JP2711106B2 - Voice message storage device - Google Patents

Description

Description: BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a voice message storage device capable of storing voice messages on a magnetic disk or the like and taking them out as needed, and more particularly to an improvement in the message registration method. It is.

[Conventional technology]

FIG. 5 shows a conventional voice message storage device. In the drawing, reference numeral 1 denotes a telephone, which is used when a subscriber of the device intends to receive a service provided by the device. 2 is an exchange, 3 is a line interface for the voice message storage device 10 to interface with a subscriber, and 4 is a converter for converting voice data of an analog signal into a digital signal or converting voice message data of a digital signal into an analog signal. A voice signal converter 5, a voice data storage unit such as a magnetic disk for storing voice data of a digital signal, a central processing unit 6 for controlling and monitoring the entire voice message storage device 10, and a subscriber data management unit 7. It is a storage device. Of the above devices, 3 to 7 are components of the voice message storage device 10.

Next, the operation will be described. The voice message storage device stores a voice message accessed via an exchange, so that, for example, even if the party is absent, if the message is stored, the stored message is retrieved when the party returns. So you can
A simple note can be used instead. It is also possible to provide a service such as so-called broadcast, in which stored messages are simultaneously transmitted to a plurality of telephones.

When a message is registered in such a voice message storage device, the subscriber starts by accessing the voice message storage device from the telephone 1 through the exchange 2.

The voice message storage device 10 detects a call from the telephone 1 at the line interface unit 3 and, after detection, goes off-hook (connect) at the line interface unit 3. Next, the voice guidance (message) stored in the voice data storage unit 5 is converted into an analog signal by the voice signal conversion unit 4 and transmitted to the telephone 1 via the line interface unit 3. The subscriber performs key input according to the sent voice guide dance. When the subscriber makes a key input from the telephone 1, the line interface unit 3 analyzes the key input, and the central processing unit 6 determines a process to be performed next based on the key input, that is, a guidance to be output next. From 5 as before, voice guidance is sent to the subscriber. The above operation is repeated until the voice guidance for promoting voice message registration is transmitted to the subscriber.

When the subscriber receives the voice guidance for promoting voice message registration, the subscriber speaks from the telephone 1 to send out a voice message to be registered. When receiving the voice message, the voice message storage device 10 converts the voice message into a digital signal by the voice signal conversion unit 4 via the line interface unit 3 and stores the digital signal in the voice data storage 5. When the transmission of the voice message from the subscriber is completed, the central processing unit 6 monitoring this series of operations registers the subscriber data for managing the voice message registered in the voice data storage unit 5 in the storage device 7. . When the registration is completed, the voice guidance of the service end is sent to the subscriber, and the line interface unit 3 hooks up (disconnects). This completes the message registration service of the voice message storage device.

[Problems to be solved by the invention]

Since the conventional voice message storage device is configured as described above, when registering a voice message, it is necessary for a registrant (subscriber) to access the voice message storage device.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made to solve the above-described problems of the conventional art, and can solve the inconvenience that a subscriber who wishes to register a voice message has to access the apparatus by himself / herself. The purpose is to obtain a storage device.

[Means for solving the problem]

The voice message storage device according to the present invention, when receiving a call request from a predetermined subscriber, registers a flag corresponding to the call request and the time of the call request in a management area of the storage device. Call request registration means, performing a search of the management area of the storage device at fixed time intervals, the flag is detected, and when the time of the search and the time of the call request match, Calling means for calling the terminal of the predetermined subscriber for connection between the terminal and the apparatus; and a response to the call from the terminal of the predetermined subscriber is provided. Then, a message prompting registration of a voice message is sent to this terminal.

[Action]

According to the present invention, when there is a call request from a predetermined subscriber subscribing to the service provided by the voice message storage device, a flag corresponding to the call request and the time of the call request are stored. A call request registering means for registering in the management area of the apparatus, performing a search of the management area of the storage device at a fixed time interval, detecting the flag, detecting the time at which the search was performed, and setting the time of the call; When the time of the request matches, a call is made to the terminal of the predetermined subscriber for connection between the terminal and the apparatus, and thereafter,
When a response to the outgoing call is received from the terminal of the predetermined subscriber, a message prompting registration of a voice message is sent to this terminal. When registering a message by itself, the subscriber does not need to access the device from the terminal, and a message prompting the subscriber to promote registration is automatically issued without voluntary access from the subscriber. Will be sent out.

〔Example〕

An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 shows a voice message storage device according to an embodiment of the present invention. In the drawing, reference numeral 1 denotes a telephone required for a subscriber of a service provided by the voice message storage device to access the device, 2 denotes an exchange, 3 is a line interface for the voice message storage device to interface with the subscriber. 4 is a voice signal converter for converting voice data of an analog signal to a digital signal or voice data of a digital signal to an analog signal. Is a voice data storage unit for storing voice data of digital signals, 6 is a central processing unit (registration promotion message calling means) for controlling and monitoring the entire voice message storage device, 7 is a storage device for managing subscriber data, 8 Is a memory area in the storage device 7 for registering a call request from a subscriber. Of these devices, 3 to 8 are components of the voice message storage device.

Next, the operation will be described. The operation is roughly divided into two. One is to set a call request registration flag, and the other is to detect that the call request registration flag is set and it is the call request time, and This is an operation of making a call to promote registration of a voice message to the subscriber who has issued the call request.

