WO2001067227A1

WO2001067227A1 - Apparatus and method for displaying sentence in order to study foreign languages

Info

Publication number: WO2001067227A1
Application number: PCT/KR2001/000338
Authority: WO
Inventors: Seungheon Baek
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2000-03-10
Filing date: 2001-03-06
Publication date: 2001-09-13
Anticipated expiration: 2002-09-10
Also published as: KR20010088140A; AU2001237779A1

Abstract

The present invention comprises storage means for storing plural orthography data including time display information, output location information and output size information on the screen, and control means for reading the orthography data stored in storage means responding to key signal of user inputted through key signal input means, changing a color of the orthography if the time display information of the orthography data accords with the preset ime, deciding the output location on the screen by analyzing the output location information of the orthography, deciding the output size on the screen by analyzing the output size information of the orthography and outputting the orthography data having the decided color, output location and output size to video treating means so that the user can recognize speed and intonation of sentence and accent of words constructed the sentence on watching the displayed sentence on the screen.

Description

APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR DISPLAYING

SENTENCE IN ORDER TO STUDY FOREIGN LANGUAGE

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an apparatus and a method for displaying sentences to learn foreign languages. More specifically, the present invention relates to an apparatus and a method for displaying sentences to learn foreign languages, in which the displayed foreign language sentences can be easily understood as to their speed, their accents and their pitches.

2. Description of the Background Art

Generally, the foreign language education is the field which is studiously interested by many people. Further, the foreign language education is sustainedly carried out. Particularly, the foreign language learners (to be called simply 'learners' below) are mainly interested in attaining to a high conversation ability (including the talking ability and the listening ability), this being the main target of the learning of the foreign languages.

In order to attain to the above mentioned target, the learners have to accurately understand various sentence conditions, and have to be trained in pronouncing the various words. If this training is not properly carried out, when talking a foreign language, the intended meaning of the learner may be utterly erroneously understood by the other party.

Here, the above mentioned various sentence conditions include: the speed of sentence, the pitches of sentence and the accents of words.

Therefore learners are usually trained for a long time, so that they can talk with foreigners proficiently.

Further, learners use foreign language education materials and utilize the commercialized education methods. The foreign language education materials give the pronouncing information accurately, and at the same time, the foreign language education materials are sometimes sold in the form of a recording medium such as magnetic tapes or the like. In these materials, the pronunciations of foreigners or foreign residents are recorded, and the pitches of sentences are well expressed.

In the case where a foreign language is learned by using the education material, if the study is done by himself or herself, then a real time confirmation cannot be made as to whether the speed of the sentence is proper, whether the accents of the words are accurate, and whether the pitches of the sentences are correct.

In order to overcome these problems, learners usually listen to their pronunciations after carrying out the study, but this method cannot confirm as to whether their pronunciations are correct. Accordingly, the problems in studying the foreign languages still remain unsolved.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is intended to overcome the above described disadvantages of the conventional techniques.

Therefore it is an object of the present invention to provide an apparatus and a method for displaying sentences to learn foreign languages, in which the displayed foreign language sentences can be easily understood as to their speed, their accents and their pitches.

In achieving the above object, the apparatus for displaying a sentence to learn a foreign language in a foreign language learning system enables a learner to manipulate a key signal inputting means for himself or herself so as to learn a foreign language, outputs character signals through a video signal processing means to a screen by the manipulation, and outputs audio signals (corresponding to the sentence) through an audio signal processing means to a speaker Further, the apparatus includes a storage means for storing a plurality of character data constituting a sentence data, the sentence data including a first time information, a second time information, an output position information and an output size information, and a control means for reading out the character data from the storage means in response to key signals of a key inputting means of a user, for altering the color of the characters (if a correspondence is seen upon comparing the time information with a pre-set time), for deciding an output position on the screen by analyzing the output position information of the characters, for deciding an output size on the screen by analyzing the output size information of the characters, and for outputting the character data after deciding the color, the output position and the output size

In another aspect of the present invention, the method for displaying sentences to learn foreign languages according to the present invention includes the steps of (1 ) assigning a time information on each of characters of displayed sentences checking as to whether a recognized time of the time information corresponds to a counted time, and altering the color of each of the characters to express the speed of sentences if a correspondence is seen, (2) expressing the pitches of sentences by varying the height of words of sentences, and (3) varying the size of anyone of the characters among the plurality of the characters in accordance with the accent of a word

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

FIG 1 is a block diagram showing the constitution of the sentence display apparatus according to the present invention, and FIGs 2 to 4 illustrate the method of displaying the sentences on the sentence display apparatus according to the present invention DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

The apparatus for displaying sentences to learn foreign languages according to the present invention will be described referring to the attached drawings.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the constitution of the sentence display apparatus according to the present invention.

As shown in this drawing, a key signal inputting part 10 outputs key signals for studying a foreign language by the manipulation of a user.

A video signal processing part 20 receives video signals from a control part 50 under the control of the control part 50 so as to carry out a signal processing based on the general signal processing method and so as to display the processed result on the screen of the display apparatus.

