JPH04264861A - Automatic answering telephone system - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To constitute an automatic answering telephone set at a lower cost than that of a human body detecting means such as an infrared ray sensor, to widen the detecting range at the surrounding of the telephone set, and to automatically operate an absence setting. CONSTITUTION:The above system is equipped with a transmitter carried by a person, which transmits a radio signal at each prescribed time. Then, a telephone set main body is equipped with at least a radio signal detecting means which detects the radio signal from the transmitter, an absence setting means which operates the absence setting, and an absence setting control means which automatically operates or releases the absence setting by the output of the radio signal detecting means, changing according to the absence or a presence. An automatic answering telephone system is constituted of the transmitter and the telephone set main body.

Description

[Detailed description of the invention]

0001

[Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to an answering machine that controls the answering setting depending on whether or not the answering machine is able to detect a radio signal transmitted at predetermined time intervals from a transmitter provided separately from the main body of the telephone. It is something.

0002

2. Description of the Related Art Conventional answering machines have been provided with an answering machine setting changeover switch, and the subscriber of the telephone manually switches between the at-home mode and the answering mode. Therefore, in order to switch to away mode, a person (subscriber) must
This required the user to operate a switch, and when people went out and were away from home, they sometimes forgot to set it to away mode.

In order to solve the above-mentioned inconvenience, an answering machine is equipped with a human body detection means such as an infrared sensor that detects infrared rays emitted from a human body, and if a person is around the infrared sensor for a predetermined period of time or more. An invention that automatically sets the absentee setting when the person is not at home was published in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 63-501.
It is proposed in No. 51.

0004

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] An answering machine equipped with a human body detection means using an infrared sensor as described above requires advanced technology and is expensive to put into practical use. If there is an obstacle between them, it cannot be detected and the detection range is narrow and limited.

[0005]

[Means for Solving the Problems] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention aims to detect radio signals emitted at predetermined time intervals from a transmitter carried by a person, for example, by a radio signal detecting means of an answering machine. This telephone answering machine is configured to automatically set the answering machine when the answering machine cannot be detected for a predetermined period of time or longer, and to automatically cancel the answering setting when the answering machine is detected again.

[0006]

[Function] The answering machine of the present invention configured as described above allows wireless communication from the transmitter on the answering machine side by attaching the transmitter to something that a person always takes with him when going out, such as a key chain. When a signal radio wave is not detected, it is determined that the person has gone out and automatically sets the absentee setting. When a wireless signal radio wave is detected again, it is determined that the person has returned home and the absentee setting is automatically canceled. It is something.

[0007]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the answering machine of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 3.

In FIG. 1, a public telephone line is connected to a terminal 1, and a switch 2 for closing and opening is connected to the terminal 1.
It is also connected to an incoming signal detecting means 3 for detecting an incoming signal if there is an incoming signal from a public telephone line.

[0009] The other end of the switch 2 is connected to a transmitting/receiving section 4 for making normal calls, and a message sending means 5 for sending a message to the effect that the other party is absent when in the away mode, and a message sending means 5 for sending a message to the effect that the other party is absent when in the away mode. It is connected to a recording means 6 for recording messages and the like.

Further, 7 is an absentee setting means for switching between an absentee mode and an at-home mode, 8 is a radio signal detecting means for detecting radio signal waves from the outside, and 9 is a timer (time counting means) for the purpose of counting time. ), 10 is an absence setting control means for controlling the absence setting means 7 as necessary, 11 is a control section for controlling each of the above means, etc., 12 is an external transmitter that transmits a wireless signal at predetermined time intervals, 13 indicates a radio signal radio wave transmitted from the transmitter 12. Note that 14 to 21 are buses for transmitting control signals between each means.

Next, an example of the operation of each part when automatically setting an answering machine in the answering machine of the present invention will be explained based on FIGS. 1 and 2. Note that FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of the absence setting in FIG.
) to (A8) indicate each step.

First, it is assumed that the timer 9 is started from φ (zero) (A1) and the transmitter 12 is transmitting the radio signal 13 at predetermined intervals. When the wireless signal detection means 8 detects the wireless signal radio wave 13 (A2), it immediately transmits this to the absence setting control means 10 via the bus 14, and the absence setting control means 10 detects the timer 9 via the bus 15. is reset to φ (A3). Now, when a person goes out with the transmitter 12, the radio signal radio waves 13 will not reach the radio signal detection means 8 of the answering machine, and as a result, the radio signal detection means 8 will not be able to detect the radio signal radio waves 13 and will set the answering machine to be away. No signal will be transmitted to the control means 10.

The absence setting control means 10 always uses the bus 15.
The timer 9 is monitored via the timer 9, and when the timer 9 exceeds a predetermined time of T seconds (A4), the absence setting control means 10
switches the absentee setting means 7 to the "on" state via the bus 10 (A5), and the automatic absentee setting is completed.

[0014] When the person returns home with the transmitter 12, the radio signal detection means 8 becomes able to detect the radio signal radio waves 13 again (A6). The absence setting control means 10 recognizes the detection of the wireless signal radio wave 13 via the bus 14, and
7, the absence setting means 7 is switched to the "off" state (A8). Note that the absence setting means 7 can also be manually turned on.
” state or “off” state.

Next, an example of the operation of each part of the answering machine of the present invention when a call is actually received from a public telephone line will be explained with reference to FIGS. 1 and 3. Note that FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation when a call is received, and (B1) to (B8) indicate each step.

First, when there is an incoming call from the public telephone line through the terminal 1, the incoming signal detecting means 3 transmits the fact to the control section 11 via the bus 19 (B1), and the control section 1
1 determines via the bus 18 whether the absence setting means 7 is in the "on" state or the "off" state (B2).

[0017] When the absence setting of the absence setting means 7 is set to ``off''
”, when the person picks up the handset, the control unit 11 immediately closes the switch 2 to the handset/receiver unit 4 side via the bus 20 (B3), and then closes the switch 2 to the handset/receiver unit 4 side (B3). When the need arises (B4), the control unit 11 immediately opens the switch 2 via the bus 20 (B8).

On the contrary, the absence setting of the absence setting means 7 is set to "on".
”, the control unit 11 closes the switch 2 to the message sending means 5 and recording means 6 side via the bus 20, operates the message sending means 5 via the bus 16 (B5), and After sending the message, the recording means 6 is operated via the bus 21 (B6) to record the received message. Then, when the other party hangs up and it becomes necessary to release the phone (B7), the control section 11 opens the switch 2 via the bus 20 (B8), and the process ends.

[0019]

[Effects of the Invention] The answering machine of the present invention prevents people from forgetting to set the answering mode when they go out and leave the house, and is simpler and cheaper than human body detection means such as infrared sensors. Therefore, it is possible to configure an answering machine that has a relatively wide detection range around the answering machine and can automatically set the answering machine.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a block circuit diagram of an answering machine according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of setting an answering machine in the answering machine of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation when the answering machine of the present invention receives an incoming call.

[Explanation of symbols]

2 Switch 3 that closes and opens each means etc. in response to an incoming call Incoming signal detection means 4 Transceiver section 5 Message sending means 6 Recording means 7 Absence setting means 8 Radio signal detection means 10 Absence setting control means 11 Control section

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A transmitter that makes a call at a predetermined time interval and is provided separately from the telephone main body, a radio signal detection means that detects a radio signal from the transmitter, and an absence setting means that sets an absence.
a time counting means for counting the time that is reset to zero by the output of the radio signal detection means; and when the time counted by the time counting means exceeds a predetermined time, automatically sets the absence time to 1. An answering machine comprising at least an answering machine and an answering machine that cancels the answering setting when there is an output from the signal detecting means again.