US3889291A
Expired / Lapsed
US
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Message announcement apparatus and method
Assignee: AUDICHRON Co
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Filing: 1974-04-18
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Granted: 1975-06-10
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Expires: 1994-04-18
Abstract
Abstract Apparatus and method providing repetitive delivery of recorded messages composed of several separate message segments which are serially delivered. A composite message is provided by serial delivery of individual message segments which have an extent of overlap in message segment delivery time, so that an end portion of a message segment and a beginning portion of the next sequential message segment are concurrently recorded on a message recording medium. A message delivery circuit switches from delivery of the one message segment to delivery of the next sequential message segment during the period of concurrent message overlap, so that possible noise occurring at the beginning or end of the message segments is excluded from the delivered composite message. Part or all of a new composite message can be supplied from a remote location for recording and subsequent playback delivery by the present apparatus, and the apparatus can provide delivery of a predetermined shortened message component in response to certain signal conditions. Multiple announcement delivery phases are provided from a single set of message announcement segments, and each message phase can be selectively shortened in response to a single message length apparatus.
Inventors
- 👤 Walter P Walker
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-24 21:54
CPC Classifications
G; G11; G11B; G11B20/00; G11B20/10; C; C08; C08K; C08K3/00; C08K3/18; C08K3/20; G11B15/00; G11B15/02; G11B15/026; G11B15/05; G11B15/06; G11B27/00; G11B27/10; G11B27/102; G11B27/105; G11B27/107; H; H04; H04M; H04M3/00; H04M3/42; H04M3/487; G11B15/18; G11B15/1808; G11B15/1875
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 25
Claim 1
Independent Claim
108 words
Method of recording and delivering a message in plural segments, comprising the steps of: recording a first message segment of certain duration and having a final portion; recording a second message segment having an initial portion which is identical both in content and in time of occurrence with said final portion of said first message segment; delivering a composite message comprising serially reproduced first and second message segments with synchronized concurrent reproduction of said final portion of the first message segment and said initial portion of the second message segment; and transferring message segment delivery to said second message segment at a time during said synchronized concurrent reproduction.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
108 words
Method of recording and delivering a message in plural segments, comprising the steps of: recording a first message segment of certain duration and having a final portion; recording a second message segment having an initial portion which is identical both in content and in time of occurrence with said final portion of said first message segment; delivering a composite message comprising serially reproduced first and second message segments with synchronized concurrent reproduction of said final portion of the first message segment and said initial portion of the second message segment; and transferring message segment delivery to said second message segment at a time during said synchronized concurrent reproduction.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
25 words
Method as in claim 1, wherein said message segment delivery transfer occurs before termination of said final portion and after commencement of said initial portion.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
84 words
Method as in claim 1, wherein said composite message delivery comprises delivery of a first composite message; and delivering a second composite message which comprises serially reproduced first and second message segments with synchronized concurrent reproduction of said final and initial portions of said message segments, and with transfer of message segment delivery to said second message segment occurring during synchronized concurrent reproduction; and commencing delivery of said second composite message after completing delivery of the first message segment of said first composite message.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
65 words
Method of determining the duration of a message, comprising the steps of: recording a message on a recording medium; determining the time required to record said message; subsequently commencing delivery of said recorded message; determining the time elapsed since commencement of said message delivery; and terminating said message delivery when said elapsed time is at least equal to said time required to record said message.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
65 words
Method of determining the duration of a message, comprising the steps of: recording a message on a recording medium; determining the time required to record said message; subsequently commencing delivery of said recorded message; determining the time elapsed since commencement of said message delivery; and terminating said message delivery when said elapsed time is at least equal to said time required to record said message.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
86 words
Method as in claim 4, wherein said time required to record the message is determined by counting the number of equal time segments required to record said message; said determination of elapsed time is determined by counting equal playback time segments occurring since commencement of said message delivery; comparing the counted playback time segments with the previously determined number of segments required to record said message; and terminating said message delivery when said playback time count segment becomes as great as said record time segment counT.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
70 words
Method as in claim 4, further comprising: generating repetitive signals corresponding to segments of time required for recording and playback of said message; determining the number of said repetitive signals occurring during recording of said message; counting the repetitive signals occurring during said message delivery; and terminating said message delivery when the number of repetitive signals during message delivery attains a predetermined relation to said determined number of repetitive signals.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
76 words
Method as in claim 4, wherein said recorded message comprises a first message portion and a second message portion; said recording time is the time required to record only said first message portion; said elapsed time is the time from commencement of message delivery to the end of delivery of said first recorded message portion; and terminating said message in response to said elapsed time equaling said recording time only if a certain signal condition exists.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
