JPH01272356A - Voice mail box device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To prevent a mailed message from being held in a mail box for a long time by providing the title device with a means for calling a mail box owner based upon the count value of messages stayed in the mail box. CONSTITUTION:A mail number counter 6 counts up the current number of messages stayed in the mail box. When the number of the counter 6 coincides with the previously set number of messages, the counter 6 instructs the transmission of the messages to a central processing part 4 through a bus 7. The central processing part 4 instructs calling to the memory box owner previously registered in a main memory part 5 through the bus 7 and simultaneously outputs a command to an accumulation control part 3 through the bus 7 to extract the messages concerned successively from an accumulation part 8 and transmit the messages from a network control part 1.

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to a voice mail box, and more specifically, the present invention relates to a voice mail box, and more specifically, it has a mail box-like function for conventional mail such as letters, and a so-called answering machine-like function. The present invention relates to a voice mail box device for realizing both functions for voice messages.

[Conventional technology]

Conventionally, this type of voice mail box-like device has been constructed by means as shown in FIG.

That is, a network control section 1 connected to a telephone line, a voice encoding/decoding section 2, an accumulation control section 3, a central processing section 4,
It is equipped with a main memory section 5 and a storage section 8 which serves as a mail box for voice messages, and the network control section 1, voice encoding/decoding section 2, storage control section 3, etc. are connected via a bus 7. Further, the network control section 1 and the voice encoding/decoding section 2 are connected by a bus 11 dedicated to voice data.

The storage section 8 is divided into areas in advance for each owner of the voice mail box, and voice messages are stored and accumulated for each owner.

In the above configuration, for example, when inputting a voice message, a third party can input the message into the storage unit 8 through the telephone line when the other party, that is, the mail box owner is not present, and the other party who has returned home can retrieve the message. In this way, a voice mail box similar to an answering machine is realized.

The call receiving unit 9 of the network control unit 1 is used when a message is inputted (that is, a voice message is stored and accumulated as data) as described above, and when the owner retrieves the message. The so-called posting and retrieval of voice messages is performed through this.

[Problem to be solved by the invention]

However, conventionally, this type of voice mail box device is
As mentioned above, since it only had a call receiving function used for posting and retrieving voice messages, and did not even have a normal calling function, it had the following disadvantages and inconveniences.

In other words, since the conventional voice mail box device described above does not have a calling function, posted messages remain in the mail box forever unless the mail box owner goes to check the mail box. Since the message is held, it has the disadvantage that other messages cannot be received and the storage cost increases.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide a voice mail box device that eliminates the above-mentioned disadvantages and inconveniences of the prior art and makes it possible to provide better service to users.

[Means to solve the problem]

The present invention is a voice mail box device that allows voice messages to be inserted and retrieved by the other party when the other party is absent, and which stores the number of messages remaining in the mail box. The present invention is characterized in that it includes a counter and a calling means that can make a call to the owner of the mail box in conjunction with the count value of the counter.

〔Example〕

Next, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a functional block diagram of an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in the figure, the voice mail box device includes a network controller 1. similar to that in FIG. Audio encoding/decoding section 2.
Accumulation control unit 3. Central processing unit 4, main memory unit 5. A bus 7° that interconnects these storage units 8 connected to the storage control unit 3
．． A call receiving unit 9 included in the network control unit 1 and a voice data dedicated bus 11 connecting the network control unit 1 and the voice encoding/decoding unit 2
In addition, it further includes a mail counter 6 connected to the bus 7 and a calling unit 10 included in the network control unit 1.

The mail number counter 6 is a counter that records the number of messages staying in each mail box, which is set in advance for each mail box owner. In conjunction with the counter value of the counter 6, it is possible to make a call to the owner of the mail box.

Further, the storage section 8 and others may have the same functions as those in FIG. 2.

That is, for example, the storage section 8 is for accumulating and storing messages, and the central processing section 4 is for controlling each section of the apparatus for message transmission and other processing.

In addition, the main memory section 5 also stores e-mails and mails registered in advance.
The box owner's data etc. are stored, and furthermore,
The voice encoding/decoding section 2 is for encoding and decoding a voice message signal when inputting or retrieving a message, respectively.

In this way, the present embodiment calculates the number of messages remaining in each mail box in the conventional voice mail box, which is simply an answering machine where a message is inserted when the other party is absent and the message is retrieved when the other party returns from absence. The configuration includes a counter 6 for recording and a calling function that is linked to the count value of the counter 6 and can make a call to the owner of the mail box.

Next, the operation of the above embodiment will be explained.

In FIG. 1, when a message from a third party or a message retrieval request is sent from the owner, the message arrives at the call receiving section 9, and the message is posted to the voice mail box. When the message is sent or retrieved, the number of messages recorded in the mail number counter 6 is updated via the bus 7.

That is, the mail number counter 6 monitors the number of mails in the voice mail box, and detects an increase in the count (third
The current number of stored messages is updated each time the number of messages is currently stored, depending on the number of messages being received by the owner) or decreasing (when messages are taken out by the owner).

In this way, in the process of monitoring the number of emails, if the email number counter 6 matches the preset number of messages and the updated number of messages, the email number counter 6 sends the message via the bus 7. is instructed to the central processing unit 4. In the central processing unit 4, the memory data registered in advance in the main memory unit 5 is sent to the calling unit lO via the bus 7.
Instructs to make a call to the owner of the box, and at the same time issues an instruction to the storage control section 3 via the bus 7, sequentially retrieves the corresponding messages from the storage section 8, and sends them to the voice encoding/decoding section 2 via the bus 7. After being sent and decoded, the message is sent from the network control unit 1 to the owner of the mail box via the voice data dedicated bus 11.

In this way, the voice mail box device includes a counter 6 for recording the number of messages staying in the mail box, and a counter 6 for recording the number of messages staying in the mail box, and a count value for the conventional voice mail box device shown in FIG. It is linked with the mailbox and has a call function that allows calls to be made to the owner of the mailbox, so there is no longer a need for posted messages to be held in the mailbox indefinitely, as was the case in the past. Therefore, a situation in which other messages cannot be received can be avoided, and an increase in storage costs can also be avoided, making it possible to improve the service provided by this type of voice mail box.

〔Effect of the invention〕

As explained above, according to the present invention, the voice mail box device includes 1. By providing a counter that stores the number of messages remaining in the mailbox, and by adding a calling function that is linked to the count value and allows calls to be made to the owner of the mailbox, it is possible to This has the effect of eliminating the problem of not being able to receive the funds or increasing the accumulation cost.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

Fig. 1 is a functional block diagram of an embodiment of the voice mail box device of the present invention, and Fig. 2 is a functional block diagram of a conventional voice mail box device. ...Voice encoding/decoding section 3...Accumulation control section 4...Central processing section 5...Main memory section 6...Mail number counter section 7... ... Bus 8 ... Storage section 9 ... Calling section 10 ... Calling section 11 ... Voice data dedicated bus agent Patent attorney Yoshiyuki Iwasa

Claims (1)

[Claims] (1) A voice mail box device that allows voice messages to be inserted and retrieved by the other party when the other party is absent, and a counter that stores the number of messages remaining in the mail box. A voice mail box device comprising: and a calling means capable of making a call to the owner of the mail box in conjunction with the count value of the counter.