PROCEDURE AND DEVICE FOR PROVIDING AND WORKING ON TEXT DOCUMENTS

This application is a continuation of application(s) Ser. No. 08/305,849 filed on Sep. 14, 1994, now abandoned.

Configuration examples are explained in greater detail in the following, where the method according to claim 1 is explained by means of FIG. 1.

A subscriber wants to send e.g. a facsimile to another subscriber. The following method is provided to be in a position to dictate and send text in the form of speech from any location, which only needs to have a telephone, for example.

In a first step 1, a text service is called up. As explained in more detail further on, this requires activating a speech recognizer.

The call to a subscriber or the spoken input of a subscriber takes place in a second step 2. In this instance, either the subscriber and the pertinent address can be fully input in the form of speech, or the subscriber's address is stored in an address directory, so that the full address can be activated and entered by simply speaking the name. It is furthermore possible to establish a distribution, e.g. by speaking a short word as the key word. The distribution is contained in a distribution list and indicates when and to whom the text document is to be sent. In this way a distribution determines a large number of subscribers to whom the same text document, e.g. a facsimile, must be sent.

In a third step 3, so-called text-to-speech-function software converts the text data into speech. This function speaks or reads out the subscriber or the distribution, to guarantee the accuracy of the entered address or the distribution. This can be increased, e.g. by verbally confirming the spoken address or the distribution.

The confirmation and speaking of the address or the distribution is not absolutely necessary, and can also be spoken again before the sending, where the command to send is an indirect confirmation.

The decision that the subscriber is the wrong one, made during a first decision step E1, requires a new call or the subscriber to speak again. If the decision is made that the subscriber is the correct one, the subscriber is entered in a fourth step 4. The fourth step 4 also calls up a format. The format determines e.g. that a facsimile format must be arranged and completed.

In a fifth step 5, text is dictated in the form of speech. The possibility of interrupting exists at any time during the dictation, as indicated by the second decision step E2. In the event an interruption is wanted, there is the possibility to express this verbally in another step 6, and to cause the text to be repeated. There are also the possibilities of repeating a word, a sentence, a paragraph or the entire text.

If a correction E3 is wanted, the changed position is established in the next step 7, and the desired correction is dictated. This causes continuation of the dictation of running text 5. If a correction E3 is wanted, or there is no desire to interrupt, the dictation of a text continues in a subsequent step 8.

The text ends in a final step 9, it is then possibly read out again and transmitted upon agreement.

The above described order of events can be depicted as follows by means of an example in the form of a course protocol:

There are several variation possibilities for the above described course protocol.

The following explains the device by means of FIG. 2.

A device for dictating and transmitting a text document by means of a telecommunication installation consists of a speech input device HS, through which a subscriber T can dictate text in the form of speech. For example, the speech input device HS can be a cordless telephone, a mobile telephone, etc.

To dictate text in the form of speech, thus to set up a text service, a speech recognizer SEK is provided to convert speech into text. The speech recognizer SEK can e.g. be located in a switching installation VA, where it is activated by the emission of a subscriber identification.

As an alternative, the switching installation VA can establish a connection to a personal, private data processing PC, in which the speech recognizer SEK is located. The individual process steps are performed as described earlier.

In addition to the speech recognizer SEK, there is software for the correction I of text data in the speech recognizer. The corrections can be input by means of speech.

Software for editing II text data is also located in the speech recognizer SEK.

The device of the invention also contains an installation for transmitting text data to another subscriber. This can also take place through switching installation VA, for example.

The device furthermore contains a FAX installation for printing the received document and/or means T for voicing speech.

If for example a text document is transmitted, and the other subscriber has no facsimile connection, and if there also is an access to the speech recognizer SEK, the text-to-speech function can reform the speech, which is then output via the telephone.

The device also consists of a personal computer PC with an attached printer D. The document can be viewed on the computer and printed with comments, if desired.

The following explains in more detail a configuration example for receiving and commenting a text document by means of FIG. 3.

A text document is received in a first step 11. It can arrive as a facsimile, for example, or as so-called E-mail in a personal computer.

The text document is read in the next step 12. A decision step Ell determines whether or not a comment should be added. If no comment is added, the process is completed ENDE. If a comment is added, the text service is called up in the next step 13. A spoken comment is added in another step 14.

To provide the possibility of an interruption or an improvement in this case as well, if such an interruption is wanted, the desire to interrupt is expressed during a decision step E12 in the next step 15, and the text is repeated by means of the above explained methods.

If a correction E13 is wanted, a position change is determined in step 16 and the correction place is entered. This again is followed by step 14.

If no correction E13 is wanted, the following step 17 continues the process with a further spoken comment.

The comment is completed and transmitted in the final step 18. In this instance e.g. the entire text plus comment, or only the comment, can be transmitted to one or several subscribers.

If a text service is called up during the above described methods, a subscriber identification is supplied to permit access to the text service. This can take place for example by speaking a code word, or by means of any other known method.

After the subscriber has been identified, a personal vocabulary e.g. can be made available to the subscriber. Furthermore, an identified text service subscriber can be assigned a personal address list and/or a distribution list.

The following explains an embodiment of the method by means of FIG. 4.

A method for receiving and commenting a multimedia document by means of a telecommunication installation consists of a first step 21, the reception of a multimedia document.

In the event a personal computer PC is available E21, the multimedia document can be viewed, read, heard and commented verbally as well as by text input 22.

If no PC is available but a facsimile FAX is available E22, the text data is printed as FAX 23.

If no facsimile is available, but a telephone is available E23, the speech text of the multimedia document is voiced and output 24. The text data can also be converted into speech and voiced by the above explained text-to-speech function.

As with text documents, multimedia documents can also be edited and transmitted to a subscriber.