JPH05236111A - Telephone answering system with facsimile function - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To attain the answering service as to a facsimile signal by adding a detection function of the facsimile signal and a storage reproduction function of the facsimile signal to the system. CONSTITUTION:When a telephone set 1 is busy and it is instructed that an incoming call is automatically transferred to a mail storage reproduction device 12, an incoming call from a telephone set 3 is transferred to the mail storage reproduction device 12 and the mail storage reproduction device 12 receives a voice from the telephone set 3 or the facsimile signal from a facsimile terminal equipment 301 of the telephone set 3. After the end of talking or at dialing, the telephone set 1 receives a storage presence signal from an automatic exchange 130. The telephone set 1 and the mail storage reproduction device 12 are connected by the operation of the telephone set 1 and then, the voice message and the facsimile signal stored are reproduced. All voice messages are reproduced first and then, the facsimile signal is reproduced after the telephone set 1 is selected to the facsimile terminal equipment 101 as the order of the reproduction.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a proxy telephone answering system with a facsimile function. Specifically, if a telephone subscriber cannot answer an incoming call due to a telephone call, receiving a facsimile signal, or being away, etc., or if the incoming fax signal cannot be received due to forgetting the automatic reception set, etc., it is installed in the exchange. The mail storage / playback device automatically responds on behalf of the called subscriber and receives voice messages or facsimile signals from the sender.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a telephone answering proxy system in which a called subscriber is notified of the presence of the stored data, and the stored message is listened to by the operation of the called subscriber or a facsimile signal is received.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Automatically responding to a transferred incoming call, accumulating the voice message of the calling subscriber, and later notifying the called subscriber that there is an accumulation, and responding to a request from the called subscriber to retrieve the voice message. A telephone answering system for reproducing is already known (for details, see Japanese Patent Application No. 2-9926).
8 “Control method of mail storage / playback device” April 17, 1990
See the specification of the Japanese application).

In such a conventional telephone answering proxy system, when a facsimile signal is received from the calling subscriber after the incoming call is transferred to the mail storing / reproducing apparatus, the mail storing / reproducing apparatus does not have the function of storing and reproducing the facsimile signal. , Sending subscriber side has a problem in sending facsimile signal, and there is no sound in the mail storage / playback device, or CNG signal (1100 Hz).
Continuous sound) was accumulated and the facsimile signal could not be accumulated and reproduced.

[0004]

When a subscriber who uses both a normal telephone and a facsimile terminal for one telephone line tries to receive the telephone answering service, the incoming call from the facsimile terminal of the calling subscriber is received. With respect to the above, the call is transferred to the mail storage / reproduction device due to the absence of the called subscriber, but since the invalid information is stored as described above, there is a problem that the facsimile signal cannot be stored / reproduced.

An object of the present invention is to solve the above problems of the prior art, and a subscriber who uses one telephone line as an ordinary telephone and a facsimile terminal can obtain not only a voice message from the calling subscriber but also a voice message from the calling subscriber. An object of the present invention is to provide a telephone answering system with a facsimile function, which enables the reception of answering services for facsimile signals.

[0006]

To achieve the above object, according to the present invention, a facsimile signal detecting function and a facsimile signal accumulating / reproducing function are added to a mail accumulating / reproducing apparatus in a conventional telephone answering system, and a voice signal is added. A method that can process a facsimile signal as well as a message is adopted.

[0007]

In the telephone answering system for the purpose of storing and reproducing voice messages, since there is no function for storing and reproducing facsimile signals, the sender of facsimile signals can automatically send the facsimile signals even though it cannot send them. Since the callee side responds, a call charge is incurred, and the callee side hears a meaningless silence or a CNG signal as a recorded message.

According to the present invention, these points are improved, and it becomes possible to provide a response proxy service for facsimile signals as well as voice messages. In addition, a plurality of accumulated voice messages and facsimile signals (for example, voice message 3
In order to simplify the operation of the called subscriber, all voice messages should be played first, the telephone should be switched to a facsimile terminal, and then the facsimile signal should be played. Become.

