JPH0487445A - Automatic answering telephone set - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To execute a large number of cases of confidential recording without raising the cost of a recording part by converting an analog signal being a business message sent from a telephone set of the other party side to a digital signal, in the case of confidential recording, and recording it in a magnetic tape through a message recording/reproducing part. CONSTITUTION:In the course of sending out an answer message, when a user of a telephone set of the other party side inputs an identification number by a DTMF signal in order to treat a business message as confidential, a switch control part 18q reads out identification number data stored in advance in a memory part 18r, compares it with data inputted from a DTMF detecting part 18i, sends out a control signal to a voice analysis/synthesis control part 19j, a memory control part 18l and a modulation/demodulation control part 18m and operates a voice analyzing/synthesizing circuit 5. In such a way, the business message inputted to the voice analyzing/synthesizing circuit 5 is accumulated temporarily in a buffer memory of a memory circuit 6, converted to a speed which can be recorded in a magnetic tape 11, and thereafter, inputted to a modulating circuit part of a modulating/demodulating circuit 7.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION (Field of Industrial Application) The present invention sends a response message stored in a storage medium in advance to the other party in response to an incoming call from the other party's telephone, and after sending the response message to the other party's telephone. The present invention relates to an answering machine configured to record business messages sent from someone on a magnetic tape, and more particularly to an answering machine equipped with a confidential recording function using magnetic tape.

(Prior Art) A conventional answering machine equipped with a confidential recording function is equipped with a voice analysis and synthesis circuit and an external memory in order to confidentially record a message from the other party.

That is, when a personal identification number is input and confidential recording is performed, a business message, which is an analog signal, from the other party is converted into a digital signal by a voice analysis and synthesis circuit, and is stored in an external memory as business data. When playing back this confidentially recorded business message, the business data stored in the external memory is read out by inputting the password and pressing the playback key, and the voice analysis and synthesis circuit reproduces the original message. It is designed to synthesize an analog audio signal and send it out as audio from the built-in speaker.

(Problem H to be solved by the invention) However, if the external memory is, for example, 256 bits D-
If configured with RAM, one message will become full in about 16 seconds, so in order to be able to record, for example, four message messages of this length, the D-RA
There was a problem that four M were required, leading to an increase in the cost of external memory.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object thereof is to provide an answering machine in which the cost of the confidential recording section is reduced by providing a confidential recording function using magnetic tape.

(Means for Solving the Problems) In order to solve the above problems, the answering machine of the present invention responds to an incoming call from the other party's telephone and sends a response message stored in advance in a storage medium to the other party, In a device configured to record on magnetic tape the business message sent from the other party's telephone after the transmission, the first part converts the analog signal, which is the business message sent from the telephone of the other party, into a digital signal. an audio signal converter; a message recording and reproducing unit that records the business message, which is a digital signal converted by the audio signal converter, on the magnetic tape; and a message recording and reproducing unit that plays back the recorded business message; and a second audio signal converting section that converts the business message, which is a digital signal reproduced from the magnetic tape by the section, into the original analog signal.

(Function) If it is a confidential recording in which a PIN number has been input, the analog signal, which is a business message sent from the other party's telephone, is converted into a digital signal in the first audio signal converter, and the message recording and reproducing unit is activated. recorded on magnetic tape. In other words, since digital signals are recorded on the magnetic tape, even if the tape is played back on, for example, a normal cassette deck, no sound will be produced and the confidential function will be maintained. On the other hand, when reproducing a business message which is a digital signal recorded on a magnetic tape, the message recording and reproducing section reproduces the business message which is a digital signal, and this business message is transmitted to a second audio signal converting section. It is converted to the original analog signal, and then sent out as audio from the built-in speaker.

(Example) Hereinafter, one embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the electrical configuration of an answering machine according to the present invention.

In the figure, tip rings 1 and 2, which are line input/output terminals connected to a telephone line, are connected to a telephone circuit, a hook switch, a handset, etc., although not shown. In addition, the tip ring 1゜2 includes a line closing circuit 3 that closes the telephone line when there is an incoming call in answering mode, and a line closing circuit 3 that detects an incoming call signal from the other party's telephone and outputs the detection signal. An incoming call detection circuit 16 is connected, and a speech network 4 that performs 2-wire to 4-wire conversion etc. is connected to the line closing circuit 3. Further, the output of the voice analysis and synthesis circuit 5 is connected to the transmitting terminal of the speech network 4, and the input of the voice analysis and synthesis circuit 5 and the input of the voice analysis and synthesis circuit 5 are connected to the receiving output, and the DTMF signal from the line is converted into a digital signal. The input of the DTMF detection circuit 15 and one fixed terminal a of the first changeover switch 8 are connected.

