US 5,174,216 A · Digital sound reproducing system for toy trains with stored digitized sounds recalled upon trackside triggering

Abstract

A digital sound reproducing system which produces a plurality of sound effects from digital data stored at predetermined addresses in a digital sound memory. A controller connected to the digital sound memory causes recall of a sound data from a predetermined sequence of addresses when triggered. This recalled sound data is converted into an analog audio signal for reproduction by a speaker. In a first embodiment the digital sound reproducing system is disposed in the car of a model train. Magnets disposed between the tracks trigger corresponding sound effects when the digital sound reproducing system detects passage of the magnets. A speed sensor detects the rotation rate of a wheel of the car to permit sound effects to be synchronous with the rate of speed of the model train. The digital sound reproducing system may alternately be disposed in a fixed structure and triggered by a command signal or by detection of passage of the model train. In a second embodiment, a detector indicates when a space may be occupied triggering a radomized sound sequence as background noise.

Claims17

Dependent claims

A digital sound reproducing system for a model train traveling on a track comprising:

a digital sound memory storing, at predetermined addresses, a plurality of digitized sound effects;
a trigger sensor for producing a coded trigger signal upon detection of a predetermined condition corresponding to a particular location of the track when the car passes each of a plurality of locations of the track;
a controlled connected to said digital sound memory and said trigger sensor for recalling from said digital sound memory one of a plurality of differing predetermined sequences of said digitized sound effects upon each generation of said coded trigger signal;
and
a sound reproducing means connected to said digital sound memory and said controller for audibly reproducing sound corresponding to said predetermined sequence of digitized sound effects recalled from said digital sound memory;
said digital sound memory, said trigger sensor, said controller and said sound reproducing means all being disposed in a car of the model train.

3 more elements

A digital sound reproducing system for a model train travelling on a track, said digital sound reproducing system disposed in a car of the model train and comprising;

a location sensor for producing a corresponding coded location signal when the car passes each of a plurality of predetermined locations of the track;
a microcontroller connected to said location sensor for generating a predetermined sequence of sound commands upon each generation of said location signal, wherein said microcontroller generates one of a plurality of predetermined sequences of said sound commands corresponding to said coded location signals generated;
and
a digital sound memory storing at predetermined addresses a plurality of digitized sound effects;
a voice processor connected to said microcontroller for receiving said sound commands and to said digital sound memory for recalling said digitized sound effects stored in said digital sound memory from said addresses corresponding to said sound commands from said microcontroller, converting said recalled digitized sound effects into an analog audio signal upon each generation of said sound command by said microcontroller;
and
a sound reproducing means connected to said voice processor for audibly reproducing sound corresponding to said analog audio signal.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Digital sound reproducing system for toy trains with stored digitized sounds recalled upon trackside triggering

Life of this patent

Digital sound reproducing system for toy trains with stored digitized sounds recalled upon trackside triggering

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims17