JP2727835B2 - Answering machine - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an answering machine, and more particularly, to an answering machine having a function of recording a message from a caller during absence on a magnetic tape or the like.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A conventional answering machine records a date and time by voice synthesis at the start or end of recording of a caller's message. Therefore, in order to perform a search in units of a date, the message of the target date is searched by manually fast-forwarding or rewinding the magnetic tape while confirming the date and time using a speaker or the like during message playback. I have.

[0003] However, the above-mentioned conventional answering machine has a drawback that a fast forward or rewind operation must be frequently repeated to search for a message of a target date, which is troublesome.

[0004]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned conventional drawbacks, and an object of the present invention is to provide an answering machine capable of easily retrieving a message having a desired date.

[0005]

An answering machine according to the present invention records voice recording means for recording a message from a caller during an absence, and associates time information when the message was recorded with address information indicating a recording location in association with each other. The corresponding address information recorded in the recording state storage means on the basis of time information externally inputted to search for a message in units of a date, and reads the corresponding address information in the voice recording means in accordance with the address information. Control means for retrieving and cueing the corresponding message; and reproducing means for reproducing the cueed message, wherein the externally input time information is in units of dates, and the address information is the end of the corresponding message. Address, the control means searches for a message one day before the externally input date and searches for the message, Serial reproducing means is characterized in that so as to reproduce the end address future messages.

[0006]

Next, the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of one embodiment of an answering machine according to the present invention. In the figure, an answering machine according to one embodiment of the present invention includes a line interface unit 2 for closing and disconnecting a telephone line and transmitting a signal to the telephone line, and a response message synthesized by voice when a call arrives. A voice recording unit 8 that operates after being sent to a caller (caller) and records a message from the caller.
A recording state storage unit 7 for storing the recorded date and time in association with address information indicating a location recorded in the voice recording unit 8; a reproduced sound of the recorded voice and a voice from a telephone line; Amplifying and loudspeaker 9 for amplifying and amplifying loudspeakers, and a control unit 5 for controlling each unit.

Reference numeral 3 denotes an incoming call detecting unit for detecting an incoming call;
Is a voice synthesizing section for transmitting synthesized voice, 6 is a keyboard including a push button or the like, 10 is a speaker, 11 is a clock section for transmitting time information, and 12 is a busy tone detecting section for detecting a busy tone.

In such a configuration, when an incoming signal is input to the telephone line connected to the telephone line connection unit 1, the incoming call detection unit 3 detects that there is an incoming call. The control unit 5 operates the line interface unit 2 and closes the telephone line when the number of incoming signals is counted and reaches a predetermined number. After transmitting the voice determined by the voice synthesizing unit 4 to the closed telephone line, the control unit 5 records the voice message of the caller from the telephone line in the voice recording unit 8.

When the caller abandons the call, the busy tone detector 12 notifies the controller 5 of the call. Then, the control unit 5 sets the time and date at that time, that is, the time information clock unit 1.
1 and the end address of the recorded message is read from the voice recording unit 8. Further, the control section 5 stores the read information in the recording state storage section 7 in association with each other.

The control section 5 accumulates and records information in the recording state storage section 7 every time the above operation is repeated.

When playing back a recorded message, the operation of the keyboard 6 is performed. Information input by pressing the keyboard 6 is analyzed by the control unit 5. Then, the control unit 5 activates the voice recording unit 8 and the amplification and amplification unit 9 to reproduce the message, and reproduces the recorded message.

At this time, when the keyboard 6 is operated in order to search for a message by date, the control unit 5 reads out the time information from the recording state storage unit 7 and one day before the date specified by the keyboard 6. Search for messages. The control unit 5 that has found the target message reads the end address of the recording location corresponding to the time information from the recording state storage unit 7, and controls the voice recording unit 5 to reproduce data after that address. That is, the cue of the magnetic tape is performed.

In addition to the key input of only the date, a method of searching by inputting the date and time is also conceivable.

In this embodiment, the message is associated with the address information, and the address information is associated with the time information. However, it is apparent that the message may be directly associated with the address information.

Furthermore, the present invention is not limited to the case where a message is recorded on a magnetic tape.
A method of storing the information in a semiconductor memory is also conceivable. In these cases, if the message and the time information are recorded in association with each other, the search can be similarly easily performed.

[0017]

As described above, the present invention has an effect that a desired message can be easily heard by a simple operation by retrieving and reproducing a message based on externally input time information. is there.

[Brief description of the drawings]

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

[Explanation of symbols]

 Reference Signs List 4 Voice synthesis unit 5 Control unit 6 Keyboard 7 Recording state storage unit 8 Voice recording unit 11 Clock unit

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] 1. A voice recording means for recording a message from a caller during an absence, a recording state storage means for recording time information when the message is recorded and address information indicating a recording location, and a date. Message in units
Control means for reading corresponding address information recorded in said recording state storage means based on time information inputted externally in order to search for, and searching for and searching for a corresponding message in said voice recording means in accordance with said address information And playback means for playing back the cue message, wherein the externally input time information is a date unit, the address information is an end address of a corresponding message, and the control means An answering machine characterized by searching for a message one day before the input date and searching for the message, and wherein the reproducing means reproduces the message after the end address.