Interactive audiovisual apparatus

An interactive audiovisual work for telling a story includes a story element selector for selecting one of a plurality of differing actuatable story elements to be active, a character selector for selecting one of a plurality of differing actuatable characters to be active, and an identifier, active after a story element is selected, for identifying the character intended to be selected to be active at a given time according to the story. A microprocessor, responsive to the story element selector, the character selector and the character identifier, causes the selected character to speak a first-level message associated with the selected story element if the selected character and the identified character are the same, and a second-level message associated with the selected character otherwise, the first-level message being more specific and closely related to the selected story element than the second-level message.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
present invention relates to an interactive audiovisual work for telling a 
story, and more particularly to a book incorporating a sound chip for 
producing sounds associated with the text of the book. 
There are a variety of different "talking books" on the market which 
incorporate a sound chip so that the talking book can produce a variety of 
sounds, each sound being related to a specific textual portion of the book 
(which may be a graphic symbol). Typically the generation of sound effects 
results from the reader pressing one of a number of sound generating 
switches provided in a switch portion of the book. The reader actuates a 
sound-generating switch when there is identity between the symbol in the 
text portion of the book and the symbol on a sound-generating switch of 
the switch portion of the book, or because the symbol in the text portion 
is connected by a visible line to a particular sound-generating switch, or 
if there is some other means of causing association between a specific 
text portion and a specific sound-generating switch. 
While the ability to generate sound effects greatly enhances the play value 
of a "talking book" relative to a conventional book, there is a limit to 
which the presence of sound effects--whether speech or otherwise--can 
increase the play value. As typically only one sound effect or monologue 
results from the actuation of a single sound-generating switch, and there 
is only space for a limited number of such switches on the book, the 
number of sound effects obtainable is quite limited (even though the sound 
chip itself is typically capable of producing many more sound effects). 
Worse yet, because there is a one-to-one correspondence between a 
sound-generating switch and the sound effect generated, even a youngster 
quickly learns to associate the sound effect and the switch so that the 
book loses any element of unpredictability and surprise. 
A further limitation of the known "talking books" is that the various sound 
effects generated do not simulate a cycle of interactive or alternating 
conversations which involves the user. Thus, while it is a possible for a 
given sound effect in a conventional talking book to produce what appears 
to be a dialogue or conversation between two characters, this dialogue 
results from the one-time actuation of a single sound-generating switch 
and does not require any participation by the user. In other words, after 
actuation of the sound-generating switch, the dialogue or connection 
simply runs its course without regard to the user so that the user does 
not feel himself to be a part of the conversation. It is theorized that 
one reason for this limitation is the fear of the designer of such talking 
books that, if user interaction is required (especially when the user is a 
child), the user may interact in an unexpected or improper way with the 
ongoing dialogue so that it will no longer make sense, will be prematurely 
terminated, or will take a different tack. 
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an 
interactive audiovisual work for telling a story where there are more 
sound effects (including conversations) than there are sound-generating 
switches. 
Another object is to provide such a work wherein actuation of a given 
sound-generating switch may at different times result in the generation of 
different sound effects or speech phrases. 
A further object is to provide such a work which can mimic or simulate 
interactive or alternating conversations in which the user participates by 
selecting which characters talk when. 
It is another object of the present invention to provide such a work 
wherein the user cannot substantively alter the conversation produced in 
response to actuation of a sound-generating switch, but can only delay its 
completion and cause irrelevant but not inappropriate interjections 
thereinto. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
It has now been found that the above and related objects and features are 
obtained in an interactive audiovisual work for telling a story, according 
to the present invention. The work comprises a plurality of differing 
actuatable story elements of the story and a plurality of differing 
actuatable characters of the story. A plurality of differing first-level 
messages are associated with the story elements and form an optional part 
of the story, while a plurality of differing second-level messages are 
associated with the characters. The work includes a story element selector 
for selecting one of the plurality of story elements to be active and a 
character selector for selecting one of the plurality of characters to be 
active. Means, active after a story element is selected, identify the 
character intended to be selected to be active at a given time according 
to the story, and means responsive to the story element selector, the 
character selector and the character identifying means, cause the selected 
character to speak a first-level message associated with the selected 
story element if the selected character and the identified character are 
the same, and a second-level message associated with the selected 
character otherwise. 
A first-level message is more specific and closely related to the selected 
story element than a second-level message, while a second-level message is 
more general and less related to the selected story element than a 
first-level message. The story element selector preferably produces a 
sound associated with the selected story element. 
In a preferred embodiment, a plurality of differing first-level messages 
are associated with at least one of the story elements, and means are 
provided for selecting the first-level message to be spoken from the 
plurality of differing first-level messages associated with a selected 
story element. Preferably a plurality of differing second-level messages 
are associated with each of the characters, and means are provided for 
selecting the second-level message to be spoken from the plurality of 
differing second-level messages associated with a selected character. The 
first-level message selecting means is responsive at least in part to one 
or more prior selected first-level messages, and the second-level message 
selecting means is responsive at least in part to one or more prior 
selected second-level messages. Thus, the first-level message selecting 
means avoids consecutive repetition of a prior selected first-level 
message, especially those associated with the selected story element. The 
second-level message selecting means avoids consecutive repetition of the 
prior selected second-level message of the selected character. The 
first-level message selecting means selects randomly (or serially) among 
the plurality of first-level messages associated with an active story 
element. 
In one preferred embodiment, the character identifying means identifies a 
different character after the identified character is activated, thereby 
to define at least in part a cycle of interactive character activation 
associated with an active story element, but identifies the same character 
after a selected character other than the identified character is 
activated, thereby to await continuation of the cycle of interactive 
character activation. Means are provided for deactivating the character 
identifying means after a full cycle of interactive character activation 
related to an active story element. 
The work may be in the form of a book containing a plurality of pages, at 
least a plurality of the pages including a different text portion, and at 
least a plurality of the different text portions identifying respective 
story elements to be selected. The book may include both primary text 
portions, which are to be read and indicate particular story elements to 
be selected, and associated secondary text portions, which set forth the 
first-level messages relative to the story elements which the associated 
primary text portion indicates should be selected.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
Referring now to the drawing, and in particular to FIG. 1 thereof, therein 
illustrated is an interactive audiovisual work according to the present 
invention, generally designated by the reference numeral 10. The work 10 
is in the form of a book 12 having a relatively rigid front cover 14, a 
relatively rigid back cover 16 (each preferably made of paperboard), and a 
plurality of turnable pages 18 therebetween. On a plurality of the pages, 
and preferably each page, the page includes a different text portion 20 
(which may be composed of words, graphics, symbols and combinations). A 
plurality of the different text portions 20 identify respective story 
elements to be selected, each story element preferably being identified by 
a symbol 22. Typically the text portions 20 are relatively short and are 
selected for readability by and comprehensibility to a child. 
In one embodiment (not illustrated), the book 12 includes both primary text 
portions and secondary text portions. The primary text portions are the 
text portions 20 described above--they are to be read (either by the 
child-user or aloud by a parent) and indicate as a part thereof particular 
story elements which the user (or parent) should select as described 
hereinafter. The secondary text portions, when present, are associated 
with particular primary text portions and set forth the various 
first-level messages associated with the story elements which the 
associated primary text portion indicates should be selected. The 
secondary text portions are intended to be read only by an adult and to 
give the adult the first-level messages associated with the story elements 
indicated for selection. It may be appreciated, however, that while the 
primary text portion will indicate a particular story element to be 
selected, either through error or intentionally a user may select a 
different story element, in which case the secondary text portion may be 
inappropriate for the actually selected story element. 
Mounted on an extension 30 of the book back cover 16 is a plastic housing 
32 incorporating a sound chip generally designated 34 (see FIG. 3), a 
microprocessor generally designated 36 (see FIG. 3), and various control 
switches or selectors for reasons which will become apparent hereinafter. 
Visible from the front of the housing 32 is a battery compartment 
generally designated 38 (see FIG. 3) with a removable cover 39, a speaker 
generally designated 40 (see FIG. 3) with an outlet grille 41, a plurality 
of individual story element switches 42 (nine switches identified as 42a, 
42b, . . . 42i being illustrated), a plurality of characters 44 (two 
characters being illustrated, namely, Little Red Riding Hood 44a and the 
Wolf 44b) and a like plurality of identifiers (two LED's 46a and 46b being 
illustrated), each identifier 46a, 46b being associated with a respective 
character 44a, 44b. 
The characters 44 may be representations of humans, animals, cartoon 
characters and even anthropomorphized objects. The identifiers 46 are 
simply means for allowing the microprocessor 36 to communicate to the user 
which character 44a, 44b should be selected at any given time in order to 
further the telling of the story. Of the various selectors, switches and 
identifiers illustrated, only the identifiers 46 are under the control of 
the microprocessor 36, the story element switches 42 and the character 
selector 44 being under the control of the user. 
The story element switches 42 are associated with respective text portions 
20 or symbols 22 therein. Thus, the text portion 20 may read "Jack sees a 
cow," followed by a symbol or graphic representation 50 of a cow. The 
appearance of the symbol 22 in the text portion 20 indicates that the user 
should actuate the corresponding story element switch 42 bearing the same 
symbol 22. When he does this, the story element switch actuation results 
in a sound effect, such as a "moo" to represent the cow. It will be 
appreciated that practically any story element can be selected to be 
represented by a particular symbol and a sound associated conceptually 
with such a symbol. For example, references to a door (as a story element) 
may be indicated by the symbol of a door with the accompanying sound (upon 
actuation of a story element switch 42 with a door symbol on it) being 
either a creaking door or a slamming door, whichever is appropriate. 
Preferably, the story elements will be selected so that they can be used 
several times within a given book. (As will be seen hereinafter, a 
plurality of different first-level messages may be associated with at 
least one of the story elements so that the cycle of interactive character 
activation following actuation of a given story element may differ over 
time, thus retaining the interest of the user). 
It will be appreciated that the plurality of differing actuatable story 
element switches 42 may be fewer or greater than the illustrated nine, and 
that the plurality of differing actuatable characters 44 of the story and 
the plurality of identifiers 46 (for identifying the character 44 intended 
to be selected to be active at a given time according to the story) may be 
greater than two. Indeed, there may be only a single identifier 46 for 
identifying the character intended to be selected, such as a rotatable 
pointer (not shown) which switches between the various characters under 
the control of the microprocessor. 
In the embodiment illustrated, the character selector 44 for selecting one 
of the plurality of characters 44 to be activated is in fact the character 
representation 44 itself. Thus each character representation 44 
constitutes a pressure-sensitive switch 44 which may be actuated by the 
user simply pressing the appropriate character representation. It will be 
appreciated, however, that in other embodiments the character 
representations 44 may be separate and apart from the character selectors 
44. Thus, the character selector may be a plurality of on-off switches 
(not shown), each disposed adjacent a respective character representation 
44, or it may even be a single pointer (not shown) on a rotatable knob, 
the knob being rotatable by the user to cause the pointer to align with 
one of the character representations at a time. 
The microprocessor 36 is programmed to include sound-generating means 
responsive to the story element selector 42 (that is, which of the story 
element switches 42 is actuated), the character selector 44 (that is, 
which of the characters 44 is actuated), and the character identifier 46 
(that is, which of the identifiers 46 is actuated). The sound-generating 
means causes the selected character to speak a first-level message 
associated with the selected story element 42a, 42b . . . 42i if the 
selected character and the identified character (that is, the character 
associated with the identifier 46) are the same. Otherwise, a second-level 
message associated with the selected character is spoken by the selected 
character. 
The first-level message is more specific and more closely related to the 
selected story element than the second-level message. In other words, a 
second-level message is more general and less related to the selected 
story element than a first-level message. In fact, a second-level message 
is typically neutral, neither hindering nor advancing the conversation, 
but simply providing some general response--appropriate to a selected 
character--to a character activation which is out of sequence. In a way of 
speaking, it merely fills in a lull in the conversation until subsequently 
the identified character is selected by the user. The conversation can 
then proceed as intended with first-level messages. 
