NL1038397C2

NL1038397C2 - Sound registration and playback device.

Info

Publication number: NL1038397C2
Application number: NL1038397A
Authority: NL
Inventors: Martinus Johannes Scheen
Original assignee: Martinus Johannes Scheen
Priority date: 2010-11-19
Filing date: 2010-11-19
Publication date: 2012-05-22

Description

Sound registration and playback device

The present invention relates to a sound registration and playback device.

5 Known items for leisure comprise books, photo books, audio books and so on.

However, all known combinations of graphical information such as text or images, and sound information, such as music and/or spoken word show a rather limited interaction with the user, i.e. reader or listener.

10 The present invention aims to take away these disadvantages, and does this by providing a system of the kind mentioned above, according to claim 1, as well as by the advantageous embodiments as described below and/or in the other claims. This invention accomplishes one or more of the goals in new and unexpected ways and results in a universal means of adapting playback/recording devices to books and photo 15 books that far exceeds the capability of anything currently in the market.

In particular, the device consists of a high capacity recordable and playback audio chip, an electronic control unit, a memory device (all on a PCB, 1), switches to operate the record (2) and array of playback (3) functions, volume controls (4), a speaker (5), a 20 headphone connector, a microphone (6), a memory storage device (7), a power supply such as batteries or another electric power source (8), an on-off switch (9) and a record kill switch or function, although a number of the above mentioned parts are optional.

The device is preferably contained in a housing (11) of materials such as polymer/plastics, from chemical of biological origins, or recycled materials, paperboard, 25 metal, wood or a mixture. In this way, a robust unit is provided, that can easily be combined with a book or the like. Herein, a book comprises a hardbound book ("hardcover") and a paperback, as well as a magazine, a comic or the like, and comprises graphical information on one or more pages. 'Graphical information' comprises text and/or images.

30

Advantageously, the apparatus that is part of the system may contain printed graphical cues, thumbnails or small images (3), that correspond to the images or graphics in the book and are projected over the individual switches that activate the different sound fragments. The a visual cues on these thumbnails serve to quickly and easily find the 35 corresponding audio fragment to a particular picture or graphic in a book or the like.

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Said cues could also be supplied in the form of figures, as the page numbers of a book, such as on an electric display such as a led screen or other, where each numbered audio track would correspond to the picture on the page with the corresponding number, a small representation of the picture in the book on an led screen on the device, or other 5 methods for categorizing and directing.

In particular, the device may be attached to the cover of a book if one of the covers is elongated. Thus, the invention also provides a system of a device according to the invention and a book or the like, as in claims 3-6.

10

Advantageously, comprising a fastening means for fastening the device to book or the like, in particular to a hardcover book, and wherein the fastening means preferably comprises a glue strip, one or more screws, a clamp that fits the book or the like, or a cover slide. The apparatus (1) could be fitted with a glue strip to glue the recorder to the 15 back cover of the book, or by means of screws, a clamp that fits the cover, a cover slide, magnetism or other fastening methods.

In a particular configuration, the audio content (be it music, voice or sound effects) may be supplied to the sound book from an external memory, such as a USB stick, and SD 20 card or the like (7). The device can also be arranged for loading the audio information from an external source with the use of a connection such as a USB cable or the like (8), in particular arranged for uploading from or via a computer, a (smart)phone or MP3 player or MP4 player or the like and including the internet, the data thus retrieved to be stored on the player, or from the player on a computer, (smart)phone, MP3 player or the 25 like or an internet storage space, such as a database or the like.

An embodiment comprises a combination of a book and a separate audio recording and playback device, which may be joined for using pre-recorded or spontaneously recorded information corresponding to the story line or the images of the book. Although a 30 separate device is produced, it can be attached to any book of any size in such a way that one logical and user friendly object is formed for the user (figure 2). The audio message can be saved and stored indefinitely on the memory device of the invention, and accidental erasing or rerecording can be prevented with a dedicated record kill switch, function, or the like.

3

The invention does not interfere with the traditional use of a book, has a non invasive design, is safe, can be adopted on books of all sizes, provides for easy use of the playback/recording device while reading or looking at the book and is reusable in certain configurations.

5 The invention furthermore may contain a housing or slot for a scent carrier, where said housing would operate to set free the scent from said carrier by means of an activation mechanism. Ways to achieve this comprise the heating of the carrier, a physical action such as pressing or rubbing, the use of an electric current that may change and open the properties of eg a closed membrane material around the carrier or the like, all aimed 10 at the escape of the scent fragments with the added benefit of the olfactory enjoyment of the reader.

1038397

Claims

1. an electrical device for playing, and in particular recording, audio information, such as a spoken fragment, sound effects, a piece of music, atmospheric sounds, the device comprising the following parts: - a recordable audio chip or comparable solid state audio playback, and in particular also recording device (on PCB, (1)) - a memory device for storing the sound information (on PCB, (1)) - a control unit for controlling the audio chip or similar device and the memory device, comprising at least a switch to control the audio chip's playback function (on PCB, (1)) - a speaker (5) - and optionally at least one of the components of a microphone (6), a connection for a headphone or external speakers (10) a power supply, in particular a rechargeable battery or battery and / or a connection to an external electrical power supply also (8), a volume control (4), an on / off switch ( 9), a record button (2), one or more play buttons (3) and a switch or switch combination that makes recording definitely impossible

The device of claim 1 built into a housing (11) of material such as one or more polymers, biopolymers, recycled polymers, paper, cardboard, a metal type, a wood type or a combination thereof.

3. A system consisting of a book or similar to graphic information on a plurality of pages, and the device from any of the preceding

4. The system of claim 3, comprising a book with visual material such as photographs, drawings or illustrations, and the device of claim 2, comprising a single or multiple buttons provided with miniature images of the associated images in the book, with which the specific audio information associated with images is activated (3). 1038397.

The system of claim 4, wherein the audio information is reproduced by one (mono, (5)) or two (stereo) speakers.

The system of claim 5, wherein the miniature images on the device consist of paper, plastic or transparent slide film or the like, whether or not illuminated

7. The system of claim 6, to which a scent carrier can be added, for example as an insert in a leaf or coin form, or applied to the player, or in the book, and the like.

The system of claim 7, wherein the fragrance carrier is made of carrier material that encloses the fragrance components in an odor-tight manner and keeps them separate from the outside world

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the odor carrier releases the odor by heating above the natural ambient temperature, due to heating within the device

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the odor carrier releases the odor by an electric current from the device that makes the carrier's membrane permeable to the odor components

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the odor carrier releases the odor by applying pressure or friction or spraying or other conventional means of releasing odor.

The system of any of claims 6-11, wherein the audio information is added to the device by means of an external memory, such as a USB stick, an SD card or any similar independent memory device (7)

The system of any of claims 6-11, wherein the audio information is added to the device by means of a connection such as a USB cable or the like (8), so that audio information from or via a computer, the internet, a ( smart phone, an mp3 or mp4 player or the like can be loaded into the system 35

The system of any of claims 6-11, wherein the audio information of the device can be transferred through a connection such as a USB cable or the like (8), so that audio information is transmitted to or via a computer, the internet, (smart) phone, an mp3 or mp4 player or the like can be transferred 1038397