Importance

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Abstract

The system receives line signals including tone coded information request messages from a telephone line and transmits synthesized human voice response messages along the same line. The system comprises a programmed computer, a processing section connected to the telephone line to receive signals from the telephone line, and an interface circuit for providing communication between the processing section and the computer. A plurality of processing sections are used with a plurality of telephone lines, with only one interface circuit being used to provide communication between all of the processing sections and the computer. Each processing section contains a voice synthesizer circuit, a line control circuit, and a tone decoder circuit. Each of these circuits provides a status signal when the circuit must communicate with the computer. The interface circuit includes an interrupt circuit which receives the status signals and provides an interrupt signal to the computer. Upon receipt of the interrupt signal, the computer interrogates a specialized circuit in the interface to determine the source of the interrupt signal and then communicates with the circuit causing the interrupt signal through the interface circuit. Communication with the computer is carried through a serial data bus line. The serial data is converted to parallel data in the interface circuit.

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First Claim