System for transmitting speech information

Abstract: A broadcasting station transmits in succession many independent information packets to a plurality of receiving sets. An information packet comprises a text, a classification code and a distinction code. Text is a sequence of words and symbols which can be converted to recognisable speech information. The classification code indicates the substance of text. A distinction code can be annexed to each different text. A receiving set with registered classification codes selects and accumulates only required information packets according to their code. A receiver can view or listen to the speech informations at a convenient time.

Description: This invention relates to a system for transmitting speech information. By speech information is meant material in the form of words, numerals. symbols etc., which can be visually or audibly recognised. Radio broadcastings are popular media for transmitting speech informations to large numbers of people. Radio broadcasting connects several radio stations with many receivers. Each radio station monopolizes one frequency of carrier wave. A receiver can select an arbitrary radio station by tuning a dial to the frequency of that station. Speech is generated from a speaker continuously. A receiver cannot know the substance of the speech information previously. He or she may miss hearing relevant information, unless he or she is listening at all times to the radio. Any particular radio station transmits various kinds of information. Thus a choice of broadcasting station is not equivalent to a choice of the substance of the transmitted information. It is a radio station that determines what kinds of information shall be sent. A receiver has a freedom to determine whether he will hear the radio or not and a freedom to choose a radio station. But a receiver has no freedom to determine what substance of informations he will hear. Conventional radio broadcastings have the following problems. (1) It is not possible for a receiver to select and hear only the information he or she requires. For example a stock price of a certain company in the stock market cannot be heard at an arbitrary time. (2) A radio receiver set receives electromagnetic energy and converts it to acoustic energy essentially without any time delay, time shrinkage or time expansion. Thus a receiver listens to the radio in accordance with the broadcasting program. (3) One frequency of carrier wave cannot be shared in time (e.g. each several tens of seconds) with plural radio stations, because each radio station must continously use the frequency at all times. GB-A-1514941 describes a transmitting system which can transmit prerecorded spoken messages. Each message to be broadcast is preceded by a binary digital head code. The headcode indicates the type of message being broadcast and enables a receiver to select those messages he wishes to receive. An article in NHK Laboratories Note No. 293 of December 1983, pages 1 to 13 describes a broadcast system in which data signals can be multiplexed with FM broadcast signals. The system transmits information in packets which includes a control code, a packet header and date. At the receiver the encoded messages are decoded and displayed on a display device. An object of the invention is to provide a system and method for transmitting speech information which enables a receiver to select and hear only required information. Another object of the invention is to provide a system and method for transmitting voice informations which enables a receiver to hear the required information at his or her convenient time. Third purpose of the invention is to provide a system and method for transmitting voice informations which can enable plural broadcasting stations to use a single frequency of carrier wave in common by sharing the broadcasting time. This invention provides a new system and method to connect a broadcasting station with many receiving sets. According to the present invention there is provided a system for transmitting speech information comprising one or more transmitting stations and a plurality of receiving stations, the or each transmitting station being arranged to assemble information for transmission into packets, each packet having associated therewith a code which indicates the nature or substance of the information in the packet, and each receiving station being capable of selecting predetermined ones of the transmitted information packets according to said code, characterised in that each receiving station is capable of storing the selected packets for subsequent conversion to a visually or audibly recognisable form, each packet comprises text, a classification code, and a distinction code, said classification code being a code for indicating the nature or substance of the text in the packet, and said distinction code being a code to distinguish different texts and to prevent the same texts from being accumulated several times at a receiveing station, the speech information in each packet is encoded digitally, each character or group of characters used in the speech information being represented by a digital code comprising a plurality of bits and wherein each receiving station is provided with storing means which can store the encoded information for subsequent conversion, and a scanning device which can retrieve packets from said storing means according to an output order determinable by a listener. In one form of the invention, the broadcasting station transmits many "information packets" in succession. The word "information packet" has been devised by the present Inventor. The definition of an information packet is a packet consisting of a classification code, a distinction code and text. A classification code is a code which indicates the substance of a text. A distinction code is a code which is annexed to each different text to distinguish each text. Text is one or few short