WO1996015525A1

WO1996015525A1 - Method for scanning in hand-held recorder

Info

Publication number: WO1996015525A1
Application number: PCT/US1995/014979
Authority: WO
Inventors: Norbert P. Daberko; Richard K. Davis; Richard D. Bridgewater
Original assignee: Norris Communications Corp.
Priority date: 1994-11-16
Filing date: 1995-11-16
Publication date: 1996-05-23
Also published as: AU4238696A

Abstract

A solid state digital hand-held recording device (10) having a multifunctional switch assembly (31). A printed circuit board, including a microcontroller electrically coupled to switch terminals, operates to control the processing of sound into electrical signals and store signals on a digital recording medium. The switch assembly actuates electrical signals, coupled to the microcontroller, thereby activating a sequence of actions (a program) stored within read-only memory device. A plurality of programs can be activated to begin a message scanning function and a message skipping function.

Description

METHOD FOR SCANNING IN HAND HELD RECORDER

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

' 1. Field of the Invention

5 This invention pertains to scanning voice messages, and in particular to scanning voice messages stored on a digital recording medium in hand held recording devices, where a switch assembly on a solid state digital hand held dictation device activates a 0 scanning mode whereby jumping between and playing portions of previously recorded messages is facilitated. 2. Prior Art

The method for dictating and then listening to voice messages is largely determined by the devices available for dictation. The prior art is replete with recording devices that save information by selectively magnetizing a layer of magnetic-oxide material that is bonded to a thin flexible tape, commonly referred to as cassette tape. The user listens to the saved information by playing the entire message, or jumping from message to message by using the reverse or fast forward capabilities of the recording device, hoping to hear a portion of each message but often never certain that has happened.

Tape is a medium with deficiencies that until the present invention have been unavoidable, but we have become so accustomed to them that we often forget the drawbacks. We probably owe this willingness to overlook deficiencies to the fact that dictation devices have become indispensable to business. Nevertheless, these unavoidable deficiencies have turned the process of jumping from message to message into a typical sequence of the following steps:

1) The user listens to the message at the current position of the tape.

2) The user reverses or fast forwards the tape to hear a previous or subsequent message, repeatedly stopping at short intervals to listen to the tape and trying to determine whether in fact a different message is being heard.

The recording medium of cassette tape forces the speaker to use the above process because the tape is analog and linear. In the prior art, a user cannot pick up a dictation device, listen to the current message, and then press a button to instantaneously jump to the precise beginning point of the next message. Tape can only be wound at a limited velocity. Even if the next message is only a short length of tape from the current position, there is still a finite time required to wind the tape forward or backward. This scenario also assumes that the messages have been marked in some way such that the dictation device can find and stop at the previous or subsequent message. Typically, the user must do a time consuming search that subject to a great deal of error. It would be an improvement over the prior art to be able to press a switch or sequence of switches and instantaneously jump from the current message to the beginning of any previous or subsequent message. Another deficiency of tape is that the time lag necessary for winding a tape prevents a dictation device from playing a portion of each message, and then jumping to a subsequent message instantaneously. This is a result of the delicate nature of tape and the constraints of a limited tape winding velocity.

If jumping from message to message was instantaneous, a user could rapidly scan and hear the beginning of all previously recorded messages in a fraction of the time required when tape is the recording medium. Therefore, it would also be an improvement over the prior art to enable a scan mode to start at the first message of a recording medium and play approximately three seconds of the beginning of each message, and jump instantaneously after playing the beginning of a subsequent message, and continue until all messages are played.

OBJECTS AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a method and apparatus for automatically listening to a portion of the beginning of each message on a recording medium, jumping instantaneously from the end of each portion played to the beginning of the subsequent message and repeating the process until the beginning portion of all messages on the recording medium have been played.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a method and apparatus for instantaneously jumping to any previous or subsequent message without having to wait for the recording media to advance or rewind.

These and other objects not specifically recited are realized in a solid state digital hand held recording device having a multifunctional switch assembly. A printed circuit board includes a microcontroller electrically coupled to switch terminals which operates to control the processing of sound into electrical signals and store said signals on a digital recording medium. A single, manually operable rocker-pad is centrally mounted upon a pivot support of the hand held recording device. The rocker-pad actuates electrical signals coupled to said microcontroller thereby activating a sequence of actions (a program) stored within the microcontroller in a read-only memory (ROM) device. A plurality of programs can be activated by the manually operable rocker-pad to process digitally recorded sound as the user desires. Also disclosed is a method for scanning previously recorded messages. The process of automatically scanning each message within the recording medium includes the steps of (i) placing the recording device into an idle mode where all recording device functions are inactive, (ii) entering the scan mode, and (iii) listening to approximately three seconds of each message, beginning with the first recorded message and continuing in the order in which the messages were recorded.

In addition, the process is disclosed for instantaneously jumping from a message to any previous or subsequent message which includes the steps of (i) placing the recording device into the idle mode, and

(ii) instantaneously jumping to any previous or subsequent message at the press of a single switch. These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will be set forth in the detailed description which follows, and will be apparent to those skilled in the art based on the description taken in combination with the accompanying drawings. The objects and advantages of the invention may be realized and obtained by means of the instruments and combinations particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Figure 1A is a front view of a hand held digital recording device with a multifunctional switch assembly made in accordance with the principles of the present invention; Figure IB is a perspective view of the multifunctional switch and the contact elements beneath from fig. 1A.