[0009]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS FIG. 1 is a relay system diagram showing a telephone answering system as one embodiment of the present invention. In the figure, 1,
Reference numerals 2 and 3 are telephones, 101 and 301 are facsimile terminals, 130, 131 and 132 are automatic exchanges, 12 is a mail storage / reproduction device, and a file.

In addition, 4 and 5 are common line signal transmission / reception control units, 6 are control information transmission / reception control units, 7 is a mail storage / reproduction unit, 8 is a notification signal transmission unit, and 9 is an I interface subscriber system module (ISM). Reference numeral 10 is an automatic call transfer unit, and 11 is a switching network.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a detailed configuration example of the mail storage / reproduction device 12 in FIG. In FIG. 2, 14 is a network interface unit, 15 is a communication path unit, 16 is a mail information processing unit, 17 is a control unit, 1
Reference numeral 8 is a control bus, and 19 is a mail information storage / playback unit.

To describe the correspondence with FIG. 1, the control information transmission / reception control unit 6 includes a network interface unit 14,
Call path unit 15, mail information processing unit 16, main control unit 17,
Also, the mail storage / reproduction unit 7 corresponds to the control bus 18 and the mail information storage / reproduction unit 19.

The basic operation of the telephone answering system in these relay system diagrams will not be described because it is not directly related to the present invention (if necessary, "control method of mail accumulating / reproducing apparatus", Japanese Patent Application No. 2). -99268 ・ April 17, 1990
See the statement of the day). Directly related to the present invention is the addition of a function to the mail information processing unit 16 in FIG. 2 and the addition of procedures for storing and reproducing facsimile signals.
These additions and changes will be described below.

FIG. 3 is a mail information processing unit 1 in FIG.
6 is a block diagram showing the configuration of No. 6 of FIG. In FIG. 3, 20
Is a voice signal transmitting / receiving unit, 21 is a facsimile signal transmitting / receiving unit, and 22 is a facsimile signal reception detecting unit.

(1) Accumulation of Facsimile Information Referring to FIGS. When there is an incoming call from the telephone set 3 to the telephone set 1 while the telephone set 1 is talking with the telephone set 2, and the telephone set 1 has previously instructed the exchange to automatically transfer the incoming call to the mail storage / reproduction device 12. In this case, the incoming call from the telephone 3 is transferred to the mail storage / playback device 12,
The mail storage / reproduction device 12 receives a voice from the telephone 3 or a facsimile signal from the facsimile terminal 301 of the telephone 3.

When the facsimile terminal 301 automatically transmits a facsimile signal, the mail accumulating / reproducing device 12 receives a silent signal or a CNG signal. When the facsimile signal reception detection unit 22 of the mail information processing unit 16 detects the silence or the reception of the CNG signal, it determines that the facsimile signal is received, and notifies the main control unit 17 through the control bus 18.

By the control of the main control section 17 receiving this,
Facsimile terminal 301 and facsimile signal transmitting / receiving unit 2
1 is connected. If the telephone 3 manually transmits a facsimile signal, the telephone 3 prompts the telephone 3 to press the designated push dial and the start button of the facsimile terminal 301 according to the guidance from the mail accumulating / reproducing device 12 to send a mail. The storage / reproduction device determines that the facsimile signal is received by detecting the push dial tone.

Thereafter, the facsimile signal is received between the facsimile terminal 301 and the facsimile signal transmitting / receiving unit 21 according to the procedure between the facsimile terminals, and the mail information storing / reproducing unit 19 is received from the facsimile signal transmitting / receiving unit 21.
Then, the facsimile signal is transmitted. In the mail information storage / playback unit 19, the facsimile signal is sent to the telephone 1 as well as the voice.
The data is stored in the mailbox (mail storage area allocated to the mail information storage / playback unit) corresponding to the phone number of.

Next, an example of processing when a facsimile signal is received will be shown. Pattern 1. