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BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a portable general purpose electronic
apparatus, more particularly, to a new portable general purpose electronic
apparatus capable of displaying memory-stored information on a screen
displaying comprising liquid crystal matrix display elements.
Modern semi-conductor memory elements capable of storing large amounts of
information in a relatively small space are commercially available at
relatively cheap cost. In other technical developments, by densely placing
several hundred dots of liquid crystal matrix display elements in the
veritcal and lateral directions, such a picture composed of a large numer
of dots can be displayed on a compact display unit. Accordingly, despite
such a compact size, there are a vriety of electronic calculators and
electronic game devices capable of displaying a variety of interesting
information. Nevertheless, due to limited functions provided, these
devices cannot perform general purpose operations.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention primarily aims at providing a new portable
audio-visual electronic apparatus which is capable of displaying a variety
of information by replacing semiconductor memory cards storing a variety
of information.
In summary, the present invention comprises a semiconductor memory card for
storing the display information, which is sequentially read out of said
memory card when it is inserted into the apparatus housing as a sequence
of distinct still pictures so that the read-out information can be
displayed on a screen display composed of a matrix of display elements.
The primary object, other objects, and characteristics of the present
invention will be clearly known by the following detailed description with
reference to the drawings attached hereto.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 shows an external perspective view of the new portable
general-purpose electronic apparatus as a preferred embodiment of the
present invention.
FIG. 2 shows the display unit shown in FIG. 1.
FIG. 3 shows a simplified block diagram of the new portable general-purpose
electronic apparatus as a preferred embldiment of the present invention.
FIGS. 4A and 4B respectively show typical data to be stored in memory
cards.
FIG. 5 shows a flowchart describing practical operations as a preferred
embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 6 shows a flowchart describing operations of a further embodiment of
the present invention.
FIG. 7 also shows a flowchart describing operations of a still further
embodiment of the present invention, and
FIG. 8 shows an external perspective view of another embodiment of the
present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
FIG. 1 shows an external perspective view of the new portale general
purpose electronic apparatus as a preferred embodiment of the present
invention, while FIG. 2 shows the display unit of FIG. 1.
In reference to FIGS. 1 and 2, the present invention is described below.
The housing 1 is provided with an insertion slit 3, through which a memory
card 2 is inserted. Memory card 2 contains read-only memory (ROM) storing
a variety of display information, such as novels, cartoons, or dictionary
terms for example. Such a memory card as mentioned above can easily be
produced by means of the modern semi-conductor production technologies.
The memory card 2 can store speech information in addition to display
information. A display device 4 is installed on the front surface of the
housing 1, while such a display device 4 is densely provided with several
hundred dots both in the vertical and lateral directions. As soon as the
memory card 2 is inserted into the memory card inlet 3, a display
information is read out of memory card 2 for display on the screen. As
shown in FIG. 2, information such as of any literary work, producer or
author's name, may be displayed in the initial condition of the display
area 41 of the display device 4, with the key function data of the key
input selector 6 displayed in the display area 42. The housing 1 also
contains a TV tuner (not illustrated), with which a TV picture can be
received from any broadcast station and can be displayed on the display
screen.
The housing 1 also provides an audio output 5 and a key input selector 6 on
its front surface. The audio output 5 includes, for example, a speaker,
through which speech information read out of the memory card 2 can be
pronounced, and if a TV broadcast signal is received by said TV tuner, a
speech can be pronounced. The key input selector 6 comprises a picture
select key 61, ten-key unit 62 and a function key 63. The picture select
key 61 comprises the NEXT key 611, BACK key 612, and the END key 613. The
NEXT key 611 is operated to display the next picture. The BACK key 612 is
operated to display any picture again immediately after it is displayed
once. The END key is operated to display the final scene of the picture
played back. The ten-key unit 62 also includes digital keys to input
digital values and calculation keys to perform arithmetic operations. The
function key 63 switches the operative mode of the electronic apparatus
into either the TV mode, the calculator mode or the information display
mode.
A connector 7 is provided on the lateral surface of the housing 1, enabling
the electronic apparatus to be electrically connected to external devices
such as a cassette tape recorder that can be used for memory means. The
upper surface of the housing 1 is provided with a tuning knob 8, contrast
adjustment knob 9, audio volume adjustment knob 10, and an antenna 11,
that are needed for the TV receiver unit.
