JPH0129885Y2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed description of the invention] The present invention relates to an answering machine, and in particular, one recording/playback machine and one magnetic recording tape (hereinafter sometimes referred to as "magnetic tape" or simply "tape"). The present invention relates to an improvement in an answering machine capable of recording and reproducing response messages and the contents of received calls.

Conventionally, there are two types of answering machines: those that are equipped with one dedicated recording and playback machine and are operated alternately by themselves, and those that use only one recording and playback machine. In the former case, recording of the message can be started immediately after the response message has been played back to the speaker, and all that is required is to rewind the response message recording tape (however, if endless tape is used, this operation is not necessary). ) There is no need to rewind the tape for recording business matters.
Although it has the advantage that it only needs to be stopped at the end of the business speech, it has the disadvantage that the mechanism of the device is complicated.

On the other hand, in the latter case, although it has the advantage that the device mechanism can be configured relatively easily, it uses a tape (cassette) with a response message recorded only in one place at the beginning of the tape. The more times the message is recorded on the book tape, and the longer the message is recorded each time, the longer it will take to accept the message speech after the response message is played back. ,
This method has the disadvantage that it is not possible to record a message that is longer than a certain point because the caller is kept waiting.

The reason for this can be explained with reference to Figure 1. In the latter type of device, magnetic tape is first
A response message A is recorded almost at the beginning of T', and the message reception record portions R ₁ to Rn are set sequentially thereafter. Therefore, a response message is played in response to reception from the speaker, then the system enters fast-forward mode, skips the already recorded portion, switches to recording mode at the beginning of the unrecorded portion, and enters the message reception state. becomes. At this time, the fast forward speed of the tape is about ten times faster than normal recording or constant speed playback. Now, if the speed is set to 20 times the fixed speed, and the total time of the recorded call is about 5 minutes (300 seconds), the speaker will have to wait about 15 seconds for his or her speech to be accepted. become. As described above, the longer the recorded call time, the longer the speaker has to wait, and the higher the telephone bill, which is disadvantageous economically.

Assuming that the waiting time limit is 15 seconds, the tape fast-forward speed is 20 times the constant speed, and the time allotted for one reception is 30 seconds, including the separation band, the number of times that can be recorded is the number of times per magnetic tape roll. The limit was 11 times (15 x 20 ÷ 30 + 1 = 11), which created problems such as the owner of the answering machine being unable to leave the phone for long periods of time.

The present invention satisfactorily eliminates the above-mentioned drawbacks, and will be described below with reference to FIGS. 2 and 3.

FIG. 2 shows a magnetic tape T used in the apparatus of the present invention. At the beginning and middle of this tape T, response messages A ₁ , A ₂ ,
Am (m is an arbitrary integer) is recorded so that a received call can be recorded multiple times between two adjacent response message recording sections. That is, from the first time until the nth time (n is an arbitrary integer), the response message is recorded in the area between _A1 and _A2 , and
Response messages A ₂ and A ₃ from +1 to 2n times
Record it in the part between..., from (m-1)n times
Up to mn times, the response message Am is recorded in the part after the recording part. Therefore, it is now possible to record m times as many phone calls on one roll of tape compared to conventional tapes of the same type. Note that _M1 to M(n+1)m are separation bands that also serve as position detection markers, so as long as these parts have the function of position detection, specific signals can be recorded even if they are left unrecorded. It can be anything.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram of the circuit configuration of one embodiment of the device of the present invention, and its operation will be explained below.

