Method for transmitting voice information

• US 4,742,516 A
• Filed: 01/10/1986
• Issued: 05/03/1988
• Est. Priority Date: 01/14/1985
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Sumitomo Electric Industries Limited (Sumitomo Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Sumitomo Electric Industries Limited (Sumitomo Corporation)
• Inventors: Yamaguchi, Mikio
• Primary Examiner(s): NOT, DEFINED
• Assistant Examiner(s): Scutch, III, Frank M.
• Application Number:
  US06/817,603
• Time in Patent Office: 844 Days
• Field of Search: 370/60, 370/94, 370/99, 455/156, 455/158, 340/825.44, 340/311.1
• US Class Current: 370/312
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/27 Arrangements for recording or accumulating broadcast information or broadcast-related information
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 379/908 Multimedia

Abstract

A system including a broadcasting station which transmits many independent information packets to many receiving sets in succession. An information packet consists of a text, a classification code and a distinction code. Text is a sequence of words and symbols which may be converted into voice. Classification codes specify the substance of text, distinction code is annexed to each different text for distinguishing that type of text from other texts. A receiving set with registered classification codes selects and accumulates only necessary information packets by comparing the transmitted classification codes with stored codes. If the codes match, the text is stored so that the receiver can playback the voice information at a convenient later time.

Claims

1. A method for transmitting information over a system having at least one broadcasting station and a plurality of receivers, comprising the steps of:

composing information packets each of which includes a text portion including a sequence of words and symbols, a classification code signifying the type of text being transmitted and a distinction code indicating which of a plurality of repetitions a particular message is annexed to for each text portion;

converting the information packets into digital signals;

transmitting the digital signals representing said information packets at least once;

receiving the digital signal information packets at said receivers, each of which as preprogrammed therein at least one classification code, the at least one pre-programmed classification code at a particular receiver being changed, added as a new classification code or deleted by a user for signifying the type of text the user wishes to receive at said particular receiver;

selecting received information packets with a classification code corresponding to the pre-programmed classification code at each receiver;

selecting the information packets with a distinction code other than the distinction codes corresponding to already accumulated text portions so that duplication information is not received;

accumulating the selected information packets; and

conveying to a user information corresponding to the text portions of the accumulated information packets by at least one of visually displaying said information and enunciating said information over a speaker at each receiver.

2. A method according to claim 1 wherein said step of composing comprises the step of composing information packets having a text portion where the text comprises sentences including at least one of the following types of characters:

square forms of Japanese syllabary, alphabets, numerals, Chinese characters, pronunciation symbols, an accent symbol, a blank symbol, a period and comma.

3. A method according to claim 1 wherein said step of composing comprises the step of composing information packets having a text portion where the text comprises sentences including at least one of the following types of characters:

square forms of Japanese syllabary, alphabets, numbers, an accent symbol, a blank symbol, a period and a comma.

4. A method according to claim 1 wherein said step composing comprises the step of composing information packets wherein the classification code comprises a symbol signifying a classification code and a sequence of a predetermined number of numerals.

5. A method according to claim 4 wherein said step of composing comprises the step of composing information packets wherein the classification code comprises a slash "/" and ten numerals succeeding the "/".

6. A method according to claim 1 wherein said step of composing comprises the step of composing information packets wherein the distinction code comprises a symbol signifying a distinction code and a sequence of a predetermined number of numerals.

7. A method according to claim 6 wherein said step of composing comprises the step of composing information packets wherein the distinction code comprises the symbol signifying a distinction code and a sequence of ten numerals indicating the year, month, day, o'"'"'clock, and minute of the time of obtaining the text portion of the information packet.

8. A method according to claim 6 wherein said step of composing comprises the step of composing information packets wherein the distinction code comprises the symbol signifying a distinction code and a sequence of sixteen numerals comprising ten numerals indicating the year, month, day, o'"'"'clock, and minute of the time of obtaining the text portion of the information packet, two numerals indicating a repetition number of transmission of the text portion of an information packet and four numerals indicating the tme of transmission.

