Interactive talking picture machine

US5611694A · kind A · utility

Inventor

• Eric Bromley · West Simsbury, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Jun 6, 1995
• Grant date: Mar 18, 1997
• Expiry date: Jun 6, 2015

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G09B7/04
• WIPO field: Control
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

An electronic talking picture machine is presented which permits human operators to cause speech or sound accompaniment and branching (or alternate) story lines which affect the outcome of a story. In a preferred embodiment, the speech, sound and branching (or alternate) story line information is enclosed as a bar code printed on a picture story belt. The picture story belt is enclosed in a cartridge which contains a mechanism to "roll" the belt from one spool to another so that a sequence of pictures may be viewed. The bar code contains information as to speech, such as conversation narration, questions and answers and sound (other than speech). The information on the bar coded picture story belt is entered into the electronic talking picture machine by inserting the cartridge into a cartridge holding area containing conventional photo optical sensors which "reads" the code when the belt is moved to expose the next picture in the sequence. The electronic talking picture machine has a plurality of controls to allow the human reader to advance the story, control branching, story lines, answer questions and to make certain pictured characters speak to make sounds.