Further, the speech analysis/synthesis circuit 5 and the memory circuit 6 consisting of an external memory and a buffer memory are bidirectionally connected, and the memory circuit 6 and the modulation/demodulation circuit 7 are bidirectionally connected. This modulation/demodulation circuit 7 corresponds to a first audio signal converter and a second audio signal converter. The output of the modulation/demodulation circuit 7 is connected to the other fixed terminal of the first changeover switch 8, and the movable terminal C of the first changeover switch 8 is connected to the - side of the recording/playback amplifier 9 and the second changeover switch 12. It is connected to the fixed terminal e of. The recording signal from the recording/reproducing amplifier 9 is applied to the magnetic tape 11 via the magnetic head 10, and the reproduction signal from the magnetic tape 11 is applied to the recording/reproducing amplifier 9.
The signal is applied to the movable terminal C of the first changeover switch 8 and the fixed terminal e of the second changeover switch 12 via the switch. Further, the other fixed terminal d of the second changeover switch 12 is supplied with the output of the speech analysis and synthesis circuit 5, and the second
A movable terminal f of the changeover switch 12 is connected to a speaker 14 via an amplifier 13.

On the other hand, the system control circuit 18 that controls the operation of each part of the main answering machine includes an incoming call detection section 18g1 a line closing section 18h
, DTMF detection section 181, speech analysis/synthesis control section 18j, 1 switch control section 18, 1 memory control section 18/! , 1 demodulation control section 18 m,
It is composed of a switch control section 18n1, a memory section 18r1, a key reading section 18p, and a switch control section 18q. The switch control unit 18q has an output from an incoming call detection unit 18g that receives an incoming call detection signal from the incoming call detection circuit 16 and outputs detection data, and an output from the DTMF detection circuit 1.
D receives the digital signal from 5 and outputs the detection data.
A key reading section 1 receives the output of the TMF detection section 18i and a key human power signal from the key human power section 17 and outputs detection data.
8p output is led. In addition, the switch control unit 1
From 8q, a line closing section 18h that sends a switching signal to the line closing circuit 3, a voice analysis and synthesis control section 18j that sends an operation signal to the voice analysis and synthesis circuit 5, and a switching control input of the second changeover switch 12. a switch control section 18 that sends a switching signal to the memory circuit 6, a memory control section 18f that sends an operation signal to the memory circuit 6, and a modulation/demodulation circuit 7.
a modulation/demodulation control unit 18m that sends an operation signal to the
A control signal is sent to a switch control section 18n that sends a switching signal to the switching control input of the first changeover switch 8, respectively. Furthermore, the memory section 18r and the switch control section 18q are bidirectionally connected.

Next, the operation of the answering machine having the above configuration will be explained. However, the external memory of the memory circuit 6 has already stored the data of the response message, and the memory section 18r in the system control circuit 18 has stored the password input from the key input section 17. shall be taken as a thing.

First, normal recording operation will be explained.

When an incoming call is received from the other party's telephone through the telephone line, an incoming signal is input through the tip rings 1 and 2 and detected by the incoming call detection circuit 16. Then, after being converted into a pulse signal, it is provided to the incoming call detection section 18g. The incoming call detection section 18g counts these input pulses, and when the set number of pulses has been counted, an incoming call detection signal is input to the switch control section 18q. In the switch control unit 18q,
Based on this incoming call detection signal, the line closing section 18h, the voice analysis and synthesis control section 18j, and the memory control section 1
8I! , and sends a control signal to. The line closing unit 18h controls the line closing circuit 3 using this control signal to close the telephone line. Also, the speech analysis and synthesis control section 18j
uses this control signal to control the speech analysis and synthesis circuit 5 to operate the speech analysis and synthesis circuit 115. Also memory control section 187! controls the memory circuit 6 using this control signal, reads out the response message data stored in the external memory of the memory circuit 6, and supplies it to the speech synthesis analysis circuit 5. The data synthesized by the speech analysis and synthesis circuit 5 is given to the transmitter of the speech network 4, and is sent as a response message to the other party's telephone via the line closing circuit 3, the tip ring 1.2, and the telephone line. Ru.

Next, the switch control section 18 (l) of the system control circuit 18
sends a control signal to the switch control section 18n. Based on this control signal, the switch control unit 18n sends a switching signal to the switching control input of the first changeover switch 8, and changes the movable terminal C of the first changeover switch 8 to the fixed terminal a.
Connect to the side.

As a result, a response message sent from the other party's telephone through the telephone line is recorded and reproduced via the tip ring 1.2, the line closing circuit 3, the speech network 4, and the terminals a-c of the first changeover switch 8. The signal is led to an amplifier 9, where it is amplified to a level necessary for recording, and then recorded on a magnetic tape 11 via a magnetic head 10. At this time,
In the memory section 18r of the system control circuit 18, a start address "0000" and a stop address "0010" of the magnetic tape are stored. However, at this time, the PIN number has not been entered from the other party's phone, so
The business message is recorded on the magnetic tape 11 as an analog voice signal.

Next, the reproduction operation of the business message recorded in this manner will be explained.

The user first presses a playback button (not shown) on the key manual section 17. This pressing operation is performed by the key reading section 18p.
, and the key human power detection signal is given to the switch control section 18q.

The switch control section 18q sends a control signal to the switch control section 18k based on this key human force detection signal. In response to this control signal, the switch control section 18 sends a switching signal to the switching control input of the second switching switch 12, thereby connecting the movable terminal f of the second switching switch 12 to the fixed terminal e side. The switch control unit 18q also reads out the start address “o o o o” and stop address “0010” of the magnetic tape from the memory unit 18r, and starts playback from the position on the magnetic tape 11 corresponding to “o o o o”. As a result, the message reproduced by the magnetic head 10 is input to the amplifier 13 via the recording/reproducing amplifier 9 and the terminals e-f of the second changeover switch 12, where it is amplified to the required level. After that, it is sent out as audio from the speaker 14.

Next, the operation when performing confidential recording will be explained.

When a call is received again from another telephone through the telephone line, the incoming signal is input through the tip ring 1.2.
It is detected by the incoming call detection circuit 16. Then, after being converted into a pulse signal, it is provided to the incoming call detection section 18g. The incoming call detection section 18g counts these input pulses, and when the set number of pulses has been counted, an incoming call detection signal is input to the switch control section 18q. Switch control section 18
In q, based on this incoming call detection signal, the line closing section 18h
A control signal is sent to the voice analysis/synthesis control section 18j and the memory control section 18ffi. The line closing circuit 18h controls the line closing circuit 3 using this control signal to close the telephone line. The voice analysis and synthesis control section 18j also controls the voice analysis and synthesis circuit 5 using this control signal.
is controlled to operate the speech analysis and synthesis circuit 5. The memory control unit 18ffi also controls the memory circuit 6 using this control signal, reads out response message data stored in the external memory of the memory circuit 6, and provides it to the speech synthesis analysis circuit 5. The speech synthesized data in the speech analysis and synthesis circuit 5 is given to the transmitting power of the speech network 4, and is sent to the line closing circuit 3, the tip ring 1.
2 and the telephone line, and is sent as a response message to the other party's telephone.

While this response message is being sent, if the user of the other party's telephone inputs a PIN number, for example 1234, using a DTMF signal in order to treat the business message as confidential, this PIN data will be changed to Tip Ring 1.2, 1234, etc. Line closing circuit 3,
DTMF detection circuit 15 via speech network 4
is input and detected. In the DTMF detection circuit 15,
This detected DTMF signal is converted into a 4-bit digital signal and input to the DTMF detection section 18i. DTMF
In the detection section 18i, the detection data "'1234°°" is input to the switch control section 18q.
In step 8q, the password data (in this case, the password is ゛) is stored in advance in the memory section 18r.

1234"), and the DTMF detection unit 18
A comparison is made with the data input from i.

At this time, since both data match, the switch control section 18q sends a control signal to the speech analysis and synthesis control section 18j. Speech analysis and synthesis control unit 18j
Then, the voice analysis and synthesis circuit 5 is controlled by this control signal to stop sending out the response message. Next, the switch control section 18q sends a control signal to the switch control section 18n. The switch control unit 18n sends a switching signal to the switching control input of the first changeover switch 8 based on this control signal, and switches the movable terminal C of the first changeover switch 8.
Connect to the fixed terminal side. This completes the preparation for confidential recording. That is, it is sent over a telephone line (
A response message from the other party's telephone is input to the speech analysis and synthesis circuit 5 via the tip rings 1 and 2, the line closing circuit 3, and the speech footwork 4. At this time, the switch control unit 18q controls the voice analysis and synthesis control unit 1.
8j, the memory control section 18ffi, and the modulation/demodulation control section 18m. The speech analysis and synthesis control section 18j controls the speech analysis and synthesis circuit 5 using this control signal to operate the speech analysis and synthesis circuit 5. Furthermore, the memory control unit 1842 controls the memory circuit 6 using this control signal, and puts the buffer memory of the memory circuit 6 into a memorizable state. Further, the modulation/demodulation control section 18m controls the modulation/demodulation circuit 7 using this control signal to operate the modulation circuit section. As a result, the business message input to the voice analysis and synthesis circuit 5 is subjected to voice analysis, temporarily stored in the buffer memory of the memory circuit 6, converted to a speed that can be recorded on the magnetic tape 11, and then modulated and demodulated. The modulation circuit section of circuit 7 is manually powered. The modulation/demodulation circuit 7 converts this input digital signal into "'1" and "
Convert it to an analog signal representing 0゛ and switch it to the first changeover switch 8.
, a recording/reproducing amplifier 9, and a magnetic tape 1 via a magnetic head 10.
Record in 1.

