DEVICE FOR REPRODUCING CONTENTS OF BOOK IN SOUND

Abstract: A device for automatically reproducing the contents of a book in sound is disclosed. The device reliably senses an opened page without requiring a manual operation of a user during a page sensing operation. The device is also designed to stably and closely hold the book (30) on a bookstand (10) without allowing the book (30) to undesirably move on the bookstand (10), and to allow the sheets ST1 to ST12 of the book (30) to come into close contact with each other, thus being less likely to create an operational error while sensing an opened page. In the device, the page sensing means (700) consists of a plurality of magnets M1 to M12, each of which is set in each sheet of the book (30), and a plurality of Hall sensors HS1 to HS12 set on the top surface of the bookstand (10) so as to output voltage signals due to a Hall effect when the sensors are affected by the magnetic fields of the associated magnets. The book holding unit is provided on both the top surface of the bookstand (10) and the back cover of the book (30) for preventing the book (30) from being undesirably removed from a designated position on the bookstand (10). The sheet attracting unit is provided on the sheets of the book (30) and the top surface of the bookstand (10) for preventing the sheets from being undesirably opened and preventing the back cover of the book (30) from coming off the top surface of the bookstand (10), and preventing a malfunction of the Hall sensors.

Description: DEVICE FOR REPRODUCING CONTENTS OF BOOK IN SOUND Technical Field The present invention relates, in general, to a device for automatically reproducing the contents of an opened page of a book in sound along with background music by sensing the opened page and, more particularly, to an improvement in such a device to provide an effective page sensing means consisting of magnets and Hall sensors. Background Art Books, provided with a variety of devices designed to automatically reproduce the contents of an opened page of a book in sound along with background music by sensing the opened page, have been proposed and marketed. Such a device comprises a page sensing means used for sensing each opened page of a book, a semiconductor memory used for storing the contents of each page, an audio output unit used for externally outputting the contents stored in the memory, and a controller used for controlling the operation of the device. Due to a quick development in semiconductor industrial technique in recent years, it is possible to easily produce both a memory and a controller (typically using a microprocessor) suitable for being used in such devices. In addition, an audio output unit, appropriately used in such a device and consisting of an amplifier and a speaker, is well known to those skilled in the art and may be easily produced by them. However, the conventional devices for reproducing the contents of a book in sound are problematic in that the known page sensing means regrettably fails to accomplish a desired operation. It is thus necessary to provide an effective page sensing means for such devices, and so such a sensing means has been actively studied. Japanese U.M. Laid-open Publication No. Heisei. 2-62,464 (published on May 10, 1990) discloses a page sensing means for such devices using barcodes and a barcode reader. However, this Japanese sensing means, mainly used by inexperienced infants and children, is problematic in that it is very difficult for such infants and children to exactly position the barcode reader to a designated barcode. That is, this sensing means requires the inexperienced infants and children to exactly position the barcode reader to the barcode on each page, thus being very inconvenient to users or infants and children. In an effort to overcome the problem experienced in the above Japanese sensing means, another page sensing means is disclosed in Korean U.M. Laid-open Publication No. 96-38,427 (published on December 18, 1996). In the above Korean sensing means, a plurality of dots are printed on a designated area of each page of a book including front and back covers, with a handset having a plurality of photosensors and being used for sensing the dots on each page. However, this Korean sensing means is practically equal to that of the above Japanese means in their technical spirits and has the same problem as that described for the Japanese means. This Korean sensing means thus fails to overcome the problem experienced in the above Japanese means. On the other hand, Korean U.M. Laid- open Publication No. 99-21,944 (published on June 25, 1996) discloses a page sensing means, with a button switch provided on each page for allowing an audio output unit to output the contents of each page in sound in response to a button pressing motion of a user. However, this Korean sensing means also has the above-mentioned problem. An automatic page sensing means, designed to automatically sense an opened page of a book without requiring a manual operation of a user during a page sensing