JPH0385950A - Automatic answering telephone system - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To facilitate the address designation by retrieving a block whose start address and recording end address are coincident with each other at first, storing a coding message at the address of a memory designated by the starting address, and reading and outputting the message. CONSTITUTION:While a starting address stored in a block is copied to the recording end address storage area of the block corresponding to a message storage area from which a coding message is erased by a control means 104, the block is moved to the final end position of the block of a management table memory 103 substantially. When a control means 105 stores the coding message, a block whose starting address and recording end address are first coincident with each other is retrieved and the coding message is stored from the address of a message memory 102 designated by the starting address stored in the storage area of the retrieved block. Thus, even when the coding message is stored or read out, the address designation is facilitated.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention (Industrial Application Field) The present invention relates to an answering machine configured to store voice data in a semiconductor memory, and more specifically to an answering machine that manages semiconductor memory using memory addresses. Regarding equipment.

(Prior art) An answering machine is equipped with an integrated circuit for voice recording and playback using an adaptive delta modulation method, a semiconductor memory is used as the voice data memory, and the semiconductor memory is used for responses by the owner of the answering machine when a call is received. Some devices store voice data of messages and voice data of caller's business messages.

In such an answering machine, the number of messages stored in the semiconductor memory is determined by the storage capacity of the semiconductor memory and the storage capacity allocated to one message, and the number of messages stored in the semiconductor memory is, for example, counted by the number of incoming calls. The number of message messages is counted and it is managed to ensure that the number of message messages does not exceed the number that can be stored in the semiconductor memory.

(Problem to be Solved by the Invention) However, when using the above-mentioned conventional answering machine, the message messages stored in the semiconductor memory are managed only by the number of message messages. There has been a problem in that after erasing the message for middle school level 1 or above, it is difficult to specify an address when storing the voice data of the next message that is manually input.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide an answering machine that facilitates address specification when storing audio data of business messages and that can reproduce business messages in the order in which they were recorded.

(Means for Solving the Problems) As shown in FIG. 1, the answering machine of the present invention has a readout function that stores encoded message messages for each message message.
A writable business message memory 102 and an audio information conversion means that encodes and outputs the input business message voice signal and converts the manually written encoded business message into a business message voice signal and outputs the same. 101, and a management table memory 103 in which blocks corresponding to each message storage area in the message memory 102 and having storage areas for storing the start address and recording end address of the corresponding message storage area are sequentially arranged. Then, the start address of storage in the block is copied to the recording end address storage area of the block corresponding to the message storage area where the encoded message is not stored, and the message whose encoded message has been deleted is copied. a first control means 104 that copies the storage start address of the block to the storage area of the recording end address of the block corresponding to the message storage area and moves the block to the last position of the block in the management table memory 103; , search the storage area of the block for the block whose storage start address and recording end address first match, in the order in which the blocks are arranged, and search the storage area of the searched block for the block whose storage start address and recording end address first match, and search the storage area of the searched block for the block whose storage start address and recording end address match a second control means 105 for storing an encoded message from an address in the message memory 102; and a second control means 105 for storing an encoded message from an address in the message memory 102; and a third control means 106 for reading the encoded message from the address in the message message memory 102 specified by the start address read from the searched block and outputting it to the voice information converting means 101. Features.

(Operation) In the answering machine of the present invention configured as described above, the first control means 104 stores the encoded message in the recording end address storage area of the block corresponding to the unstored message storage area. The start address of the block has been copied and the start address of the memory has been copied to the recording end address storage area of the block corresponding to the message storage area from which the encoded message has been erased. is moved to the last position of the block in the management table memory 103, and when the encoded message is stored by the second control means 105, the storage start address and recording end address are first set in the storage area of the block. A matching block is searched, and the encoded message is stored in the storage area of the searched block starting from the address of the message memory 102 specified by the storage start address. Therefore, the order in which encoded messages are stored in the business message storage area in which encoded messages are not yet stored corresponds to the arrangement order of the blocks. In addition, after the coded message is stored in all the message storage areas where the coded message is not stored, the coded message is deleted and stored in the message storage area where the coded message is not stored. The message will be remembered.

Further, when reading the encoded message stored in the message message memory 102, the third control means 106 reads the encoded message from the address of the message memory specified by the start address read from the block. However, since the blocks are searched in the order of the blocks arranged in the management table memory 103, the coded message messages to be read out are read out sequentially from the previously stored coded message messages. It turns out.

