification unit, etc. It is possible to change the content or scenario of related information output by voice. Therefore, the contents that can be displayed in voice are abundant as compared with the conventional electronic device for education. In addition, since the user will actively devise how to use the designated unit, the educational effect can be enhanced more than before.

  An area designating device according to the present invention for designating an area on an information display surface of an information carrier having an information display surface on which information such as pictures, characters, figures, etc. is displayed has the information carrier with the information display surface facing upward. Provided on the information carrier mounting portion of the apparatus main body, the apparatus main body having the information carrier mounting section mounted thereon, one or more designating units having an electrically detectable element to be detected. And a detected element detecting means for electrically detecting that the detected element is located on one or more predetermined areas on the information carrier mounting portion with the information carrier interposed therebetween. . The detected element includes identification information for identifying the designation unit.

  According to the present invention, since the identification information of the designation unit is added as a condition when the related information is stored in the related information storage unit and when the related information is read out from the related information storage unit, the type of the related information is compared with the conventional type. The number of variations in the contents of audio output can be increased.

  Hereinafter, an example of an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an embodiment of the electronic device for education of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view thereof. The educational electronic device 1 shown in FIG. 1 includes a book 2 as an information carrier and a device body 3. The book 2 is placed on the information carrier mounting portion 4 of the apparatus main body 3 with the information display surface on which information such as pictures, characters, and figures are displayed facing up. A wireless IC tag for page recognition (not shown) is attached to each page of the book 2 in a state where it cannot be seen from the outside. In the present embodiment, the number of opened pages is identified from the wireless IC tag for page recognition mounted on one or more pages mounted on the information carrier mounting unit 4. Receive and confirm the information. The front surface of the information carrier mounting portion 4 and / or the back surface of the book 2 is subjected to anti-slip processing for preventing the book 2 from easily slipping off from the information carrier mounting portion 4. Of course, the book 2 may not be easily detached from the information carrier mounting portion 4 by the fitting structure. Further, in some cases, the book 2 may be fixed on the information carrier mounting portion 4 using an adhesive.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the apparatus main body 3 includes an upper frame 5 including an information carrier mounting portion 4 and a lower frame 6 combined with the upper frame 5. The operation unit 7 provided on the upper frame 5 is provided with five push buttons 8, a speaker mask 9, and a power switch 10. A flexible circuit board 11 is accommodated in the operation unit 7. On the circuit board 11, a circuit pattern including the contact portions 12 of the five push buttons 8 is formed. On the circuit board 11, a ROM used as related information storage means for storing related information related to the information shown on the information display surface of the book 2, a microcomputer for processing data, an audio output circuit, etc. Has been implemented. A main body of the power switch 10 is also mounted on the circuit board 11. The speaker 13 that outputs sound is mounted on the lower frame 6. The lower frame 6 is provided with a battery storage box 14 for storing batteries. A plurality of batteries are stored in the battery storage box 14 in a replaceable manner. A radio IC tag reading antenna 15 is arranged between the lower frame 6 and the upper frame 5 in correspondence with the information carrier mounting portion 4. The wireless IC tag reading antenna 15 is arranged along the outline of the information carrier mounting portion 4. The wireless IC tag reading antenna 15 is used for the purpose of giving electrical energy as a driving source to the designation unit 17 and receiving identification information from the designation unit 17. Both ends of the antenna 15 are electrically connected to a pair of electrodes on a circuit board 16 on which a signal processing circuit including a reading circuit for a wireless IC tag is formed.

  The designating unit 17 has a structure in which a circuit board 19 having a wireless IC tag 18 as an element to be detected and an antenna (not shown) is accommodated inside a figure such as a dog. The wireless IC tag 18 transmits identification information stored therein from the antenna using a current flowing through the antenna by radio waves received by an antenna (not shown) provided on the circuit board 19 as a power source. The appearance of the designation unit 17 is arbitrary and may be any shape. For example, the shape displayed on the information carrier or the shape of a character or character related to the picture may be adopted as the appearance. In this way, the type of characters and characters related to the picture, and the content and scenario that are output as a sound change depending on the presence or absence of them, so that not only the content that can be displayed in sound is abundant, but also information about characters and characters is carried. Since the body information is associated, the user feels close to the designated unit and becomes attached.

