JP2001285494A - Portable telephone system - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To store an automatic telephone answering message in characters in addition to a voice signal. SOLUTION: The automatic telephone answering message is stored in storage areas 5, 6 of a storage section 4 in terms of characters in addition to a voice signal. Furthermore, diversified selection for the reproduction of the stored characters/voice signal is attained by means of voice/voice, voice/character, character/character, and character/voice.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a portable telephone system having a function of converting an answering machine message from a voice message to a text message, or a function of converting a text message to a voice message.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art With the spread of portable telephones in recent years, user demands for portable telephone systems have been diversified, and not only voice communications but also text message communications such as text mail have become popular. . One of the services in the mobile phone system is an answering machine message service. The answering machine service responds to calls to mobile phone subscribers when the called mobile phone subscriber is absent or the mobile phone itself is turned off, or when the mobile phone is out of the service area. When the call cannot be made, the caller's message is temporarily stored in the Voice Mail Service Center, and when the called mobile phone subscriber can use the mobile phone, the answering message is transferred to the mobile phone Service.

FIG. 5 is a structural example of a conventional answering machine service center. In the figure, 41 is an answering machine management unit of an answering machine service center, 42 is an input / output unit for inputting / outputting an answering machine message and instruction data such as registration or deletion of an answering machine message to / from an exchange, and 43 stores an answering machine message. A storage unit 44 is a voice data area in the storage unit, and 45 is a control unit for controlling storage and deletion of the answering machine message, transfer of the answering machine message to the exchange, and the like.

When the called mobile phone subscriber cannot answer the call to the mobile phone subscriber, the exchange automatically connects to the answering machine service center. The management unit 41 of the answering machine service center transmits a message such as "Cannot answer now" to the caller, and guides the registration of the answering machine message. The caller transmits the answering machine message according to the guidance of the registration, and the management unit 41 of the answering machine service center that has received the answering machine message stores the answering machine message in the voice data area 43 of the storage unit 42. When the mobile phone subscriber makes an inquiry to the management unit 41 of the answering machine service center through the exchange when the mobile phone becomes available for use, the control unit 45 of the management unit 41 of the answering machine service center stores the storage unit 43
Check the presence or absence of an answering machine message addressed to the mobile phone subscriber who has been inquired from the voice data area 44, and if an answering machine message stored in the voice data area is stored, the message "Current XX answering machine messages Is registered. ", And if no answering machine message is stored, a message such as" An answering machine message is not kept "is sent. Here, when the mobile phone subscriber who has confirmed the registration of the answering machine confirms the answering machine message, for example, an instruction of reproducing the answering machine message is given by, for example, a dial key of the mobile phone, and the answering machine receiving the instruction of playing the answering machine message is received. In the management unit 41 of the service center, the storage unit 43
The corresponding answering machine message is reproduced from the voice data area 44 of.

[0005]

Since the registration and reproduction of the answering machine message in the conventional portable telephone system are all voice messages only, the registration of the answering machine message in a noisy place and the confirmation of the reproduced answering machine message cannot be performed. There was a problem that it was difficult.

[0006] The present invention solves the above-mentioned problems of the prior art in that it is difficult to register an answering machine message in a noisy place and to confirm a reproduced answering machine message. Callers and mobile phone subscribers can arbitrarily select (check voice registration → voice playback, voice registration → text playback, text registration → text playback, text registration → text playback → voice playback) the confirmation and registration of voicemail messages. It was made possible.

[0007]

According to the present invention, first answering means for selecting whether the answering machine message is stored by voice or by text in accordance with a user's instruction, and the first answering means is selected by the first selecting means. For a voice or character answering machine message, if it is a voice message, it is stored in the voice data area, and if it is a text message, it is stored in the character data area. A second selecting means for selecting whether to reproduce, and when the second reproducing means selects voice reproduction for the voice message in the voice data area, the voice message is reproduced as it is, and the second selecting means reproduces the character data. A reproducing means for reproducing the character message as it is when the character reproduction of the character message in the area is selected; and a second selecting means More when characters play selection for the audio data area of a voice message, a voice recognition unit for reproducing converts the voice message into text data, second
And a voice synthesizing unit for converting the text message into voice data and reproducing the voice message when the voice reproduction of the text message in the text data area is selected by the selection means.

