Abstract:
A desktop sound producing device for playing audio recordings from pre-recorded media having a plurality of individual selections recorded thereon. The device has a pyramid shaped housing having four side walls extending upward from a bottom wall to an apex forming a cavity therein. A playback mechanism is positioned within the cavity, and includes a means for storing pre-recorded media, and a processing means capable of providing an audio output signal from the pre-recorded median and amplifying the audio output signal for reproduction of the pre-recorded media through a speaker. The processing means can include an optical scanning system for reading pre-recorded media located on a compact disk. A control panel extends outwardly from one of the walls and includes a plurality of depressable keys electrically coupled to the processing means, wherein at least one of the keys is available for playing a single selection from the pre-recorded media. The control panel further includes and at least one said key coupled to a memory means for replaying a selected selection from the pre-recorded media.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
   This application is a continuation-in-part of applicant&#39;s U.S. application Ser. No. 29/152,730 filed Dec. 21, 2001 now U.S. Pat. No. D. 469,076, the contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference. 

   FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
   This invention relates generally to audio devices for amusement and/or educational purposes, and more particularly to a audio playback device which is operable to play selections stored on pre-recorded media either sequentially or by a selective memory playback. 
   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   Audio equipment for playing prerecorded digital sound recordings, such as compact disks (CD) is known in the art. Such sound recordings are commonly available to the consumer in industry standardized formats that are readily replayed on most any type of audio equipment having a matching reader. The audio recording is not limited to songs and includes recitations of famous quotes, poetry, inspirational passages, biblical quotes, historic audio clips, great moments in sports, and so forth. For these types of recordings, it would be preferable that the recordings be played in a one-at-a-time fashion, rather than serially, as would occur with standard CD player used with replaying of songs. This intermittent playback would advantageously allow a listener to more fully comprehend and appreciate the information being conveyed in the sound recording. Current playback devices commonly have various controls that allow the consumer to play back the entire disk either sequentially, randomly, or advance to a particular track with possible repeat. What is lacking in the art is a device specifically directed to the replay of prerecorded quotes, poetry, inspirational passages, biblical quotes, historic audio clips, great moments in sports, and so forth that allows the consumer to replay the chosen track by storage of the track in a processor controlled memory bank. 
   In view of the foregoing, the present invention contemplates a novel device for amusement, entertainment and educational purposes which plays digital sound recordings with a processor that allows selection and replay of customer selected tracks. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   It is an objective of the invention to provide a novel audio device having an ascetically pleasing pyramid-shaped housing having an integrated playback device for replaying audio recordings from pre-recorded media including individual selections recorded thereon. 
   It is another objective to provide a control panel with the playback device which includes manually activated memory storage pushbuttons operable to play the individual selections on the disk intermittently. 
   It is a further objective of the invention to provide a novel audio device having a pyramid-shaped housing having concealed receptacle for receiving a compact disk or the like storage device. 
   In accordance with the above objectives, an audio recording playback device is provided having a pyramid shaped housing with a playback mechanism for playing audio recordings from pre-recorded media. The pyramid shaped housing having four side walls extending upward from a bottom wall to an apex forming a cavity therein. An LCD or LED clock may be positioned in one of the side walls of the housing proximate the apex. A playback mechanism positioned within the cavity includes a memory chip for storing pre-recorded media, a processor means capable of providing an audio output signal from the pre-recorded media and amplifying of an audio output signal for reproduction of the pre-recorded media through a speaker. The processing means will include an optical scanner for reading pre-recorded media located on a CD. A control panel extends outwardly from one of the walls and includes depressable keys electrically coupled to the processing means. At least one of the keys is available for playing a single selection from the pre-recorded media or the selections can be played back sequentially or in random order. The control panel further includes and at least one said key coupled to the memory chip for replaying a selected selection from the pre-recorded media. Power for the device can be from DC batteries or alternating current. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES 
       FIG. 1  is a perspective view of the sound recording playback device according to a preferred embodiment of the invention; 
       FIG. 2  is a front elevational view of the sound recording playback device of  FIG. 1 ; 
       FIG. 3  is a bottom view of the sound recording playback device of  FIG. 1 ; 
       FIG. 4  is a rear elevational view of the sound recording playback device of  FIG. 1 ; 
       FIG. 5  is a top view of the sound recording playback device of  FIG. 1 ; 
       FIG. 6  is a front elevation view of an alternative embodiment of the sound recording playback device having a LED display in a triangular configuration; 
       FIG. 7  is a schematic illustration of the playback mechanism and the control panel of sound recording playback device of FIG.  1 . 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
   Although the invention will be described in terms of a specific embodiment, it will be readily apparent to those skilled in this art that various modifications, rearrangements, and substitutions can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. The scope of the invention is defined by the claims appended hereto. 
     FIGS. 1-5  illustrate the device  10  of the present invention which is audio device  10  having a novel configuration and designed to play pre-recorded digital media with memory keys for repeating media playback of particular interest. In the preferred embodiment, the device  10  is operable to play audio CDs in digital or compressed MP3 format. In alternatives to the invention, the device  10  can be configured to play other types of digital pre-recorded media. 
   In accordance with the preferred embodiment of the invention, the device  10  has a pyramid-shaped housing  12  having a flat rectangular base  14  sized for convenient placement on a support surface such as a desk. From the base  14  are four triangular shaped side walls namely a front surface  21 , opposing left and right side surfaces  22 ,  23 , and rear surface  24 , which converge at an apex  19  and forming a housing with a cavity therein. The housing  12  can be constructed from any suitable rigid material, and is preferably formed from injection-molded plastic. The front side wall  21  is inset from the front edge  19  so as to form a planar ledge  17  which contains a control panel  18 . At least one side wall  21  includes speaker apertures  31  so as to conceal the speaker but allow sound to emanate from the device. The configuration of the speaker apertures  31  can be stylized as shown to form a generally triangular shape. 
   In the preferred embodiment, the pyramid-shaped housing  12  houses a playback mechanism  80  which is schematically illustrated in FIG.  7 . The playback mechanism  80  is operable to play audio recordings from pre-recorded media. In the following description, the playback mechanism  80  is an audio CD player, however the invention is not limited in this regard. The invention contemplates the use of any suitable audio playback mechanism operable to play pre-recorded media in a digital formal or in compressed MP3 format. For example, the invention could also utilize a playback mechanism for MiniDiscs, cassettes, memory chips, and so forth. 
   As seen in  FIG. 4 , the rear surface  24  of housing  12  includes a CD receptacle  47  of the type commonly known in the art which is operatively coupled to the playback mechanism  80 . The CD receptacle  47  can be configured as a slide-out tray, as shown, or can be a slot. The housing  12  includes an ejector button  62  for the insertion and removal of a CD. The playback mechanism  80  is electrically coupled to a power source. In the preferred embodiment, the playback mechanism  80  is powered by DC batteries. As seen in  FIG. 5 , the lower surface can include a compartment  44  to receive the batteries. The playback mechanism  80  can also be coupled to a power cord for connection to an AC outlet. The rear surface  24  can also include a manual volume control  93 . 
   Referring again to  FIG. 7 , it is seen that the playback mechanism  80  includes a processor  82  electrically coupled to the control panel  18 . The control panel  18  includes a plurality of manually depressable keys, including single play key  48 , a plurality of pre-set keys  59  for selected replay of a predetermined selection, and a random play key  61 . 
   The instrumentalities and operation of audio CD players are well known in the art. Any suitable CD player design can be utilized in accordance with the principles of the invention. The design of the audio CD player as described herein is only representative of a typical arrangement, and is delineated for ease of description of the invention. 
   The processor  82  is a microprocessor which controls the operation of the playback mechanism  80 . The processor  82  outputs a drive control signal to a servo control circuitry  84  which drives the CD  85 . The servo control circuit  84  controls the rotational speed of a disk motor  86  for rotating the CD  85 , so that the linear velocity of a track of the CD  85  becomes constant. The servo control circuit  84  performs focus servo and tracking servo of an optical pickup  87  for radiating a laser beam onto the track of the CD  85 . In the focus servo, a focus error is detected on the basis of a state of reflected light of the laser beam, and an objective lens in the optical pickup  87  is driven in an optical axis direction. In the tracking servo, the optical pickup  87  is radially moved by a pickup feed motor  88  while detecting an offset of the laser beam from the center of the track of the CD  85 , and for a very small offset caused by the eccentricity of the disk, an internal lens of the optical pickup  87  is moved to follow the track, so that the laser beam emitted from the optical pickup  87  can be accurately radiated on the center of the track of the CD  85 . 
