The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Mar. 14, 2000
Filed:
Aug. 05, 1997
John P Slaven, Harper Woods, MI (US);
Wilfredo U Barcelon, Waterford, MI (US);
David Fu, Rochester Hills, MI (US);
Lear Corporation, Southfield, MI (US);
Abstract
A method and system are provided for creating and storing records of voice messages in an automotive vehicle in one or more digital memory devices for subsequent playback over the vehicle's speaker. A microcontroller provides control signals to the memory devices which may take the form of a digital answering machine or a digital memo pad to thereby retrieve a desired voice message stored therein. Speaker multiplexer and amplifier circuitry, also under control of the microcontroller, receives the retrieved voice message and converts it into an input electrical signal for the speaker. An input device in the form of a key pad provides user input signals to the microcontroller so that the microcontroller may divert incoming cellular calls to the digital answering machine. The system under control of the microcontroller may store voice messages of the vehicle's user in either the digital answering machine or to the digital memo pad. A voice synthesizer, also under control of the microcontroller, is capable of providing a voice message also conveyed by the speaker multiplexer and amplifier circuitry to the car speaker.