Verbal computer terminal system
First Claim
1. A communications system for verbal telephonic communication of textual data in remote computer systems, comprising:
- (a) text-to-speech (TTS) means for translating digitally stored textual data into analogue speech signals corresponding to the verbal expression to said textual data;
(b) telephonic receiving means for receiving a request for data from a telephone caller, includingmeans for detecting an incoming telephone call and establishing a telephonic connection with the caller; and
instruction means for receiving and interpreting instructions from said caller, said instructions including commands specifying what data to retrieve;
(c) data base access means for accessing a data base in a separate computer system, includingmeans for establishing a connection with a separate computer system;
means for emulating a computer terminal suitable for communication with said separate computer system; and
means for requesting and receiving data from a data base in said separate computer system; and
(d) data delivery means, includingmeans, responsive to said instructions from said caller, for extracting a portion of said data, wherein said portion of said data is selected in accordance with said instructions received from said caller; and
means for routing said portion of said data to said TTS means for translation thereby; and
means for routing said speech signals from said TTS means to said caller by means of said telephonic connection.
8 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A telephonic data communications system provides verbal communication of data in remote computer systems. The major components of the systems are a plurality of channels and a data processor. Each channel includes a text-to-speech translator for translating digitally stored textual data into analogue speech signals corresponding to the verbal expression of the textual data; a telephone interface for establishing a telephonic connection with a caller; and an RS232 port for accessing a data base in a remote host computer system. The data processor includes software for controlling the communications protocols used by each channel, whereby each channel emulates a computer terminal suitable for communication with the remote computer system connected to that channel, and software for extracting selected data from the data received from the remote computer system. This system enables one to telephonically receive data from a remote computer without the need for a computer terminal and without needing to reprogram the remote computer to communicate with the telephonic data communication system.
80 Citations
14 Claims
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1. A communications system for verbal telephonic communication of textual data in remote computer systems, comprising:
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(a) text-to-speech (TTS) means for translating digitally stored textual data into analogue speech signals corresponding to the verbal expression to said textual data; (b) telephonic receiving means for receiving a request for data from a telephone caller, including means for detecting an incoming telephone call and establishing a telephonic connection with the caller; and instruction means for receiving and interpreting instructions from said caller, said instructions including commands specifying what data to retrieve; (c) data base access means for accessing a data base in a separate computer system, including means for establishing a connection with a separate computer system; means for emulating a computer terminal suitable for communication with said separate computer system; and means for requesting and receiving data from a data base in said separate computer system; and (d) data delivery means, including means, responsive to said instructions from said caller, for extracting a portion of said data, wherein said portion of said data is selected in accordance with said instructions received from said caller; and means for routing said portion of said data to said TTS means for translation thereby; and means for routing said speech signals from said TTS means to said caller by means of said telephonic connection. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 14)
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6. A communications system for verbal telephonic communication of textual data in remote computer systems, comprising:
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(a) text-to-speech (TTS) means for translating digitally stored textual data into analogue speech signals corresponding to the verbal expression of said textual data; (b) telephonic receiving means for receiving a request for data from a telephone caller, including means for detecting an incoming telephone call and establishing a telephonic connection with the caller; and instruction means for receiving and interpreting instructions from said caller, said instructions including commands specifying what data to retrieve; (c) data base access means for accessing a data base in a remote computer system, including means for establishing a connection with a remote computer system; means for emulating a computer terminal suitable for communication with the remote computer system; and means for requesting and receiving data from a data base in said remote computer system; and (d) data delivery means, including means for routing at least a portion of said data to said TTS means for translation thereby; and means for routing said speech signals from said TTS means to said caller by means of said telephonic connection; wherein said instruction means includes DTMF decoder means for decoding analogue DTMF signals received from said caller into digital DTMF values; and DTMF interpreter means for interpreting said digital DTMF values as predefined commands; and means for specifying the data to be retrieved by said communications system; said data delivery means includes means for extracting selected data from the data retrieved from said remote computer system, said selected data corresponding to the instructions received from said caller; and said means for extracting includes means for interpreting said data received from said remote computer system as a screen image and means for extracting a predefined portion of said screen image.
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7. A communications system for verbal telephonic communication of textual data in remote computer systems, comprising:
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(a) a plurality of channel means, each channel means including; (1) text-to-speech (TTS) means for translating digitally stored textual data into analogue speech signals corresponding to the verbal expression of said textual data; (2) telephonic receiving means for receiving a request for data from a telephone caller, including means for detecting an incoming telephone call and establishing a telephonic connection with the caller; and instruction means for receiving instructions from said caller specifying what data to retrieve; (3) data base access means for accessing a data base in a separate computer system, including means for establishing a connection with a separate computer system; (b) data processing means coupled to said plurality of channel means, including a single central processor unit having a set of routines for (1) controlling the communications protocols used by the data base access means in each said channel, whereby each said data base access means emulates a computer terminal suitable for communication with said separate computer system connected thereto; and (2) in accordance with said instructions from said callers to each said channel means, extracting a portion of the data received from said separate computer system connected to each said channel means and routing said extracted data to the TTS means of the channel means which received said data, wherein said portion of said data is selected in accordance with said instructions received from said caller to said channel means. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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Specification