Throughout the story, after each character identifier 46 identifies a 
particular character 44 and that identified character is then selected by 
the user and activated, the microprocessor 36 proceeds to identify a 
different character 44 with a different identifier 46. Thus, when the 
character selection sequence indicated by the successive character 
identifier 46 (under control of the microprocessor 46) is complied with, 
the work proceeds to define at least in part a cycle of interactive 
character activation associated with an active story element 42. In other 
words, the characters 44 proceed to tell part of the story. But when the 
user selects a character 44 other than the identified character, the 
character identifier 46 continues to identify the character 44 which 
should be selected. Thus, in this instance, the work awaits continuation 
of the cycle of interactive character activation in the story, merely 
filling the gap (caused by the user's erroneous character selection) with 
a neutral second-level message by the selected character 44. The cycle of 
interactive character activation associated with an active story element 
42 continues until the cycle is completed, after which further selection 
of a character 44 by the user produces only an appropriate second-level 
message for that character. 
In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, there is an exception 
to this rule when the user actuates a story element 42 before the cycle of 
interactive character activation for the present story element 42 is 
completed, regardless of whether the newly actuated story element is the 
same story element as that presently actuated or a different one. The 
premature activation of a story element (before the cycle of interactive 
character activation for the presently active story element is completed) 
interrupts and causes a termination of the presently active story element 
and commencement of the newly activated story element. If a contrary 
result desired by the game designer, the microprocessor 36 may be 
programmed so that the premature activation of a story element is simply 
ignored and the user is forced to complete one cycle of interactive 
character activation (associated with the presently activated story 
element) before he can commence a new one. 
The microprocessor 36 includes means 58 for deactivating all character 
identifiers 46 after the full cycle of interactive character interaction 
related to an active story element, thereby to indicate (by a lack of any 
illuminated LED 46) that the user should return to the text portion 20 of 
the book 12 (which will typically in due course instruct the user to 
select another story element 42). 
Once a new story element 42 is active, the same or a different sequence of 
character identifications will follow, typically with the characters 44 
speaking first-level messages associated with the new active story element 
42. Thus, since the sounds generated by each character 44 will typically 
vary depending upon the active story element 42, the user cannot easily 
predict what will be said by a given character at a given time, thereby 
ensuring an element of unpredictability and hence added play value. 
Because each story element 42 may have its own cycle of interactive 
character activation or conversation, the number of possible sound effects 
and speech phrases far exceeds the number of story elements 42, the number 
of characters 44, or the product thereof. 
It should be appreciated that the "interactive character activation" need 
not be a conversation in the sense of one character speaking to the other 
and the other responding thereto. In fact, one character may be unaware of 
the presence of the other character. For example, in "Jack and the 
Beanstalk," a cycle of interactive character activation between one 
character hiding from another may proceed as follows: "I can see the Giant 
and he can't see me." "Jack must be here. Where is Jack?" "The Giant will 
never find me if I don't make any noise." In particular instances, neither 
character may be aware of the other. In any case, the interactive 
character activation or "conversation" may range from a single comment 
from one character to a number of comments from both characters, with 
different cycles of interactive character activation being of different 
lengths and continuing until the microprocessor deactivates all the 
character identifying means, thereby indicating that the user should 
return to the text portion. 
If desired, one or more of the story element switches 42 may simply be a 
sound-generating switch which, upon actuation, produces a particular sound 
(such as a sound effect) without causing any identifier 46 to become 
actuated. Thus such a story element switch 42 simply causes the 
introduction of a sound effect, after which the user continues with the 
text portion 20. 
The text portion 20 may call for selection of a character even when there 
is no actuated story element switch 42, especially at the beginning of a 
story before any story element switch 42 is actuated. In this case, the 
text portion 20 is simply calling for the indicated character to speak a 
second-level message. 
It will be appreciated that the user of the present invention feels that he 
is a participant in the interactive character activation or conversation 
because none of the characters speak until he selects them. Thus, the user 
participates by controlling the timing of the character selections and the 
accuracy of the character selections relative to the identifiers. This 
produces an entirely different effect for the user than where he is merely 
a listener of an invariant dialogue and has no control over the substance 
and timing thereof once the dialogue has been initiated. 
If desired, it is possible for minor characters, who may or may not be 
graphically depicted on the book cover as one of the characters (but, in 
any case, would not have an identifier associated therewith), to be 
included in an interactive character activation cycle. Thus, the minor 
character may be a dog and, at appropriate times, a "Woof, woof" or like 
message spoken by a dog may be appended to any first-level message spoken 
by any major character. 
