METHOD OF AND MEANS FOR ACCESSING COMPUTERIZED DATA BASES UTILIZING A TOUCH-TONE TELEPHONE INSTRUMENT

A conventional Touch-Tone telephone instrument is rendered functional in the same manner and to the same extent as a computer terminal having alpha-numeric capability, as regards transmission of queries directed to computerized data bases. It is also rendered functional as a recipient of information transmitted from the data base through a telephone network to provide intelligence heretofore made available only on the video screen of the computer terminal, or through automatic printers. Disclosed is the substitution of the instrument for a computer terminal and its associated video screen or teleprinter, without requirement of modification of the instrument, so that a subscriber gains from the use of the telephone functions heretofore obtainable only by providing oneself with a computer terminal and its associated screen and/or automatic printer. The user spells out one or more words by depressing the conventional, alpha-numerically marked keys of a Touch-Tone telephone instrument. A computer to which the telephone is connected by a telephone network decodes the numeric sequence represented by depressing keys needed to spell out the selected word or words. The computer then provides an oral response transmitted through the telephone receiver to the caller, as audible intelligence.