JP3276687B2 - 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 a telephone device having an answering machine function.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Using a telephone having a conventional answering machine function, a so-called message function in which a time, place, message, or the like of a meeting is transmitted among a plurality of persons can be realized. For example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. HEI 3-179964 (H04M 3/42) discloses a message communication method for storing or retrieving a message using a number indicating a specific date or time for both and a number specifying both as keywords. Has been described.

[0003]

However, in such a conventional technique, it is possible to transmit a message between both parties, but it is necessary for the person who transmits the message to check whether the message has been transmitted to the other party without fail. Because of this, the following problems arise. For example, if you want to change the time and place after a message has been recorded on your answering machine, if you want to change the time or place after the message is recorded, if the other party does not monitor the stored message. The change message may be stored again, but if the other party has already monitored the message, the change message cannot be stored again. In other words, there is a problem that the person who transmits the message cannot change the place or time because there is no way to confirm whether the message already stored has been transmitted to the other party.

[0004]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In order to solve the above-mentioned problems of the prior art, an answering machine according to the present invention comprises a memory means for storing a plurality of messages and a reading state for each of the plurality of messages. Have and outside
When an incoming call is received from the phone and the message is stored,
First fixed including the number in the memory means where the page is stored
Answer with a message and receive an incoming call from an external phone
And when a number in the memory means is designated, it is stored in that number
Detects the read status of the message
If the message has already been read, a second fixed message
Responds with a message and the message has not yet been read.
If not, a response is made with a third fixed message .

[0005]

The reading state for each of a plurality of messages is stored together with the message, and the reading state changes when a message transmitting party reads the message.
This reading state is notified by an operation on the side transmitting the message.

[0006]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a schematic block diagram showing a telephone device according to the present invention. This telephone device includes a termination circuit 1, a voice circuit 2, a message number detection circuit 3, a message reading circuit 4, The system includes a message writing circuit 5, a memory 6, a fixed message memory 7, a key input unit 8, a display unit 9, a microphone 10, and a speaker 11.

The terminating circuit 1 is a circuit for connecting and matching the telephone device body and the telephone line. The audio circuit 2 outputs a signal input from the telephone line via the termination circuit 1 to the speaker 11 and the message number detection circuit 3, and outputs an audio input from the microphone 10 to the termination circuit 1 and outputs the audio. Data conversion is performed to output the message to the message writing circuit 5, or data input from the message reading circuit 4 is converted into a voice signal, and the voice signal is output to a telephone line.

The message number detecting circuit 3 detects whether or not a message number has been input from the calling side, and inputs the message number to the message reading circuit. The message reading circuit 4 reads a message in the memory 6 corresponding to the message number output from the message number detecting circuit 3 and outputs the message to the audio circuit 2. If a message corresponding to the message number output from the message number detection circuit 3 has been read, the message is read from the fixed message memory 7 and output to the audio circuit 2.

The message writing circuit 5 records a message input via the microphone 10 and the audio circuit 2 in the memory 6 when writing a message.
The memory 6 is a memory in which an input message is recorded. In addition, when the message is read, a flag indicating that the message has been read is provided. As shown in FIG. 2, a message number,
The message contents and the message read flag are stored. As the message read flag, for example, “0” is stored for a message that has already been read, and “1” is stored for a message that has not been read.

The fixed message memory 7 stores predetermined message data. Table 1 shows an example of the content of each message.

[0012]

[Table 1]

The key input unit 8 includes numerals from 0 to 9 and "*"
Key and a "#" key. When a message is written in the memory 6 by the message writing circuit 5, the display unit 9 blinks, for example, the message number of the written message. On the other hand, when a message is read from the memory 6 by the message reading circuit 4, for example, the message number of the read message is turned on. FIG. 3 shows an example.

Next, the operation of the telephone device will be described. First, during a call, a signal input from the telephone line via the termination circuit 1 is output from the speaker 11 via the audio circuit 2. At the same time, a signal input from the microphone 10 is output to the telephone line via the audio circuit 2 and the termination circuit 1.

When writing a message, the microphone 10
And the message input through the audio circuit 2 is recorded in the memory by the message writing circuit 5.