(Example) The present invention will be explained below using examples.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of an embodiment of the present invention.

1 is a microcomputer that controls the answering machine; microprocessor 2; R that stores a program;
It includes an OM 3, a RAM 4 having a message management table area, and a work area. 8 is supplied with an analog audio signal, converts the supplied analog signal into audio data and stores it in RAM 5 and RAM 6.
, is an integrated circuit for audio recording and playback that includes an audio information conversion circuit that converts audio data read from the RAM 6 into an analog audio signal and outputs the analog audio signal. The audio recording/playback integrated circuit 8 is, for example, the Toshiba TC8831F type. The audio recording/playback integrated circuit 8 receives a read instruction signal (R), a write instruction signal (W), a chip enable signal (CE) output from the microprocessor 2, and RAM5 and RAM6.
It is controlled by data (D, to D,) for addressing, etc.

A part of the RAM 5 has a response message area for storing voice data of response messages, and the remaining part has a plurality of message areas for storing voice data of business messages. The RAM 6 has only a plurality of message areas for storing audio data of message messages.

On the other hand, as schematically shown in FIG. 3, the form of the message management table area in RAM 3 is such that a block consisting of a predetermined number of bytes is allocated to each message. At least the start address and end address of RAMs 5 and 6 where audio data is stored are stored in each block.

The keyboard 9 contains a message number instruction indicating the number of message messages to be stored, and a response specifying that the audio signal from the microphone 10 is to be supplied to the voice recording/playback integrated circuit 8 and stored in the response message area. response message recording instruction, a response message playback instruction that instructs the response message area to play back the memorized response message, a message playback instruction that instructs the message message area to play the memorized message, and an answering machine. Each key is equipped with a command to enter the standby state.

The output from the keyboard 9 and the output from the photocoupler 12+, which constitutes a part of the network control section 12, are supplied to the microprocessor 2, which connects the line and the line transformer 12. switch 12 for connecting the opening/closing, switching the switch 13 that selectively guides the manually input signal from the line to either the facsimile device 16 or the switch 11, and selectively recording audio of either the output audio signal of the microphone 10 or the signal from the switch 13. Switching of the switch 11 to be supplied as an analog signal input to the integrated circuit for reproduction 8, mode of the fudge device 16, and switching of the reproduced analog audio signal from the integrated circuit for audio recording and reproduction 8 to one of the line transformer 12□ and the speaker 14. The switching of the switch 15 that selectively leads to the output from the keyboard 9 and the photocoupler 12. It is controlled by the output of the microprocessor 2 along with the output from the microprocessor 2.

The operation of one embodiment of the present invention configured as described above will be explained.

By setting the number of message messages using the number of message keys on the keyboard 9, the sum of the storage capacities of RA, M5, and RAM 6 can be calculated as (set number of message messages + 1).
) to calculate the storage capacity to be allocated to the response message area and the business message area. In this example, the storage capacity of the response message area and the storage capacity of each message area are set to be equal. The allocated storage capacity of the business messages through the RAM 5 and the RAM 6 is schematically shown in the right part of FIG. 5, and in this example, the case where the number of business messages is -II 5 II is illustrated. Therefore, if the message management table area is schematically shown, it has five blocks as shown on the left side of FIG. 5, and each message has a start address and an end address calculated from the set number of message messages. The start address obtained by the above calculation for the corresponding message area is stored in the start address storage section of each block in the message management table area. In addition, when the audio data of the business message is not stored, the start address of the corresponding business message area is stored as the recording end address in the recording end address storage section of each block of the business message management table area. be.

When the response message recording instruction key on the keyboard 9 is pressed to instruct the recording of a response message, the switch 11 is switched to the output terminal side of the microphone 10, and the audio signal output from the microphone 10 is sent to the voice recording/playback integrated circuit 8. is supplied to the RAM, converted to audio data, and stored in the RAM.
5 is written in the response message area.

When the response message reproduction instruction key on the keyboard 9 is pressed to instruct the reproduction of the response message, the switch 15 is switched to the input terminal side of the speaker 14, and the RAM
The audio data stored in the response message area 5 is read out, converted into an analog audio signal by the audio recording and reproducing integrated circuit 8, and supplied to the speaker 14 via the switch 15 to be reproduced as audio. Therefore, the response message stored in the response message area can be confirmed.

Next, the operation of one embodiment of the present invention will be explained according to the flowchart of FIG.

By pressing the key that instructs the answering machine to enter the standby state, the answering machine enters the standby state, and the switch 11 goes to the switch 13 side contact, the switch 13 goes to the switch 11 side contact, and the switch 15 goes to the network control unit 12 side. It is switched to a contact point (step S1) and waits for an incoming call (step S2). When there is an incoming call, the photocoupler 12. When the incoming call is detected by the output via the switch 123, the switch 123 is turned on to connect to the line, and it is checked whether the calling party is instructing remote playback (steps S, 1).

When a remote playback instruction is not given, it is checked whether a set number of business messages are stored, that is, whether business messages are already stored in all the business message areas (step S4). . The check in step S4 is performed by checking whether the start address and recording end address recorded in each block of the business message management table match in all blocks. For example, the fifth
In the example shown in the figure, the start address and the recording end address do not match in blocks 11" to "4" of the message management table, and blocks II II II to If 4 It of the message management table
It is determined that the voice data of the message has already been stored in the message area for the message. In addition, the start address and recording end address match in block 115 If of the message management table, and block tt 5 of the message management table
It is determined that the voice data of the business message is not recorded in the business message area for +t.

If it is determined in step S4 that the voice data of the business message is not stored over the entire business message area, whether or not the voice data of the business message is stored over the entire business message area in the business message area. is checked (step SS).

When it is determined that the voice data of the business message is not stored in the entire business message area, the bell goes to 5.
Waiting for the ringing, the audio recording and reproducing integrated circuit 8 is driven to reproduce the audio signal (step si,
ss), when it is determined that the voice data of the business message is not stored in the entire business message area, that is, when the voice data of the business message is stored in some of the business message areas. When it is determined, the audio recording and reproducing integrated circuit 8 is driven to reproduce the audio signal after waiting for the bell to ring twice (steps Sy, Ss). Following step S, the voice data of the response message is read out, converted to an analog voice signal, and sent to the line via the line transformer 12□ until the voice signal of the response message ends (step S, ~S,).

The reason why the number of rings of the bell is made different between steps S and S is so that the caller can determine the state of memory in the business message area by hearing the number of times the bell rings.

Following step S, a beep tone is sent to notify the calling party that the sending of the response message has ended (step S1□). Next, the message management table is checked, the start address of the message area to be recorded is searched, the searched start address is set, and the message from the caller is input. (Step SI3-S+s). Subsequently, the voice recording/playback integrated circuit 8 is driven to record the voice signal (step Sl&), the input message is converted into voice data, and the end γ of the message is recorded in one of the message areas. , or is stored until the storage capacity of the relevant message area is full, and the contents of the message management table are updated (step SI7, S+s).Here, the search for the start address in step SI3 is performed using the message message area.・The blocks in the message management table are sequentially searched, and in this search, the block whose start address and recording end address first match is searched, and the block whose start address and recording end address first match is searched. The start address of is set.

Therefore, in the example of FIG. 5 described above, the start address of block "5" of the business message management table is set in step S, and the voice data of the business message is stored in the business message area having that start address. go. In addition, the update of the contents of the message management table in step 318 is performed in step S17 by setting the recording end address of the message area where the audio data is stored to the recording end address of the block of the message management table for the message area. This is done by storing the end address in the end address storage section. In the above example, when recording ends at the address indicated by the two-dot chain line in Figure 5 in block 1511 of the message management table, that address is stored in block "5" of the message management table as the recording end address. will be done.

Following step Sll+, the facsimile mode is set, the switch 13 is switched to the facsimile machine 16 side, the transmission information sent to the facsimile machine 16 is received, and when the reception is completed, the switch 123 is opened and the line is connected. The connection is opened (steps S8 to S).

Following step S, the next call is waited for. Further, when the data is not transmitted to the facsimile machine 16, steps SIL+ are executed from step S5L11 after a predetermined period has elapsed.

As described above, the message is recorded.