First, in the reception waiting state, the tape T is stopped at a position where the beginning (or just before) of the response message _A1 faces the recording/reproducing head 9. When the caller rings a predetermined number of times (approximately 4 times), the line is connected at the line connection part 1, and almost at the same time, a motor (not shown) starts rotating to run the tape T at a constant speed. . Further, the recording/reproducing head 9 is set to a reproduction mode by the switching circuit 3, and reproduces a response message to convey necessary comments to the caller. Response message recording location
Immediately after A ₁ is a separation band M ₁ , which also serves as a position detection marker, from which the signal is extracted, and immediately after the response message is played back, the position detection circuit 2 is activated, and the storage/control circuit 4 is activated. make it work. The memory/control circuit 4 stores the number of messages recorded up to that time (or the position of the last recorded location).
is stored, and a signal is output to the mechanism drive circuit 5 to fast-forward the tape by a length corresponding to the number of times (if it is 0 times, no fast-forwarding). Immediately after the fast-forwarding is completed, a signal sound reminding the user of the task (for example, a sound of "peets") is made, the mode is switched to the recording mode, and the recording mode is maintained for a preset time to record the task. When this is completed, the tape T is rewound so as to be set at the beginning position (ie, the initial state) of the response message recording portion _A1 , and the state returns to the reception standby state. However, after the n-th recording is completed, the tape T is stopped and is set at the beginning position of the next response message recording section _A2 . In addition, 6
1 is a bias source, 7 is a recording amplifier, and 8 is a reproduction amplifier, which are used to record and reproduce response messages and business matters in a good manner.

In the embodiment described above, the information is recorded in the part after each response message, but the present invention is not limited to this, and one recording section (for example, R ₁ to Rn) is divided into approximately half, and the first half (i.e., R ₁ to Rn/ ₂ ) as in the previous example, and in the second half, after playing the next response message (i.e. A ₂ ), the tape T is rewound to record the requirements, and after finishing, the tape is fast forwarded (or at constant speed). The vehicle may be configured to run) and then stop at the beginning of _A2 . In this case, the first response message _A1 does not need to be at the beginning of the tape, and a space for recording the externally received contents can be provided even before the recording part of _A1 . Although this embodiment has a slightly more complicated mechanism (configuration) than the previous embodiment, it has the advantage that the maximum time the caller is forced to wait for message reception is approximately halved.

Since the answering machine of the present invention is constructed as described above, it does not keep the caller waiting that long, has a relatively simple construction, and only slightly increases the number of times the answering message is recorded compared to the conventional answering machine of the same type. It has the excellent feature of being able to record several times as many phone calls on a single roll of tape.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

Fig. 1 is a magnetic tape used in a conventional device of the same type as the present invention, Fig. 2 is a magnetic tape used in the present invention device, and Fig. 3 is a block diagram of the circuit configuration of an embodiment of the present invention device. shows. 1...Line connection section, 2...Position detection circuit, 3...
...switching circuit, 4...memory/control circuit, 5...mechanism drive circuit, 6...bias source, 7...recording amplifier, 8...playback amplifier, 9...recording/reproducing head, T...magnetic tape , A ₁ to Am...response message (recorded part), _R1 to Rmn... message reception record part, _M1 to M(n+1)m... separation band.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claim for Utility Model Registration] In an answering machine that records an answering message and the contents of an incoming call on one recording/playback device and one magnetic tape, the telephone line is opened in response to a ringing tone from a caller. a recording/playback head for recording and reproducing the response message and the contents of the received call; and a switching circuit for switching the recording/playback head from playback mode to recording mode after the response message has been played back. Then, the number of times the business has already been recorded or the position of the last recorded part is memorized, and the length corresponding to the number of times or the last recorded part is recorded.
A storage/control circuit that outputs a signal for fast forwarding or rewinding the tape, and a position detection unit that extracts a position detection signal recorded immediately after the response message and supplies an operating signal to the storage/control circuit. circuit, and a mechanism drive circuit for running the magnetic tape at a constant speed for a predetermined period of time and for fast forwarding or rewinding in response to signals from the storage/control circuit; The response message is recorded in multiple locations at approximately equal intervals so that the message can be recorded multiple times, and the response message is played back when an external signal is received, and after the playback is finished, the response message is recorded at approximately equal intervals so that the message can be recorded multiple times. The magnetic tape is rewound or fast-forwarded until the rear end of the recording area on the tape where the external signal is recorded comes into contact with the magnetic head, and then the recording mode is set to record the contents received from the outside. An answering machine characterized by comprising: