JP2002171545A - Dial-in communication system - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a dial-in communication system that can directly connect a caller to a called party without the need for an intervention party inbetween so as to attain phone and FAX communication thereby suppressing incidence a temporal loss. SOLUTION: In the case of phone communication, a caller ID has been provided in advance to a caller, the system identifies the caller by allowing the caller making a phone call to enter the caller ID, identifies a called party and allows the called party itself to directly receive the phone call without the need for any intervention party inbetween. In the case of FAX communication, a FAX number is given to each called party individually by a limited time, a caller faxes a document to the FAX number, a reception FAX storage means once stores the document, and the called party outputs the FAX document stored in an optional facsimile terminal. Especially in the case of receiving as FAX document, a party receiving the FAX document informs the called party about the reception of the FAX document by means of electronic mail.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a dial-in communication system in which, when communication between two parties is performed by an X terminal, troublesome handling and time loss do not occur.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in an organization such as an office or a factory, which is composed of a group of a plurality of members, one of the members receives a telephone call from outside. In the case of, the caller who makes a call makes a call to the representative telephone, and the caller connects to the intended recipient so that the call can be made with the recipient.

[0003] Recently, there is a dial-in service capable of directly calling an extension telephone in a premises such as an office or a factory from the outside without providing an exchange. Because it is possible to make a call directly to a telephone close to, it is possible to catch the intended recipient relatively quickly.

[0004] Also, one FAX terminal is usually installed for each department in which it is used, so that the printed document is sequentially handed over to the person whose address is described in the transmitted transmission slip. Has become.

[0005]

However, in the case of telephone, it is rare that one telephone is assigned to one member at a time, and one telephone is usually assigned to a plurality of members. Most people use it, so even if they call the main phone and ask the operator to connect to the department where the intended recipient belongs, it will not always lead to the intended recipient immediately. Also, even if you call the department of the intended recipient directly with the dial-in service, it does not necessarily lead to the intended recipient immediately, and the caller usually claims to be himself Most of the time, most of the time, they were given the name of the intended recipient and were then asked to receive it.

[0006] Therefore, the caller must give himself a name in order to be transferred to the receiver, and moreover, usually, when he is connected to the receiver, he often gives his name ritually. At least two times, he was very busy.

[0007] In particular, in the case where telephone exchanges are frequently made, it is very inefficient to arrive at the receiver because it is necessary to give the name of each call and request the transfer to the receiver. Had become.

On the other hand, when the receiver who receives the call from the caller is near the telephone, the receiver can immediately receive the call, but when the receiver accidentally leaves the seat or the receiver In a situation where the hands cannot be released, the caller may be kept waiting for a long time, and the sender may lose gratitude to the caller and may be offended.

In the case of FAX, the recipient is always
It is very convenient if you are near the X terminal, but if you are traveling from place to place on a business trip,
It is almost difficult to receive a document by AX, and there has been no means for easily and reliably receiving a document by FAX in such a case.

[0010] For this reason, usually, the F of the hotel or the like at the accommodation place is
In many cases, the information is transmitted to an AX terminal. In this case, since information cannot be obtained in real time, an important decision may be sent.

In view of such a situation, the present inventor connects the caller and the recipient of a telephone call and facsimile transmission / reception directly to the recipient at one time by dial-in, so that the communication becomes complicated and time is lost. Research has been conducted to develop a communication system that does not have the above, and the present invention has been achieved.

In the following, the term “FAX terminal” refers to the FAX terminal itself,
The term "FAX" is used to indicate communication performed using a FAX terminal.

[0013]

A dial-in communication system according to the present invention assigns a caller ID to a caller in advance, and allows the caller to enter the caller ID by inputting the caller ID. In addition to the specification, the receiver of the transfer destination is specified, so that the receiver can be directly transferred to the receiver without the intervention of the transferer.

In particular, a sender ID for specifying a sender
Storage means for registering and storing caller information of a caller specified by the caller ID, and receiver information of a receiver to be relayed based on the caller ID; Caller identification means for identifying a caller by inputting a caller ID to a caller who has called, receiver identification means for identifying a receiver based on the input caller ID, and receiver identification means Receiving notification means for notifying the recipient identified by that the caller is receiving a call,
A connection means for connecting the receiver notified of the reception and the caller in a communicable state is provided, so that a call received from the caller can be directly transferred to the receiver without the intermediary. I did it.

Further, the present invention has the following features. When a call is received from a caller who has not been assigned a caller ID, the caller's telephone number, which is the telephone number of the telephone used by the caller, is checked, and the telephone number specified by the caller is used. Inform the caller of the caller's phone number that you are receiving a call, and make the call. When the recipient goes out or travels, the outgoing business trip registration means for registering that he or she is out of business or on a business trip is provided. On the other hand, there is provided an out-of-office business trip notification means for automatically notifying that the recipient is out of business or on a business trip. If the receiver cannot directly receive the call from the caller, the receiver is provided with a non-answer reason notification means for automatically notifying the caller of the non-answer reason by selecting a non-answer reason on the receiver side. That A message storage means for recording and storing a message from the caller when the receiver cannot directly receive the call from the caller, and notifying the receiver that there is an incoming call from the caller. Incoming communication means must be provided. If the receiver cannot directly receive the call from the caller, but has a call recording means for recording and storing a call between the receiver and the agent when the agent receives the call on behalf of the receiver . A reception facsimile storage unit for storing a facsimile received by being transmitted from a caller;
That can be retrieved from any fax machine. A facsimile reception notifying means for notifying a recipient that a facsimile has been received when a facsimile is received.

Further, the dial-in communication system of the present invention directly relays a facsimile received by being transmitted from a caller to a receiver. A fax number assigning means for assigning a fax number to the FAX number, a receiving fax storing means for storing the fax transmitted to the fax number assigned by the fax number assigning means, and a facsimile stored in the receiving fax storing means. The user can directly output from any FAX terminal.

Therefore, a recipient who receives a fax can obtain the fax without being restricted by time or place as long as there is only a fax installed in a convenience store or the like. Important information can be reliably obtained even during a business trip.

The present invention is also characterized in the following points. That is, when the FAX number assigned to the recipient is released from the assigned state to the non-assigned state, and the released FAX number is assigned to a new recipient, FAX numbers are sequentially assigned in order from the FAX number with the longer opening period
AX number assigning means to assign to a new recipient. When the FAX from the sender is stored in the reception FAX storage unit, F that notifies the receiver that the FAX has been received.
AX reception notification means must be provided. The registration of the facsimile number given by the facsimile number assigning means is performed using a facsimile terminal, and charging is performed by outputting a registration certificate from the facsimile terminal. If the registration certificate is not output, the registration of the fax number is automatically canceled.

[0019]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS There are two types of dial-in communication systems of the present invention: a telephone communication system and a facsimile communication system, each of which has a configuration adapted to the characteristics of each communication.

[0020] Of these, a telephone communication system is called a "telephone answering system".
Hereinafter, it is simply referred to as a “TA system”. on the other hand,
The facsimile communication system is called a “master fax system”, and is hereinafter simply called an “MF system”.

First, the TA system will be described. In the TA system, as shown in FIG. 1, a TA system is constructed on a system server 2 connected to the telecommunications line 1 and a plurality of fixed telephones 3 on the receiving side are connected to the system server 2. The system server 2 once receives a call received from a caller's telephone 4 via a telephone, and can automatically transfer the call to a predetermined fixed telephone 3 on the receiving side.

Note that the telephone used by the caller is not limited to a fixed telephone, but may be a mobile communication device such as a portable telephone or a public telephone.

The system server 2 is actually a plurality of servers such as a main server operating the TA system, a system monitoring server monitoring the TA system, and a web server managing the connection to the Internet. The group of required servers is called a system server 2 for convenience.

Each of the fixed telephones 3 connected to the system server 2 is provided with a specific telephone connection number individually designated by a caller ID, which will be described later. 3 is identified. If necessary, an extension call can be made between the fixed telephones 3 on the receiving side via the system server 2.

If necessary, the system server 2
A private branch exchange 8 may be provided between the local fixed telephone 3 and each of the fixed telephones 3 on the receiving side, and transfer to each fixed telephone 3 on the receiving side may be controlled by the private branch exchange 8.

Further, as will be described later, the system server 2 transmits the call from the caller to the receiving mobile communication device used by the receiver instead of the receiving fixed telephone 3 used by the receiver. In this case, the system server 2 transmits a call from the caller to the receiving mobile communication device 5 via the telecommunication line 1 and the mobile communication device base station 6. We are trying to make an outgoing call.

Further, in the system server 2, a response guidance database 7a in which response patterns for responding to the caller are registered and stored, and caller information such as the name, company name, and title of the caller together with the caller ID. The registered caller registration database 7b, the receiver registration database 7c in which the receiver information such as the name and affiliation of the receiver are registered together with the caller ID, the absence setting of the receiver, the setting of out-of-home trips, and the receiving mobile communication device 5 An environment setting database 7d in which settings such as reception settings are registered, a recording database 7e for recording messages of the caller, and a facsimile storage database 7f for storing faxes from the caller are connected.

Hereinafter, the system part of the TA system of the present invention will be described.

First, a caller ID for identifying a caller is assigned in advance to a partner who frequently exchanges telephone calls. The caller ID is composed of a plurality of digits, and a number of digits may be used as needed. Usually, about four digits are desirable.

In the identification of the caller, the caller may be identified only by the caller ID, or may be identified by a combination of the dial-in number and the caller ID. If the caller ID is used to identify the caller,
It is necessary to issue a caller ID to be managed by the system server 2 so as not to cause a duplicate caller ID. On the other hand, when a caller is identified by a combination of a dial-in number and a caller ID Must be issued so that duplicate caller IDs do not occur in the same dial-in number.

As a method of assigning a caller ID, for example, different caller IDs are described on business cards, respectively.
It can be easily given by passing a business card on which the sender ID is described. At this time, the sender I
D and the company name, affiliation, post, name, and the like of the sender to which the sender ID has been assigned are registered in the sender information database 7b of the system server 2 later.

As shown in FIG. 1, registration is performed by a personal computer, a mobile communication device, or a PDA (Personal) on a Web server connected to the system server 2.
The caller registration database 7b is accessed from a caller information registration terminal 9 such as Digital Assistants via an electric communication line 1 'such as the Internet network.

When the sender information is registered, the receiver information such as the receiver ID, name, and affiliation of the receiver is registered in advance in the receiver registration database 7c of the system server 2. Need to be kept. Therefore, since the sender and the receiver can be associated one-to-one by the sender ID, the sender and the receiver can be specified by the sender ID, which is a feature of the present invention. In this case, the sender can be directly transferred to the recipient.

