JPH04271649A - Automatic answering telephone set - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To try to decrease number of times of ringing and to improve the moral by counting number of times of an incoming ringing call signal, predicting an incoming ringing number limit estimating the absence of respective homes and replying the call automatically depending on the limit number. CONSTITUTION:When an incoming call signal is received from a line in the state set to the automatic answering mode while an automatic answering button switch 5 is depressed, an incoming call detection section 3 detects the incoming call and informs the arrival of a call to a control section 1. When the control section 1 detects a preset incoming delay number, the control section 1 controls a dial section 2 to close the line to allow a reply message reproduction section 7 to send a message recorded in advance to the line. Then a series of automatic reply as recording of a message from a caller to a message recording section 8 is implemented.

Description

[Detailed description of the invention]

0001

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an answering machine that automatically answers an incoming call in an answering mode when the number of incoming calls rings even if the answering machine is set to an at-home mode.

0002

[Prior Art] Conventional answering machines are equipped with an answering machine button and are configured to switch between a home mode and an answering mode by depressing the answering button switch. The device is configured to automatically answer calls after a set number of incoming delay times. There is also a known device that uses a timer to set a time period during which the person is likely to be absent, and automatically switches to an absentee mode when the time period arrives.

0003

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] However, with conventional answering machines, there is a problem that if you forget to press down on the answering button/switch and go out, the answering machine will remain in home mode and will not answer automatically. Even with the system that automatically switches to the away mode, there is a problem that automatic responses do not occur outside of the set time slot. In addition, if you always leave the phone in the away mode, there is a problem that the phone will automatically answer the set number of incoming delay times even if you are at home.

The present invention was devised to solve the problems of the conventional answering machine.
The purpose of this object is to provide an answering machine configured to constantly count the number of incoming calls even in home mode, predict the number of incoming calls that are likely to occur when the user is not present at each home, and automatically answer the number of incoming calls at that number. It is.

[0005]

[Means for solving the problem] In an answering machine that sends a response message every time there is an incoming call and records the caller's business message when operating in answering mode, the called party is at home and each time the call is received, means for counting the number of incoming calls until the called party answers, means for calculating an average number of incoming calls based on the counted number of incoming calls, means for storing a predetermined number of delays, and said average number of incoming calls to ring. and a means for automatically responding by switching to an absent mode even if the at-home mode is set when an incoming call rings the sum of the number of times and the number of delays.

[0006]

[Embodiment] (First embodiment) As shown in FIG. 1, there is a control unit 1 such as a CPU that controls the entire answering machine, a dial unit 2 that opens and closes the telephone line and sends out dial signals, and an incoming call detection unit 3 that detects incoming signals from
It is equipped with a key 4, an absent button switch 5 for switching between at-home mode and an away mode, and a memory section 6, and further includes a message playback section 7 for playing back a pre-recorded message and sending it to the line, It is provided with a business message recording section 8 for recording a sent business message, and a communication section 9 for driving a handset 10 and a bell 11.

The memory unit 6 includes an area a for storing the number of incoming calls in the at-home mode, an area b for storing the total number of incoming calls when incoming calls, and a control unit 1 for storing the total number of incoming calls and the total number of incoming calls. It has an area c for storing the average number of incoming call ringings calculated by , and an area d for storing the number of delays inputted using the numeric keypad 4 .

When the answering button/switch 5 is pressed down to set the answering mode, when an incoming call signal is received from the line, the incoming call detecting section 3 detects the incoming call and notifies the control section 1. When the control unit 1 detects an incoming call for a preset number of incoming delay times, it controls the dialing unit 2 to close the line, and the response message playback unit 7 plays a prerecorded message to the line. send out. This response message could be, for example, ``I'm away from home. Please tell us about your needs. ”. Thereafter, a series of automatic response operations are performed in which the caller's message is recorded in the message recording unit 8.

Next, when the answering button switch 5 is pressed down again to set the at-home mode, normally when an incoming signal is received from the line, the bell 11 rings, and the called party hears the ringing sound and hands off the phone.・Pick up Set 10 and join the call.

At this time, the control unit 1 adds 1 to the total number of incoming calls area a each time the called party picks up the handset 10 and starts talking, and the called party raises the handset 10 for each incoming call. The number of times the bell 11 rings until the bell 11 is lifted is counted and sequentially added to the total ringing number area b. For example, if 10 is stored in area a and 50 is stored in area b, the total number of incoming calls ringing 50 is divided by the total number of incoming calls 10, and the quotient is 5.
Since this is determined as the average number of incoming call ringings, this is stored in the average number of incoming call ringings area c.

[0011] At this point, the user operates the numeric keypad 4 to set the number of times the call must ring more than the average number of rings (5 times) to indicate that the user is not present (for example, 6) as the number of delays. If this setting is made, the number of incoming call rings for which it is determined that the user is absent is set to 11 times.

[0012] When the next incoming call rings 11 times, this answering machine operates in the answering mode and automatically answers the call. At this time, if the user picks up the handset 10 and starts a call before the 11th ringing, the number of rings at that time is added to the total ringing number area b,
The average number of incoming call rings is updated and stored in area c.

[0013] In this way, even if the average number of ringing calls at the user's home changes sequentially depending on the situation in the home, the learning function automatically updates the number of ringing times when it is assumed that the user is not present in conjunction with this change. It is equipped with

For example, if the average number of incoming calls rings 5 times and the maximum number of incoming calls rings 12 times, if you set the number of delays to 8 times, the number of incoming calls that will be automatically answered in answering mode in the future will be 13 times. It will change from then on.

(Second Embodiment) The difference from the first embodiment is that, as shown in FIG. An area e is provided for storing the number of ringings for incoming calls, and a display section 12 is further provided to display the average number of ringings for incoming calls stored in area c and the maximum number of ringings for incoming calls stored in area e.

As the display unit 12, for example, a 7-segment LED display is installed for 4 digits, each displaying 00 to 4 digits.
By displaying two digits at a time, such as 99, the user can check the average number of incoming calls and the maximum number of incoming calls, which can be used as a guideline for the number of delays to be set in area d.

For example, if the average number of incoming calls rings is 5 times and the maximum number of incoming calls rings is 12 times, if you set the number of delays to 8 times, the number of incoming calls that will be automatically answered in the future when in answering mode will be increased. will start to change from the 13th time onwards.

Even after the number of delays is set, the average number of incoming call ringings and the maximum number of incoming call ringings change for each incoming call, and since this can be confirmed on the display unit 12, it is possible to reset the number of delays to an appropriate number.

In the embodiment described above, the bell 11 rings in response to an incoming signal, and the number of incoming calls is recorded as a response until the called party picks up the handset 10 and starts talking after hearing the ringing sound. Although this is used as a guideline for the time required, it is also possible to use a timing means that counts clock pulses instead of the number of incoming call rings.

[0020]

As is clear from the above description of the embodiments, according to the answering machine of the present invention, when the user forgets to set the answering mode and goes out, or is unable to take his/her hands off for some reason, Even if you are unable to answer the phone, the phone will predict the number of times your phone will ring, based on the number of rings you have received in the past, and will automatically answer based on that number of rings, so you will not have to switch between home mode and away mode. Even if the telephone answering machine is used, it can always function as an answering machine.

Furthermore, according to the second embodiment, the display 12
It is also possible to have the effect of improving morale by looking at the average number of ringing calls and the maximum number of ringing calls displayed and making an effort to reduce the number of ringing calls.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of an answering machine according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing another embodiment of the answering machine of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 Control section 2 Dial part 3 Incoming call detection section 6 Memory section 7 Response message playback section 8 Message recording section 9　Telephone section 10 Hand set 11 Bell

Claims (2)

[Claims] Claim 1: In an answering machine that sends a response message every time there is an incoming call and records the caller's business message when operating in answering mode, the number of incoming calls until the called party answers each incoming call is calculated. means for counting, means for calculating an average number of incoming calls based on the number of incoming calls detected by the means, means for storing a predetermined number of delays, and a number of times that is the sum of the average number of incoming calls and the number of delays. 1. An answering machine, characterized in that the answering machine is equipped with a means for answering in an answering mode when an incoming call rings. [Claim 2] Means for counting the number of incoming calls until the called party answers each incoming call and storing the maximum value, and display means for displaying the maximum value and the average number of incoming calls. The answering machine according to claim 1, characterized in that: