Sound storage and sound retrieval system having peripheral with hand operable switches

A peripheral for communicating with a computer, comprising:

• a plurality of manually operable switches;
• a sound input transducer having an output;
• a sound output transducer having an input;
• a data communication channel interface coupling said peripheral to a remote sound data storage device so that compressed sound data can be communicated between the remote sound data storage device and the peripheral;
• and
• a sound data compressor/decompressor having a first input, a second input, a third input, a first output, and a second output, said first input being coupled to said output of said sound input transducer, said second input being coupled to said plurality of switches, said third input being coupled to said data communication channel interface, said first output being coupled to said input of said sound output transducer, said second output being coupled to said data communication channel interface, said peripheral being a hand holdable peripheral.

A sound storage and sound retrieval system, comprising:

• a hand holdable peripheral having hand operable switches, said peripheral converting and compressing sound into compressed sound data, said peripheral decompressing and converting said compressed sound data into sound;
• a remote compressed sound storage device which stores and retrieves compressed sound data, said remote compressed sound storage device being coupled to said peripheral such that compressed data can be transferred between said peripheral and said remote compressed sound storage device;
• application software operating in a computer;
• and
• a driver program operating in said computer, said driver program causing said computer to execute a keystroke handling routine in said application software when one of said hand operable switches is pressed.

A peripheral for use with a computer, said peripheral being movable with respect to said computer when said peripheral and said computer are operating, said peripheral comprising:

• a microphone;
• a speaker;
• sound compression/decompression means for receiving input electrical signals from said microphone, for compressing said input electrical signals into compressed sound data, for decompressing said compressed sound data into output electrical signals, and for supplying said output electrical signals to said speaker;
• a plurality of hand operable switches;
• and
• means for communicating with said computer, for detecting a status of said plurality of switches, for relaying said status of said plurality of switches to said computer, and for relaying compressed sound data between said sound compression/decompression means and said computer.

A sound storage and sound retrieval system, comprising:

• a hand holdable peripheral having hand operable switches, said peripheral converting and compressing sound into compressed sound data, said peripheral decompressing and converting said compressed sound data into sound, each switch of said switches having a function;
• a remote compressed sound storage device which stores and retrieves compressed sound data, said remote compressed sound storage device being coupled to said peripheral such that compressed data can be transferred between said peripheral and said remote compressed sound storage device;
• application software operating in a computer, said application software determining the functions of at least some of said switches;
• and
• a driver program operating in said computer, said driver program relaying switch status information to said application software.