If the operator desires to view a TV broadcast program while the display
information of the memory card 2 is being displayed at the display screen
4, the TV key which is part of the function key 63 should be pressed, and
then a TV broadcast picture will be shown on the display screen 4, while
the audio output 5 outputs speech. If the calculation key which is also
part of the function key 63 is pressed, digital value data inputted by the
digital key 62 along with calculation results can be displayed on the
display screen 4.
FIG. 3 shows a simplified block diagram of a preferred embodiment of the
present invention. Next, construction of the preferred embodiment is
described below. Data bus DB, address bus AB and control bus CB, are
respectively connected to the CPU 11, while these buses are also connected
to a random access memory (RAM) 12, ROM 13, display signal processing
circuit 14, display memory 15, display controller 17, I/O port 18,
connector 7, and the memory card 2. RAM 12 memorizes registers and flags,
whereas ROM 13 stores programs. Display memory 15 memorizes the positions
of dots on the display screen 4 in responding to several bit data. Display
signal processing circuit 14 reads out the display data from the display
memory 15 according to the display control timing before said data is sent
to the display control circuit 16. In responding to the input display
data, the display control circuit 16 displays said data on the display
screen 4. I/O port 18 is connected to the key input 6, and so the I/O port
18 outputs a key strobe signal to the key input 6, which then feeds a key
return signal to the CPU 11. I/O port 18 is also connected to the clock
circuit 19 which counts the actual time and the control timing as well.
I/O port 18 receives a variety of data from, and sends out these data to,
external devices via connector 7. Display controller 17 controls both the
display signal processing circuit 14 and the display memory 15. The TV
tuner 20 is connected to the display controller 17 via the A/D converter
circuit 21. The TV tuner 20 receives the TV broadcast signal and feeds
video signals to the A/D converter circuit 21, which then coverts the
video signals into digital signals for delivery to the display controller
17.
If the TV mode is selected by pressing the TV key, which is part of the
function key 63, the display controller 17 then writes the digital video
signal into the display memory 15 according to the timing counted by the
clock circuit 19.
Although not illustrated, in order to enable the audio output 5 to
pronounce speech, both the speech ROM and the speech synthesizing circuit
are connected to the CPU 11.
FIGS. 4A and 4B respectively show typical data momorized by the memory card
2. First, in reference to FIG. 4A, the memory card 2 contains memory area
from 201 to 20n. Control information 1 is memorized by the memory area
201, while the peak address table is memorized by the memory area 202, and
the screen data are memorized by the remaining memory areas 203 to 20n.
The memory card 2 characteristically uses the control information 1 to
properly read out the screen information. The peak address table memorizes
the peak address of the memory area where the information for each screen
is memorized. Partition codes are inserted into the portions whereby the
screen information memorized by the memory areas 203 to 20n is properly
separated.
FIG. 4B shows that the memory card 2 not only memorizes the screen
information, but also the speech information as well. Memory area 211
memorizes the control information specifically controlling the use of the
screen and speech data. Memory area 212 memorizes the peak addresses of
each screen's speech data. Memory areas 213 to 21n respectively store the
screen and speech data.
FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing an example of operations needed to display
pictures using the memory card 2.
Next, in reference to FIGS. 1 through 5, typical operations of a preferred
embodiment of the present invention are described below. The memory card 2
in this embodiment stores a variety of screen data such as novels and/or
comics. First, the memory card 2 is inserted into the memory card inlet
(slit) 3, enabling the CPU 11 to activate the display controller 17 so
that the data can be read out from the memory card 2. In responding to the
control data 1 memorized by the memory card 2, the display controller 17
first reads out the initial screen data, which is then converted into data
corresponding to each dot of the display screen 4 by the display signal
processing circuit 14. After these data are repositioned so that they
match with each dot, they are memorized by the display memory 15, and
finally the contents of the display memory 15 will be displayed on the
display screen 4 by the display control circuit 16.
Next, data on the screen corresponding to switching key 61, which is part
of the key input selector 6, is read. I/O port 18 feeds the key strobe
signal to the key input selector 6, and if the NEXT key 611 is pressed,
the key return signal responding to the pressed key is fed to the CPU 11,
which then identifies that the NEXT key 611 is pressed and informs the
controller 17 that the NEXT key is being pressed. The display controller
17 designates the memory area 204 by advancing the addresses of the memory
card 2. Then, the first screen information is read out of the memory area
204, which is then displayed on the screen 4. If the END key 613 is
pressed, the end-of-picture information is read out of the final memory
area 20n of the memory card 2 before this information is displayed on the
screen 4. If the BACK key 612 is pressed, the display controller 17 lowers
the addresses so that the screen data that immediately preceded the
instant displayed picture can be displayed again. If the BACK key 612 is
repeatedly pressed, such preceding pictures can be sequentially displayed.
If the pictures are reversed to the first scene, no back operation can be
performed, entering a stand-by mode until the next key operation is
executed. Unless any of the functional keys is operated within a certain
period of time, the display controller 17 automatically advances the
addresses so that the ensuing pictures can be displayed. Such a
pre-determined time is counted by the clock circuit 19. Although there is
no illustration as to the audio output processing in FIG. 5, using the
memory card shown in FIG. 4B, any desired speech based on the speech
information can be pronounced by the audio output 5.
FIG. 6 shows a flowchart describing operations of another embodiment of the
present invention. In this embodiment, index words and these descriptions
as a dictionary are stored in the memory card 2 as a plurality of the
integrated picture information, while any of these can be displayed by
pressing any of the pre-designated ten keys. More particularly, if the
memory card 2 is inserted into the memory card inllet slit 3, the initial
picture is displayed on the screen 4 as was done by the procedures shown
in FIG. 5. Such an initial picture displays, for example, initials of the
index words by digitally designating them. Typically, if a certain digital
value corresponding to any desired index initial is input by pressing the
ten key 62, a key code signal corresponding to the operated digital value
key will be sent to the display controller 17, which then reads the
relevant picture information containing an index corresponding to the
designated digital value from the memory card 2 before said information is
displayed on the screen 4. If the NEXT key 61 is pressed, the address will
advance to cause the relevant picture information to be read out of the
next memory area of the memory card 2, and finally said picture
information will be displayed on the screen 4. Conversely, if the BACK key
is pressed, the address will be brought backward to cause the picture
information that preceded the instant displayed picture to be read for
display on the screen 4. If the END key 613 is pressed to terminate the
scanning for any desired index, the unit enters the initial state once
again, causing the initial picture information to be displayed.
FIG. 7 shows a flowchart describing operations of a still further
embodiment of the present invention. This embodiment aims at displaying
information of any movable picture using movable picture information such
as animated cartoons stored in the memory card 2.
First, an initial picture information is read out of the memory card 2 for
display on the screen 4. Simultaneously, the clock circuit 19 starts the
time counting, and as soon as the CPU 11 identifies that a pre-determined
time has been counted by the clock circuit 19, the CPU sends this
information to the display controller 17. On receipt of this, the display
controller 17 advances the addresses in order to read the next picture
information from the memory card 2, which is then displayed on the screen
4. Whenever the pre-determined time elapses, the display controller 19
sequentially advances the addresses of the memory card 2 to display the
picture information in succession. As soon as the final scene is
identified, the end-of-the-picture information is displayed to terminate
series of the operation.
When displaying a variety of information containing motion pictures such an
animated cartoons, instead of using a memory card 2 having a relatively
large capacity usually needed for displaying such motion pictures,
compressed picture information may be stored in the memory card 2. To
achieve this, the picture information may be memorized by the memory card
2 without remaining as the pictures themselves, but by selectively storing
only those variable scenes between the preceding and the ensuing pictures
in the memory card 2. This is particularly effective when displaying
animated cartoons, since only limited portions of the pictures are varying
in the scene.
FIG. 8 shows an external perspective view of a still further embodiment,
which enables the screen 4 to display only the picture information read
from the memory card 2, and said embodiment deletes all of the electronic
calculator, TV receivor set, and the speech output functions, providing
users with easier portable conveniences.
The present invention thus described in reference to the annexed drawings
will obviously be suggestive of any derivation or modification from the
spirit and scope described therein by those skilled in the arts. However,
it should be understood that the present invention is not limitative of
the spirit and scope thus described, but is intended to solely include all
of such derivations and/or modifications within the spirit and scope of
the following claims.
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