| 摘要 |
<p>A speech synthesis communication aid for the vocally handicapped comprises a selector panel for use with translucent overlays bearing words or symbols arranged in an 8x8 matrix array and having controls (16, 17) operable by a user to enable selection and consequent back-illumination of one or more of the matrix cells. A microcomputer (15) is programmed to respond to cell selection to organise the back-illumination and also correspondingly to address a speech synthesiser circuit (10) having a read-only memory (7) containing data adapted for generation of speech signals so that an output is provided from the speech synthesiser circuit corresponding to the selected cell. The read-only memory is a plug-in module preprogrammed with a vocabulary corresponding to the words or symbols on a respective overlay, and a plurality of such modules and overlays are provided to obtain the requisite vocabulary repertoire. The microcomputer is also programmed to enable strings of speech utterances to be assembled by selection sequentially of a plurality of matrix cells and to be verbalised by the speech synthesiser, function keys (18) being provided for user operation to utilise this facility.</p> |