  The wireless IC tag reading antenna 15 receives the identification information signal transmitted from the designation unit 17. The signal processing circuit on the circuit board 16 performs A / D conversion on the received identification information signal and outputs a signal to the microcomputer on the circuit board 11. The circuit board 11 and the circuit board 16 are electrically connected via connection means (not shown).

  In this educational electronic device 1, as will be described in detail later, when the designation unit 17 is placed on the information display surface of the book 2, it is stored in a wireless IC tag for page recognition (not shown) attached to each page of the book 2. The received identification information and the identification information in the wireless IC tag 18 in the designation unit 17 are received by the wireless IC tag reading antenna 15 and related information related to the information displayed on the information display surface based on the identification information. Is output as audio. FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a circuit used for data processing in the device main body of the educational electronic device of the present embodiment. 3, the same members as those shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 are denoted by the same reference numerals as those shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, and the description thereof is omitted.

  In FIG. 3, the information display surface specifying means 21 has a function of specifying the information display surface of the book (information carrier) 2 placed on the information carrier placement unit 4. If the information carrier is the book 2 as in the present embodiment, the type of the book and how many pages of the book are placed on the information carrier placing part 4 in an upward state The display surface specifying means 21 specifies. In this embodiment, as described above, identification information from the wireless IC tag for page recognition mounted on each page of book 2 is received by the wireless IC tag reading antenna 15 to specify the page. Specifically, the number of open pages is specified by the number and type of identification information from the wireless IC tag for page recognition received by the wireless IC tag reading antenna 15. The identification between the wireless IC tag 18 in the specifying unit 17 and the wireless IC tag for page recognition can be easily and reliably performed by confirming the contents of the identification information. In the present embodiment, since the wireless IC tag reading antenna 15 can be used for both the recognition of the page recognition designation unit 17, the configuration of the apparatus can be simplified. Of course, the information display surface specifying means 21 can be used to specify a page with a known page detection structure using light or magnetism as shown in the above-mentioned Patent Document 1. is there.

  The related information storage unit 22 stores related information related to information shown on the information display surface of the book 2 placed on the information carrier placing unit 4. As shown in FIG. 4 showing an example of the progress of the usage state, the left page of the opened book 2 has a sentence (indicated by a broken line), and the right page has a picture (triangle). It is drawn. The related information storage means 22 stores information related to the picture and / or the character of the designation unit 17 described on the information display surface (the surface of the right page). When using a plurality of types of books, the related information storage means 22 may store related information regarding all the books to be processed. As will be described later in another embodiment, when a plurality of types of designation units are used, the related information storage means 22 also stores related information related to the plurality of types of designation units. Just keep it. The type of book can be recognized by comprehensively discriminating identification information of the wireless IC tag mounted on each page of each book. If the related information regarding a plurality of types of books is stored, it is not necessary to replace the related information storage means 22 each time the book placed on the information carrier mounting portion 4 is changed, and the operability is improved.

  In the present embodiment, the designation unit 17 designates the detected element detecting means comprising the radio IC tag reading antenna 15 and the discriminating means 20 and the wireless IC tag 18 as the detected element included in the designation unit 17. An area designating unit for designating the area of the information display surface of the book 2 is configured. The discriminating means 20 discriminates the identification information transmitted from the radio IC tag 18 based on the input signal from the radio IC tag reading antenna 15. The identification information may be a simple combination of numbers or specific data information. In the present embodiment, the detected element detecting means constituted by the wireless IC tag reading antenna 15 and the discriminating means 20 specifies the area on the information carrier mounting portion 4 where the specifying unit 17 is placed. And a function of recognizing identification information stored in a wireless IC tag included in the designation unit 17.

