Dictaphone Corporation.

Other

Pitney Bowes Inc.

Emil F Jachmann

David B Chamberlin

John J Dwyer

Jeremy Saltzman

Jy-Hong J Su

Nicholas A D'Agosto, Iii

Mark N Harris

Joseph A Howells

Robert L Rubenstein

Alan F Sweet

Suzanne N Grey

Sandor F Weisz

Daniel F Daly

Judith M Eckert

Mark N Vogel

Albert J Gobel, Jr

Brian F Beloin

Steven M Smith

Larry E Bergeron

A digitally implemented central dictation system wherein users designated as dictators may input Voice Files for later retrieval and transcription by a second group of users designated as transcriptionists. A system Supervisor has the capability to monitor operation of the system and allocate system resources. The system further includes an optional Voice Mail capability wherein selected dictators may input Voice Files for later retrieval by designated other dictators. The system further includes a plurality of telephone-like input/output devices used by system users for input and output of voice messages, which devices further include DTMF generators for input of command signals. Still further the system includes a Supervisory station for use by the system Supervisor in monitoring system activity and allocation of system resources, which station further includes a CRT type display and keyboard, and a printer for output of hardcopy reports by the system. The Supervisor station is also provided with a telephone-like input/output device for use by the system Supervisor. The telephone-like input out devices of the system users may be either conventional telephones which access the system through a conventional PBX or may be telephone-like devices which are directly connected to dedicated system ports.

Digital dictation system with voice mail capability

An integrated records management system having the capability to record and transcribe dictation. The system is particularly useful for the prompt and efficient management of patient's medical records. The system includes a digital dictation sub-system with a number of dictation input units and a number of transcription output units. The dictation system receives dictation jobs corresponding to reports, and particularly medical reports and stores them as voice files for later output for review of transcription. Job records containing information about the dictation jobs is transmitted to a database server which manages and maintains a database of medical records. The transcription output terminals together with word processing stations connected to the data base server form work stations for transcriptionists. When a dictation job is to be transcribed, the database manager combines information in the database with a selected form for the identified report type prior to transcription and when the dictation job is transcribed into that format to form a complete document representing a report, selected portions of that report may be extracted to form a summary report by the system database manager. The system also includes printers for output of reports, a system administrator station, a communications link to other data processing systems, and archival storage.

Records management system having dictation/transcription capability

A method and apparatus for generating, and storing for later retrieval, selected voice messages in response to selected verbal input trigger phrases. The voice signals including predetermined trigger phrases are transmitted from an input device such as a multiline telephone to a voice recognition system. The voice recognition system associates the trigger phrases with predetermined blocks of text message and in response to a sequence of trigger phrases, creates a report. The text is then output to a voice synthesizer system for the creation of synthetic voice signals corresponding to the full text of the report and the synthetic voice signals are output to a voice storage and forward system for later retrieval. The system also provides a printed copy of the full text of the report. In one embodiment of the system, an exception dictionary is provided which substitutes replacement words having a modified spelling for exception words whose pronunciation, as synthesized by the voice synthesizer, is not considered acceptable.

Method and apparatus for the generation of reports

A digital dictation system having plural ports through which dictate and transcribe stations may be connected to a central store via respective dictate and transcribe channels for recording and transcribing messages. The transcribe port may be selectively conditioned, as by operating a manual selector, for enabling a dictate station to be connected therethrough to carry out dictate operations with the central store. Upon release of the port by the dictate station, the port reverts to its normal transcribe condition. By providing at least two ports, separate dictate and transcribe operations may be carried out concurrently on the same message. A dictator may review and edit a portion of the message which has already been transcribed by the transciptionist, whereupon the system automatically conditions the transcribe apparatus to play back the edit.

Dictate/transcribe control for digital dictation system

A system for storing and forwarding voice signals. The system provides for central, digital storage of voice signals for later access by addressee system users. When addresses access a previously stored voice signal they have the capability to incrementally construct a reply by 'toggeling' between a playback state, to listen to the previously stored signal and a record state to record at least a partial response. In another embodiment originators of voice signals have the capability to edit signals after storage.

Method and apparatus for storing and forwarding voice signals and

A method and apparatus for storing and forwarding voice signals wherein a user has increased control and flexibility in distributing voice signals. In one embodiment the originator of a stored voice signal may restrict an addressee's ability to forward a message to other users. In another, the originator may limit the addressee's ability to use the voice store and forward system until such time as the addressee responds to a stored voice signal.

Method and apparatus for storing and forwarding voice signals with

A dictation system having two or more recording units, each selectively operable as a dictation unit or a transcription unit, and including a selector for selecting a respective unit for recording or transcription. A unit selected for recording dictation is enabled if a record medium therein is ready, or initialized, for recording; otherwise the unit is enabled for transcription. While one unit operates to record dictation, the other may operate simultaneously to transcribe previously recorded dictation. In a system having at least three recording units, at least two are identified with respective, particular identities and the third is designated a spare recording unit. After a predetermined amount of dictation has been recorded on any one of the identified recording units, further dictation destined for that identified unit is recorded on the spare unit, and the identity of the spare unit is charged over to be equal to the identity of the recording unit for which dictation had been intended. In such a system, the original identities of the at least two recording units are established in the order in which those units are initialized, or made ready, for dictation.

Method and apparatus for controlling dictation on or transcription from

A dictation transcription system having a recording/playback module and a display module which are detachably connectable to form an integral structure. The display module provides a visual display of the length, locations and types of messages by storing and utilizing display data. This display data is generated during a dictate operation and, when dictation is 'finished', the display data is recorded on the record medium. Subsequently, and preferably, prior to transcription of the dictated messages, the record medium is scanned for the display data which then controls a transcriptionist's display module to reproduce the visual indication originally derived during dictation.

Display for modular dictation/transcription system

A programmable telephone/dictation terminal that can be disposed in any one of several different modes of operation including, but not limited to, dictating information onto a recorder, communicating over a telephone network, recording incoming messages received via a telephone line, preventing a telephone dial out operation and communicating 'text' messages with a supervisory console. The terminal is provided with several programmable keys each being assignable by the terminal user with a particular function such that, upon the simple operation of that key, the assigned function is carried out. The user may change the function to which a particular programmed key is assigned, as desired.

Programmable telephone/dictation terminal and method of operating same

A display for providing visual indications of the lengths of recorded messages, the positions of recorded instructions and the present relative location of a record medium. Three separate arrays are provided for these indications, respectively. Each recorded message may be a letter, note, memo, etc., and is indicated by steady-state energization of segments included in a first (letter) array. 'Priority' messages are represented by a distinctive indication, such as by flashing the appropriate segments in that array. Similarly, 'normal' and 'special' instructions are represented by two different, distinctive indications, such as steady-state and flashing energization of particular segments in a second (instruction) array.

A system for storage and forwarding of voice signals. The system includes apparatus for storage and retrieval of voice signals and telephone-like station sets for access to the stored signals. The station sets also include a display and the system transmits text messages corresponding to various stored signals to the station sets corresponding to the addressees of the various stored signals to inform the addressees that they have messages waiting. In one embodiment the text messages identify the originator or class of the voice signals. In another embodiment the station set will respond to an input by a user to automatically contact the apparatus for storage and retrieval of voice signals to retrieve a stored voice signal corresponding to a displayed text message.

Method and apparatus for visual indication of stored voice signals

Cassette recorder

A modular dictation/transcription system is described comprising a modular construction wherein the system is composed of a set of modules which are detachably connectable to each other. Connection or detachment of individual modules from the system configures the system to provide such functions as may be required while deleting such functions which are not necessary. Included within the modules are one or more recording/playback modules a display module and a telephone module. All of the modules interact with each other in accordance with preselectable functions to provide for a more efficient utilization of the dictation/transcription system. Clusters of the modules may be arranged as stations, with the stations connected by a digital communication link.

Modular dictation/transcription system

Telephone number information representing a name and a telephone number is entered into the memory of an automatic dialer, either by actuating a telephone dial-type keypad or by reading that information from a magnetic recording medium. When utilizing the keypad to generate telephone number information, actuation of the keys in one mode generates digital signals representing alphabetic characters constituting a name, and actuation of those same keys in a second mode generates digital signals representing numerical characters constituting the telephone number associated with that name. The telephone number information is stored as a telephone directory in record blocks which may be revised or deleted, in whole or in part, to carry out a telephone number edit operation. The stored record blocks may be read out from the memory and written onto the magnetic recording medium of a recorder, such as dictating machine, from which the recorded telephone directory may be downloaded to another automatic dialer. Several telephone instruments incorporating automatic dialers may be connected in a network having a central store in which telephone number information generated at each instrument is stored and at which the telephone number information stored in any or all of the memories of the telephone instruments may be revised.

Method and apparatus for creating and storing telephone directory

A dictation/transcription system wherein identifying signals are recorded with audio messages. One of at least two different types of identifying signals, such as single or double bursts of cue tones, together with a block of digital data are recorded. The digital data block is comprised of fields of data for providing additional message identifying information, such as message type, time and date of recording, author identification and the location of the message on the record medium.

Growing community of inventors

Greenwich, CT, United States of America

Emil F Jachmann