JPH0247961A - Automatic answering telephone set - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To reproduce an important message with priority when plural messages are received by acquiring a display control signal in advance to an important caller and sending the display control signal at the transmission of a message. CONSTITUTION:The caller sends a message with respect to a reply message in the automatic answering mode and the caller acquiring an ID number in advance sends the ID number by using a display control signal. In this case, after the start of a reply message transmission means 4 or after the start of a message recording means 5, when a display control signal detection means 7 detects an ID number, a name corresponding to the ID number is read from a display information storage means 9 and displayed on a display means 10. Thus, the user of the automatic answering telephone set after coming back home acquires the caller of the message sending the ID code depending on the name of the caller displayed on the means 10 to reproduce the message with priority.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an answering machine that displays information on recorded business messages.

2. Description of the Related Art In general, this type of answering machine automatically receives a call when in answering mode, sends a prerecorded response message,
The system is configured so that the message sent by the caller in response to this response message is recorded, and the user can reproduce the message after returning home.

Conventionally, this type of answering machine has been configured to display the number of recorded response messages as a number or number of lit lamps, so that the user can know the number of incoming calls when the user is away after returning home. .

Problems to be Solved by the Invention However, since the above-mentioned conventional answering machine only displays the number of incoming calls when in answering machine mode, it is not possible to know the importance of the caller, and therefore it is not possible to know the importance of the caller. There is a problem in that it is inconvenient because it has to be played again.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In view of the above conventional problems, it is an object of the present invention to provide an answering machine that can preferentially reproduce important messages for the user.

Means for Solving the Problems In order to achieve the above object, the present invention detects a predetermined display control signal from a line, and when a business message and a display control signal are received from the line, displays a business message. In addition to recording the message, a message indicating that a display control signal has been received for the message is displayed.

Effects of the present invention With the above configuration, by making the important caller know the display control signal in advance and sending the display control signal at the time of sending out the business message, when a plurality of business messages are received, Messages important to the user can be played back preferentially.

EXAMPLES Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing one embodiment of the answering machine according to the present invention, FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing the display information input means and key manual means shown in FIG. 1, and FIG. It is an explanatory diagram showing a display means of a figure.

In FIG. 1, reference numeral 1 indicates a control means which is constituted by a microcomputer and performs control described later; 2 indicates a called detection means for detecting a calling signal from a telephone line; and 3 indicates a means for closing and opening the telephone line. line closing means; 4 is a response message sending means for sending a prerecorded response message to the telephone line; 5 is a means for recording a message sent from the caller via the telephone line; The message recording means 6 is a switching means for selectively switching the response message sending means 4 or the business message recording means 5 to connect to the telephone line.

Incidentally, the response message sending means 4 and the business message recording means 5 can use a semiconductor memory or a magnetic tape.

7 corresponds to a display control signal detection means for detecting a display control signal (DTMF signal) sent from a calling party via a telephone line; 8 corresponds to a display control signal detected by the display control signal detection means 7; This is a display information input means for inputting display information.

For example, as shown in FIG. 2, the display information input means 8 assigns rows A to W to the numeric keys "1" to "9" and "0" of the dial key 8a, and inputs the keys "*" and "0" respectively. By assigning "voiced sound" and "registration" to "#" respectively, I
You can register your D number and name.

When registering a name using the dial key 8a, for example, to register the name "Hanako", press the number key "6" corresponding to the row once (once), and press the number key "5" corresponding to the row "5" once (once).
” once (same) and number key “2” corresponding to the row five times (sequentially).

9 is the display information (ID) input from the display information input means 8;
display information storage means for storing (number and name), 10
is a display means for displaying the display information stored in the display information storage means 9.

The display means 10, as shown in FIG. 3, is an LCD (LiquidCryst
It is configured as a display (Al Display).

Reference numeral 11 denotes a storage location storage means for storing the storage position of each message in the message recording means 5, and reference numeral 12 denotes a playback unit for selectively reproducing the message recorded in the message recording means 5. As shown in FIG. 2, the key human power means 12 includes a key "Away" for setting and canceling the answering mode.
It consists of a playback key 12a, a "record" key for recording a response message, and a "clear" key for canceling or erasing the mode or message set by these keys.

Next, the operation of the above embodiment, particularly the operation of the control means 1, will be explained.

