Abstract:
A handheld device that allows lecturers get and hold the attention of an audience. The device emits a loud sound when actuated by the lecturer chosen from a number of pre-determined sounds. A built-in recorder allows the recording of custom sounds including short spoken sentences or phrases. The device also includes auxilliary features such as a timer, a watch, an alarm, and a calendar.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0001]    1. Field of Invention  
           [0002]    The present invention relates to sound recording and playback devices, and more specifically to such devices which utilize solid-state electronics to store the recorded sounds.  
           [0003]    2. Description of Related Art  
           [0004]    In the era where presentations and teaching focus on student centered activities and audience participation, lecturers and other presenters have a problem in getting and refocusing the attention of their audience. Business presenters use strategies such as small group discussions, diverting attention from the main speaker. Teachers are encouraged through their training to use student centered activities which allow for interactions among students for specified periods of time. In both cases a unique attention getting device is needed to refocus the audiences. If a sudden, unexpected, relatively loud sound is heard, most persons who were diverted from the lecture will snap to attention and look to see where the sound came from. Such unexpected sounds, startling as they can be, have the effect of quieting groups of people, and focusing their attention on the origin of the sound. Such sounds are also typically random rather than preplanned, except for the occasional lecturer whom raises his or her voice unexpectedly, claps, or otherwise generates a naturally occurring unexpected sound.  
           [0005]    Applicant is not aware of any devices that are specifically designed to generate such startling, unexpected sounds for the purpose of getting an audience&#39;s attention. However, during a search at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, a number of patents were found related to sound recording and playback devices, and such devices that utilize solid-state electronics to store the recorded sounds. In U.S. Pat. No. 3,075,303 issued to Butterfly is disclosed an educational device that plays back portions of a program and then allows a user to answer questions or to respond in a predetermined period of time. In U.S. Pat. No. 3,900,196 issued to Suttner is disclosed a game that involves taping sound effects. In U.S. Pat. No. 3,905,128 issued Koizumi et al. is disclosed a teaching system. As in the &#39;303 patent above, the system plays parts of the course or questions, and allows students a certain period of time reply. In U.S. Pat. No. 4,493,652 issued to Nettle is disclosed an inspirational teaching apparatus that shows an inspirational symbol that appears to steadily increase in size. When the symbol has reached the maximum size, an inspirational phrase is both displayed and played through an audio output. In U.S. Pat. No. 6,029,042 issued Yaron-Moallim is disclosed an educational device having buttons underneath hinged covers with graphical insignia thereon, such as the alphabet. When the buttons are pressed, appropriate sounds, stories, or the like are played. Finally, in U.S. Pat. No. 6,079,985 issued to Wohl et al. is disclosed a programmable device for making sounds and music.  
           [0006]    Thus, while many systems have been developed to use prerecorded sounds in a teaching or educational environment, there is a need for a device for allowing a lecturer or other speaker to get and retain the attention of an audience.  
         SUMMARY OF INVENTION  
       1. Advantages of the Invention  
         [0007]    One of the advantages of the present invention is that it provides a device which immediately gets the attention of an audience.  
           [0008]    A further advantage of the present invention is that it provides multiple pre-recorded, pre-determined sounds that are stored in the device.  
           [0009]    Another advantage of the present invention is it provides the ability to record custom sounds such as speech, which allows the lecturer to record the desired sounds tailored to specific interests and motivational cues to attract the particular audience&#39;s attention and interest.  
           [0010]    Another advantage of the present invention is it provides a fixed optimum volume level sufficient for the device to project the chosen sound a sufficient distance so as to fill a classroom or presentation hall with the sound without requiring volume adjustment by the lecturer.  
           [0011]    Another advantage of the present invention is the auxiliary features including a clock, a stop watch, an alarm, and a calendar, the alarm which can be set to activate hourly and/or at a specific time to signal the end of a class or other lecture session, and the stopwatch allows the lecturer to monitor the elapsed time during individual or group activities.  
           [0012]    Another advantage of the present invention is its compact size convenient for being held in-hand or carried in a cloths pocket.  
           [0013]    These and other advantages of the present invention may be realized by reference to the remaining portions of the specification, claims, and abstract.  