  As will be described later, a plurality of antennas for reading a wireless IC tag can be arranged. A plurality of types of designation units 17 can be used. Even in this case, signals from a plurality of wireless IC tag reading antennas are input to the discriminating means 20. The discriminating means 20 discriminates what kind of designation unit is placed in an area corresponding to which antenna (arrangement area of the antenna 15 surrounded by a broken line 15 ′ in FIG. 4), Both area determination and identification information determination are executed.

  The data read-out means 23 is an area designated by the area designation means (15, 17, 18, 20) on the information display surface (page 2 of this book) identified by the information display surface identification means 21 (the designation unit 17 The related information related to the information included in the area 15 ′) on the page of the book 2 placed is read out from the related information storage means 22. In this case, the identification information in the wireless IC tag 18 of the designation unit 17 is added as a condition when the related information is stored in the related information storage unit 22 and when the related information is read from the related information storage unit 22. Compared with the prior art, the types of related information can be increased. The voice output unit 24 is configured to output the related information read by the data reading unit 23 by voice. The audio output means 24 also includes the speaker 13 shown in FIG.

  The related information storage unit 22 may also store the entire display surface related information related to the entire information display surface. In such a case, when the information display surface specifying unit 21 specifies the information display surface, the data reading unit 23 has priority over the designation from the area specifying unit (15, 17, 18, 20). Information related to the entire display surface related to the specified information display surface is read from the storage unit 22 and output to the audio output unit 24 as audio. If it does in this way, the display surface whole related information relevant to the whole information display surface will be audio-displayed first. For example, in the case of a story, the premise of one scene of the story can be first output as audio. Thereafter, related information related to the area of the information display surface designated by the designation unit 17 is output as a sound. As a result, by changing the area designated by the designation unit 17 or by using a plurality of designation units, the development of the story in one scene of the story thereafter changes. In this way, when a plurality of areas can be designated by the designation unit, the audio output is changed indiscriminately by designating an appropriate area by the designation unit 17 from the start. It will not be done. Therefore, it is possible to change the sound output within a range where the educational purpose can be achieved.

  Various methods of reading data by the data reading means 23 can be considered. For example, the data reading unit 23 is configured to read the related information from the related information storage unit 22 based on the types of identification information determined (or recognized) by the determination unit 20 and the area specified by the determination unit 20. Can be configured. The data reading unit 23 may read the related information from the related information storage unit 22 based on the order in which the determining unit 20 recognizes the plurality of identification information and the area specified by the determining unit 20. Further, the data reading means 23 stores the related information based on the fact that the determination means 20 no longer recognizes the one or more identification information from the state where the determination means 20 recognizes the one or more identification information, and the area specified by the determination means 20. It can also be configured to read related information from the means 22. In this way, how to combine a plurality of designation units 17, which areas are designated by the plurality of designation units 17, the order in which the areas are designated by the plurality of designation units 17, and the designation of the areas by the designation unit 17 are canceled It becomes possible to change the content or scenario of the related information that is output as a sound depending on the presence or absence of the message. Therefore, the contents that can be displayed in voice are abundant as compared with the conventional electronic device for education. In addition, since the user will actively devise how to use the designation unit 17, the educational effect can be enhanced as compared with the conventional case.

  When a plurality of designation units 17 are used, the determination unit 20 is configured to recognize the identification information of each of the plurality of designation units 17. The data reading means 23 is configured to read related information from the related information storage means 22 based on the plurality of identification information determined by the determining means 20 and the area specified by the determining means 20. In this way, as the number of designation units is increased, the types of related information increase, and it is possible to greatly increase variations in audio output as compared to the conventional case.

  Of the blocks constituting the circuit of FIG. 3, all or the main part of the determining means 20, the information display surface specifying means 21 and the data reading means 23 can be realized using a microcomputer.

  In the present embodiment, five push buttons 8 are provided. The method of using these push buttons 8 is arbitrary, and when one of the push buttons 8 is pressed, a horn or a scream may be output as a sound. Further, when the push button 8 is pressed, a quiz corresponding to the page may be output as a sound. Further, by pressing the push button 8, even when the same book 2 is placed, it is possible to select a story to be output from a plurality of stories. In this case, the push button 8 is used as a read switch of the data read means 23.

  FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing an example of a software algorithm used when the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 is operated by the circuit shown in FIG. In this software, confirmation of the page of the book opened in step ST1 is executed. In step ST2, it is determined whether or not the opened page is the same as the previous one. If not, the process proceeds to step ST3, and information related to the opened page is output as a sound. Next, the process proceeds to step ST4, where the presence of the wireless IC tag 18 (the presence of the designation unit 17) is confirmed, and the identification information transmitted from the wireless IC tag 18 is determined. Then, information related to the identified wireless IC tag is read out from the related information storage means 22 and output as voice. If the presence of the wireless IC tag 18 (the presence of the designation unit 17) is not confirmed in step ST4, the process proceeds to step ST6. In step ST6, it is determined whether or not to end. If not, the process returns to step ST1. When a new page is turned, information related to the next page is output as audio.

  FIGS. 6A and 6B respectively show a part of the process when this software is used. The state shown in FIG. 6 (A) is the state when the page of book 2 is opened, and the voice output “Taro came for a walk to a nearby park ...” as information related to the page. Is done. After the voice output is completed, as shown in FIG. 6B, when the designation unit 17 in the shape of a dog is placed on the right page of the book 2, the identification information obtained from the designation unit 17 is obtained. Is determined, and information indicating the relationship between the information (picture, etc.) drawn in the area (in this example, one location) where the designation unit 17 is placed and the designation unit 17 is “Wow! "!" It goes without saying that the sound quality at this time may be changed.

  FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing an example of a software algorithm used when the first to third instruction units are used. Steps ST11 to ST13 are the same as steps ST1 to ST3 in FIG. In this software, in step ST14, step ST16, and step ST18, it is determined which of the first to third designation units is placed on the book page according to a predetermined priority order. Audio output is performed based on the result (step ST15, step ST17 and step ST19). In step ST20, step ST22, and step ST24, it is determined which of the first to third designation units has left the page of book 2. When any one of the first to third designation units has left, voice output associated with the withdrawal is made in relation to the withdrawn designation unit (step ST21, step ST23 and step ST25).

  FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating an example of an audio output mode when the unit for specifying four dolls a to d is used. In this audio output mode, when a page of a book is first opened, related information regarding the page is output as audio. If the next opened page is one page, it is determined which of the designation units (dolls a to d) has been placed on the page. In this example, the story or story changes for each identified doll. When a plurality of designation units are placed on the page almost simultaneously, the story changes depending on the type of designation unit placed. In this example, while the voice of the story is being output, the story does not change even if the designation unit is changed. When the second page is opened, a different story is output as a sound depending on the presence or absence of the designation unit. In order to avoid an unnatural story even if the second page or other page is opened first instead of the first page, in this audio output mode, a natural story is started from the first opened page. Another story has been prepared in advance to begin.

  FIG. 9 shows a state in which the designation unit (doll a to doll d) is placed on the page of book 2 and another designation unit is in the middle of the voice output of one story. The example of the aspect of an audio | voice output when it is set | placed on is shown. In this voice output mode, for example, when the doll a of the designation unit is discriminated and the narration A is being outputted and the other dolls b to d which are the designation units are discriminated, they are newly discriminated. The story changes to the story (FI) according to the doll of the designated unit. In this voice output mode, when another designation unit (doll) is identified after the first story has been output, the story changes depending on the type of the identified another designation unit (doll). Therefore, in this audio output mode, since the content of the story changes depending on the selection of the type of designation unit (doll) and the timing of arrangement of the designation unit (doll), a variety of stories can be output as audio. Can do.

  FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing another example of software used when a plurality of designation units are used. In this software, voice output is not performed just by opening the page, and voice output is performed only after the designation unit is placed on the page (steps ST21 to ST23). Then, the type and / or order of the designation unit placed on the page within a predetermined time is confirmed, and related information (story) corresponding to the designated unit is output by voice (step ST23 to step ST25). In addition, during a certain period of time during which audio is output, the type and / or order of the designation unit that has left the page is confirmed, and related information (story) is output as audio (steps ST26 to ST28). ). When such software is used, the story can be changed in the middle of voice output, but the story changes depending on the combination of the designation units placed on the page of the book.

  FIGS. 11A and 11B are diagrams showing a process of outputting sound when four specifying units 17a to 17d are used. FIG. 11A shows a situation in which when a page is opened, related information related to the page is output as audio. FIG. 11B shows a situation in which audio output is performed when the three designating units 17a to 17c are placed almost simultaneously on the page.

  FIGS. 12A to 12C are diagrams showing a sound output process when the four designation units 17a to 17d are used. FIG. 12A shows a situation where related information related to the page is output as a voice when the page is opened. FIG. 12B shows a situation in which audio output is performed when the two designation units 17a and 17c are placed almost simultaneously on the page. FIG. 12C shows a situation in which audio output is being performed when another designation unit 17d is added.

  FIG. 13 shows an exploded perspective view of another embodiment of the educational electronic device of the present invention. The difference from the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 is that three wireless IC tag reading antennas 115a to 115c are provided. Since the other points are the same as those of the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the same members as those shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 are attached to FIGS. 1 and 2 in FIG. 13. The number of codes is added with the number of 100 and the description is omitted. When the three wireless IC tag reading antennas 115a to 115c are arranged so as not to overlap each other as in the present embodiment, the area above the information carrier mounting portion 104 can be divided into three areas that can be detected. it can. As a result, three areas on the second page corresponding to the three wireless IC tag reading antennas 115a to 115c can be detected. A signal processing circuit including a wireless IC tag reading circuit configured on the circuit board 116 emits radio waves from the three wireless IC tag reading antennas 115a to 115c, and is designated in an area surrounded by the antennas. Based on the signal received from the unit only, the identification information of the designation unit placed in the area is determined. In order to remove the influence from the designation unit placed in another area, the strongest radio wave propagating to the wireless IC tag reading antennas 115a to 115c is placed in the area surrounded by the antenna. The signal processing circuit has the capability of discriminating that it is a radio wave from. Therefore, even if a plurality of wireless IC tag reading antennas 115a to 115c are arranged close to each other, no erroneous detection is performed. FIG. 14 shows three areas 115a ′ to 115c ′ of the page of the book 102 that can be detected by the three antennas 115a to 115c for reading the wireless IC tag.

  FIGS. 15A to 15C are diagrams showing the sound output process when the position (area 115a ′ to 115c ′) where the designation unit 17 is placed is changed. FIG. 15A shows a situation in which when a page is opened, related information related to the page is output as audio. FIG. 15B shows a situation where audio is being output when the designation unit 17 is placed on the area 115c ′. FIG. 12C shows a situation in which audio output is performed when the designation unit 17 is placed on the area 115a ′. As can be seen from these drawings, the audio output can be changed by changing the area on the page designated by the designation unit 17.

  FIGS. 16A and 16B are diagrams showing the sound output process when four types of designation units 17a to 17d are placed in the three regions 115a ′ to 115c ′. FIG. 16A shows a situation where related information related to the page is output as a voice when the page is opened. FIG. 16B shows a situation in which audio output is performed when the designation units 17a to 17c are placed on all the regions 115a ′ to 115c ′, respectively.

