Education and demonstration – Cathode ray screen display and audio means
Patent
1993-10-18
1995-08-15
Cheng, Joe H.
Education and demonstration
Cathode ray screen display and audio means
434365, 348838, 348522, 40457, D14124, G09B 500
Patent
active
054414148
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
TECHNICAL FIELD
The invention relates to an audio-visual dummy.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The prior art technique concerns so-called audio-visual dummies which are meant to be active: that means that they re-create the real presence of an individual. All the known techniques which aim at obtaining the illusion or the appearance of life in the dummy result from the projection of a film or of two or three-dimensional slides onto the head of the dummy, as in U.S. Pat. No. 3,973,840 and French Patent No. 2,293,023. The projection being synchronized with a sound recording, the dummy looks as if it had facial motions while giving a message. Known types of devices meet with many difficulties both in using and in providing a faithful reproduction of facial motions. The major difficulty in using such dummy results from the projection system which requires perfect lighting and adjustment, and therefore eliminates many possible uses as for example outdoor use. For someone using this type of dummy, it is very difficult, indeed impossible to create a visual and sound message on his own, since it requires a specific and time consuming preparation and production technique. Accordingly, the user is faced with a major inconvenience: the versatility of application of the dummy. The film or the slides made from a human face whose features have been used as a model for creating the facial features of the dummy, suppose the use of the head of the dummy which corresponds to that of the model. When facial movements will be projected onto the head of the dummy, there will always be either a slight time-lag or shadows because of projecting the face on a three-dimensional surface of about 180.degree..
It is an object of the present invention to find a remedy for the disadvantages above described.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
According to the invention, the audio-visual dummy comprises a rigid structure which looks like a human body and, in place of the head, the rigid structures receives a monitor which is able to transmit an audio-visual message, such monitor being connected to a system for reading the message.
Interestingly, the audio-visual dummy is placed on a base wherein the reading system is inserted. Preferably, the various connections of the monitor are placed in its lower part so that the cords linking the connections to the reading system can be placed inside the rigid structure and be concealed from spectators.
Advantageously, the rigid structure comprises an inner metal core provided with hollow tubes able to house the cords.
Said rigid structure can also be made of plastic or resinous substances so as to avoid incorporating a metal core.
According to an interesting embodiment of the present invention, the monitor is provided with four anchoring points suitable to cooperate with four attachments which are part of the rigid structure.
Preferably, the base includes a space for storing video-cassettes and/or video disks as well as a space for a battery, an automatic cord winder and an infrared cell for the remote control of the system reading the audio-visual message.
So as to facilitate the movement of the dummy according to the invention, the base is advantageously mounted on rollers.
Preferably, the monitor is provided with a mask. When the film is read on the monitor, the face emerges from its support thanks to its natural colour so that the spectator can ignore the monitor. And the spectator will be able to ignore the monitor to a greater extent if the latter is oval-shaped. For the same purpose, the rigid structure which looks like a body can be provided with one or several articulated limb.
Once the message author's face has been previously recorded on a video-cassette or a video disk by means of a camera, the screen restores the same face and all the facial movements determined by this message. Such technique eliminates all the problems met by existing audio-visual dummies when restoring facial movements. Since the image is restored by the screen of the monitor, all the technical problems linked with the proj
REFERENCES:
patent: 2948069 (1960-08-01), Johnson
patent: 3973840 (1976-08-01), Jacobs et al.
patent: 4046262 (1977-09-01), Vykukal et al.
patent: 4622771 (1986-11-01), Spengler
patent: 4641251 (1987-02-01), Inoue
patent: 4642710 (1987-02-01), Murtha et al.
patent: 4673371 (1987-06-01), Furukawa
patent: 4835450 (1989-05-01), Suzuki
patent: 4923428 (1990-05-01), Curran
patent: 4982281 (1991-01-01), Gutierrez
patent: 5021878 (1991-06-01), Lang
"Computerized personal robots" by Daniel J. Ruby, Popular Science, May 1983, pp. 98-100 and 136.
"For the active couch potato" by William J. Hawkins, Popular Science, Jun. 1988, p. 19.
LandOfFree
Audio-visual dummy does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Audio-visual dummy, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Audio-visual dummy will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2177928