JPH01196591A - Audio output apparatus equipped with time announcing function - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To clearly discriminate an audio time announcing signal from the audio output of a headphone stereo or radio, by preferentially changing over and selecting an audio time announcing input signal by a signal change-over means when an audio time signal is necessary. CONSTITUTION:A clock circuit 1 supplies its clocking content to an audio synthesizer circuit 3 as a digital signal when an operation button 2 is pushed. The digital signal supplied to the audio synthesizer circuit 3 from the clock circuit 1 when the operation button 2 is pushed is changed over to an audio signal to be supplied to a change-over switch 4. The change-over switch 4 is subjected to change-over control by the control signal from the clock circuit 1 and changes over the output of the audio synthesizer circuit 3 and the output of an audio circuit 5 supplied through a mute circuit 6. Therefore, when the operation button 2 is pushed, if the audio signal supplied from the audio synthesizer circuit 3 is preferentially selected to be outputted from a headphone 7, the audio time announcing signal from a clock can be clearly discriminated even during the use of a radio.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION (1) Field of Industrial Application The present invention relates to an audio output device with a time signal function, such as a headphone stereo or a radio, which has an added function of notifying the time by voice.

(2) Prior art Audio output devices such as headphone stereos and radios have been widely used in the past. However, when users of headphone stereos, radios, etc. want to know the time, they are forced to rely on conventional wristwatches and wall clocks.

On the other hand, as speech synthesis technology has become more familiar, clocks that tell the time audibly have come into use. Traditional watches that tell the time by voice are used as standalone watches,
For example, it was used to notify the time by voice only when a switch was pressed.

(3) Problems to be Solved by the Invention When attempting to combine a clock that notifies the time with audio and an audio output device such as a headphone stereo or radio, simply adding the outputs of both will not produce a headphone stereo or a radio. A problem arises in that the audio time signal from the clock is masked by the audio output from a radio or the like, making it virtually impossible to hear the audio time signal from the clock.

(4) Means for Solving the Problems The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and even when the audio output V2 position of a headbond stereo or radio is in use, the audio time signal from the clock is not transmitted. In order to achieve this purpose, a clock circuit that measures time, a speech synthesis circuit that converts the output of the clock circuit into an audio time signal, and an output signal of the speech synthesis circuit are used. The apparatus is configured to include a signal switching means for selectively outputting an audio time signal signal and an audio input signal.

(5) Effect In this configuration, the audio time signal can be clearly identified from the audio output signals of headphone stereos, radios, etc. by switching and selecting the audio input signal with priority when the audio time signal is required by the signal switching means. act so that it can.

(6) Examples Hereinafter, the present invention will be explained based on the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of an audio output device with a time signal function according to the present invention.

In FIG. 1, the clock circuit l is a conventionally known circuit for measuring time, and may be a circuit for measuring time in a 12-hour system, or a timer for measuring elapsed time or remaining time. Good too. When the operation button 2 is pressed, the clock circuit 1 supplies the time measurement contents to the speech synthesis circuit 3 as a digital signal.

The voice synthesis circuit 3 is also a conventionally known circuit, and when the operation button 2 is pressed, the voice synthesis circuit 3 converts a digital signal supplied from the clock circuit 1 into an audio signal and supplies it to the changeover switch 4. The changeover switch 4 is controlled by a control signal from the clock circuit 1 and switches between the output of the voice synthesis circuit 3 and the output of the voice circuit 5 supplied via the mute circuit 6. The audio circuit 5 is an audio output circuit for a headphone stereo, a radio, or the like.

Switching control of the changeover switch 4 is performed in such a way that when the operation button 2 is pressed, the audio signal supplied from the audio synthesis circuit 3 is selected preferentially. Further, the mute circuit 6 is controlled by a control signal from the clock circuit 1 that controls the switching of the changeover switch 4, and mutes the output of the audio circuit 5 when the changeover switch 4 is changed over.

The audio output of the audio synthesis circuit 3 or the audio circuit 5 selected by the changeover switch 4 is output as an audible sound from the headphones 7.

In this way, when the operation button 2 is pressed, the audio signal supplied from the audio synthesis circuit 3 is prioritized and output from the headphones 7, so even if the headphone stereo or radio is in use. The audio time signal from the watch can be clearly identified.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing another embodiment of the audio output device with time signal function according to the present invention. In the figure, the same reference numerals are given to the same components as in FIG. 1, and explanations thereof will be omitted.

Since the general speech synthesis circuit 3 outputs no signal (zero level signal) when there is no audio time signal, in the embodiment shown in FIG. 2, the changeover switch shown in FIG. An adder circuit 8 is used instead of 4.

The adder circuit 8 connects the output of the speech synthesis circuit 3 and the mute circuit 6.
The output is constantly added.

Similar to the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the mute circuit 6 is controlled by a control signal from the clock circuit 1 that controls the changeover switch 4, and mutes the output of the audio circuit 5 when the changeover switch 4 is changed over. That's what I do. The audio outputs of the audio synthesis circuit 3 and the audio circuit 5 added by the changeover switch 4 are output from the headphones 7 as audible sound.

In this embodiment, when the operation button 2 is pressed, the audio signal supplied from the audio synthesis circuit 3 is muted to make it easier to interrupt the audio signal from the watch, and then the audio signal from the watch is muted. By mixing it with the time signal and outputting it from the headphones 7, the audio time signal from the clock can be clearly identified even when a headphone stereo or radio is in use.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing another embodiment of the audio output device with time signal function according to the present invention. In the figure, the same reference numerals are given to the same components as in FIG. 1, and explanations thereof will be omitted.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 3, the mute circuit 6 shown in FIG. 1 is omitted. The changeover switch 4 is the first
Similar to the embodiment shown in the figure, switching is controlled by a control signal from the clock circuit 1. The audio output of the audio synthesis circuit 3 or the audio circuit 5 selected by the changeover switch 4 is output as an audible sound from the headphones 7.

In this embodiment, when the operation button 2 is pressed, only the audio time signal from the clock is output from the headphones 7 without muting the audio signal supplied from the audio circuit 5, so that the headphone stereo To make it possible to clearly identify an audio time signal from a clock even when a radio or the like is in use.

Although the present invention has been described above using examples, various modifications are possible according to the technical idea of the present invention. For example, in the embodiment described above, when the operation button 2 is operated, the changeover switch 4 is used to select the changeover, and the mute circuit 6 is used to mute the switch, but the clock circuit 1 is used as a timer. When a predetermined time has arrived, the audio time signal from the clock can be outputted from the headphones 7 by making a selection with the changeover switch 4 or by muting with the mute circuit 6.

Also, the voice synthesis circuit 3 always outputs an audio time signal, and by operating the changeover switch 4 instead of operating the operation button 2, this audio time signal is selected and output from the headphones 7. It also comes like this.

(7) Effects of the Invention As explained above, the present invention provides a clock circuit that measures time, a speech synthesis circuit that converts the output of the clock circuit into an audio time signal, and an audio signal that is the output signal of the speech synthesis circuit. Since the structure is equipped with a signal switching means that selects and outputs the time signal and the audio human input signal, the audio time signal from the watch can be clearly heard even when an audio output device such as a headphone stereo or radio is in use. It becomes possible to identify the

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing one embodiment of the audio output device with a time signal function according to the present invention. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing another embodiment of the audio output device with a time signal function according to the invention. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing another embodiment of the audio output device with a time signal function according to the present invention. 1 ... Clock circuit 2 ... Operation button 3 ... Voice synthesis circuit 4 ... Selector switch 5 ... Audio circuit 6 ... Mute circuit 7 ... Headphones 8 ... Adder circuit patent applicant NEC Home Electronics Co., Ltd.

Claims (1)

[Claims] A clock circuit that measures time, a voice synthesis circuit that converts the output of the clock circuit into an audio time signal, and a signal that selects and outputs an audio time signal and an audio input signal that are output signals of the voice synthesis circuit. An audio output device with a time signal function, which has a switching means.