At this time, the memory unit 18r of the system control circuit 18 stores the magnetic tape start address "'0010" and stop address ""0020".

Next, the operation when reproducing the confidential recording made in this manner will be explained.

The user first presses the key input section 17 to input the password "1234", and at the same time presses the playback button. This pressing operation is detected by the key reading section 18p, and the key human force detection signal is sent to the switch control section 18.
given to q. In the switch control section 18q, based on this key human power detection signal, the switch control section 18k
Sends control signals to. The switch control unit 18 uses this control signal to send a switching signal to the manual switching control of the second changeover switch 12.
Connect the movable terminal f to the fixed terminal d side. The switch control unit 18q also receives the magnetic tape's start address ``'ooio'' and stop address ``'' from the memory unit 18r.
0020'' is read out, and playback is started from the position on the magnetic tape 11 corresponding to ``OO10''.At this time,
The switch control section 18q is a modulation/demodulation control section 18m.
A control signal is sent to the memory control section 18f and the speech analysis/synthesis control section 18j. The modulation/demodulation control section 18m controls the modulation/demodulation circuit 7 using this control signal to operate the demodulation circuit section. Furthermore, the memory control unit 18j2 controls the memory circuit 6 using this control signal to put the buffer memory of the memory circuit 6 in a memorizable state. The speech analysis and synthesis control section 18j also controls the speech analysis and synthesis circuit 5 using this control signal to operate the speech analysis and synthesis circuit 5. As a result, magnetic tape 1
The business message, which is an analog signal reproduced from the magnetic head 10 by the magnetic head 10, is guided to the recording/reproducing amplifier 9, the first changeover switch 8, and the demodulation circuit section of the modulation/demodulation circuit 7, where it is converted into a digital signal and sent to the memory circuit 6. The signal is temporarily stored in a buffer memory, and is subjected to speech synthesis in the speech analysis and synthesis circuit 5 to become an analog speech signal.

This analog audio signal is input to the amplifier 13 via terminals df of the second changeover switch 12, where it is amplified to a required level and then sent out as audio from the built-in speaker 14.

As mentioned above, the normal playback path for business messages is the magnetic head 0, the recording/playback amplifier 9, the terminals e-f of the second switch 12, the amplifier 13, and the speaker 14. Even if you listen to a recorded business message, it will not be played back as audio. Also, even if you play it on another deck, it will not be played as audio.

(Effects of the Invention) The answering machine of the present invention converts an analog signal, which is a business message sent from the other party's telephone, into a digital signal in the case of a confidential recording in which a password has been input. Since the message is converted into a message and recorded on the magnetic tape via the message recording/reproducing section, an answering machine using a magnetic tape for the recording section can also have a confidential function. This also has the effect of allowing a large number of confidential recordings to be made without increasing the cost of the recording unit.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the electrical configuration of an answering machine according to the present invention. ... Line connection circuit ... Speech network ... Speech analysis and synthesis circuit ... Memory circuit ... Modulation and demodulation circuit ... First changeover switch ... Recording/playback amplifier ... Magnetic tape ... Second changeover switch...DTMF detection circuit...Incoming call detection circuit...Key human power section...System control circuit 8g...Incoming call detection section 8h...Line closing section 81...DTMF detection section 8j...Speech analysis and synthesis control section 8k...Switch control section 8I! ,...Memory control section 8m...Modulation/demodulation control section 8n...Switch control section 8r...Memory section 8p...Key reading section 8q...Switch control section

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1) In response to an incoming call from the other party's telephone, a response message stored in a storage medium in advance is sent to the other party, and a business message sent from the other party after the sending is sent to the other party using a magnetic field. In an answering machine configured to record on tape, the first step converts an analog signal, which is a business message sent from the other party's telephone, into a digital signal.
an audio signal converting section; a message recording/reproducing section for recording the business message, which is a digital signal converted by the audio signal converting section, on the magnetic tape; and a message recording/reproducing section for reproducing the recorded business message; 1. A second voice signal converting section for converting a business message, which is a digital signal reproduced from a magnetic tape by a second audio signal converting section, into an original analog signal.