If it is determined in step S4 that the message has already been stored in all the message areas, the bell rings three times (step 5zz), the facsimile mode is set, and the facsimile device I6 The transmission information transmitted to
Step 323, S2. , S, ). If the data is not transmitted to the facsimile machine 16, steps SK+ to S□ are executed after a predetermined period of time has elapsed. Furthermore, in step S2□, the number of rings of the bell is set to 3 times in step 34, S? This is to make it clear from the number of rings that the voice data of the business message is stored in the entire business message area.

When it is determined in step S that remote playback is instructed, it is checked whether or not the next code output manually via the photocoupler 12□ matches a predetermined code. If they do not match, the next call is waited for, and if they match, it is checked whether there is a message area where the voice data of the message is stored (step SZ'?, 5zs). In step Szs, if there is no message area in which the voice data of the message is stored, wait for the next incoming call, and if there is a message area in which the voice data of the message is stored, step 5i11 Next, the message management table is checked, and
The start address of the business message to be played next is searched, the searched start address is set, and the voice recording/playback integrated circuit 8 is driven to play back the voice data, and the message having the set start address is set. The audio data in the message area is read out, and all the audio data in the relevant message area is sequentially converted into analog audio signals and sent to the line via the line transformer 12□ (steps 329 to S: +z). .

Step S2. By executing steps 332 to 332, the voice signal of the business message corresponding to the voice data stored in one business message area is sent to the line.

Following step S3Z, it is checked whether a code indicating an instruction to delete the business message has been input (step 533). If no deletion instruction has been given, steps 329 to S34 are continued following step S3J until reproduction of all message areas in which audio data of the message is stored is completed. Therefore, when the message deletion instruction is not given, the message messages in the message area where the message messages are stored are sequentially reproduced. However, the playback order of the message area is based on block F of the message management table.
The order is from f I II to 115 TF.

When the playback of all the message areas in which the voice data of the message messages is stored is completed in step S 14, the switch 123 is opened, and the connection with the line is released (step 33 &). Wait for the incoming call.

In step S33, if it is determined that an instruction to erase the message message has been issued, all audio data stored in the message area that was being played when the instruction to erase the message message is erased (step S, 7 ). Following step S3'l, the contents of the business message management table are updated (step 5sa), and then step 33b
is executed and the connection to the line is released.

The updating of the contents of the business message management table in step 5311 will be explained. The start address is copied to the recording end address storage section in the block of the message management table corresponding to the message area erased in step S17, and the start address is copied to the start address storage section of the program, and the stored start address is copied to the start address storage section of the program. A so-called shift is performed in which the message is moved to the position next to the last block position in the message management table, and the virtually empty block in the message management table is filled with the memory contents of the next block. Ru. Therefore, if the voice data stored in step S3 is stored in the message area indicated by 3 on the right side in FIG.
7. Assuming that it has been erased, step S! As a result of the update by executing ll, the states of the start address and recording end address stored in each block of the message management table are schematically shown in Figure 6, and the information in parentheses is The corresponding numbers before erasure, ie, in FIG. 5, are shown, and # indicates a block whose number has been changed.

Note that 9 in [ ] indicates an empty part of the message area, and although there has been a shift in the order of blocks in the message management table, it corresponds to the memory start address and the erased message area. Other than that part, there is no change in the correspondence with the memory recording end address.

A case will be described in which the voice data stored in a part of the business message area is erased as described above, and then steps S13 to S are executed to write the voice data of the business message. By checking the message management table in step S11, the start address of the message area to be recorded next is searched until the start address and recording end address first match in the block of the message management table. However, since the search is performed, for example, in the example shown in FIG. 6, the start address a in block #4 of the message management table is set in step S□, and corresponds to block #4 of the message management table. The audio data @A of the business message will be stored in the business message area (start address is aa). In addition, in the subsequent step S, when updating the contents of the business message management table, the voice data a
A's recording end address will be stored in block #4 of the message management table.

If a message is further entered, block #5 of the message management table is searched.
The audio data 9B of the business message is stored in the business message area (start address bo) corresponding to block #5 of the business message management table. Further, by executing the subsequent step S, the recording end address of the audio data 6B is stored in block #5 of the business message management table.

Also, in the playback of the message area, steps,
? Regarding the case where the voice data stored in a part of the business message area has already been deleted in ,S, and the voice data of the business message is newly stored in the deleted business message area as described above. explain.

