US 5,679,049 AGranted

Toy telephone recording and playback

AssigneeRobert W. Jeffway, Jr.

InventorsAvi Arad, Robert W. Jeffway, Jr.

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Abstract

A toy telephone includes a telephone base enclosure a microphone, a speaker, a memory chip for recording sounds for later retrieval, a microprocessor electrically connected to the memory chip, and at least one button electrically connected to the microprocessor for selecting one of a plurality of segments of the memory chip for recording. The memory chip is configured to produce an output signal the duration of which has a known mathematical relationship to the recording capacity of each of the plurality of segments of the memory chip. The microprocessor is programmed to receive an electrical signal from a button upon depression of the button, to select one of the segments of the memory chip in response to the depression of the button, to measure the duration of the output signal of the memory chip, to determine the recording capacity of the segment of the memory chip based on the duration of the output signal, to initiate recording of sounds received by the microphone into the segment of the memory chip, to terminate recording of the sounds when the recording capacity of the segment of the memory chip as determined by the microprocessor has been fully utilized, and to cause the sounds to be played at a later point in time.

Claims24

Dependent claims

A recording and playback device, comprising:

a microphone;
a speaker;
a memory chip having a first clock with a first oscillator frequency tolerance, said memory chip being configured to record sounds for later retrieval;
a microprocessor having a second clock with a second oscillator frequency tolerance and being electrically connected to said memory chip;
and
at least one control device electrically connected to said microprocessor for selecting one of a plurality of segments of said memory chip for recording;
said memory chip having an output circuit that produces an output signal the duration of which has a known mathematical relationship to the recording capacity of each of said plurality of segments of said memory chip;
said microprocessor receiving an electrical signal from said control device upon activation of said control device and receiving said output signal said memory chip;
and
said microprocessor being programmed to;
select one of said plurality of segments of said memory chip in response to the electrical signal from said control device,
measure the duration of said output signal of said memory chip,
determine said recording capacity of said one of said plurality of segments of said memory chip based on said duration of said output signal,
initiate recording of sounds received by said microphone into said one of said plurality of segments of said memory chip,
terminate recording of said sounds when said recording capacity of said one of said plurality of segments of said memory chip as determined by said microprocessor has been fully utilized to thereby prevent recording of said sounds beyond said one of said plurality of segments of said memory chip due to the oscillator frequency tolerances of said memory chip and said microprocessor, and
cause said sounds to be reproduced through said speaker at a later point in time.

13 more elements

A toy telephone, comprising:

a telephone base enclosure;
a microphone;
a speaker;
a memory chip having a first clock with a first oscillator frequency tolerance, located within said telephone base enclosure, said memory chip being configured to record sounds for later retrieval;
a microprocessor paving a second clock with a second oscillator frequency tolerance and being located within said telephone base enclosure and electrically connected to said memory chip;
and
at least one button electrically connected to said microprocessor for selecting one of a plurality of segments of said memory chip for recording;
said memory chip having an output circuit that produces an output signal the duration of which has a known mathematical relationship to the recording capacity of each of said plurality of segments of said memory chip;
said microprocessor receiving an electrical signal from said button upon depression of said button and receiving said output signal said memory chip;
and
said microprocessor being programmed to:
select one of said plurality of segments of said memory chip in response to the electrical signal from said button,
measure the duration of said output signal of said memory chip,
determine said recording capacity of said one of said plurality of segments of said memory chip based on said duration of said output signal,
initiate recording of sounds received by said microphone into said one of said plurality of segments of said memory chip,
terminate recording of said sounds when said recording capacity of said one of said plurality of segments of said memory chip as determined by said microprocessor has been fully utilized to thereby prevent recording of said sounds beyond said one of said plurality of segments of said memory chip due to the oscillator frequency tolerances of said memory chip and said microprocessor, and
cause said sounds to be played through said speaker at a later point in time.

14 more elements

A toy telephone, comprising:

a telephone base enclosure;
a telephone handset;
a cord connecting said telephone handset with said telephone base enclosure;
a microphone;
a speaker;
a memory chip having a first clock with a first oscillator frequency tolerance, located within said telephone base enclosure, said memory chip being configured to record sounds for later retrieval;
a microprocessor having a second clock with a second oscillator frequency tolerance and being located within said telephone base enclosure and electrically connected to said memory chip;
and
a plurality of buttons electrically connected to said microprocessor, each of said buttons corresponding to a respective one of a plurality of segments of said memory chip, for selecting one of a plurality of segments of said memory chip for recording and playback;
said memory chip having an output circuit that produces an output signal the duration of which is directly proportional to the recording capacity of each of said plurality of segments of said memory chip;
said microprocessor receiving an electrical signal from one of said plurality of buttons upon depression of said one of said plurality of buttons and receiving said output signal said memory chip;
and
said microprocessor being programmed to:
select one of said plurality of segments of said memory chip in response to the electrical signal from said button,
measure the duration of said output signal of said memory chip,
set a counter value equal to said recording capacity of said one of said plurality of segments of said memory chip divided by said duration of said output signal of said memory chip,
initiate recording of sounds received by said microphone into said one of said plurality of segments of said memory chip, and, upon initiating recording of said sounds, repeatedly decrement said counter value at timer intervals equal to said duration of said output signal of said memory chip until said counter value reaches a value representing full utilization of said recording capacity,
terminate recording of said sounds when said counter value reaches said value representing full utilization of said recording capacity to thereby prevent recording of said sounds beyond said one of said plurality of segments of said memory chip due to the oscillator frequency tolerances of said memory chip and said microprocessor, and
cause said sounds to be played through said speaker at a later point in time.

16 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.