| 摘要 |
An information delivery system for delivery of audible information to a plurality of end-users comprising, in accordance with the preferred embodiments of an apparatus of the present invention, a master controller connected to a plurality of remotely-located information sources and to a plurality of remotely-located end-user information devices. The master controller connects to a plurality of distant local controllers via a data transport network, including a public switched telecommunications network and a broadcast data transport network. Each local controller includes a sound synthesizer which connects to an end-user audio device, such as a loudspeaker system, a tape recorder, or earphone. In accordance with the preferred embodiments of a method of the present invention, the master controller collects textual information items from the plurality of information sources and enables editing of the items' text to replace words which may be improperly converted to speech with phonetic equivalents, to remove references to illustrations, and to insert punctuation where necessary to improve the understandability of speech produced from the items' text. The master controller also enables assignment of categories to each text item based, in part, upon keywords contained in the item. Upon receipt of an information item by a local controller, the text of the item is converted into audio signals for output to an end-user audio device. Because information items are end-user selectable and because audible delivery of an information item is end-user schedulable, the system enables hands-free and eyes-free receipt of desired information items at a time and place determinable by an end-user.
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