As described above, the playback order of the message areas is the order of the block numbers in the message management table. Therefore, if the stored contents of the message management table are as shown in FIG. 6, the blocks "1", "2", #3, #4, #
The audio data of the corresponding business message area is played back in the order of 5. Therefore, the playback order of message messages is
The message area ("1") shown on the right side of Figure 6
) is the memorized audio data, the same area (2''') is the memorized audio data, the same area (14'') is the memorized audio data, the same start address a0 area is the memorized audio data (9A), the same start The voice data (6B) stored in the area of address b0 are played back in the order in which they were stored, starting with the oldest message.

The above reproduction is the same in the case of remote reproduction as in steps 329 to 5ff4, and in the case of reproduction by pressing the message reproduction instruction key on the keyboard 9.

In addition, by checking the blocks in which the start address and the recording end address match in the message management table, the presence or absence of allocated storage capacity that can store the message in the message area can be checked. The number of blocks that exist can be determined from the number of blocks that exist.

(Effects of the Invention) As explained above, according to the present invention, a storage area is provided which corresponds to each message storage area in the message memory and stores the start address and recording end address of the corresponding message storage area. A management table memory is provided in which blocks are sequentially arranged, and the start address and recording end address of blocks for unstored business message storage areas are made to match, and the blocks for business message storage areas from which encoded business messages have been erased are set. Controls the arrangement order of blocks in the management table memory with the start address and recording end address matching, and searches for the first block whose start address and recording address match in the order in which the blocks are arranged. Then, the coded message is stored in the searched block from the address in the message message memory indicated by the storage start address, and the encoded message is stored in the message storage area opposite to the block in the order of the block arrangement. A block was searched to read out the coded message, and the coded message was read from the searched block and read from the address of the message memory indicated by the start address. The encoded message is stored in the message memory from the unstored area, and after the encoded message is stored in all of the unstored area, the encoded message is deleted. It will be stored following the storage area. In this case, the arrangement order of the blocks is the order in which encoded message messages are stored in the message storage area, and the start address of the message storage area where the encoded message is stored is the block. It will be stored at the start address of.

Also, when the encoded message is read out,
The blocks are searched in the order in which they are arranged, and the encoded message is read from the address of the message memory specified by the start address of the memory in the searched block, so the order of the encoded messages read is first. The encoded message is stored and read out sequentially starting from the encoded message.

As described above, both when storing and reading an encoded message, the address specification can be made by specifying the start address of storage in the block, and the address specification is easy.

Also, after deleting one or more encoded messages,
The same applies whether the encoded message is stored or reproduced.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a functional block diagram showing the configuration of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing an aspect of a message management table area in an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 is a flowchart for explaining the operation of one embodiment of the present invention. FIGS. 5 and 6 are schematic diagrams showing the mutual relationship between the business message management table area and the business message area in one embodiment of the present invention. DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1... Microcomputer, 2... Microprocessor, 8... Integrated enclosure for audio recording and reproduction, 10... Microphone, 101... Audio information conversion means, 102.
. . . Message message memory, 103 . . . Management table memory, 104 to 106 . . . First to third control means. Figure 5 Figure 5

Claims (1)

[Claims] A readable and writable message message memory that stores encoded message messages for each message, and a message memory that encodes and outputs the input voice signal of the message message and uses the input encoded message message. an audio information conversion means for converting the message into a voice signal and outputting the message, and a storage area that corresponds to each message storage area in the message memory and stores the start address and recording end address of the corresponding message storage area. a management table memory in which blocks having blocks are sequentially arranged;
Copy the start address of storage in the block to the recording end address storage area of the block corresponding to the message storage area in which the encoded message is not stored, and store the message in which the encoded message is deleted. a first control means for moving the block to the last position of the block in the management table memory while copying the start address of the block into the storage area of the recording end address of the block corresponding to the area; and the storage of the block. The area is searched for the block whose storage start address and recording end address first match, in the order in which the blocks are arranged, and the message memory specified by the storage start address is stored in the storage area of the searched block. 2nd to store encoded message from address
a control means, a task message specified by a start address read from the searched block, searching for a block to read out an encoded task message stored in a task message storage area corresponding to the block in the arrangement order of the blocks; An answering machine characterized by comprising a third control means for reading an encoded message from an address in a memory and outputting it to a voice information conversion means.