JP2000022812A - Automatic answering telephone system with remote hearing function using telephone number information - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To call an opposite party whose message is recorded by automatic dialing and to realize a call at the time of remotely hearing the message from an unspecified caller, which is recorded in an automatic answering telephone system (TAD), through the use of the telephone set of a remote location. SOLUTION: The automatic answering telephone system enters the caller telephone number informing service and the three person call service of a telephone station. At the time of an incoming call, various data obtained by relating the message of a caller with the telephone number of the caller B are stored in a data storage part. When a specified person hears the message from an unspecified person, which is reproduced at the time of remotely operating TAD by using the unspecified telephone set A of a remote location and he is to communicate with the opposite party by the telephone, a prescribed command is sent, the telephone set B is called and the three person call of the telephone sets A, B and TAD is realized.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a remote telephone answering and answering machine corresponding to a line for providing a caller telephone number notification service (number display service).

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art It is possible to call a telephone answering machine installed at home or office from an outside telephone and listen to a message from an unspecified caller such as a customer recorded on a recording medium by remote control. 2. Description of the Related Art Telephone answering machine (TAD) has become widespread.

[0003] In order to make a telephone call with the unspecified caller who recorded the message, while listening to each message by remote control, take notes if the telephone number is recorded, and after listening to all the messages, The above-mentioned unspecified caller needs a complicated operation of checking a telephone number as needed and making a call one after another.

On the other hand, a caller's telephone number notification service of a telephone office has been implemented, and the telephone number of the caller sent by this service is stored, and by pressing a one-touch button, it is displayed on a display unit. A callback function for calling back the other party with the displayed telephone number is known from Japanese Patent Publication No. 1-59783 (hereinafter referred to as the prior application) by the present applicant. However, in this prior application, the above-mentioned callback function can be performed by directly operating the apparatus after the owner of the apparatus returns home, and cannot be performed by remote control using a telephone while away from home. Was.

[0005]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In order to solve the above-mentioned problems of the prior art, the present invention utilizes a caller's telephone number notification service of a central office to allow a TAD owner to operate one by one by remote control. Whenever it is necessary to contact the unspecified caller from the content of the message every time a message from the specific caller is heard, a state of holding a call with the TAD is maintained (temporary hold state). ) Is to provide means for enabling a call with the unspecified caller by operating a predetermined button on the telephone at hand.

[0006]

In order to achieve the above object, in the answering machine (TAD) of the present invention, the telephone number of an unspecified caller sent at the time of an incoming call and the telephone number of the unspecified caller. The message is stored in the association memory, and the TAD
From the unspecified caller recorded on the TAD by the remote owner of the TAD or a person authorized to remotely control the TAD (hereinafter referred to as a specific person or a specific caller) using the outgoing telephone to remotely control the TAD If you want to talk directly to the other party of the message you are currently listening to remotely while listening to the message, you can send a specific command by operating the button on your telephone, and the phone number of the unspecified caller associated with this message From the memory, and using the three-party telephone service of the central office, the above-mentioned telephone number is automatically dialed while maintaining the call state of the TAD and the specific caller, and the unspecified caller (here, the called party ), And if the called party answers, a direct call with the above-mentioned specific caller is permitted every time a message from any unspecified caller whose telephone number is recorded is heard. Characterized in that formed between.

[0007]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 shows an answering machine (TA) according to the present invention.
D) shows a block diagram illustrating one embodiment. In FIG. 1, reference numeral 1 denotes a control circuit including a CPU (not shown);
Control according to the program stored in the program ROM. Reference numeral 3 denotes an interface circuit between the telephone lines L1 and L2 and the apparatus, which performs operations such as inversion of the telephone line polarity, detection of a call signal, and closing of the telephone line by the relay contact y1-1. Reference numeral 4 denotes a modem for demodulating the telephone number of an unspecified caller, which is a service of a central office number display.
5 is DTMF when the specific caller remotely controls the TAD.
A tone signal for decoding a personal identification number and a command sent by a tone, a dial signal transmitting unit 6 for automatically dialing the other party based on the telephone number of the unspecified caller received by the TAD, and a TAD 7 Is an off-hook detection circuit for detecting whether a handset (not shown) of the telephone is off-hook.

Reference numeral 9 denotes an amplification circuit for transmitting a response message (OGM) to be described later or a message from an unspecified caller reproduced by a specific person to a telephone line at an appropriate level. Numeric keypad for calling,
A keyboard having *, #, and various keys for setting the absence mode, etc., 11 is a voice synthesizing unit, and its ROM stores a message for response and data for telling how to operate at the time of remote operation. ing. It is also possible to synthesize the voice number of the telephone number from the unspecified caller and record the time of the message from the unspecified caller and transmit the synthesized voice.
Reference numeral 12 denotes an amplification circuit used when a specific person listens to a message from an unspecified caller and a response message while at home, and 13 denotes a speaker.

Reference numeral 14 denotes a voice recording / reproducing unit which can record / reproduce a message from an unspecified caller using a memory, and a part of the memory is an area for a response message which can be recorded by the specific person. A magnetic tape may be used instead of the memory. Reference numeral 15 denotes the number of recorded messages (ICM) from the unspecified caller, the telephone number of the unspecified caller, the recording time, and the number of messages from the unspecified callers recorded in the memory of the voice recording / reproducing unit 14. ICM start address and IC to indicate the recording position of the message (ICM)
This is a data storage unit using a flash memory for recording the end address of M and the like (see FIG. 3). Reference numeral 16 denotes a liquid crystal display for displaying the telephone number of the unspecified caller. Y-1 is a relay having a contact y1-1.

Next, a specific operation when an unspecified caller receives a call will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

First, an answering key (not shown) of the keyboard 10 shown in FIG. 1 is pressed to set the apparatus (TAD) to an answering mode. Here, the TAD performs the operation shown in the flowchart of FIG. 2 based on the program stored in the program ROM 2. In step S1, the contents of the data storage unit 15 are initialized. That is, the data areas such as the number of recorded ICMs, the telephone number of the caller, the recording time, the start address of the ICM indicating the recording area of the ICM, and the end address of the ICM shown in FIG. 3 are cleared. Step S2
Is in a standby state for testing whether the polarity of the telephone lines L1 and L2 has been reversed due to an incoming call.

Here, if the inversion of the polarity of the telephone lines L1 and L2 is detected by the interface circuit 3 in FIG. 1 due to an incoming call, step S2 becomes affirmative, and in the next step S3 the telephone number of the unspecified caller is transmitted. In this case, a signal called an information receiving terminal activation signal is sent from the station. If this signal is detected and step S3 is affirmative, a DC loop is formed via the contact point y1-1 by driving the relay Y-1 of FIG. 1 in the next step S4 (referred to as a primary response). ing).

Subsequently, the telephone number of the unspecified caller sent from the telephone office is temporarily stored in a buffer memory (not shown) of the control circuit 1 via the interface circuit 3 and the modem 4 shown in FIG. Is displayed (Steps S5, S6, S
7). When the reception of the telephone number of the unspecified caller is completed, the relay Y-1 is turned off and the contact y1-1 is opened to break the DC loop (step S8).

Subsequently, a call signal is sent from the telephone office. When this signal is detected via the interface circuit 3, a second DC loop is formed (referred to as a secondary response).
(Steps S9 and S10), the response message (OGM) recorded in the voice synthesizing section 11 is transmitted to the telephone lines L1 and L2 via the amplification circuit 9 and the interface circuit 3 (step S11). Subsequently, a beep tone is transmitted (step S12), and a message (IC
Switching to the ICM recording mode for recording M) (step S13).

