US2250916A - Robot lip action - Google Patents

Description

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G. A. MAGRUDER ROBOT LIP ACTION Filed Feb. 28, 1938 July 29, 1941.

Patented July 29, 1941 ROBOT LIP ACTION Gilbert A. Magruder, Grana Rapids, Mich., as-

signor to' Automatic Instrument Company,V Grand Rapids, Mich., a corporation of Michigan Application February 28, 1938,.Serial No. 193,219y

7 Claims.

This invention relates in generalt'o a/double lip action oi a robot or manikin produced mechanically and electrically in connection witha radio reproducer or receiver for simulating the lip action of a person in making the 'same' sounds.

Among the objects of theinven'tion are to provide a robot with two lips and electro-'mechanical means for operating them independently and in unison; to simulate the lip action of a person in speaking; to reproduce lip action from a radio receiver dependent upon tones of diierent frequency, power, or sound; to provide a lip action mechanism having a fast start and a'slow stop; to provide a robot lip acti-on in which the sounds corresponding to vowels cause a dii'erent action of the lips than for the sounds correspondingto consonants; to produce a simple,'eiie'ctiveand efcient robot lip action operated from a radio receiver; and in general to produce the structure, device and lip action herein shown and described.

In the accompanying drawing illustrating a preferred embodiment of the invention- Fig. 1 is a somewhat diagrammatic View illustrating an apparatus operated by a radio receiving set for producing a double lip action for simulating speech in a robot in accordance with this invention; and

Fig. 2 is an end view of the electro-magnetic device as shown in Fig. 1.

'I'he present invention depends upon a change in frequency, volume, intensity, pitch or timbre for producing a distinguishable variation which may be communicated to the lips of a robot as coming from a radio loud speaker or receiving set. For example the upper lip may be connected to respond to vibrations of high frequency and the lower lip to vibrations of a low frequency. This makes it possible for distinguishing between the sounds of vowels and consonants. Ordinarily the oral passage is open to utter vowel sounds and is more or less restricted by the lips, tongue or teeth to produce the consonant sounds. Thus this lip action may be arranged so that the lip members will represent the mouth as being open for the production of vowels and more or less closed with either or both lips moving or open in producing the consonant'sounds. g

It is not represented that the speech as produced or reproduced by the radio or loud speaker must necessarily come from the mouth of the robot, but the speech reproduced for the robot might be adjacent thereto so that the lip action thereof would correspond to the speech as reproduced.

For the purpose of this invention it is unneces- (c1. is-11s) sary to go into the details of the radio equipment orloud speaker or the meanslfor producing or varying the radio equipment which separates tones ofA high frequency from tones of low frequency. It is suiiicientto represent that a radio receiver indicated generally by thereference -numeral 4 has two outlet panels, one panel .5 for tones of high frequency, and 6 for tones of low frequency. These panels have terminals v1, 8 and 9, I3 respectively and are commonly provided with means forming no part of this invention forl varying the frequencies available at said terminals'. Connected to the terminals l and 3 by con ductors I I and I2 respectively is ahigh frequency magnet I3 having a movable core or armature I4' connected to one end of a lever I5` mounted intermediate its ends upon a pivot I6 andlconn'ected to the other terminals SandY lli by'means of conductors Il and I3 is a low frequency magnet I9 having a movable core or armature 20 connected at one end of a lever 2| mounted intermediate its ends on a pivot 22.

In a manikin or robot represented by the broken outline 23 of a portion cia head are upper and lower lip members 24 and 25 mounted intermediate their ends upon pivots 26 and 21 respectively, the outer ends of the levers represented as the corresponding lips of the robot and the other or inner ends of the levers being connected by rods' 28 and 29 respectively with the levers I5 and 2| respectively adjacent the ends thereof. The ends of the levers near the rods are connected to dashpot o-r retarding devices. each comprising a piston rod 30 connected to a piston 3| movable in a cylinder 32 and having a reduced vent opening 33 so that the action generally produced by the magnets is for rapid starting and slow stopping, or as applied to the lips is fast opening and slow closing.

In the operation of this lip action it will therefore be apparent that depending upon the power supplied to the magnets I3 and I9 each lip member may be operated more or less, separately, or in conjunction to produce a corresponding variaion of the lip members, thereby simulating the lip action of a person in actually saying the same thing.

It is intended that a robot equipped with this lip motion will be operated by an electrical reproducer either in connection with a receiver for radio or a sound reproducer as shown more or less diagrammatically in Fig. l. A disc sound record 35 is placed upon a turntable 36 rotated by a motor 31, the sound being picked up in a Well known manner by a stylus 38 carried by a tone arm 39 mounted to turn and tilt upon a shaft 40. Electrical conductors 4| and 42 connectl the tone arm to terminals 43 and 44 respectively of the radio receiver where the vibrations produced by the record are amplied, the tones of high and low frequencies are separated or ltered and the resultant electrical impulses are given to the magnets I3 and I 9 to impart motion to the lips 24 and 25 as above set forth.

It is obvious that various changes in the forms of the lip members, the extent of their movements, the intensity of the current or the frequency applied to the operating magnets may be varied by suitable means without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

I claim:

1. In a robot lip action, a pair of lip members, and means connected independently thereto for separately operating the lip members to move alone and together and thus simulate the lip action of a person.

2. In a robot lip action, upper and lower lip members, means connected independently thereto for operating the lip members separately, and electro-responsive means depending upon the different intensity of the sound produced for operating the lip members separately and together in accordance therewith.

3. In a robot lip action, the combination with a radio receiving set having outlets for currents of different frequencies, of electro-responsive means separately actuated by said dilerent frequencies, and a pair of lip members independently connected to and separately actuated by said electro-responsive devices for moving the lips separately and together and thus simulating the lip action corresponding to tones of high and low frequency.

4. In a robot lip action, a pair ofmovable lip members, a pair of magnets actuated by currents of diierent intensities, each having a core member moved thereby and an independent connection between each of the core members and a corresponding movable lip member for moving it to simulate lip motion for consonants or vowels in accordance with the intensity of the current.

5. In a robot lip action, a pair of lip members pivotally mounted intermediate their ends, a pair of magnets actuated by currents of different frequencies and having movable cores, means for transmitting the movement of the cores independently and individually to the corresponding lip members to simulate consonant and vowel lip movements, and retarding means for the said moving means to cause a slow stopping movement of the lips.

6. In a robot lip action, upper and lower independently movable lip members, a separate magnet for each member actuated by currents of different intensities, means including a pivoted lever and a rod for connecting each magnet to the corresponding lip member and a retarding device in connection with each lever for slowing the speed of movement imparted by the magnet to the lip member.

7. 'I'he combination with a robot lip action for upper and lower lips; of a sound record, means for reproducing the sound, and electrical means for separating sounds of diierent frequencies; the lip action comprising magnets actuated by diierent frequencies; and separate connections from the magnets to the upper and lower lips for moving them independently in accordance with the reproduction of the sound record to simulate the movement of lips in making the sounds.

. GILBERT A. MAGRUDER.

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