sentences comprising words, symbols or numerals which comprise speech information. Many kinds of information packets can be sent. All information packets are independent in substance. Information packets are sent in succession. It is unimportant whether an information packet is relevant or irrelevant to the next information packet. Unlike radio broadcasts, the transmitted information packets have no continual substances. A receiver need not hear the sequences of information packets. This invention requires no continuous listening on the receiver's side. One information packet may be repeatedly transmitted once or several times. At a receiving set, one or a few classification codes are designated beforehand. The receiving set selects only those information packets with classification codes which correspond with the designated codes and rejects the other information packets. In the selected information packets, those information packets with a distinction code which is the same as the distinction codes of already accumulated information packets are rejected. The receiving set searches such information packets which have the designated classification codes and the distinction codes other than that of preaccumulated ones, and stores them in an accumulator. A receiver can hear the required speech information by converting the accumulated texts into voice at a convenient opportunity. Three elements of an information packet will be explained. (i) classification code This is a code which signifies the content or substance of text. Information for transmission can relate to weather forecast. stock market prices, traffic status etc. Furthermore these kinds of information can be sub-divided. For example the weather forecast can be sub-divided by districts and times, the stock market prices can be sub-divided into stock prices of each corporation and the traffic status can be sub-divided into the traffic jams information at each main street or each main cross point. All individual items of informations are provided with their own classification codes. A broadcasting station transmits many information packets with various classification codes. But a receiving set need designate only one or a few classification codes. For example some receiving sets may select only the information relating to the weather forecast, and another one may select only the information relating to local traffic status. However it is possible for a receiving set to change its designation of classification codes. A classification code consists oi a symbol signifying a classification code and a sequence of numerals. For example a classification code can be represented by a slash symbol " / " and ten numerals following the " / ". Examples are:- /0000010034 traffic status at Midosuji Street /0000010100 traffic status at Pacific Street /0012000000 general weather forecast in Japan /0012000100 weather forcast in New York where the slash symbol " / " signifies a classification code. With regard to traffic status information, either wide-range informations or narrow-range information e.g. at Midosuji Street or at some spots of Midosuji Street can be designated by the classification codes. Regarding weather forecast, either national or local weather forecasts can be selected by the classification codes. Regarding stock market prices, either the entire stock prices or the stock price of a certain corporation can be selected. These designations are done by classification codes. (ii) distinction code This is a code which is annexed to each different text. The function of the code is to distinguish different texts or equivalent texts and to prevent equivalent texts from being accumulated several times at a receiving set. Because the function of the code is to distinguish texts, the distinction codes may be simply a series of numbers. However another choice of distinction codes is possible. Here the choice will be explained. A distinction code can comprise the year, month, date, o'clock and minute of the time when the text is drawn, the number of times of transmission and the time of transmission. A distinction code can comprise of a symbol signifying a distinction code e.g. yen symbol " ¥ " and a sequence of sixteen numerals succeeding to the symbol. " / ", " : " or " Λ " is available instead of " ¥ ". An example will be clarified. ¥ 8412041034011102 This signifies that this text has been drawn at 34 minutes past 10 o'clock on 4-th day, December, 1984, that this is the first time of transmission and that the transmission time is 2 minutes past 11 o'clock. " ¥ " is a symbol for showing it as a distinction code. Another example will be explained. ¥ 8412041343031705 This signifies that this text has been drawn at 43 minutes past 13 o'clock on 4-th day, December, 1984, that this is the third time of transmission and that the transmission time is 5 minutes past 17 o'clock. (iii) text This is a part which represents the speech information. A text is a sequence of words, numerals and symbols which can be converted into speech by for example a text-to-speech synthesizer. An example will be clarified. " at Δ the Δ midosuji ▾ street, the Δ lane Δ toward Δ the Δ north Δ is Δ being ▾ jammed. " This is a sequence of the square forms of Japanese syllabary, comma, period and an accent symbol ▾. The sequence of words and symbols can be converted into speech by a text-to-speech synthesizer. A text may be a sequence of words and symbols which consist of the square forms of Japanese syllabary, Chinese characters, comma, period, alphabets, pronunciation symbols, numerals, an accent symbol and a blank symbol. In this case a word cannot be represented by a digital signal of eight bits. A text may be represented by more restricted scope of words. For example, a text may be constituted by the sentences consisting of the square forms of Japanese syllabary, comma, period, alphabets, numerals, an accent symbol and a blank symbol. The square forms of Japanese syllabary have about 50 words. The alphabets have 26 words, because the texts require no difference between capital letters and small letters. The numerals have 10 words. Thus each word or symbol can be represented by a digital signal of seven bits, because the number of whole usable words and symbols is less than 128 (7 bits). A word or symbol can be also represented by a digital signal of eight bits to provide capacity for increasing the usable words or symbols. Another example will be explained. " we Δ will Δ tell Δ weather ▾ forecast. western Δ japan ▾ is Δ being Δ covered Δ by (the rest is omitted). where Δ is a blank symbol. The two examples abovementioned are the sentences originally written in Japanese. Then other examples which are originally written in English will be explained. "This is a weather forecast of the New York area. It will be fine in the morning, but will rain in the afternoon." Because the example is written in English, no accent symbols nor blank symbols are necessary. Ordinary written English can be converted by the synthesizer which will be mentioned afterward. "The Pacific Street is now under construction. If you will go to the New York Station, pass through the East Street instead of the Pacific Street." So far a classification code, a distinction code and a text have been explained. The sequence of transmission is a classification code, a distinction code and a text or a distinction code, a classification code and a text. One information packet is constructed with the three elements. Examples will be explained. < example 1 > : traffic status information /0000010034 ¥ 8412041034011102 at Δ the Δ midosuji ▾ street, the Δ lane Δ toward Δ the Δ north Δ is Δ being ▾ jammed. In this example, the classification code /0000010034 signifies that the substance of the text relates to the traffic status information at Midosuji Street. The distinction code signifies that the text has been drawn at 34 minutes past 10 o'clock on 4-th day, December, 1984, that this is the first time of transmission and that the time of transmission is 2 minutes past 11 o'clock. The text indicates that the lane toward the north is jammed at the Midosuji Street. Only this part shall be expressed by speech at a receiving set. < example 2 > : weather forecast in Japan /0012000000 ¥ 8412041343031705 we Δ will Δ tell Δ weather ▾ forecast. western Δ japan ▾ is Δ being Δ covered Δ by (the rest is omitted). In this example, the classification code /0012000000 signifies that the text relates to the weather forecast. The distinction code shows that the text has been drawn at 43 minutes past 13 o'clock on 4-th day, December, 1984, that this is the third time of transmission and that the time of transmission is 5 minutes past 17 o'clock. < example 3 > : weather forecast in New York /0012000100 ¥ 8411030735040730 This is a weather forecast of the New York area. It will be fine in the morning, but will rain in the afternoon. The classification code /0012000100 signifies that the text relates to the weather forecast in the New York area. The distinction code shows that the text has been drawn at 35 minutes past seven o'clock on 3-th day, November, 1984, that this is the fourth time of transmission and that the time of transmission is 30 minutes past 7 o'clock. < example 4 > : traffic status information /0000010100 ¥ 8408050445011716 The Pacific Street is now under construction. If you will go to the New York Station, pass through the East Street instead of the Pacific Street. Information packets can be simplified. Simplified version of information packets will now be explained. A simplified information packet comprises a classification code and text only. A distinction code is omitted. Example of the simplified information packets will be explained. < example 5 > : traffic status information /0000010034 at Δ the midosuji ▾ street, the lane Δ toward Δ the Δ north Δ is being ▾ jammed. < example 6 > : weather forecast /0012000000 we Δ will Δ tell Δ weather ▾ forecast. western Δ japan ▾ is Δ being Δ covered Δ by (the rest is omitted). Because the simplified information packet lacks a distinction code, the operation for extracting texts is simplified. However this version of information packets could not avoid double accumulation at receiving sets, if the same information packet is sent more than once. Thus each information packet should be sent only once in the case of this simplified broadcasting. The invention will be described now by way of example only with particular reference to the accompanying drawings. In the drawings:- Figure 1 is a schematic view of a system in accordance with the present invention. Figure 2 is a schematic view of a transmitting station used in the system of Figure 1. Figure 3 is a schematic view of a receiving station used in the system of Figure 1. Figure 4 is a schematic view of a simplified transmitting station. Figure 5 is a schematic view of a simplified receiving station. Figure 6 is a schematic view of transmitting areas in the case of time-sharing transmissions with a wide and narrow transmissions. Referring to Figure 1 a system for transmitting speech information including one or more broadcasting or transmitting stations (1). If there are several broadcasting stations, they transmit information packets by time-sharing of a common transmitting medium. The system includes a plurality of receiving sets or stations (2). A receiver (3) is associated with each receiving set (2). The receiver (3) can operate the receiving set (2). But there is no need for the receiver (3) to remain near the receiving set (2) in operation at all times. A transmitting medium links the broadcasting station(s) (1) with the receiving sets (2). The transmitting medium can be a cable or cables or electromagnetic radiation. In the case of cables, either it can be electrical cable or optical fiber cable. In the case of electrical cable, either the public switched telephone network or exclusive