JPH02113658A - Automatic answering telephone system - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To allow an operator to obtain time information relating to a voice message at an arbitrarily time by displaying the time information relating to the voice message stored into a memory means on a visible display means during the reproduction of the voice message. CONSTITUTION:When the voice message is recorded on a sound-recording medium, a detecting means 3a to detect the time information relating to the voice message and a memory means to store the prescribed time information relating to the voice message detected by the detecting means 3a are provided. Further, a control means 3b to control the prescribed time information stored into the memory means so as to be displayed on a visible display means 8 during the reproduction of the voice message recorded on the sound-recording medium is provided. Consequently, during the reproduction of the recorded voice message, the time information relating to the voice message is displayed on the visible display means. Thus, by observing the visible display means, the operator can arbitrarily obtain the time information on the reproduced voice message even during the reproduction of the voice message.

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Object of the Invention] (Industrial Application Field) The present invention records a voice message sent at the time of answering machine recording setting on a recording medium, and when a playback instruction is given, the voice message is recorded on a recording medium. The present invention relates to an answering machine equipped with an answering machine function for reproducing voice messages recorded on a recording medium.

(Prior Art) Conventionally, in an answering machine, when recording a voice message (message) received while in answering mode, an audio signal representing the recording start time of the message, that is, the time of call arrival, is used. Is there something to be recorded at the beginning or end of the message?

Therefore, in this answering machine, when a message is played back, the time when the message arrives is communicated to the operator.

However, with this conventional answering machine, the time of incoming call is announced only before or after the message is played back, so the operator can check the time of arrival of the message while the message is being played back. Even if I wanted to know, there was no way to check.

(Problems to be Solved by the Invention) As mentioned above, in conventional answering machines, when playing back a voice message that has been received and recorded when answering machine recording is set, temporal information such as the time of arrival of the voice message, etc. is announced only before or after playback, so even if the operator wants to obtain temporal information about the voice message while it is being played,
There was a problem that I couldn't get it.

The present invention has been made in consideration of the above circumstances, and its purpose is to inform the operator of the time related to the voice message even during the playback of the voice message that was received and recorded when the answering machine recording was set. To provide a convenient answering machine that can broadcast time information regarding voice messages, thereby allowing an operator to obtain time information regarding voice messages at any time.

[Structure of the Invention] (Means for Solving the Problems) The present invention provides a method for recording a voice message received when the user is away from home on a recording medium such as a cassette tape or a memory. regarding,
For example, a detection means for detecting temporal information such as recording start time, recording time, recording order, etc., and a storage means such as a memory for storing temporal information regarding the voice message detected by the detection means, During reproduction of the voice message recorded on the medium, temporal information regarding the voice message stored in the storage means is displayed on a visible display means such as a liquid crystal display (LCD).

(Function) By taking such measures, during the playback of received and recorded voice messages when answering machine recording is set, information regarding the voice messages being played, such as recording time, recording time, recording order, etc. For example, temporal information is L
Since the information is displayed on a visual display means such as a CD, the operator can arbitrarily obtain temporal information regarding the reproduced voice message even while the voice message is being reproduced by looking at the visual display means.

(Embodiment) Hereinafter, an answering machine according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the answering machine. In the figure, 1 is a line control section, 2 is a transmitter/receiver section, 3 is a control section, and 5 is an operation section, which realize the basic functions of an answering machine. That is,
When the operator picks up the handset (not shown) in the handset 2 to make a call, the handset 2 goes off-hook. When the line control unit 1 detects that the transmitting/receiving unit 2 is in an off-hook state, it closes a DC loop with the exchange via the line 5.

Here, when the telephone number of the called party is inputted from the operation section 4, the control section 3 causes the line control section 1 to send a dial signal corresponding to the inputted telephone number to the line 5. As a result, an exchange (not shown) connected via the line 5 calls the called party, and when the calling optical telephone responds to this calling operation, a call is made via the line 5 and the exchange. The transmitting/receiving section 2 of the main answering machine and the transmitting/receiving section of the called destination telephone are connected to each other.