operation, is disclosed in Korean U.M. Laid-open Publication No. 99- 21,943 (published on June 25, 1996). This Korean sensing means may be embodied in two types. In a primary type, a small hole is formed on each sheet of a book, while a photosensor is used for sensing light selectively passing through the hole. In a second type, a contact switch is provided on each sheet of the book. The above switch is turned on or off by a pressure created between the sheets of the book. However, in the case of using a photosensor, this Korean sensing means creates a problem in that the sensor may fail to exactly sense an opened page due to an unexpected obstacle, such as the head or hand of a user, unconsciously laid on the opened page to close the hole and to shut the passage for light. On the other hand, in the case of using a contact switch, this sensing means is problematic in that the pressure between the sheets of the book is not enough to effectively and reliably operate the switch. In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, another page sensing means, consisting of a so-called reed switch having two crossing thin conductive plates and a magnet set on each page of a book at a position corresponding to the reed switch, has been proposed. However, this page sensing means is problematic in that it may fail to effectively magnetize the two conductive plates or to sense an opened page. Therefore, it is necessary to provide a page sensing means designed to more effectively recognize the magnetic force of magnets set on the sheets of a book. Disclosure of the Invention Accordingly, the present invention has been made keeping in mind the above problems occurring in the prior art, and an object of the present invention is to provide a device for automatically reproducing the contents of an opened page of a book in sound, which reliably senses the opened page without requiring a manual operation of a user during a page sensing operation. Another object of the present invention is to provide a device for automatically reproducing the contents of an opened page of a book in sound, which is designed to stably and closely hold the book on a bookstand without allowing the back cover of the book to undesirably move on the bookstand, and which allows the sheets of the book to come into close contact with each other, thus being less likely to create an operational error while sensing an opened page. In order to accomplish the above object, the present invention provides a device for reproducing the contents of a book, comprising page sensing means, a memory storing character information of each page of the book, converted into audio information, along with a designated background music information in the form of digital data, a decoder receiving the digital data from the memory and decoding the data into voice and sound signals, a microcontroller controlling the decoder in response to a signal from the page sensing means so as to allow the decoder to receive data of an opened page from the memory and to decode the data into voice and sound signals, an audio output unit externally outputting the voice and sound signals from the decoder as audio information, a power supply used for supplying electric power to the device, and a bookstand used for holding the book thereon, the bookstand having a shape suitable for seating the book, with an interior of the bookstand receiving a printed circuit board having the memory, decoder, microcontroller, audio output unit and power supply, wherein the page sensing means comprises both a magnet set in each sheet of the book and a Hall sensor set on a top surface of the bookstand so as to selectively output a voltage signal due to a Hall effect when the sensor is affected by a magnetic field of the magnet, with a book holding unit provided on both the top surface of the bookstand and the back cover of the book for preventing the book from being undesirably removed from a designated position on the bookstand, and a sheet attracting unit provided on the sheets of the book and the top surface of the bookstand for preventing the sheets of the book from being undesirably opened and preventing the back cover of the book from coming off the top surface of the bookstand, and preventing a malfunction of the Hall sensor. Brief Description of the Drawings The above and other objects, features and other advantages of the present invention will be more clearly understood from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig. 1 is a block diagram, showing the electric circuit of a reproducing device in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the present invention; Fig. 2 is a perspective view, showing a bookstand included in the device of this invention and a ROM pack removed from the bookstand; Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a book included in the device of this invention, with the first sheet or the front cover of the book being opened; Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the book of this invention when the book is laid on a support surface with the