Signal sequence editing method and apparatus with automatic time fitting of edited segments

In a system for recording and playing back voice messages by coupling through a data processor cooperating with a bulk storage unit, the system including means for receiving from a user both voice messages to be recorded and data commands to said processor, the method for editing a recorded voice message in response to said commands and comprising the steps of

• receiving a user command to establish a pointer referring to a user-selected point in said recorded message,
• generating a pointer including at least a digital indication of the address of a storage location at least adjacent to said selected point in said bulk storage unit,
• storing said pointer in said processor, and
• modifying said recorded message in a part designated by said pointer.

A method for storing signal information represented by digitally coded signal samples, said method comprising the steps of

• computing a signal energy level estimate for each successive block of said samples, each block being of a common predetermined size, and
• storing in retrievable association at least predetermined ones of said blocks of samples and their respective energy level estimates,
• said storing step including the substeps of
• detecting low-energy blocks of samples having energy level estimates sufficiently low to preclude the presence of substantial human useful information in the block, and
• registering for low energy blocks both a unique code indicating a low-energy interval and a run-length code indicating the number of successive low-energy blocks in the interval.

A method for editing recorded digitally coded signal information in a recorded information sequence not visible to a human user and including active intervals of significant signal level information and relatively inactive intervals lacking significant signal level information, said method comprising the steps of

• establishing at least one record address pointer to a selectable inactive interval location, not visible to a user, in the recorded information sequence,
• establishing a unique reference designation for any established pointer and by which an editor can call such pointer, for at least partially defining a position in said sequence,
• translating a called pointer designation to produce the record address of the selectable location, and
• editing said recorded information with reference to at least one established pointer designation.