Communication apparatus for the handicapped

For use with a network utilizing telephone signals to enable a handicapped calling party to communicate over said network with a called party by the use of a code format for identifying various characters assigned to dial positions on a telephone-type dial, said code comprised of at least two telephone signals, one signal identifying a dial position of said telephone-type dial, and another signal identifying one of a plurality of alphanumeric characters assigned to said position, said telephone signals being selected and transmitted in a predetermined sequence, apparatus comprising:

• means for decoding said telephone signals from said called party to provide decoded signals;
• means connected to said decoding means for registering said decoded signals in said predetermined sequence;
• means responsive to said registering means for converting said decoded signals into a decoded character in accordance with said code format;
• encoding means manually operable by said calling party for providing encoded characters corresponding to a message of said calling party;
• a speech synthesizer responsive to said encoding means for transmitting said encoded characters as spoken words over said network to said called party;
• an output device;
• and
• means connected to said output device, responsive to said converting means, for energizing said output device in such a manner that a human being is able to sense said decoded characters;
• whereby a calling party is able to communicate with a called party over standard telephone lines, said calling party being able to spell-out words by transmitting speech corresponding to said encoded characters corresponding to a message of said calling party, said apparatus being further able to decode telephone signals to thereby receive words spelled out by said called party by use of said code format.