The sender information database 7b and the receiver registration database 7c store the sender ID for specifying the sender.
Storage means for registering and storing the sender information of the sender specified by the sender ID and the receiver information of the receiver to be transferred based on the sender ID. The system server 2 performs a search in the caller information database 7b based on the input caller ID, which is a caller identification means, and the system server 2 receives the caller ID based on the input caller ID. Searching the registration database 7c is a receiver specifying means.

The caller ID is assigned by giving the caller ID
May be simply notified, or the caller ID contacting the caller may be registered in the caller information database 7b and the receiver registration database 7c as described above.

The method of assigning the caller ID is not limited to the above-described method, and the caller ID can be accurately assigned to the caller, and the caller information database 7b and the receiver registration database 7c can be assigned. Any method may be used as long as registration can be performed.

For example, as to the method of registering the sender ID in the sender information database 7b and the receiver registration database 7c, the sender ID, the sender name, the sender's company, affiliation, post, and the receiver's name , The receiver's affiliation, the representative number of the receiving fixed telephone 3 used by the receiver, or the specific telephone connection number or dial-in number, and if necessary, the receiver's mobile communication used by the receiver The telephone number or the like of the device 5 may be registered by the administrator of the system server 2, or the caller ID registration mode of the system server 2 may be started by a client computer connected to the system server 2, and The registration may be performed by inputting various conditions, or the Web server is routed to the system server 2 so that the recipient can perform the registration. The personal computer or the mobile communication device may access the caller registration page via the Internet from the personal computer or the mobile communication device via the Internet, and may register by inputting the above various conditions.

When a caller ID is given and a caller registered in the system server 2 calls the telephone number of the receiver, input of the caller ID is required.

When the caller inputs the caller ID, the system server 2 searches the caller information database 7b to specify the caller based on the input caller ID, and then inputs the caller ID. , The system server 2 searches the recipient registration database 7c to identify the recipient.

If the specified recipient has not been registered for going out or traveling, the system server 2 connects to the receiving fixed telephone 3 used by the recipient, To notify that the caller is receiving a call. This is the reception notifying means.

In the meantime, the caller side is hooked, a hold tone is played as a standby state, and the receiver notified of the reception by the reception notifying means connects by selecting "response". Is able to talk directly. The connection means connects the caller and the receiver so that they can talk.

By inputting the caller ID, the caller and the receiver are directly connected, so that the caller does not need to give his / her own name only for relaying.
Useless work can be omitted. In particular, since it is possible to connect to the recipient who wants to talk on the telephone at one time, it is possible to immediately start talking about the requirements and improve the efficiency. On the other hand, from the receiving side, it is possible to save the trouble of the routing and prevent the occurrence of the routing error.

When the caller ID is not assigned to the caller, or when the ID is not entered or erroneously entered, the caller telephone number which is the telephone number of the telephone used by the caller And inform the recipient that the call is coming from the caller's phone number,
The intended recipients can then be obtained.

That is, since the caller without the caller ID can be handled as usual, the caller ID can be prevented from being given to the party who does not need to give the caller ID. However, the number of caller IDs issued is suppressed, so that the caller ID can be easily managed.

When the receiver goes out or goes on a business trip, there is provided an outing business trip registration means for registering that he or she is out of the office or on a business trip. When the recipient is out of the office or on a business trip by means of the business trip registration means, an out-of-office business trip notification means for automatically notifying the sender that the recipient is out of business or on a business trip is provided. .

Therefore, the sender can immediately recognize that the receiver is out of the office or on a business trip, and there is no fear of having to wait for a long time, so that unnecessary time can be saved. Further, the receiving side can also save the trouble of telling the sender that the recipient is out or on a business trip.
In particular, for example, when it is desired to use the absence, for example, by setting the out-of-home setting by the out-of-office business trip registering means, the call to the receiving fixed telephone 3 used by the receiving party can be completely completed. , The receiver can easily stay away.

In the case where the receiver cannot answer the call from the caller because the receiver answers another telephone, is waiting for a customer, or is in a meeting, the receiver can select the reason for non-acknowledgement. In addition, there is provided a non-answering reason notifying means for automatically notifying the caller of the non-answering reason.

Therefore, the sender can immediately recognize that the receiver cannot answer the telephone, and there is no possibility that the caller will be kept waiting for a long time, so that unnecessary time can be saved. Also, the receiving side,
This eliminates the need to notify the caller that the receiver cannot answer the call.

Further, since the recipient is out of the office or on a business trip,
Alternatively, in a case where it is not possible to transfer to the recipient because the user is out of the seat during a meeting or waiting on customers, a message from the sender can be recorded and stored in the recording database 7e. This is the message storage means.

When the message is stored by the message storage means, the TA system hangs up the call from the caller, and then makes a call to the receiver, that the call has been received from the caller and that the message remains. To the effect that
Automatic notification by voice or e-mail. This is the incoming call communication means.

The contact destination notified by the incoming call communication means is the receiving fixed telephone 3 in the environment setting of the TA system.
Is designated, the call is transmitted to the fixed telephone 3 on the receiving side, and if the mobile communication device 5 on the receiving side is designated, the call is transmitted to the mobile communication device 5 on the receiving side. I have.

As a result, the receiver can immediately respond to the caller who has made the call, if necessary, and can provide a more detailed response to the caller. Can be prevented from buying bad reputation.

Note that, even when the transfer to the receiver is impossible and the sender does not leave a message, the sender and the corresponding receiver can be specified by the sender ID. In such a case, the TA system sends a call to the receiver by the incoming call contact means, and automatically notifies only that a call has been received from the caller.

Therefore, it is possible to reliably confirm reception from a sender who is willing to leave a message, and to contact the sender in accordance with the situation, thereby providing a fine-grained response to the sender. So that
It is possible to prevent a bad reputation from being sent from the caller.

Further, in the case where the receiving fixed telephone 3 receives a call from a caller and the corresponding receiver cannot receive a telephone call during a meeting or during a customer service, the receiver cannot receive the call. Instead, the agent can receive the phone call. At this time, all calls between the receiver and the agent are recorded as messages in the recording database 7e.
It is saved so that the recipient can check the contents of the conversation later. This is the call recording means.

By this means, it is possible to prevent erroneous communication of the contents of the call due to misunderstanding of the agent and to inform the receiver of the atmosphere of the conversation of the sender to the receiver. It is possible to provide information for judging whether or not the receiver responds to the sender, such as whether the task has been securely performed or whether a separate countermeasure is required.

The TA system of the present invention is also provided with a FAX reception function. In order to eliminate the one-way reception of a fixed terminal, which is also considered to be an adverse effect of FAX reception, non-confidential treatment, and spillover, the TA system receives a message from the sender. The received FAX is
The data is temporarily stored in the FAX storage database 7f of the system server 2, which is the AX storage means.

Each time a FAX is received from a caller, the TA system sends a call to the receiver's fixed telephone 3 or the receiver's mobile communication device 5 of the corresponding receiver, and Is notified by voice or e-mail. This is FA
X reception notification means.

By notifying the recipient that the FAX has been received each time, the recipient can recognize that the FAX has been sent to himself and, if necessary, immediately. Further, in some cases, the fax received later can be received, and the fax can be reliably received as confidential. In particular, it is also possible to prevent the FAX from being output in a hanging state and from being mixed with other FAX output documents.

To retrieve the received fax, the recipient connects to the system server 2 from an appropriate fax terminal and desires to retrieve the stored fax.
The terminal can retrieve the stored FAX.

That is, the FA used for taking out the FAX
The F stored in the FAX storage database 7f of the system server 2 without depending on the installation environment of the X terminal.
Since the AX can be taken out, it is possible to take out the stored FAX from any time and any place where there is a FAX terminal, for example, from a FAX terminal at a hotel on a business trip or a FAX terminal installed at a convenience store near the business destination. Can be.

An MF system which further improves the FAX receiving function is one of the present invention. The MF system will be described in detail based on an embodiment described later.

The TA system and MF system of the present invention are used not only in offices and factories, but also in recent S
It can also be used as a new telephone service or fax service for a collection of small companies such as OHO (Small Office Home Office).

[0064]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS First, a description will be given with reference to a flowchart of an embodiment of a TA system.

(Basic Flow in TA System) FIG.
5 is a flowchart of a basic part in the TA system of the present invention.

When the caller assigned the caller ID as described above makes a call to the receiver who has introduced the TA system, the TA system first sets the caller ID in a state where the caller notifies the caller ID. It is determined whether the call is transmitted (S1).

If the caller has made a call without notifying the caller number, the TA system asks the caller, "I'm sorry, but dial 186 before the phone number. Would you please notify me of your phone number and try again. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. "And rejects calls from callers who do not give their phone numbers (S2).

The reason for rejecting the reception from the caller who does not notify the telephone number is to use the caller number for the primary identification of the caller who is not provided with the caller ID, as described above. Further, when the caller information is specified by the caller number and the caller ID, the caller's call environment cannot be specified.

After rejecting reception from a caller who does not notify the telephone number, the TA system disconnects the line.

If the caller has been notified of the caller ID, the TA system checks the caller ID,
The response is "I'll always take care of you. I'm XX." (S3).

Thereafter, the TA system determines whether or not the reception is outside the preset business hours (S4). If the reception is outside the business hours, the TA system makes a predetermined response as described later. "Sorry, please contact me again. Thank you for calling" (S5), and disconnect the line (S6).

On the other hand, if it is during business hours, TA
The system responds with the message, "We are receiving calls from you through the automatic caller system. Could you please enter your caller ID?" (S7 ), The user is prompted to enter a caller ID that has been assigned in advance.

When the caller ID is input, the TA system searches the caller information database 7b to identify the caller in order to collate the input caller ID, and then specifies the caller. The registration database 7c is searched to identify the recipient (S8).

On the other hand, if the caller has not been assigned a caller ID and cannot input the caller ID,
When the input of D is mistaken, a flow without a caller ID is executed as described later.

When the caller and the receiver are specified, the TA system displays “Thank you. ●●●● ▲▲
▲ "To confirm the caller (S9).

Thereafter, the TA system checks whether the receiver specified by the caller ID is in the out-of-office business mode (S10). Please wait for a while. "(S11), hook up the caller side, and make a call to the recipient to which the call from the caller is transferred. (S12). Then, a hold tone is played to the caller's telephone (S13).

On the other hand, when the recipient specified by the caller ID is in the out-of-business trip mode, the TA system handles the out-of-office business mode as described later.

When a call is made to the receiver by calling the receiver, the TA system notifies the caller that the call is being received, as described later. Here, when the receiver selects "call" (S14), the TA system connects the caller and the receiver so that a call can be made as described later (S15). When the call ends, the line is disconnected.

By using the TA system of the present invention, the caller and the receiver can be directly connected, so that the caller does not need to give his / her own name for the agency, and the requirements are promptly cut out. be able to.

(Regarding Out-of-Business-Time Determination) FIG. 3 is a flowchart of out-of-business-time determination performed in the TA system of this embodiment.

The out-of-business-time determination is to determine whether or not a call from a caller is out of business hours as described above. First, it is determined whether or not a regular holiday is set. If the regular holiday setting has been made (S4-1), the TA system replies that "We are taking business holidays today because of our holidays" (S4-1). '), Then "Sorry,
Please contact me again. Thank you for calling me. (S5) to disconnect the line (S6).

If the regular holiday has not been set,
Next, it is determined whether a temporary holiday has been set (S4-2). If the temporary holiday has been set,
The TA system responded, "We are taking business holidays due to temporary closure today." (S4-2 ')
Then, the user responds "Sorry, but please contact me again. Thank you for calling" (S5), and disconnect the line (S6).

If the temporary holiday has not been set, it is then determined whether or not the Golden Week holiday has been set (S4-3). If the Golden Week holiday has been set, the TA system sets " Today, we are taking business holidays until XX days for Golden Week holidays. "
3 ') Then, "Sorry, please contact me again. Thank you for calling." (S5), and disconnect the line (S5).
6).

If the Golden Week holiday has not been set, it is then determined whether the summer holiday has been set (S4-4). If the summer holiday has been set, the TA system determines that Has been off work for xx days due to summer vacation. "
(S4-4 '), and then reply "Sorry, please contact me again. Thank you for calling" (S5), and disconnect the line (S6). .

If the summer vacation has not been set, then it is determined whether the New Year holiday has been set (S4-5). If the New Year vacation has been set, the TA system determines "Today, we are taking business holidays until XX days for the New Year holidays."
(S4-5 '), and then reply "Sorry, please contact me again. Thank you for calling" (S5), and disconnect the line (S6). .

If the year-end and New Year holidays have not been set, it is then determined whether an employee training day has been set (S4-6). If the employee training day has been set, the TA system determines "Today, for our employee training,
We have been taking business until XX days. (S4-6 '), and "Sorry, please contact me again. Thank you for calling" (S5), and disconnect the line (S6). ).

If the employee training day has not been set, it is then determined whether or not it is currently business hours by setting business hours (S4-7). The system responds "Sorry, we can't accept this time because it's outside our business hours" (S4-7 '), and then "Sorry,
Please contact me again. Thank you for calling me. (S5) to disconnect the line (S6).

According to the business hours setting, if the business hours are currently within the business hours, as described above, the TA system
(S7) "We are receiving calls from you through the system for automatically invoking the call. Could you please enter your caller ID?" (S7) The user is prompted to input the assigned sender ID.

FIG. 4 shows a case where the caller ID is not given and the case where the input of the caller ID is wrong.
11 is a flowchart of a flow without a caller ID, which is executed when no caller ID is given and when the input of the caller ID is mistaken.

If the caller ID is not given or if the caller ID is incorrectly entered, the caller cannot be specified. Therefore, the caller is passed to the receiver without specifying the caller. ing.

That is, when the caller ID has not been given or when the input of the caller ID is incorrect, the TA system first responds with “Please wait for a while.” The caller is hooked to make a call to transfer the call from the caller to the receiving fixed telephone 3 of the telephone number used by the caller (S17).

When the fixed telephone 3 on the receiving side of the telephone number receives the message, the TA system responds, "Thank you. This is a XXX call center. The telephone number XXX-XXXXXX-XX
Call from xxx. Enter 1 and # to talk, 2 and # to record calls, and 3 and # to reject. "(S18).

[0093] The recipient who has received the message, when making a "call" or "call recording", receives "1 #" or "2 #".
# "Is input (S19), and the TA system takes over the caller so that a call can be made (S20).

On the other hand, when the recipient rejects the call,
When the recipient inputs "3 #" (S19),
The TA system states, "Sorry, the person in charge could not be confirmed. The cause may be that the caller ID has been entered incorrectly or that the phone has not been sent a push signal. However, please confirm the caller ID and call again in a state where the push signal can be sent. Thank you for calling. "(S21), and disconnect the line (S22).

FIG. 5 shows a case where the receiver is out or on a business trip because the receiver has set the out-of-business trip mode. It is a flowchart of the outing business trip mode which notifies.

As shown in FIG. 2, in the confirmation of whether or not the recipient is in the out-of-business trip mode (S10), if the recipient is in the out-of-business trip mode, the TA system firstly sets
Respond "I'm sorry, □□□□", and check if the return time is set. If the return time is set and the current time is earlier than the return time Is determined to be going-out setting 1 (S24-1), and TA
The system says, "I'm out now,
× hour × × minutes. (S24-1 '), and then "I will contact you again from here, but if you have a message please speak after" Please ". When you are done, press the # button on your phone. here you go. "(S25).

If the return time is set and the current time is later than the return time, it is determined that the outgoing setting 2 is made (S24-2), and the TA system returns "I am out of the office now. Even so, I was going to return to XX hours and XX minutes, but I have not returned yet. "(S24-2 '), and then," I will contact you again from here, If you have any, please talk after "Please". When you are done, press the # button on your phone. here you go. "(S25).

When the outing setting 3 is set (S
24-3), the TA system responded, "I will not return today." (S24-3 '), and then, "I will contact you again from here, but if there is a message, please." Please talk after. When you are done, press the # button on your phone. here you go. "(S25).

If the business trip setting has been set (S2
4-4), the TA system replies, "Unfortunately, we are on a business trip until XX days" (S24-4 '),
"I will contact you again from here, but if you have a message please speak after" Please ". When you are done, press the # button on your phone. here you go. "(S25).

If the absence setting has been set (S2
4-5), the TA system replies, "We are taking a rest today." (S24-5 '),
"I will contact you again from here, but if you have a message please speak after" Please ". When you are done, press the # button on your phone. here you go. "(S25).

Thereafter, when the caller records a message and presses "#", the recorded message is stored in the recording database 7e (S2).
6).

When the saving of the message is completed, the TA system replies, "The message has been received. Thank you." (S27), and the line is disconnected (S28).

When the response to the caller is completed, the TA system sends a call to the receiving fixed telephone 3 or the receiving mobile communication device 5 set in the environment setting regardless of whether the message is registered by the caller. In this case, the caller is notified of the call by voice or electronic mail, and when a message is registered by the caller, the fact that there is a message is notified.

To listen to the message, the recipient sets the TA built in the system server 2 as described later.
By calling a call center consisting of the system and activating the message playback mode, the contents of the message can be heard. After receiving the call from the caller, the caller can be immediately notified of the fact, so that a fine-grained response can be made to the caller, and unfavorableness can be prevented.

Here, the “call center” means
The TA system of the present invention, which responds to a receiver and a caller who have made a call to the system server 2 as if a person who handles the call is responding, is like a conventional call center, and is called a “call center”. It is what we call.

(Calling of Recipient by TA System)
FIG. 6 is a flowchart until the receiver is called by the TA system.

As described above, the TA system hooks the caller and then calls the telephone of the receiver specified by the caller ID. At this time,
When the receiver has set the receiving setting on the receiving fixed telephone 3, the call is made to the receiving fixed telephone 3, and when the receiving setting is on the receiving mobile communication device 5. , A call is transmitted to the mobile communication device 5 on the receiving side.

If the receiver does not answer the call even if the transmission from the TA system reaches a predetermined time (S29),
The TA system tells the caller who is on hold, "I'm sorry to keep you waiting. Please talk after. When you are done, press the # button on your phone. here you go. "(S
30).

Thereafter, when the caller records a message and presses "#", the recorded message is stored in the recording database 7e (S3).
1).

When the saving of the message is completed, the TA system responds with “The message has been received. Thank you” (S32), and disconnects the line (S33).

When the response to the caller is completed, the TA system, as in the case where the receiver is out of the office or on a business trip, regardless of whether the message is registered by the caller or not. A call is sent to the fixed telephone 3 or the receiving mobile communication device 5 to notify that the caller has called by voice or electronic mail. If a message is registered by the caller, the message is sent. I am trying to inform you that there is. When the user wants to listen to the message, the receiver makes a call to the call center and sets a message reproduction mode so that the user can listen to the message as described later.

On the other hand, when the receiver answers the call from the TA system, the TA system
The user responds as "Thanks for your work. XXX Call Center" (S34).

In particular, when the receiver responds to the call on the receiving fixed telephone 3 (S35), the TA system uses "●●" because there is a possibility that a person other than the receiver may receive the call.
● Phone from ▲▲▲ to △△△ ▽▽▽ □□. (S36-1), and then enter "1 and # for the personal response, 2 and # for the proxy response, and 3 and # for the guidance response" (S37). -1).

On the other hand, if the receiver responds to the call at the receiving mobile communication device 5 (S35), there is no possibility that a person other than the receiver specified by the caller ID will receive the call. The TA system responds with a call from “●●● ◆◆◆ from ▲▲▲” (S36-2), and then “Personal response is 1 and #, call recording is 2 and #, Please input 3 and # for guidance response. "(S37-2).

When the receiver selects “1 #” or “2 #” based on an instruction from the TA system (S14 ′),
As described in FIG. 2, the TA system is connected to the caller, so that "call" or "call recording" can be performed (S15).

In particular, when a substitute response is selected on the fixed telephone 3 on the receiving side, a call recording is made in which all calls between the responding agent and the caller are recorded instead.
The contents of the call are recorded as a message in the recording database 7e of the system server 2.

After the recording is completed, the TA system sends a call to the receiver, and automatically informs by voice or electronic mail that the call has been received from the caller and that there is a message. When the user wants to listen to the message, the receiver makes a call to the call center and sets a message reproduction mode so that the user can listen to the message as described later.

On the other hand, when "3 #" is selected (S1
4 '), the TA system can respond to the caller based on the response guidance registered in the response guidance database 7a.

That is, when "3 #" is selected (S1
4 '), the TA system asks the recipient, "1 and # during a telephone call, 2 and # during an absence, 3 and # during a customer service, 4 and # during a meeting, and 4 and # during a meeting. , Enter 5 and #. "(S38), and when the receiver inputs" 1 # "(S39-1), the TA system responds" On the phone. " (S39-1 '), and then
In response, "Please hang up. I'm sorry." And disconnect the line with the recipient (S40).

When the recipient inputs "2 #" (S
39-2), the TA system responds with "Respond while away from the desk" (S39-2 '), and then responds with "Please hang up. I'm sorry." Is disconnected (S40).

When the recipient inputs "3 #" (S
39-3) The TA system responds with "Responding while waiting on customers" (S39-3 '), and then responds with "Please hang up. I'm sorry." Is disconnected (S40).

When the receiver inputs "4 #" (S
39-4), the TA system responds with "Respond during a meeting" (S39-4 '), and then responds with "Please hang up. I'm sorry." Is disconnected (S40).

When the recipient inputs "5 #" (S #
39-5), the TA system responds with "Responding during the meeting." (S39-5 '), and then responds with "Please hang up. I'm sorry." Is disconnected (S40).

FIG. 7 is a flowchart in the case where the receiver refuses to receive a telephone call from the caller.

When the TA system refuses to answer the caller who is in the hooking state so as to transfer the call to the receiver, as shown in FIG. , "I'm sorry to keep you waiting," (S4
1).

If the receiver has entered "1 #"(S39'-1), the TA system instructs the sender that "@ is on the phone now." Respond (S
39'-1 ') Then, "I will contact you later. If you have a message, please speak after" Please ". When you are done, press the # button on your phone. here you go. "(S42).

If the receiver inputs "2 #"(S39'-2), the TA system sends the
"△△△ has just left his seat."
39'-2 ') Then, "I will contact you later. If you have a message, please speak after" Please ". When you are done, press the # button on your phone. here you go. "(S42).

If the receiver has input "3 #"(S39'-3), the TA system sends the
"△△△ is currently serving customers."(S39'-
3 ') Then, "I will contact you later. If you have a message, please speak after" Please ". When you are done, press the # button on your phone. here you go. "(S
42).

If the receiver inputs "4 #"(S39'-4), the TA system sends the
"△△△ is meeting now." (S3
9'-4 ') Then, "I will contact you later. If you have a message, please speak after" Please ". When you are done, press the # button on your phone. here you go. "(S42).

If the receiver has input "5 #"(S39'-5), the TA system sends the
"△△△ is in a meeting now."(S39'-
5 ') Then, "I will contact you later. If you have a message, please speak after" Please ". When you are done, press the # button on your phone. here you go. "(S
42).

Thereafter, when the caller records a message and presses "#", the recorded message is stored in the recording database 7e (S4).
3).

When the saving of the message is completed, the TA system replies, "The message has been received. Thank you." (S44), and the line is disconnected (S45).

Upon completion of the response to the caller, the TA system immediately transmits the message to the fixed telephone 3 or mobile communication device 5 set in the environment setting, regardless of whether the message is registered by the caller. Callers are notified by voice or e-mail that they have made a call, and if a message has been registered by the caller, they will be notified that there is a message. .

When the recipient who is ready to make a telephone call wants to listen to the message, he or she makes a call to the call center as described above, and sets the message playback mode so that the message content can be heard. ing. Therefore, it is possible to provide a fine-grained response to the caller, and it is possible to prevent a bad reputation.

(Change of TA System Settings) Next, in the above-described TA system, reproduction of messages stored in the recording database 7e, change of environment settings such as holiday settings and out-of-office business modes, retrieval of faxes received by the TA system, The change of the response guidance set in the TA system will be described.

FIG. 8 is a flowchart for changing the settings registered in the TA system, playing back the registered messages, and extracting the FAX.

The recipient who wishes to change the settings, play back the registered message, and retrieve the fax first sends a call to the call center using the fixed telephone 3 on the receiving side or the mobile communication device 5 on the receiving side (S46).

Upon receiving the telephone call from the receiver, the TA system replies, "This is a call center." (S47), and then, "Please input user ID and password continuously." In response, the user is prompted to enter a user ID and password registered in advance to identify the recipient (S48).

When the receiver inputs the user ID and password, the TA system authenticates the input user ID and password (S49). If there is an input error in the user ID or password, the TA system sets "I'm sorry, but there is an error in the method of entering the user ID and password.
Please call again. excuse me. (S50), the access to the TA system is prohibited, and the line is disconnected (S51).

On the other hand, if the user ID and the password are correctly entered, the TA system sets “1 and # to listen to the message, 2 and # to confirm and change the environment setting, F
Enter 3 and # to take out the AX, and enter 4 and # to set and change the response guidance. (S52),
The work mode is selected.

Here, when "1 #" is selected, a message reproduction mode for reproducing a message registered in the recording database 7e of the system server 2 is set (S53). When "2 #" is selected, An environment setting change mode in which environment settings can be changed is set (S54). When "3 #" is selected, F stored in the FAX storage database 7f of the system server 2 is set.
The fax reception mode is set so that the AX can be taken out (S55). When "4 #" is selected, the response guidance setting change mode is set so that the response guidance setting can be changed (S56). ).

"1 #", "2 #", "3 #", "4 #"
If any one of is not correctly input, T
The system A responds "Input error. Please try again. I'm sorry." (S57), and disconnect the line (S58).

(Flow of Message Playback Mode) FIG.
9 is a flowchart when the message playback mode is selected.

When the message playback mode is selected, and there is a new message in the recording database 7e and there is a message being stored (59-1), the TA system returns "There are □□ new messages. Saved messages are □□. Enter 1 and # to listen to new messages and 2 and # to listen to saved messages. ”(S
59-1 ').

If there is a new message in the recording database 7e and no message is being stored, (5
9-2) The TA system stated that “A new message is
There are cases. There are no saved messages. Enter 1 and # to listen to new messages. (S59-2 ').

If there is no new message in the recording database 7e and there is a message being stored (59)
-3), the TA system responds, "There is no new message. There are □□ messages being saved. Enter 2 and # to listen to saved messages." (S59-3 ').

If there is no new message or no message being stored in the recording database 7e, the TA system responds to the message "There is no message stored" (S60).

If the user wants to play back a message,
As shown in the flowchart, the receiver selects "1 #" or "2 #" (S61). "1 #" or "2"
By selecting "#", the TA system sequentially reproduces the registered messages.

[0149] That is, the TA system first sets ""
□ item, □□ month □□ day, □□ hour □□ min ”,“ ●●● ◆◆◆
No. from ▲▲▲ '', the calling number xxx-xxxxx-xxxxx
Because. ", The registered message is reproduced (S62).

When the playback of the message is completed, the TA system returns "1 and # to listen to this message again."
Enter 2 and # to save, 3 and # to delete. "(S63).

Here, when "1 #" is selected, the same message is reproduced again (S64). "2
When "#" is selected, the reproduced message is stored (S65), and the TA system responds to the message "The message has been stored." (S66).

If "3 #" is selected, the reproduced message is deleted (S67), and the TA system
The reply is "Message deleted." (S66).

If the message that has not been played remains after saving or erasing the played message (S69), the next unplayed message is played. When all the messages have been played, the TA system responds with "the message is over" (S7).
0), returning to the flowchart shown in FIG.

Lastly, the TA system responds “I'm sorry.” (S71), and disconnects the line (S7).
2) The message playback mode is terminated.

(Flow of Environment Setting Change Mode) FIG.
9 is a flowchart when the environment setting change mode is selected.

When the environment setting change mode is selected, TA
The system says, "The current settings are (the current settings). If there are no changes, hang up the phone. Go out of the settings changes 1 and #, 2 and # for business trips, and 3 and # for holidays. Please enter 4 and # for the establishment. "(S7
3), a setting to be changed from the current environment setting is designated.

If you want to change the setting to “go out”,
Enter "1 #". When "1 #" is input (S7
4) The TA system responds with "Enter the return time in 4 digits and press # at the end. If not, enter 9999 #." (S75) and input the return time To encourage you.

If the receiver inputs the return time with four digits (S76), the TA system asks the user to confirm that the return time is "Today's return is set to xx hours xx minutes." . "(S77). Then
The TA system replies, "Enter 1 and # if you like, or enter 2 and # if you want to start over" (S79).
When it is desired to input the return time again, the user can input the return time again by selecting "2 #" (S80). When "1 #" is selected, the out-of-home setting is finished.

On the other hand, the receiver sets the return time to “9999 #”.
If you enter ("S76"), the TA system was set to "Do not return today" to confirm the input. "(S77). Next, the TA system replies, "Please enter 1 and # if you like, or 2 and # if you want to start over" (S7).
9) If you want to input the return time again,
By selecting "#" (S80), the return time can be input again. "1
When "#" is selected, the out-of-home setting is finished.

If the user wants to change the setting to “business trip” in the environment setting change mode, he inputs “2 #”. When "2 #" is entered (S81), the TA system responds with "Enter the last day of the business trip as a four-digit month and day and press # at the end" (S82), and the last day of the business trip It prompts for input.

When the recipient inputs the last day of the business trip (S8
3) In order to confirm the input contents, the TA system responds with a message "We have set up a business trip from today to xx month xx day" (S84). Next, the TA system replies, "Enter 1 and # if it is okay, and 2 and # if it is redone" (S79), and if you want to redo the input of the last day of the business trip, "2 # Is selected (S86), the last day of the business trip can be input again. When "1 #" is selected, the business trip setting is completed.

If the user wants to change the setting to “rest” in the environment setting change mode, he inputs “3 #”. When "3 #" is entered (S87), the TA system sets "Today is set to" rest ". (S88), the setting of “rest” is terminated. When the user wants to cancel the setting of "rest", the receiving fixed telephone 3 or the receiving mobile communication device 5, or
Make a call to the call center using another phone and select the environment setting change mode to change the setting.

In the environment setting change mode, to set the receiving fixed telephone 3 to receive a call from the TA system to the receiver specified by the caller ID, enter “4 #”. I do. Each time "4 #" is entered (S89), the receiving fixed telephone 3 is automatically set as a destination from the TA system without entering a telephone number. It should be noted that the SOHO business operator and the recipients who go out often register the mobile communication device 5 on the receiving side in advance as a telephone of the business office,
It allows you to receive calls from callers wherever you are.

When the setting has been changed, for example, the TA system responds to the message "setting has been made to the office" (S90) for confirmation, and the change is completed.

When each change is completed, the TA system replies, "Setting completed. Thank you for your good work" (S91), disconnects the line (S92), and ends the environment setting change mode. I have.

(Flow of FAX Reception Mode) FIG.
It is a flowchart at the time of selecting the FAX reception mode. However, when using the FAX reception mode, F
A call must be made to a call center from a telephone equipped with an AX terminal function. If one only wants to know the number of received faxes, the number of received faxes can be confirmed using a fax reception mode from a telephone that does not have a fax terminal function.

Incidentally, in the TA system of the present invention, all the received faxes are temporarily stored in the fax storage database 7f of the system server 2, so that the necessary ones can be taken out as needed. It is what you are doing. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the received FAX from being output in a hanging state and being mixed in the FAX output document of another person, or to prevent the FAX that the other person does not want to see from being output without permission. Can be increased.

When the recipient receives the fax, the TA system sends a call to the recipient and notifies the recipient of the fax by voice or electronic mail. Therefore, the recipient receives the FAX immediately after receiving the FAX.
It is also possible to take out the AX.

[0169] A call is sent to the call center, the fax reception mode is selected, and a new fax is stored in the fax storage database 7f.
If there is X (S93), the TA system returns, "There are □, new □□ new faxes. 1 and # are taken out for new faxes, 2 and # are taken out to attach an index, Please input 5 and # to take out the customer registration list. "(S9
4).

Here, when the receiver selects “1 #” (S95-1), the TA system responds “Send a new fax” (S95-1 ′), and then the TA system responds. , "Press the start button or the reception button." (S109).
Therefore, when the start button or the reception button of the FAX terminal is pressed (S110), the FAX terminal is activated, and a new FAX stored in the FAX storage database 7f is transmitted (S111).

When the recipient selects "2 #" (S95-
2) The TA system responds "Send a new FAX and index." (S95-2 '),
The system A responds "Please press the start button or the reception button." (S10)
9). Therefore, when the start button or the reception button of the FAX terminal is pressed in the same manner as above (S110), the FAX terminal is activated, and the new FAX stored in the FAX storage database 7f and the index are transmitted. (S111).

When the recipient selects "5 #" (S95-
3) The TA system responds "Send the customer registration list" (S95-3 '), and then the TA system responds "Press the start button or the receive button." (S109). Then, when the start button or the reception button of the FAX terminal is pressed similarly to the above (S110), the FAX terminal operates,
The customer registration list is sent (S
111). Here, the customer list is a sender list unique to the recipient to which the sender ID has been assigned.

When the FAX reception mode is selected, the FA
There is no new fax reception in the X storage database 7f,
If there is a facsimile being stored (S96), the TA system returns "There is no new facsimile.
Enter 4 and # to specify and retrieve AX, and 5 and # to retrieve customer registration list. "(S97).

When the recipient selects "3 #" (S98-
1) The TA system responds "Send the index" (S98-1 '), and then the TA system responds "Press the start button or the receive button." (S109). Then, when the start button or the reception button of the FAX terminal is pressed similarly to the above (S110), the FAX terminal operates,
The index is transmitted (S11
1).

When the recipient selects “4 #” (S98-
2) The TA system responds with “Please enter the index number and #” (S98-).
2 ').

When the receiver inputs the index number (S99), the TA system responds as "□□ number. Enter 1 and # if it is OK, or 2 and # if it is wrong". (S100), the index number can be re-input by inputting "2 #" if the input index number is incorrect (S101).

On the other hand, if there is no error in the input index number and "1 #" is input (S101), the TA system prompts "Please input 1 and # if there is no other information to be taken out, or 2 and # if there is no other. . "(S102), and when taking out further, by inputting" 1 # "(S103), another index number can be added and specified.

If there is no other fax to be taken out, the receiver selects “2 #” (S103). When "2 #" is selected, the TA system responds "Send the specified fax" (S104), and then the TA system responds "Press the start button or the receive button." A response is made (S109). Then, when the start button or the reception button of the FAX terminal is pressed similarly to the above (S110), the FAX terminal operates,
Only the selected facsimile is transmitted (S111).

When the FAX reception mode is selected, there is no new FAX received in the FAX storage database 7f, but there is a FAX that is being stored, and the TA system indicates "There is no new FAX. (S97) to retrieve 3 and # for retrieval, 4 and # to retrieve the FAX to be retrieved by index number, and 5 and # to retrieve the customer registration list. 5 # "and when the FAX reception mode is selected, the reception of a new FAX in the FAX storage
Without the TA system
there is no. To retrieve the customer registration list, enter 5 and #. If "5 #" is selected (S106) in response to "" (S105), the TA system responds "Send the customer registration list" (S108).

Next, the TA system responds "Please press the start button or the reception button." (S109). When the start button or the reception button of the FAX terminal is pressed in the same manner as above (S11).
0), the FAX terminal is activated and the customer registration list is transmitted (S111).

When the facsimile transmission from the system server 2 ends, the facsimile reception mode ends.

(Flow of Response Guidance Setting Change) FIG.
FIG. 3 is a flowchart when the response guidance setting change mode is selected.

When the response guidance setting change mode is selected, the TA system firstly sets “1 and # for guidance recording of the first phrase, and 2 for special holiday holiday guidance setting.
Enter # and #, or 3 and # to cancel the special holiday setting. "(S11
3).

By selecting "1 #" (S11
4) The head phrase of the response guidance can be set to any setting of the receiver. That is,
When "1 #" is selected (S114), the TA system
First, "Change the current beginning phrase. Record after the signal tone, and when the recording is finished, press #."
, So that the head phrase can be recorded (S115).

[0185] The receiver inputs an appropriate head phrase,
By pressing "#", the recorded head phrase is registered in the response guidance database 7a of the system server 2 (S116).

After the registration, the TA system responds with "Reproduce the current recording." And reproduces the recorded head phrase (S117). After that, the TA system responds "Please enter 1 and # if you want this recording, and 2 and # if you want to start over" (S118). By inputting "2 #", the input can be restarted from the beginning (S119).

If there is no need to redo the input, select "1".
By selecting "#" (S119), the TA system replies that "the head phrase has been set to the guidance just recorded. Thank you for your good work" (S120), disconnects the line (S121), and responds. The guidance setting change mode is ended.

The TA system states, "Enter 1 and # for guidance recording of the first phrase, 2 and # for guidance setting of special holiday, and 3 and # to cancel setting of special holiday." In response to the response (S113), "2
By selecting "#" (S122), as shown in the flowchart of FIG. 14, the response guidance for the special holiday can be set.

That is, by selecting “2 #” (S122), the TA system sets 1 and # for “for temporary closure”, 2 and # for “golden week vacation” and “summer vacation”. "For" is 3 and #, "for New Year's holiday" is 4 and #, and "for employee training" is 5 and #
Please enter (S125), and the vacation type is selected.

When the recipient selects the required vacation type and inputs the number and “#” (S 126), the TA system then proceeds to “Enter four digits of month and day, *, number of days after the start of holiday. Please press # at the end. "(S127).

Therefore, the receiver inputs the holiday start date in four digits, inputs "*", and further inputs the number of days and "#" (S128). The holiday start date and the number of holidays are input. Then, in order to confirm the input contents, the TA system sets ""
We are taking business off until XX days. ]. Enter 1 and # if you want, and 2 and # if you want to start over. "Is read aloud (S129).

If there is an error in the settings, by inputting "2 #", it is possible to set the response guidance for the special holiday from the beginning (S130).

If there is no problem in the setting contents, "1"
By inputting "#" (S130), the TA system replies "Setting completed. Thank you for your good work." (S131), disconnects the line (S132), and sets the response guidance for the special holiday. To end.

In the TA system, "Please enter 1 and # for guidance recording of the leading phrase, 2 and # for guidance setting of special holiday, and 3 and # to cancel setting of special holiday." In response to the response (S113), "3
By selecting "#" (S123), the setting of the special holiday can be canceled as shown in the flowchart of FIG. Note that “1 #”, “2”
If neither "#" nor "3 #" is selected, the line is disconnected (S124), and the response guidance setting change mode is ended.

If "3 #" is selected (S12
3), as shown in FIG. 14, the TA system inputs “the set holiday start date in a special holiday on a four-digit month and day,
Finally press #. "(S133).

The receiver inputs the four digits of the month and day of the holiday start date which has been set (S134). When the month and day are entered, the TA system will take a break until "" for "... xx month xx day" to confirm the entered information. ] Settings.
To set a new value, enter 1 and #. To cancel, enter 2 and #. ", And the setting contents can be confirmed (S135).

To modify the settings,
By inputting "1 #" (S136), the TA system responds with "Set again" (S13).
7) As described above, a special holiday can be set again.

When canceling the special holiday setting,
By inputting "2 #" (S136), the TA system responds with "Release setting. Thank you for your good work" (S138), and disconnects the line (S13).
2), the response guidance setting change mode is ended.

(System Configuration of MF System) Hereinafter, an MF system configured by further expanding the FAX function of the above-described TA system will be described in detail.
In particular, the MF system of the present invention is an extension of the concept of dial-in for telephone to FAX, and as a result, it is possible to provide a new service of renting FAX numbers.

First, the system configuration of the MF system will be described in detail with reference to FIG. In the MF system, F
In order to efficiently manage and operate the AX, a unique configuration of the MF system is added to the system configuration of the TA system.

The MF system is constructed on a CTI (Computer Telephony Integration) server 11 provided as a system server. The CTI server 11 is a telephone network
10a and 10b, and furthermore, in this embodiment, a registration FAX terminal database 12a, a response guidance database 12b, a dial-in number database 12c, a user information management database 12d, a received FAX storage database 12e, and a Web server shared database 12f. And connect
This ensures that the MF system works smoothly.

Here, the registration facsimile terminal database 12
a is a database that manages a facsimile terminal installed in a convenience store or the like in advance as a registration facsimile terminal 16a. Registration of the use of the MF system described below and extension registration for extending the use period are performed only by using the registration FAX terminal 16a. Further, by registering the use of the MF system and extending the use period by using the registration FAX terminal 16a, market research can be performed by statistically utilizing the registration FAX terminal database 12a. .

The response guidance database 12b is a database in which data of response guidance performed as described later is registered.

[0204] The dial-in number database 12c is a database that manages FAX numbers that can be assigned to recipients. In particular, the FAX numbers assigned to recipients are released from the assigned state to the non-assigned state, This is a database that manages the open period so that when an open fax number is assigned to a recipient, the fax number can be assigned in order from the long open period.

By re-assigning the FAX number to the user in order from the FAX number with the long open period, the FAX addressed to the previous recipient can be newly received even if the recipient is already another recipient. It is possible to prevent occurrence of troubles caused by transmission to the user.

Further, since the fax number is in the open state for a certain period, the fax received by the previous receiver can be kept during the open state.
It is also possible to provide a service for storing the received fax as a backup during the fixed period.

Note that the dial-in number database 12c
In the above, the facsimile number to be assigned next is determined based on the open period as described above, and this is the facsimile number assigning means.

The user information management database 12d stores M
This is a database that manages individual information of recipients who are users of the F system. Here, the personal information is the telephone number of the mobile phone used by the recipient and the FAX number assigned to the recipient by the FAX number assigning means.

The received fax storage database 12e stores the MF
FA sent by sender to recipient in system
X is a database that manages X as files.

[0210] A Web server 13 is connected to the CTI server 11. And the CTI server 11 has W
An e-server shared database 12f is connected so that data transfer between the CTI server 11 and the Web server 13 can be performed smoothly.

[0211] The Web server 13 mainly includes a facsimile machine to be described later.
This is for constructing a reception notifying means. The connected user registration form database 14a and reception notification registration form database 14b are connected to the Web server 13, and the Web server 13 manages them.

[0212] Further, a mobile e-mail address database 14c is connected to the Web server 13, and the e-mail address of the mobile phone 17 owned by the receiver is managed by the mobile e-mail address database 14c. When the recipient receives a new fax, an email notifying that the fax has been received can be transmitted based on the portable email address database 14c.

[0213] The Web server 13 also has a CT
The I-server shared database 14d is connected so that data can be smoothly exchanged between the CTI server 11 and the Web server 13.

[0214] The Web server 13 is connected to the Internet 15a, 15
It is connected to a telecommunication line such as b, so that e-mail can be transmitted from the Web server 13 to the mobile phone 17 owned by the receiver. On the other hand, the mobile phone 17 or personal computer owned by the
It is also possible to access the server b.

In the following description, registration FA
A method of using the MF system using the X terminal 16a, the sending FAX terminal 16b, the receiving FAX terminal 16c, and the mobile phone 17 will be described. Web server 13 using
, The user may be allowed to perform not only the setting registration of the FAX number but also the setting registration of the usage period or the setting registration of the extension of the usage period on the required setting registration screen. In addition, the user can access the Web server 13 using the mobile phone 17 instead of the personal computer 18 and perform the setting registration of the FAX number, the setting registration of the use period, the setting registration of the extension of the use period, etc. on the necessary setting registration screen. You may do so.

Note that, as shown in FIG.
Terminal 16a, sending FAX terminal 16b, receiving FAX terminal 16c
Are connected to the CTI server 11 via the telephone networks 10a and 10b, respectively.
It connects to the Web server 13 via 15a and 15b. Note that the mobile phone 17 is connected to the C via the telephone networks 10a and 10b.
A connection with the TI server 11 can also be made.

The mobile phone 17 is a mobile communication device having a function of accessing the Web server 13 via an electric communication line such as the Internet 15a, 15b. In addition, as long as it has a function of accessing the Web server 13, it is not limited to the mobile phone 17 or the personal computer 18, but a PDA (Personal Digital Assembler) having a communication function.
istants) or landlines.

In the MF system of the present invention, the mobile phone 17
Is used by a FAX recipient to set a FAX reception notification, receive a FAX reception notification, and confirm a FAX reception status.

(System Flow in MF System)
Next, a system flow of the MF system will be described based on the flowchart of FIG.

First, a recipient who wants to use the MF system uses the registration FAX terminal 16a to enter C
Access the TI server 11 and apply for the use of the MF system service (step T1). Specifically, when the CTI server 11 is accessed, the response guidance flow shown in the flowchart of FIG. 17 is executed.

First, the MF system says, "Thank you for using Master Fax. Application for basic service is 1 and #, and application for extension service is 2
Enter # and #. , And select whether to perform initial registration by selecting “1 #” or extended registration by selecting “2 #” (step T100). "2
"#" And apply for extension service (step T
101) will be described later.

When "1 #" is entered in order to apply for the basic service (step T102), the MF system checks dial-in number database 12c (step T103). , "Basic service reception. Please enter your mobile phone number and #." (Step T104).

[0223] On the other hand, if there is no FAX number that can be given, the MF system indicates, "Sorry, we cannot accept your application today because of the large number of users. We are looking forward to using it again. Thank you. "(Step T105), and the line is disconnected (step T106).

If the input of “1 #” or “2 #” fails, the MF system displays “input error.
Enter 1 and # for basic service application, and 2 and # for extended service application. (Step T107), and the input of “1 #” or “2 #” is retried.

The receiver receiving the response in step T104 inputs the telephone number of his / her own mobile phone using the numeric keys of the registration FAX terminal 16a, and then enters "#".
When the key is pressed (step T108), the MF system will "Confirm. ********"
Is repeated from the telephone number entered by the recipient (step T109).

Next, the MF system replies, "Please enter 1 and # if it is OK, or 2 and # if it is wrong" (step T110), and send "1 #" or "2" to the receiver. # ".

When the receiver finds an error in the telephone number read back by the MF system, the receiver selects "2 #" (step T111), and "re-accepts" the MF system. To “090”
Please input from and enter # at the end. (Step T112), the telephone number of the mobile phone is input again.

On the other hand, if the telephone number read back by the MF system is correct, the receiver inputs "1 #" (step T113). In response to the input of “1 #” by the recipient, the MF system responds “Processing is in progress. Please wait for a while.” (Step T11)
4) Select the FAX number with the longest open period from the dial-in number database 12c and associate it with the telephone number of the receiver's mobile phone entered earlier and register it in the user information management database 12d. I have. This is step T2 in the flowchart of FIG.

If the input of “1 #” or “2 #” has failed, the MF system responds “input error” (step T115), and returns to step T11.
Returning to 0, either "1 #" or "2 #" is input again.

When the facsimile number assigned to the recipient and the telephone number of the recipient's mobile phone are registered in the user information management database 12d, the MF system displays "Wait, press the start button. Please receive the FAX number notice and the service manual. Thank you for using the service. "(Step T116).

When the recipient who has received this response presses the start button of the registration FAX terminal 16a (step T117), the CTI server 11 sends the registration FAX terminal 16a.
FIG. 19A shows the FAX number notice 21 shown in FIG.
The service manuals 22a and 22b shown in FIG. 20 are transmitted,
The recipient can receive the FAX number notice 21. This is step T3 in the flowchart of FIG.

[0232] Billing is performed in accordance with the output of the fax number notice 21 and the service manuals 22a and 22b.
The fee for using the MF system can be easily collected. Further, the FAX number notice 21 is a registration certificate. Note that the registration certificate here may be any document that describes that registration has been performed.
It does not need to be in the form of a certificate.

[0233] The fax number notice 21 contains the fax number of the recipient.
Number, the telephone number of the mobile phone owned by the recipient, the expiration date of the MF system, the storage period of the FAX terminal received document information stored in the MF system, etc., and the FAX terminal reception stored in the MF system The document information output method is described. The service manuals 22a and 22b describe various methods of using the MF system.

Next, as shown in the flowchart of FIG. 16, the recipient to which the FAX number has been assigned accesses the Web server 13 of the MF system as necessary, and
The X reception notification setting is registered (step T4).

When registering the setting of the FAX reception notification, the receiver first accesses the address of the FAX reception notification setting site described in the service manuals 22a and 22b using his / her own mobile phone.

FIG. 21 is a login screen of the FAX reception notification setting site of the present embodiment displayed on the display screen of the mobile phone.
23. The login screen 23 includes a FAX number input field 23a, a mobile phone number input field 23b, and a login button 23 in this order from the top.
c, the FAX number input field 23a and the mobile phone number input field 23b are respectively input the FAX number and the mobile phone number described in the FAX number notice 21, and the login button 23c is pressed, so that the MF system Is FAX
Check whether the recipient who is registering the reception notification is a legitimately registered recipient, and if it is confirmed that it is a legitimately registered recipient, the display screen of the mobile phone 22 displays an e-mail address input screen 24 shown in FIG.

In the E-mail address input screen 24, an E-mail address input field 24a and a "Send" button 24b are sequentially arranged from the top.
When the user inputs the e-mail address of the recipient's mobile phone in the e-mail address input field 24a and presses the "send" button 24b, the protocol call screen shown in FIG. 23 is displayed on the display screen of the mobile phone. 25 is displayed.

[0238] The convention calling screen 25 describes the convention display screen address 25a, and the convention display screen address 2a.
By selecting 5a, the display screen of the mobile phone
4 is displayed. Note that the protocol display screen 26 may be directly displayed without providing the protocol calling screen 25.

[0239] The rule display screen 26 of this embodiment is provided with a mobile phone number input field 26a and a "register" button 26b below the rule display. The mobile phone number input field 26a is provided as a final confirmation. The final confirmation of the recipient is performed by inputting the telephone number, and furthermore, by pressing the "register" button 26b, registration in the mobile e-mail address database 14c of the Web server 13 is performed, and the display screen of the mobile telephone is displayed. A registration completion notification screen 26 shown in FIG. 25 is displayed. This is step T5 in the flowchart of FIG.

As described above, when the setting of the FAX reception notification is performed, when the FAX is stored in the reception FAX storage database 12e connected to the CTI server 11, the CTI is
The server 11 specifies the recipient of the fax, and instructs the Web server 13 to transmit a fax reception notification email to the email address of the identified recipient. This is the facsimile reception notifying means.

The recipient who has set the FAX reception notification as described above informs the FAX number of the recipient to the sender (step T6), as shown in the flowchart of FIG. The sender who received the fax of the recipient
When the fax number is confirmed and the fax is transmitted to the recipient, the fax number is used. (Step T
7).

When the sender needs to send a fax to the receiver, the sender performs a fax sending operation using the sending FAX terminal 16b to the FAX number notified by the receiver in advance. (Step T8). The transmission FAX terminal 16b may be any facsimile terminal, and need not necessarily be the registration FAX terminal 16a.

The transmitted FAX is received by the CTI server 11, and is temporarily stored in the received FAX storage database 12e connected to the CTI server 11 (step T9).

FAX is stored in the received FAX storage database 12e.
Is stored, the CTI server 11 identifies the recipient of the fax as described above, and
A transmission command for transmitting an e-mail of the FAX reception notification to the specified e-mail address of the recipient is issued, and the Web
The server 13 transmits a FAX reception notification mail (step T10).

By receiving the FAX reception notification mail transmitted from the Web server 13, the recipient can know that the FAX has been transmitted to himself / herself almost simultaneously with the reception of the FAX (step T11). ). The FAX reception notification mail may be transmitted not only when the FAX is stored in the received FAX storage database 12e, but also may be transmitted periodically to notify the number of received FAX e-mails.

When the recipient who has received the FAX reception notification mail wishes to output the received FAX, the recipient is sent to the CTI server 11 using the reception FAX terminal 16c.
, And the following output operation is performed. Here, the receiving FAX terminal 16c does not necessarily have to be the registration FAX terminal 16a, and the receiving FAX terminal 16c can be output using a FAX terminal close to the receiver.

The facsimile output method will be described below with reference to FIG. First, the recipient accesses the CTI server 11 by inputting the number described in the FAX number notification 21 on the reception FAX terminal 16c. When the CTI server 11 is accessed, the response guidance flow shown in FIG. 26 is executed.

First, the MF system replies, "Thank you for using the master fax. Please enter the user FAX number and #." And prompt the user to input the user FAX number (step T120). .
The recipient uses the numeric keys of the receiving FAX terminal 16c to enter F
The user inputs his / her FAX number described in the AX number notice 21 and inputs "#" (step T121).

Next, the MF system prompts the user to enter the telephone number of the recipient's mobile phone in order to confirm whether the recipient is a registered recipient. Step T122). After the user is confirmed, the MF system checks the receiving FA of the recipient.
The FAX storage status in the X storage database 12e is responded.

That is, the received fax storage database 12
If e has an unread fax that has been newly received (step T123), the reply is, "New fax is x, xx. To remove, press the start button. Thank you for using." (Step T12
4) Wait until the recipient presses the start button.

Then, the receiver presses the start button of the receiving FAX terminal 16c to request output (step T12 in FIG. 16).
The fax information stored in the receiving fax terminal 16c is transmitted from the X storage database 12e (step T125, and
In step T13 in FIG. 16, the received fax terminal 16c prints out (step T14 in FIG. 16).

On the other hand, if there is no newly received FAX, but there is no FAX stored in the received FAX accumulation database 12e when accessing the CTI server 11 as described above (step T126), the MF system ,
The response is "There is no facsimile stored. Thank you for using." (Step T127), and the line is automatically disconnected (step T12).
8).

If there is no newly-received fax but there is a previously output fax in the received fax storage database 12e (step T126), the MF system replies that "There is no new fax" (step T12).
9) Further, "Please input 1 and # to retrieve the reception list, and enter 2 and # to retrieve the stored fax" (step T130), output the reception list, and It is possible to re-output the already output FAX.

If "1 #" is selected (step T131), the MF system replies, "Since the reception list will be transmitted, press the start button. Thank you for using." FAX for receiving
The user waits until the start button of the terminal 16c is pressed (step T132), and the receiver presses the start button of the reception FAX terminal 16c, and the reception list information is transmitted from the reception FAX accumulation database 12e of the CTI server 11 to the reception FAX terminal 16c. Is transmitted (step T133), so that the reception facsimile terminal 16c can print out the reception list.

On the other hand, if "2 #" is selected (step T134), the MF system replies "Please enter the index number and # of the reception list" (step T135), and the receiver After inputting the index number of the FAX to be output and "#" (step T136) and confirming that the input index number is correct (step T137), the MF system transmits the "FAX of the index number **" Please press the start button. Thank you for your use. "And wait until the start button of the receiving FAX terminal 16c is pressed (step T138), and the receiver starts the receiving FAX terminal 16c. By pressing the button, the received fax storage database of the CTI server 11
The FAX specified by the index number is transmitted from 12e to the receiving FAX terminal 16c (step T139), so that the receiving FAX terminal 16c can print out. That is, the CTI server 11 can be used as a cabinet.

If there is an error in the input index number (step T137), the MF system replies “input error” (step T14).
0), it is requested to input the correct index number again.

If an input error occurs in the input of “1 #” or “2 #” requested in step T130, the MF system replies “input error” (step T141). ), "1
# "Or" 2 # ".

In the above description, the CTI server 11 is accessed by the receiving FAX terminal 16c, and the CTI server 11 is accessed.
FAX stored in the received FAX storage database 12e
In the above description, the CTI server 11 is accessed by the mobile phone 17 instead of the facsimile, and the response of the MF system is heard by the mobile phone 17 to check the storage status of the facsimile. I am also able to do things.

In the MF system according to the present embodiment, the FAX number assigned to the recipient is occupied for only one day, and the FAX number is released at midnight when usage is low,
An open FAX number is assigned to a new user the next day, so that it is possible to rent a FAX number.

Therefore, when the MF system is used every day, it may be very inconvenient because the FAX number changes every day. Therefore, in the MF system of the present invention, a system for extending the occupation time of the FAX number is provided. That is, for example, when the MF system is used only for one week, registration can be performed so that the same FAX number is used for the one week.

The extended registration system will be described with reference to the extended registration guidance flow shown in FIG.

When performing extension registration, first, FIG.
The CTI server 11 is accessed using the registration FAX terminal 16a as in the case of the use registration of the MF system described with reference to FIG.

When the CTI server 11 is accessed, the MF
The system responds, "Thank you for using Master Fax. Enter 1 and # for basic service, and 2 and # for extended service." (Step T100 in FIG. 17) , Where "2
By selecting "#", the guidance flow for extension registration shown in FIG. 27 is executed (step T10 in FIG. 17).
1).

First, the MF system says, "This is an extension service reception. Please enter the user FAX number and #."
(Step T150), the fax number already assigned to the recipient is input, and the recipient is specified.

The recipient who wishes to register for extension inputs the FAX number described in the FAX number notification sheet 21,
"#" Is input (step T151). When the FAX number is entered, the MF system will "Confirm. ***
*******is not it. "And repeat the fax number entered by the recipient (step T152), and furthermore," Please enter 1 and # if it is OK, or 2 and # if it is wrong. "
(Step T153).

[0266] The recipient receives the fax that the MF system
If an error is found in the number, "2 #" is selected (step T154), and after the MF system responds "Enter user FAX number and # again and press # at the end" (step T154). T155) FAX again
I try to enter the phone number of the phone.

On the other hand, if the FAX number read back by the MF system is correct, the receiver inputs "1 #" (step T156). In response to the input of “1 #” by the recipient, the MF system responds “Please enter your mobile phone number and #.” (Step T157),
The user is prompted to input the telephone number of the mobile phone of the recipient, and it is determined whether the recipient is a legitimately registered recipient based on the FAX number and the telephone number of the mobile phone.

In the case where an input error has occurred in inputting “1 #” or “2 #” for repetition of a FAX number by the MF system, the MF system responds with “input error.” Step T158), again
"1 #" or "2 #" is input.

When the recipient inputs the telephone number of the portable telephone (step T159), the MF system checks the previously registered FAX number against the telephone number of the corresponding portable telephone (step T160). If the phone number of the mobile phone matches the phone number of the mobile phone entered in step T159, the MF system responds with "Now in progress. Please wait for a while." (Step T161). Is set to prohibit the release of the FAX number that is performed when the time or time has reached, and the extension setting is registered.

On the other hand, if the telephone number of the mobile phone registered in advance does not match the telephone number of the mobile phone input in step T159, if it is the first time (step T162), the MF system Is "Input error. Please enter your mobile phone number from" 090 "and press # at the end. (Step T
163), the receiver is made to re-enter the mobile phone number.

[0271] On the other hand, if you make a mistake entering the mobile phone number twice in a row, the MF system will indicate that "The entered number cannot be used to identify the customer. Check the usage method and call again. Thank you for your use. "(Step T164), and the line is disconnected so that extension registration is not performed (step T164).
165).

[0272] When the extension is registered in the CTI server 11, the MF system says, "We have been waiting. Please press the start button and receive a confirmation. If no confirmation has been received, this application Please note that is automatically canceled. Thank you for your use. "(Step T166), and the recipient FAX terminal 16a for the extension registration is requested.
When the receiver presses the start button of the registration FAX terminal 16a (step T167), the CTI server 11 sends the registration FAX terminal 16a used by the receiver to the registration FAX terminal 16a shown in FIG. The extended service confirmation information shown in (1) is transmitted and printed out as an extended service confirmation 28. The extension service confirmation 28 is a registration certificate indicating that extension registration has been performed.

Although the extension registration has been performed, the registration F
If the user does not press the start button of the AX terminal 16a and does not output the extension service confirmation 28, the extension setting registration is canceled and the extension service acceptance cancellation notice 29 shown in FIG. Is sent to notify that the extension has not been registered.

That is, in the MF system of the present invention, the usage fee is collected by causing the output from the registration FAX terminal 16a and the reception FAX terminal 16c to be performed. If the service confirmation 28 is not output, the usage fee cannot be collected, so as described above, if the extension service confirmation 28 is not output, the extension setting registration will not be accepted It is.

The above-mentioned MF system realizes a dial-in function in a facsimile, and
Various usage methods are conceivable other than the rental service of the X number. For example, in a conventional FAX information service, a representative telephone is once called, and thereafter, information is taken out by designating a BOX number of an information BOX in which necessary information is stored. Instead, by directly assigning the fax number of the MF system in advance, the user's trouble can be saved, and the convenience can be improved.

[0276]

According to the first aspect of the present invention, a caller is assigned a caller ID in advance, and the caller is identified by having the caller input the caller ID. Along with identifying the intended recipient,
By allowing the caller to directly address the recipient without the mediation, the caller will be able to call the recipient without giving any name to himself, so the caller will not be stressed The necessary requirements can be started promptly, and calls can be made efficiently without waste. In particular, since the caller is specified only by the caller ID, the caller can easily identify the caller without depending on the telephone used by the caller, for example, even when the caller calls from outside. Specification and specification of a receiver can be performed.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, a caller ID for specifying a caller, caller information of a caller specified by the caller ID, and a caller ID based on the caller ID are obtained. Storage means for registering and storing the recipient information of the next recipient, and caller identification means for identifying the caller by allowing the caller to input a caller ID. Receiving means for specifying a receiver from the input caller ID, receiving notification means for notifying that the receiver specified by the receiver specifying means is receiving a call from the caller, By providing a connection means for connecting the notified recipient and the caller in a state in which they can talk, the caller can receive the notification without claiming himself. Caller is connected to the It is possible to begin the story of promptly necessary requirements without feeling the scan, there is no waste, it can be applied efficiently phone. In particular, since the caller is specified only by the caller ID, the caller can easily identify the caller without depending on the telephone used by the caller, for example, even when the caller calls from outside. Identification, and
The recipient can be specified.

According to the third aspect of the present invention, the sender I
When a call is received from a caller who has not been assigned D, the caller's telephone number, which is the telephone number of the telephone used by the caller, is checked, and a call is made to the telephone number specified by the caller. By notifying that a call has been received from the telephone of the caller's phone number and relaying it, it is possible to provide the receiver with information that allows the caller to be inferred. It is possible to estimate the recipients who are in charge, and promptly perform the agency.

