JPS622745A - Composite terminal equipment - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To transmit acoustically the same information and the additional information to a terminal operator by adding a voice memory which holds the digital voice information given from a host computer and a means which converts the digital voice information into analog voices. CONSTITUTION:A voice control part 19 receives a reading start command from a keyboard 18 via a main control part 16 after the digital voice information is stored in a voice memory 12 and reads successively the digital voice information out of an address of the memory 12 designated by said reading start command. These digital voice information are converted into analog voices by a D/A converting part 13 and amplified by an amplifying part 14 to drive a speaker 15. Thus, the operator of this composite terminal equipment can acquire acoustically the information of the same contents based on the voices delivered through the speaker 15 without reading the documents on the CRT screen.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Field of Industrial Application The present invention relates to a digital terminal device that performs online communication via a communication line with a device such as a host computer installed in a center office.

2. Description of the Related Art Recently, online systems that perform interactive online communication between a data terminal device and a host computer in a central office via communication lines have become popular.

Conventionally, this type of data terminal device has been equipped with a keyboard as an input means and a CRT or printer as an output means, and has received and received information from a central office visually.

Problems to be Solved by the Invention Considering the above-mentioned online system from the perspective of interacting with a computer, what operations should be performed in response to a response from the computer is conventionally displayed on a display. It read letters and shapes and took the next action.

Alternatively, in systems such as Videotex and Teletext, the output from the computer was similarly displayed as letters and figures on a display, and it took a lot of time to understand the contents.

In other words, visual output is not necessarily optimal for human communication; rather, audio output, that is, auditory output, is often more appropriate.

The present invention aims to provide a composite terminal device that combines conventional visual output and audio auditory output in order to provide optimal human communication dialogue.

Means for Solving the Problems The composite terminal device of the present invention comprises a storage means for storing digital voice information, a transfer control section for transferring only the digital voice information received from the center station device to the storage means, and a transfer control section for this transfer control. control means for writing the digital audio information transferred from the storage means into the storage means and sequentially reading out the digital audio information stored in the storage means from a predetermined address in accordance with commands from the input section of the terminal device; and digital-to-analog conversion means for converting the digital audio information into analog audio information and supplying the analog audio information to the speaker.

Example Next, the present invention will be explained with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of an online system in which a composite terminal device according to an embodiment of the present invention is used.

In FIG. 1, 1 is a host computer installed on the center station side, 2 is a line network connecting the host computer 1 and a plurality of composite terminal devices, 3-1.3-2
...3-n is a composite terminal device of the present invention, 4-1.4-2
...4-n is a corresponding line termination device.

FIG. 2 shows a block configuration of the composite terminal devices 3-1 to 3-n in FIG. 1.

In this figure, 10 is a connection terminal with a corresponding line termination device, 11 is a transfer control unit that selectively transfers digital audio information sent from the host computer via the line to the audio memory, and 12 is a digital 13 is a D/A converter that converts digital audio information into analog audio; 14 is an amplifier that amplifies audio; 15 is a speaker that amplifies the audio; 16 is the main unit of this composite terminal device. A control section, 17 a display section, and 18 a keyboard. 19 is the transfer control unit 11 and the audio memory 1
This is an audio control unit that controls the 2.

The host computer 1 sends out the necessary audio data via the circuit network 2 and the communication line. The modem 4 in the line termination device shown in FIG. 2 demodulates this digital voice information and passes it to the corresponding composite terminal device.

A predetermined identification code indicating that the digital audio information is digital audio information is attached to the beginning of the digital audio information, and a predetermined identification code indicating that the digital audio information has ended is attached to the end of the digital audio information.

The transfer control unit 11 notifies the audio control unit 19 that the digital audio information has been received based on the above-mentioned identification code, and then selectively transfers only the audio data to the audio memory 12. The audio control unit 19 temporarily stores the digital audio information in the audio memory 12 based on the notification from the transfer control unit ll.

After storing the digital audio information in the audio memory 12, the audio control unit 19 receives a readout start command from the keyboard 18 via the main control unit 16, and then starts reading the audio memory 12 specified in the readout start command. Digital audio information is sequentially read from the address.

The digital audio information read from the audio memory 12 is
The signal is converted into analog audio by the D/A converter 13, amplified by the amplifier 14, and then the speaker 15 is driven.

Instead of reading a document on a screen using a CRT, the operator of this multifunction terminal can acquire the same information through hearing through audio from a speaker.

Above, we have exemplified the case where the digital audio information sent from the center station side has the same content as that displayed on a display device such as a CRT. messages, etc.
It may also be digital audio information that is not displayed on a display device.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION As described in detail, the composite terminal device of the present invention includes a conventional data terminal device, an audio memory for storing digital audio information sent from a host computer, and an audio memory for converting the digital audio information into analog audio. By adding a method, in parallel with displaying the information received from the host computer on the display, the same information or additional information can be transmitted to the terminal operator through the auditory sense, making it ideal for human communication. A terminal device can be configured.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of an online system in which a composite terminal device according to an embodiment of the present invention is used, and FIG. 2 is a configuration block diagram of the composite terminal devices 3-1 to 3-n shown in FIG. 11...Transfer control unit, 12...Audio memory, 13...Digital-to-analog conversion unit, 15...Speaker, 16
...Main control unit, 19...Voice control unit.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] A data terminal device that is equipped with a keyboard and display means and that performs online communication with a center station device via a communication line, comprising a storage device that stores digital voice information and digital voice information received from the center station device. a transfer control unit that transfers only the digital audio information to the storage unit; and a transfer control unit that writes the digital audio information transferred from the transfer control unit to the storage unit, and writes the digital audio information stored in the storage unit according to instructions from the input unit of the terminal device. What is claimed is: 1. A composite terminal device comprising: a control means for sequentially reading out the digital audio information from the stored address; and a digital-to-analog conversion means for converting the digital audio information read from the storage means into analog audio information and supplying the analog audio information to a speaker.