WO2012158063A1

WO2012158063A1 - Interactive electronic book configured to reproduce audio messages

Info

Publication number: WO2012158063A1
Application number: PCT/RU2012/000299
Authority: WO
Inventors: Svyatoslav Alexandrovich BULACKY
Original assignee: "Azbukvarik Group" Publishing House, Ltd
Priority date: 2011-05-13
Filing date: 2012-04-18
Publication date: 2012-11-22
Also published as: RU2448372C1

Abstract

The invention relates to the field of electronics and publishing, and it can be used as a teaching aid with audio reproduction of the material in the entertainment industry and in the form of toys, toy books, magazines, educational games for kids. The main feature of the invention is the ability to reproduce various audio messages relaiting directly to the pages of the book using a touchpad. The electronic book comprises pages of the book connected to the front and back covers of the book and an electronic module comptising a microprocessor with a memory and a touchpad connected through signal conductors to the microcontroller of the electronic module arranged in a body at the back cover, said microcontroller being connected through control conductors to a loudspeaker and a power supply, and through signal wires to the pages of the book. The book is provided with at least two groups of contact pairs connected to the microcontroller of the electronic module and configured to determine the order of connection of audio messages, and the touchpad has upper and lower film covers, wherein the upper film cover has contact areas made of electrically conducting paste by screen printing, the control and signal conductors are also made of the electrically conductive paste and arranged on the lower film cover by screen printing. 5 dependent claims, 9 pictures.

Description

INTERACTIVE ELECTRONIC BOOK CONFIGURED

TO REPRODUCE AUDIO MESSAGES

TECHNICAL FIELD

The invention relates to electronic and publishing industry, and it can be used as teaching means with audio presentation of a subject. It can be also used for producing toy books, magazines, development games for kids. The device can be also used in production of teaching aids, entertainment and advertising type of products, wherein audio messages complement printed text and graphic illustrations. The main feature of the invention is its ability to reproduce various audio messages directly on book pages when a touchpad is used.

BACKGROUND ART

Devices for combining audio and visual messages, which comprise front and back covers bound with paper sheets between them, and a unit for reproducing audio messages are disclosed in prior art (patents RU 2141134, 1993, IPC G 09 B 5/06; RU 2170132, IPC A63H33/38, G09B5/00, 15.12.2000; RU 2187836, IPC G06F15/04, G09B5/00, 25.06.2001 ; EP0686055, WO 9317764, IPC A63F3/00, A63F3/04, 1995-12-13). Said devices are configured like books with sensors on pages, said sensors being connected to an audio message reproducing unit. When a user touches one of said sensors, an audio message corresponding to the text or image on the sheet where the sensor is located is reproduced.

The disadvantage of the prior art devices is their limited functionality because a complex structure with sheets of sensors and connecting conductors prevent creating a book containing a sufficiently large number of sheets. The closest reference by a number of common essential features is a method and apparatus for reproducing information, a portable data input-output device and an electronic toy, which comprises a dot matrix and a touchpad (patent RU 2349956, IPC G06K17/00, 26.09.2003). In this patent, an area with a dot pattern can be formed on a transparent film. In such case, the transparent film can be placed over a sheet of paper or the transparent film can be attached to the image display means in the form of an electronic touchpad. Then the image display means is used to display information relating to commands so that the user can work with a scanning means.

In this devicer the touch pad can be attached to the book, such as a book with pictures, or to a figure, etc. The area with a dot pattern according to the invention is convenient in the case it is formed on printed publications, such as books, books with pictures, stickers with drawings, stickers with dotted patterns for data input, on play boards, on products in the form of characters and on soft toys, on touchpads of personal computer monitors or TV sets, etc.

An information reproducing device using a dot pattern comprises: a touchpad comprising a transparent film with an area having a dot pattern. Said dot pattern is formed by the orderly placement of dots in accordance with a predetermined rule, said dots being generated in accordance with a dot code algorithm to provide recognition of different types of multimedia information. The touchpad is attached to the image display of the electronic device. The device also comprises a scanning means used to scan image data of the area with a dot pattern formed on the touchpad following the information in the form of instructions displayed on the image display of the electronic device for converting image data into digital form to obtain the numerical values for reading from the storage means the multimedia information corresponding to the area with the dot pattern based on numerical values, and for playing back the multimedia information.

