Abstract:
An electronic interactive book allowing a child to learn the pronunciation of various words. The book will be provided with a permanent or impermanent display onto which a plurality of words, phrases or sentences would be provided. The electronic book includes a microphone as well as a speech recognition unit for recognizing a word that the child pronounces. A highlighting device such as a light emitting diode or a means for illuminating a particular word in a manner different than the surrounding words would be engaged when the child correctly pronounces that word.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention is directed to an interactive book allowing a child to associate a particular written word or phrase with its aural equivalent. 
     2. Description of the Prior Art 
     Due to its importance in a child&#39;s education, great emphasis has been placed on teaching a child to read. During a child&#39;s development, the child initially learns to associate various sounds or words with particular objects. For example, the child would learn to enunciate a particular word such as “mama”, “dada”, “key” or “cheese”. Once this person or object comes into view, the child would then begin to pronounce the word associated with this person or object. As the child&#39;s learning ability increases, these sounded words would become associated with the written word. This would be true regardless of whether a child&#39;s speech and reading pattern would be developed utilizing a phonics approach or by associating the entire verbalized word with an entire written word. Utilizing either approach, as the child grows, his or her reading skills would also increase. 
     Typically, the approach to teaching a child to read would require the child to read in the presence of an adult or older child or in the educational setting of a classroom including one teacher and a number of students. In either situation, the child would attempt to read a series of words or a rudimentary story and, if the child is successful in correctly pronouncing a word or phrase, the child would be rewarded by the teacher or other individual indicating that the child has correctly pronounced the word, words or phrase. While the child could attempt to read this book by himself or herself, the child would have no indication whether the words were correctly pronounced. 
     Various devices have been developed which attempt to teach a child to associate the spoken word with the written word. These devices could take the form of an electronic book or computerized device as described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,997,374, issued to Simone; U.S. Pat. No. 5,495,557, issued to Hyman et al; U.S. Pat. No. 5,538,430, issued to Smith et al; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,820,379, issued to Hall et al. For example, the patent to Simone discloses a teaching device provided with a console unit into which a work booklet is placed. The console unit also includes an audio program capable of reproducing the words provided on each of the pages of the work booklet. A plurality of light emitting diodes is provided beneath each of the words. Therefore, when the audio program is played, each of the lights would be illuminated separately corresponding to the particular word which is verbalized by the audio program. While this teaching device would allow a child to associate an audio word with a written word, this device would not be helpful to assist a child in determining whether the child is correctly pronouncing a written word. 
     Similar to the Simone device, the device described in the Hyman et al patent is directed to an electronic book which enunciates words or phrases corresponding to sentence parts and a complete sentence. These words or phrases are arranged in particular categories and by depressing various buttons, an audio sentence is produced. However, similar to the Simone teaching device, this toy does not allow a child to associate the child&#39;s pronounced word with the written word. 
     The patent to Smith et al describes a self-reading child&#39;s book displaying a sequence of indicia, such as words. A light emitting diode is associated with each of the words. Therefore, if the child would activate a switch associated with a line of words or an entire page of words, a voice synthesizer would be driven to verbalize the word as well as to illuminate the light emitting diode associated with each word. However, similar to the Simone and Hyman et al patents, no provision is made to determine whether the child is correctly pronouncing the word. 
     Finally, the patent to Hall et al shows a computerized method of displaying a self reading child&#39;s book provided with a computer display screen having sequential words forming a story read by a child. The child would have the ability of moving a cursor or a type of visual indicator corresponding to the words on the screen. However, as was true with the previous references, a word pronounced by the child is not associated with any of the written words, thereby failing to indicate to the child whether that word was pronounced correctly by the child. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The aforementioned deficiencies in the prior art are addressed by the present invention which includes an electronic book or display allowing a child to read words, phrases or stories, while affirming the fact that a particular word is correctly pronounced. The book or electronic device would include a speech recognition unit embodied in one or more memory chips. The book would have various words and phrases which would constitute a single story or multiple stories. Alternatively, a changeable electronic display could be provided which, based upon the child&#39;s input, would be changed to display various pages of a book. A light emitting diode or similar device would be associated with each of the words. A microphone would be provided allowing the child to verbally read the story shown in the electronic book. If the child correctly pronounced the word that he or she was reading, the light emitting diode or similar device associated with that particular word would be illuminated. Alternatively, a liquid crystal display could be utilized in such a manner that if the child correctly pronounced the word, that word would be highlighted. By the utilization of the interactive electronic book according to the present invention, the child&#39;s learning process would be reinforced. 
