JP2005286861A - Terminal, automatic answering telephone system, and program - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a telephone terminal used in an automatic answering telephone system without the need for a large storage capacity at the terminal side and realized without using an exclusive facility such as an automatic answering telephone center. <P>SOLUTION: The telephone terminal is provided with: a net disk access section 105 for accessing a net disk 21 via the Internet 15; a memory 106 for storing a reply message correspondence table 109 for denoting a storage location of a reply message; a control section 108 that allows a reply message information management section 107 to search the reply message correspondence table 109 in response to an incoming call from an opposite telephone terminal 11 to acquire the storage location of the reply message to be in use and allows the net disk access section 105 to access the net disk 21 being the storage location to read a corresponding message; and an RTP section 104 for transmitting the read reply message to the opposite telephone terminal 11. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to an answering machine system that stores a response message and / or an answering machine recording (answering machine) message on a network side, and a terminal having a telephone function used in such an answering machine system.

  Conventionally, some telephones are provided with an answering machine function for recording a message message from a caller when an incoming call is received when the telephone is absent. Such a telephone is generally called an answering machine, and a message that is automatically sent to the caller when a call is received to prompt the caller to input a message message is called a response message. A message message recorded by the input is called an answering message. An example of the configuration of the answering machine is described in, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2000-184052.

  As a recording medium for storing a response message or an answering message in the answering machine, there are a semiconductor memory, a hard disk device, and the like. Of these, hard disk drives can be procured at extremely low capacity, which is sufficient for storing response messages and recorded messages, but they consume a lot of power and generate noise during operation. There is a problem of doing. In particular, it is not preferable that the telephone set provided in a living room or bedroom consumes a large amount of power and generates noise. On the other hand, when a semiconductor memory is used as a recording medium, although power saving is achieved, there is a problem that the number of response messages that can be stored is limited to one or two because the storage capacity is smaller than that of a hard disk device. There is.

  In an answering machine connected to a fixed network such as an analog telephone network, the telephone itself can be always in operation. However, in the case of a mobile phone accommodated in the mobile phone network via radio, the power of the mobile phone is turned on. In some cases, the mobile phone is moving outside the service area of the telephone network. For this reason, in order to realize an answering machine function, the mobile phone network is provided with an answering machine recording function in the network itself. Specifically, an answering machine center for centrally executing the answering machine functions of a plurality of mobile phones is provided on the network, and when the answering machine should be recorded, the center side receives the substitute call instead of the corresponding mobile phone, A response message registered in advance in the center is sent to the caller side, and a message message from the caller side is managed on the center side as an answering message. An answering machine service system in which a plurality of servers are provided as an answering machine center and redundancy is ensured is disclosed in Patent Document 2 (Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2003-346871). Also, an answering machine system that sends different response messages for each caller is disclosed in Patent Document 3 (Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 10-215309). The answering machine system using the answering machine center as described here can also be used from a telephone connected to a fixed network such as an analog telephone network.

  In the case of a configuration in which an answering machine center is provided in the network, the telephone side does not need to store an answering message message or a response message, so problems related to the storage capacity for storing these messages can be avoided. As the response message, only a few messages prepared in advance by the center installer (usually a carrier (carrier) operating the communication network) or a message recorded by the user himself / herself can be used. There is a problem that a response message such as is provided cannot be used. In addition, in the answering machine center, it is necessary to manage response messages and answering messages for each user's telephone (terminal), and since it is necessary to provide an incoming call substitute function, the structure of the answering machine center becomes complicated, There is also a problem that the cost increases accordingly.

In recent years, in the field of telephone communications, IP (Internet Protocol) telephones, which are different from fixed telephones connected to a conventional fixed telephone network such as an analog telephone network or mobile telephones used in a dedicated mobile communication network. Is attracting attention. An IP telephone has a VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) function for transmitting and receiving a signal obtained by packetizing a voice signal via the Internet. Since IP telephones use the Internet, not only the form of a normal telephone with a handset, but also a personal computer connected to the Internet connected with a headset with a microphone and a speaker, Can be used as a telephone. Assuming that IP telephones are used, because of the characteristic that the Internet is used, centralized management of message recordings using a data server enables a user to access a personal computer telephone from a remote location to a network such as the Internet. It is possible to connect a terminal or the like to listen to an answering message addressed to the user or to share an answering message stored in the answering server with a plurality of users at different locations. In the Japanese Patent Application No. 2003-323032, the present inventor has already proposed an answering machine system having a high affinity with an IP phone in which an answering message message is stored in a data server provided on the Internet.
JP 2000-184052 A JP 2003-345871 A JP-A-10-215309

  However, as described above, the answering machine system using the answering machine center uses a special configuration that is not general-purpose as the answering machine center, so that there is a problem that the cost increases. In addition, since this center is generally installed by a telecommunications carrier (carrier) that operates a telephone network, there is a problem that the degree of freedom in selecting a response message is low.

  Therefore, an object of the present invention is to use an answering machine system that does not require a large storage capacity in a user's telephone terminal (telephone) and does not use a dedicated facility such as an answering machine, and such an answering machine system. And providing a terminal having a telephone function.

  The first terminal of the present invention is a terminal that is connected to a network and has a telephone function, and is provided separately from the telephone terminal and accesses a storage location for storing data via the network, and a response Memory for storing response message management information including information indicating the storage location of the message, management means for searching for response message management information, and causing the management means to search for response message management information in response to an incoming call from the other party's telephone terminal Control means for acquiring information on the storage location of the response message to be used for the other party telephone terminal, accessing the storage location of the response message to be used by the access means, and reading the corresponding response message, and the read response Sending means for sending the message to the other party's telephone terminal.

  A second telephone terminal of the present invention is a terminal connected to a network and having a telephone function, an access means provided separately from the terminal and for storing data and for accessing the network, and a response A memory for storing response message management information storage information indicating the storage location of the response message management information including information indicating the storage location of the message, a management means for retrieving the response message management information and the response message management information storage information, and the other party's telephone In response to an incoming call from the terminal, the management means searches the response message management information storage information, accesses the storage location of the response message management information using the access means, and searches the response message management information using the management means. Obtain information about the storage location of the response message to be used for the other party's telephone terminal, and A control means for reading a response message corresponding by accessing the storage location of the response message to be used for the scan unit, and sending means for sending a response message to the counterpart telephone terminal read, the.

  The present invention enables a response message stored on the network side to be sent to the telephone terminal on the other side without using an answering machine center having a special configuration and a function such as proxy reception. Therefore, a wide variety of response messages can be used without being restricted by the storage capacity of the telephone terminal.

  Although the present invention is suitable for various telephone networks, it is particularly suitable for IP telephones using the Internet. Currently, a data server (also referred to as a net disk) that stores data and files of users according to requests from users is arranged on the Internet. A service for storing user data and files using this type of data server or net disk is also called a storage service. Since these data servers and net disks are configured as general-purpose devices, they are inexpensive even when used, and are not tied to a specific telecommunications carrier. Are better. According to the present invention, by using these net disks and data servers as storage locations for response messages, it is possible to construct an answering machine system that does not store response messages in the telephone terminal.

  In the present invention, the terminal having a telephone function is not limited to a single telephone connected to the telephone network, for example, a desk-top or wall-mounted telephone having a rotary dial or a push button dial, but various digital such as the Internet. Various information processing apparatuses such as a personal computer connected to a data network and functioning as an IP telephone by software control are also included.

  In the present invention, the terminal having the telephone function and the other party telephone terminal may be connected to each other by a network (for example, the Internet) used when the terminal having the telephone function accesses the storage location. They may be connected by different communication means (for example, a conventional analog telephone network or a mobile phone dedicated line). For example, an ADSL user terminal using an analog telephone line receives an incoming call from the other party telephone terminal via the analog telephone line and sends a response message to the other party telephone terminal. It can also be performed via Alternatively, in a mobile phone communication service that can enjoy a call service and an Internet connection service at the same time using the same mobile phone, an incoming call from the other party's telephone terminal is accepted by the call service, a response message is taken in by the Internet connection service, and the response Messages can also be sent to the other party's telephone terminal using a call service.

  In the following description, a terminal having a telephone function is simply called a telephone terminal.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to use a wide variety of response messages at low cost without providing an answering machine center for managing response messages. Accordingly, for example, an ISP (Internet Service Provider) or the like can uniquely provide a response message.

  In addition, since the response message is not stored in the own terminal, when the storage medium in the telephone terminal is a semiconductor memory, a wide variety of response messages can be used without increasing the memory capacity. It is also possible to set a different response message or to use a response message with video, and the problem of data loss when the power of the terminal itself is turned off is solved. Since a large-capacity storage device such as a hard disk device is not required, problems such as noise can be solved. By setting, for example, a shared folder or a shared directory on the response message storage location side, it is possible to allow others to use the response message created by the user.

  Furthermore, in a configuration in which the response message management information is not stored in the own terminal, it is possible to refer to the response message management information of the own terminal from another terminal. It is possible to transmit from the previous terminal, and it is possible to change the setting for selecting the response message from a remote location.

  In the present invention, since the incoming call itself from the other party's telephone terminal is accepted not by the answering machine center but by the own terminal, and the response message is also taken into the own terminal and then sent to the other party's telephone terminal, the user has been charged. Check the caller ID of the telephone, monitor the voice color and content of the other party's message message for the response message on the own terminal side, change the response message, or send the response message and It is also possible to interrupt the execution of the recording process and directly answer the call with the other party.

  Next, a preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

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

  A telephone terminal 10 that wants to receive an answering machine service is an IP telephone and is connected to the Internet 15. The telephone terminal 10 is given an IP (Internet Protocol) address and a so-called telephone number (here, 050-546-xxxx). Although not shown here, it is assumed that many IP telephones are connected to the Internet 15.

  A telephone terminal 11 (phone number 054-65-xxxx) different from the telephone terminal 10 is a telephone terminal connected to an existing telephone network (analog telephone network) 16. The gateway 18 connects the existing telephone network 16 and the Internet 15 and has a function of performing mutual conversion between a telephone number and an IP address. The telephone terminal 10 which is an IP telephone and a telephone of a general analog telephone network The telephone communication with the telephone terminal 11 is enabled by telephone communication.

  Connected to the Internet 15 are net disks 21 to 23 established by ISP (Internet Service Provider) or ISV (Internet Service Vendor). The net disks 21 to 23 are also called data servers, and store user data and files in response to requests from users. In the present embodiment, the net disks 21 and 22 store response messages corresponding to the telephone terminal 10, and the net disk 23 stores an answering message message corresponding to the telephone terminal 10. Each of the net disks 21 to 23 is configured by a general-purpose server or the like for storing user data and files, and when there is access to the data storage unit 26 for storing response messages and recorded messages, and access to the net disk. And an input / output control unit 27 for performing user authentication and controlling input / output of data to / from the data storage unit 26. In the illustrated example, four types of response messages (response messages A to D) corresponding to the telephone terminal 10 are prepared. Of these, the response messages A and B are stored in the net disk 21 and the response messages C and D are It is stored in the net disk 22. If the answering message message is stored in the telephone terminal 10, the net disk 23 is not necessary, and the number of net disks for storing the response message is not limited to two, but one or three. That's all. Further, the response message and the recorded message may be stored in the same net disk. The response message may be created in advance by the user and stored in the net disk, or a response message provided by a third party that installs the net disk may be used. When a response message provided by a third party is to be used, the response message can be used simply by describing the storage location of the response message in the response message correspondence table described later.

  As a response message, in addition to a normal voice message, for example, a voice message with video can be used.

  FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating the internal configuration of the telephone terminal 10 and explaining the operation of the answering machine system shown in FIG. 1 when the response message management information is stored in the telephone terminal 10.

  The telephone terminal 10 that is an IP telephone includes an interface unit 101 serving as an interface to the Internet 15, a signaling unit 102 that recognizes the telephone number of the other party's telephone terminal and the like when receiving a call, and a voice signal as a packet. An RTP conversion unit 103 that converts the data into digitized data, an RTP unit 104 that transmits and receives packetized voice data to and from the Internet via the interface unit 101 according to RTP (Real-time Transport Protocol), A net disk access unit 105 that accesses each net disk via the interface unit 101 and the Internet 15, a memory 106 that stores various data, a response message information management unit 107 that manages response message management information, and the telephone Control for controlling the entire terminal 10 It includes a 108. The interface unit 101 can be configured by a so-called LAN card that is usually used for connection to a LAN (local area network) or the like.

  In the example shown in FIG. 2, when an incoming call is received from the other party telephone terminal, the response message sent to the other party telephone terminal is changed according to the other party's telephone number (incoming telephone number). Therefore, the incoming telephone number, information on which response message is used for each incoming telephone number (response message type information), and in which net disk the response message is stored and which directory (or in that net disk) A response message correspondence table 109 describing information (storage information) indicating whether or not it is in a folder is prepared, and this response message correspondence table 109 is stored in the memory 106. If the file name and location of the data file corresponding to the response message are described in, for example, a URL (uniform resource locator) format, the response message type information and the stored information can be integrated into one piece of information.