lines are available. In the case of transmission by electromagnetic radiations, a carrier wave of an adequate frequency can be used as the transmitting medium. Any frequency between hundreds of kHz and hundreds of MHz is available. Figure 1 shows an example which uses electromagnetic waves as the transmitting medium. The carrier wave is transmitted from antenna(s) (8) at the broadcasting station(s) (1) and is received by antennas (9) at the receiving sets (2). The detailed structure of the broadcasting station and the receiving sets will be explained. Figure 2 shows schematically the structure of a broadcasting station. All information packets have been stored in a data base (22), a data base (22') and so on previously. The data bases can be e.g. a data base of weather information at the Meteorological Agency, a data base of traffic information at police stations or a data base of stock prices at the stockmarket. A sender gives an order for extracting information to be transmitted to an information-drawing-device (21). According to the order for drawing, the information-drawing-device (21) extracts a necessary information from the data bases (22), (22'), ......... designates a classification code and annexes a distinction code. Because a distinction code includes the time of drawing the text, a first clock (23) provides the time of drawing to the information-drawing-device (21). The time of drawing becomes a part of the distinction code. For example if information relating to weather forecast is to be sent, the information-drawing-device (21) refers to the data base at the Meteorological Agency and obtains one or a few sentences regarding the weather forecast. These sentences become text. The text is designated with a classification code and annexed with a distinction code. Because the classification code shows the substance of text, it is designated by the data base. The national-wide weather forecast or the local weather forecasts of certain districts have designated classification codes. Then the predesigned classification corresponding to the substance of a text is given to the text. Although a distinction code consists of the year, month, day, o'clock and minute of the time of drawing, the number of times of transmission and time of transmission, the information-drawing-device (21) annexes only the time of drawing, because the other items are unknown then. The information-drawing-device (21) extracts an information packet with a text, a classification code and a distinction code and writes it in a sending information memory (25). Many information packets can be written in the sending information memory (25). Text can be composed of words and symbols. Words can be converted to a digital signal comprising e.g. seven bits or eight bits. A slash, ¥, comma, period, Δ, ▾ or other symbols can be converted to a digital signal comprising e.g. seven or eight bits. This conversion from words to digital signals has already been standardized by the Japanese Industrial Standard (JIS). In the case of digital signals of eight bits, the slash " / " has been determined to be 00101111 and " ¥ " has been determined to be 01011100. In a similar manner words have prescribed equivalences in a digital representation. According to the conversion rule, any information packet can be replaced by a sequence of digital signals. Because the information packet has been converted into a sequence of digital signals, the sending information memory (25) can store the information packet. If convenient memories with seven bits or eight bits have been chosen, each word, symbol or numeral can be memorized by a memory unit or block of the memory device. It is a well-known matter to store digital representations of words etc., in a memory device. A memory scanning device 26 is arranged to scan the sending information memory (25) so that information packets are read out and sent to a sending-time-annexing-device (27). The number of time of transmission is then added to the distinction code. The sending-time-annexing-device (27) annexes the time of transmission given by a second clock (24) to the distinction code. At this time the distinction code is completed. The sending-time-annexing-device (27) feeds the completed information packet to a digital code modulator (28). Each information packet comprising a classification code, a distinction code and a text is converted into analog signals in succession by the digital code modulator (28). The reason why the digital signal of information packets should be converted into analog signals is that the information packets are transmitted as electromagnetic waves. On the contrary if electrical cables or optical fiber cables were to be used as the transmission medium, the digital signals could be transmitted without conversion to analog signals. In case of wireless (electromagnetic) transmission, a carrier wave with a certain frequency is required. The sequence of digital signals comprising the information packets can be represented by modulating the amplitude (AM) or the frequency (FM) of the carrier wave. For example, the digital signal " O " may correspond to a 2100 Hz modulation wave and the digital signal " I " may correspond to a 1300 Hz modulation wave. The length of a modulation wave may be several tenths of a millisecond to several milliseconds. This manner of modulation is known well. Other methods of modulation are also available. The transmitting medium may be either electrical cables, optical cables or electromagnetic waves. In any case speech is not transmitted as it is. The words and symbols are converted to sequences of digital representations " O " and " I " and are transmitted in the forms of digital signals. Speech consists of vibrations between several tens Hz and several thousands Hz. In the case of radio broadcasting the amplitude (AM) or the frequency (FM) of the carrier wave is modulated by the vibrations. A receiving set receives the electromagnetic wave, demodulates it and drives a speaker. Thus the velocity for transmitting speech information is restricted by the audibility of man as well as by the velocity of speech in case of a radio broadcasting. However in the present technique the words and symbols constituting speech information are converted to digital signals of e.g. eight bits and are transmitted as it is by a cable, or by a carrier wave modulated by the digital signals. The velocity for transmitting speech information is not restricted by the audibility of man nor by the velocity of speech. The high transmission velocity associated with the present technique permits enlargement of the transmission capacity to a great extent. If speech signals were modulated according to pulse coded modulation (PCM), it would be virtually impossible to convert the speech vibrations corresponding to a single word to a digital signal of eight bits. Instead of coding the speech vibrations a sequence of words and symbols constituting speech information is transmitted substantially as a digital signal. This manner of transmission enables a restricted transmission medium to transmit substantial amounts of information in a relatively short time. In the case of a wireless transmission, an electromagnetic wave with a certain frequency is used as the carrier wave. Then the digital signals must be converted to analog signals for transmission. For example the conversion is done by changing the frequency of the modulation wave which modulates the carrier wave. Although such a modulation converts digital signals into analog signals, the modulation differs substantially from the A/D conversion or D/A conversion of numerical values. The electromagnetic wave modulated by the information packets is generated by a wireless transmitter (29) and is radiated from an antenna (8). Because the sending information memory (25) is scanned in turn, the accumulated information packets are transmitted in succession. Each text accumulated in the sending information memory (25) is an independent information which may be irrelevant to the neighbouring texts. Because independent short informations are transmitted in succession, receivers need not listen to the transmitted informations continuously. Continuous listening is meaningless unlike a radio broadcasting. The structure of a receiving set will now be explained. Even if there is only a single broadcasting station, there are a plurality of receiving sets. Although a receiving set will receive all transmitted information packets, it can reject or abandon unnecessary ones and accumulate only the information packets it requires. A receiver is able to hear the accumulated information by converting the texts of information packets into speech at a convenient opportunity. Figure 3 shows the structure of a receiving set. An antenna (9) detects the electromagnetic wave transmitted from the broadcasting station. A wireless receiving device (31) chooses a carrier wave of predetermined frequency, amplifies the wave and obtains analog signals, which is the carrier wave modulated by the digital signals of information packets. A digital code demodulator (32) demodulates the analog signals into the digital signals, which are the information packets consisting of classification codes, distinction codes and texts. A receiver has already registered the classification code(s) of information packets which he or she wants to hear in a classification code memory (34). A first selector (33) compares in succession the classification codes of received information packets with the classification code(s) registered in the classification code memory (34). If there is no registered classification code(s) common with the classification code of a received information packet, this information packet is not one which the receiver wants to hear. The selector (33) abandons the information packet. If the classification code of a received information packet coincides with anyone of the registered classification codes, the selector (33) operates to feed the information packet to a second selector (35). The second selector (35) compares the distinction codes of received information packets with the distinction codes of the information packets already accumulated in an accumulator (36). If one of the accumulated information packets has a distinction code which is the same as the distinction code of the received information packet, this means that an information packet the same as the received information packet has already been stored in the accumulator (36). In this case the received information packet is unnecessary. The second selector (35) abandons the received information packet, because it is unnecessary to store the same text more than once. If the accumulator (36) has no distinction code with the same distinction code as the received information code, the information packet has not previously been accumulated in the accumulator (36). Then the second selector (35) sends the information packet into the accumulator (36), which memorizes the classification code, distinction code and text of the information packet. However the second selector (35) compares only the parts of distinction code which is required to identify texts. Namely only the parts of the year, month, day, o'clock, minute of drawing the text in a distinction code are compared. Neither the number of transmission time nor the time of transmission is compared, because there are not two different information packets having the same number of transmission time and the same time of transmission. This selection is required, because the same information packets are transmitted repeatedly at several times. If two information packets are equivalent, the numbers of transmission time and the times of transmission must be different. Then the difference of the numbers of transmission time or the times of transmission does not mean that two information packets are different. The reason why