Figure 1C is a perspective view of the record switch and the contact element beneath from fig. 1A.

Figure 2A is a flowchart of steps for executing a random insertion within a previously recorded digital message.

Figure 2B is a diagram representing memory structure before and after partial message random insertion of fig. 2A.

Figure 3A is a flowchart of steps for executing a random deletion of a segment of previously recorded digital message. Figure 3B is a diagram representing memory structure before and after partial message random deletion of fig. 3A.

Figure 4A is a flowchart of steps for executing a logically sequential jump forward or backwards through previously recorded messages.

Figure 4B is a diagram representing memory structure before and after the jump of figure 4A. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Figure 1A illustrates the features of a hand held, solid state digital recording device 10. The hand held recorder includes a casement 12 containing a microphone element 14, a speaker element 15, a printed circuit board 13 (fragmented view, figure IB) , and a recording medium 18 (partially visible) . The printed circuit board 13 beneath the face of the casement 12 includes a microcontroller 20 with an internal read only memory (ROM) , said microcontroller being electrically coupled to the recording medium 18 and to switch terminals 33 (multifunctional) and 36 (record) disposed on said circuit board 13 and appearing through openings in the casement 12. These components are well known within the industry. The switch terminals 33 and 36 differ from each other in structure. Switch element 33 is a rocker-pad pivotally mounted upon a pivot support (not shown) . The pivot support allows the rocker-pad 33 to tilt about said pivot support, being responsive to manual manipulation of said rocker-pad 33. The rocker-pad 33 includes a periphery portion 30 with at least four lateral extremities 31a, 31b, 31c, 3Id having electrical contacts 32a, 32b, 32c, 32d (figure IB) beneath the rocker-pad 33 and parallel to the circuit board 13. Electrical switch terminals 22a, 22b, 22c,

22d (figure IB) disposed under the rocker-pad 30 are aligned with said electrical contacts 32. When the rocker-pad 33 is manipulated, an electrical contact corresponding to the rocker-pad extremity 31 makes contact with a corresponding switch terminal 22. The functions executable by manipulating the rocker-pad 33 are many, despite there being only four specific labels 31a, 31b, 31c, 3id corresponding to the rocker- pad 33 extremities. The four labels are play 3la, fast-forward 3Id, pause 31b, and reverse 31c.

An electrical signal is produced by making an electrical contact between one of the electrical contacts 32 and the corresponding switch terminal 22 disposed beneath. The signal goes to the microcontroller which determines which switch of the rocker-pad 33 was pressed, whether the record switch 36 was pressed, or a combination of the two. The microcontroller accesses the appropriate segment of internal ROM memory containing the instructions for executing the appropriate function. The switches 33 and 36 may also be operated in conjunction to produce an electrical signal defining a process that can not be activated by pressing a single switch.

Switch element 36 is a manually operable record switch. Switch terminal 24 (figure 1C) is disposed under the record switch 36 and aligned to make contact between an electrical contact 25 disposed beneath the record switch and the switch terminal 24 when the record switch 36 is pressed. The electrical signal produced by depressing the record switch 36 also sends a signal to the microcontroller 20 which accesses the appropriate segment of ROM memory containing the instructions for executing whatever function is defined by pressing the record switch 36 alone or in conjunction with the multifunction switch 33. Figure 2A is a flowchart of the steps for entering a scan mode for repeatedly listening to the first few seconds of a message and then jumping to the beginning of the next message in memory until all messages are scanned. Unlike the prior art which would require a possibly lengthy wait between listening to message fragments, the flash memory in the present invention allows instantaneous access to any memory segment, enabling the playback of any message or message fragment.

Step 1 designated 110 is a preliminary step requiring that the recorder be placed in the idle mode, where the recording device functions are inactive. Step 2 designated 120 shows the user executing the scan mode by pressing and holding the pause switch 31b. The green LED 60 is lit while the first few seconds of each message is played, beginning with the first message recorded on the flash memory recording medium, until a fragment of all messages have been heard.

Step 3 designated 130 shows that the user can exit the scan mode when the desired message is found by pressing and holding the pause switch 31b. The green LED 60 is extinguished. Step 4 designated

140 shows that the user need only press the play switch 31a to play the message found. The green LED 60 is lit. Figure 2B is a diagram of the flash memory digital structure used in the present invention. The box 150 represents a possible arrangement of messages. Arrow 151 shows that during scan mode, the blank memory segment between messages A and C will be skipped, with no pause between said messages. Likewise, arrow 151 shows that the blank memory segment between messages C and E will also be skipped without a pause between them. Figure 3A is a flowchart of the steps for jumping instantaneously in flash memory from where a message is being played to the beginning of an immediately previous or subsequent message, and having that message immediately played. Step 1 designated 210 is a preliminary step that requires the recorder to be playing any message in memory, and the green LED 60 is lit.

Step 2 designated 220 shows that the user presses the reverse switch 31c or the fast-forward switch 3Id to immediately begin playing a previous or subsequent message in memory.

Figure 3B is a diagram of the flash memory structure used in the present invention. The box 230 shows in this example that message C was being played, but as indicated by arrow 231, the user has pressed the reverse switch 31c while in the play mode. The result is that the previous message, message A, begins playing from the beginning. Figure 4A is a flowchart of the steps for jumping from the beginning of any message to the beginning of another message. The nature of the digital flash memory enables the user to instantaneously jump between messages.

Step 1 designated 310 is a preliminary step of placing the recorder in idle mode, where the recording device functions are inactive.

Step 2 designated 320 shows that in relation to the current message, the recorder jumps to the previous or subsequent message depending on whether the reverse 31c or fast-forward switch 3Id is pressed. Figure 4B is a diagram of the flash memory of the present invention. The box 330 shows a possible division of memory, with messages A, C, D and E being previously recorded. Arrow 331 indicates that whereas the recorder was currently positioned to play message C, the user has hit the fast-forward switch 3Id to cause the recorder to be ready to play message D the moment the play switch 31a is pressed.

It is to be understood that the described embodiments of the invention are illustrative only, and that modifications thereof may occur to those skilled in the art. Accordingly, this invention is not to be regarded as limited to the embodiments disclosed, but is to be limited only as defined by the appended claims herein.

Claims

CLAIMS What is claimed is:

1. A device for enabling the playback of a first few seconds of a plurality of pre-recorded messages stored on a recording medium, whereby said device repeatedly jumps to a beginning of a subsequent message after playing the first few seconds of a previous message until the messages have all been partially played, said device comprising: a solid state digital hand held recording device having a single switch assembly, a multifunctional switch assembly, a digital recording medium including a region forming a continuity of pre-recorded messages, a printed circuit board including a microcontroller electrically coupled to the switch assemblies and operable to (i) control the processing of sound into electrical signals, (ii) store said signals on the digital recording medium, and (iii) play back the sounds stored as signals on the recording medium; and scanning means for repeatedly playing a first few seconds of the plurality of pre-recorded messages, and then jumping to the subsequent message stored on the recording medium until the first few seconds of the plurality of messages are played, said scanning means

(i) locating a first memory address pointer stored in memory that identifies a point in memory where a first recorded message on the recording medium is stored, (ii) causing said first message to play, (iii) finding a second memory address pointer that points to a subsequent message in the continuity of pre-recorded messages, (iv) causing said subsequent message to play immediately after a previous message has played for a few seconds, and (v) repeating steps (iii) and (iv) until the plurality of pre-recorded messages on the recording medium have played, providing seamless playback of the first few seconds of each message on the recording medium with no manual involvement of the user other than activating the multifunctional switch assembly.

2. A device as defined in claim 1, wherein the multifunctional switch assembly includes a single, manually operable rocker-pad mounted upon the hand held recording device, said rocker-pad including means for activating a scan mode wherein the device is repeatedly playing and then jumping to messages in the sequence the plurality of messages were recorded.

3. A device as defined in claim 1, wherein the digital recording medium includes a flash memory unit that is electrically coupled to said device whereby voice messages may be recorded thereon.

4. A device as defined in claim 1, wherein the microcontroller includes a read-only memory for storage of microcontroller instructions for executing the function of the scanning means.

5. A method for scanning a portion of each message stored on the recording medium in a hand held recording device to facilitate finding a particular message, said method comprising the steps of: a) placing the recording device into an idle mode wherein the recording device functions are inactive; and b) entering a scan mode a first few seconds of each message is played, beginning with a first recorded message and continuing in the order that messages were recorded until a portion of each message has been played.

6. A method as defined in claim 5, further providing a method for instantaneously jumping from a message to any previous or subsequent message, wherein step b) comprises jumping from a current message position to any previous or subsequent message without causing said message to play.

7. A device for enabling jumping between previous and subsequent messages relative to a current message identified by a memory address pointer as a message that will begin playing upon activating a play switch, said device comprising: a solid state digital hand held recording device having a single switch assembly, a multifunctional switch assembly, a digital recording medium including a region forming a continuity of pre-recorded messages, a printed circuit board including a microcontroller electrically coupled to the switch assemblies and operable to (i) control the processing of sound into electrical signals, (ii) store said signals on the digital recording medium, and (iii) play back the sounds stored as signals on the recording medium; and message skipping means for jumping to the previous or the subsequent messages relative to the current message identified by a first memory address pointer as a message that will begin playing upon activation of the play switch on the multifunctional switch assembly, whereby a second memory address pointer containing a memory address of the previous or the subsequent messages is stored in said first memory address pointer with no manual involvement of the user other than activating the multifunctional switch assembly.

8. A device as defined in claim 7, wherein the digital recording medium includes a flash memory unit that is electrically coupled to said device whereby voice messages may be recorded thereon.

9. A device as defined in claim 7, wherein the microcontroller includes a read-only memory for storage of microcontroller instructions for executing a message skipping function.