In order to further increase the play value by providing additional variety 
and unpredictability, in a preferred embodiment a plurality of differing 
first-level messages are associated with at least one of the story 
elements 42, with the microprocessor 36 including means for selecting the 
first-level message to be spoken from the plurality of different 
first-level messages associated with that selected story element 42 (see 
steps 124-130 of FIG. 3 to be described hereinafter). For example, if the 
selected character is Little Red Riding Hood, and the story element is her 
riding her bicycle (e.g., a bicycle bell graphic and a bicycle bell sound 
effect), there may be three alternative first-level messages to be spoken 
in response to the initial selection of her character. The three 
alternative first-level messages will typically be somewhat similar in 
meaning--for example, "I love to go fast!" or "Whoopee!" or "Wow! What 
fun!" Each of the three possible first-level messages furthers the story 
by expressing the pleasure of Little Red Riding Hood upon riding her bike. 
The first-level message selecting means is preferably responsive at least 
in part to one or more prior selected first-level messages. More 
particularly, the first-level message selecting means may select either 
randomly (as illustrated) or serially among the plurality of alternative 
first-level messages associated with an active story element 42. When 
randomly selecting, as illustrated, the first-level message selecting 
means preferably avoids consecutive repetitions of a prior selected 
first-level message associated with the selected story element 42. This 
may be achieved (see steps 128-130) by noting the last or prior selected 
first-level message and comparing therewith the newly selected first-level 
message and, where they are the same, discarding the latter and selecting 
a new first-level message (subject again to the need for avoiding 
consecutive repetition of first-level messages). However, it will be 
apparent that where there are no more than three alternative first-level 
messages to be selected among, the first-level message selecting means may 
select serially among the plurality of first-level messages associated 
with an active story element with only a minor sacrifice in the randomness 
of the response. 
The first-level message selecting means, when randomly selecting among at 
least three alternative first-level messages associated with an activated 
story element (as described above), may alternatively require that each of 
the plurality of messages be spoken before there is a repetition of any 
one. This may be achieved by flagging in the memory of the microprocessor 
each selected first-level messages as it is spoken, thereby indicating 
that it is not to be spoken again until each of the plurality of messages 
has been spoken. When all messages have been spoken, all flags can be 
removed and the process started anew. It will be appreciated that such a 
first-level message selecting means may result in consecutive repetition 
of a first-level message which is the last message to be spoken in one 
cycle and the first message to be spoken in the subsequent cycle. If 
desired, however, this possibility may be avoided by combining the 
technique for avoiding a consecutive repetition with the technique for 
causing all possible first-level messages to be spoken before there is a 
repetition of any one message. 
In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a plurality of 
differing second-level messages are associated with at least one, and 
preferably each, of the characters, with the microprocessor 36 including 
means (steps 124-130 again) for selecting the second-level message to be 
spoken from the plurality of different second-level messages associated 
with that selected character. The second-level message selecting means is 
preferably responsive at least in part to one or more prior selected 
second-level messages. The second-level message selecting means may select 
randomly or serially among the plurality of second-level messages 
associated with the selected character, and may include any or all of the 
techniques described above for avoiding consecutive repetition or for 
causing each of the plurality of second-level messages for a selected 
character to be spoken before any are repeated. Further details of the 
second-level message selecting means are not set forth in detail herein 
since they are essentially similar to the details set forth above 
regarding the first-level message selecting means. 
It will be appreciated that in particular instances it may be desirable to 
have not just a single group of second-level messages for a character, but 
rather a plurality of such groups. For example, one group may express a 
generalized pleasure ("Good," "Great" or "Golly"), while another group may 
express a generalized displeausre ("Ugh," "No" or "Horrors"). In this 
sense, each second-level message group resembles somewhat a first-level 
message group. 
Referring now to TABLE I, therein presented is a very abbreviated sample 
story table, which commences with Initialization ("Start: line 0") and 
proceeds to specific story elements such as "Birds" (lines 1 and 2) and 
"Bike" (lines 3 and 4). 
The microprocessor 36 maintains in its memory the full story table which 
indicates for any instant a line number (pointed to by a story table line 
pointer), which LED's should be on or off ("char1 led" and "char2 led"), 
which phrases of the interactive character activations should be spoken by 
whatever character is selected ("char1 phrase" and "char2 phrase") and the 
line number (0, 1, 2, 3 . . . n) of the story table to which the story 
table line pointer should be set after a particular phrase has been spoken 
("char1 next line" and "char2 next line"). 