First, the former operation will be described with reference to FIG. The subscriber calls the voice message storage device 10 from the telephone 1 via the exchange 2. The voice message storage device detects this call in the line interface unit 3,
Go off-hook (connect). Next, the voice guidance (message) stored in the voice data storage unit 5 is converted into an analog signal by the voice signal conversion unit 4 and transmitted to the telephone 1 via the line interface unit 3. The subscriber performs a key input in accordance with the sent voice guidance and selects a registration promotion calling service from the voice message storage device (step 21). At this time, the subscriber also specifies the call request time. On the other hand, when the voice message storage device receives a call request from the subscriber, the central processing unit 6 sets the flag of the subscriber in the memory area 8 in the storage device 7 for registering the call request from the subscriber. At the same time, the time of the call request is also registered (step 22). The process shown in FIG. 2 is started each time a subscriber makes a call to the voice message storage device.

Next, the latter operation will be described with reference to FIG. The voice message storage device searches the memory area 8 for registering the call request at a certain time interval, and if the registration flag is set (step 31) and the time when the search of the memory area 8 is performed is determined by the call request. When both the coincidence with the time (step 32) is satisfied, the central processing unit 6 instructs the line interface unit 3 to call the subscriber who has issued the call request. Upon receiving the instruction, the line interface unit 3 calls the telephone 1 of the subscriber (step 33). When detecting that the subscriber answers the telephone (off-hook), the central processing unit 6 instructs the voice data storage unit 5 to transmit voice guidance for promoting voice message registration to the subscriber.

Upon receiving this instruction, the voice data storage unit 5 sends the guidance to the voice signal conversion unit 4, converts the guidance into an analog signal, and sends the analog signal to the subscriber via the line interface unit 3. Upon receiving the voice guidance for promoting voice message registration, the subscriber speaks from the telephone 1 to send out a voice message to be registered. When the voice message storage device receives the voice message, it converts the voice message into a digital signal by the voice signal conversion unit 4 via the line interface unit 3 and stores the digital signal in the voice data storage unit 5. When the transmission of the voice message from the subscriber is completed, the central processing unit 6 further transmits voice guidance to the subscriber so as to input the destination of the registration message and the transmission time.
When the above parameters are input by the subscriber, the central processing unit 6 registers the subscriber data for managing the voice message registered in the voice data storage unit 5 in the storage device 7 in addition to the above parameters (step 34). . After registration is complete,
The voice guidance for ending the message registration service is transmitted to the subscriber, and the line interface unit 3 hooks up (disconnects).

Thus, the message registration service of the voice message storage device ends.

In the above embodiment, the operation of setting the call request registration flag is performed by calling the voice message storage device from the subscriber, but the syllable message storage device itself uses the subscriber's usage status. (When the message is frequently registered in the voice message storage device) may be checked, and the voice message storage device may make a call to the subscriber at the most busy time.

The operation will be described below with reference to FIG. Each time the subscriber uses the voice message registration service (step 41), the voice message storage device registers the time of use of the storage device 7 (step 42) and constantly monitors the usage status. Then, at a certain time or period (step 43), it is checked when the message is frequently registered in the voice message storage device,
The time in the memory area 8 where the call request is registered (the most busy time)
Setting and setting a call request registration flag (step 4
Four). Subsequent processes up to the call for prompting the subscriber to register the voice message are the same as those in the above-described embodiment, and thus will not be described here.

〔The invention's effect〕

As described above, according to the present invention, when a call request is made from a predetermined subscriber, the flag corresponding to the call request and the time of the call request are registered in the management area of the storage device. A call request registering means is provided, and a search of the management area of the storage device is performed at fixed time intervals, the flag is detected, and the time at which the search is performed coincides with the time of the call request. At this time, a call is made to the terminal of the predetermined subscriber for connection between the terminal and the apparatus, so that the subscriber who wishes to register the voice message himself / herself registers the message. In addition, there is no need to access the present apparatus by the subscriber side terminal, so that a convenient voice message storage device which is easy for the subscriber to use can be obtained.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a voice message storage device according to one embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing a process of setting a call request registration flag in one embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing a process for making a call for promoting registration of a voice message to a requesting subscriber. FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing a process for setting a call request registration flag in another embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a conventional voice message storage device. In the figure, 1 is a telephone, 2 is an exchange, 3 is a line interface unit, 4 is a voice signal conversion unit, 5 is a voice data storage unit, 6 is a central processing unit (registration promotion message calling means), 7 is a storage device, Reference numeral 8 denotes a subscriber call request registration area. In the drawings, the same reference numerals indicate the same or corresponding parts.

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] 1. A voice message storage device having a voice data storage unit for storing voice messages from respective subscribers and transmitting the stored voice messages to terminals of the corresponding subscribers, wherein the subscriber data is managed. Storage device having a management area for registering, when a call request is issued from a predetermined subscriber, a flag corresponding to the call request and the time of the call request are registered in the management area of the storage device Calling request registration means, performing a search of the management area of the storage device at a fixed time interval, detecting the flag, and matching the time of the search with the time of the call request. Calling means for making a call to the terminal of the predetermined subscriber for connection between the terminal and the apparatus; and a response to the call from the terminal of the predetermined subscriber. When this terminal And a registration prompting message transmitting means for transmitting a message prompting the registration of the voice message.