MANUALLY CONTROLLABLE DATA READING APPARATUS FOR SPEECH SYNTHESIZERS

The present invention uses a speech synthesizer apparatus to produce sounds in response to code input received from a code record pick-up manually moved over a selected strip on a code record sheet or panel. The code record sheet or panel has visual symbols, such as printed material or pictures, identifying the sound produced from each strip. One embodiment uses a speech synthesizer having a microcomputer which responds directly to the record pick-up output. Other embodiments include separate encoding and buffer storage apparatus interposed between the record pick-up output and the speech synthesizer. One embodiment uses bar code read pens and optical bar code records printed on paper pages or sheets along with the message text, other embodiments use strips with bumps or gitches or both and bump or gitch sensing pick-ups, such as phonograph pick-ups.