JP2002101187A - Voice recording device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To eliminate the pressure felt by a person who wants to leave a verbal message in the automatic telephone message recorder, because the person must convey the message within a fixed period of time due to the limited voice recording time of the recorder. SOLUTION: A storing section 114 stores voice signals sequentially arriving from a call originator. An informing section 110 asks the call originator whether or not the originator wants to extend the recording time when a prescribed period of time elapses after the storing section 114 starts to store the voice signals. When the originator requests the extension, a storage control section 126 causes the storing section 114 to further store the succeeding voice signals. A recorded answering device 100 of the automatic answering telephone set can extend the voice recording time.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an apparatus for recording an audio signal.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art It has been a long time since various functions have been mounted on telephones. Among them, a so-called answering machine function, which can receive a message when not present, is a main function. Conventionally, general telephones often use a magnetic tape such as a cassette tape endlessly. However, recent mobile telephones often use a method in which an audio signal is digitized and then stored in a memory.

[0003]

However, as the size and weight of the apparatus are reduced, the memory capacity is limited, so that the recording time per answering machine or voice memo is predetermined. For example, there is a mobile phone that can record three messages in 20 seconds per case. In such a mobile phone, the recording is stopped when 20 seconds elapse after starting the answering machine.
Therefore, a caller who is recording a message often feels psychological pressure within a time limit of 20 seconds.

The present invention has been made in view of these problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a highly convenient recording device.

[0005]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has a configuration in which the recording time can be extended at the discretion of the recorder. For this reason,
The pressure is reduced. In addition, the present invention has a configuration in which a silence portion generated when the recorder becomes stuck or when the recorder actually speaks after the start of recording is removed. As a result, the memory can be used effectively. Such a configuration may be provided in a mobile phone or a telephone device provided in a public line network. Furthermore, it may be provided in an answering machine that performs an answering machine instead of a mobile phone or a telephone device.

An aspect of the present invention is a storage unit for storing audio signals sequentially received from a caller, and whether or not to extend the recording time to the caller when a predetermined time has elapsed from the start of storage. And a storage control unit for storing the subsequent audio signal when an extension is requested by the caller.

According to another aspect of the present invention, a temporary storage unit for temporarily storing a voice signal from a caller, a storage processing unit for compressing the voice signal stored in the temporary storage unit, And a storage unit for storing the applied audio signal.

Further, the storage section has an area for finally storing the audio signal, and the storage processing section compares the capacity of the area with the capacity of the temporarily stored audio signal. The compression ratio may be determined. Further, the storage processing unit includes:
The compression processing may be performed by removing a silent part included in the audio signal. Further, the storage processing unit may perform a compression process by removing the audio signal at predetermined intervals. The audio signal stored in the storage unit may further include a reproduction processing unit that interpolates and reproduces a removed portion of the audio signal. Further, the audio signal stored in the storage processing unit may be reproduced at a different reproduction speed.

It is to be noted that any combination of the above-described components, and any conversion of the expression of the present invention between an apparatus, a method, and a system is also effective as an embodiment of the present invention.

[0010]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS FIG. 1 shows the configuration of a portable telephone 50 having an answering machine 100 as a recording device according to the present invention. The wireless unit 12 wirelessly connects to the base station 36 to exchange audio signals. The normal call processing unit 14 includes the radio unit 12
The sound signal input through the
A process related to a normal call for outputting a voice input from the microphone 18 to the base station 36 via the wireless unit 12 is performed. The answering machine 100 performs a process of recording the input audio signal and reproducing it when instructed to reproduce it. The switching unit 10 selects either one of the normal call processing unit 14 and the answering machine 100.

FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram of the answering machine 100. These functional blocks are the hardware components and CPU or DS of any computer.
It is realized by a P, a memory, and a program for realizing each function loaded in the memory, and it is understood by those skilled in the art that there are various modifications in the method of realization and the device form. FIG. 2 shows a block of a function unit, not a configuration of a hardware unit.