the same information packets are repeatedly transmitted will now be explained. It is partly because the substance of texts need not be changed in the meantime. It is partly because the receiving sets sometimes may misreceive a necessary information packet. It is partly because the switch of receiving set may be sometimes turned off when a necessary information packet is first transmitted. In this manner the accumulator (36) accumulates the information packets with classification codes, distinction codes and texts. A receiver gives the receiving set an output order at his or her convenience by operating a switch or the like. According to the output order from the receiver, a scanning device (37) reads out the texts accumulated in the accumulator (36) in succession. Only the texts are read out. Neither classification codes nor distinction codes are read out. The texts read out are sent to either or both of a visual display (38) and a text-to-speech synthesizer (39). The visual display (38) is an apparatus which can display the information as words and symbols. For example a CRT (Cathod Ray Tube) display is available. The visual display (38) is effective to a receiver with a weak reception or under a very noisy condition. The text-to-speech synthesizer (39) is a device for converting the words and symbols of texts into speech. In case of texts written in English, the synthesizer modules "DEC talk" of DEC corporation in U.S.A. and "PROSE 2000" of SPEECH corporation U.S.A. can be used. The texts converted to speech are generated by a speaker (40). A receiver can know the texts by listening. The comprehension by hearing is advantageous, when it is inconvenient for a receiver to see the visual display, e.g. when the receiver is at work or is driving a car. There is no problem if a single classification code is registered at a receiving set. No inconvenience occurs when the scanning device (37) scans the accumulator (36), because all speech informations are relevant to each other. However if more than one classification code is registered in the receiving set, information packets with different classification codes are arranged randomly in the accumulator (36). Because the accumulator (36) is being scanned in succession, the texts of different classification codes are being spoken in turn. It is uncomfortable, because the speech lacks coherency. Furthermore even if a receiver has registered more than one classification code, the receiver sometimes wants to hear only the texts with a certain classification code. In this case it is desirable to improve the receiving set. In the improved receiving set, the receiver is able to designate a classification code from among a plurality of registered classification codes at the output order. When the receiver gives the output order as well as the designation order of a single classification code, the scanning device (37) reads out only the texts with the designated code. The receiver can hear only the texts with the same classification code. As mentioned before, simplified form of information packet is possible in this invention. In the simplified form, an information packet consists of a classification code and a text. The distinction code is omitted. Each information packet is sent only once. The simplified method for transmitting speech information will be explained with reference to Figure 4 and Figure 5. Figure 4 shows a structure of a broadcasting station, which lacks the clocks (23) and (24), and the sending-time-annexing-device (27) of Figure 2. All informations have been accumulated in data bases (22), (22'), ......., and so on previously. A sender gives an order for drawing sending informations to an information-drawing-device (21). According to the order for drawing, the information-drawing-device (21) extracts a necessary information from the data bases (22), (22'), ....... and designates a classification code. Because the classification code shows the substance of a text, it shall be designated according to the nature of the data base from which the text has been extracted. The information-drawing-device (21) completes an information packet only with a text and a classification code and writes it in a sending information memory (25). Many simplified information packets can be written in the sending information memory (25). A text is composed of words (including numerals) and symbols. They can be converted to a digital signal of e.g. seven bits or eight bits according to the conversion rule. In the data bases the words and symbols have been written as a digital signal. According to the conversion rule, any information packet can be replaced by a sequence of digital signals. Scanning the sending information memory (25), a memory-scanning-device (26) is arranged to read out information packets and send them to a digital code modulator (28). Each information packet comprising a classification code and a text is converted into analog signals in succession by the digital code modulator (28). A carrier wave with a predetermined frequency is modulated by the analog signals which correspond to the information packet. A wireless transmitter (29) radiates the strong carrier wave modulated by the information packet from an antenna (8). Figure 5 shows the structure of a simplified receiving set. An antenna (9) receives the electric wave transmitted from the broadcasting station. A wireless receiving device (31) chooses a carrier wave of predetermined frequency, amplifies the wave and obtains analog signals, which is the carrier wave modulated by the digital signals of information packets. A digital code demodulator (32) demodulates the analog signals into the digital signals, which are equivalent of the information packets. The information packet consists of a classification code and a text. A receiver has already registered the classification code(s) of information packet which the receiver wants to hear in a classification code memory (34). A