[0008]

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of a portable telephone system according to the present invention. FIG.
Indicates a mobile phone system including an answering machine service center. This system includes a mobile phone base station 101, an exchange 102, and an answering machine service center 103, and provides a mobile phone service and an answering machine service via an antenna 100. Answering Machine Service Center 1
In FIG. 3, there is an answering machine management unit 1, and its embodiment is shown in FIG. In FIG. 1, an answering machine management unit 1 includes an input / output unit 2 for inputting / outputting an answering machine message and instruction data such as registration and deletion of an answering machine message to / from an exchange, a voice data area 5 in a storage unit, and a voice data area 5 in a storage unit. An answering machine message storage unit 4 having a character data area 6, a voice recognition unit 8 for recognizing voice data stored in the storage unit and converting the voice data into character data, and converting the character data stored in the storage unit into voice data by voice synthesis. The voice synthesizer 3 converts the answering machine message based on the instruction data, and controls the storage and deletion of the answering machine message, conversion of voice data to character data, conversion of character data to voice data, transfer of the answering machine message to the exchange, and the like. And a control unit 7 for performing the operation.

First, a procedure for registering an answering machine message in the management unit 1 of the answering machine service center will be described with reference to FIG. When the call (F ₀ ) to the mobile phone subscriber can be answered, the call is made (F ₇ ). When the mobile phone subscriber who has received the call cannot answer (F ₁ ), the exchange office informs the caller of “cannot answer the telephone now” stored in the voice data area 5 of the storage unit 4. Is transmitted to guide the registration of the answering machine message (F ₂ ). Here, the control unit 7 of the management unit 1 of the answering machine service center inquires of the caller through the exchange whether or not to register the answering machine message (F ₃ ).

[0010] When the caller registers an answering machine message, the calling party instructs the answering machine service center to register the answering machine message. For example, by pressing the dial key "1" of the telephone, the registration instruction data is transmitted to the answering machine service center. Control unit 7 the registration instruction data received from the data input-output unit 2 of the answering message, then either to register the voice mail messages by voice is performed whether the query performed by the character (F _4). Here, when the caller selects registration by voice and gives a voice registration instruction to the voice mail service center, for example, pressing the dial key "2" of the telephone sets the voice registration message of voice mail. Data transmission is performed. Upon receiving the registration instruction data of the answering machine message by voice, the control unit 7 informs that registration by voice message is to be performed.
Guide the caller. The caller transmits a voice mail message within a predetermined time.
The control unit 7, which has received the voice mail message,
The audio data area 5 of the memory unit 4 stores the voice mail message (F _5).

[0011] When the caller is in a busy location and finds it difficult to register by voicemail, the registration instruction in characters to the voicemail service center, for example, pressing the dial key "3" on the telephone Thus, the registration instruction data is transmitted to the answering machine service center in characters. Upon receiving the registration instruction data in the characters of the answering machine message, the control unit 7 informs the caller to perform the registration by the character messages. The caller inputs an answering message of a predetermined number of characters using, for example, a dial key of a telephone. Here, the control unit 7 of the management unit 1 of the answering machine service center keeps the combination of the dial keys of the telephone so as to correspond to the kana characters and numerals, and the control unit 7 which has received the input data of the dial key makes the character message The message is converted into data and stored in the character data area 6 of the storage unit 4 (F ₆ ).

Reproduction of an answering machine message will be described. There are two ways of reproducing the voice message in the voice area 5 as voice and a method of converting the voice message into a text message and displaying and reproducing it as a text message on the display unit of the mobile phone. Either one of them can be selected by key operation, or there is a method of fixing only one of them (for example, only the former) as a mechanism. Similarly, there are a method of reproducing and displaying the text message in the text area 6 as it is, and a method of reproducing and displaying the text message after converting it into a voice message. There are also examples in which both can be selected, and examples in which either is fixed. Hereinafter, a specific description will be given.

A procedure for a mobile phone subscriber to confirm an answering machine message will be described with reference to FIG. When the mobile phone subscriber makes an inquiry to the answering machine service center through the exchange when the mobile phone becomes available for use, the control unit 7 of the management unit 1 of the answering machine service center stores
In the voice data area 5 and the character data area 5, it is checked whether there is an answering machine message addressed to the mobile phone subscriber who has made an inquiry. If the answering machine message is stored in the voice data area 5, A message such as "Voice answering message is registered" is sent. If an answering message is stored in character data area 6, a message such as "XX character answering messages are currently registered" is sent. . Audio data area 5
If the answering machine message is stored in both the character message area 6 and the character data area 6, a message such as "XX voice answering machine messages and XX character answering machine messages are currently registered" is transmitted. If the answering machine message is not stored in both the voice data area 5 and the character data area 6, "the answering machine message is not kept."
And so on.

Next, when the mobile phone subscriber confirms the registration of the answering machine message, and confirms the voice answering machine message, an instruction to reproduce the answering machine message is issued by, for example, pressing a dial key "1" of the mobile phone. The management unit 1 of the answering machine service center which has received the reproduction instruction data inquires which message is to be reproduced. When the voice mail message is reproduced, the voice mail message reproduction instruction is issued by, for example, pressing a dial key “2” of the mobile phone, and the management unit 1 of the voice mail service center that has received the voice mail message reproduction instruction stores the instruction. Audio data area 5 of unit 4
To play the corresponding voicemail message. To play back the voice mail message, the voice mail message playback instruction is issued, for example, using the dial key “3” of the mobile phone.
Is received, and the management unit 1 of the answering machine service center that has received the character answering machine message reproduction instruction data transmits the character data of the corresponding character answering machine message from the character data area 6 of the storage unit 4, and transmits the character data. It is displayed on the display of the received mobile phone. here,
The means for displaying the character data on the mobile phone is not described in detail here, but is performed by using a service such as a character mail which is currently performed.

Next, a procedure for reproducing a voice mail message registered in the management unit 1 of the voice mail service center as a text message message will be described with reference to FIG. After performing the procedure between the mobile phone subscriber and the voice mail service center described above, the mobile phone subscriber presses the dial key "4" of the mobile phone, for example, to issue an instruction to reproduce the voice mail message as a text answering message. The management unit 1 of the answering machine service center, which has received the instruction data for reproducing the voice answering message as a character answering message, transmits the voice answering message from the voice data area 5 of the storage unit 4 to the voice recognition unit 8.
Transfer to The voice recognition section 8 transfers the answering machine message, which is voice data, to the voice recognition section 8. The voice recognition unit 8 performs voice recognition of the answering machine message, which is voice data, and converts it into character data. The answering machine message converted into character data is temporarily stored in the character data area 6 of the storage unit 4 and then transmitted as character data, and is displayed on the display unit of the mobile phone that has received the character data.

Next, a procedure for reproducing a character answering machine message registered in the answering machine service center 1 as a voice answering machine message will be described with reference to FIG. After performing the procedures described above with the mobile phone subscriber and the answering machine service center, the mobile phone subscriber presses the dial key "5" of the mobile phone, for example, to issue an instruction to reproduce the character answering message as a voice answering message. The management unit 1 of the answering machine service center that has received the instruction data for reproducing the character answering message as a voice answering message transfers the character answering message from the character data area 6 of the storage unit 4 to the voice synthesizing unit 3. The voice synthesizing unit 3 synthesizes voice from an answering machine message which is character data, and converts it into voice data. The answering machine message converted into voice data is temporarily stored in the voice data area 5 of the storage unit 4 and then transmitted as voice data.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an embodiment of a portable telephone having the same function as the management section 1 of FIG. 1 as a management section 1A therein. In FIG. 1, a method of storing the answering machine message in the management section 1 of the answering machine service center is adopted, but in FIG. 4, the management section 1A having the same function is incorporated in the mobile phone. The numeral added with the Roman alphabet A has the same function as each element of the management unit 1 in FIG. However, the transmission / reception circuit unit 2A corresponds to the data input / output unit 2.

The mobile phone shown in FIG. 4 has a management unit 1A,
It includes a dial key 9, a voice processing unit 10, a display unit 11, a microphone 12, and a speaker 13. The dial key 9 is used for an instruction of voice input or character input for the other party's answering machine message and a function of character input, an instruction of reading out an answering message, and an instruction of what reproducing method (voice or text). Use. In the reading of the answering machine message, the voice is read from the area 5A, the character is read from the area 6A, and an instruction based on either a character or voice according to the reproduction instruction is given.

It should be noted that the character answering machine message is an example in a busy place, but it is also applicable to a case where a character answering machine message is to be actively selected and sent.

[0020]

According to the present invention, it is possible to register a text message message in addition to a voice message message.
In addition, it is now possible to freely select playback by voice or playback by text.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an embodiment in an answering machine management center of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a mobile communication system.

FIG. 3 is a processing flowchart.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example in which the configuration of FIG. 1 is incorporated in the mobile phone of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a conventional diagram.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Management part of answering machine service center 2 Data input / output part 3, 3A voice synthesis part 4, 4A storage part 5, 5A voice data area 6, 6A character data area 7, 7A control part 8, 8A voice recognition part

 ──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page F-term (reference)

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A first selecting means for selecting whether to store a voicemail message in voice or a character according to a user's instruction, and a voice for voice or character voicemail message selected by the first selecting means. A storage unit that stores the message in the voice data area if it is a message, and stores it in the character data area if it is a text message, and selects whether to play the stored answering message by voice or text according to the user's instruction. When selecting the voice reproduction of the voice message in the voice data area by the second selection means and the second selection means, the voice message is reproduced as it is, and the character reproduction of the text message in the text data area is performed by the second selection means. In the case of the selection, the reproducing means for reproducing the character message as it is and the second selecting means A voice recognition unit that converts the voice message into character data and reproduces the data when the character reproduction of the message is selected, and a character reproduction unit that reproduces the character message in the character data area by the second selection unit And a voice synthesizing unit for converting and reproducing voice data into voice data.