JPH011360A - Schedule-linked agency device - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] This bulletin contains application data before electronic filing, so abstract data is not recorded.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION (Technical field to which the invention pertains) The present invention relates to a device that can notify a caller of a called party's schedule when an incoming call is received.

(Prior art) When receiving a telephone call, it is especially important for secretarial and business staff to appropriately communicate with the caller based on the schedule of the called party, whether the callee is absent, out of town, on a business trip, etc. .

Despite the potential demand for personal assistants, which is not limited to those holding important positions such as company executives, but also independent contractors and small business owners, only a limited number of people can actually hire a secretary.

As a result, the called party's representative must respond to each incoming call and refer to the schedule, which is not only troublesome if the callee is busy, but may also miss the schedule.

There have been cases where inconveniences have arisen due to forgetting to fill out schedules.

In addition, in order to do this without human intervention, a system is used in which a voice response storage device is added to an answering machine or a private branch exchange, but the response message is recorded each time before the person is absent, or the response message is recorded from the office. It was necessary and the operation was complicated.

(Object of the Invention) An object of the present invention is to make it possible to refer to the called party's schedule when receiving a call and notify the caller of the schedule.

(Structure of the Invention) (Characteristics of the Invention and Differences from the Prior Art) The present invention is a device that realizes a function of notifying the caller of the called party's schedule, which was conventionally done by a secretary. By detecting an incoming call, the system refers to the schedule corresponding to the time of incoming call and notifies the caller of the location information of the called party written in the referenced schedule.

(Embodiment) The figure shows the configuration of an embodiment of the present invention, and shows a case where the device of the present invention is incorporated into a telephone.

1, the incoming call from the calling terminal is reversed by reversing the potential of the subscriber's line.
A call start detection circuit detects the arrival of a bell ringing alternating current, etc. 2 is a loop switch for creating and releasing a current loop when answering an incoming call or ending a call.

3 is a dial circuit using a multi-frequency generation circuit, etc., and 4 is a
A telephone call circuit 5 for matching the human output of the call voice with the circuit inside the telephone set adds or adds the voice from the transmitter and the analog voice output from the recording/playback circuit 6 and the digital-to-analog conversion circuit 12, which will be described later. 6 is a recording and reproducing circuit for recording a message from a caller and allowing the called party to listen to it later.

7 is a device for displaying and reporting the schedule as well as providing a means to write the schedule; 8 is a handset having a transmitter and receiver for making a call with the other party; 9 is an alerting device The circuit shall consist of an electronic buzzer.

10 is a dial signal detection circuit that detects a multi-frequency dial signal and recognizes the dialed digits; 11 is a keypad for entering the other party's number when making a call; and 12 is a guidance message for automatically answering an incoming call. 13 is a control circuit for controlling a telephone including the device of the present invention, and is constituted by a multiprocessor or the like.

Reference numeral 14 denotes a control program used by the control circuit 13 and a voice message supplied to the addition selection circuit 5, which stores schedules in the format shown in the figure.

This is a memory circuit that stores digital data for generating.

(Function) In order to explain these operations, it is assumed that the called party has written in advance a schedule of [designated date and time: T-T'/location: on a business trip/caller number 2N] from the input/output device 7. do.

This means, ``If you receive a call from the other party's number: N during the specified date and time = T to T', please let them know that you are on a business trip.''

The written schedule is rearranged by the control circuit 13 in the order of designated times and stored in the memory circuit 14.

After this, the operation when the telephone receives a call from the other party's number 2N will be explained.

The incoming call is detected by the call start detection circuit 1, for example, in the case of a general public telephone network, a potential reversal of the subscriber's line or a type of P
In a terminal accommodating a private branch exchange such as a BX, the arrival of the bell ringing alternating current is detected and reported to the control circuit 13.

The control circuit 13 closes the loop switch 2 to form a DC loop in the subscriber's line and indicates to the exchange a response to the incoming call.

Next, the voice data of the response message stored in the memory circuit 14 is read out and converted into an analog voice signal by the digital-to-analog conversion circuit 12.

It is desirable that the content of the message be devised so that, for example, the caller's terminal number is dialed.