last sheet or the back cover of the book being positioned at the top; Fig. 5 is a sectional view, showing a book holding unit of the device of this invention comprising anti-slip lugs provided on the book and anti-slip depressions formed on the bookstand, with the lugs being not brought into engagement with the depression; Fig. 6 is a perspective view, showing the book seated on the bookstand of the device according to this invention; and Fig. 7 is a sectional view taken along the line A-A' of Fig. 6. Best Mode for Carrying Out the Invention Fig. 1 is a block diagram, showing the electric circuit of a reproducing device in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 2 is a perspective view, showing a bookstand included in the device of this invention and a ROM pack removed from the bookstand. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a book included in the device of this invention, with the first sheet or the front cover of the book being opened. Fig. 6 is a perspective view, showing the book seated on the bookstand of the device according to this invention. Fig. 7 is a sectional view taken along the line A-A' of Fig. 6. As well known to those skilled in the art, a book typically consists of two covers, or front and back covers, and a plurality of sheets. Of course, the number of sheets of a book is not fixed, but is changed in accordance with the amount of information described in the book. In the present invention, a book, consisting of two covers and ten sheets, is used as an example, with the two covers, or the front and back covers, being sometimes referred to as sheets for ease of description. The twelve sheets, including the two covers, are respectively designated by the serial numbers, 1ST, 2ST, 3ST, , 11ST and 12ST from the first sheet (front cover) to the last sheet (back cover). However, it should be understood that the number of sheets of a book used with the device of this invention is not limited to twelve, but may be freely changed as desired. As shown in Fig. 1, the device for reproducing the contents of a book in sound according to this invention comprises a microcontroller 100, a decoder 200, a memory 300, an audio output unit 400, a data bus 600, and a page sensing means 700. The data bus 600 transmits signals from the page sensing means 700 to the input terminals PI, P2, ...., P12 of the microcontroller 100. The memory 300 stores character information of each page of the book, converted into audio information, along with designated background music information in the form of digital data. The decoder 200 reads the digital data from the memory 300 and decodes the data into analog signals or voice and sound signals under the control of the microcontroller 100. The audio output unit 400 externally outputs the voice and sound signals from the decoder 200 as audio information. The device also has a power supply 500 used for supplying electric power to the device. The above-mentioned construction of the device of this invention remains the same as that described for a conventional device having a microprocessor acting as the microcontroller. The above-mentioned parts of the device, shown in Fig. 1, are mounted on a printed circuit board, which is installed within a bookstand 10 of Fig. 2. In the present invention, the page sensing means 700 comprises twelve magnets Ml, M2, , M12, which are respectively set in the twelve sheets of the book 30 as shown in Figs. 3 and 7. The page sensing means 700 also comprises twelve Hall sensors HS1, HS2, , HS12, which are respectively set on the top surface of the bookstand 10 as shown in Figs. 1 and 2 and individually, selectively and differentially outputs a voltage signal in proportion to the intensity of a magnetic field due to a Hall effect when each sensor is affected by the magnetic field of an associated magnet. The page sensing means 700 further comprises twelve differential amplifiers DAI, DA2, , DA12, which are shown in Fig. 1 and amplify the voltage signals output from the Hall sensors. The Hall sensors HS1, HS2, , HS12 are sensors using a Hall effect, which is the development of a transverse electric field in a current-carrying conductor placed in a magnetic field, with the conductor being positioned so that the magnetic field is perpendicular to the direction of current flow and the electric field is perpendicular to both. That is, when a current flows in a conductor or a semiconductor, with a magnetic field acting in a direction perpendicular to the direction of the current flow, force acts in a direction perpendicular to the magnetic field in accordance with the Fleming's left-hand rule. It is thus possible to produce electric charge in a direction perpendicular to the magnetic field by a carrier moving by the force. Such Hall sensors are well known to those skilled in the art and are marketed. In the Hall sensors, the electric charges vary in proportion to variations in magnetic flux density. In such a case, the varied electric charges are differentially amplified and the amplified signals are applied to the microcontroller, thus