The present invention relates to audio books, more particularly to a combination of a book with an audio device which provides spoken text related to the page of a book in order that the reader of this text can hear what he is reading.
Prior art audio books vary in types. They are most likely storing the text of a book in a magnetic tape and then reproduce it audibly and synchronously through a magnetic reproducing apparatus when reading. Substantially, it brings much inconvenience in pinpointing exactly the paragraph that one intends to read, which therefore wastes time and effort.
Eric DeSmet, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,884,974 discloses an interactive talking book and audio player assembly which introduces an ROM module attached to the end margin of the back cover of a book in which is stored digitally recorded spoken text corresponding to the text printed on the pages of the book. Printed on the end margin of each book page is a page-identifying binary bar code formed by reflective and non-reflective elements. An audio player associated therewith comprises a base inlet adapted to receive the end margin of the back cover and to bring the terminals of the ROM module into engagement with the inlet contacts connecting the module to a speech unit for converting the digitally-recorded texts into audio signals to be amplified and reproduced. When a page of the book overlies the base inlet of the player, the bar code thereon is then exposed to ambient light which is reflected by the code elements toward an array of light sensors above the inlet for identifying the page. The page-identifying signals are transferred to the speech unit which then acts to read-out from the ROM module the spoken text corresponding to the printed text on the page.
In view of DeSmet's disclosure, it consists of numerous disadvantages outlined as follows:
a) it has structural complexity for adapting a ROM module in corporating with an optical sensing system therein that would be sophisticated and expensive to manufacture,
b) the reflection of the page-identifying binary bar code by ambient light would cause operational unstability to the audio device because of the variation of the ambient light,
c) the ROM module attached to an end edge of a book cover is damageable. Any stain existed on its surface could cause an ineffectiveness for the apparatus; and
d) the complicated operation of the assembly brings inconvenience to the users especially the children.
USPTO Backgrounds
USPTO Backgrounds