9. A method according to claim 8 wherein said step of composing comprises the step of composing information packets wherein the symbol signifying a distinction code is a yen symbol "Y".

10. A method according to claim 1 wherein the step of transmitting comprises the step of transmitting via electric wire cables.

11. A method according to claim 1 wherein the step of transmitting comprises the step of transmitting via optical fiber cables.

12. A method according to claim 1 wherein the step of transmitting comprises the step of modulating a carrier wave with the digital signals representing said information packets, the binary values "0" and "1" being represented by the modulation of said carrier wave with two different frequencies.

13. A method according to claim 1 wherein said step of transmitting comprises the steps of transmitting by a first broadcasting station having a wide broadcasting area and transmitting by a second broadcasting station having a narrow broadcasting area using the same transmitting medium in turn by time multiplexing the digital signals representing said information packets for transmission.

22. A method according to claim 1 wherein said step of conveying comprises the step of synthesizing a voice message from accumulated text portions.

23. A method according to claim 1 wherein said step of conveying comprises the step of displaying alpha-numeric characters of said accumulated text portions.

24. A method according to claim 23 wherein said step of conveying comprises the step of displaying alpha-numeric characters of said accumulated text portions.

14. A method for transmitting voice information from at least one broadcasting station to a plurality of receivers, comprising the steps of:

composing information packets each of which includes a text portion including a sequence of words and symbols and a classification code signifying a substance of the text portion;

converting the information packets into digital signals;

transmitting one time the information packets substantially as digital signals via a transmitting medium in succession;

receiving at at least one of said receivers having at least one classification code stored therein, said transmitted information packets, said stored classification codes being changed, added as a new classification code or deleted by a user for signifying the substance of the text portion the user wishes to receive;

selecting received information packets with a classification code corresponding to the stored classification code at said at least one receiver;

accumulating in said at least one receiver selected information packets having a classification code matching the classification code previously stored in said receiver; and

conveying to a user information corresponding to the texts of the accumulated information packets by at least one of visually displaying said information and enunciating said information over a speaker at each receiver according to an output order determined by said at least one receiver.

15. A method according to claim 14 wherein the step of composing comprises the step of composing information packets wherein said text portion comprises at least one of the following types of characters:

the square forms of Japanese syllabary, alphabets, numerals, Chinese character, pronunciation symbols, an accent symbol, a blank symbol a, period and comma.

16. A method according to claim 14 wherein the step of composing comprises the step of composing information packets with a classification code including a symbol signifying that the following data is part of a classification code, said following data comprising a sequence of a predetermined number of numerals.

17. A method according to claim 16 wherein the step of composing comprises the step of composing information packets wherein said classification code includes a slash "/" and ten numerals succeeding said "/".

18. A method according to claim 14 wherein said step of transmitting comprises the step of transmitting via electric wire cables.

19. A method according to claim 14 wherein said step of transmitting comprises the step of transmitting via optical fiber cables.

20. A method according to claim 14 wherein said step of transmitting comprises the step of modulating a carrier wave with the digital signals corresponding to said information packets, the binary values "0" and "1" being represented by the modulation of said carrier wave with two different frequencies.

21. A method according to claim 14 wherein said step of transmitting comprises the steps of transmitting by a first broadcasting station having a wide broadcasting area and transmitting by a second broadcasting station having a narrow broadcasting area by time multiplexing the digital signals corresponding to said information packets.

25. A method according to claim 14 wherein said step of conveying comprises the step of synthesizing a voice message from accumulated text portions.

26. A method according to claim 14 wherein said step of conveying comprises the step of displaying alpha-numeric characters of said accumulated text portions.

27. A method according to claim 26 wherein said step of conveying comprises the step of displaying alpha-numeric characters of said accumulated text portions.