When the mode is switched to the ICM recording mode, the number of ICM recordings is incremented by one in step S14. Since the number of ICM recordings has been cleared to zero in the above-described step S1, it becomes "1" in the first ICM, and a predetermined address of the data storage unit 15, for example, the address n in FIG.
o. Further, the ICM numbers are recorded at the address n1 in FIG. 3 in the order of arrival (step S15). Further, the telephone number of the caller recorded in the buffer memory is transferred to the address n2 in FIG. 3 and recorded, and the buffer memory is cleared (step S16). Further, the recording time is read from a clock (not shown), and the address n shown in FIG.
3 (step S17), and a start address on a memory (not shown) of the voice recording / reproducing unit 14 for starting recording of the ICM is recorded at an address n4 in FIG. 3 (step S18).

The message (ICM) from the caller remains until a busy tone is input due to the caller going on-hook on the handset, and until the caller detects a change in the telephone line voltage when the caller is on-hook. Continue (step S1
9). After releasing the recording mode (step S20),
After recording the end address of the ICM in the memory of the voice recording / reproducing unit 14 at the address n5 in FIG. 3 (step S21), the DC loop is disconnected, and the process returns to the standby state of step S2.

Next, with reference to the flow charts of FIGS. 4 to 6 and the explanatory diagrams of FIGS. 7 to 11, a case where a specific caller remotely operates a telephone answering machine (TAD) using a telephone at an outside location. Will be described.

When the specific caller calls the TAD from the telephone outside the home and sends out a predetermined password during reproduction of the response message, a subroutine indicated by REMOTE1 shown in FIG. 4 is called.

First, in S30, the address of the data storage section shown in FIG. 3 is initialized and an address no is designated. Since this address no includes data on the number of recorded messages (ICM) from unspecified callers,
This data is read out and synthesized by the voice synthesis unit 11 shown in FIG. 1, and the amplification circuit 9, the interface circuit 3, and the telephone line L
1 and L2 to the specific caller. Next, the address is incremented to indicate an address n1,
A test is performed on one bit of the data, that is, a call completion mark, that is, a bit indicating whether or not the unspecified caller already recorded in the TAD at the time of the previous or current remote operation has been contacted and the call has been completed (step). 33).

If this bit is "1", it is determined that a call has been made and the process skips to the next ICM address, for example, n6. That is, the address is increased by "+5" (step S34). If "0", the ICM is not skipped, the ICM number indicating the number of the ICM is obtained, and the ICM number is synthesized and transmitted (step S35).

Further, the address is incremented to indicate the address n2, the telephone number of the unspecified caller is obtained, and the voice is synthesized and transmitted (steps S36 and S37). The telephone number is copied to, for example, a buffer memory (not shown) for temporary processing in the control circuit 1 of FIG.

Similarly, the recording time of the ICM at the address n3 is synthesized and transmitted (steps S39 and S40).

Subsequently, the first address (start address) of the first ICM recorded in the memory (not shown) of the voice recording / reproducing unit 14 of FIG. 1 is read from the address n4 of FIG. The reproduction of the message (ICM) from the caller recorded from the telephone number is started at a predetermined sampling frequency (steps S41 and S42).

In this embodiment, a memory is used as the recording medium, but a magnetic tape may be used. In this case, the recording position of each ICM may be obtained from a sensor capable of detecting the traveling amount of the magnetic tape.

In order to reproduce the first ICM recorded in the voice recording / reproducing unit 14 in FIG. 1, the address of a memory (not shown) as a recording medium is input according to a predetermined sampling frequency. If the address matches the end address of the ICM at the address n5 in FIG. 3, that is, if the reproduction of the first ICM is completed, the result in the step S43 becomes affirmative, and it is determined whether or not the reproduction of all the ICMs is completed (step S43). S44) If not finished,
Returning to step S32 described above, by specifying the address n6 in FIG. 3, data on the second ICM is acquired in the same manner as described above, and the reproduction of the ICM starts.

In this embodiment, ten or more ICMs can be recorded. When all ICMs have been reproduced, step S4 is executed.
If the answer in step 4 is affirmative, and the processing ends only by listening to the message (ICM) from the unspecified caller by remote control in FIG.

