Abstract: A digital dictation system having plural ports through which dictate and transcribe stations may be connected to a central store via respective dictate and transcribe channels for recording and transcribing messages. The transcribe port may be selectively conditioned, as by operating a manual selector, for enabling a dictate station to be connected therethrough to carry out dictate operations with the central store. Upon release of the port by the dictate station, the port reverts to its normal transcribe condition. By providing at least two ports, separate dictate and transcribe operations may be carried out concurrently on the same message. A dictator may review and edit a portion of the message which has already been transcribed by the transciptionist, whereupon the system automatically conditions the transcribe apparatus to play back the edit.

Abstract: A dictation system having two or more recording units, each selectively operable as a dictation unit or a transcription unit, and including a selector for selecting a respective unit for recording or transcription. A unit selected for recording dictation is enabled if a record medium therein is ready, or initialized, for recording; otherwise the unit is enabled for transcription. While one unit operates to record dictation, the other may operate simultaneously to transcribe previously recorded dictation. In a system having at least three recording units, at least two are identified with respective, particular identities and the third is designated a spare recording unit. After a predetermined amount of dictation has been recorded on any one of the identified recording units, further dictation destined for that identified unit is recorded on the spare unit, and the identity of the spare unit is charged over to be equal to the identity of the recording unit for which dictation had been intended.

Abstract: Pauses present in an input audio signal are detected and digitally encoded to represent the length of each pause. The audio signals are recorded; but the pauses included therein are replaced by respective pause encoded signals, thereby compressing the audio signals. When the compressed audio signals are played back, each pause encoded signal is sensed and is replaced by a pause whose length is derived from the encoded signal.

Abstract: Dictate/transcribe apparatus in which plural modules, each including at least two record/playback decks, are interconnected. A switch in each module selects one or the other or neither of the decks therein to operate in a transcribe mode; and a transducer and operation selector are connected to one of the modules to effect a transcribe operation from the deck which has been selected to operate in the transcribe mode regardless of the particular module in which that deck is located. The electrical coupling arrangement between the modules permits audio signals to be transmitted from the transcribe deck to the particular module to which the transducer and operation selector are connected, and also allows function control signals to be transmitted from the operation selector to the module which includes the transcribe deck.

Abstract: The disclosure is directed to a microprocessor-based apparatus and method for determining the distance between an object and a reference position. An embodiment of a graphical digitizer is set forth in which a microprocessor system is adapted to generate and store a count that depends upon the number of instruction cycles that the microprocessor system performs during a time interval that is a function of the travel time of acoustic wave energy traveling between the object and the reference position. In a disclosed embodiment, acoustic receivers are mounted with their axes parallel, and each receiver has a generally circular receptivity pattern.

Abstract: The invention is applicable for use in conjunction with hand-held calculators, preferably of the type having a substantial computing and programming capability. The calculator typically has a housing, an input keyboard on the housing, a computing module in the housing which includes input terminals coupled to the keys of the keyboard, and a display coupled to the output of the computing module. In accordance with the invention, there is provided an interface for entering numeric information from a companion device, such as a graphical digitizer, into the computing module of the hand-held calculator. The interface includes a multipin connector element affixed to the housing of the calculator and a plurality of conductors for coupling the pins of the connector element to the input terminals of the computing module, these conductors being connected in parallel with the inputs from the keyboard.

Abstract: An apparatus for determining the position of a movable element or stylus which is movable in a data space. In accordance with the invention there are provided first and second spaced receivers, each receiver comprising a hollow shell of piezoelectric material, which may be cylindrical or spherical in shape, and resilient conductive means coupled across the inner and outer surfaces of the shell. Means are provided for periodically generating a source of sound waves for travel between the stylus and the first and second receivers. Timing means are coupled to the receivers and synchronized with the generation of the sound waves for measuring transit time of the sound waves between the source and receivers. Computing means are employed to determine the positional coordinates of the stylus in a desired coordinate system, such as rectangular coordinates. In an embodiment of the invention the first and second receivers have conductive mesh loaded within the shell and in contact with the inner surface of the shell.