Voice warning system

Claim 3

The method of claim 1 including the step of: limiting the amplitude of the generated variable analog signal to a predetermined value prior to the unipolar conversion thereof.

Claim 4

The method of claim 1 wherein the frequency at which the amplitude of the unipolar output signal is sampled is not less than about 6 KHz.

Claim 7

The method of claim 4 including the steps of: converting the amplitude limited signal to a unipolar output signal prior to sampling the amplitude thereof.

Claim 8

The method of claim 4 wherein the frequency at which the amplitude of the amplitude-limited signal is sampled is not less than about 6 KHz.

Claim 9

An aircraft voice warning system comprising: a plurality of sensors each adapted to sense a condition of the aircraft; means for storing a digital data signal representative of an audio message for each of said plurality of sensors; a source of digital pulses having a predetermined pulse repetition rate; a first binary counter for converting the number of pulses applied thereto to a binary output signal; means responsive to one of said sensors for passing pulses from said source to said first binary counter; a first decoder for converting the binary output signals from said first binary counter to a line read-out signal; a second counter responsive to pulses from said first binary Counter for converting the number of pulses applied thereto to a binary output signal; a second decoder for converting the binary output signals from said second counter to a row read-out signal; a permanent solid-state read-only memory circuit for providing digital data signals in response to said line and row read-out signals, said digital data signals each being relating to the instantaneous amplitude of an audio frequency signal; second converting means for converting said digital data signals to amplitude samples; means for integrating said amplitude samples to provide an analog signal; and means for transducing said analog signal into a voice warning.

Claim 10

An aircraft voice warning system comprising: a plurality of sensors each adapted to sense a condition of the aircraft; means for storing a digital data signal representative of an audio message for each of said plurality of sensors; a source of digital pulses having a predetermined pulse repetition rate; a first binary counter for converting the number of pulses applied thereto to a binary output signal; means responsive to one of said sensors for passing pulses from said source to said first binary counter; a first decoder for converting the binary output signals from said first binary counter to a line read-out signal; a second counter responsive to pulses from said first binary Counter for converting the number of pulses applied thereto to a binary output signal; a second decoder for converting the binary output signals from said second counter to a row read-out signal; a permanent solid-state read-only memory circuit for providing digital data signals in response to said line and row read-out signals, said digital data signals each being relating to the instantaneous amplitude of an audio frequency signal; second converting means for converting said digital data signals to amplitude samples; means for integrating said amplitude samples to provide an analog signal; and means for transducing said analog signal into a voice warning.

Claim 11

The system of claim 7 including means for generating a signal for disabling said first converting means; and means for recycling said first converting means after a predetermined time delay in the absence of a signal from said disabling means.

Claim 12

Apparatus for permanently storing signals representative of compressional wave energy comprising: means for generating an analog electrical signal representative of compressional wave energy within a frequency range from about 20 Hz. to about 20 KHz.; biasing means for changing the generated analog signal to a unipolar output signal; means limiting the amplitude of the generated analog signal to a predetermined value prior to the changing of said analog signal to a unipolar output signal; means for periodically sampling the amplitude of frequency components of said unipolar output signal within a frequency range substantially less than the frequency range of the generated signal; converting means synchronized with said sampling means for generating a series of pulses related in number to the sampled amplitude, and for converting the number of generated pulses into binary form, said converting means including means for generating a comparing signal varying in amplitude as a function of time; means for comparing the amplitude of said sample with the amplitude of said comparing signal; a source of pulses having a predetermined pulse repetition rate; and, a binary counter for receiving pulses from said source during a period of time initiated by a pulse from said source and terminated by the output from said comparing means; and, means for permanently storing the digital signals.

Claim 13

Apparatus for permanently storing signals representative of compressional wave energy comprising: means for generating an analog electrical signal representative of compressional wave energy within a frequency range from about 20 Hz. to about 20 KHz.; biasing means for changing the generated analog signal to a unipolar output signal; means limiting the amplitude of the generated analog signal to a predetermined value prior to the changing of said analog signal to a unipolar output signal; means for periodically sampling the amplitude of frequency components of said unipolar output signal within a frequency range substantially less than the frequency range of the generated signal; converting means synchronized with said sampling means for generating a series of pulses related in number to the sampled amplitude, and for converting the number of generated pulses into binary form, said converting means including means for generating a comparing signal varying in amplitude as a function of time; means for comparing the amplitude of said sample with the amplitude of said comparing signal; a source of pulses having a predetermined pulse repetition rate; and, a binary counter for receiving pulses from said source during a period of time initiated by a pulse from said source and terminated by the output from said comparing means; and, means for permanently storing the digital signals.

Claim 14

Apparatus for generating an audible warning of an equipment malfunction, comprising: a source of continuously variable analog electrical signals representative of an audio message; means for biasing said analog signals to result in a corresponding unipolar output signal; means for periodically sampling the instantaneous amplitude of said unipolar output signal at a fixed sampling rate within a frequency range substantially less than the frequency range of said analog signal; a non-volatile digital memory for serially storing a plurality of fixed-bit length digital codes; means connected to the output of said sampling means and to the input of said digital memory for converting each of the amplitude samples from said sampling means to a corresponding fixed-bit pulse code modulation signal for storage in said memory as serially-arranged fixed-bit-length digital codes; means for producing an electrical enabling signal in response to an equipment malfunction; means for generating a train of sequential memory addressing pulses in response to said enabling signal; means connecting said memory addressing pulse generating means to said digital memory whereby the content of said digital memory is read out in a non-repetitive serial sequence to produce, at the output of said memory, a sequential series of digital data signals in response to each application of said memory addressing pulse train thereto; means for converting each of the digital data signals from the output of said memory to a corresponding amplitude sample; means for integrating the amplitudE samples from said digital signal converting means to provide an analog output signal; and means for transducing said analog output signal into an audible warning.

