Message providing apparatus

A message providing apparatus comprising:

• a storage device which stores message data containing at least one of a still image, moving image, character, graphic and sound;
• a sound output device which reproduces sound read from said storage device;
• a display device which displays images, character or graphic read from said storage device;
• a subject detector which detects a presence of a subject by using one of an infrared ray and ultrasound wave which are transmitted to the subject and reflected therefrom and a thermal signal transmitted from the subject;
• and
• a suspend controller which suspends a sound output operation of said sound output device and a display operation of said display device when said subject detector does not detect the presence of the subject and restarts the sound output operation of said sound output device and the display operation of said display device when said subject detector detects the presence of the subject,
• wherein said nonvolative semiconductor memory device further stores software identification data, and
• wherein the apparatus further comprising:
• an identification memory when stores a hardware identification data of said apparatus;
• a collator which detects whether the software identification read from the semiconductor memory device which is mounted to the apparatus corresponds to the hardware identification read from the identification memory;
• and
• wherein said sound output device reproduces the sound included in the message read from said semiconductor memory device when said collator detects that the software identification corresponds to the hardware identification;
• and said display device displays the still image, moving image, character and graphic included in the message read from said semiconductor memory device when said collator detects that the software identification corresponds to the hardware identification.

A message providing apparatus to which a nonvolatile semiconductor memory which stores software identification data thereof, and message data containing at least one of a still image, moving image, character, graphic and sound is able to be detachably mounted, the message providing apparatus comprising:

• an identification memory which stores a hardware identification data of said apparatus;
• a collator which detects whether the software identification read from the semiconductor memory device which is mounted to the apparatus corresponds to the hardware identification read from the identification memory;
• a sound output device which reads the message data from said semiconductor memory device which is mounted to the apparatus and reproduces sound read included in said read message data when said collator detects that the software identification corresponds to the hardware identification;
• and
• a display device which reads the message data from said semiconductor memory device which is mounted to the apparatus and displays images, character or graphic included in said message data when said collator detects that the software identification corresponds to the hardware identification.