Sanyo Electric Co., Ltd.

Shoichi Kamei

Masayuki Iida

Hiroki Ohnishi

Kazumi Ohkura

Shinichi Tsurufuji

In an automatic dial telephone that is usuable in a motor vehicle, when a voice input is provided during a period in which input of the names of called parties is awaited, a voice pattern of the name of the called party is compared with reference patterns of called parties stored in reference pattern storing device, to determine the degree of the similarity therebetween. The names of the called parties are output to a user in the order of decreasing degree of similarity. Each time the name of a called party is output, a command word for confirmation is a waited from a user for a predetermined time period. When a voice confirmation command is input and is recognized during this waiting period, a telephone number corresponding to the name of the called party is supplied to a channel. Consequently, the command word for confirmation may be input only if the name of the called party outputted is one desired by the user. Sensors continually monitor the driving condition of the motor vehicle in which the telephone is installed. When the operation of the steering wheel or brakes of the motor vehicle exceeds a predetermined threshold or the speed of the motor vehicle is excessive, the sensors generate safety signals that inhibit the operation of the telephone.

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Hirakata, Japan

Shoichi Kamei