The disadvantage of said device is high complexity, lack of reliability and limited functionality due to lack of visibility and automatic number identification of an open sheet. If a user forgets to touch labels when turning a sheet or performs the operation incorrectly, audio messages will be reproduced incorrectly. Said disadvantage makes it difficult to create books with accompanying audio messages having large number of sheets in accordance with the method. When a book has a large number of sheets, the number of labels mentioned above also becomes large, and entering a number of a sheet to open becomes a complex and time-consuming operation.

The purpose of the present invention is to increase the reliability of the required contact of the touchpad when selecting a desired mode and pressing a picture on a page of the book. That in its turn will improve the accuracy of fixing the moment of turning pages of a book by the user and selecting a group of audio messages to be plaied back for this page.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The claimed interactive electronic book is illustrated in the following figures:

Fig. 1 is a general view of the interactive electronic book.

Fig. 2 shows positions of elements on the back cover of the book.

Fig. 3 is a flow chart of operations with the interactive electronic book. Fig. 4 shows the upper film cover.

Fig. 5 shows the lower film cover.

Fig. 6 shows positions of touchpad contact groups.

Fig. 7 shows pages of the interactive electronic book

Fig. 8 is a view of the touchpad and back cover with recesses.

Fig. 9 shows positions of an electronic module and a loudspeaker in the recesses.

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION

Interactive electronic book configured to reproduce audio messages comprises pages 1 of a book 2 connected to a fronta cover 4 and a back cover 5 through a spine; an electronic module 6 with a microcontroller 7 having a memory 8; and a touchpad 9 connected by signal conductors 10 to the microcontroller 7 of the electronic module 6 mounted in a housing 11 on the back cover 5 and connected by control wires 12 to a loudspeaker 13 and a power supply (not shown), and to the pages 1 of the book 2 by the signal conductors 10. The book has at least two groups 14 and 15 of contact pairs 16 connected to the microcontroller 7 of the electronic module 6 and configured to determine the order of activation of the audio messages. The touchpad 9 has a top and bottom film covers 17 and 18, wherein the upper film cover 17 is provided with contact areas 19 made of electroconducting paste using screen- printing. The control conductots 12 and signal conductors 0 are also made of the electroconducting paste and placed on the lower film cover 18 by screen printing, and the upper and lower film covers 17 and 18 are connected to each other along the perimeter with an adhesive so that the control and signal conductors 12 and 10 and the contact areas 19 are located strictly opposite to each other forming said groups 14 and 15 of the contact pairs 16.

The goup 14, one of the two groups of the contact pairs 16, is configured to determine the number of an open page 3 with the help of the microcontroller 7, and the group 15 of the contact pair 16 is configured to determine corresponding audio message also with the help of the microcontroller 7. The touchpad 9 is placed on the top layer of cardboard 20 of the back cover 5 under the last page 1 of the book 2, and it is connected to the electronic module 6 by a connector 21. The back cover 4 of the book 2 has recesses 22, and the electronic module and a loudspeaker are fixed in these resesses with an adhesive between the two layers of cardboard. The contact pairs 16 for switching on audio messages have visual images 23 configured to change their appearance depending on the page 1 of the book 2 which is open. Each contact pair 16 for switching on audio messages is configured to reproduce different audio messages depending on the selected page 1 of the book 2. Interactive electronic book is used as follows:

Before operation begins, the control and signal condactors 12 and 10 in the two groups 14 and 15 of the contact pairs 16 are in disconnected position (there is no electrical contact).with contact areas 19.

When the image 23 on the contact pair 16 is pressed, the control and signal conductors 12 and 10 come into contact through the contact area 19 (electracal contact). Power is supplied to the microcontroller 7 (from the control wire 12 connected to the power supply to one of the signal conductors 10). The microcontroller 7 is triggered in one of the modes reproducing the audio message recorded in the memory 8 through the loudspeaker 13, said message corresponding to the contact group 4 and 15 of the contact pairs 16. With the help of the contact group 14, it is recognized which page 1 of a book 2 is open. When the image 23 on the contact group 14 is pressed, the microcontroller 7 defines the number of the open page 1. Pictures 23 of the contact group 15 on different pages of the book 2 are in the same places and arranged so that different images and contact pairs 16 overlap each other. Therefore, when a user opens a specific page 1 of the book 2 and clicks the picture 23 of the contact group 14, the microcontroller 7 will determine specific audio messages for the contact group 15 (Fig. 7, 8, 9). It allows opening different pages 1 of the book 2 and listening to different and not repetitive audio messages defined for each group 14.

