Logic controlled audio tape information system

Claim 2

An information system which comprises: record means having a plurality of discrete information segments recorded in serial from thereon, said record means further having a plurality of control signals associated with each of said information segments recorded thereon including signals marking the beginning and end of each of said recorded information segments and signals associated with each of said recorded information segments representative of an address of at least one related information segment; controllable means for selectively playing back said information segments and said recorded control signals; means for detecting and decoding supplied command signals and address signals; and control means for generating signals to operate said controllable means to play back selected ones of said information segments in a preprogrammed format, said control means including first means responsive to said marker signals and decoded address signals for generating signals to operate said controllable means for locating and playing back the information segment identified by said address, second means responsive to said end of segment marker signals for selectively interconnecting said controllable means with said detecting and decoding means, and third means responsive to a decoded command signal corresponding to said address of said at least one related information segment for generating signals to operate said controllable means to play back said recorded address signals thereby supplying said recorded address signals to said detecting and decoding means, wherein the information segments corresponding to said address are played back in response to supplied command signals in accordance with said programmed format.

Claim 3

A system as defined in claim 1 wherein said control means further includes means responsive to a predetermined one of said command signals for enabling said control means to receive signals representative of an address corresponding to a selected one of said recorded information segments from an external source.

Claim 4

An information system as defined in claim 2 wherein said first means includes means for counting said marker signals and comparator means supplied with decoded address signals and with output signals from said counting means for locating and initiating playback of information segments corresponding to said address signals.

Claim 5

An information system as defined in claim 3 wherein said recorded control signals include a plurality of addresses of related information segments, said command signals include signals corresponding in a one-to-one relationship to said recorded addresses and wherein said control means further includes means responsive to decoded command signals for supplying logical signals representative of the corresponding decoded address to said comparator means thereby to initialize location and playback of the information segment corresponding to said address.

Claim 6

An information system as defined in claim 4 wherein said control signals and command signals are multifrequency tones and wherein said detecting and decoding means is a multifrequency receiver for converting said multifrequency tones into logical signals.

Claim 7

An audio information system which comprises record means having a plurality of discrete message segments recorded in serial form theReon, said record means further having a plurality of control signals associated with each of said message segments recorded thereon including signals marking the beginning and end of each message segment and a plurality of address signals associated with each of said message segments identifying related message segments; an incoming signal path and an outgoing signal path; controllable means in circuit relationship with said outgoing signal path for playing back said recorded message segment and said recorded control signals; means for detecting and decoding supplied command signals and address signals, said means being in circuit relationship with said incoming signal path and selectively in circuit relationship with said outgoing circuit path; and control means for generating signals to operate said controllable means to play back selected ones of said message segments in a preprogrammed format, said control means including first means responsive to said marker signals and decoded address signals for generating signals to operate said controllable means for locating and playing back the message segment identified by the decoded address, second means responsive to the end of segment marker of the message segment being played back to interconnect said detecting and decoding means to said outgoing signal path, and third means responsive to signals representative of a decoded command signal corresponding to one of said recorded address signals associated with the last played message segment for generating signals to operate said controllable means to play back said recorded addresses thereby supplying said recorded addresses to said detecting and decoding means, wherein the message segments identified by said addresses corresponding to the supplied command signals are played back in accordance with said preprogrammed format.

Claim 8

An audio information system which comprises record means having a plurality of discrete message segments recorded in serial form theReon, said record means further having a plurality of control signals associated with each of said message segments recorded thereon including signals marking the beginning and end of each message segment and a plurality of address signals associated with each of said message segments identifying related message segments; an incoming signal path and an outgoing signal path; controllable means in circuit relationship with said outgoing signal path for playing back said recorded message segment and said recorded control signals; means for detecting and decoding supplied command signals and address signals, said means being in circuit relationship with said incoming signal path and selectively in circuit relationship with said outgoing circuit path; and control means for generating signals to operate said controllable means to play back selected ones of said message segments in a preprogrammed format, said control means including first means responsive to said marker signals and decoded address signals for generating signals to operate said controllable means for locating and playing back the message segment identified by the decoded address, second means responsive to the end of segment marker of the message segment being played back to interconnect said detecting and decoding means to said outgoing signal path, and third means responsive to signals representative of a decoded command signal corresponding to one of said recorded address signals associated with the last played message segment for generating signals to operate said controllable means to play back said recorded addresses thereby supplying said recorded addresses to said detecting and decoding means, wherein the message segments identified by said addresses corresponding to the supplied command signals are played back in accordance with said preprogrammed format.

Claim 9

A system as defined in claim 6 wherein said first means includes means for counting said marker signals, and comparator means supplied with said decoded address signals and with output signals from said counting means for generating signals to operate said controllable means for locating and initiating playback of individual ones of said message segments corresponding to individual ones of said address signals.

Claim 10

A system as defined in claim 7 wherein said second means further includes means responsive to the marker signal indicating the end of a message segment being played back for stopping said controllable means, and wherein said third means further includes means for supplying decoded address signals corresponding to the supplied command signal to said comparator means.

Claim 11

A system as defined in claim 8 further including a source of command signals and address signals and means for selectively interconnecting said source with said incoming signal path.