GB2110455A

GB2110455A - Educational device and memory means

Info

Publication number: GB2110455A
Application number: GB08132593A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Li Robert Shu Keung
Original assignee: RJP ELECTRONIC Ltd
Current assignee: RJP ELECTRONIC Ltd
Priority date: 1981-10-29
Filing date: 1981-10-29
Publication date: 1983-06-15

Abstract

An educational device comprises a memory input device (3), an operator controlled input device (2) such as a keyboard and a comparator (1) in the form of a microprocessor. The comparator is connected to compare input signals from the input devices and produce an output signal which operates a speech synthesizer (5) when the input signals correspond. The memory input device is a multiple socket into which a memory means in the form of a card with perforations along one side can be inserted to set the contacts in the socket open and closed in a predetermined sequence. This sequence defines the input signal and is related to a visual indication on the face of the card. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Educational device and memory means The present invention relates to an educational device and a memory means for use therein. In education there is a need for devices which can present problems to a pupil and can automatically respond to an answer so that pupils can then work independently of a teacher. Such devices however are limited in their operation and have been found to lack flexibility. One difficulty is that the set of problems to be presented to the pupil with the correct answers has to be held in some form of memory and this is difficult to alter or expand to include further problems or problems of a different type.

According to one aspect of the present invention we provide an educational device comprising a comparator connected to an operator controlled input device, a memory input device and an output device, the comparator being capable of comparing signals received from the input devices and causing the output device to indicate to an operator when these input signals correspond to one another, wherein the memory input device comprises a multiple connection socket into which can be inserted memory means to set each of the connections either open or closed in a predetermined sequence defining the input signal therefrom.

This provides a particularly simple way of defining the input signal and allows the use of memory means which can be easily varied.

Preferably the socket has a plurality of pairs of connector pins, each row of pins having contact surfaces spring urged together, and the memory means has an electrically insulating portion insertable between the pairs of contact surfaces which is perforated in a predetermined pattern to allow certain of the contact surfaces to make contact while the other contact surfaces are held apart.

According to another aspect of the present invention we provide a memory means for use in the educational device wherein the memory means is a planar lamina insertable at one edge into the multiple connection socket and bearing on its exposed face visible matter related to the predetermined sequence of open and closed connections so produced.

This memory means serves as a visual prompt to the user of the device and is relatively simple to produce allowing the memory to be expanded or altered when required.

An educational device and memory means constructed in accordance with the present invention will now be described by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a general biock diagram of the device; Figure 2 is a perspective view, partly broken away, of a connector used in the device; Figure 3 is a front view of a memory means insertable in the connector shown in Figure 2; Figure 4 is a perspective view of a memory means similar to that shown in Figure 3 inserted in the connector shown in Figure 2; and Figure 5 is a circuit diagram for the device.

Referring to Figure 1, the educational device comprises a microprocessor unit 1, connected at its input to a keyboard 2 and a multiple connection socket 3 through an input/outpu;t expander 4. The output of the microprocessor connects to a speech synthesizer 5 which drives an audio amplifier 6 and loudspeaker 7 and is connected to a read only memory (ROM) 8. The device is housed in a casing with the keyboard 2 and multiple connection socket 3 on its surface, accessible to the operator.

A multiple connector socket for use in the device is shown in Figure 2 and comprises a housing 9 of electrically insulating material having a slot 10 on one side and a plurality of pairs of metal connector pins 11 in a row along the opposite side. Each pair of connector pins 11 extends through the housing and protrudes into the slot 10, with their curved contact surfaces 12 spring urged against one another so as to establish electrical connection between them. The free ends of the connector pins are each electrically connected to the input/output expander.

Memory means in the form of a card 13 (see Figures 3 and 4) of electrically insulating material can be inserted into the slot 10 in the connector socket. The card has adjacent one edge a row of holes or slots 14 which are positioned so that when the card is inserted certain pairs of contact surfaces 12 are held apart by the card while others are in mechanical contact through the holes 1 4. Thus each card 13, when inserted, establishes a predetermined binary sequence of open and closed contacts between the pairs of connector pins 11. This sequence may be divided up into several binary words, each binary word representing a letter, digit or other symbol, so that together they represent a word, a number, or some other expression.For example a connector having 40 pairs of connector pins can give eight binary words of five bits each, which is sufficient to represent English words of up to eight letters in length.

Also on the card 13 is a picture 15 or a question or problem, the name of the object represented in the picture or the answer to the question or problem being represented by the binary sequence of open and closed contacts formed when the card is inserted into the connector socket 3. The sequence may also include some extra binary bits which represent instructions for the operation of the device.

The keyboard 2 has a key for each of the letters, digits or other symbols represented by the binary words and also for various operating instructions of the device. Each key is connected to the input/output expander. This input/output expander acts as an interface between the microprocessor and both the keyboard 2 and socket 3, providing input signals to the microprocessor corresponding to the keys operated by the user and to the sequence of open and closed contacts formed when a card is inserted in the socket.