   The optical pickup  87  detects pulse code modulation signals on the basis of the amount of reflected light from the radiated laser beam from the surface of the CD. Subcode data is encoded into the recordings with disk location data as well as other information in alphanumeric form. The demodulator  89  detects the audio and subcode data and outputs the audio data to the audio data processor  91  and the subcode data to subcode signal processor  95 . The audio data processor  91  outputs the digital audio data to the D/A converter  92 . If the audio data is in MP3 format, the demodulator  89  outputs the audio data to an MP3 decoder (not shown), and the data is then sent to the D/A converter  92 . The D/A converter  92  converts the input audio data into analog audio signals, and outputs the analog audio signals. The analog audio signs are supplied to an amplifier  101  and a loudspeaker  102  via a low pass filter  99 , and are then produced as sounds. 
   An integral aspect of the invention is the nature of the sound recordings to be played by the device  10 . In accordance with the principles of the invention, the sound recordings are of the nature of relatively brief, spoken passages. Suitable subject matter could include famous quotes, poetry, inspirational passages, biblical quotes, historic audio news clips, great moments in sports, brief foreign language lessons, motivational and self-improvement quotations, jokes, vocabulary lessons, and the like. The recordings would be preferably be on CDs, which can be readliy interchanged by the user as desired. The selection of recordings on a single CD have a common theme, e.g. only motivational speeches, or only famous quotations. 
   The device  10  differs from prior art audio devices in that the selections on the CD are played in a one-at-a-time fashion which is manually actuated. Manually depressing the single play key  48  directs the processor  82  to play a single selection initialize the playback mechanism  80  to an ON state, play a single selection from the CD, and then return to a STAND-BY state. The subcode data in the CD directs the playback mechanism  80  to the correct selection with each successive actuation of the single play key. When the single play key  48  is depressed, the selections on the CD are played in sequence. To randomly play a selection on the CD, the random play key  61  is depressed. 
   In the event the listener hears a given selection, and wishes to return repeatedly to that selection, the device  10  includes a memory means to store the location on the CD of the selection for repeated play. Each individual selection on the CD includes a location identifier in the form of subcode data. The subcode data can encode the absolute and relative position of the laser in the track. As seen in  FIG. 8 , the subcode data is transmitted by the subcode signal processor  95  to the processor  92 . A read/write memory  97  is in communication with the processor  82 . The processor  82  can store location identifier information in the read/write memory  97  in association with each of the plurality of pre-set keys. In use, the listener would press the desired pre-set key  59  either during the selection play or immediately after the desired selection is played. To store the location of a selection, a pre-set key  59  is held down for a predetermined interval, e.g. 5 seconds. Successful completion of the pre-set function can be confirmed to the user by an audible signal. The location on the disk of that particular selection is sent to the processor  82  in the form of subcode data. The processor  82  stores a location identifier for the particular selection in the read/write memory  97  in association with the selected pre-set key. When the pre-set key is depressed, the location identifier for that pre-set key is retrieved and the disk drive advances to that particular selection, and the selection is played. The playback mechanism  80  then returns to a STAND-BY state. 
   Referring again to  FIG. 1 , the device  10  includes an LED display  13  mounted in the front side surface  21  proximate to the apex of the pyramid-shaped housing. In the preferred embodiment, the LED display  13  is a clock which displays the time.  FIG. 6  illustrates an alternative configuration of the LED display  13  having a triangular shape. In addition to displaying the time, the LED display  13  can be coupled to the processor  82  so that other information can be displayed, such as alphanumeric information or graphics coded in the subcode data for a specific selection. The back surface  24  can include time set controls  94  to set the clock time. In an alternative embodiment, the clock can also have an alarm function. 
   The exterior of the pyramid-shaped housing  12  can be decorated with logos, sports team symbols, religious designs etc. as would be appropriate for the type of recordings being played. The device  10  can be a promotional item, or a souvenir-type item. For example, the exterior of the housing  12  can be decorated with the logo of a particular sports team or school, and the recordings played on the device  12  can be sports highlights for the team. 
   The pyramid shape can be said to have a culturally connotative significance. The inventive concept as disclosed herewith includes the combination of the of the distinctive sound recordings with the novel pyramid configuration of the playback mechanism. The device  10  thus has a unique function, and an entertainment and educational value that is not disclosed or suggested in the prior art. 
   It is to be understood that while a certain form of the invention is illustrated, it is not to be limited to the specific form or arrangement of parts herein described and shown. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes may be made without departing from the scope of the invention and the invention is not to be considered limited to what is shown and described in the specification and drawings.