JP2911729B2 - Voice mail device - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a voice mail apparatus for storing a voice message input from a telephone in a mailbox and transmitting the stored voice message when a receiving telephone accesses the mailbox.
In particular, the configuration is such that voice messages are automatically distributed to mailboxes.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Voice mail is provided with a plurality of mailboxes (voice storage memory) for storing voice messages, in which voice messages of a sender input from a telephone are stored. On the other hand, the recipient
At your convenience, you can access this mailbox through your telephone and listen to your own voice messages.

This voice mail apparatus comprises an exchange for exchanging lines and a voice mail for storing voice messages. The exchange comprises circuit exchange means and a CPU for controlling the same. The mail includes a plurality of mailboxes (voice storage memory), voice coding means for coding voice signals, and a CPU for controlling the voice signals.
And

In the conventional voice mail apparatus, when storing a voice message, it is necessary for a user to operate a telephone in some way to determine a destination mailbox to be stored. When the mailbox is determined, the exchange means of the exchange sends the received voice message to the voice mail voice coding means, and the coded voice signal is recorded in the registered mailbox under the control of the voice mail side CPU. Is done.

[0005] To listen to a recorded voice message, a user uses a telephone to specify a mailbox and call the exchange. In response to this, the voice mail CPU reads the voice message from the designated mailbox and sends it to the voice encoding means, which decodes the voice message into a voice signal, and the CPU of the exchange controls the switching means. Then, this voice signal is transmitted to the accessed telephone.

In a conventional voice mail apparatus, a message stored in a mailbox can be transferred to another mailbox by designating a time. In this case, it is necessary to individually specify a transfer destination and a transfer time for each message. When this designation is made, the voice mail CPU transfers the designated message to each destination mailbox when the designated time is reached.

[0007]

However, in the conventional voice mail apparatus, when storing voice messages or transferring messages between mailboxes, it is necessary to individually determine the destination mailbox. Therefore, detailed sorting of voice messages that makes the operation of designating the registration destination mailbox complicated (for example, assigning a different mailbox to each office line or extension that transmitted the message, storing the message, (E.g., assigning and storing another mailbox for each received day of the week). If this complexity is pressed and executed, a situation may occur in which a voice message is not recorded in the intended mailbox due to an error in the designation operation.

[0008] In addition, in the case where voice mail receives all calls placed on a specific extension on behalf of the telephone and records the message, ie, so-called alternate reception, the conventional voice mail apparatus cannot handle incoming calls. Everything is registered in one interception mailbox, so users need to search for specific messages in them later and listen to them one by one to sort out a large number of messages. And spend a lot of time organizing the messages.

The present invention solves such a conventional problem, and automatically sorts received voice messages into mailboxes, and transfers messages stored in mailboxes between mailboxes collectively. It is an object of the present invention to provide a voice mail device capable of efficiently managing a message through such a function.

[0010]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Accordingly, in the present invention, a switch for accommodating an extension and an office line, a plurality of mailboxes capable of storing voice messages, and a control for determining a mailbox for storing voice messages are provided. Means for controlling the time in the control means.
The timer that informs you and the time-related units,
Remembers the correspondence between the month and the mailbox
Storage means for performing the operation, the control means
Then, a unit relating to time, a day of the week, a week or a month is calculated, and a mailbox in which a voice message is to be stored is determined according to the correspondence stored in the storage means.

[0011]

[0012]

Further, transfer destination information storage means for storing a correspondence relationship between a transfer source mailbox, a transfer destination mailbox, and a transfer time, and stored in the mailbox.
Whether a voice message was heard
And a listening information storage means for storing the information , and the control means performs the hearing notified from the hearing information storage means in accordance with the correspondence stored in the transfer destination information storage means.
And controls the batch transfer between the mailbox of voice messages that are not.

[0014]

[0015]

[Function] Therefore, calls by extension or office line can be made by day of the week, weekly , or even without specifying the mailbox.
Are recorded in different mailboxes depending on the month, etc.
Detailed management of messages is automatically performed.

[0016]

Further, when the transfer time has arrived, the listening is still performed in accordance with the correspondence stored in the transfer destination information storage means.
Unattended voice messages are transferred in bulk between mailboxes.

[0018]

Through these operations, efficient management of messages using the voice mail device becomes possible.

[0020]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS (First Embodiment) As shown in FIG. 1, a voice mail apparatus according to a first embodiment has an exchange 1 accommodating a plurality of office lines 2 and extensions 3, and a voice mail having a message storing function. The switching system 1 comprises a switching means 5 for performing line switching, and a switching side CPU 6 for controlling the entire switching system.
The voice mail 7 comprises a plurality of mailboxes (voice storage memory) 9, voice coding means 10 for coding and decoding voice signals, and extension-specific mailboxes for setting registration destination mailboxes corresponding to extensions. Voice mail side CP for exchanging data between recording destination storage memory 11 and exchange side CPU 6
U8.

As shown in FIG. 2, the extension-specific recording destination storage memory 11 of the voice mail 7 stores, for each extension telephone 4 accommodated in the exchange 1, ie, for each extension port number, a registration destination mailbox. The set value has been written.

In this voice mail device, the extension telephone 4
When there is an incoming call from an office line or an extension, one of the extension port numbers of the incoming extension telephone is notified from the exchange side CPU 6 to the voice mail side CPU 8.

The voice mail side CPU 8 receiving this notification
Refers to the extension-specific recording destination storage memory 11, determines the setting value of the registration destination mailbox corresponding to the extension port number, and determines the recording destination mailbox. The exchange means 5 of the exchange 1 converts the contents of the call by the extension telephone into a voice mail 7
, And the coded voice signal is recorded in the determined destination mailbox 9 under the control of the voice mail side CPU 8.

Thus, in this voice mail device,
The user performs transmission / reception by telephone in a normal mode without any operation, so that the contents of the call are recorded in a predetermined mailbox.

Therefore, a message received by one's own extension telephone can be automatically left in one's own mailbox. For example, an order received by telephone can be processed while checking a voice mail later to check the order. It becomes possible to use a voice mail device that performs In such a case, the messages that can be heard by the voice mail device are limited to those that were once handled by the user's own telephone. improves.

(Second Embodiment) As shown in FIG. 3, the voice mail apparatus according to the second embodiment has a recording destination storage memory 11 for each extension.
In addition to the above, the voice mail 7 is provided with a recording memory 12 for storing a recording destination for each office line which determines a registration destination box for each office line. As shown in FIG. 4, the setting value of the registration destination mailbox 9 is written in the recording memory 12 for each office line, corresponding to the number of the office line 2 accommodated in the exchange 1. Other configurations are the same as those of the first embodiment (FIG. 1).

In this voice mail apparatus, the extension telephone 4
When an incoming call is received from the central office line 2, the extension port number of the incoming extension telephone and the incoming office line number are notified from the exchange side CPU 6 to the voice mail side CPU 8.

The voice mail side CPU 8 receiving this notification
Refers to the extension-specific recording destination storage memory 11 or the office line-specific recording destination storage memory 12 in accordance with the program setting, and determines the recording destination mailbox based on the memory. Then, as in the case of the first embodiment, the call is recorded in each of the determined destination mailboxes 9.

Since this voice mail device has a mailbox assigned to each office line, when a mailbox is determined by the office storage unit 12, the office line is assigned to each user. As a result, messages are automatically distributed to mailboxes for each user, and message management can be performed for each user. At this time, the user does not need any special operation for specifying the mailbox.

In this case, the voice mail side CPU 8
Depending on the program setting, the memory for storing the recording destination for each extension
11 and the recording memory 12 for each line
It is also possible to further sort the extension-specific messages by office line.

(Third Embodiment) As shown in FIG. 5, the voice mail apparatus of the third embodiment sets a timer 14 for notifying the time to the voice mail CPU 8 and a recording destination storage memory for each day, week or month. The voice mail 7 is provided with a recording destination storage memory 13 for each day of the week. As shown in FIG. 6, the recording destination storage memory 13 for each day of the week assigns a registration destination mailbox corresponding to each day of the week, week, or month. Other configurations are the same as those of the first embodiment.

In this voice mail apparatus, the voice mail CPU 8 calculates the current date, day of the week, and the like from the information of the timer 14.

When an incoming call is received at the extension telephone 4, the extension port number information of the received extension telephone is stored in the exchange side CP.
U6 notifies the voice mail side CPU8. In response to this, the voice mail side CPU 8 refers to the extension-specific recording destination storage memory 11 or the day-of-week recording destination storage memory 13 according to the program setting, and stores the extension-specific recording destination storage memory.
A message is recorded in the registration destination mailbox 9 set to 11 or the registration destination mailbox 9 according to the current day of the week, week, or month allocated by the recording destination storage memory 13 such as by day of the week. Therefore, when a mailbox is determined according to the recording destination storage memory 13 such as by day of the week, messages are automatically sorted into mailboxes by day of the week, weekly or monthly, and managed.

By changing the setting method of the recording destination storage memory 13 such as by day of the week, messages can be sorted by day or by time, and by changing the program setting of the voice mail CPU 8. Calls received at each extension can be sorted by day of the week, weekly, monthly, etc. for each extension.

(Fourth Embodiment) A voice mail apparatus according to a fourth embodiment is configured so that messages recorded in a mailbox can be transferred to another mailbox in a batch. As shown in FIG. The voice mail 7 includes a timer 14, a recording destination storage memory 11 for each extension, and a recording destination memory for each office line.
12 and a recording destination storage memory 13 for each day of the week, a listening information storage memory 15 for storing whether a message recorded in a mailbox has already been heard, and setting values for batch transfer such as a transfer destination and a transfer time. And a transfer destination information storage memory 16 for writing.