On the other hand, when a paging signal arrives from the exchange via the line 5, the line control section 1 detects this paging signal and notifies the control section 3 that the paging signal has arrived. Then, the control section 3 drives, for example, a bell or an alarm generator (not shown) to call the operator. When the operator picks up the handset in response to the operator's call and the handset/receiver section 2 goes off-hook, the line control section closes the DC loop via the line 5, thereby allowing the line 5 and the exchange to The transmitting/receiving section 2 of the answering machine and the transmitting/receiving section of the calling side telephone are connected to each other.

Thus, telephone communication is possible between the operator of the main telephone answering machine and the operator of the companion telephone (destination telephone or calling party telephone).

This answering machine also includes a response message recording and playback unit 6 that records and plays a response message to be sent when an incoming call occurs during answering machine mode, which will be described later. The response message recording and reproducing section 6 includes a message recording and reproducing section 7 that records an incoming voice message, that is, a message and reproducing it when a reproduction instruction is given. and an answering machine control means, which will be described later, constitute an answering machine function.

The answering machine further includes a display section 8, which is a visual display means for displaying various information such as an LCD, for example, and displays various information such as the status of the device; a clock 9; It stores a recording number counter 10 that counts the number of recordings, and information related to the message such as the recording start position and recording path of the message, recording start time, recording time, etc. (hereinafter referred to as message message information). Message information memory 1
1, and a speaker] 2 used when reproducing the business message. Note that the message information memory 1 is also used as a storage means for storing temporal information regarding the message.

By the way, the control unit 3 has, for example, a microcomputer as a main control circuit, and in addition to the control means for realizing the above-mentioned normal telephone functions, it also has an answering machine that controls the main answering machine when the answering machine mode is set. It is provided with a control means 3a and a display control means 3b which causes the display section 8 to display temporal information regarding the reproduced message while the message is being reproduced.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a memory map of the message information memory 1. As shown in the figure, the message information memory 11 has a storage area set up for each message number of the target message (in this embodiment, the recording order is the message number), and each The area for storing message information also includes the recording start position,
The recording end position, recording start time, and recording time are divided into storage areas.

Next, the operation of the telephone answering machine configured as described above will be explained based on the processing procedure of the control section 3. First, in the standby state, the control unit 3 determines whether or not the answering mode is set in step S as shown in FIG.
Detection is performed.

If the answering machine is not in the answering machine mode, the control unit 3 determines in step S3 whether or not a playback instruction has been given, and in step S4 operates as a well-known general answering machine as described above. Control as if it were tightened.

Here, the answering mode is set, and step S2
When the arrival of a CI signal is detected in step S5, the control section 3 closes the DC loop, and then, in step S6, pre-records the response message on a cassette tape (not shown) in the response message recording/playback section 6. For example, a response message indicating that the operator is absent is played back, and this response message is sent from the line control unit 1 to the line 5. Then, in step s7, the recording number counter 10 is incremented by one, and the order of the current incoming call is calculated. Next, in step s8 and step S9, the recording start position (here, the tape counter) and the current time indicated by the clock 9 are stored in the storage area of the business message information memory]1 allocated in accordance with the order of incoming calls. That is, after each recording start time is stored, in step SIO, the message recording and reproducing section 7 starts recording the message on a cassette tape (not shown) as a recording medium.

In this state, the control unit 3 waits for the calling side telephone to enter the call end state in step S], 1, and when it is detected that the call end state has entered, the control unit 3 starts recording and playing back the message in step S12. The recording operation of section 7 is stopped.

When the recording of the business message is completed, the control unit 3 calculates the recording time by subtracting the recording start time stored in the business message information memory 1 from the current time in step S813, and calculates the recording time in step S14. The calculated recording time is stored in a predetermined storage area of the message information memory 11.

Further, the control section 3 stores the recording end position, that is, the current tape counter in the message information memory 1 in step S15, and then releases the DC loop in step 51-6, thereby terminating the process.

Thus, when recording a business message, business message information including temporal information regarding the business message is detected and stored. Note that these steps S2
Each process from step S16 is performed using the answering machine control means 3a.