The numbers under the header "phrase" are specific phrase codes, each of 
which indicates a particular sound or sound effect to be spoken or 
produced. The "bike group" (under "char2 phrase") is not a phrase code, 
but rather an indicator that one of a plurality of possible first-level 
messages is to be spoken. Thus the microprocessor must perform its 
subroutine for randomly selecting (or "serially selecting" if that is the 
case) the particular first-level message to be spoken from the group 
indicated--that is, here the "bike group"--subject to whatever provisions 
the microprocessor has been programmed with to prevent consecutive 
repetitions, to ensure that all members of a group are spoken before any 
are repeated, or the like. 
The second-level messages identifiers under the header "phrase" are 
composed of three sequential factors as follows: (1) the term "neutral," 
second-level or the like, (2) the "1" or "2" as the character to be 
speaking the second-level message, and (3) "1" or "2" as the identifier of 
which group of second-level messages for the particular character should 
be selected. The microprocessor will perform its random (or serial) 
selection process within the indicated group of second-level messages for 
the character. Of course, in the actual microprocessor memory, the 
information within the story table will typically be greatly compressed. 
TABLE I 
______________________________________ 
STORY TABLE SAMPLE 
char1 char2 
line char1 next char1 char2 next char2 
number phrase line led phrase line led 
______________________________________ 
Start: neutral11 
0 off neutral21 
0 off 
Birds: 
1 7 2 on neutral21 
1 off 
2 neutral11 
2 off 12 0 on 
Bike: 
3 neutral11 
3 off bike 4 on 
group 
______________________________________ 
Referring now to FIG. 2, therein illustrated is a flow chart reflecting the 
activity of the microprocessor 36 and how it uses the story table 
described above. In step 100, the microprocessor responds to the actuation 
of any key or selector 42, 44 by initializing the program. In step 102, 
the microprocessor proceeds to the line of the story table indicated by 
the story table line pointer and turns the various LED identifiers 46 on 
or off according to the appropriate char1 led and char2 led instructions. 
As the initialization program sets the story pointer to line zero, 
initially both identifiers 46 are off. 
In step 104 the microprocessor determines whether or not a character 44 was 
selected ("pressed"). If not, in step 106 the microprocessor determines 
whether or not a story element 42 ("sound key") was selected ("pressed"). 
If neither, in steps 107, 108 the microprocessor then determines whether 
or not a time-out has occurred, that is, whether a preset period of time 
(such as a minute) has passed after the last actuation without any further 
actuation. If so, in step 110 the power to the unit is turned off. On the 
other hand, if a time-out has not occurred, the microprocessor returns to 
step 102, leaving unchanged the status of the identifiers 46. 
Assuming that in step 106 a story element 42 was selected ("sound key 
pressed"), then the microprocessor in step 112 causes the sound associated 
with that story element to be played and in step 114 sets the story 
pointer to the appropriate line in the story table for production of the 
messages associated with that selected story element 42. At this point the 
microprocessor returns to step 102 to set the appropriate character 
identifiers 46 as indicated in the appropriate story line--e.g., line zero 
if this is immediately after initialization or the first line of a 
particular story element of the story table (e.g., line 1 for "birds" or 
line 3 for "bike"). 
If in step 104 a character 44 was selected ("character pressed"), the 
microprocessor in step 118 proceeds to the line in the story table 
indicated by the story pointer, and determines whether or not the "phrase" 
in that line for the selected character is a specific message (that is, a 
phrase code indicated by a number in TABLE I). If it is indeed a phrase 
code, the microprocessor in step 120 causes the sound-generating chip to 
generate the appropriate electrical patterns for that phrase, and the 
speaker to "speak" the phrase. Thereafter, in step 122 the story table 
line pointer is adjusted as necessary (see "char1 next line" or char2 next 
line") to point to the indicated next line--which may be the same or a 
different line--and the microprocessor then returns to step 102 to await 
the next character or story element selection. 
Returning now to step 118, if the "phrase" entry is not a phrase code (or 
number representing a particular message), then the microprocessor 
realizes that the "phrase" must be selected from a group of possible 
phrases (step 120) and in step 122 proceeds to the appropriate group list 
as indicated by the name (e.g., "bike group") for a first-level message or 
the two-digit number for a second-level message (with the first digit 
representing the character and the second digit representing the group). 
