Importance

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Abstract

A modular digital dictation system that can be easily modified to service a variable number of dictation stations and transcription stations. The modular digital dictation station comprises a central station for receiving digitized dictation signals from a network of dictation stations, storing the voice portion of the digitized dictation signals as digitized dictation segments, and routing the digitized dictation segments to a network of transcription stations. The central station includes a plurality of line interface and signal processing cards. The number of line interface and signal processing cards connected to the central station determines how many dictation stations and transcription stations the modular digital dictation station can service. The line interface cards may be removed from or connected to the central station during operations. A fast search program is provided to quickly find files containing desired digitized dictation segments stored in the central station. The fast search program uses arrays of identification numbers to quickly retrieve the files. The first array stores the address of the files in memory in the order in which the files are created. The second array stores identification numbers corresponding to each file in the order in which the files are created. The structure of the second array facilitates quickly finding an identification number. The position of the identification in the second array corresponds to a location in the first array containing the address in the file in memory. The position of the identification number in the second array is therefore used to calculate the location of the file in memory.

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First Claim