The digital-to-analog converted audio signal is sent to the calling terminal via the addition selection circuit 5 and the calling circuit 4 through a calling path set up between the calling terminal and the calling terminal.

When the caller dials his/her own terminal number: N in response to the above response message, the dialed number is detected by the dial signal detection circuit IO and reported to the control circuit 13.

The control circuit 13 monitors the current date and time and the specified date and time of each schedule stored in the memory circuit 14, and upon obtaining this information, determines whether the current date and time is within the range T-T'. [Designated date and time: T-
Take out the schedule of T', location: on a business trip, partner number 2N].

Then, the control circuit 13 edits guidance such as "I'm currently on a business trip. I'll be back on the 71st" from the audio data prepared in the memory circuit 14, and converts it into an analog audio signal by the digital-to-analog conversion circuit 12.

This voice is delivered to the caller, who is informed of the called party's schedule.

Above, in one embodiment of the present invention, a case has been described in which the device of the present invention is incorporated into a communication terminal, but even if the device of the present invention is added to a device within a communication network (such as a switch), the above functions can be achieved. It can be realized.

For example, the incoming call detection function of a subscriber trunk of a subscriber exchange is used in place of the above-mentioned call start detection circuit 1, the function of a loop switch 2 is added to the trunk, and the output of the addition selection circuit 5 is added to the call path. By branching off and obtaining the input of the recording and reproducing circuit 6 from the communication path, it is possible to realize the same function as the one shown in the figure from the perspective of the called party.

In the description of these two examples, an existing communication network is assumed, but the following implementation can also operate on a future digital communication network.

It is expected that in future digital communication networks, it will be customary for the caller's name or number to be notified to the called terminal.

In that case, the control circuit 13 automatically responds to the incoming call, the response message stored in the memory circuit 14 is sent, and the dial signal detection circuit 10 does not identify the number. Since the other party's number 2N can be obtained, the terminal function can be expected to be simplified.

(Effect of the invention) As explained above, in addition to automatically answering incoming calls,
By realizing the function of searching the called party's schedule and notifying the caller of the contents of the searched schedule,
Tasks traditionally performed by secretaries have been automated, and by simply writing in the callee's schedule, the caller can be notified of their schedule, such as whether they are temporarily absent, what time they will be back, and how many trips they will be on the trip. This has the advantage of reducing the economic and mental effort placed on the called party.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

The figure is a diagram showing the configuration of an embodiment of the present invention. 1... Call start detection circuit, 2... Loop switch, 3... Dial circuit, 4... Call circuit. 5... Addition selection circuit, 6... Recording playback circuit, 7
...Input/output device, 8 ...Handset, 9
...Alert circuit, 10...Dial signal detection circuit, 11...Keypad, 12...Digital-to-analog conversion circuit, 13...
control circuit, 14... memory circuit. Patent applicant Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation

Claims (2)

[Claims] (1) A device capable of detecting an incoming call and answering the call without requiring any operation by the called party, which includes information about the expected location and time of the called party's presence, or In addition to these, a schedule information holding means holds one or more called party information consisting of a terminal number of a scheduled caller; a schedule updating means for writing the said called party information into the schedule information holding means; and a latest date and time. the latest date and time holding means for constantly updating and holding the latest date and time holding means; and a time search means for outputting called party information whose scheduled time of presence and absence matches the time held in the latest date and time holding means when there is an incoming call. A schedule-linked agency device characterized by comprising: a location notification device that receives the called party information outputted by the time search device and notifies the calling terminal. (2) When the schedule-linked agent receives an incoming call, the calling terminal number receiving means receives the calling terminal number of the call, and the calling terminal number receiving means receives the calling terminal number and the receiving terminal number in the called party information matches the calling terminal number. a number search means for outputting calling party information; and a common information selection means for outputting common called party information from among the called party information output by the time searching means and the number searching means; Receives the called party information output by the search means and sends the called party information to the location notification means that notifies the calling terminal, when the incoming call is received, the called party information is stored in the scheduled presence/absence time and latest date and time holding means. The schedule-linked agency device according to claim 1, wherein the information is received from the common information selection means instead of the time search means that outputs the called party information whose time matches the callee information.