At this point, the microprocessor performs the subroutine described above 
for selecting a message randomly from the appropriate group list, while 
preventing consecutive repetition of any particular message by first 
selecting a message therefrom at random (step 124) and comparing it with 
the last message selected from the list (step 126), and returning to 
select a new message at random from the list if it is the same (step 124). 
Assuming that the message selected from the group list is not a 
consecutive repetition of the last message selected from the group list, 
the microprocessor proceeds to speak the message (step 120), set the story 
table line pointer appropriately (step 122) and finally return to step 
102. 
Thus it will be appreciated that the microprocessor, operating under the 
guidance of the story table in its memory, is able to sense the character 
selector 44 and story element selector 42, control the setting of the 
character identifiers 46, and cause the appropriate first- and 
second-level messages to be spoken. 
Referring now to FIG. 3, therein illustrated is a circuit diagram 
illustrating the hardware of the present invention. Controller U1, the 
chip 50C14, contains all program code. Speech ROM U2, the chip 60C18, 
contains all of the speech and sound effects data. 
To initialize: 
When unit is OFF, any key 42, 44 pressed will "turn on" transistor Q1. This 
sends a pulse through Capacitor C1 which resets the Controller and brings 
it out of its "sleep" state. 
The Controller immediately pulls its A6 line high. This prevents resets 
from the character keys 44. This situation remains until the unit turns 
itself off. 
In order to read key presses: 
1) Controller pulls its A5 line high, which disables the Speech ROM. This 
prevents the Speech ROM from interfering with the key reading; 
2) Controller reads its A0, A1, A2, A3, A4, A7 and B1 lines to find key 
presses from the B group of keys. (Any key pressed from this group will 
pull B1 low along with only one of the A0, A1, A2, A3, A4, A7 lines); 
3) Controller pulls its B15 line high, which disables the Speech ROM; 
4) Controller reads its A0, A1, A2, A3, A4, A7, and A5 lines to find key 
presses from the A group of keys. (Any key pressed from this group will 
pull A5 low along with only one of the A0, A1, A2, A3, A4, A7 lines.) 
In order to "speak": 
1) Controller pulls its A5 and B1 lines low, which activates the Speech ROM 
by allowing resistor R5 to pull the Speech ROM CEB low; 
2) Controller uses its B0, A4, A0, A1, A2, A3, and A7 lines to get data 
from the Speech ROM; 
3) Controller processes data to produce digitized speech or sound at its 
DA1 & DA2 pins. 
During speaking, the high values of the resistors (R9, R10, 11, R12, R13, 
R14, R15, R16, R17, R18, R19, R20) prevent any key presses from 
interfering with the Controller/Speech ROM communication. 
To light LED 1: 
1) Controller pulls its B1 line low; 
2) Controller pulls its A5 line high; and 
3) Controller pulls its B0 line low. 
To light LED 2: 
1) Controller pulls its A5 line low; 
2) Controller pulls its B1 line high; and 
3) Controller pulls its B0 line low. 
In order to use the work, the child (or adult playing with the child) reads 
the instructions from the first text portion 20, the instructions being 
simple yet complete: "Every time you come to a picture in the printed 
story, press a matching picture on the electronic sound pad. When you see 
a light blinking, press the character next to the light, and that 
character will talk." 
To summarize, the present invention provides an interactive audio visual 
work for telling a story wherein there are more sound effects (including 
conversations) than there are story element switches; in other words, 
actuation of a given story element switch may, at different times, result 
in the generation of different sound effects or speech phrases. The work 
can mimic or simulate interactive or alternating character activations 
(typically conversations) in which the user participates by selecting 
which character talk when. The user is unable to substantively alter the 
conversation produced in response to actuation of a story element switch, 
being able only to delay the conversation completion (by causing neutral 
message interjections thereinto) or terminate the conversation (by 
activating a story element). 
Now that the preferred embodiments of the present various invention have 
been shown and described in detail, modifications and improvements thereon 
will become readily apparent to those skilled in the art. Accordingly, the 
spirit and scope of the present invention is to be construed broadly and 
limited only by the appended claims, and not by the foregoing 
specification.