Method for recording voice messages on flash memory in a hand held recorder

A solid state digital hand held recording device having a multifunctional switch assembly. A printed circuit board including a microcontroller electrically coupled to switch terminals operates to control the processing of sound into electrical signals and store said signals on a digital recording medium. The switch assembly actuates electrical signals coupled to said microcontroller thereby activating a sequence of actions (a program) stored within read-only memory device. A plurality of programs can be activated to instantaneously begin recording a message, verify the integrity of the recording medium, and index a message being recorded for rapid recall.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
1. Field of the Invention 
This invention pertains to recording devices, and in particular to hand 
held recording devices that are used to record voice messages, where a 
switch assembly on a solid state digital hand held recording device 
activates a recording mode whereby recording of voice messages is 
accomplished. 
2. Prior Art 
The method for dictating voice messages is largely determined by the 
devices available for dictation. The prior art is replete with recording 
devices that save information by selectively magnetizing a layer of 
magnetic-oxide material that is bonded to a thin flexible tape, commonly 
referred to as cassette tape. 
Tape is a medium with deficiencies that until the present invention have 
been unavoidable, but we have become so accustomed to them that we often 
forget the drawbacks. We probably owe this willingness to overlook 
deficiencies to the fact that recording devices have become so 
indispensable to business. Nevertheless, these unavoidable deficiencies 
have turned the process of recording dictation into a typical sequence of 
the following steps: 
1) The user inserts a cassette tape that contains previously recorded 
messages into a recording device; 
2) The user begins playing the tape to ascertain whether the current tape 
position is a blank segment suitable for recording a new message; 
3) The user finds that the current tape position has a message that the 
user does not want to record over, so the user must repeatedly fast 
forward and then listen to the tape to find a blank segment; 
4) The user may find a blank tape segment and begins recording only to find 
after a new message is complete that another message has been partially 
recorded over; 
5) The user may also find when listening to the message that a segment is 
garbled or there are moments of silence. 
The recording medium of cassette tape forces the speaker to use the above 
process because the tape is analog and linear. In the prior art, a user 
cannot simply begin to record a message immediately upon picking up a 
recording device loaded with a cassette tape known to have recorded 
messages that cannot be discarded. The user is forced to begin a search of 
the tape to find a blank tape segment. If the device cannot play and 
fast-forward at the same time allowing the user to hear sound, the user 
might never find a blank segment if the user passes them unknowingly. 
However, even after finding a blank segment, the user might not listen to 
enough of the tape to hear all the messages, resulting in a lost or 
partially lost recording. 
It would be an improvement over the prior art to be able to immediately 
begin recording a message without having to know where the other messages 
are recorded, while avoiding the danger of recording over messages that 
need to be saved. 
Another deficiency of linear tape is that occasionally the recording media 
is defective, and no sound can be recorded over a particular tape segment. 
However, this defect or the length of the defect is rarely known to the 
user. It is only upon listening to a new message after making a recording 
that the defect is discovered which resulted in a recording gap. Often it 
is not possible to reconstruct the message if human memory fails, too much 
time elapses, or the defect is long. 
Therefore, it would be another improvement over the prior art if before 
recording a message, the recording media could be tested to verify that it 
is nondefective. It would also be an improvement if after defective media 
was found, that the defective segment be skipped, and that any message 
recorded on memory before and after the defect did not reflect this 
physical gap in memory space. 
Another drawback of tape is the inability to index segments of a message, 
where the indexed segments can be found instantaneously. The inventors are 
not aware of prior art that would permit a user to index the recording 
being made such that the user could instantaneously return to those 
message segments by jumping from index mark to index mark. Thus, it would 
an improvement if a user could index a recording as it is being made 
enabling a user to quickly return to the indexed message segments. 
OBJECTS AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a method and 
apparatus that is always able to record a new message without the delay 
typical of prior art recording media that must be searched to find a blank 
segment. 
It is a further object of the invention to provide a method and apparatus 
for determining whether segments of recording media are defective and 
marking them as defective when found so that no messages by erroneously 
recorded to the defective segment and lost. 
It is yet another object of the invention to provide a method and apparatus 
for indexing a message that facilitates rapid recall of indexed message 
segments. 
These and other objects not specifically recited are realized in a solid 
state digital hand held recording device having a single function and 
multifunctional switch assembly. A printed circuit board including a 
microcontroller electrically coupled to said switch assemblies operates to 
control the processing of sound into electrical signals and store said 
signals on a digital recording medium. A single, manually operable switch 
activates a recording process. A single, manually operable rocker-pad is 
centrally mounted upon a pivot support of the hand held recording device 
and activates a multiple of functions. The record switch and rocker-pad 
actuate electrical signals coupled to said microcontroller thereby 
activating a sequence of actions (a program) stored within the 
microcontroller in a read-only memory (ROM) device. A plurality of 
programs can be activated by the manually operable record switch and 
rocker-pad to process digitally recorded sound as the user desires. 
