Patent Document ID: 4618985
Application ID: 06757205

Base Claim:
1. A speech sound generating system comprising: means for simulating the frequency response of the vocal tract, said frequency response including two or more resonant peaks or formants continuously movable in frequency, said means for simulating the frequency response of the vocal tract comprising a tunable formant filter for each of said formants; means continuously responsive to operator input for simultaneously and continuously controlling the frequency locations of each of said formants by continuously tuning said tunable formant filters; means for simulating electrically the vibration of the vocal cords, with variable pitch period; additional means continuously responsive to operator input for controlling said vocal cord pitch variation; means combining said vocal cord simulation with said frequency response simulation of the vocal tract to produce a resulting waveform; and transducing means to cause the resulting waveform to be emitted as an audible sound.

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Claim 22:
22. The speech sound generating system of claim 1 wherein said means continuously responsive to operator input consists essentially of: three or more force-sensitive transducers located on the perimeter of a rigid surface; ratio-detecting means for producing voltage signals in two or more coordinate directions relating to to the comparison of force magnitude at each of said force-sensitive transducers to the sum of forces at all of said force-sensitive transducers.