Abstract: An electronic apparatus for translation from a host language to a non-host language in which the individual word is evaluated as to its contextual meaning. The sequence of words, typically a sentence, within the host language, which is communicated to the electronic apparatus is translated, through a recognition device into a series of recognized words. These recognized words are further refined through analysis of their contextual meaning within the sequence (sentence) so as to differentiate between words of similar pronunciation and between homonyms. The present invention permits the direct entry, from voice, to a translator to a foreign language or alternatively to control language for use with an electronic or electromechanical apparatus.

Abstract: An electronic telephone answering apparatus which receives a connection from a remote telephone and reacts according to signals from the remote telephone. In one embodiment of the invention, the answering apparatus suppresses the connection between the remote telephone and the local telephone receiver until a predetermined condition is met by the remote telephone. This predetermined condition may include staying on the line a predetermined amount of time after a message has been communicated to the remote telephone, or communicating a selected key word for connection to the local telephone, such as "emergency". This embodiment allows for the selective connection of emergency or high priority calls when the operator of the local telephone does not wish to be interrupted except for these high priority calls. In another embodiment of the invention, an incoming message is speech recognized and stored in a memory.

Abstract: An electronic, speech producing system receives allophonic codes and produces speech-like sounds corresponding to these codes, through a loud speaker. A micro-controller controls the retrieval, from a read-only memory, of digital signals representative of individual allophone parameters. The addresses at which such allophone parameters are located are directly related to the allophonic code. A dedicated microcontroller concatenates the digital signals representative of the allophone parameters, including code indicating stress and intonation patterns for the allophones. The allophones are divided into a plurality of frames with one digital position indicating whether the frame is the last frame in the allophone, in which event an extra frame is introduced to provide smoothing between allophones when no stop is present and when the present allophone is voiced and the subsequent allophone is voiced, or when the present allophone is unvoiced and the subsequent allophone is unvoiced.

Abstract: A plurality of character forming segments are affixed to one surface of a front and back plate of a liquid crystal device. Three conductors affixed to one of the plates are each coupled to approximately one-third of the segment electrodes affixed to that plate. A plurality of conductors are affixed to the other plate and are each coupled to three of the segment electrodes affixed to that plate. Liquid crystal material is disposed between the two plates. By making use of the display device and a disclosed keyboard scanning circuit, an eight character position liquid crystal display device and a keyboard may be coupled to an electronic calculator chip disposed in a standard twenty-eight pin package.

Abstract: Integrated circuit speech synthesis system utilizing complementary metal-insulator-semiconductor technology to achieve low voltage operation, wherein a pluse width modulated digital-to-analog converter is employed to provide for accurate conversion of digital signals into analog signals even though the low voltage operation prohibits the large voltage swings normally required for digital-to-analog converter circuitry. The speech synthesis system includes a linear predictive filter as a speech synthesizer which utilizes coded reflection coefficients to produce digital signals representative of human speech. A microprocessor controls the access of digitized speech data which is stored in a memory. The speech synthesizer and microprocessor along with the pulse width modulated digital-to-analog converter are implemented in complementary metal-insulator-semiconductor technology.

Abstract: A pulse width modulated digital-to-analog converter for utilization in low voltage, integrated circuit speech synthesis circuitry. A digitally programmable shift register is utilized to generate a pulse, which is generally related to the magnitude of a digital signal. A programmable delay circuit provides finer resolution by converting the least significant digital bits of data into pulse width information of shorter duration than the minimum pulse width generated by the controllable shift register. Pulse width information generated by the shift register and delay circuit is applied to the bases of two crossconnected transistors to drive a speaker or voice coil.

Abstract: A module containing an integrated circuit, such as a read-only memory (ROM), includes an essentially box-shaped plastic housing having an internal chamber in which the integrated circuit is located. Positioned within the chamber is a printed circuit board on which the integrated circuit is mounted. Also mounted on the printed circuit board and adjacent to an elongated narrow slot located in one side of the housing are a plurality of electrical spring contacts electrically connected to the integrated circuit by means of electrical conductors on the printed circuit board. Upon insertion of the module into an electronic apparatus, edge connectors of a printed circuit board of the electronic apparatus extend through the narrow slot and engage the electrical spring contacts, thereby electrically connecting the integrated circuit to the apparatus.

Abstract: A circuit and method for actuating a display, especially a liquid crystal display, and a keyboard using a common set of conductors. The circuit includes circuits for generating appropriate display potentials, scanning pulses and sensing the scanning pulses. Certain of the display potentials applied to the display device are also applied to the keyboard. Certain of these potentials applied to the keyboard also have a scanning pulse superimposed thereon. Circuits for sensing the scanning pulses are associated with the circuits which generate the other potentials applied to the keyboard; these other potentials preferably float during the generation of the scanning pulses.By using the disclosed circuit, a calculator chip for actuating a multi-character position liquid crystal display and for scanning a keyboard may be packaged in a conventional twenty-eight pin package. By appropriately controlling the circuit, a keyboard can be scanned with negligible effect on the liquid crystal display device.