Abstract Claims Description Full Text

Abstract

A linguistic coding system and keyboard therefor for the use of people unable to use their own voices is described. The coding system and associated keyboard are based on the sentence rather than the word, phoneme or letter. The keyboard is coupled to a computer which stores a plurality of plural word messages or sentences in the memory thereof for selective retrieval by the keyboard. The sentences retrieved from the keyboard are fed to a voice synthesizer which converts them through a loud speaker to audible spoken messages. The keyboard utilizes polysemic (many-meaning) symbols on the respective keys and by designating a selected one of the keys and its associated polysemic symbols a primary message theme key, selected recorded plural messages in the computer memory may be retrieved by actuating a combination of the designated primary message theme key and other keys to vary the context of the polysemic symbols. Thus a plurality of sentences associated with a central theme may be selectively generated as a function of each polysemic symbol in combination with other symbols which modify the theme of the message or sentence.

Other References

• Patent Office Japanese Government, "Date of Application", 1981
• World Book Encyclopedia, 1981, pp. 1, 45, 125, 211, 212, 394 and 948, published by World Book Childcraft International Incorporated