The location of a picture printed on each page of the book above the contact group 15 provides not only for listening various nonrepeatable audio messages, but also changing pictures (when turning over pages) related to a particular contact group 15. Each group 15 of the contact pairs 16 for turning on audio messages is configured so that several different audio messages depending on the selected page 1 of the book 2 can be reproduced. Pictures above the contact pairs 16 of the group 15 including audio messages vary depending on the open page of the book.

The contact group 5, which determines turning on audio messages is formed of deposited on the film cover control and signal conductors 12 and 10 and the contact area 19. In this case one of two groups of contact pairs 14 determines the number of the open page with the help of the microcontroller 7, and the other contact group 5 dtermines the appropriate audio message also with the help of the microcontroller 7.

The method of producing pages 1 of the book 2 by connecting them through the spine 3 to the front and back covers 4 and 5 of the claimed interactive electronic book provides for a compact assembly and effective functioning of all components. For that purpose the touchpad 9 is arranged on the upper layer of the cardboard 20 of the back cover 4 under the last page 1 of the book 2, and it is connected to the electronic module 6 through the connector 21. The back cover 4 of the books 2 has recesses 22. The electronic module 6 and the loudspeaker 3 are fixed in the recesses with an adhesive between two layers of cardboard.

Pages 1 of the book are made of a thin glossy paper. Therefore, taking into account a low weight and large area of a page acting on the surface of the contact area 19 when pages are turned on or the book is closed, a pressing of the book with a finger or other object is comparable with point pressure of much higher value (100-400 g/cm²). That is why it can be stated that there will be no spontaneous switching on when pages are turned.

Thus, the invention ensures reliability of required contact when pressing the touchpad for selecting a desired mode of use of the electronic book, simplicity of operations by increasing the level of automation, increase in number of technical and functional features of the operating mode of the book, as well as enhancing effects of training of a user.

The main positive effect, which is achieved by this invention is improvement of the reliability of the closure of required contacts by pressing directly on the picture page of the book, which in turn allows fixing the moment of turning a page by a user, as well as defining a group of audio messages reproduced on the selected page.

Claims

1. An interactive electronic book configured to reproduce audio messages, said electronic book containing: book pages connected through the spine to the front and back covers of the book;

an electronic module comprising a microprocessor with a memory, and a touchpad connected through signal conductors to the microcontroller of the electronic module arranged in a body at the back cover, said microcontroller being connected through control conductors to a loudspeaker and a power supply, and through signal conductors to the pages of the book,

characterized in that

said electronic book is provided with at least two groups of contact pairs connected to the microcontroller of the electronic module and configured to determine the order of connection of audio messages, and that the touchpad has upper and lower film covers,

wherein the upper film cover has contact areas made of electrically conducting paste by screen printing, the control and signal conductors are also made of the electrically conductive paste and produced on the lower film cover by screen printing, and

wherein the upper and lower film covers are connected to each other along their periphery with an adhesive so that the control and signal conductors and contact areas are located strictly opposite to each other forming said groups of the contact pairs (Fig.1-9).

2. The electronic book according to claim 1 , characterized in that one of the groups of the contact pairs is configured to determine the number of the open page with the help of the microcontroller, and the other group of the contact pairs is configured to determine corresponding audio message also with the help of the microcontroller (Fig. 2, 3, 6).

3. The electronic book according to claim 2, characterized in that the touchpad is arranged on the upper cardboard layer of the back cover and connected to the electronic module through a connector (Fig. 2, 8, 9).

4. The electronic book according to claim 3, characterized in that the book back cover has recesses for receiving the electronic module and loudspeaker, which are fixed with an adhesive in the recesses between two layers of the cardboard (Fig.8).

5. The electronic book according to claim 4, characterized in that the groups of the contact pairs switchning on audio messages are provided with small pictures configured to change their appearance depending on what book page is open (Fig. 7).

6. The electronic book according to claim 5, characterized in that each group of the contact pairs switchning on audio messages is configured to reproduce a few different audio messages depending on what book page is selected (Fig. 2, 3, 6).

(56)

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