In the transfer destination information storage memory 16, as shown in FIG. 8, a transfer destination mailbox and a transfer time are set in correspondence with an extension port number, a station line number or a day of the week. Further, the listening information storage memory 15 sets a flag on a message when the message is registered in the voice mail, and drops the flag when the message is accessed and listened to. The presence or absence of the interview is memorized.

In this voice mail device, the voice mail CPU 8 refers to the timer 14 and each time the time reaches the time when the data is written to the transfer destination information storage memory 16, in accordance with the designation of the memory 16, for example, the extension Batch transfer messages recorded in the mailbox corresponding to the port number to the destination mailbox. If the transfer time is not written in the memory 16, the transfer is not performed.

At the time of the batch transfer, the voice mail side CPU 8 obtains information of a message which has not been heard from the listening information storage memory 15 and designates a mailbox designated only for the message which has not been heard. You can also transfer them all at once.

As described above, by combining the automatic recording function to the designated mailbox in the first to third embodiments and the automatic batch transfer function in the fourth embodiment, more efficient use of the voice mail apparatus is achieved. Enabled, for example,
In a case where a call for each extension is automatically recorded in a mailbox corresponding to each extension, and the mailbox is accessed later to perform a slip processing (first embodiment), a mail specifying only unlisted messages is also used. Automatic batch transfer to boxes at a fixed time allows each person to centralize what could not be processed into a single mailbox and set up a processing system where vacant people can execute the processing of that part .

When a mailbox is assigned to each user (the second embodiment), only unlisted messages for a specific user can be collected in a designated box and centrally managed by an automatic batch transfer function.

(Fifth Embodiment) In a fifth embodiment, a description will be given of message management in the case of performing alternate reception using the voice mail apparatus shown in FIG.

When the alternate telephone is set by the extension telephone 4, when an incoming call is received from the central office 2 to the internal telephone 4, the exchange side CPU 6 confirms the alternate reception setting.
However, the voice mail 7 is directly received from the exchange 1 so that the caller's message can be recorded.

The registration destination mailbox in which the message is recorded at the time of this alternate reception is determined by the setting of the recording destination storage memory 12 for each office line or the recording destination storage memory 13 for each day of the week, and which of these memories is used. , Is determined by the set value of the voice mail side CPU 8.

As described above, in this voice mail device,
Even during interception, the messages are sorted in various forms and stored in voice, so that the efficiency of message search and management is significantly improved.

[0045]

As is apparent from the above description of the embodiment, the voice mail apparatus of the present invention does not require a complicated operation for individually designating mailboxes, and can sort messages into mailboxes in detail. Automatic batch transfer between mailboxes is possible.

Also, through such functions, messages can be efficiently managed, and the range of use of the voice mail device as an information management device can be expanded.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a voice mail device according to a first embodiment;

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a setting state of a recording destination storage memory for each extension in the device.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a voice mail device according to a second embodiment;

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a setting state of a recording destination storage memory for each office line in the apparatus.

FIG. 5 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of a voice mail device according to a third embodiment;

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a setting state of a recording destination storage memory for each day of the week in the device.

FIG. 7 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a voice mail device according to a fourth embodiment;

FIG. 8 is a diagram showing a setting state of a transfer destination information storage memory in the device.

[Explanation of symbols]

 REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 exchange 2 office line 3 extension 4 extension telephone 5 exchange means 6 exchange CPU 7 voice mail 8 voice mail side CPU 9 mailbox (voice storage memory) 10 voice encoding means 11 extension line recording destination storage memory 12 station line recording destination Storage memory 13 Recording destination storage memory for each day of the week 14 Timer 15 Listening information storage memory 16 Transfer destination information storage memory

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on front page (58) Field surveyed (Int.Cl. ⁶ , DB name) H04M 3/42 H04Q 3/58

Claims (2)

(57) [Claims] An exchange accommodating an extension and an office line, a plurality of mailboxes capable of storing voice messages,
A voice mail apparatus comprising: a control unit for determining a mailbox in which a voice message is to be stored ; a timer for notifying the control unit of a time;
Unit, day of the week, week or month and the mailbox
Storage means for storing the correspondence relationship,
The means is a unit relating to time from the information of the timer,
A voice mail apparatus which calculates a day of the week, a week or a month, and determines a mailbox in which the voice message is to be stored in accordance with the correspondence stored in the storage means. 2. An exchange accommodating extensions and central office lines, a plurality of mailboxes capable of storing voice messages,
In a voice mail device comprising a control means for determining a mailbox in which a voice message is to be stored, a transfer source mailbox and a transfer destination mailbox are transferred.
Transfer destination information storage unit that stores the correspondence with the sending time
And the voice message stored in the mailbox.
To remember if the page was heard
Take provided an information storage means, said control means, said transfer
According to the corresponding relationship stored in the target information storage means, before Kibun
The hearing notified from the
Control the batch transfer between the mail box of no voice message
Voice mail device, characterized in that the control.