On the other hand, if it is desired to contact the caller immediately based on the contents of the message (ICM) from the caller by remote control, the remote control signal for that purpose is as follows:
For example, two buttons "#" and "0" of the telephone at hand are sequentially pressed. When a DTMF tone generated by pressing these two buttons is detected by the interface circuit 3 and the tone decoder 5, the RE operation shown in FIG.
Call a subroutine called MOTE2. First, step S58 becomes affirmative, and the reproduction of the ICM is stopped (step S59). If the next ICM is configured not to be reproduced, the reproduction need not be stopped here. Subsequently, "send" is sent to the specific caller by voice synthesis (step S60), and the relay Y-1 in FIG.
It turns off for two seconds and hooks the telephone lines L1 and L2 only once (step S61).

By the above hooking, when the TAD side has subscribed to the three-party calling service of the station, the telephone A and the TAD of the specific caller shown in FIG. 7 were in a talking state, but as shown by a dotted line in FIG. The connection between the telephone A and the TAD is put on hold. In this state, transmission is possible from the TAD. The dial signal transmitting unit 6 shown in FIG. 1 performs an auto-dial based on the telephone number of the unspecified caller copied to the buffer memory described in step S38 (step S38).
62). At the same time, a timer of, for example, 30 seconds is started in order to perform processing when the other party does not respond due to absence or the like (step S63).

If the other party responds to the call made by the automatic dial, the result in the step S64 is affirmative, and as shown by the solid line in FIG.
D enters a call state, where the TAD side has joined 3
In the telephone call service, the telephone line is hooked twice this time by the relay Y-1 as described above (step S6).
5). As a result, as shown in FIG. 10, a three-party communication between the telephones A and B and the TAD via the exchange 17 is established.

If the conversation with the other party is terminated and the other party disconnects the call and detects, for example, a silent state for a few seconds, or detects a busy tone, step S66 becomes affirmative. Alternatively, a DTMF generated when a specific caller who knows that the other party has disconnected the call presses a specific button on the telephone (a button predetermined to disconnect the call with the unspecified caller (partner)). Step S66 may be made affirmative when a tone is detected on the TAD side.

Further, in the next step S67, when the relay Y-1 of the TAD automatically performs the hooking operation twice as described above, the state returns to the connection state of only the telephone A of the specific caller and the TAD shown in FIG. The predetermined one of the address n1 in FIG.
In the bit, "1" which is a communication completed mark is recorded (step S68), and the number of ICM recordings at the address no in FIG.
It is set to 1 (step S69). Therefore, data indicating the number of unrecorded recordings remains at the address no.

Then, the address is incremented to the position where the data relating to the ICM to be reproduced next is stored (step S70). Here, returning to step S33 in FIG. 4, the same operation as described above is repeated until all the ICMs have been reproduced.

On the other hand, if the other party (called party) does not answer in step S64, step S64 is negative, and if a busy tone is detected in step S71, step S71 is affirmative.

In this case, if the above-mentioned hooking operation is performed once, the state of FIG. 8 returns to the telephone communication state between the telephone A and the TAD (step S72), and "Talking" is transmitted from the TAD by voice synthesis. (Step S73), the 30-second timer is cleared (Step S77), and the step S in FIG.
Return to 32.

If there is no response while the other party is called for 30 seconds, "No response" is sent out by speech synthesis as described above (steps S71, S74 to S77), and the process returns to step S32 in FIG. Move to the ICM reproduction operation.

During the above-mentioned busy or unanswered state, the above-mentioned call completion mark is not recorded, so that it is possible to call the other party by remote control again after talking with another unspecified person or once after hanging up. it can.

The ICM in which the contact is established and the call completion mark is recorded is not reproduced by ordinary remote control as shown in steps S33 and S34, but can be reproduced by a specific person sending a special code. ing. Unnecessary ICM may be deleted. If there is an erased ICM, the ICM number may be changed so as to be in order, or a higher-order ICM may be moved to a memory area that has been erased and vacated.

Next, the specific caller operates the message (ICM) from the caller by operating the "1,""2," and "3" buttons on the telephone used for remote control. Can be. That is, if the "1" button is pressed during reproduction of the ICM, step S50 in FIG. 5 becomes affirmative, and a subroutine "BACKSKIP" shown in FIG. 12 is called in step S51. First, the reproduction of the ICM is stopped (step S80), the current ICM number is obtained (step S81), and if the ICM number is not "1", the address of the ICM number one before the ICM is designated (step S81). S82, S83) Step S3 in FIG.
5, after sending the ICM number and the like by speech synthesis as described above, the ICM number one
Playback starts.

On the other hand, if the ICM currently being reproduced to be back skipped has an ICM number of "1", back skip cannot be performed, and "back skip cannot be performed" is transmitted by voice synthesis (steps S82 and S8).
3) After the reproduction of the ICM that has been listened to is started (step S85), this subroutine ends.

When the specific person presses the "3" button, the result in step S54 becomes affirmative, and the subroutine "SKIP" in FIG. 13 is called.

First, the reproduction of the ICM is stopped, and the current I
A CM number is obtained (steps S90, S91).
Whether this ICM number is the last ICM number is compared with the above-mentioned number of recordings, and if it is not the last ICM number, the address of the ICM number one record after the ICM is designated (steps S92 and S93). The reproduction of the next skipped ICM is started.

If the ICM to be skipped is the last ICM, "cannot be skipped" is sent out by speech synthesis, and the reproduction of the ICM whose reproduction has been stopped is resumed (steps S92, S94, S95). To end.

Although the subroutine when the specific person presses the "2" button is not shown, the reproduction is paused if the ICM is in the reproduction state immediately before the "2" button is pressed. For example, since the reproduction is continued and resumed (steps S52 and S53), it can be used when the contents of the ICM are to be noted.

Although the subroutine when the specific person presses the "*" button is not shown, the on / off control of the voice synthesizing circuit can be performed. You can only listen to. At this time, in order to identify whether or not the telephone number of the caller has been recorded, it can be identified by a different beep tone immediately before the reproduction of the ICM starts.

It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, but can be implemented with various modifications without departing from the gist of the present invention.

For example, the three-way telephone system and the telephone number notification system may be different depending on the country, the telephone line may be analog or digital, and instead of the answering machine, for example, an answering machine with facsimile, An answering machine built into the personal computer may be used

[0048]

As described above, according to the present invention, if the telephone number and the message from the unspecified caller are recorded in the answering machine (TAD), the remote operation of the TAD is permitted. When a specific person remotely listens to a message (ICM) from a caller by remote control using a telephone on the go, when he / she wants to contact the other party based on the contents of the ICM, a conventional method is used. The TAD automatically dials each of the other parties to make contact with the other party without the need for a complicated operation of making a note of the other party's telephone number and redialing the dialed number. Until the communication is completed, the operation can be advanced while the telephone handset is taken up, which can have a remarkable effect on the improvement of operability.

[Brief description of the drawings]

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

FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing an operation of the above device when an incoming call is received from an unspecified caller.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of data arrangement in a data storage unit 15 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an operation of remotely listening to a message from an unspecified caller.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing an operation when a specific caller operates a button of a telephone at hand during remote listening.

FIG. 6 is a continuation of FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 shows the telephone A of the specific caller and the answering machine (TA).
It is explanatory drawing which shows the connection with D).

FIG. 8: The connection between the telephone A and the TAD is suspended, and the TAD
FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing a state in which a call can be transmitted from the Internet.

FIG. 9 is an explanatory diagram showing a connection state between a telephone A and a TAD, which is on hold, but is connected to a telephone B which is called from the TAD and called.

FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram showing a three-party call state between the telephone A, the telephone B, and the TAD.

FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram showing that the three-party call state has been released and has returned to the connection state between the telephone A and the TAD.

FIG. 12 is a flowchart showing an operation of back-skipping a message from a caller.

FIG. 13 is a flowchart showing an operation of skipping a message from a caller.