  Next, the operation of this answering machine system will be described.

  It is assumed that there is a call from the telephone terminal 11 to the telephone terminal 10 ([1]). When there is an incoming call from the telephone terminal 11, in the telephone terminal 10, the signaling unit 102 extracts the telephone number of the telephone terminal 11 ([2]), and the extracted telephone number is sent to the response message information via the control unit 108. It is passed to the management unit 107 ([3]). As a result, the response message information management unit 107 refers to the response message correspondence table 109 in the memory 106 and searches for the response message to be used for the extracted telephone number and its storage location ([4] ). Here, it is assumed that the response message to be used is the response message B, and the response message B is stored in the directory / user01 (// disk21 / user01) of the net disk 21. Therefore, the response message information management unit 107 notifies the control unit 108 of information related to the storage location of the response message B ([5]), and the control unit 108 notifies the net disk access unit 105 of the storage location of the response message B. Thus, the response message B is requested to be read ([6]), and the net disk access unit 105 accesses the net disk 21 ([7]).

  When the response message B is sent from the net disk 21 to the telephone terminal 10 ([8]), the control unit 108 reads the response message B through the interface unit 101 ([9]), and the response message B Is established as a packet, the response message is passed to the RTP unit 104 after establishing communication with the telephone terminal 11, and if the response message B is not packetized, communication with the telephone terminal 11 is performed. After the establishment, the response message B is passed to the RTP conversion unit 103 to be packetized, and then the packetized response message B is passed to the RTP unit 104 ([10]). The RTP unit 104 sends the response message B packet to the telephone terminal 11 via the interface unit 101 ([11]).

  Through the above processing, the telephone terminal 11 receives the response message B stored in the net disk 21. Thereafter, the user of the telephone terminal 11 inputs a message message, and this message message is sent to the telephone terminal 10. The telephone terminal 10 may store the sent message message in the memory 106 as an answering message, or may store it in the net disk 23. The configuration in which the recorded message is transferred from the telephone terminal 10 to the net disk 21 or 23 and stored in the net disk 21 or 23 is not directly related to the configuration of the present invention. For example, the configuration previously proposed by the present inventor in Japanese Patent Application No. 2003-323032 can be used.

  In this embodiment, the response message or the like is not stored in the memory 106 of the terminal itself, but is stored in a storage device (net disk) provided over the network. Then, when a connection request from the telephone terminal 11 on the other side is made to the telephone terminal 10, the telephone terminal 10 confirms the incoming call number, identifies a preset response message, and is provided over the network. It becomes possible to send the response message stored in the net disk to the telephone terminal 11 of the other party. With this configuration, according to the present embodiment, since the response message is not stored in the memory of the telephone terminal 10, even when the memory of the telephone terminal 10 is limited in capacity, a wide variety of response messages can be used. Is possible. Further, since the response message is generally stored in a net disk having a large storage capacity, it is possible to use a response message with a video. Since the response message management itself is performed on the telephone terminal 10 side, it is not necessary to provide an answering machine center having a special mechanism. Furthermore, various net disks on the Internet can be used as a storage location for response messages, and response messages can be selected without being restricted by the communication carrier. It is possible to easily use the response message.

  In the above description, the telephone terminal 10 receives the response message B from the net disk 21 and transmits the response message B to the telephone terminal 11, although there is a delay due to processing by the control unit 108, the RTP unit 104, and the like. In parallel. However, the telephone terminal 10 may receive the entire response message B and store it in the memory 106, and then read the response message B from the memory 106 and send it to the telephone terminal 11. In that case, after performing [9] in the above processing procedure, the control unit 108 once writes the read response message in the memory 106, and when the entire response message B is written in the memory 106, the control unit 108. However, when the response message B is packetized, after establishing communication with the telephone terminal 11, the response message B is read from the memory 106 and passed to the RTP unit 104, and the response message B is not packetized. In this case, after establishing communication with the telephone terminal 11, the response message B is read from the memory, passed to the RTP conversion unit 103, packetized, and then the packetized response message B is passed to the RTP unit 104. You can do it. Thereafter, as described above, the RTP unit 104 sends a packet of the response message B to the telephone terminal 11 via the interface unit 101 ([11]). The response message once written in the memory 106 may be deleted from the memory 106 after sending the response message.

  Even if the response message is temporarily stored in the memory 106 in this way, even if the throughput of the transfer from the net disk to the telephone terminal 10 does not improve, the interruption in the response message reproduced by the telephone terminal 11 etc. Can be prevented.

  Next, an answering machine system according to a second embodiment of the present invention will be described. In the answering machine system according to the first embodiment, although the response message itself is stored in the net disk, the response message correspondence table 109 as response message management information is stored in the telephone terminal 10. On the other hand, in the system of the second embodiment, the response message management information is also stored in the net disk instead of the telephone terminal.

  FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of the answering machine system according to the second embodiment. This answering machine system is different from the apparatus shown in FIG. 1 in that a net disk 24 for storing response message management information is connected to the Internet 15. That is, the response message management information corresponding to the telephone terminal 10 is also stored in the recording medium on the network, so that the response message corresponding to the telephone terminal 10 can be used by other telephone terminals. As the response message management information is stored in the net disk 24, the memory 106 of the telephone terminal 10 has response message management information storage location information indicating in which net disk such response message management information is stored. Stored. As the net disk 24, the same ones as the net disks 21 to 23 can be used.

  In the illustrated IP telephone network, the user can use the same telephone number even if the location is changed. For example, assuming that a telephone terminal is installed at home, there is a need for the user to take a telephone call at home when he / she moves out. Therefore, in the second embodiment, a location server 17 is provided for the Internet 15, and the telephone terminal 12 is registered in the location server 17 as the telephone terminal 10, whereby the telephone number of the telephone terminal 10 is assigned to the telephone terminal 12. To be allocated.

  Next, the operation of the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.

  It is assumed that there is a call from the telephone terminal 11 to the telephone terminal 10 ([1]). When there is an incoming call from the telephone terminal 11, in the telephone terminal 10, the signaling unit 102 extracts the telephone number of the telephone terminal 11 ([2]), and the extracted telephone number is sent to the response message information via the control unit 108. It is passed to the management unit 107 ([3]). As a result, the response message information management unit 107 accesses the memory 106, refers to the response message management information storage location information, and obtains information regarding the location of the net disk where the response message management information is stored ([4 ]). Subsequently, the response message information management unit 107 accesses the net disk (here, the net disk 24) via the net disk access unit 105 based on the acquired information, and the response message stored in the net disk 24. The type of the response message to be used and the storage location are searched with reference to the correspondence table ([5]). Here, it is assumed that the response message B stored in the net disk 21 has been searched. Thereafter, the response message information management unit 107 notifies the control unit 108 of information related to the storage location of the response message B ([6]), and the control unit 108 informs the net disk access unit 105 of the storage location of the response message B. In response to this, the response message B is requested to be read ([7]), and the net disk access unit 105 accesses the net disk 21 ([8]).

  When the response message B is sent from the net disk 21 to the telephone terminal 10 ([9]), the control unit 108 reads the response message B via the interface unit 101 ([10]), and the response message B Is established as a packet, the response message is passed to the RTP unit 104 after establishing communication with the telephone terminal 11, and if the response message B is not packetized, communication with the telephone terminal 11 is performed. After the establishment, the response message B is passed to the RTP conversion unit 103 to be packetized, and then the packetized response message B is passed to the RTP unit 104 ([11]). The RTP unit 104 sends the response message B packet to the telephone terminal 11 via the interface unit 101 ([12]).

  Through the above processing, the telephone terminal 11 receives the response message B stored in the net disk 21. Thereafter, the user of the telephone terminal 11 inputs a message message, and this message message is sent to the telephone terminal 10. The telephone terminal 10 may store the transmitted message message in the memory 106 as an absence message, or may store it in the net disk 21 or 23. Since the configuration in which the recorded message is transferred from the telephone terminal 10 to the net disk 23 and stored in the net disk 21 or 23 is not directly related to the configuration of the present invention, the description is omitted here. The structure which the inventor previously proposed in Japanese Patent Application No. 2003-323032 can be used.

  In the answering machine system according to each embodiment of the present invention described above, the telephone terminal 10 that is an IP telephone may be configured as a dedicated hardware product similar to a desktop telephone, or may be realized. This can also be realized by reading a computer program for the computer into a computer such as a personal computer and executing the program. A program for realizing a telephone terminal is read into a computer by a recording medium such as a magnetic tape or via a network.