On the other hand, in the standby state when the answering mode is not set, when it is detected in step S3 that a playback instruction has been issued from the operation unit 4, the control unit 3 determines the number of the message to be played back in step S17. of"
1”. Then, in step S18, the control unit 3 reads the recording area in which the message of the set message number is recorded, that is, the recording start position and the recording end position, from the message information memory]1, and in step S19 At step 818, the message recording/playback section 7 starts playing from the recording start position read out at step 818. In parallel with playing back the business message, the control unit 3, in steps S20 and S21, reads the recording start time and recording time of the business message being played back from the business message information memory 1]-. Then, in step S22, the read recording start time and recording time are displayed on the display section 8 together with the message number. In this state, in step 823, the control unit 3 performs step S
], waits until the playback of the business message is completed up to the recording end position read in step 8, and when the playback to the recording end position is completed, the playback of the business message is stopped in step S24, and then step S24 is performed. In S25,
The business message number and recording start time on the display section 8.

Stops the display of recording time, etc.

Subsequently, in step S26, the control section 3 determines whether or not the next business message has been recorded. Here, if the next business message has been recorded, in step S27, the control unit 3 sets the number of the business message to be played back to the number of the business message that was played last time + 1, and then
The processing from step S18 onwards is repeated. Then, all recorded business messages are played back, and step S26
When it is determined that there is no next business message, the control section 3 ends the process. Here, the processes from step 320 to step S22 and step S25 are performed using the display control means 3b.

Thus, while the business message is being reproduced, the temporal information regarding the business message detected and stored during recording is displayed on the display section 8.

As described above, according to this embodiment, when recording a business message, the recording start time, recording time, and recording order are determined and stored. Then, while the business message is being played back, the stored recording start time, recording time, and recording order are displayed on the display section 8.

Here, the display unit 8 is a visual display device consisting of, for example, an LCD, so the operator can listen to the message being played back as audio and at any time, set the recording start time of the message being played back. Information such as recording time and recording order can be obtained.

Note that the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments.

For example, the time information regarding the business message is not limited to the recording start time, recording time, and recording order, and may not include all of the recording start time, recording time, and recording order.

Further, in the embodiment described above, while the message is being reproduced, the temporal information regarding the message being reproduced is always displayed, or may be displayed only when instructed to do so by the operator. Furthermore, in the above embodiment, a cassette tape is used as the recording medium for recording the business message, but a memory or other recording medium may also be used. In addition, various modifications can be made without departing from the gist of the present invention.

[Effects of the Invention] According to the present invention, when recording a received voice message on a recording medium when setting an answering machine recording, predetermined temporal information regarding the voice message, such as the recording start time, recording time, call priority, etc., is recorded. Detect and remember. Since the predetermined temporal information is displayed on a visible display means such as an LCD while the voice message recorded on the recording medium is being played back, the operator is always informed of the temporal information regarding the voice message being played back. This provides a convenient answering machine that allows the operator to obtain temporal information regarding the reproduced voice message at any time even while the voice message is being reproduced.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

The figures are diagrams explaining an answering machine according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the answering machine, and FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the answering machine, and FIG. FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing the control procedure of the control unit 3 in FIG. 1. DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1... Line control part, 3... Control part, 3a... Answering machine control means, 3b... Display control means, 7... Message recording and reproduction part, 8... Display part, 9 ···clock,
10... Recording number counter, 11... Message information memory. Applicant's agent Patent attorney Takehiko Suzue N

Claims (2)

[Claims] (1) A visual display means for visually displaying predetermined information, and a voice message sent when the answering machine recording is set is recorded on a recording medium, and the voice message is recorded on the recording medium when a playback instruction is given. In the answering machine equipped with an answering function for reproducing a voice message, a detection means detects temporal information regarding the voice message when recording the voice message on the recording medium;
Storage means for storing predetermined temporal information regarding the voice message detected by the detection means; and the predetermined temporal information stored in the storage means during playback of the voice message recorded on the recording medium. an answering machine, comprising: control means for controlling the visual display means to display on the visual display means. (2) The predetermined temporal information is at least one of the recording start time, recording time, or recording order of the voice message.
The answering machine according to claim 1, characterized in that: