JPH0353279A - Learning machine - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To reproduce a required part in a short time at learner's request by converting currently reproduced analog sound signals into digital signals and storing them according to a recording specifying signal from a teaching material, and inhibiting analog sound signals that are digitally recorded from being reproduced as sound. CONSTITUTION:This teaching machine is provided with a means 6 which converts currently reproduced analog sound signals into digital signals and stores them according to a recording specifying signal from the teaching mate rial 4. Moreover, the machine is provided with a switch means 7 which prevents the learner from listening to analog sound signals that are currently recorded. While the user cannot listen to a specific part during the reproduction of the teaching material 4, the analog sound signals in the specific part are converted into digital signals to be in the specific part are converted into digital signals to be stored. Thus, drills and answers can be digitally recorded without letting the learner know them.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION (Field of Industrial Application) The present invention relates to a learning device capable of digitally recording and reproducing analog audio signals.

(Prior Art) A device for learning while playing back a cassette tape, a video tape, etc. is known from Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 63-285576. Learners can proceed with their learning while giving instructions using a keyboard or the like in response to audio information from speakers, earphones, etc., or information displayed on a display. In addition, some conversational learning devices ask different questions depending on the learning level of the learner, or provide audio information such as hints about incorrect answers to questions. The device is equipped with a voice synthesizer.

(Problems to be Solved by the Invention) However, speech synthesis devices are not suitable for learning pronunciation and accents in English conversation, etc. However, if the tape had to be fast-forwarded and rewound to pick up the necessary audio signals, playback would take a long time, and learners would have to spend a lot of time waiting.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a device that can solve these problems and allow learning to proceed smoothly.

(Means for Solving the Problems) In order to solve the above problems, a learning device according to the present invention includes means for converting an analog audio signal being played back into a digital signal and storing it based on a recording designation signal from a teaching material. In addition, the present invention is characterized in that it includes means for prohibiting the analog audio signal being digitally recorded from being reproduced as audio. Further, it may include means for reproducing a plurality of digitally recorded audio signals in a predetermined order.

(Function) The audio signals of the questions and answers scheduled to be asked next are digitally recorded based on the recording designation signal without having the learner listen to them, so the necessary parts can be recorded in a short time according to the learner's request. can be played with. Also, multiple audio signals can be combined to provide a wide variety of questions and messages.

(Example) Examples of the present invention will be described below based on the attached drawings. FIG. 1 is a system configuration diagram of a learning device according to the present invention.

The learning device 1 is composed of a personal computer (hereinafter referred to as a personal computer) 2, a television monitor 3, a data recorder 5 for playing back a cassette tape 4 serving as a teaching material, and an adapter 7 equipped with a digital recording/playback device 6 and its peripheral circuits. Ru. It should be noted that the present invention may be configured to include a judgment processing means necessary to control the learning function without using a general-purpose personal computer or the like, and an input means such as keys necessary for the learning operation. Alternatively, the digital recording/playback device 6 may be built into the personal computer 2 without providing the adapter 7.

The operating system (hereinafter referred to as OS) of the learning device 1 is provided in the form of an OS-ROM cartridge 8,
It is installed in the ROM cartridge slot 2a of the personal computer 2. Please note that the IC card containing the OS is inserted into the PC's I
It may also be configured to be installed in the C card slot 2b.

A microphone 9 and a remote switch 10 can be connected to the adapter 7, so that the learner's voice can be recorded.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of the learning device.

The adapter 7 is attached to or connected to the expansion slot 21 of the personal computer 2. The video output signal 22a of the CRT interface (CRTI/F) 22 in the personal computer 2 is transmitted to the adapter 7 side via the expansion slot 21, and is transmitted to the CRT interface (CRTI/F) 22 in the adapter 7.
The signal is impedance-converted and input to the video terminal 3a of the television monitor 3.

The data recorder 5 is connected to a CPU 24 on the personal computer side via a cassette interface (cassette I/F) 23.

The OS-ROM cartridge 8 is connected to the CPU via the bus 25.
24. This cartridge 8 is installed, or an IC card interface (rc card I/
F) When the OS is started via 26, the learning device 1 enters the operating state, and for example, the CPU 24 displays the initial menu on the CRT.
3b screen, read human input from the keyboard 27 via the keyboard interface (KBI/F) 28, and put the data recorder 5 into the playback operation state via the control signal line 23a of the cassette I/F 23.

An application program is recorded on the first channel of the cassette tape 4, and an analog audio signal is recorded on the second channel. The CPU 24 reads the program data 5a reproduced from the tape 4 via the cassette I/F 23, stores it in the RAM 29, and performs processing according to the read program. As a result, the content to be learned is displayed on the CRT 3b, for example, in text or images. On the other hand, the analog audio signal 5b of the tape 4 is
The signal is manually inputted to the audio input terminal 3c of the television monitor 3 via a band-elimination filter (BEF) 5c that blocks passage of a recording designation signal, which will be described later, and a playback analog switch 31.
It is configured to reproduce audio by a speaker 3e via an amplifier 3d.

Further, in the second channel of the tape 4, in addition to audio signals such as narration and music, a signal specifying a location to be digitally recorded is prerecorded. In this embodiment, a sine wave with a frequency of about 50}1z is used as the recording designation signal.

The recording designation signal detection means 32 is for detecting a recording designation signal in the analog audio signal 5b, and detects a recording designation signal in the analog audio signal 5b. It consists of a timer circuit etc. that generates a detection output when the detection continues. still,
The zero-crossing detection circuit detects the zero-crossing point of the analog audio signal, and the output interrupts the CPU.
The configuration may be such that the period of zero crossing is measured by a timer means in U33, and the recording designation signal is detected by monitoring the duration of a signal of a predetermined period.