An audio signal processing part 30 receives audio signals from the control part 50 under the control of the control part 50 so as to carry out a signal processing based on the general signal processing method and so as to output the processed result to a speaker.

A storage part 40 stores a plurality of character data for constituting a sentence data, the sentence data including a first time information, a second time information, an output position information and an output size information. The storage part 40 outputs a plurality of sets of information and the plurality of character data to the control part 50 under the control of the control part 50.

The first and second time information are of the same shape and are of the same meaning. They express the time points at which the sentence data and the character data are displayed to the screen.

Under this condition, the storage part 40 holds the pronunciation data of the respective words (which are respectively composed of characters), so that the user can listen to the pronunciation of the character data. The control part 50 reads out the character data from the storage part 40 in response to the key signals of the key inputting part 10 of a user. Further the control part 50 alters the color of characters (if a correspondence is seen upon comparing the time information with a pre-set time), and decides an output position by analyzing the output size information of the characters. Further, the control part 50 outputs the character data to the video signal processing part 20, after deciding the color, the output position and the output size. Thus the control part 50 controls in such a manner that the foreign language sentences can be displayed as shown in FIGs. 2 to 4.

Meanwhile, the control part 50 reads out the pronunciation data from the storage part 40 to make them matched with the character data which are outputted to the video processing part 20. Then the control part 50 outputs the audio signals to an audio processing part 30, so that the pronunciation of the sentences can be outputted through a speaker.

The control part 50 includes: a counter; and an internal memory which stores an operating program for operating the whole system. FIGs. 2 to 4 illustrate the method of displaying the sentences on the sentence display apparatus according to the present invention.

The control part 50 judges on the key signals which are inputted through the key signal inputting part. Then the control part 50 reads from the storage part 40 the character data and the pronunciation data in which there are provided a first time information, a second time information, an output position information and an output size information.

After such a reading, the control part 50 recognizes the sentence data and the first time information, and compares the first time information with the counted time to output the video signals to the video signal processing part 20 correspondingly to the sentence data.

Under this condition, when outputting the video data to the video signal processing part 20, the control part 50 decides the character position and the character size. Thus finally, displays are made as shown in FIGs. 2 and 3.

Accordingly, the user can recognize the sentence pitches and the word accents while watching the screen.

Further, the control part 50 analyzes the second time information to decide its color so as to output the decided result to the video signal processing part 20. Thus a picture is finally displayed as shown in FIG. 4. Accordingly, the user can recognize the speed of the sentence in an easy manner.

Of course, the control part 50 control the overall system so that the above picture would be displayed on the screen, and that the audio signals would be outputted through the speaker simultaneously.

In the above, the sentence pitches, the word accents and the sentence speed were described referring to FIGs. 2, 3 and 4. However, the final picture which can be read by the user will be a combination of FIGs. 2, 3 and 4.

According to the present invention as described above, the user can accurately recognize the sentence speed, the sentence pitches and the word accents while watching the screen. Accordingly, not only the learning of a foreign language can be efficiently carried out, but also an accuracy is ensured in learning the foreign language.

In the above, the present invention was described based on the specific preferred embodiment and the attached drawings, but it should be apparent to those ordinarily skilled in the art that various changes and modifications can be added without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention which will be defined in the appended claims.

Claims

CLAIMESWHAT IS CLAIMED IS:

1. An apparatus for displaying a sentence to learn a foreign language in a foreign language learning system for enabling a learner to manipulate a key signal inputting means for himself or herself so as to learn a foreign language, for outputting character signals through a video signal processing means to a screen by the manipulation, and for outputting audio signals (corresponding to the sentence) through an audio signal processing means to a speaker, the apparatus comprising: a storage means for storing a plurality of character data constituting a sentence data, the sentence data including a first time information, a second time information, an output position information and an output size information; and a control means for reading out the character data from the storage means in response to key signals of a key inputting means of a user, for altering a color of characters (including letters and codes) (if a correspondence is seen upon comparing the time information with a pre-set time), for deciding an output position on the screen by analyzing the output position information of the characters, for deciding an output size on the screen by analyzing the output size information of the characters, and for outputting the character data after deciding the color, the output position and the output size.

2. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the color of the characters (including letters and codes) expresses a sentence speed, the position of the characters expresses sentence pitches, and the output size of characters expresses word accents.

3. A method for displaying a sentence to learn a foreign language in a foreign language learning system for enabling a learner to manipulate a key signal inputting means for himself or herself so as to learn a foreign language, for outputting character signals through a video signal processing means to a screen by the manipulation, and for outputting audio signals (corresponding to the sentence) through an audio signal processing means to a speaker, the method comprising the steps of: (1 ) assigning a time information on each of characters of displayed sentences, checking as to whether a recognized time of the time information corresponds to a counted time, and altering a color of each of the characters to express a speed of sentences if a correspondence is seen;

(2) expressing pitches of sentences by varying height of words of sentences; and (3) varying a size of anyone of the characters among the plurality of the characters in accordance with an accent of a word.