Claim 15

Apparatus for generating an audible warning of an equipment malfunction, comprising: a source of continuously variable analog electrical signals representative of an audio message; means for biasing said analog signals to result in a corresponding unipolar output signal; means for periodically sampling the instantaneous amplitude of said unipolar output signal at a fixed sampling rate within a frequency range substantially less than the frequency range of said analog signal; a non-volatile digital memory for serially storing a plurality of fixed-bit length digital codes; means connected to the output of said sampling means and to the input of said digital memory for converting each of the amplitude samples from said sampling means to a corresponding fixed-bit pulse code modulation signal for storage in said memory as serially-arranged fixed-bit-length digital codes; means for producing an electrical enabling signal in response to an equipment malfunction; means for generating a train of sequential memory addressing pulses in response to said enabling signal; means connecting said memory addressing pulse generating means to said digital memory whereby the content of said digital memory is read out in a non-repetitive serial sequence to produce, at the output of said memory, a sequential series of digital data signals in response to each application of said memory addressing pulse train thereto; means for converting each of the digital data signals from the output of said memory to a corresponding amplitude sample; means for integrating the amplitudE samples from said digital signal converting means to provide an analog output signal; and means for transducing said analog output signal into an audible warning.

Claim 16

Apparatus for generating an audible warning of an equipment malfunction, comprising: means for generating a continuously variable analog electrical signal within a frequency range from about 20 Hz. to about 20 KHz.; means for filtering said analog electrical signal to substantially eliminate frequency components therefrom below about 200 Hz. and above about 3 KHz.; a limiter for constraining the amplitude of the filtered signal to a predetermined value; sampling means for periodically sampling the amplitude of the amplitude-limited signal at a fixed sampling rate; means connected to the output of said sampling means for converting each of the amplitude samples to a corresponding signal whereby said analog electrical signal is converted to a serial train of fixed-bit-length digital codes at the output thereof; a non-volatile digital memory connected to the output of said converting means for serially storing said train of fixed-bit-length digital codes; means for producing an electrical enabling signal in response to an equipment malfunction; means for generating a train of sequential memory addressing pulses in response to said enabling signal; means connecting said memory addressing pulse generating means to said digital memory whereby the content of said digital memory is read out in a non-repetitive serial sequence to produce, at the output of said memory, a sequential series of digital data signals in response to each application of said memory addressing pulse train thereto; means for converting each of the digital data signals from the output of said memory to a corresponding amplitude sample; means for integrating the amplitude samples from said digital signal converting means to provide an analog output signal; and means for transducing said analog output signal into an audible warning.

Claim 17

Apparatus for generating an audible warning of an equipment malfunction, comprising: means for generating a continuously variable analog electrical signal within a frequency range from about 20 Hz. to about 20 KHz.; means for filtering said analog electrical signal to substantially eliminate frequency components therefrom below about 200 Hz. and above about 3 KHz.; a limiter for constraining the amplitude of the filtered signal to a predetermined value; sampling means for periodically sampling the amplitude of the amplitude-limited signal at a fixed sampling rate; means connected to the output of said sampling means for converting each of the amplitude samples to a corresponding signal whereby said analog electrical signal is converted to a serial train of fixed-bit-length digital codes at the output thereof; a non-volatile digital memory connected to the output of said converting means for serially storing said train of fixed-bit-length digital codes; means for producing an electrical enabling signal in response to an equipment malfunction; means for generating a train of sequential memory addressing pulses in response to said enabling signal; means connecting said memory addressing pulse generating means to said digital memory whereby the content of said digital memory is read out in a non-repetitive serial sequence to produce, at the output of said memory, a sequential series of digital data signals in response to each application of said memory addressing pulse train thereto; means for converting each of the digital data signals from the output of said memory to a corresponding amplitude sample; means for integrating the amplitude samples from said digital signal converting means to provide an analog output signal; and means for transducing said analog output signal into an audible warning.

Claim 18

Apparatus for permanently storing signals representative of compressional wave energy comprising: means for generating an analog electrical signal representative of compressional wave energy within a frequency range from about 20 Hz. to about 20 KHz.; biasing means for changing the generated analog signal to a unipolar output signal; means for limiting the amplitude of the generated analog signal to a predetermined value prior to the changing of said analog signal to a unipolar output signal; means for periodically sampling the amplitude of frequency components of said unipolar output signal within a frequency range substantially less than the frequency range of the generate signal; converting means synchronized with said sampling means generating a series of pulses related in number to the sampled amplitude, and for converting the number of generated pulses into binary form; and, a solid-state non-destructive read-only memory for permanently storing the digital signals.

Claim 19

Apparatus for permanently storing signals representative of compressional wave energy comprising: means for generating an analog electrical signal representative of compressional wave energy within a frequency range from about 20 Hz. to about 20 KHz.; biasing means for changing the generated analog signal to a unipolar output signal; means for limiting the amplitude of the generated analog signal to a predetermined value prior to the changing of said analog signal to a unipolar output signal; means for periodically sampling the amplitude of frequency components of said unipolar output signal within a frequency range substantially less than the frequency range of the generate signal; converting means synchronized with said sampling means generating a series of pulses related in number to the sampled amplitude, and for converting the number of generated pulses into binary form; and, a solid-state non-destructive read-only memory for permanently storing the digital signals.