allowing the microcontroller to recognize an opened page when a user opens the book. As shown in Fig. 7, the small-sized twelve magnets Ml, M2, , M12 are respectively set in the twelve sheets of the book 30 at positions corresponding to the twelve Hall sensors HS1, HS2, , HS 12 set on the top surface of the bookstand 10, and so the Hall sensors HS1, HS2, , HS12 output electric signals (voltage signals), which vary in proportion to the magnetic flux density of the magnets Ml, M2, , Ml 2. Due to such Hall sensors, the page sensing means 700 of this invention automatically and stably senses an opened page of the book 30 while being less likely to create a malfunction regardless of external disturbance. However, the original output signals from such Hall sensors are too low in level, and so the Hall sensors HS1, HS2, , HS12 of this device are designed to differentially output the signals. As shown in Fig. 1, the feeble signals, differentially output from the Hall sensors HS1, HS2, , HS12, are applied to the input terminals of the differential amplifiers DAI , DA2, , DA12, with input conditions of the amplifiers being balanced. The differential amplifiers DAI, DA2, , DA12 thus amplify the feeble input difference signals so as to output the signals with great variations and a covering distance of not less than 20 mm. In the device of this invention, an opened page of the book is sensed as follows. As shown in Figs. 3 and 7, the twelve magnets Ml, M2, , M12 are respectively set in the twehe sheets of the book 30 in a way such that the magnets of the sheets are not overlapped with each other. On the other hand, the twelve Hall sensors HS1, HS2, , HS12 are arranged on the top surface of the bookstand 10 in a way such that the Hall sensors are aligned with associated magnets Ml, M2, , M12 of the book 30 when the closed book 30 is seated on the bookstand 10 as shown in Figs. 6 and 7. When the first sheet STl (the front cover) is opened after the book 30 is seated on the bookstand 10 as shown in Fig. 6, twelve input signals, having the levels shown in the first row of Table 1, are applied to the input terminals PI , P2, , P12 of the microcontroller 100, respectively. When the sheets of the book 30 are orderly opened from the second sheet ST2 to the twelfth sheet ST12, the levels of the output signals from the twelve Hall sensors are shown in the second to twelfth rows of Table 1. In the case of a book having twelve sheets in the same manner as that described for the preferred embodiment, both the magnet Ml 2 set on the last sheet ST 12 (the back cover) and an associated Hall sensor HS12 are not necessary to reproduce the contents of the book in sound. However, it should be understood that a plurality of juvenile books are typically edited into a complete works series, with one memory having a large capacity and storing the contents of several volumes of such a complete works series. Therefore, it is necessary for the device of this invention to be provided with a means for separately recognizing the volume numbers of such a series. In the preferred embodiment of this invention, the magnet Ml 2 of the last sheet ST 12 is used for sensing the volume number of a complete works series different from the other magnets Ml to Mi l, with two books being edited into the complete works series. That is, the magnet Ml 2, used for sensing the volume number of the complete works series, is not installed in the volume I of the series, but is installed in the volume II of the series, thus allowing the device to recognize the volume number. Table 1 The device of this invention also has a book holding unit, which is provided on both the top surface of the bookstand 10 and the back cover of the book 30 for preventing the book 30 from being undesirably removed from a designated position on the bookstand 10. As shown in Figs. 2, 4 and 5, the book holding unit comprises upper and lower guide rails 1 1 and 12, which are respectively formed along the upper and lower edges of the top surface of the bookstand 10 so as to prevent the book from undesirably moving upwardly or downwardly on the bookstand 10. One or more depressions 13 and 14 are formed on desired positions on the bookstand 10 so as to prevent the book from undesirably moving to the left or right on the bookstand 10. The book holding unit also includes one or more anti-slip magnets 21 and 22, which are set in the bookstand 10 at positions under the depressions 13 and 14. One or more anti-slip steel lugs 32 and 33 are externally formed on the back cover of the book 30 so as to be inserted into and engage with the depressions 13 and 14 when the book 30 is seated on the bookstand 10. Due to the book holding unit, it is possible to precisely align the magnets Ml, M2, , M12 of the book 30 with the Hall sensors HS1, HS2, , HS12 of the bookstand 10 without failure. The device of this invention also has a sheet attracting unit, which is provided on the sheets of the book 30 and the top surface of the bookstand 10 for preventing the sheets of the book 30 from being undesirably opened and