     Numerous other features, objects, and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description when read in connection with the accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a view of one embodiment of the present invention showing a book in the open position; 
     FIG. 2 is a second embodiment of the present invention showing a book in the open position; 
     FIG. 3 is a view of a third embodiment of a book in a closed position; 
     FIG. 4 is a view of the third embodiment of the present invention in the open position; and 
     FIG. 5 is a block diagram of an embodiment of the present invention. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     A first embodiment  10  of the present invention is illustrated with respect to FIG.  1 . This figure shows an illustrated book  12  provided with a plurality of pages  14 ,  16 . As shown in this drawing, a number of pages can be included in the book. One or more of the pages is provided with a series of words or sentences as shown with respect to reference numerals  14  and  16 . For example, page  14  includes the sentence “One day I saw a bat wearing a big furry hat.” made up by a plurality of different words  18 . Beneath each of these words is provided a light emitting diode  20 . The inside cover  30  of the book  12  includes a bottom portion  24  onto which a microphone  28  and a speaker  26  are affixed. Alternatively, the microphone  28  and speaker  26  could be provided on the cover  30  without the inclusion of section  24 . As will be described with respect to FIG. 5, an integrated circuit or microprocessor provided with a speech recognition unit, and in some instances a voice synthesizer, would be affixed to the inside cover or spine of the book (not shown). In use, the child will speak into the microphone  28 . This audio input would be converted into a series of digitized words which would be compared to the words provided on the speech recognition chip. Each of the positions of the words  18  on every page of the book  10  would be provided within the microprocessor memory. Therefore, when the word read and simultaneously spoken by the child is recognized by the speech recognition unit, the position of the word on a particular page as well as the page in which the word would appear would be recognized. At this point, the light emitting diode  20  associated with that particular word would be illuminated as shown by light emitting diode  22 . The speaker  26  can be included to provide an audio output of the word that the child has just pronounced in the child&#39;s own voice. As can be appreciated, the words included in the speech recognition unit need only include the words provided in the interactive book. As depicted in FIG. 1, the microprocessor and the memory as well as the voice unit would be permanently installed in the book when the book is produced. The underside of each of the pages would include a printed circuit connecting each light emitting diode  18  to the microprocessor allowing the particular light emitting diode to be illuminated when the corresponding word has been enunciated by the child. 
     FIG. 2 illustrates a second embodiment of the present invention which is in many ways similar to the embodiment illustrated in FIG.  1 . In this embodiment  32 , a book  34  is also provided with a plurality of pages  36 ,  38  onto which various words or sentences are provided. Contrary to the pages  14 ,  16  of FIG. 1 which in many instances would be paper or cardboard in nature, each of the pages  36  and  38  could constitute a display device such as a liquid crystal display. In this instance, each of the displays could permanently include one or more words or sentences constituted by a plurality of words  40  after the book is energized or connected to a power source. Once the child properly pronounces a particular word, the word itself would be illuminated as shown by the word “One”  42 . Alternatively, all of the words on page  36  would be illuminated in a first color, such as green. When the child correctly pronounces the word “One”, the color of the word would change to a different color, such as blue. Similar to the embodiment shown with respect to FIG. 1, an integrated circuit or microprocessor  54  would include a speech recognition unit as well as a memory provided with the location of all of the words including the particular page that each word is located as well as the position in each page that the word is provided. However, the integrated circuit or microprocessor  54  shown in FIG. 2 could be removable thereby allowing the book  32  to be utilized to teach several stories. In this instance, the integrated circuit or microprocessor  54  is provided with an external microphone  56  plugged into a socket  58  by means of a plug  50  and a wire connection  52 . The socket  48  as well as a speaker  49  would be provided on the portion  46  of the spine of the book as shown in FIG.  1 . Since the same book can be utilized to allow a child to read several stories, in this instance, the pages  36  and  38  would be initially blank. However, when the integrated circuit  54  including the speech recognition unit as well as the memory location would be plugged into the socket  48 , different words would appear on pages  36 ,  38  dependent upon the integrated circuit or microprocessor plugged into the unit. 
     Since the book  32  is provided with a plurality of pages, the words  40  could appear on their proper location in each of the pages even though the pages were not as yet uncovered when the integrated circuit is plugged into the socket. 
     Alternatively, the words  40  would appear on pages  36  and  38  only when those pages are uncovered to the child. This could be accomplished by the use of switch like devices  44 ,  46  which would be depressed by the child when they are ready to read that particular page. Similar to the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the speaker  49  could produce an audio output of the child&#39;s voice. Circuitry would be provided connecting the position of each of the words to the integrated circuit or microprocessor  54  so that the microprocessor would be aware of the exact position of each word on each page. A power source, such as a removable battery (not shown) would be provided to power the electronics of the present invention. The power could be engaged with respect to FIG. 2 when the plug  50  is inserted into the socket  48  or by a separate switch. 
     A third embodiment of the present invention  60  is illustrated with respect to FIGS. 3 and 4. This embodiment shows a book like device including a front cover  62  and a rear cover  64 . When opened as shown in FIG. 4, the book is provided merely with a left display panel  66  and a right display panel  68 . Each of the panels  66  and  68  would be provided to allow a portion of a story or plurality of words to be displayed thereon such as shown by  74 ,  76 . The words  78 , provided on the panels are similar to the first and second embodiments of the present invention and would be illuminated at  80  once the child would properly pronounce that word. One panel  66  could be provided with a microphone  86  and the second panel  68  could be provided with a speaker  88 . Similar to the first and second embodiments, a speed recognition chip and a memory chip are associated with the book either permanently or in a removable manner such as illustrated with respect to chip  90  inserted into a slot  70  on the periphery of the rear panel  68 . Each of the display panels  66  and  68  could be, for example, a liquid crystal display in which various words, phrases or sentences would be depicted. Each of the display panels  66 ,  68  could be provided with a switch type device  82  or  84  allowing the child to update the panels in a sequential manner. 
     FIG. 5 shows a block diagram used with respect to the three embodiments described for the present invention. When a power source such as a battery is energized, and the child speaks into the microphone, a speech recognition chip or voice chip connected to the microphone would recognize the particular word enunciated by the child. The speed recognition chip is in communication with a memory chip indicating the exact page that a word appears and the exact location on that page in which the word appears. Therefore, as a child is properly enunciating that particular word, it would be illuminated in the manner described in FIGS. 1,  2  or  4  utilizing a highlight device such as the light emitting diodes  20  or an illumination means such as highlighting the word in a different color on a liquid crystal display. Although not crucial to the present invention, a speaker could also be provided which would be directly connected to the voice chip or would be in a circuit with the microphone to allow the child to hear the word as she pronounces it. Although FIG. 5 shows the use of a speech recognition voice chip and a memory chip, it can be appreciated that these devices can be provided on a single chip or in several chips. 
     Yet another embodiment of the present invention is illustrated with respect to FIGS. 2 and 4. Both of these figures include an input button  55  (FIG. 2) or  87  (FIG.  4 ). These input buttons when utilized with the memory chip illustrated in FIG. 5 would allow a parent or other adult to read the story illustrated in the books shown in FIGS. 2 and 4 directly into the memory chip in a manner in which the child would be able to read the story along with the audio output created by the parent or other adult. In both of the books shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, the respective input devices  55  and  87  when engaged, would allow the individual to read the story into the respective microphone and have the story recorded in the memory chip. This memory chip would have the ability to convert the audio output of the individual reader into a digital word stored in the memory. Alternatively, the memory device could include an audio tape similar to that which is used in audio recordings to record the story. 
     In use, when the individual initiates the recording by depressing or otherwise engaging the input devices  55  and  87 , the individual would begin speaking into the respective microphone. Since the idea of this device would be to allow a child to read along with the audio story created by the parent or adult, it is important for the child to know when to turn the page of the book shown in FIG. 2 or to go to another panel with respect to the book shown in FIG.  4 . Therefore, the input devices  55  and  87  are used to create a sound at the end of each page of reading to indicate to the child that he or she must go on to the next page to continue reading. Therefore, when the reader initially records the story, input button  55  or  87  would include a mode which would be activated by the individual reader to insert this particular sound. Alternatively, a second input device associated with input devices  55  or  87  could be utilized. It is noted that this sound could be included in the memory chip when it is manufactured and inserted into the reading device. Therefore, when the child is reading the book along with the audio output, when the audio output reaches the end of a particular written page, the aforementioned sound would be generated, thereby informing the child that the page must be turned, or the child must proceed to the next panel. 
     When the story is read into the book by a parent, adult or other individual, and a digital memory chip is utilized, it is noted that similar to the previous embodiments, the particular word which is enunciated would be highlighted in various manners. However, it is noted that if an analog device is used as the memory in which a story is recorded by the adult or other individual, the highlighting function would not operate in the manner described with respect to the previous embodiment of the present invention. 
     While the invention has been described in conjunction with several specific embodiments, it is evident to those skilled in the art that many further alternatives, modifications and variations will be apparent in light of the foregoing description. Thus, the invention described herein is intended to embrace all such alternatives, modifications, applications and variations as may fall within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.