The storage unit 114 finally stores the audio signal on which the processing described later has been performed. The storage unit 114 has an area for storing at least one audio signal. Basically, one audio signal is stored for each area.

[0013] The detecting unit 112 notifies the notifying unit 110 that a predetermined time has elapsed since the start of receiving voice signals sequentially received from the caller. Upon receiving this notification, the notification unit 11
0 requests the caller to indicate whether to extend the recording time of the voice signal. The extension signal input unit 128 inputs an instruction from the caller. When the extension instruction is input, the storage control unit 126 performs control for further storing the subsequent audio signal. For example, the area for storing the audio signal is increased, and the subsequent audio signal is stored in the first buffer 102.

The first buffer 102, which is a temporary storage unit,
One audio signal supplied from the wireless unit 12 is temporarily stored. After storing one audio signal in the first buffer 102, the detection unit 112 detects the data amount of the stored audio signal. The storage processing described later is performed based on this data amount. The removing unit 106 removes a silent part included in the audio signal and cuts off the audio signal. Also,
The audio signal may be cut off by thinning out the audio signal at regular intervals. If this is reproduced as it is, the tone becomes fast.
By further changing the interval, it is possible to hear as if playing at twice or three times the speed.

The compression section 108 performs a predetermined compression process on the truncated audio signal. The compression unit 108 may reduce the data amount by increasing the sampling interval,
The data amount may be reduced by a compression algorithm represented by MPEG1 audio layer 3 or the like. The compression processing according to the embodiment is not only compression processing by changing the sampling interval and compression processing by the MPEG1 audio layer 3, but also compression by removing silent parts and compression processing by removing audio signals at predetermined intervals. including. The examination unit 130 selects a storage process to be performed based on the amount of data supplied from the detection unit 112 and the storage capacity of the storage unit 114 from a combination of preset processes.

The storage processing unit 104 includes a first buffer 102
The data amount is reduced so that the audio signal temporarily stored in the storage unit 114 can be stored in the area of the storage unit 114. For example, the storage processing unit 104 determines the area capacity of the storage unit 114 and the first buffer 1
The compression ratio in the compression unit 108 may be adjusted based on the data amount of the audio signal stored in the storage unit 02 so that the audio data can be stored as high as possible.

The expansion unit 116 extracts the compressed audio signal from the storage unit 114 and expands it. Interpolator 118
Interpolates the removed portion of the audio signal and supplies it to the second buffer 120. The removing unit 106 stores the temporal start position of the removed portion and the duration of the removed portion in the storage unit 114 as a file, and
May interpolate the removed part based on this file. The output unit 122 extracts and reproduces the audio signal held in the second buffer 120. Output unit 122
May change the playback speed. Decompression unit 116, interpolation unit 1
18, the second buffer 120, and the output unit 122 constitute a reproduction processing unit 124.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing how the data amount of the audio signal is reduced by the storage processing unit 104. The signal 103 output from the first buffer 102 includes a silent portion (hatched portion). The signal 105 output from the removing unit 106 has a silent portion removed. Compression unit 108
Has been compressed so that it can be stored in the storage unit 114.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing a process of storing the audio signal in the storage unit 114. When making an answering machine, the detection unit 112 detects whether or not there is an empty area in the storage unit 114 (S10). For example, in a case where the storage unit 114 has an area for three cases with 20 seconds per case, the detection unit 1
12 detects how many more are available. Notification unit 1
10 notifies the originator of the absence message to the caller (S12).
The first buffer 102 stores voice signals sequentially received from the caller (S14).