         2. Brief Description of the Invention  
         [0014]    The present invention is an attention getting device and a method for a lecturer to use to attract and hold the attention of people in a listening audience. The device comprises a microphone adapted to pick up and convert sound waves to an electrical signal, a first logic device which is operatively connected to said microphone for receiving and controlling said electrical signal, an electrical storage device operatively connected to said microphone and said logic device, being adapted for receiving, storing, and outputting the electrical signals, the receiving, storing, and outputting being controlled by said first logic device, and a speaker operatively connected to said first logic device and said electrical storage device adapted to turn outputted electrical signals received from said first logic device and said electrical storage device into audible sound waves.  
           [0015]    The method for attracting and holding the attention of the one or more people in a listening audience comprises the steps of providing at least one pre-recorded electronically stored sound, providing a sound generator device adapted for converting the at least one stored sound into sound waves, and operating the sound generator to broadcast one of the stored sounds selected sound into the audience to gain and maintain attention of the audience.  
           [0016]    The above description sets forth, rather broadly, the more important features of the present invention so that the detailed description of the preferred embodiment that follows may be better understood and contributions of the present invention to the art may be better appreciated. There are, of course, additional features of the invention that will be described below and will form the subject matter of claims. In this respect, before explaining at least one preferred embodiment of the invention in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of the construction and to the arrangement of the components set forth in the following description or as illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced and carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for the purpose of description and should riot be regarded as limiting. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0017]    Preferred embodiments of the present invention are shown in the accompanying drawings wherein:  
         [0018]    [0018]FIG. 1 is substantially a perspective view of an attention getting device according to the invention;  
         [0019]    [0019]FIG. 2 is substantially an exploded view of the attention getting device; and  
         [0020]    [0020]FIG. 3 is substantially a schematic circuit diagram showing the circuit features of the attention getting device. 
     
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
       [0021]    As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the present invention is an attention getting device, generally indicated at  20 . Attention getting device  20  comprises a housing assembly  23 , a speaker  26 , a microphone  29 , a pair of switch assemblies  32  and  35 , a liquid crystal display (LCD) assembly  38 , a circuit board  41  and a retaining strap assembly  44 .  
         [0022]    Housing  
         [0023]    The housing assembly  23  is in the form of an oval of such a size to be held in hand. Housing  23  includes a front half shell  47  and a mating rear half shell  50  which connect together using a plurality of screws  53  which extend through respective holes  56  in rear half shell  50  and threadably engage respective threaded holes  59  of respective mounting posts  62  of front half shell  47 . Front half shell  47  includes an LCD hole  65 , a plurality of switch holes  68 ,  71 ,  74 ,  77 ,  80 ,  83 ,  86 , and  87 , a plurality of waved microphone slots  89 , and a plurality of waved speaker slots  92  which extend through front half shell  47 . Rear half shell  50  includes a rectangular battery door hole  95  across which a plurality of battery separation baffles  98 ,  101 ,  104 , and  105  extend form three separate battery chambers  107 ,  110 , and  113 . Respective pairs of electrical contacts (not shown) are disposed within respective pairs of end slots  116  and  119 ,  122  and  125 ,  128  and  131  of rear half shell  50  adjacent the respective battery chambers  107 ,  110 , and  113  to conduct electricity from respective AAA batteries (not shown) disposable therein to power attention getting device  20 . Housing assembly  23  further includes a battery door  134  and a belt clip  137 . A pair of tabs  140  and  143  extend from an edge  146  of battery door  134 , being engageable with respective mating slots (not shown) of rear half shell  50 . A spring clip  149  extends oppositely from an edge  152  of battery door  134 , being engageable with a mating T-slot  155  of rear half shell  50 . Tabs  140  and  143 , and spring clip  149  engage the respective mating slots and the T-slot  155  to removably secure battery door  134  to rear half shell  50 , being disposed within battery door hole  95 . Belt clip  137  includes a pair of tabs  158  and  161  which extend laterally from a body  164  of belt clip  137 . Battery door  134  includes a U-shaped flange  167  which includes mating grooves  170  and  173  into which tabs  158  and  161  slide. Belt clip  137  is releasably retained in place by a groove (not shown) intermediate tabs  158  and  161 , and by a mating elongate projection  176  intermediate grooves  170  and  173 .  
         [0024]    Speaker  
         [0025]    Speaker  26  connects to front half shell  56  directly behind waved slots  92 , being retained in position by being sandwiched between front half shell  47  and rear half shell  50 .  
         [0026]    Microphone  
         [0027]    The microphone  29  closely fits within a cylinder  179  which extends inwardly from front half shell  47  coaxially with the microphone hole  89 , cylinder  179  being of the same length as microphone  89 .  
         [0028]    Switch Assemblies  
         [0029]    Switch assembly  32  includes a curved base plate  182  from which extend a SET-RESET pushbutton  185 , a MODE pushbutton  188 , and a START-STOP pushbutton  191  extend. Switch assembly  32  is disposed against front half shell  47  with pushbuttons  185 ,  188 , and  191  extending through the respective switch holes  68 ,  71 , and  74 . Switch assembly  35  includes a curved base plate  194  from which extend a REC pushbutton  197 , a PLAY pushbutton  200 , and three SOUND pushbuttons  203 ,  206 , and  209  extend. Switch assembly  35  is disposed against front half shell  47  with pushbuttons  197 ,  200 ,  203 ,  206 , and  209  extending through the respective switch holes  77 ,  80 ,  83 ,  86 , and  87 .  
         [0030]    Liquid Crystal Display Assembly  
         [0031]    Liquid crystal display (LCD) assembly  38  includes a liquid crystal display (LCD)  210  which fits within a pair of opposing C-shaped projections  212  extending inwardly from front half shell  47  bordering LCD hole  65 . C-shaped projections  212  each include a pair of mounting projections  215  with respective threaded holes  218 . A pair of retaining plates  221  engage respective opposing side grooves  224  and  227  of LCD display  210 .  
         [0032]    Circuit Board  
         [0033]    Circuit board  41  contains most of the circuitry (not shown) described below, and includes a plurality of holes  230  therethrough which align with threaded holes  218  of mounting projections  215 , and with respective threaded holes  233  of a pair of mounting posts  236  which extend inwardly from front half shell  47 . A plurality of screws  239  retain circuit board  41  to front half shell  47 , sandwiching speaker  26 , microphone  29 , switch assemblies  32  and  35 , and liquid crystal display (LCD)  210  with retaining plates  221  in position within housing assembly  23 .  
         [0034]    Retaining Strap Assembly  
         [0035]    The retaining strap assembly  44  includes an elongate flexible strap  242  which loops through a U-shaped retaining groove  245  of rear half shell  50 , and being retained against front half shell  47 . An adjustment slide  248  includes a pair of holes  251  and  254  through which respective end portions  257  and  260  of strap  242  closely pass, having a friction fit requiring some force to move the end portions  257  and  260  through the respective hole  251  and  254 . A person&#39;s hand (not shown) fits through a loop  263  formed between strap  242 , slide  248 , and housing assembly  23  to retain the attention getting device  20  around to person&#39;s wrist (not shown), slide  248  providing adjustment.  
         [0036]    Circuitry  
         [0037]    Attention getting device  20  includes circuitry as is generally indicated at  264  in FIG. 3. Circuitry  264  is powered by the three AAA 1.5 volt batteries  265  connected in series to supply 4.5 volts DC from the ground terminal  266  of the series to a ground  267 , and includes a positive terminal  269 . Microphone  29  provides an input signal to a microprocessor  272  which controls the recording and the playback of sound input through microphone  29 , which are stored on a memory chip  275  for later playback through speaker  26 . A second microprocessor  278 , controls the LCD display  210 .  
         [0038]    First Microprocessor: Positive terminal  269  is connected directly to respective VDD and AVDD connections of microprocessor  272 , through the REC pushbutton  197  to an RECL connection, through PLAY pushbutton  200  to a PL 1 E connection, and through a fuse/switch  281  to a PL 2 E connection thereof. An AOUT connection is connected through a capacitor  284  to an AIN connection. Respective SNDSEL, GND, and AGND connections are connected to ground  267 . An OCS connection is connected through a resistor  287  to positive terminal  269 . A first connection  290  of the microphone  29  is connected to a BUSYB connection of microprocessor  272 . A second connection  293  of microphone  29  is connected through a capacitor  296  to a MICIN connection, through a resistor  299  and a capacitor  302  to ground  267 , and through resistor  296  and a resistor  305  to the positive terminal  269 . A MICREF connection is connected to ground  267  through a capacitor  308 . A SPKP connection is available for future use. An AGC connection is connected to ground  267  through a parallel resistor  311  and capacitor  314 . A SPKN connection connects to a parallel capacitor  317  and resistor  320 , each connected to the base of a first transistor  323 , and through a resistor  324  to ground  267 . The emitter of transistor  323  is connected to ground  267 .  