  FIG. 17 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a software algorithm used when the first to third regions 115a ′ to 115c ′ are used. Steps ST31 to ST33 are the same as steps ST1 to ST3 in FIG. In this software, in step ST34, it is determined whether or not a designation unit (wireless ID tag) exists in any one of the first to third areas 115a ′ to 115c ′. In step ST35, the relevant information corresponding to the area where the designation unit (wireless ID tag) is present and the type of the designation unit is output as a voice.

  FIG. 18 is a diagram illustrating an example of an audio output mode when the unit for specifying four dolls a to d and the three regions 115a ′ to 115c ′ are used. In this audio output mode, when a page of a book is first opened, related information regarding the page is output as audio. If the next opened page is one page, it is determined which of the designation units (dolls a to d) is placed on which area on the page. In this example, the story or story changes depending on the combination of the identified doll type and area. In addition, even when the designation unit is placed in a different area on the page, the story changes depending on the combination of the type of designation unit placed and the area placed. In this example, while the voice of the story is being output, the story does not change even if the designation unit is changed. When the second page is opened, a different story is output as a sound depending on the presence or absence of the designation unit. In order to avoid an unnatural story even if the second page or other page is opened first instead of the first page, in this audio output mode, a natural story is started from the first opened page. Another story has been prepared in advance to begin.

  FIG. 19 shows a state in which one designation unit is placed on an area (for example, the area 115b ′) on a specific page, and another designation unit is in the middle of one voice being output. Shows an example of a change in the sound output when the signal is placed in another area on the page (for example, the area 115c ′). In this voice output mode, for example, while the doll a of the designation unit is identified in the area 115b ′ and the story A is being voiced, the other designation units (dolls b to d) are moved to the area 115c ′ and the like. Is determined, the story changes to a story (F to I or N to Q) corresponding to the newly determined unit for designation (dolls b to d). Further, in this voice output mode, when another designation unit (doll) is identified in the same area (115b ′) after the first story has been output, the newly identified another designation unit (doll) ) The story changes depending on the type. Therefore, in this audio output mode, the content of the story changes depending on the selection of the type of the designation unit (doll), the selection of the area on the page, and the arrangement timing of the designation unit (doll). A variety of stories can be output as audio. In any case, it is arbitrary how the conditions are determined by combining the number of areas, the number of designation units, the arrangement and designation timing of the designation units, and the story is changed according to the decision.

  FIG. 20 is an exploded perspective view of still another embodiment of the electronic device for education according to the present invention. The difference from the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 is that the related information storage means 222 (see reference numeral 22 in FIG. 2) is constituted by a ROM cassette having a replaceable ROM as a recording medium. Since the other points are the same as those of the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the same members as those shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 are attached to FIGS. 1 and 2 in FIG. 20. The number of codes is added with the number of 200 and the description is omitted. In the embodiment of FIG. 20, the ROM cassette has a configuration in which the ROM is arranged in a split case 222A. A connector 230 for connecting a ROM in the ROM cassette is connected to the circuit board 216 to which the wireless IC tag reading antenna 215 is connected. The connector 230 is fitted into an opening 216A provided in the lower frame 216. In the present embodiment, the shape of the upper frame 205 is different from the embodiment of FIG. Also in this embodiment, it is needless to say that the number of wireless IC tag reading antennas may be plural as in the embodiment shown in FIG.

