JPH03289846A - Communication equipment - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To secure the security of a voice message and to easily recognize to whom a call comes by informing a reception user name succeeded in the recognition of a designated user name with a notice means and storing the voice message to the a reception user till a voice output request comes. CONSTITUTION:A user name recognition section 15 extracts a part with the designated user name recorded thereon from a voice message registered in a message primary storage section 11 to apply recognition processing of the designated user name and a message management section 16 registers the result 'R' of recognition and the voice message to a message storage section 13. Moreover, a display request of 'designated user name (NA)' to be received is sent to a message extraction control section 17. The message extraction control section 17 discriminates whether or not a desired user name is selected from the user name list and allows the output processing of the voice message corresponding to the selected user name.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to a communication device, and particularly to a communication device having a telephone function.

[Conventional technology]

Conventionally, as well-known means for supporting communication, there have been telephones, facsimiles, e-mails, and the like. Using these means, information can be transmitted, for example, to parties in other departments within the same campus or to parties located in remote locations.

[Problem to be solved by the invention]

By the way, in the future, when transmitting information using the telephone, it is desirable to have an environment or system that allows communication of private information even during work, such as in an office.

However, when using the telephone as the conventional means of supporting communication, for example, if the person on the other end is away at work, such as in an office, a message is sent to the person who answered the phone to ask the actual person to call back, or other requirements are met. You must be able to convey your message. In addition, when requesting a message to convey requirements, there is a problem in that private contents or contents that only the other party would like to share are difficult to convey.

Also, today, telephones with an answering machine function have been realized, and with these telephones, anyone can listen to the contents of the message, not just the designated party, by playing the recorded message. Confidentiality issues will arise.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide a communication device that can maintain the confidentiality of voice messages.

[Means to solve the problem]

The present invention provides a user name holding means that holds information regarding a receiving user, and a user who refers to the held information and recognizes that the receiving user name designated by the sender and the registered receiving user name match. 8 recognition means, a storage means for storing voice information received corresponding to the user name recognized as a match, and a notification means for notifying the user name when the match is recognized. Furthermore, when there is a voice output request from a receiving user corresponding to the user name notified by the notification means, the content stored in the storage means is read out and output.

[Effect]

According to the communication device according to the present invention, when the user name recognition means recognizes that the user name designated by the calling side and the user name registered in the user name holding means match, Voice information is stored in the storage means corresponding to the user name, and the user name when there is a match is notified by the notification means. When there is a voice output request from the receiving user corresponding to the notified user name, the corresponding voice information is read from the storage means and outputted as voice.

Therefore, according to the present invention, since voice information is retained until a voice output request is made from the user, messages can be kept confidential. Furthermore, since there is no need for the caller to make a call again, it is possible to improve work efficiency.

〔Example〕

Embodiments of a communication device according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of a communication device according to the present invention.

In the figure, a conversation control unit 11 responds to an incoming call and provides guidance such as that the called party is away and that a designated message can be sent. For example, ``This is the office of...'' Please state clearly the ``name'' and ``affiliation'' of the person you wish to call first. Afterwards, please take a moment and say the message you would like to convey. A fixed message such as "Here you go, please" is sent to the caller. The message is sent to the caller in the same way as a so-called answering machine.

The message-next storage unit 12 includes a communication line (not shown),
The voice messages input through the conversation control unit] are temporarily stored, and the message storage unit 13 stores the received voice information, such as nomination information indicating the nomination corresponding to the receiving user, voice message identification information (message ID), etc. Attribute information regarding a message and its voice message are stored in correspondence.

Attribute information also includes the number of messages to the same receiving user,
It also includes information such as a pointer to the voice message itself and the reception time of the voice message.

The user registration unit 14 stores user data (official name, nickname, abbreviated name, official organization name, organization abbreviation, designated user name designation, etc.) for each user as a list of nominable users or as information regarding the receiving user. At the same time, message retention period information indicating the message retention period when retaining the voice meso message is also registered. Note that specifying a designated user name is an instruction to designate/cancel recording, and anyone can cancel recording by operating the device to play back the audio, just like a normal answering machine. You can listen to voice messages.

The user name recognition unit 15 has a voice recognition function and recognizes the named user name based on the received voice message. It is determined whether the retrieved user name is registered in the user registration section 14 (nameable user list).

The message management unit 16 performs message management such as registering and deleting voice messages, notifying users of newly registered voice messages, and managing expiration dates of registered messages. For example, in message management, the receiver registers the named user name and voice message received in the message storage section 13. Here, since there may be multiple messages for the same designated user name, message identification information (ID) such as serial numbers and reception times are registered at the same time. Also, in the time limit management, voice messages that have been kept for a certain period of time or longer are deleted based on message retention period information or a default value regarding the retention period set within the device.

The message management section 16 also includes the message retrieval control section 1
7 and sends and receives messages.

The message retrieval control section 17 is connected to the user interface section 1.
7 to perform processing according to the content of the message from the message management section 16, and the message management section 1
6, a message is sent in response to an instruction from the user input via the user interface section 17.

The user interface unit 18 includes a display, a keyboard, a mouse, and a crosstalk prevention device such as headphones or earphones. Instructions and data are input from the keyboard, and the user name recognition unit 15 is also provided on the display. When the named user names are recognized as matching, a "designated user name list" is displayed, and the crosstalk prevention device outputs audio.

It also performs new registration/deletion of users, and editing of the above-mentioned user data.

Next, the operation of registering and changing user data in the user registration section 4 and the operation of instructing audio output will be explained.

When registering user data for the first time, select the "User Edit" item 21 displayed on the display screen 20 of the display, as shown in FIG. ) to display the property sheet 22A of the user name list 22, and further select the "Add" item 22B of the property sheet 22A to display the property sheet 23A of the user specified attributes 23. Note that the property sheet is a window displaying the types and ranges of various attributes and parameters in a list format.

Then, after writing the contents in each attribute item of the displayed user-specified attributes 23, click "Finish" on the property sheet 23A.
By selecting item 23B, the display screen 20 shows:
As shown in FIG. 3, the name written when specifying the user specified attribute 23 (for example, Mr. G) is displayed in the user name list 22. At the same time, the contents of the user name list 22 and user specified attributes 23 are registered in the user registration section 14.

Next, in the case of changing user data, as shown in FIG. For example, after selecting Mr. B), "Change" item 22C of property sheet 22A
Select to display property 23A. The contents of the user registration section 14 are updated by changing the contents of a desired attribute item from among the user specified attributes 23 related to the selected user name. In addition, in the case of deleting user data, it is sufficient to select the "delete" item on the property sheet 22A.

Next, in the case of a voice output instruction, as shown in Figure 5,
By selecting a desired user name (for example, Mr. F) from the user name list 50 of user names whose user names have been successfully recognized displayed on the display screen 20, a password input request 51 is displayed. Enter.

Here, if the selected user name and password match, audio output processing is performed. If you want to hear the same voice message repeatedly, you can listen to the repeated voice by selecting the "Repeat" item 60 displayed on the display screen 20, as shown in FIG. When item 61 is selected, the voice message registered in the message storage section is deleted.

Next, the audio output processing operation of the communication device will be explained.

First, the named user name recognition processing operation will be explained using FIG. 7.

After the conversation control unit 11 responds to the incoming call, the user name recognition unit 15 determines whether or not a voice message has been stored in the message-next storage unit 12 and whether there is a request for recognition of the designated user name (step 100). ), if there is no request, it waits until there is one, and if there is a request, it retrieves the part (first part) in which the named user name is recorded from the voice message registered in the message-next storage section 11. , performs the recognition process of the named user name, and sends the recognition result to rRJ.
(Step 101). At this time, the user registration section 14
The designated user name is recognized while appropriately referring to the user data registered in .

Next, the named user name recognition unit 15
It is determined whether or not the recognition result rRJ obtained is "destination unknown"(R-"designated light unknown" or not) (step 102).Here, "R≠"designated light unknown"" is determined (step 102). ” (recognition success), the message manager 15 is notified of the recognition result “R” (designated user name) and the voice message (step 103), and the message-next storage unit 12 is reset (step 104). , and then returns to step 100 and executes this step and subsequent steps.

Note that when recognizing the named user name, it is not necessary that the named user name of the received voice message and the official user name of the receiving user match; It is determined that the named user name has been recognized successfully if it matches any name among the elements of the list of nominable users, that is, official name, nickname, abbreviated name, official organization name, and organization abbreviation.

For example, official name - A1 nickname - B, official organization name -
If the C5 organization name is registered, even if the named user name of the received message is rA, Cl, rBSDJ, or rBJ, the named user names will be recognized as matching.

On the other hand, in the case of "R-'designation unknown'" (recognition failure) in step 102, the user name recognition unit 15 notifies the message management unit 16 of the failure of recognition and the voice message for which recognition has failed.

Then, the message management unit 16 registers the voice message inputted with the designated user name as "unknown destination j" in the message storage unit 13 (step 105), and also notifies the message retrieval control unit 17 that the voice message is an unknown message. If step 105 is completed, the process advances to step 104 described above.

The processing operation of the message management section 16 when the user name recognition section 15 described above succeeds in recognizing the named user name will be described with reference to FIG.

The message management unit 16 determines whether there is a voice message storage request from the user name recognition unit 5 (step 200), and if there is a request, the message management unit 16 sends the recognition result “R” (designated user name) and the voice message. Message storage section 1
3 (database) (step 201).

Furthermore, the receiver sends a request to display the named user name (NA) to the message retrieval control unit 17 (step 202), and defines rLJ as a long-term retention message list, and rLLJ is a list of messages that have passed a certain period of time (expired). The message retention period of the voice message stored in the message storage section 13 is investigated based on the message retention period information registered in the user registration section 14 or the default value regarding the retention period (step 203).

At this time, for example, among the voice messages stored in the message storage section 3, a voice message that has been received for 7 days is marked as a long-term retention message (added to "L") as a candidate for deletion, and is further marked. Messages that have been deleted for two days (that is, after a certain period of time has elapsed, for example, after a period of time based on message retention period information) are eligible for deletion (
rLLJ). However, when the item is actually deleted, there is a log (L) showing when and to whom the item was received.
og) information will be saved.

The message management unit 16 then determines whether rLJ is an empty list (step 204), and if it is not an empty list, notifies the message retrieval control unit 17 that rLJ has become a candidate for deletion (step 205). Thereafter, the process returns to step 200 and executes this step and subsequent steps.

On the other hand, if rLJ is an empty list, then it is determined whether or not rLJ is an empty list (step 206), and if it is not an empty list, the message of rLLJ is recognized as a message to be deleted, and rLLJ is The message is deleted from the message storage section 13 (step 20
7) Sends a request to display the deleted message to the message retrieval control unit 17 (step 208). When this step 208 is completed, or when rLLJ is an empty list in the above step 206, the process returns to the above step 200 and the subsequent steps are executed. If there is no voice message storage request in step 200, the process advances to step 203.

The processing operation of the message retrieval control section 17 when the user name recognition section 15 described above successfully recognizes the named user name will be described with reference to FIG.

The message retrieval control unit 17 determines whether or not a completion signal indicating completion of storing the voice message from the message management unit 16 has been manually input (step 3°O). If a completion signal has been input, the message retrieval control unit 17 sends a message to the user interface unit 17. The designated user name is additionally displayed on the user name list displayed on the user name list (step 301), and it is further determined whether a desired user name has been selected from the user name list (step 302). If no selection is made here, the process returns to step 300 and the steps from this step onward are executed. Note that in step 300, if there is no completion signal, the process proceeds to step 302.

- If a desired user name is selected in step 302, the message retrieval control unit 17 defines rNAJ as the selected user name (step 303), and rP
Define asJ as the password input by the user in response to the password request (step 304), and then determine whether rNAJ and rPasJ match (step 304).
Step 305).

Here, if they do not match, the selected user name is reset (rNAJ definition contents are reset) (step 306), and the process returns to step 300 described above to execute the steps from this step onward. On the other hand, if they match, the user interface unit 17 is caused to output a voice message corresponding to the selected user name (step 3o7).

Next, the message retrieval control unit 17 determines whether there is a repeated instruction from the user via the user interface unit 18 (step 308), and if there is, the message retrieval control unit 17 executes the above-mentioned step 306.
Returning to step 309, the steps after this step are executed, and if there is no instruction, it is determined whether there is a deletion instruction or fortune telling (step 309). If it is not found here, the process returns to step 308 and executes the second step and subsequent steps. In other words, if there is no repeat instruction or deletion instruction, the process will be in a standby state until there is an instruction from the user.

Note that if there is a repeat instruction input via the user interface section 18, the message retrieval control section 17 notifies the message management section 16 of this fact, and the message management section 6 that responded , message storage section 1
The receiver receives the corresponding voice message read from 3, and sends the received voice message to the knee sign interface section 18 to request voice output processing.

By the way, if there is a deletion instruction in step 30 above,
The message retrieval control unit 17 selects rN from the user name list.
AJ is deleted (step 310), and the voice output process is performed [notify the message management unit 16 to delete the voice message corresponding to NAJ (step 3]), and then the process returns to step 300 and this step,
Execute the following steps. When the message management unit 16 receives the message deletion notification, the message storage unit 13 r
The voice message corresponding to NAJ will be deleted.

In addition, in this example, whether the recipient's name is displayed or not.
In addition to this display, the caller's name, telephone number, etc. may also be recognized and displayed.

As explained above, this embodiment has the following advantages.

■If the named user name is successfully recognized, the named user name will be displayed on the display, so you can see at a glance who the confidential message is addressed to.

■Since it has an answering machine function (targeted for multiple users) and outputs audio only when there is a voice request from a designated user, it is possible to maintain the confidentiality of voice messages.

■Since it has a multi-user answering machine function, it can be used jointly by different companies and organizations.

■You can set it to private incoming calls only.

■It is also possible to ask someone to act as an intermediary for you.

■On the sending side, messages can be kept confidential even if the other party (receiving side) is absent, so for example, important messages or private messages can be sent, and there is no need to call again. You can reduce your phone bill.

〔Effect of the invention〕

As explained above, according to the present invention, the name of the receiving user whose designated user name has been successfully recognized is notified by the notification means, and the voice message of the receiving user is stored until a voice output request is made. This has the advantage that it is possible to maintain the confidentiality of voice messages, and it is also possible to easily know to whom a voice message to be kept confidential is received.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of a communication device according to the present invention, FIGS. 2 to 4 are explanatory diagrams for explaining user data registration and change operations, and FIGS. 5 and 6 are An explanatory diagram for explaining the voice output operation, FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing the named user name recognition processing operation, FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing the message/time limit management processing operation, and FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing the voice output processing operation. It is. DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 11... Conversation control unit, 12... Message-next storage unit, 1.3... Message storage unit, 14... User registration unit, 15... User name recognition unit, 16... Message management Section, 17... Message retrieval control section, 18...
User interface section. Figure 1 Figure 2 20'l] Figure 4 Figure 7

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] A communication device connected to a communication line and outputting voice information from a caller input via the communication line, comprising: a user name holding means for holding information regarding a receiving user; and referring to the held information. user name recognition means for recognizing that the receiving user name nominated by the calling party matches the registered receiving user name; The apparatus comprises a storage means for storing voice information and a notifying means for notifying the user name when the matching is recognized, and there is a voice output request from the receiving user corresponding to the user name notified by the notifying means. , the communication device is characterized in that the content stored in the storage means is read out and output.