         [0039]    Memory Chip: Positive terminal  269  is connected directly to a VDD connection of memory chip  275 . A VSS connection is connected to ground  267 . The SOUND pushbuttons  203 ,  206 , and  209  are connected to respective TR 1 , TR 2 , and TR 3  connections, being connected in parallel along with a switch/fuse  326  to ground  267  and the emitter of a second transistor  329 . Respective connections STA, STB, and LED 1  are available for future use. The base of transistor  329  is connected through a resistor  332  to the emitter thereof and to an SPK connection of memory chip  275 . An OSC connection is connected to the positive terminal  269  through a resistor  335 . The collector of transistor  329  is connected to a first connection  338  of speaker  26 , and to the collector of transistor  323 . A second connection  341  of speaker  26  is connected to positive terminal  269 .  
         [0040]    Second Microprocessor: A first connection  344  of the LCD display  210  is connected to a COM 1  connection of second microprocessor  278 , and a second connection  347  of the LCD display  210  is connected to a COM 2  connection of microprocessor  278 . An OO connection is connected through a capacitor  350  to an OI connection. OO connection is also connected through a variable resistor  353  and a capacitor  356  to a VDD 2  connection. A VDD 1  connection is connected to the positive terminal of a battery  265 , with a negative terminal thereof connected to a VSS connection and to ground  267 . VDD 1  is also connected through capacitor  356  to VDD 2 . A CAP connection is connected through a capacitor  362  to a  1 KO connection. MODE pushbutton  188 , START-STOP pushbutton  191 , and SET-RESET pushbutton  185  are connected in parallel from respective M, S, and D connections through capacitor  356  to the VDD 2  connection, to the VDD 1  connection, through variable resistor  353  to the OO connection, through the variable resistor  353  and capacitor  350  to the OI connection, and to the positive connection of battery  265 . An ALA 2  connection is connected through a diode  362  to parallel resistor  311  and capacitor  314 , to the base of transistor  323 , and through resistor  324  to ground  267 .  
         [0041]    Operation of the Time Based Features of the Attention Getting Device  
         [0042]    LCD Display: The LCD display  210  shows the day, month, and time initially for the user, and then is responsible for displaying the clock, the stop watch, alarm, and the hourly announcer.  
         [0043]    Setting the Date/Time Features: The MODE button  188 , the SET-RESET pushbutton  185  and the START-STOP pushbutton  191  are used to access and adjust each of the functions. Setting the day, the date, and the time is accomplished by pressing the MODE pushbutton  188  repeatedly until the TU (indicating Tuesday) on the days of the week display flashes. The START-STOP pushbutton  191  is then pressed the appropriate number of times to set the second, the minute, the hour, the date, the month, and the day of the week while the SET-RESET pushbutton  185  is used to cycle between these choices. Pressing the MODE pushbutton  188  will then take the user back to the clock display.  
         [0044]    Setting the Alarm: Setting the alarm is accomplished by pressing the MODE pushbutton  188  repeatedly until the “MO” (indicating Monday) on the day of the week display starts to flash. The START-STOP pushbutton  191  is then pressed the appropriate number of times to set the hour. The SET-RESET pushbutton  185  is then pressed to switch to minute adjustment, which is also accomplished by pressing the START-STOP pushbutton  191  the appropriate number of times. Pressing the MODE pushbutton  188  will then take the user back to the clock display.  
         [0045]    Using the Stopwatch Function: The stopwatch function is used by pressing and holding the MODE pushbutton  188  which causes two symbols representing days of the week to blink. Pressing the START-STOP pushbutton  191  starts the stopwatch running. Pressing the START-STOP pushbutton  191  again stops the stopwatch. If the SET-RESET pushbutton  185  is pressed while the stopwatch is not running, the counter is reset to zero. Pressing the SET-RESET pushbutton  185  while the stopwatch is running pauses the stopwatch. Pressing the START-STOP pushbutton  191  while the counter is paused returns the clock display to the LCD display  210 . The clock mode is the default setting on the LCD display  210 .  
