A multi-functional telephone with memory cards which expand talking services

The authors describe several voice-synthesized telephone synthetic speech services that are desired by users (as determined from survey results), requirements for expansion of speed services using memory cards, and the configurations of memory cards and a multifunction telephone system that uses such cards. Various speed functions and messages are loaded on each memory card. The card is repeatedly inserted and withdrawn and messages are selected. In the multifunction telephone all voices are synthesized with suitable pauses and intonation by a PARCOR (partial autocorrelation) voice synthesizer that makes the voices sound natural and clear. The PARCOR voice synthesizer makes efficient use of the memory capacity and consumes very little power. This multifunction telephone offers redialing, on-hook dialing, speaker monitoring, and ten one-touch dialing in addition to the synthetic speech functions.<>