selector (33) compares in succession the classification codes of received information packets with the classification code(s) registered in the classification code memory (34). If there is no registered classification code(s) common with the classification code of a received information packet, the selector (33) abandons the information packet. If the classification code of a received information packet coincides with anyone of the registered classification codes, the selector (33) sends the information packet to an accumulator (36). The accumulator (36) accumulates the infomration packets with classification codes and texts in succession. A receiver gives the receiving set an output order at the receiver's convenience by operating a switch or the like. According to the output order from the receiver, a scanning device (37) reads out the texts accumulated in the accumulator (36) in succession. The texts read out are sent to either or both of a visual display (38) and a text-to-speech synthesizer (39). The visual display (38) is an apparatus for displaying information as words and symbols. The text-to-speech synthesizer (39) is a device for converting the words and symbols of text into speech. In this invention, various kinds of great many speech informations are transmitted discontinuously as information packets. All information packets are independent. An information packet may be irrelevant to the neighbouring ones in substance. Each receiving set accumulates some of the information packets. A receiver can hear the speech information at any time after the transmission. There is no requirement to transmit speech informations continuously without pause from a broadcasting station. Therefore this invention enables more than one broadcasting station to transmit different kinds of informations by sharing the transmitting time. This is called a time-sharing broadcasting. Figure 6 shows the broadcasting areas in the case of time-sharing broadcastings with a wide broadcasting and narrow broadcastings. A unit period of time is divided. For example one minute of a transmitting time unit is divided into a 45 seconds sub-period and a 15 seconds sub-period. For each earlier 45 seconds sub-period, a big broadcasting station transmits national-wide programs to wide broadcasting area (A) with a strong electromagnetic wave signal. For each later 15 seconds sub-period, small local broadcasting stations transmit local informations of the small areas, B 1 , B 2 , ....... from many automatic transmitters by weaker signals. The electric waves propagate only with the small areas B 1 , B 2 , ....... The informations are local informations such as traffic status of streets or cross points. The automatic transmitters are located e.g. at cross points 51, 52, ....... of streets. They radiate electric waves without operator. There are two broadcasting stations with the same carrier wave at some areas. Furthermore more than two broadcasting stations may be installed in the same areas. Because the frequency of the carrier wave is common, the plural broadcasting stations require no more than one frequency. Advantages of the present system are as follows:- (1) It enables a receiver to hear only required speech informations by an automatic selection of the receiving set. Avoiding listening to unnecessary informations, the receiver can spare time and alleviate fatigue of brain. (2) A receiver can listen to the required informations at an arbitrary and convenient time. (3) Without manual operation, the broadcasting station can convert the informations stored in computers to information packets and can transmit them automatically. Input of information requires neither manual operations nor speeches of announcers before microphones. The broadcasting processes can be automated, because nobody need read aloud texts. (4) Enormous amounts of information can be transmitted in a short time, because the broadcasting station transmits not voices but coded sequences of words and symbols which can be converted into speech. If speech vibration was transmitted as PCM (Pulse Code Modulation) signals, the required data rate would be 56 k bit/sec in the case of normal speed of speech. This is a large amount of information. It is because the speech vibration is directly sampled according to PCM. In this system, the amount of information is about 80 bit/sec in case of normal speed of speech, because each word or symbol is transmitted as a digital signal of seven or eight bits. The system requires a relatively small information capacity about one sevenhundredth of that of the PCM transmission. Namely this system enables the broadcasting stations to transmit a great many informations in a short time. High efficiency of transmission is an advantage of this system. It is greatly superior to radio broadcastings regarding the efficiency of transmission. (5) Because great many informations can be transmitted, the transmitted informations can be extensive and various in their substances. (6) Plural broadcasting stations can use the carrier waves with the same frequency by sharing transmitting time. (7) What selects the substance of informations is not a broadcasting station but receiving sets. A broadcasting station need not select informations to be transmitted. This fact alleviates the duty of a broadcasting station. The programs for transmission of a braodcasting station are greatly simplified. (8) If information packets include distinction codes, the broadcasting station repeats to transmit the same text more than once. Receiving sets have several chances to receive each information packet. If a receiving set exists at an area with a low intensity of electric wave, if a receiving set is out of order temporarily or if an electric wave is perturbed by a thunder, the receiving set may fail to receive the first transmission of an information packet. Even in these cases the receiving set can receive all necessary informations after all.

Claims: A system for transmitting speech information comprising one or more transmitting stations (1) and a plurality of receiving stations (2, 3), the or each transmitting station (1) being arranged to assemble information for transmission into packets, each packet having associated therewith a code which indicates the nature or substance of the information in the packet, and each receiving station (2, 3) being capable of selecting predetermined ones of the transmitted information packets according to said code, characterised in that each receiving station (2, 3) is capable of storing the selected packets for subsequent conversion to a visually or audibly recognisable form, each packet comprises text, a classification code, and a distinction code, said classification code being a code for indicating the nature or substance of the text in the packet, and said distinction code being a code to distinguish different texts and to prevent the same texts from being accumulated several times at a receiveing station, the speech information in each packet is encoded digitally, each character or group of characters used in the speech information being represented by a digital code comprising a plurality of bits and wherein each receiving station is provided with storing means (36) which can store the encoded information for subsequent conversion, and a scanning device (37) which can retrieve packets from said storing means according to an output order determinable by a listener. A system as claimed in claim 1, wherein each receiving set is capable of selecting the information packets according to the classification code and distinction code and storing the selected information packets, for subsequent conversion. A system for transmitting speech information as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the text can be represented in the square forms of Japanese syllabary, alphabets, numerals, pronunciation symbols, an accent symbol, a blank symbol, period and comma. A system for transmitting speech informations as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the text is in Arabic characters. A system for transmitting speech information as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the classification code comprises a symbol signifying a classification code and a sequence of numerals. A system for transmitting speech information as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the distinction code comprises a symbol signifying a distinction code and a sequence of numerals. A system for transmitting speech information as claimed in claim 6, wherein the distinction code comprises a symbol signifying a distinction code and a sequence of numerals representing the year, month, day, and the time of assembling the text. A system for transmitting speech information as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the transmitting medium is an electrically conductive cable or cables and the information packets are transmitted in digital form. A system for transmitting speech information as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 7 wherein the transmitting medium is an optical fiber cable or cables and the information packets are transmitted in digital form. A system for transmitting speech information as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 7 wherein the transmitting medium is an electromagnetic carrier wave suitably modulated by signals representing said packets. A system for transmitting speech information as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein a high power broadcasting station with a relatively large broadcasting area and low power broadcasting stations with relatively small broadcasting areas can use the same transmitting medium in turn by sharing transmission time. A receiving set for use in the system according to any one of claims 1 to 11 said receiving set including means (31) for receiving transmitted packets, means (34) for comparing the code of each packet with a previously registered code or codes to thereby select only required packets, means (36) for storing selected packets for subsequent conversion to a visually or audibly recognisable form, and scanning means (37) for retaining packets from said storing means (36) according to an output code determinable by a listener.

Inventors: YAMAGUCHI MIKIO, YAMAGUCHI, MIKIO, YAMAGUCHI, MIKIO C/O OSAKA WORKS OF SUMITOMO
Applicants: SUMITOMO ELECTRIC INDUSTRIES, SUMITOMO ELECTRIC INDUSTRIES LIMITED
Application year: 1986
Main classification: H04H1
IPC codes: H04H60