116 words
Apparatus for providing a recorded message announcement, comprising: first means operative to provide a first message segment; second means operative to provide a second message segment having an initial portion which is coincident with a final portion of said first message segment; control signal means responsive to operation of said first and second means to provide a control signal condition during said coincident portions of said first and second message segments; and message delivery means selectively operative to deliver either of said first and second message segments to a message delivery circuit and operative in response to said control signal condition to terminate first message segment delivery and to commence delivery of said second message segment.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
116 words
Apparatus for providing a recorded message announcement, comprising: first means operative to provide a first message segment; second means operative to provide a second message segment having an initial portion which is coincident with a final portion of said first message segment; control signal means responsive to operation of said first and second means to provide a control signal condition during said coincident portions of said first and second message segments; and message delivery means selectively operative to deliver either of said first and second message segments to a message delivery circuit and operative in response to said control signal condition to terminate first message segment delivery and to commence delivery of said second message segment.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
21 words
Apparatus as in claim 8, wherein said first and second message means are operative to provide mutually synchronized respective message segments.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
42 words
Apparatus as in claim 8, wherein said control signal means is operative to provide said control signal condition at a time after said initial portion of said second message segment commences and before said final protion of said first message segment terminates.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
131 words
Apparatus as in claim 8, wherein said message delivery means is a first message delivery means and said message delivery circuit is a first message delivery circuit, and further comprising second message delivery means connected to receive said first and second message segments and selectively operative to deliver either of said message segments to a second message delivery circuit; said control signal means is operative to provide a second control signal condition corresponding to termination of said first message segment; and said second message delivery means is operative in response to said second control signal condition to commence delivery of said first message segment and is operative in response to said first control signal condition to terminate delivery of said first message segment and commence delivery of said second message segment.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
181 words
Apparatus for delivering a recorded message of selectively variable duration, comprising: message means operative to receive a recorded message not to exceed a predetermined maximum duration; first circuit means operative to provide a plurality of timing signals during recording of the recorded message on said message means; memory means operative to receive a signal condition from said first circuit means representing a timing signal count corresponding to a shortened time period less than said maximum duration; second circuit means operative to provide a plurality of playback timing signals during playback of said message recorded on said message means; comparison means responsive to said playback timing signals and also to said signal condition of said memory means, said comparison means operative to provide a control signal condition in response to said playback timing signals indicaTing a time period equal to said shortened time period; and message delivery means operatively associated with said message means to control playback delivery of a message recorded thereon, said message delivery means being responsive to said control signal condition to terminate delivery of said shortened recorded message.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
181 words
Apparatus for delivering a recorded message of selectively variable duration, comprising: message means operative to receive a recorded message not to exceed a predetermined maximum duration; first circuit means operative to provide a plurality of timing signals during recording of the recorded message on said message means; memory means operative to receive a signal condition from said first circuit means representing a timing signal count corresponding to a shortened time period less than said maximum duration; second circuit means operative to provide a plurality of playback timing signals during playback of said message recorded on said message means; comparison means responsive to said playback timing signals and also to said signal condition of said memory means, said comparison means operative to provide a control signal condition in response to said playback timing signals indicaTing a time period equal to said shortened time period; and message delivery means operatively associated with said message means to control playback delivery of a message recorded thereon, said message delivery means being responsive to said control signal condition to terminate delivery of said shortened recorded message.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
33 words
Apparatus as in claim 12, wherein said message delivery means operates to terminate said message delivery only in response to said control signal condition and the concurrent presence of another control signal condition.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
149 words
Apparatus as in claim 12, wherein: said timing signals provided by said first circuit means are repetitive signals representing time segments of said maximum message duration; said memory means is connected to receive said time segment signals during said recording and is operative to provide a record length signal condition; said second circuit means is operative to receive said repetitive time segment signals during said message delivery and to provide a delivery length signal condition corresponding to the number of time segment signals occurring since the message delivery commenced; and said comparison means is operative to compare the time segment counts represented by said record length signal condition and said delivery length signal condition, and is operative to provide said control signal condition when the time segment count represented by said delivery length signal condition is equal to the time segment count represented by said record length signal condition.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
143 words
Apparatus as in claim 12, wherein: said message means has a plurality of message segment tracks for recording and repetitively delivering segments of a message; said message delivery means is operative in response to said repetitive operation of said message means to supply said message segments to a message delivery circuit in a predetermined sequence making up a composite delivered message; said memory means is operative to provide said record length signal condition identifying the particular message segment track on which said recorded message terminates; and said message delivery means is responsive to said control signal condition from said comparison means and also to said record length signal condition to terminate delivery of said shortened recorded message only in response to a signal condition indicating that the message segment on said particular message segment track is being supplied to said message delivery circuit.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
143 words
Apparatus as in claim 15, wherein: said message delivery means is a first message delivery means and said message delivery is a first message delivery circuit; and further comprising at least one other message delivery means operatively associated with said message means to supply said composite message to a second message delivery circuit by a predetermined message segment delivery sequence which is offset in time relative to said delivery sequence of said first message delivery means; and each of said message delivery means is responsive to said control signal condition from said comparison means and also to said record length signal condition to terminate delivery of the shortened recorded message to a particular message delivery circuit only in response to a signal condition indicating that the message segment on said particular message segment track is being delivered to said particular message delivery circuit.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
153 words
Apparatus for delivering a recorded message, comprising: message means operative periodically to provide a composite message made up of plural sequential message segments, with the end portion of at least one said message segment being coincident in time and identical in content with the beginning portion of the next sequential message segment; first message transducing means responsive to said message means periodically to provide a first message segment signal; second message transducing means responsive to said message Means to periodically provide a second message segment signal; control means responsive to periodic operation of said message means to provide a playback control signal condition occurring at a time during said coincident time; and message delivery switching means connected to receive said first and second message segment signals and operative in response to said control signal condition to switch from delivery of said first message segment signal to delivery of said second message segment signal.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
153 words
Apparatus for delivering a recorded message, comprising: message means operative periodically to provide a composite message made up of plural sequential message segments, with the end portion of at least one said message segment being coincident in time and identical in content with the beginning portion of the next sequential message segment; first message transducing means responsive to said message means periodically to provide a first message segment signal; second message transducing means responsive to said message Means to periodically provide a second message segment signal; control means responsive to periodic operation of said message means to provide a playback control signal condition occurring at a time during said coincident time; and message delivery switching means connected to receive said first and second message segment signals and operative in response to said control signal condition to switch from delivery of said first message segment signal to delivery of said second message segment signal.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
107 words
Apparatus as in claim 17, further comprising: message recording means operative to record a composite message on said message means, said recorded composite message including first and second message segments; record control means responsive to operation of said message means to provide a record control signal condition during said coincident time and prior to the time of occurrence of said playback control signal condition; said message recording means being operative in response to said record control signal condition to commence recording concurrently on both said first and second message segments for a period of time extending beyond said time of occurrence of said playback control signal condition.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
98 words
Apparatus as in claim 17, further comprising: control signal means operative to provide a sequence of timing pulses in response to each periodic message segment of said message means, with one of said timing pulses corresponding to the termination of said first message segment and with an earlier occurring other said timing pulse corresponding to the initiation of said next message segment, and with at least one delivery timing pulse occurring between said one and said other timing pulses; and said control means being operative to provide said control signal condition in response to said delivery timing pulse.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
186 words
Apparatus as in claim 19, further comprising: message erase control means connected to receive a message erase signal and operative in response to a message substitution signal and a timing pulse corresponding to the initiation of said one message segment to apply said message erase signal to said one message segment; said message erase control means thereafter being operative in response to occurrence of said other timing pulse to apply said message erase signal to said next message segment and to terminate said message erase signal on said one message segment in response to said one timing pulse; message record control means connected to receive a new message signal and operative in response to said message substitution signal and termination of said message erase signal on said one message segment to apply said new message signal to said one message segment; said message record control means being thereafter responsive to occurrence of said other timing pulse to apply said new message signal to said next message segment and to terminate said new message signal to said one message segment in response to said one timing pulse.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1978-06-09 | 1978-12-09 | 1979-06-10 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1982-06-09 | 1982-12-09 | 1983-06-10 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1986-06-09 | 1986-12-09 | 1987-06-10 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |