Christopher J Barnett

US Patent:

46531009, Mar 24, 1987

Filed:

Jan 24, 1983

Appl. No.:

6/460701

Inventors:

Christopher J. Barnett - Little Silver NJ
Mark P. Dyche - Chandler's Ford, GB2
Victor G. Golding - Ower, GB2
Yat H. Ng - Cuppernham, GB2

Assignee:

International Business Machines Corporation - Armonk NY

International Classification:

G10L 100

US Classification:

381 52

Abstract:

An audio response terminal for a data processing system which provides an audio output for data that is displayed on a video display unit. The terminal has a control unit that is separate from the display controls, but receives inputs from the display buffer and a separate key pad. The control unit gives the user the ability to specify which rows or columns of a screen of data are to be spoken and also four modes of speech, spell, phonetic spell, speak with punctuation or plain speech. A microprocessor using a translator examines each alphanumeric character and provides a string of digitized phonemes which drive a speech synthesizer. The speech synthesizer provides an audio output signal to a loudspeaker or headphone socket.