CP033 is the detection output 32 of the recording designation signal detection means 32
Based on step a, the digital recording/playback device 6 is put into the recording state, and the playback analog switch 31 is switched in the direction opposite to that shown in the figure to prevent the analog audio signal from the tape 4 from being heard by the learner.

Further, in the first channel of the tape 4, data indicating what kind of analog audio signal is to be digitally recorded is recorded.

An example of English learning materials will be explained.

There are four types of subjects: I, He, She, They, two types of verbs, have, has, and four types of objects: book, ahat, a pencil, a.
When digitally recording audio signals of a total of 10 pen words or sentences, the CPU 33 manages the recording start address of each word or sentence. On the other hand, the CPU 24 on the computer side judges in which order the digitally recorded 1094 should be played in order to digitally play I Have a Pencil, and the CPU 24 on the adapter side
Give instructions to 33. The CPU 33 on the adapter side plays back the digitally recorded contents in the specified order.

In this way, a large number of combinations of bundō can be created and audibly displayed.

The digital recording/playback device of this embodiment includes a CODEC circuit section 34 including an analog-to-digital conversion circuit 34c and a digital-to-analog conversion circuit 34d with built-in filter circuits 34a and 34b, and an audio RA.
Consists of M35. This codec circuit section 34 samples the analog signal at, for example, 8 KHz, converts it into a weighted 8-bit code, and also converts the analog signal into a weighted 8-bit code.
Keyaki converts kilobit/second data into analog signals!
! This can be realized using an iuPCM CODEC IC and peripheral circuits such as a clock supply circuit.

The signal input to the digital recording input terminal 34e is selected by the recording analog switch 36.

An analog audio signal from the tape 4 is applied to one input of the analog switch 36, and a microphone 9 is applied to the other input.
A signal obtained by amplifying the output of the microphone amplifier 37 by a microphone amplifier 37 is applied. If the learner wants to digitally record the learning content etc. from the microphone 9, operate the remote switch 10 and
The configuration is such that a recording command is given to 33. Upon receiving the recording command from the remote switch 10, the CPU 33 switches the analog switch 36 so that the signal from the microphone 9 can be recorded, and puts the digital recording/playback device 6 into a recording state.

Each analog switch 31.36 is, for example, a FET or C-M
It can be configured with an OS-made analog gate IC or the like, or may be configured with a relay or the like.

Note that this embodiment has a configuration in which digital recording is performed based on a recording designation signal included in the analog audio signal of tape 4, but command data regarding the start and return of digital recording is stored in the application program. From CPU24 on the computer side to CPU33 on the adapter side
It may also be configured to give commands to.

Next, the operation of this learning device will be explained with reference to the flowchart in FIG.

In this flowchart, after learning about a certain learning unit using narration and information from a display, questions are asked that combine the digitally recorded content, and if the learner's answer is incorrect, the correct answer is played back. It is.

First, the learner attaches the tape 4 and the OS-ROM cartridge 8 to their respective predetermined locations, and manually starts learning using the keyboard 27 (step S1). As a result, the learning device 1 starts playing back the tape 4 (step S2).
, the learner proceeds with the learning according to the display on the CRT 3b and the narration from the speaker 3e. When the learning device 1 detects a recording designation signal during tape playback, it converts the audio signal of the designated portion into a digital signal and converts the audio signal of the designated portion into a digital signal while switching the playback analog switch 31 so that the audio signal of the designated portion is not played back from the speaker. It is written into the RAM 35 (step S3).

When the reproduction of the tape 4 regarding a specific learning unit is completed (step S4), the learning device 1 creates a problem by combining the digitally recorded parts, and reproduces it from the speaker 3e (step S5). The learner enters the answer manually using the keyboard 27 (step S5). If the answer is correct, the learning device 1 asks the next question (steps S7, S9, S7), and if the answer is incorrect, it plays the correct answer (step S8). When all six questions are completed, the learning device 1 Proceed to the next unit or
A selection menu for terminating learning is displayed on the CRT 3b (steps S9 and S10).

If proceeding with learning is selected, reproduction of tape 4 is restarted (step S2), and if end of learning is selected, the process ends.

Note that the present invention can also be applied to a learning device that uses only audio without screen display.

(Effects of the Invention) As explained above, the learning device according to the present invention can perform
Since the analog audio signal of the specific part is converted into a digital signal and stored, the contents of the practice questions and correct answers can be digitally recorded without the learner knowing.

Furthermore, by combining the digital recording parts, it is possible to ask a large number of questions and provide correct answers in a short period of time.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

Fig. 1 is a system configuration diagram of a learning device according to the present invention;
The figure is a block diagram of the apparatus, and FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of the apparatus. In the drawings, 1 is a learning device, 2 is a personal computer, 3 is a television monitor, 4 is a tape as a teaching material, 6 is a digital recording/playback device, and 31 is a playback device that is a switch means for preventing listening to analog audio signals. Analog switch, 32, recording designation signal detection means, 34, codec circuit section, 35
is an audio RAM.

Claims (2)

[Claims] (1) In a device that plays back teaching materials on which at least analog audio signals have been recorded, and allows learners to proceed with learning while responding to questions, learning guides, etc. from the teaching materials and providing answers and selection instructions using input means such as a keyboard. , comprising a means for converting the analog audio signal being played back into a digital signal and storing it based on a recording designation signal from the teaching material, and a switch means for preventing the learner from listening to the analog audio signal being digitally recorded. A learning device characterized by: (2) A learning device characterized by comprising means for reproducing a combination of a plurality of digitally recorded audio signals in a predetermined order, so that questions and answers are presented to the learner by voice.