According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, when the recipient goes out or goes on a business trip, there is provided an outing business trip registering means for registering that he is out or on a business trip. Or, when a business trip is registered, by providing an out-of-office business trip notification means that automatically informs the caller that the recipient is out or on a business trip, The absence of the recipient and the reason for the absence can be promptly notified, and it is possible to prevent the sender from wasting time.

According to the fifth aspect of the present invention, when the receiver cannot answer the call from the caller, the receiver automatically selects the reason for non-acknowledgment by automatically selecting the reason. By providing a non-answering reason notifying means for notifying the non-acknowledgment reason, it is possible to promptly notify the caller that the receiver cannot receive the call, thereby preventing the caller from wasting time. be able to. In particular, when it is desired to reject a specific caller from receiving a call, the call can be mechanically declined, so that the work on the receiver side can be reduced.

According to the sixth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a message storage means for recording and storing a message from a caller when the receiver cannot directly receive a call from the caller. Is equipped with a means for notifying the caller that there is an incoming call from the caller, so that the receiver can recognize the call from the caller very quickly, and immediately if necessary, , And a fine-grained response can be made to the caller, so that it is possible to prevent the reputation of the caller.

According to the seventh aspect of the present invention, when the receiver cannot directly receive the call from the caller, and the agent receives the call on behalf of the caller, the call between the receiver and the agent is made. Equipped with a call recording means for recording and saving, it is possible to prevent erroneous communication of the call contents due to misunderstanding of the agent and to inform the receiver of the atmosphere of the caller's conversation etc. Therefore, it is possible to provide information for judging whether or not the receiver responds to the sender, such as whether the sender's requirements have been securely received by the reception of the agent or whether a separate countermeasure is required.

According to the eighth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a reception facsimile storing means for storing a facsimile from a sender, and the stored facsimile can be taken out from an arbitrary facsimile terminal. Is a specific FA
Without depending on the X terminal, it is possible to retrieve the stored FAX from any place at any time if there is a FAX terminal.

According to the ninth aspect of the present invention, when a facsimile is received, there is provided a facsimile reception notifying means for notifying a recipient that the facsimile has been received.
The recipient can recognize that the fax has been sent to himself, and can receive the received fax as soon as necessary and possibly later.

According to the tenth aspect of the present invention, a facsimile
Facsimile number assigning means for individually assigning a facsimile number to a recipient who needs a facsimile number, a receiving facsimile accumulating means for accumulating a facsimile transmitted to the facsimile number assigned by the facsimile number assigning means, The FAX stored in the reception FAX storage means can be directly output from an arbitrary FAX terminal by the recipient, so that FAX can be performed even when going out.
If there is a terminal, the fax transmitted from the caller can be received very easily. In particular, it is possible to provide a method of using a FAX with a high degree of freedom without being restricted by a place or time.

According to the eleventh aspect of the present invention, when the fax number assigned to the receiver is released from the assigned state to the non-assigned state, and when the released fax number is assigned to a new receiver, the open period is set. FAX numbers are assigned to new recipients by FAX number assigning means in order from the longest FAX number, so that the sender can send a FAX without knowing that the FAX number given to the recipient has been released. When a call is missed.
X can be prevented from being transmitted. Also, F
Even if the AX number is released, by storing the FAX stored in the reception FAX storage unit in association with the FAX number for a predetermined period, it is possible to allow a margin for the FAX retrieval. Convenience can be improved.

According to the twelfth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a facsimile reception notifying means for notifying the receiver that a facsimile has been received when the facsimile from the sender is stored in the received facsimile storing means. The receiver can know whether or not there is a reception even without a FAX terminal nearby. And
Since it is possible to output the data when necessary, the confidentiality of the fax can be enhanced.

According to the thirteenth aspect of the present invention, a facsimile
The registration of the FAX number given by the numbering means is F
Since the billing is performed by using the AX terminal and the registration certificate is output from the FAX terminal, the usage fee can be reliably collected. In addition, since the user pays according to the degree of use, the burden is small and the user can be reasonable.

According to the fourteenth aspect of the present invention, when the registration certificate is not output, the registration of the FAX number is automatically canceled to completely provide the service to the user who does not pay the usage fee. Can be prevented and the operating efficiency can be improved.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a typical hardware configuration example of a telephone answering system.

FIG. 2 is a response guidance flow of the telephone answering system.

FIG. 3 is a response guidance flow of the telephone answering system.

FIG. 4 is a response guidance flow of the telephone answering system.

FIG. 5 is a response guidance flow of the telephone answering system.

FIG. 6 is a response guidance flow of the telephone answering system.

FIG. 7 is a response guidance flow of the telephone answering system.

FIG. 8 is a response guidance flow of the telephone answering system.

FIG. 9 is a response guidance flow of the telephone answering system.

FIG. 10 is a response guidance flow of the telephone answering system.

FIG. 11 is a response guidance flow of the telephone answering system.

FIG. 12 is a response guidance flow of the telephone answering system.

FIG. 13 is a response guidance flow of the telephone answering system.

FIG. 14 is a response guidance flow of the telephone answering system.

FIG. 15 is a block diagram showing a typical hardware configuration example of a master fax system.

FIG. 16 is a system flow of the master fax system.

FIG. 17 is a response guidance flow of the master fax system.

FIG. 18 is a FAX number notification form of the embodiment.

FIG. 19 is a service manual of the present embodiment.

FIG. 20 is a service manual of the present embodiment.

FIG. 21 is a login screen of a FAX reception notification setting site according to the present embodiment.

FIG. 22 is an E-mail address input screen of a FAX reception notification setting site according to the present embodiment.

FIG. 23 is a rule call screen of a FAX reception notification setting site according to the present embodiment.

FIG. 24 is a rule display screen of a FAX reception notification setting site according to the present embodiment.

FIG. 25 is a registration completion notification screen of a FAX reception notification setting site according to the present embodiment.

FIG. 26 is a response guidance flow of the master fax system.

FIG. 27 is a response guidance flow of the master fax system.

FIG. 28 is an extended service confirmation of this embodiment.

FIG. 29 is an extended service acceptance cancellation notice of this embodiment.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Telecommunications line 2 System server 3 Receiving fixed telephone 4 Sender's telephone 5 Receiving mobile communication equipment 6 Mobile communication equipment base station 7a Response guidance database 7b Sender registration database 7c Recipient registration database 7d Environment setting database 7e Recording database 7f FAX accumulation database

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁷ Identification symbol FI Theme coat ゛ (Reference) H04N 1/32 H04N 1/32 CZ F term (Reference) 5C075 BA90 BB06 CA15 CF04 5K015 AE01 AF08 GA04 5K024 AA11 BB02 CC01 CC08 CC11 EE01 FF06 GG01 GG05 5K049 BB04 BB12 BB19 FF12 FF32 KK13 5K051 BB01 BB03 DD03 EE01 EE02 HH18 HH19 JJ17 KK06

Claims (14)

[Claims] 1. A dial-in communication system in which a caller or a facsimile from a caller is directly relayed to a receiver, and a caller ID is given to the caller in advance, and the caller who made the call is provided with the caller ID. A dial-in communication system characterized in that a caller is specified by inputting a telephone number, a receiver of the transfer destination is specified, and the receiver himself can directly make a telephone call without passing through the transferer. 2. A dial-in communication system in which a call or a facsimile from a caller is directly relayed to a receiver, wherein a caller ID for specifying the caller and a caller of the caller specified by the caller ID are provided. Information and the sender ID
Storage means for registering and storing the recipient information of the recipient who is transferred based on the caller, and a caller specifying the caller by inputting a caller ID to the caller who made the call Receiver identification means, receiver identification means for identifying a recipient based on the input caller ID, and reception notification notifying that the caller is calling the recipient identified by the receiver identification means Means, and connection means for connecting the notified receiver and the caller in a communicable state, and directly call the call received from the caller without passing through the agent A dial-in communication system, characterized in that the communication is performed. 3. When a call is received from a caller who has not been assigned a caller ID, the caller telephone number, which is the telephone number of the telephone used by the caller, is confirmed, and the caller is designated. 3. The dial-in communication system according to claim 1, wherein the telephone of the caller number is notified of a call from the telephone of the caller telephone number, and the call is routed. 4. When a recipient who receives a call from a caller goes out or goes on a business trip, the receiver is provided with outgoing business trip registration means for registering that he or she is out or on a business trip. And a notification means for automatically notifying the sender that the receiver is out of the office or on a business trip when the registration has been made. The dial-in communication system according to claim 1. 5. A non-answering reason for automatically notifying a caller of a non-receiving reason by selecting a non-answering reason on the receiver side when the receiver cannot directly receive a call from the caller. The dial-in communication system according to any one of claims 1 to 4, further comprising a notification unit. 6. A message storage means for recording and storing a message from a caller when the receiver cannot directly receive a call from the caller, and the receiver receives an incoming call from the caller. The dial-in communication system according to any one of claims 1 to 5, further comprising an incoming call notification means for notifying that the call has been made. 7. A call recording means for recording and storing a call between the receiver and the agent when the receiver cannot directly receive the call from the caller and receives the call on behalf of the agent. The dial-in communication system according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the dial-in communication system is provided. 8. A reception facsimile storing means for storing a facsimile received by being transmitted from a caller, wherein the receiver can directly retrieve the stored facsimile from an arbitrary facsimile terminal. The dial-in communication system according to claim 1. 9. When a fax is received, the recipient receives the fax.
9. The dial-in communication system according to claim 8, further comprising a FAX reception notifying unit for notifying that X has been received. 10. A dial-in communication system in which a fax transmitted from a caller and received is directly relayed to the recipient, wherein the use period is limited to the recipient who needs the fax and individually used.
A fax number assigning means for assigning an X number, a received fax storing means for storing a fax transmitted to the fax number assigned by the fax number assigning means, and a fax stored in the received fax storing means, , Which can directly output from any FAX terminal. 11. A method of releasing a fax number assigned to a receiver from an assigned state to a non-assigned state and assigning the released fax number to a new receiver, wherein the fax numbers are sequentially assigned in order from the fax number having a longer open period. 2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the information is provided to a new recipient by the providing means.
0. The dial-in communication system according to 0. 12. The apparatus according to claim 10, further comprising a facsimile reception notifying means for notifying the recipient that the facsimile has been received when the facsimile from the sender is stored in the received facsimile storage means. Alternatively, the dial-in communication system according to claim 11. 13. A method of registering a facsimile number given by a facsimile number assigning means using a facsimile terminal.
The dial-in communication system according to any one of claims 10 to 12, wherein charging is performed by outputting a registration certificate from the AX terminal. 14. When not outputting a registration certificate,
14. The dial-in communication system according to claim 13, wherein registration of the fax number is automatically canceled.