JPH0721695B2 - Learning device - Google Patents

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a learning device capable of digitally recording and reproducing an analog voice signal.

(Prior Art) A device for advancing learning while reproducing a cassette tape, a video tape, etc. is known from Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 63-285576. The learner can proceed with the learning by giving an instruction from the keyboard or the like to the voice information from the speaker, the earphone or the like, or the information displayed on the display.
Some conversational learning devices are adapted to the learning level of the learner so that the questions to be presented are different, or there is a method of giving hints and the like about the wrong part of the answer to the problem by voice information. The device is equipped with a voice synthesizer.

(Problems to be Solved by the Invention) However, the speech synthesizer is not suitable for learning pronunciation and accents such as English conversation. However, if fast-forwarding and rewinding the tape to pick up the required audio signal, it takes a long time to reproduce and the learner has to wait a long time.

An object of the present invention is to provide a device that solves such a problem and that enables learning to proceed smoothly.

(Means for Solving the Problems) In order to solve the above problems, a learning device according to the present invention converts an analog audio signal being reproduced into a digital signal based on a recording designation signal from a teaching material, stores the digital signal, and stores the digital signal. A digital recording / reproducing means for converting a digital signal into an analog voice and outputting the same are provided, and a switch means for preventing a learner from listening to the analog voice signal being reproduced which is converted into a digital signal. .

Further, the learning device according to the present invention is provided with a unit for combining a plurality of digital signals stored in the digital recording / reproducing unit in a predetermined order to reproduce an analog voice signal, and for instructing a learner of a question and an answer. Is characterized by being performed by voice.

(Operation) Since the learning device according to the present invention includes the digital recording / reproducing means and the switching means, the analog voice signal portion forming the question and the answer recorded in the teaching material can be digitally recorded. It is possible to prevent the learner from hearing the question and the answer by reproducing the analog voice signal portion during digital recording by voice.

Further, the learning device according to the present invention is provided with means for combining a plurality of digital signals stored in the digital recording / reproducing means in a predetermined order to reproduce an analog voice signal, and giving a learner a problem and an instruction to answer. Since it is done by voice, the voice response time of various problems and answers that combine information stored after digital signal processing is fast, and the output voice is an analog voice signal recorded on a cassette tape or the like. Is converted into a digital signal and stored, and then converted again from a digital signal into an analog signal for reproduction, so that a clear voice close to a real voice can be reproduced.

(Example) Below, the Example of this invention is described based on an accompanying drawing.

FIG. 1 is a system configuration diagram of a learning device according to the present invention.

The learning device 1 includes a personal computer (hereinafter referred to as a personal computer) 2, a television monitor 3, a data recorder 5 for reproducing a cassette tape 4 as a teaching material, a digital recording / reproducing device 6 as a digital recording / reproducing means, and its peripheral circuits. It is composed of the provided adapter 7. It should be noted that the configuration may be such that a judgment processing means necessary for controlling the learning function and an input means such as a key necessary for the learning operation are provided without using a general-purpose personal computer or the like. Alternatively, the digital recording / reproducing device 6 may be built in the personal computer 2 without providing the adapter 7.

The operating system of the learning device 1 (hereinafter referred to as OS) is provided in the form of an OS-ROM cartridge 8 and is installed in the ROM cartridge slot 2a of the personal computer 2. The IC card storing the OS may be installed in the IC card slot 2b of the personal computer.

A microphone 9 and a remote switch 10 can be connected to the adapter 7, and the voice of the learner 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. CRT interface (C
The video output signal of RTI / F) 22 is transmitted to the adapter 7 side through the expansion slot 21, and impedance conversion is performed by the CRT interface (CRTI / F) 22a in the adapter 7,
It is input to the video input 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 24 via the bus 25. This cartridge 8 is installed or IC
When the OS is started via the card interface (IC card I / F) 26, the learning device 1 becomes in the operating state, and the CPU 2
4 displays the initial menu on the CRT3b screen and the keyboard 27
Is read via the keyboard interface (KBI / F) 28, and the data recorder 5 is put into the reproduction operation state via the control signal line 23a of the cassette I / F 23.

An application program is recorded in the first channel of the cassette tape 4, and an analog audio signal is recorded in 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 processes it according to the read program. Thereby, for example, the contents to be learned by characters or images are displayed on the CRT 3b. on the other hand,
The analog audio signal 5b of the tape 4 is input to the audio input terminal 3c of the television monitor 3 through a band elimination filter (BEF) 5c that blocks passage of a recording designation signal, which will be described later, and an analog switch 31 for reproduction. Through speaker 3e
Is configured to reproduce sound.

Further, in the second channel of the tape 4, in addition to voice signals such as narration and music, a signal designating a portion to be digitally recorded is recorded in advance. In this embodiment, a sine wave having a frequency of about 50 Hz is used as the recording designation signal.

The recording designation signal detecting means 32 is for detecting the recording designation signal in the analog audio signal 5b, and the output of the band pass filter and the detection circuit and the detection circuit for passing the designated frequency component is a predetermined level or more for a predetermined time. It is composed of a timer circuit that generates a detection output when it continues. The zero-cross detection circuit detects the zero-cross point of the analog audio signal, interrupts the CPU with its output, and measures the zero-cross cycle with the timer means in the CPU33.
The recording designation signal may be detected by monitoring the duration of the signal of a predetermined cycle.

Based on the detection output 32a of the recording designation signal detecting means 32, the CPU 33 puts the digital recording / reproducing device 6 into a recording state and digitally records the analog voice signal portion forming the question and the answer recorded in the teaching material and reproduces it. The analog switch 31 is switched in the opposite direction to that shown so that the analog voice signal forming the question and answer from the table 4 is not heard by the learner.

Further, in the first channel of the tape 4, data showing what the digitally recorded analog audio signal is is recorded.

An example of English learning materials will be explained.

4 types of subject, I, He, She, They and 2 types of verb have, ha
s and 4 kinds of object a book, a hat, a pencil, a pen total
When digitally recording the voice signal of 10 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 PC side has I have
Digitally recorded to play a pencil digitally
The CPU 33 on the adapter side is instructed by determining in what order the 10 types should be reproduced. The CPU 33 on the adapter side reproduces the digitally recorded contents in the designated order.

In this way, many combined sentences can be created and audibly displayed.

The digital recording / reproducing apparatus of this embodiment has a filter circuit.
It is composed of a codec (CODEC) circuit section 34 having an analog-digital exchange circuit 34c containing 34a and 34b and a digital-analog conversion circuit 34d, and a voice RAM 35. The codec circuit section 34 samples an analog signal at, for example, 8 KHz, converts it into a weighted 8-bit code, and converts this 64 kbit / sec data into an analog signal for a standard PCM CODEC and a clock supply circuit. It can be realized by peripheral circuits such as.

The signal input to the digital recording input terminal 34e is selected by the recording analog switch 36. Analog switch 36
The analog audio signal from the tape 4 is applied to one of the inputs and the output of the microphone 9 is applied to the other input.
The signal amplified in 37 is applied. Learner is microphone 9
In the case of digitally recording the learning content and the like, the remote switch 10 is operated to give a recording command to the CPU 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 sets the digital recording / reproducing device 6 in the recording state.

Each of the analog switches 31 and 36 can be composed of, for example, a FET, a C-MOS analog gate IC, or the like, or may be a relay or the like.

In this embodiment, digital recording is performed based on the recording designation signal included in the analog audio signal of the tape 4. However, command data relating to start / return of digital recording is stored in the application program. The configuration may be such that the CPU 24 on the personal computer side gives a command to the CPU 33 on the adapter side.

Next, the operation of the learning device will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

In this flowchart, after learning about a certain learning unit by the narration and the information from the display, the question recorded by combining the digitally recorded contents is presented.
When the learner's answer is wrong, the correct answer is reproduced.

First, the learner mounts the tape 4 and the OS-ROM cartridge 8 at predetermined positions, respectively, and inputs a learning start from the keyboard 27 (step S1). As a result, the learning device 1
Starts reproducing 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. The learning device 1 converts the audio signal of the designated part into a digital signal by converting the audio signal of the designated part into a digital signal while switching the reproduction analog switch 31 so that the audio signal of the designated part is not reproduced from the speaker when the recording designation signal is detected during tape reproduction. Write to RAM35 (step S3).

When the reproduction of the tape 4 for the specific learning unit is completed (step S4), the learning device 1 combines the digital recording portions to create a question and reproduces it from the speaker 3e (step S4).
S5). The learner inputs the answer from the keyboard 27 (step S5). If the answer is correct, the learning device 1 gives the next question (steps S7, S9, S7), and if the answer is wrong, the correctness is reproduced (step S8). When all the problems are completed, the learning device 1 displays a selection menu on the CRT 3b to proceed to the next unit of learning or to end the learning (steps S9 and S10).
If advance learning is selected, the reproduction of the tape 4 is restarted (step S2), and if end learning is selected, the operation ends.

The present invention can also be applied to a learning device for only voice, which does not involve screen display.

(Effects of the Invention) As described above, the learning device according to the present invention includes the digital recording / reproducing means and the switch means, and forms the question and the answer recorded in the teaching material. It is possible to digitally record the analog voice signal portion to be used and to prevent the learner from hearing the question and the answer by reproducing the analog voice signal portion during digital recording by voice. Questions and answers can be digitally recorded and created without the knowledge of the person.

Further, the learning device according to the present invention is provided with means for combining a plurality of digital signals stored in the digital recording / reproducing means in a predetermined order and reproducing the analog audio signal, and presenting the question and the answer to the learner. As with voice, the voice response time of various problems and answers that combine digital information processed and stored information is fast, and the voice output is the analog voice signal recorded on a cassette tape or the like. Since the signal is converted into a signal and stored, and the digital signal is converted into an analog signal again and reproduced, a clear voice close to a real voice can be reproduced, and thus a learning device having an excellent realistic sensation can be provided.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a system configuration diagram of a learning device according to the present invention, and FIG.
FIG. 3 is a block diagram of the device, and FIG. 3 is a flow chart showing an example of the operation of the device. In the drawings, 1 is a learning device, 2 is a personal computer, 3 is a television monitor, 4 is a tape which is a teaching material, 6 is a digital recording / playback device, and 31 is a switch means for blocking listening to an analog audio signal for playback. Analog switch, 32 is a recording designation signal detecting means, 34 is a codec circuit section, and 35 is for voice
RAM.

Continuation of the front page (56) References JP 63-285576 (JP, A) JP 61-129679 (JP, A) JP 61-182699 (JP, A) JP 2-206084 (JP , A)

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A learning material in which at least an analog audio signal is recorded is reproduced, and a learner advances a learning while giving an answer or a selection instruction to a question or a learning guide from the learning material through an input means such as a keyboard. In the learning device, a digital recording / reproducing means for converting an analog voice signal being reproduced into a digital signal and storing the converted digital voice signal based on a recording designation signal from the teaching material, and converting the stored digital signal into an analog voice for output. A learning device comprising: a switch means for preventing the learner from listening to the analog voice signal being reproduced which is converted into the digital signal. 2. A means for reproducing a analog voice signal by combining a plurality of digital signals stored in the digital recording / reproducing means in a predetermined order, and giving a voice instruction and question to a learner. The learning device according to claim 1, characterized in that.