At the same time as the notification unit 110 notifies the start, the detection unit 112 starts measuring the elapsed time from the start (S20). For example, when 20 seconds have elapsed (Yes in S22), it is determined whether there is free space in the storage unit 114 (S24). Of course, the determination may be made when 18 seconds have elapsed. For this determination, the result detected in S10 is used. If there is no free space (No in S24), the storage of the audio signal ends (S16). If there is a vacancy (Yes in S24), the notification unit 110 requests the caller to instruct whether to extend the recording time (S26). Extension signal input 1
28 receives the request from the caller (S28). For example, when an extension request is input using a key such as "#" (Yes in S28), the process returns to S22 and the subsequent audio signal is stored in the first buffer 102 for another 20 seconds.
When the extension request is not input (No in S28),
The storage in the first buffer 102 ends (S16). The storage processing unit 104 performs processing to reduce the data amount on the audio signal stored in the first buffer 102 and stores the processed audio signal in the storage unit 114 (S18).

FIG. 5 is a detailed flowchart of the storing process in S18. The detection unit 112 detects the data amount of the audio signal stored in the first buffer 102,
It is supplied to the examination unit 130 (S30). The examination unit 130
Based on the data amount and the capacity of the area of the storage unit 114,
The storage process to be performed is selected (S32). After the selection, an instruction is given to the removing unit 106 as to whether or not a silent portion is to be removed, and a compression ratio is instructed to the compressing unit 108. The removal unit 106 is the examination unit 1
Based on the instruction of No. 30, a process of removing silent parts is performed (S34). The compression unit 108 compresses at the compression ratio instructed by the examination unit 130 (S36). The signal generated in this way is stored in the storage unit 114.

The present invention has been described based on the embodiments. This embodiment is an exemplification, and various modifications can be made to the combination of each component and each processing process.
It is understood by those skilled in the art that such modifications are also within the scope of the present invention. The following are examples of such modifications.

The recording apparatus of the present invention is useful for storing voice in a memory or the like having a fixed storage capacity. The recording device may be provided in the answering machine server 34 shown in FIG. FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of an answering machine system 200 including the answering machine server 34. Public network 30
The answering server 34 connected to the telephone device 32 and the base station 36 via the telephone device 32 stores a message addressed to the telephone device 32 or the mobile phone 50. For example, a call addressed to the mobile phone 50 is transferred to the answering server 34, and the voice signal as a message is processed by the recording device according to the present invention.
0 is stored in association with the telephone number.

[0024]

According to the present invention, a recording apparatus which can store audio signals and has high convenience and flexibility can be provided.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a functional block diagram of a mobile phone having an answering machine according to an embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram of an answering machine;

FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a state in which the data amount of an audio signal is reduced by a storage processing unit.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing a process up to storing an audio signal.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing details of a storage process.

FIG. 6 is a configuration diagram of an answering machine including an answering machine;

[Explanation of symbols]

14 Normal call processing unit, 34 Answering machine, 50
Mobile phone, 100 answering machine, 102 first buffer, 104 storage processing unit, 106 removal unit, 10
8 compression unit, 110 notification unit, 112 detection unit,
114 storage unit, 116 decompression unit, 118 interpolation unit, 120 second buffer, 122 output unit, 12
4 playback processing unit, 126 storage control unit, 128 extension signal input unit, 200 answering machine

Claims (6)

[Claims] 1. A storage unit for storing audio signals sequentially received from a caller, and a notification requesting the caller to instruct whether or not to extend the recording time when a predetermined time has elapsed from the start of storage. A recording unit that performs control for storing a subsequent audio signal when an extension is requested by the caller. 2. A temporary storage unit for temporarily storing an audio signal from a caller, a storage processing unit for compressing the audio signal stored in the temporary storage unit, and a storage unit for processing the processed audio signal. A recording device comprising: a storage unit for storing. 3. The storage unit has an area for finally storing the audio signal, and the storage processing unit compares a capacity of the area with a capacity of the temporarily stored audio signal. 3. The recording device according to claim 2, wherein a compression ratio is determined. 4. The recording apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the storage processing section performs the compression process by removing a silent portion included in the audio signal. 5. The recording apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the storage processing section performs the compression processing by removing the audio signal at predetermined intervals. 6. The recording device according to claim 4, further comprising a reproduction processing unit that interpolates and reproduces a removed portion of the audio signal stored in the storage unit.