Next, the operation in the answering machine mode will be described with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG. First, it is determined whether or not there is an incoming call (step 12). When an incoming call is received, the answering machine mode is entered, and for example, a response message such as "I am currently away from you. Please speak after the beeping tone." Send out. Thereafter, the message number is detected by the message number detection circuit 3 as described later (step 13). If no message number is detected, a process for recording a message sent from the calling side is performed as in a normal answering machine (step 14). At this time, the message number of the recorded message is notified to the caller by transmitting a fixed message (see Table 1).

On the other hand, when the message number is inputted by the caller and detected by the message number detecting circuit 3, the message reading circuit 4 sets the message reading flag corresponding to the detected message number in the memory 6 by the message reading circuit 4. Checking (Step 15), if the corresponding message has been read, the message reading circuit 4 sets the fixed message data (Table 1) indicating that the message was read from the fixed message memory 7.
), And the message is reproduced by the audio circuit 2 and transmitted to the telephone line (step 1).
6).

On the other hand, if the message has not been read out, the message reading circuit 4 reads out the fixed message data (see Table 1) from the fixed message memory 7 asking whether the message should be read out, and sends the message to the voice circuit. 2 and play back to the telephone line (step 17) and wait for an input from the caller (step 18). If there is a response from the calling side that, for example, inputs '#' and does not read the message, the call is terminated. On the other hand, if there is a response from the calling side to read out the message by inputting, for example, '*', the message readout circuit 4 reads out the message corresponding to the detected message number from the memory 6 and reads the message. The sound is reproduced by the audio circuit 2 and transmitted to the telephone line (step 19). Further, the message reading circuit 4
Sets the read flag of the read message in the memory 6 to "0" (step 20).

Here, an example of actual use of a case where a message is transmitted from A to B via message number '1' will be described. First, Mr. A inputs a message from the microphone 11 when he is at home. At this time, the display unit 9
'1' flashes to indicate that the message is stored in the memory 6 with the message number "1". When the user is out of the office, a message is input from the telephone line via the terminal circuit 1. At this time, upon completion of the recording of the message, the fixed message shown in Table 1 is transmitted to inform the message number.

Next, at another place, Mr. B monitors a message recorded by a predetermined operation from the telephone line via the terminal circuit 1. This monitoring method is performed, for example, by inputting a password determined in advance between Mr. A and Mr. B, or by using the above-mentioned prior art (Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 3-179996).
The method described in 4) may be used.

Then, at a different place, Mr. A inputs the message number "1" of the previously recorded message from the telephone line via the termination circuit 1, whereby a fixed message indicating that the message has been read is obtained. It is understood that the message is sent to the telephone line and the content of the message number "1" is read.

On the other hand, B still has message number '1'
When Mr. A inputs the message number “1” from the telephone line via the terminal circuit 1 at another place when the content of the message is not read out, a fixed message asking whether to read out the message is sent to the telephone line. Since it is understood that the contents of the message number '1' have not been read, the line may be disconnected by inputting '#' which does not read the message.

[0023]

As described above, according to the present invention, by reading the fact that each of a plurality of recorded messages has been read, the message number input from the calling side can be recorded. Since it is possible to notify that the message has been read, this makes it possible to take measures such as re-recording a new message, thereby enabling effective message management.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a telephone device as one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a conceptual diagram of a storage area of a memory.

FIG. 3 is a display example showing that a message has been read.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustrating an operation when an incoming call is received in an answering machine mode.

[Explanation of symbols]

 2 voice circuit 3 message number detection circuit 4 message reading circuit 5 message writing circuit 6 memory 7 fixed message memory 9 display unit

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page (58) Field surveyed (Int.Cl. ⁷ , DB name) H04M 1/64-1/658 H04M 3/42-3/58

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] A memory means for storing a plurality of messages and a read state for each of the plurality of messages.
Received an incoming call from an external phone and stored the message
When contains the number in the memory means where the message was stored
Answer by first fixed message, from outside phone
When an incoming call is received and a number in the memory means is designated,
Detect the reading status of the message stored in the number
If the message has already been read, the second
Responds with a fixed message of
If not, the answering machine responds with a third fixed message .