NL1037555C2

NL1037555C2 - Sound registration and playback device.

Info

Publication number: NL1037555C2
Application number: NL1037555A
Authority: NL
Inventors: Arnoud Groen
Original assignee: Book A Live
Priority date: 2009-12-15
Filing date: 2009-12-15
Publication date: 2011-06-16

Description

Sound registration and playback device

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

5 Known items for leisure comprise 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 are rather inflexible in their use. They have also rather limited interaction with the user, i.e. reader or listener.

10 The present invention aims to take away one or more of these disadvantages, and does this by providing a more flexible 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 15 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, 7), switches to operate the record (5) and playback (4) functions, a speaker (2), a microphone (3), a power supply 20 such as batteries or another electric power source (6), an on-off switch (14) and a record kill switch (8), although a number of the above mentioned parts are optional.

The device is preferably contained in a housing of materials such as polymer/plastics, paperboard, 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 25 ("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.

In particular, the device has a bottom plate (1) which, on one side, is elongated beyond 30 the boundaries of the rest of the device for the purpose of fastening the device to the book. Thus, the invention also provides a system of a device according to the invention and a book or the like, as in claims 6-11.

Advantageously, comprising a fastening means for fastening the device to book or the 35 like, in particular to a hardcover book, and wherein the fastening means preferably 1037555 2 comprises a glue strip, one or more screws, a clamp that fits the book or the like, or a cover slide. The fastening part (1) could be fitted with a glue strip to glue the recorder to the back cover of the book, or by means of screws, a clamp that fits the cover, a cover slide or other fastening methods.

5

The device may consists of modular parts that perform a part of the function of the whole device (figure 1).

In particular, each of said parts could contain e.g. a speaker (2), the batteries (6), the 10 buttons (4,5) and/or the PCB (7).

Advantageously, at least one of the housing (15), the bottom plate and the fastening means (1) is of variable length. That is, the device has a part of variable length, providing for a perfect fit with any size of book or the like.

15

Preferably, the device has a synchronization means (11) for synchronization between the sound information and the graphical information. Thus, a part or all of the recorded sound information may be played back on one or more cues. In particular, the synchronization means comprise an audio cue means that is operably provided on at 20 least one page and is actuatable by turning said at least one page. Alternatively, the audio cue means comprise an electronic or mechanical audio producing device that is applicable during recording of the sound information. More in particular, the audio cue means comprise a prerecorded message on the chip or the like or in the memory device, and a button for activating said audio cue means during recording the sound 25 information. Additionally or alternatively, the audio cue means comprises audio cues that correspond to a book theme provided in the graphical information or that mimic the turning of a page of the book or the like.

In a particular configuration, the audio content (be it music, voice or sound effects) may 30 be supplied to the sound book from an external memory, such as a USB stick, and SD card or the like (12). 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 (13), 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 3 stored on the player, or from the player on a computer, (smart)phone, MP3 player or the 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 5 playback device, which may be joined for using pre-recorded or spontaneously recorded information corresponding to the story line of the book. Although a 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. The audio message can be saved and stored indefinitely on the memory device of the invention, and accidental erasing or rerecording 10 can be prevented with a dedicated record kill switch or the like.

The device may be constructed of different modular elements, which allows for quick and flexible production of a device in any size matching any book.

The invention contains an adapter for attaching the playback/recording device to books. The invention does not interfere with the traditional use of a book, has a non invasive 15 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.

The invention furthermore may contain a semi automatic synchronization between sound and book page content, being provided by an audio cue with one or more page 20 turns.

1037555

Claims

1. an electrical device for playing, and in particular also recording, sound information, such as a spoken fragment, sound effects, a piece of music, the device comprising the following parts: - a recordable audio chip or comparable solid state audio playback - and in particular also recording device (on PCB, (7)) - a memory device for storing the sound information (on PCB, (7)) - a control unit for controlling the audio chip or similar device 10 and the memory device, comprising at least one switch to control the audio chip's playback function (on PCB, (7)) - a speaker (2) - and optionally at least one of the components of a microphone (3), a power supply, in the in particular a battery or battery (6), a connection to an external electrical supply, an on / off switch (14) and a switch that makes recording definitely impossible (8)

The device of claim 1, built into a housing (15) of material such as one or more polymers, paper, cardboard, metal, wood or a combination thereof.

The device of claim 2, wherein the device consists of a base plate to which the housing is mounted and which, on one side, is extended (1) outside the housing limits. 25

The device according to any of the preceding claims, consisting of a fastening mechanism for fastening the device to a book or similar, in particular a hardcover book, wherein the fastening methods used preferably comprise an adhesive strip, one or more screws, a clamp or a slot that fits on the cover (1)

The device according to claims 3 and 4, wherein at least one of the housing, the base plate and the mounting methods has a modular design and / or a variable length (an example of this is given in Figure 1.15).

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

The system of claim 6, comprising a synchronization means for the synchronization of audio information and graphic information.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the synchronizing means provides an audio communication means operatively on at least one page and operable upon turning the at least one page

The system of claim 8, wherein the audio communication means consists of an electrical or mechanical sound-producing device (11) that is applied during the recording of the audio information on the device.

10. The system of claim 8 or 9, wherein the audio communication means consists of pre-recorded audio information on the chip or similar or in the memory (7), and a button to activate said audio communication means while recording audio information on the device 20

The system of claim 8, 9 or 10, wherein the audio communication means comprises audio cues corresponding to the book theme provided in the graphic information or imitating the turning of a page of a book or the like

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 (12)

13. 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 (13), 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

14. The system of any of claims 6-11, wherein the audio information can be transferred from the device by means of a connection such as a USB cable or the like (13), so that audio information is transmitted to or via a computer, the internet, a (smart) phone, an mp3 or mp4 player or the like can be transferred 1037555