It is a perspective view of an example of an embodiment of an electronic device for education of the present invention. It is a disassembled perspective view of the electronic device for education of FIG. It is a block diagram which shows the structure of the circuit used for the data processing in the apparatus main body of the electronic device for intellectual training of this Embodiment. It is a figure used in order to demonstrate the use condition of embodiment of FIG. FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing an example of a software algorithm used when the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 is operated by the circuit shown in FIG. 3. (A) And (B) is the figure which each showed a part of process in the case of using the software of FIG. It is a flowchart which shows an example of the algorithm of the software used when the 1st thru | or 3rd instruction | indication unit is used. It is a figure which shows an example of the aspect of an audio | voice output in the case of using the unit for designation | designated of 4 dolls. Voice output mode when another designated unit is placed on the page in the middle of one story being voiced while the designated unit is placed on the book page It is a figure which shows an example. It is a flowchart which shows the algorithm of another example of the software used when using the several unit for designation | designated. (A) And (B) is a figure which shows the process of the audio | voice output in case the four units for designation | designated are used. (A) thru | or (C) is a figure which shows the process of an audio | voice output in case the four units for designation | designated are used. It is a disassembled perspective view of another embodiment of the electronic device for education of this invention. It is a figure which shows three area | regions of the page of a book which can be detected by the antenna for three radio | wireless IC tag reading. (A) thru | or (C) is a figure which shows the process of the audio | voice output when the position which puts the unit for designation | designated is changed. (A) And (B) is a figure which shows the process of the audio | voice output in the case of putting four types of designation | designated units in three area | regions. It is a flowchart which shows an example of the algorithm of the software used when using the 1st thru | or 3rd area | region. It is a figure which shows an example of the aspect of an audio | voice output in the case of using the unit for a specification of four dolls, and three area | regions. While one designating unit is placed on the area above a specific page and one story is being output, another designating unit moves to another area on the page. An example of a change in sound output when placed is shown. It is a disassembled perspective view of further another embodiment of the electronic device for education of the present invention.

Explanation of symbols

1 Educational electronic device 2 (information carrier)
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 3 Device main body 4 Information carrier mounting part 5 Upper frame 6 Lower frame 7 Operation part 8 Push button 10 Power switch 11 Circuit board 13 Speaker 14 Battery storage box 15 Radio IC tag reading antenna 16 Circuit board 17 Designating unit 18 Wireless IC tag 19 Circuit board 20 Discriminating means 21 Information display surface specifying means 22 Related information storage means 23 Data reading means 24 Audio output means

Claims (13)