preventing the back cover ST12 of the book 30 from coming off the top surface of the bookstand 10, and preventing a malfunction of the Hall sensors. The sheet attracting unit comprises a sheet attracting magnet 31 , which is set in each sheet of the book 30 at the central position as shown in Figs. 3 and 4 and allows the sheets of the book 30 to be magnetically attracted together. One or more book attracting magnets 34, 35, 36 and 37 are provided at the margin of the back cover of the book 30 as shown in Fig. 4 and allow the back cover of the book 30 to come into close contact with the top surface of the bookstand 10. The sheet attracting unit also has one or more steel pieces 15, 16, 17 and 18, which are set in the top surface of the bookstand 10 at positions corresponding to the book attracting magnets 34, 35, 36 and 37. Industrial Applicability As described above, the present invention provides a device for automatically reproducing the contents of an opened page of a book in sound. This device reliably senses an opened page without requiring a manual operation of a user during a page sensing operation. In addition, this device is less likely to create a malfunction different from conventional devices using optical sensors or reed switches, thus being improved in operational precision and operational reliability. Although the preferred embodiments of the present invention have been disclosed for illustrative purposes, those skilled in the art will appreciate that various modifications, additions and substitutions are possible, without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention as disclosed in the accompanying claims.

Claims: Claims: 1. A device for reproducing the contents of a book, comprising page sensing means for sensing an opened page of the book, a memory storing character information of each page of the book, converted into audio information, along with a designated background music information in the form of digital data, a decoder receiving the digital data from the memory and decoding the data into voice and sound signals, a microcontroller controlling the decoder in response to a signal from the page sensing means so as to allow the decoder to receive data of an opened page from the memory and to decode the data into voice and sound signals, an audio output unit externally outputting the voice and sound signals from the decoder as audio information, a power supply used for supplying electric power to the device, and a bookstand used for holding the book thereon, said bookstand having a shape suitable for seating the book, with an interior of the bookstand receiving a printed circuit board having the memory, decoder, microcontroller, audio output unit and power supply, wherein said page sensing means comprises both a magnet set in each sheet of the book and a Hall sensor set on a top surface of the bookstand so as to selectively output a voltage signal due to a Hall effect when the sensor is affected by a magnetic field of said magnet, with a book holding unit provided on both the top surface of the bookstand and a back cover of the book for preventing the book from being undesirably removed from a designated position on the bookstand, and a sheet attracting unit provided on sheets of the book and the top surface of the bookstand for preventing the sheets of the book from being undesirably opened and preventing the back cover of the book from coming off the top surface of the bookstand, and preventing a malfunction of the Hall sensor. 2. The device according to claim 1, wherein said book holding unit comprises: upper and lower guide rails respectively formed along upper and lower edges of said top surface of the bookstand so as to prevent the book from undesirably moving upwardly or downwardly on the bookstand; at least one depression formed on a desired position on said bookstand so as to prevent the book from undesirably moving to the left or right on the bookstand; an anti-slip magnet set in the bookstand at a position under the depression; and an anti-slip steel lug externally formed on the back cover of the book so as to be inserted into and engage with the depression when the book is seated on the bookstand. 3. The device according to claim 1, wherein said sheet attracting unit prevents the sheets of the book from being undesirably opened, prevents the back cover of the book from coming off the top surface of the bookstand, prevents a malfunction of the Hall sensor, and comprises: a sheet attracting magnet set in each sheet of the book at a central position so as to allow the sheets of the book to be magnetically attracted together; at least one book attracting magnet provided at a margin of the back cover of the book so as to allow the back cover to come into close contact with the top surface of said bookstand; and a steel piece set in the top surface of said bookstand at a position corresponding to the book attracting magnet.

Inventors: SHIM HYUN BO, SHIM, HYUN, BO
Applicants: SHIM HYUN BO, SHIM, HYUN, BO
Application year: 2000
Main classification: G09B5
IPC codes: G09B5