The microprocessor is programmed to compare the input signals deriving from the socket and keyboard respectively, and to produce an output signal dependent on whether the input signals correspond or not. This output signal causes the speech synthesizer 5 to draw from its memory 8 the information needed to synthesize a suitable speech response to the operator, which is then emitted from the loudspeaker 7.

As an example, the card shown in Figure 3 has a picture of an apple on it. When this card is inserted into the slot in the socket 3 it establishes a sequence of connections representing in binary form the word APPLE, and this information is transmitted to the microprocessor by the input/output expander. If the operator then operates the keys APPLE in the correct order the input signal from the keyboard will correspond to that from the socket and the speech synthesizer will formulate a suitable response such as "correct". If the operator operates the wrong keys then the microprocessor will cause the speech synthesizer to formulate a different response such as "wrong".The same basic procedure would apply if the card required some other action from the operator than simply naming an object, the speech synthesizer providing an appropriate verbal response depending on whether the correct action was taken or not.

By suitable programming of the microprocessor and by using further data bits from extra holes on the card or from extra keys on the keyboard, the device may be more flexible in operation. When the card is inserted in the socket the input signal to the microprocessor may include data bits which identify the type of action required by the operator and cause the speech synthesizer to respond appropriately e.g. by saying "Please Spell" or "Please Calculate". The microprocessor may also use the binary words representing each letter of the name of an object to instruct the speech synthesizer to speak that name so that the operator both sees the object and hears its name.

After operating the keys to enter a word, number or other expression the operator may press a further "Enter" key to indicate end of data entry or this can be automatic after a certain preset delay. Also the keyboard can include a "cancel" key to deal with errors made during operation of the keys.

If the operator operates the wrong keys then the device may allow further attempts and after a set number of attempts or by operating a special key the speech synthesizer may be instructed to give the correct answer, using the input signal from the socket.

The use of external cards which plug into a socket on the device as a memory containing both the problems and the answers makes the device extremely flexible in operation, since it is a relatively simple and inexpensive task to prepare further cards and so alter or expand the range of problems which can be presented to the operator.

Also the cards allow the problem to be presented in printed form which can be easily used for a variety of different types of problem.

Any suitable microprocessor and speech synthesizer may be used in the device but in the detailed circuit shown in Figure 5 the microprocessor 1 is a Texas Instruments TMS 1000 and the speech synthesizer 5 is a Texas lnstrumentsTMS5l00. The memory 8 is a suitable Read Only Memory and the amplifier 6 is of a simple class AB design.

The keyboard 2 and the connector 3 are each connected to the input/output expander 4 through a cross-coupled network to reduce the number of connections required. One set of connections to the expander for each network is shown in Figure 5, the other sets being similarly connected.

Claims

1. An educational device comprising a comparator connected to an operator controlled input device, a memory input device and an output device, the comparator being capable of comparing signals received from the input devices and causing the output device to indicate to an operator when these input signals correspond to one another, wherein the memory input device comprises a multiple connection socket into which can be inserted memory means to set each of the connections either open or closed in a predetermined sequence defining the input signal therefrom.

2. An educational device according to claim 1, wherein the socket has a plurality of pairs of connector pins, each row of pins having contact surfaces spring urged together, and the memory means has an electrically insulating portion insertable between the pairs of contact surfaces which is perforated in a predetermined pattern to allow certain of the contact surfaces to make contact while the other contact surfaces are held apart.

3. An educational device according to claim 2, wherein the pairs of connector pins are held in a socket housing, the housing having a slot into which the electrically insulating portion of the memory means is insertable and the contact surfaces protruding in the slot from either side.

4. An educational device according to any preceding claim, wherein the operator controlled input device is a keyboard, each key on the keyboard defining a different input signal when operated.

5. An educational device according to any preceding claim, wherein the comparator is a programmed microprocessor, the operator controlled input device and memory input device being connected to the microprocessor via an input/output expander.

6. An educational device according to claim 5, wherein the output device is a sound generator controlled by the microprocessor and connected to drive a loudspeaker output.

7. An educational device according to claim 6, wherein the sound generator is a speech synthesizer with a memory containing instructions for formulating recognizable words at the loudspeaker output, the words being selected in accordance with the input signals received by the microprocessor from the input/output expander.

8. An educational device substantially as herein described with reference to and as illustrated by the accompanying drawings.

9. Memory means for use in an educational device according to any preceding claim, wherein the memory means is a planar lamina insertable at one edge into the multiple connection socket and bearing on its exposed face visible matter related to the predetermined sequence of open and closed connections so produced.

1 0. Memory means according to claim 9, wherein the lamina is of electrically insulating material and has a row of spaced perforations adjacent the edge insertable into the socket, the positioning of the perforations producing the required predetermined sequence of open and closed connections when in use.

11. Memory means substantially as herein described with reference to and as illustrated by Figures 3 and 4 of the accompanying drawings.