  Such a computer generally includes a CPU (central processing unit), a hard disk device for storing programs and data, a main memory, an input device such as a keyboard, a mouse, and a microphone, a display device such as a CRT, It comprises an output device such as a speaker, a reading device that reads a recording medium such as a CD-ROM, and an interface used for connection to a network. In this computer, a recording medium storing a program for realizing an IP telephone that performs each of the above-described processes is loaded into a reading device, the program is read from the recording medium, stored in a hard disk device, and the program stored in the hard disk device When the CPU executes the above, or when such a program is downloaded into the hard disk device via the network and the downloaded program is executed by the CPU, it functions as the above-described program.

It is a block diagram which shows the structure of the answering machine system of the 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is a block diagram which shows the structure and operation | movement of a telephone in the answering machine system shown in FIG. It is a block diagram which shows the structure of the answering machine system of the 2nd Embodiment of this invention. It is a block diagram which shows the structure and operation | movement of a telephone in the answering machine system shown in FIG.

Explanation of symbols

10, 11, 12 Telephone terminal 15 Internet 16 Telephone network 17 Location server 18 Gateway 21-24 Net disk 26 Data storage unit 27 Input / output control unit 101 Interface unit 102 Signaling unit 103 RTP conversion unit 104 RTP unit 105 Net disk access unit 106 Memory 107 Response message information management unit 108 Control unit 109 Response message correspondence table

Claims (10)

A terminal connected to a network and having a telephone function,
An access means that is provided separately from the terminal and accesses a storage location for storing data via the network;
A memory for storing response message management information including information indicating a storage location of the response message;
Management means for retrieving the response message management information;
In response to an incoming call from the other party telephone terminal, the management means searches the response message management information to obtain information on the storage location of the response message to be used for the other party telephone terminal, and the access means uses the use Control means for accessing the storage location of the response message to be read and reading the corresponding response message;
Sending means for sending the read response message to the counterpart telephone terminal;
Having a terminal. A terminal connected to a network and having a telephone function,
An access means that is provided separately from the terminal and accesses a storage location for storing data via the network;
A memory for storing response message management information storage information indicating a storage location of response message management information including information indicating a storage location of the response message;
A management means for retrieving the response message management information and the response message management information storage information;
In response to an incoming call from the other party telephone terminal, the management means searches the response message management information storage information to access the storage location of the response message management information using the access means, and the management means The response message management information is searched to obtain information about the storage location of the response message to be used for the counterparty telephone terminal, and the access means is made to access the storage location of the response message to be used, so that the corresponding response message is obtained. Control means for reading
Sending means for sending the read response message to the counterpart telephone terminal;
Having a terminal.   3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising signaling means for extracting a telephone number of the other party telephone terminal, wherein the response message management information specifies a different response message according to the telephone number of the other party telephone terminal. Terminal.   The terminal according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the control means stores the entire corresponding response message, and then starts sending the read response message from the sending means. A terminal according to claim 1;
A storage device connected to the network and serving as a storage location for storing the response message;
Having an answering machine. A terminal according to claim 2;
A first storage device connected to the network and serving as a storage location for storing the response message;
A second storage device connected to the network and serving as a storage location for storing the response message management information;
Having an answering machine.   The answering machine system according to claim 6, wherein the first storage device and the second storage device are different. A computer connected to the network
An access means for accessing a storage location provided separately from the computer and storing data via the network;
A memory for storing response message management information including information indicating a storage location of the response message;
Management means for retrieving the response message management information;
In response to an incoming call from the other party telephone terminal, the management means searches the response message management information to obtain information on the storage location of the response message to be used for the other party telephone terminal, and the access means uses the use Control means for accessing the storage location of the response message to be read and reading the corresponding response message,
Sending means for sending the read response message to the other party telephone terminal,
Program to function as. A computer connected to the network
An access means for accessing a storage location provided separately from the computer and storing data via the network;
A memory for storing response message management information storage information indicating a storage location of response message management information including information indicating a storage location of the response message;
Management means for retrieving the response message management information and the response message management information storage information;
In response to an incoming call from the other party telephone terminal, the management means searches the response message management information storage information to access the storage location of the response message management information using the access means, and the management means The response message management information is searched to obtain information about the storage location of the response message to be used for the counterparty telephone terminal, and the access means is made to access the storage location of the response message to be used, so that the corresponding response message is obtained. Control means to read
Sending means for sending the read response message to the other party telephone terminal,
Program to function as.   A computer-readable recording medium that stores the program according to claim 8 or 9.

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