Also disclosed is a method for recording a new message without disturbing 
the physical continuity of existing messages and without manually 
searching for a blank segment of memory on the recording medium which 
includes the steps of (i) placing the recording device in an idle mode 
such that the recorder is inactive, and (ii) pressing the record switch to 
instantly begin recording a new message at the next available memory space 
following the last recorded message or insert. 
This application also discloses a method for testing the integrity of all 
the memory space on the recording medium, which includes the steps of (i) 
starting the test of memory integrity by manually inserting a recording 
medium device into a plug assembly for electrically coupling to said 
recording device, or manually installing batteries in the recording device 
after coupling the recording medium to said recording device, and (ii) 
allowing the recording device to mark memory segments that will be skipped 
during recording if they are determined to be defective. 
Also disclosed is a method for indexing a message as it is recorded. 
Recording and indexing a message includes the steps of (i) beginning a 
recording by pressing the record switch, (ii) indexing a message by 
pressing the record switch while recording, thereby recording a new 
message. This process has the effect of indexing because all messages can 
be instantaneously accessed, and can be played back in the sequence 
recorded. 
These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will be set 
forth in the description which follows, and will be apparent to those 
skilled in the art based on the description taken in combination with the 
accompanying drawings. The objects and advantages of the invention may be 
realized and obtained by means of the instruments and combinations 
particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
FIG. 1A illustrates the features of a hand held, solid state digital 
recording device 10. The hand held recorder includes a casement 12 
containing a microphone element 14, a speaker element 15, a printed 
circuit board 13 (fragmented view, FIG. 1B), and a recording medium 18 
(partially visible). The printed circuit board 13 beneath the face of the 
casement 12 includes a microcontroller 20 with an internal read only 
memory (ROM), said microcontroller being electrically coupled to the 
recording medium 18 and to switch assemblies 33 (multifunctional) and 36 
(record) disposed on said circuit board 13 and appearing through openings 
in the casement 12. These components are well known within the industry. 
The switch assemblies 33 and 36 differ from each other in structure. Switch 
element 33 is a rocker-pad pivotally mounted upon a pivot support (not 
shown). The pivot support allows the rocker-pad 33 to tilt about said 
pivot support, being responsive to manual manipulation of said rocker-pad 
33. The rocker-pad 33 includes a periphery portion 30 with at least four 
lateral extremities 31a, 31b, 31c, 31d having electrical contacts 32a, 
32b, 32c, 32d (FIG. 1B) beneath the rocker-pad 33 and parallel to the 
circuit board 13. Electrical switch terminals 22a, 22b, 22c, 22d (FIG. 1B) 
disposed under the rocker-pad 30 are aligned with said electrical contacts 
32. When the rocker-pad 33 is manipulated, an electrical contact 
corresponding to the rocker-pad extremity 31 makes contact with a 
corresponding switch terminal 22. The functions executable by manipulating 
the rocker-pad 33 are many, despite there being only four specific labels 
31a, 31b, 31c, 31d corresponding to the rocker-pad 33 extremities. The 
four labels are play 31a, fast-forward 31d, pause 31b, and reverse 31c. 
An electrical signal is produced by making an electrical contact between 
one of the electrical contacts 32 and the corresponding switch terminal 22 
disposed beneath. The signal goes to the microcontroller which determines 
which switch of the rocker-pad 33 was pressed, whether the record switch 
36 was pressed, or a combination of the two. The microcontroller accesses 
the appropriate segment of internal ROM memory containing the instructions 
for executing the appropriate function. The switch assemblies 33 and 36 
may also be operated in conjunction to produce an electrical signal 
defining a process that can not be activated by pressing a switch. 
Switch assembly 36 is a manually operable record switch. Switch terminal 24 
(FIG. 1C) is disposed under the record switch 36 and aligned to make 
contact between an electrical contact 25 disposed beneath the record 
switch and the switch terminal 24 when the record switch 36 is pressed. 
The electrical signal produced by depressing the record switch 36 also 
sends a signal to the microcontroller 20 which accesses the appropriate 
segment of ROM memory containing the instructions for executing whatever 
function is defined by pressing the record switch 36 alone or in 
conjunction with the multifunction switch 33. 
FIG. 2A is a flowchart of the steps for recording a message. Specifically, 
the present invention enables the user to begin a new recording without 
the delay typical of prior art recording media. Whereas cassette tape must 
be wound to a blank segment of tape, the present invention uses digital 
flash memory that is particularly suited to provide instantaneous access 
to a blank segment of memory as disclosed in the parent application. Thus, 
one of the points of novelty is that the present invention can begin 
recording to a blank memory segment at the press of a switch. The 
perception of the user is that recording has begun instantaneously. 
As shown by step 1, designated 110, a preliminary step is to put the 
recorder in idle mode. This means that the recorder is not playing or 
recording. 
Step 2 designated 120 shows that the user presses the record switch 36. The 
user records a message, and a red LED 61 is lit. Because the flash memory 
provides rapid access to the next available memory segment, the user can 
begin speaking immediately. 
Step 3 designated 130 shows that the user stops the recording by pressing 
and holding the pause switch 31b. The red LED 61 is extinguished. An 
alternative method for stopping the recording is to press the play switch 
31a, lighting the green LED 60. Pressing play 31a will cause the just 
recorded message to play from the beginning, whereas pressing and holding 
pause only stops the recording. 
Step 4 designated 140 is not part of the record process, but illustrates 
one of the points of novelty of the present invention. By pressing and 
holding the play switch 31a, all the messages on the recording medium are 
played back in sequence, without gaps of silence between them. The just 
recorded message will be the last message played. 
FIG. 2B is a diagram of the flash memory digital structure used in the 
present invention. The box 130 represents a possible division of memory 
into messages and unused memory segments. Box 140 reflects the actual 
memory structure after recording the message E. As shown, the message 
begins immediately following the last recorded message, message D. The 
blank memory segment between messages A and C created by the deletion of a 
message B is unavailable for use until memory space is optimized. Box 150 
shows that functionally, the messages are arranged as shown, appearing to 
be contiguous, and if played back, messages A, C, D and E would play as if 
no physical gaps appeared between them. As explained, not all memory is 
available for use until memory is optimized. 
FIG. 3A is a flowchart of the steps for determining whether recording media 
is defective. By following the steps disclosed, defective memory segments 
cannot cause portions of a message to be lost. 
Step 1 designated 210 is a preliminary step that requires the flash memory 
not be plugged into the recording device. 
Step 2 designated 220 is the entire memory integrity verification process. 
The user slides the flash memory into its slot in the recorder. After a 
few moments, both the green 60 and red 61 LEDs light. A few moments later, 
a tone sounds and the LEDs 60 and 61 are extinguished. While the LEDs were 
both lit, the integrity of the memory segments of the flash memory unit 
were tested. If any of the memory is found to be defective, the segment is 
marked. The recorder will not attempt to record to or read from a memory 
so marked. Therefore, no portion of a memory segment can be lost by 
erroneously recording to memory that was defective before the message was 
recorded. An alternative method for causing the same verification of flash 
memory to be executed is accomplished by removing the batteries, and then 
reinstalling them. The recorder will run the same memory integrity 
verification. 
FIG. 3B is a diagram of the flash digital memory structure used in the 
present invention. The box 230 represents a possible division of memory 
into messages, unused memory segments, and defective media that is not 
marked as defective. Box 240 reflects the actual memory structure after 
the memory integrity verification process has been executed, leaving the 
formerly defective but unmarked memory segment marked as defective. 
Functionally, the memory appears as shown in box 250. The defective marked 
media is simply ignored and does not interfere with recording or playing 
messages. 
FIG. 4 is a flowchart of the steps to index a message as it is being 
recorded. Indexing a message facilitates recalling significant portions of 
a message that a user wants to rapidly recall. 
Step 1 designated 310 shows the preliminary step to the indexing process of 
placing the recorder in the idle mode. This means the recorder is not 
playing or recording. 
Step 2 designated 320 shows that the user presses the record switch 36, 
lighting the red LED 61. 
Step 3 designated 330 shows that anytime the user wishes to index a message 
for rapid recall, the user simply presses the record switch 36 again. In 
effect, the user has begun a new message. However, it is important to 
remember that messages are recorded in sequence on the flash memory. 
Playing back messages will cause all messages to play until manually 
stopped. Because there are no time gaps between the playing of messages in 
the present invention, the message will appear as a single continuous 
message. However, the message has been indexed. 
Step 4 designated 340 illustrates one of the points of novelty, that the 
user can jump to any index mark of the recorded message by simply pressing 
the fast-forward switch 31d to move forward among index marks, and 
pressing the reverse switch 31c to move backward. 
It is to be understood that the described embodiments of the invention are 
illustrative only, and that modifications thereof may occur to those 
skilled in the art. Accordingly, this invention is not to be regarded as 
limited to the embodiments disclosed, but is to be limited only as defined 
by the appended claims herein.