Classifications

• • G—PHYSICS
  • G10—MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS; ACOUSTICS
  • G10L—SPEECH ANALYSIS TECHNIQUES OR SPEECH SYNTHESIS; SPEECH RECOGNITION; SPEECH OR VOICE PROCESSING TECHNIQUES; SPEECH OR AUDIO CODING OR DECODING
  • G10L13/00—Speech synthesis; Text to speech systems
  • G10L13/06—Elementary speech units used in speech synthesisers; Concatenation rules
  • G10L13/07—Concatenation rules

Definitions

• This invention generally relates to sound enunciating toys and more particularly to toys which produce sounds in randomized sequences. Complete sentences can be spoken and sound effects can accompany spoken words.
• Another object of the invention is to provide an improved toy that speaks a large variety of coherent sentences which can be repeated immediately upon demand.
• Yet another object of the invention is to provide an improved toy which can output sounds including output of a coherent sentence accompanied by sound effects.
• a toy in accordance with the invention includes a memory for storing audio data in digitized format.
• the stored data is segregated into categories.
• each category is a plurality of sound phrases, that is a word or words of speech in a digitized format. Phrases in a particular category may be devoted to sound effects instead of words of speech.
• phrases are selected for output from several categories in a particular predetermined sequence and converted from digital data into analog signals that drive an amplifier and loud speaker. There are a plurality of available sequences. The outputted sequence is selected at random.
• each category in the selected sequence there are many available word phrases at respective memory addresses.
• the phrase, or phrases, to be outputted from a selected category is also selected at random.
• the interrelationship between the sequence of categories and the content of the categories is such that coherent, grammatically correct sentences are always outputted.
• a sound effect category in a sequence the sentence will be preceded, followed or interspersed with sound, effects as appropriate.
• the entire process is controlled by a microprocessor which initiates a sentence sequence whenever the user demands by operation of an external switch, which can be of any type, for example, electro-mechanical, purely electrical, optical, or sound activated. A capability to repeat a previously played sequence is available.
• Such an arrangement of sound phrases into categories with many phrases stored in each category allows thousands of statements to be generated from a relatively small vocabulary of preferably between 50 and 100 words. These phrases may include sound effects that can be interspersed with the word phrases.
• Each phrase may be spoken by a character or doll or played back by a toy (automobile, airplane) in a random pattern.
• a "repeat" button or switch on the device causes playback of the last complete statement. For example, a toy figure of a soldier could, "speak” in a progression or sequence of phrases that relate to a battle and form a generalized story of the battle. The sequence could begin with an attack, continue with words and sound effects to suggest fighting, and end in victory.
• the same logic could apply to a vehicle, such as an airplane, flying to different places and reporting various experiences such as where to land, status of fuel supply and weather reports. Sound effects could be added such as thunder storms, turbulence with wind sounds, and a rough sputtering engine. Also, the plane could make landing sounds suggested when the wheels touch a runway, and takeoff sounds as the plane takes off and climbs. Phrases such as "fasten your seat belts" could be used in such a toy.
• Fig. 1 is a functional block diagram of an electronic circuit for randomized sound outputs in accordance with the invention for use in a toy
• Fig. 2 is a schematic circuit for performing the functions illustrated in Fig. 1.
• a toy in accordance with the invention includes means for sound generation which may be incorporated into an otherwise conventional toy.
• the toy can be a doll which becomes a speaking doll when the sound generator is incorporated. Plush toys such as teddy bears and other animals can be made to "speak" and emit sounds which may be triggered by operating a switch, speaking to the toy, petting it, combing it or squeezing the toy, etc.
• the toy may be a novelty for a birthday, Valentine's Day, or a seasonal character as Santa Claus.
• the toy can also be a simple box showing push buttons or switches and having a loud speaker.
• Table I illustrates an exemplary vocabulary of word phrases and sound effects which might be used with a military style doll, a soldier.
• the table shows a matrix of word phrases, which may each include several words or a single word.
• the word phrases are segregated into categories A-D.
• a fifth category E is used to designate sound effects which are designated Sound 1 to Sound 10.
• each category there are many different independent word phrases.
• any word phrase taken from category A can be followed by any word phrase from category B, which in turn can be followed by any word phrase in category C, etc.
• Sound effects can precede the se ⁇ uence of words, follow such a sequence, or be appropriately interspersed in such a sequence of words.
• group A provides or implies a subject for a sen- tence.
• Group B includes a verb form; group C provides an object to go with the verb, and group D provides a prepositional phrase.
• category E provides thirteen choices. Three of the thirteen sound effects are quiet. Then, on a random basis, in three out of thirteen uses, there is the probability that no sound effect will be played when category E is included in a selected sequence.
• the phrases may be played, for example, in five different ways or modes.
• An entire output for example, a sentence with a possible sound effect, can be produced by playing the five categories in the sequence A-E.
• the entire output can be played with the categories in the sequence E, A, B, C, D.
• the output can be formed entirely from phrases in the categories B and C.
• an extended output that includes selections from categories A-E in sequence followed.by another entire sequence A-E where the second sequence A-E is different from the first sequence A-E. That is, within each category, a different phrase is selected in the second go- around.
• additional connective words can be put between the two sequences, with such connective words being chosen from memory by a microprocessor. These intermediate words may or may not be part of the matrix of Table I, but may be stored in the same memory.
• a fifth mode plays phrases and sounds from the categories A- E in sequence followed by another sequence including only the categories B and C (without repetition of the words from the first output of categories B and C) . Additional words can be interspersed between the sequence A-E and the sequence B-C under control of the microprocessor.
