Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
~ 2089597
` The present invention relates to an apparatus for
identification o~ a bird through audio recognition.
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¦ 5 BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Persons engaged in bird watching, during the course of
their observations, hear the calls of birds hidden by
i vegetation. Amateur bird watchers have books to assist them
¦ in making visual identification, but no aids for audio
10 identification.
SUMMARY OF ~HE INVENTION
j~ What is required is a compact, portable and user friendly
;~ apparatus for field use by amateur bird watcher~ to aid in the
15 identification of a bird type through audio recognition.
~j According to the present invention there is provided an
apparatus for the identification o~ a bird through audio
comparison and recognition by the use of a built-in audio
~', 20 receiver and prerecorded and blank memory chips. The audio
3 receiver is connected to a microprocessor such that a call of
a bird received is digitally recorded. A microprocessor is
programmed to conduct an audiographic search and comparison of
the sonagram of the bird call from preprogrammed or owner
25 imputed reference libraries containing data on a plurality of
birds stored in their memories. The memory libraries will be
in the form of separate purchase prerecorded chips containing
either a selection of birds most common to a particular region
or some other combination of birds or family of birds and in
~ 30 the form of separate purchase blank memory chips for the
`I inputting of owner generated data. Both types will be
purchased individually and installed on the modem board by the
owner. Memory storage capacity can then be increased to meet
the demand. A visual display sareen is provided whereby data
35 from the libraries is displayed in both a text and a graphic
~' format upon a successful sonagraphic identification of the bird
being made. An internal power source supplies power to the
components.
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; The apparatus as described enables an audio recognition
of a bird to be made through a comparison of sonagr,~ms.
Although beneficial results are obtained through the use of the
apparatus as described, bird watchers generally prefer some
5 ~Zorm of cross-checking be built into the identification to
en~,ure that an error is not made. Bven more beneficial results
may be obtained by having an audio synthesizer connected to the
7i microprocessor whereby an audio reproduction can be made of any
-~i bird call stored in memory. This feature enables the bird
~`¦ 10 watcher to verify the result in two ways. Firstly, the
~' birdwatcher can produce a synthesized version of the sonagram
for the bird call in order to verify what was digitally
j recorded. Secondly, the birdwatcher can play a synthesized
~l version of the sonagram comparator call as stored in memory for
;~l 15 the bird species identified to verify that the comparator call
from memory matches what he or she is hearing from the
unidentified bird hidden by vegetation. An ear phone is
provided for whenever muted listening is preferred.
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~3; 20 Although beneficial results are obtained through the use
~, of the apparatus, as described, bird watchers generally like
to keep a record of their bird s3ightings. Such records
generally include such data as date, time, weather, location,
together with a bird count. Even more beneficial results may, ~i~
~,~ 25 therefore, be obtained when the microproce~sor has a database
adapted for the recording of data respecting bird sightings and
a keyboard is provided whereby data regarding bird sightings -~
;~ i8 imputed into the database for future forwarding to permanent
memory.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
These and other features of the invention will become more
apparent from the following description in which reference is -~
made to the appended drawings, wherein: -
;~ 35 FI~URE 1 i~ a per,3pective view of an apparatu~ for
identifying a bird through audio recognition conSr~tructed in
accordance with the teachings of the present invention.
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;~, FIGURE 2 is a block diagram illustrating the inter-
relationship of the components of the apparatus illustrated in
FIGURE 1.
i FIGURE 3 is a detailed representation of one form of a
,i 5 visual display produced by the apparatus illustrated in FIGURE
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DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
The preferred embodiment, an apparatus for audio
identification of a bird generally identified by reference
numeral 10, will now be described with reference to FI~URES 1
through 3.
Y!j Referring to FI~URE 2, the operating components of
apparatus 10 include an audio receiver 12 and a microprocessor
14. Microprocessor 14 i8 connected to audio receiver 12 such
that a call of a bird received is digitally reaorded as a
sonagram. To facilitate the description of operation which
follows the memories of microprocessor 14 will be described in
termæ of accessible memory 13, read only or closed memory 16
and database 18. An example of a sonagram i8 illustrated in
FIGURE 3. Microprocessor 14 is programmed to conduct a
comparison of the æonagram of the bird call with sonagram call
comparators for a plurality of species of birds stored in
memorieæ 13 and 16. Microprocessor 14 also ha~ inccrporated
within it a database 18, adapted for recording data with
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respect to bird sightings. A visual display 20 i~ provided
whereby data stored in memorieæ 13 and 16 relevant to a
~elected specieæ of bird is displayed upon a æonagrahic
identification of the bird call being made. A keyboard 17 is
connected to microprocessor 14 to enable data regarding bird
sightingi to be input to the database. An audio synthesizer
22 is connected to microproceæsor 14 whereby an audio
reproduction can be made of any bird call stored in memoryr
3S An ear phone adaptor 24 iæ connected to audio æyntheæizer 22
whereby ear phones (not shown) may be connected to audio
syntheæizer 22 for the purpoæe of monitoring the audio
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reproduction of a selected bird call. In the illustrated
embodiment an internal speaker 25 is provided, which gives the
~i birdwatcher the option of listening with or without wParing ear
j phones. An internal power source 26, in the form of batteries,
is provided whereby power is supplied to audio receiver 12,
microprocessor 14, visual display 20, and audio synthesizer 22.
~;i Microprocessor 14 can also be equipped with a jack 33 to
~' permit a highly sensitive directional auxiliary audio receiver
to be connected. ; ~
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The use and operation of apparatus 10 will now be
described with reference to ~I~URE~ 1 and 3. A bird watcher
wishing to identify a bird that he or she can hear but cannot
;¦ see, digitally records the bird~s call in the memory of
microprocessor 14 in the form of a sonagram by using audio
receiver 12 or auxiliary audio receiver 33. Once the bird's
call is recorded microprocessor 14 conducts a comparison of the
sonagram of the bird with a sonagram call comparator of a
plurality of species of birds stored in memories 13 and 16.
!. 20 Upon a successful sonagraphic identification of the bird being
made, data on the selected species of bird is displayed on
visual display 20. This can take the form of a visual sonagram
comparison as illustrated in FI~URE 3. The bird watcher can
verify the identification by listening to an audio reproduction
of the bird call generated by audio synthesizer 22. Once the
bird watcher is satisfied that a correct identification has
been made keyboard 17 is used to enter data regarding the
sighting into database 18.
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It will be apparent to one skilled in the art that there
are a number of ways of configuring microprocessor 14. It is
~` preferred that keyboard 17 have alpha-numeric character keys
and function keys for various search and display modes. It is
preferred that multiple search modes be provided. For example,
35 information from memory could be retrieved either by an auto -
search command based upon a comparison of sonagramsi or by ~`
entering the birds suspected common or scientific name via
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keyboard 17. Display modes may include stored scientific
information about speciss of birds in a text format or
; graphically in the form of a silhouette and together with other
; recognizable characteristics of the bird which may be useful
as an aid for visual identification. Display modes may also
include a side by side comparison of sonagrams, as is
illustrated in FIGURE 3~ It is preferred that internal power
source 26 be rechargeable.
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It will be apparent to one skilled in the art that
~ modifications may be made to the illustrated embodiment without
-, departing from the spirit and scope of the inventîon as defined
I by the Claims.
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