Communications system for multiple individually addressed messages

• US 5,613,038 A
• Filed: 12/18/1992
• Issued: 03/18/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 12/18/1992
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Lemaire, Charles A., Striemer, Bryan L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hafiz, Tariq R.
• Application Number:
  US07/993,278
• Time in Patent Office: 1,551 Days
• Field of Search: 381/42, 381/43, 381/51, 340/825.44, 395/2, 395/2.69, 395/2.4, 395/2.55-2.68, 379/100
• US Class Current: 704/260
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/023 with message or information receiving capability

Abstract

A communications system has a single transmitter and a large number of portable receivers. The transmitter broadcasts a continuous stream of coded text messages, each addressed to a particular user or group of users. Each receiver demodulates all the messages, compares their addresses with a list of addresses in the receiver, and stores only those messages having one of the proper addresses. The user can activate the receiver to play back messages in the memory, and to choose among the stored messages. The messages selected for playback are converted from digital text to a synthesized voice, sent as an audio signal to the user.

Claims

1. A portable communications receiver for receiving from a broadcast medium a stream of digitally coded messages each including a text portion directly representing the content of the message itself, and an address portion, comprising:

a demodulator for receiving said stream of messages from said medium;

a set of identifiers, including at least one identifier unique to said receiver;

means for comparing said identifier set with the address portion of all messages in said stream and for selecting those whose addresses match at least one identifier in said set;

means for storing the text portion of said selected messages in a sequence; and

switch means operable by a user of said portable communications receiver for choosing one message among said stored selected messages, and wherein said switch means includes

a first switch for sending a current one of said messages in said sequence to a text-to-speech conversion means, wherein said text-to-speech conversion means is coupled to said storing means and responsive to said switch means, for producing analog speech waveforms directly corresponding to the text portion of said one message,

a second switch for choosing a next message in said sequence as said current message, and wherein another operation of said second switch increases the speed of said text-to-speech conversion means,

a third switch for choosing a previous message in said sequence as said current message.

2. A portable communications receiver for receiving from a broadcast medium a stream of digitally coded messages each including a text portion directly representing the content of the message itself, and an address portion, comprising:

a demodulator for receiving said stream of messages from said medium;

a set of identifiers, including at least one identifier unique to said receiver;

means for comparing said identifier set with the address portion of all messages in said stream and for selecting those whose addresses match at least one identifier in said set;

means for storing the text portion of said selected messages in a sequence and;

switch means operable by a user of said portable communications receiver for choosing one message among said stored selected messages, and wherein said switch means includes

a first switch for sending a current one of said messages in said sequence to a text-to-speech conversion means, wherein said text-to-speech conversion means is coupled to said storing means and responsive to said switch means, for producing analog speech waveforms directly corresponding to the text portion of said one message,

a second switch for choosing a next message in said sequence as said current message,

a third switch for choosing a previous message in said sequence as said current message, and wherein another operation of said third switch returns said text-to-speech conversion means to the beginning of said current message.

3. A portable communications receiver for receiving from a broadcast medium a stream of digitally coded messages each including a text portion directly representing the content of the message itself, and an address portion, comprising:

a demodulator for receiving said stream of messages from said medium;

a set of identifiers, including at least one identifier unique to said receiver;

means for comparing said identifier set with the address portion of all messages in said stream and for selecting those whose addresses match at least one identifier in said set;

means for storing the text portion of said selected messages;

switch means operable by a user of said portable communications receiver for choosing one message among said stored selected messages;

text-to-speech conversion means, coupled to said storing means and responsive to said switch means, for producing analog speech waveforms directly corresponding to the text portion of said one message; and

control means coupled to said text-to-speech converter for causing said text-to-speech converter to speak status information concerning said sequence of stored messages.

4. The receiver of claim 3, wherein said control means causes said text-to-speech converter to speak the number of messages stored in said data storage means.

5. The receiver of claim 3, wherein each of said messages further includes ancillary information.

6. The receiver of claim 5, wherein said ancillary information includes a subject description.

7. The receiver of claim 5, wherein said ancillary information includes an originator'"'"'s name.

8. The receiver of claim 5, wherein said control means is responsive to said switch means to cause said text-to-speech converter to speak at least some of said ancillary information for said current message.