In FIG. 1, when a calling signal is input through the telephone line in the answering machine mode and the called detection means 2 detects this signal, the line closing means 3 closes the telephone line.
At the same time, it activates the response message sending means 4 and also controls the switching means 6 to connect the response message sending means 4 to the telephone line.

Therefore, the response message recorded in advance in the response message sending means 4 is sent to the telephone line via the switching means 6 and the line closing means 3. In this case, the calling party can send a business message in response to this response message, and the calling party who has previously learned the ID number can send this ID number using a DTMF signal.

When a predetermined period of time has elapsed after activation of the response message sending means 4, the operation of the response message sending means 4 is stopped, the business message recording means 5 is started, and the business message recording means 5 is connected to a telephone line. The switching means 6 is controlled as follows.

Therefore, the business message sent from the calling party is recorded in the business message recording means 5 via the telephone line, the line closing means 3, and the switching means 6.

When the message is recorded in the message recording means 5, the number of message messages is displayed on the display means 10, and the head position of the storage position of the message recording means 5 is stored in the storage position storage means 11.

In this case, when the display control signal detection means 7 detects an ID number after activation of the response message sending means 4 or after activation of the business message recording means 5, the name corresponding to the ID number is stored in the display information storage means 9. reading from and displaying means 10
to be displayed.

The above operation is performed every time a call arrives in answering mode,
Therefore, as shown in Figure 3, for business messages from callers who did not send an ID code (incoming call number 11, third call in the figure), only the order in which they arrived is displayed, and the message from the caller who sent an ID code is displayed. For business messages (the second and fourth calls shown in the figure), the order of arrival, ID number, and name of the caller are displayed.

Therefore, after returning home, the user of this telephone answering machine can know the callers of the second, second, and fourth business messages based on the caller's name displayed on the display means 10. The second and fourth business messages can be reproduced preferentially by using the reproduction key 12a of the key manual means 12 and the numeric keys of the dial key 8a.

In this case, the control means 1 reads out the beginning positions of the storage positions of the second and fourth business messages stored in the storage location storage means 11, and sets the business message recording means 5 to the reproduction state.

In the above embodiment, the ID number and the caller's name are added and displayed for the message to which the display control signal has been sent, but as shown in FIG. Number of calls (1st to 4th incoming calls shown) WOL E
D (Light Emitting Diode)
108 to 10d, and the message for which the display control signal was sent (the third incoming call shown in the figure) is displayed by the LED.
loc may be made to blink. In this case, the word "emergency" may be displayed instead of blinking.

According to the above embodiment, if the caller feels uncomfortable with uttering a business message, the ID number is simply sent, and the user can terminate the call even if the business message is not recorded. This also has the effect of being able to detect incoming calls from other people.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION As described in detail, the present invention detects a predetermined display control signal from a line, and when a message and a display control signal are received from the line, records the message and records the message. Since it is now possible to display the fact that a display control signal has been received for a business message, it is possible to make important callers aware of the display control signal in advance and send the display control signal when sending a business message. When a plurality of message messages are received, messages important to the user can be played back preferentially.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of an answering machine according to the present invention, FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing the display information input means and key manual means shown in FIG. 1, and FIG. FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing a modification of the display means in FIG. 3. DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1... Control means, 2... Called detection means, 3... Line closing means, 4... Response message sending means, Death...
Message recording means, 6... switching means, 7...
Display control signal detection means, 8...Display information input means, 9
. . . Display information storage means, 10 . . . Display means (LCD
), 10a to 10e...LED, 11...Storage position storage means, 12...Key manual means.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] (1) Means for recording and reproducing a business message from a line, means for detecting a predetermined display control signal from the line, a business message, and a predetermined display control signal. An answering machine having means for recording a business message in the recording and reproducing means and displaying that a display control signal has been received for the business message when a signal is received from the line. (2) means for recording the storage position of the recording and reproducing means in which the business message that has received the display control signal is recorded; and an input that includes a key for selecting the business message recorded in the recording and reproducing means. Claim (1) characterized in that the recording and reproducing means is controlled to refer to the storage means and selectively reproduce the business message when the key is operated.
Answering machine as described. (3) The answering machine according to claim (1) or (2), characterized in that the reception of the display control signal is displayed by an ID number. (4) The answering machine according to any one of claims (1) to (3), characterized in that the telephone answering machine displays the name of the caller to indicate that the display control signal has been received. (5) The answering machine according to any one of claims (1) to (4), characterized in that a blinking display is displayed to indicate that the display control signal has been received.