An information carrier mounting portion on which an information carrier in the form of a sheet or book is placed with an information display surface on which information such as pictures, characters, figures, etc. is displayed,
Related information storage means for storing related information related to the information shown on the information display surface of the information carrier placed on the information carrier placement unit;
Information display surface specifying means for specifying the information display surface of the information carrier mounted on the information carrier mounting portion;
Area designating means for designating one or more areas of the information display surface;
On the information display surface specified by the information display surface specifying means, data reading for reading out the related information related to the information included in the one or more areas specified by the area specifying means from the related information storage means Means,
An educational electronic device comprising voice output means for outputting the related information read by the data reading means by voice;
The area designating means is provided in one or more designation units having a detectable element to be detected and the information carrier mounting part, and the detected element is predetermined on the information carrier mounting part. And a detected element detecting means for detecting that the information carrier is located on one or more regions.
The detected element provided in the one or more designation units includes identification information for identifying the designation unit;
The detected element detecting means has a function of specifying an area on the information carrier mounting portion where the detected element is placed and a function of recognizing the identification information.
The related information storage means stores the related information in association with the identification information of the one or more designation units and the region specified by the detected element detection means,
The data reading means is configured to read from the related information storage means based on the identification information of the one or more designation units recognized by the detected element detecting means and the area specified by the detected element detecting means. An electronic device for education, which is configured to read out related information. An information carrier comprising an information display book formed by binding a plurality of information display sheets on which information visually recognized such as pictures, characters, figures, etc. is displayed;
An information carrier mounting portion on which the information carrier is placed with the information display surface on which the information of the information display sheet included in the information carrier is displayed;
Related information storage means for storing related information related to the information shown on the information display surface of the plurality of information display sheets of the information carrier placed on the information carrier placing portion;
Information display surface specifying means for specifying which page of the plurality of information display sheets included in the information carrier is placed on the information carrier placing portion with the information display surface facing up;
Area designating means for designating one or more areas of the information display surface;
Data reading for reading out the related information related to the information included in the one or more areas specified by the area specifying means on the information display surface specified by the information display surface specifying means from the related information storage means Means,
An educational electronic device comprising: audio output means for outputting by voice based on the related information read by the data reading means;
The area designating unit is provided with one or more designation units each including an electrically detectable detected element, and the information carrier mounting part, and the detected element is placed on the information carrier mounting part. And a detected element detecting means for electrically detecting that the information carrier is located on one or more predetermined areas,
The detected element provided in the one or more designation units includes identification information for identifying the designation unit;
The detected element detecting means has a function of specifying an area on the information carrier mounting portion where the detected element is placed and a function of recognizing the identification information.
The related information storage means stores the related information in association with the identification information of the one or more designation units and the region specified by the detected element detection means,
The data reading means is configured to read from the related information storage means based on the identification information of the one or more designation units recognized by the detected element detecting means and the area specified by the detected element detecting means. An electronic device for education, which is configured to read out related information. The related information storage means stores display surface related information related to the entire information display surface,
When the information display surface specifying unit specifies the information display surface, the data reading unit has priority over the designation from the area designating unit, and the display related to the information display surface identified from the related information storage unit 3. The electronic device for intellectual education according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the entire surface related information is read out and the sound output means outputs the sound. A plurality of the designation units,
The detected element detection means is configured to be able to recognize the identification information of each of the plurality of designation units,
The data reading means reads the related information from the related information storage means based on the plurality of identification information detected by the detected element detecting means and the region specified by the detected element detecting means. The electronic device for education according to claim 1, 2, or 3.   The data reading means is configured to obtain the related information from the related information storage means based on a plurality of types of the identification information recognized by the detected element detecting means and the area specified by the detected element detecting means. 5. The educational electronic device according to claim 4, wherein   The data reading means reads the related information from the related information storage means based on the order in which the detected element detecting means recognizes a plurality of the identification information and the region specified by the detected element detecting means. The electronic device for educational purposes according to claim 4.   The data reading means is the area specified by the detected element detecting means that the detected element detecting means has stopped recognizing one or more of the identification information from a state in which the detected element detecting means has recognized the one or more of the identification information. 5. The electronic device for education according to claim 4, wherein the related information is read from the related information storage unit based on the information. The detected element is a wireless IC tag storing the identification information,
One or more wireless IC tag reading antennas, wherein the detected element detecting means is provided with respect to the information carrier mounting portion to determine the one or more areas, and the one or more wireless IC tag reading antennas 8. The educational electronic device according to claim 1, further comprising: a discriminating unit that discriminates the identification information based on an input signal from the computer.   2. The educational electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the related information storage means is constituted by a replaceable storage medium.   The educational electronic device according to claim 8, wherein the storage medium is a ROM cassette. Each of the plurality of information display sheets is equipped with a wireless IC tag having information for checking each page,
The said information display surface specific | specification means specifies the said information display surface based on the said radio | wireless IC tag with which the said several information display sheet was mounted | worn, The electronic device for intellectual training of Claim 2 characterized by the above-mentioned. An area designating device for designating an area on the information display surface of an information carrier having an information display surface on which information such as pictures, characters and figures is displayed,
An apparatus main body having an information carrier mounting portion on which the information carrier is mounted with the information display surface facing upward;
One or more designating units with electrically detectable elements to be detected;
The detected element is provided on the information carrier mounting portion of the apparatus main body, and the detected element is positioned on one or more predetermined areas on the information carrier mounting portion with the information carrier interposed therebetween. And a detected element detecting means for electrically detecting that
The area designation device, wherein the detected element includes identification information for identifying the designation unit. The detected element is a wireless IC tag storing the identification information,
One or more wireless IC tag reading antennas, wherein the detected element detecting means is provided for the information carrier mounting portion and defines the one or more areas, and the one or more wireless IC tag reading antennas The region specifying device according to claim 12, further comprising: a discriminating unit that discriminates the identification information based on an input signal from.

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