         [0046]    Other Functions: The MODE button  188 , the SET-RESET pushbutton  185  and the START-STOP pushbutton  191  are used to access and adjust each of the functions. For example, pressing and holding down the SET-RESET pushbutton  185  displays the currently set time of the alarm on the LCD display  210 . Pressing and holding down the START-STOP pushbutton  191  displays the date and month on the LCD display  210 . Pressing and holding the SET-RESET pushbutton  185 , then pressing and holding the START-STOP pushbutton  191  (holding both of them down) displays the currently set time on the alarm on the LCD display  210 , and plays the sound of an alarm through the speaker  26 . Pressing the START-STOP pushbutton  191  at this point turns the alarm on or off, with a small bell being displayed on the LCD display  210  when the alarm is set. Pressing and holding the SET-RESET pushbutton  185 , the START-STOP pushbutton  191 , and the MODE pushbutton  188  in that order causes cycling the functions on the LCD display  210 , with the alarm sounding continuously.  
         [0047]    Operation of the Sound Based Features of the Attention Getting Device  
         [0048]    Pre-recorded Sounds: Located under the LCD display  210  are the three SOUND pushbuttons  203 ,  206 , and  209 . These are also labeled within the indicia “1”, “2”, and “3” on the front half shell  47  of housing assembly  23 . Each causes a specific predetermined sound to play through the speaker  26 . The volume of the sound is preset to an optimum attention-getting decibel level for typical places where the attention getting device  20  will be used. For example, pressing SOUND pushbutton  203  might play the sound of cars racing on a track. Pressing SOUND pushbutton  206  might plays the sound of a rooster crowing. Pressing SOUND pushbutton  209  might play the well-known sound commonly called the “Tarzan yell”. There can be a timed duration of play for one or more of the sounds even when the respective SOUND pushbutton  203 ,  206 , or  209  is released such as thirty seconds or some other duration thought effective in getting attention. Each sound can be played at the same volume level, or each can have its own preset decibel level. Each sound played has the ability to attract the attention of a group of people if they are played at an appropriate volume. It should be emphasized that any number of sounds could be utilized in this device and they could be of a wide variety. Cartoon voices, certain synthesized tones, certain motivational phrases, and the like could be pre-recorded into the attention getting device  20 . It should be noted that although only three SOUND pushbuttons  203 ,  206 , and  209  are shown so as to play three pre-determined sounds, more or less could be provided.  
         [0049]    Recording Custom Sounds: Another feature of the present invention is the ability to record the desired sounds, including spoken words, through the microphone  29 . This is accomplished by pressing and releasing the REC pushbutton  197  while directing the microphone  29  toward the sound to be recorded. The recording may be stopped either by again pressing and releasing the REC pushbutton  197 , or by waiting until a predetermined maximum recording time has been reached, such as for example eight seconds. The recorded sound can be played back by pressing the PLAY pushbutton  200 .  
       CONCLUSION  
       [0050]    It can now be seen that the present invention solves many of the problems associated with the prior art. The present invention provides a device that immediately gets the attention of an audience. The present invention provides multiple pre-recorded, pre-determined sounds that are stored in the device. The present invention provides the ability to record custom sounds such as speech, which allows the lecturer to record the desired sounds tailored to specific interests and motivational cues to attract the particular audience&#39;s attention and interest. The present invention provides a fixed optimum volume level sufficient for the device to project the chosen sound a sufficient distance so as to fill a classroom or presentation hall with the sound without requiring volume adjustment by the lecturer. The present invention provides auxiliary features including a clock, a stop watch, an alarm, and a calendar, the alarm which can be set to activate hourly and/or at a specific time to signal the end of a class or other lecture session, and the stopwatch allows the lecturer to monitor the elapsed time during individual or group activities. The present invention provides a device of a compact size convenient for being held in-hand or carried in a cloths pocket.  
         [0051]    Although the description above contains many specifications, these should not be construed as limiting the scope of the invention but as merely providing illustrations of some of presently preferred embodiments of this invention. The specification, for instance, makes reference to a portable, handheld device. However, the device could be built into a podium from which the lectures are given so as not to be portable. The device could also be removably mountable by means of a mounting bracket, such as for storage in the podium when not in use. Likewise, changes to the various auxiliary functions, adding more, or deleting functions is contemplated within the scope of the invention.