[Explanation of symbols]

 REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 control circuit 2 program RON 3 interface circuit 4 modem 5 tone decoder 6 dial signal sending unit 7 telephone 8 off-hook detection circuit 9 amplification circuit 10 keyboard 11 voice synthesis unit 12 amplification circuit 13 speaker 14 voice recording / reproducing unit 15 data Storage unit 16 Display unit

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[Procedure amendment]

[Submission date] July 19, 1999 (1999.7.1)
9)

[Procedure amendment 1]

[Document name to be amended] Statement

[Correction target item name] Claim 1

[Correction method] Change

[Correction contents]

[Procedure amendment 2]

[Document name to be amended] Statement

[Correction target item name] Claim 2

[Correction method] Change

[Correction contents]

[Procedure amendment 3]

[Document name to be amended] Statement

[Correction target item name] 0006

[Correction method] Change

[Correction contents]

[0006]

In order to achieve the above object, in the answering machine (TAD) of the present invention, the telephone number of an unspecified caller sent at the time of an incoming call and the telephone number of the unspecified caller. in memory associated with the message serial was recorded, TAD
From the unspecified caller recorded on the TAD by the remote owner of the TAD or a person authorized to remotely control the TAD (hereinafter referred to as a specific person or a specific caller) using the outgoing telephone to remotely control the TAD If you want to talk directly to the other party of the message you are currently listening to while listening to this message remotely, you can send a specific command by operating the button on your telephone, and the unspecified message associated with this message after the hooking operation automatically performed The phone number of the caller is retrieved from the memory, and the above-mentioned unspecified caller is automatically dialed using the three-party call service of the telephone office while the TAD and the call state of the specific caller are maintained. (Here, as the called party), and if this called party answers, automatically
The hooking operation makes it possible to make a direct call with the specific caller every time a message from any unspecified caller whose telephone number is recorded is heard.

Claims (6)

[Claims] When an incoming call signal is detected, the telephone line is closed, a response message is transmitted, and then a message of the caller is recorded. The telephone number is recorded in association with the message from the unspecified caller, and when a specific command is sent during the reproduction of the message from the unspecified caller by remote control by the specified caller, the reproduction is performed. A telephone number associated with a message is automatically dialed using a three-way telephone service of a central office, and a remote number using telephone number information enabling a call between the called party and the specific caller to be automatically dialed. Answering machine with listening function. 2. An answering machine for recording a caller's message after closing a telephone line upon detecting a call signal due to an incoming call, and recording a caller's message. Means for detecting a telephone number; recording means for recording the detected telephone number of the unspecified caller in a predetermined area of a memory in association with a message from the unspecified caller; When a specific command is sent during the playback of the message from the unspecified caller by remote control, the reproduction of the message from the next unspecified caller is suspended and the telephone number associated with the message being played back Means for specifying the telephone number from the memory; means for automatically dialing the specified telephone number using a three-party call service of a telephone office; A remote unit using telephone number information, comprising: a calling unit that enables a call between the specific caller and the callee when the caller who is the unspecified caller answers. Answering machine with listening function. 3. Detecting means for detecting that the call between the specific caller and the called party has been canceled due to disconnection of the telephone of the called party, and the following unspecified based on an output from the detecting means. 3. An answering machine with a remote listening function using telephone number information according to claim 2, further comprising means for automatically reproducing a message from the caller. 4. A reproduction means for reproducing a message from a next caller by a specific command sent by the specific caller after the call between the specific caller and the called party is released. An answering machine with a remote listening function using the telephone number information according to claim 2 or 3. 5. A timer means which operates for a predetermined time when a call of the called party by the auto dial is started, and a call by the auto dial is interrupted when the called party does not answer after a predetermined time elapses by the timer means. 5. A remote listening function using telephone number information according to claim 2, further comprising control means for automatically reproducing a message from the next unspecified caller. Answering machine. 6. The communication between the specific caller and the called party by the calling means is terminated, and after the call completion mark is recorded in the recording means, the call from the unspecified caller is made in accordance with the call completion mark. 6. A telephone answering and answering machine using telephone number information according to claim 2, further comprising reproduction control means for controlling reproduction of a message.