• category A may follow categories B-C and precede category D.
• category E can be interspersed at various places to enhance the ongoing "action".
• a system 10 to provide a game, and other games similar to that described above, is functionally illustrated in Figure 1.
• Phrases and sounds are stored as audio data in a read ⁇ only memory (ROM) 12.
• ROM read ⁇ only memory
• the phrases and sounds are segregated into categories as described, for example, in
• Each phrase and sound is at a particular address in the read-only memory 12.
• a random number generator 16 provides a signal to a category sequence selector 18 so that from the matrix of data in the read-only memory 12, selections are enabled in consecutive order in the categories of that sequence.
• a random number generator 20 provides a signal to a phrase selector 22 which randomly selects one of the phrases in the previously selected category. Then the next category in the sequence is enabled and the phrase selector 22, in response to another signal generated by the second random number generator 20, randomly selects a phrase in that enabled category, and so on until the entire selected sequence is completed.
• the stored data at the address of that phrase is read out of the memory 12 to a data converter 24 wherein the retrieved digital data is converted into analog audio signals. These signals are amplified in an amplifier 26 and audibly output by a speaker 28.
• a start input signal represented by the arrow 30 which input signal may be provided by a switch that is mechanically or electronically operated, or may be sound activated, light activated, or operate from a remote control device as is conventionally used in electronic toys and electronic household devices.
• a second input signal represented by the arrow 30, will initiate a new output, which is based upon the randomness of the signals generated in the generators 16, 20, and therefore will differ from the previous output.
• the ability to replay or repeat any output is provided by a secondary memory 32.
• the secondary memory 32 For each sequence selected by the category sequence selector 18, the secondary memory 32 stores the memory addresses of the phrases that are outputted to the data converter 24, audio amplifier 26 and speaker 28. That is, the secondary memory 32 stores the category/phrase addresses for the sequence as it is played. If the sequence includes five categories in a particular predetermined order, the secondary memory 32 will store the five addresses of the phrases and/or sound effects that make up that sequence.
• the audio data at the memory addresses stored in the secondary memory 32 is automatically read out from the ROM 12 in the same sequence as the addresses were entered into the secondary memory 32, such that the converter 24, amplifier 26, and speaker 28 repeat the original audible output.
• the output is repeated as many times as a signal is provided (arrow 34) .
• a mechanical button switch, electronic switch, etc., as mentioned above in relation to the signal at 30, may be used.
• the addresses of the newly selected sequence displace the address data previously stored in the secondary memory 32, such that the new sequence can be repeated, if desired.
• Circuit modules are available that provide all of the logical and storage functions illustrated in Figure 1.
• Such an integrated circuit module for example, Texas Instruments' TSP50C10, is a combination speech digitizer and microprocessor integrated circuit that is capable of playing back prerecorded words and sound effects under control of a software program. Both the words and the software program are mask-programmed into a ROM of the device.
• the integrated circuit (Fig. 2) operates from an external power supply 42, which is illustrated as batteries. However, an adaptor for connection to conventional household AC may be used alternatively, or both capabilities may be provided.
• the integrated circuit 40 is controlled by two momentary push button switches, a play switch 44, and a repeat switch, push button 46. These switches, 44, 46, are external to the integrated circuit module 40.
• the play switch 44 causes a new random sound sequence to be played each time the switch 44 is pressed.
• the switch 44 also turns the toy ON and may cause output of a greeting message once each time the toy is turned ON from an OFF state.
• a greeting message is stored in an internal read only memory and its output is controlled by the microprocessor function circuit.
• the microprocessor circuit may also turn the toy OFF automatically after a predetermined period of time, for example, three minutes, if neither switch 44, 46 has been activated during that period of time. This preserves the life of the batteries in the power supply 42.
• the repeat switch 44 causes the previously played sound sequence to be replayed, as described above.
• the capacitor Cl serves as a filter for the power supply and the external resistance Rl pulls the integrated circuit initialization pin to the power supply voltage VCC.
• An oscillator frequency signal as required by the integrated circuit 40, is provided by a ceramic resonator CR in conjunction with the capacitors C2, C3.
• an oscillator frequency of 9.6 Mhz is required. Ceramic resonators are commercially available for this purpose.
• Transistors Ql-4, capacitors C4, and resistors R2-5 comprise an audio amplifier that drives a loud speaker, which audibly produces the sounds generated by the integrated circuit.
• the integrated circuit in response to operation of the switches 44, 46, internally selects a sequence of categories, randomly selects a phrase within each category of the sequence, and outputs analog audio signals to the audio amplifier and speaker.
• a read only memory stores all of the phrases and sound effects which are mixed and matched in the system 10. Also provided is the microprocessor control and the digital- to-analog conversion of stored audio data.

Landscapes

• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Computational Linguistics (AREA)
• Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
• Audiology, Speech & Language Pathology (AREA)
• Human Computer Interaction (AREA)
• Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• Acoustics & Sound (AREA)
• Multimedia (AREA)
• Toys (AREA)

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Citations (4)

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• 1993
  • 1993-10-15 ZA ZA937678A patent/ZA937678B/xx unknown
  • 1993-10-19 TW TW082108654A patent/TW228478B/zh active
  • 1993-10-27 IL IL107422A patent/IL107422A0/xx unknown
  • 1993-10-29 ES ES09302270A patent/ES2079309B1/es not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 1993-11-01 CN CN93119686A patent/CN1096709A/zh active Pending
  • 1993-11-02 WO PCT/US1993/010733 patent/WO1994010683A1/en active Application Filing
  • 1993-11-02 AU AU55950/94A patent/AU5595094A/en not_active Abandoned

Patent Citations (4)

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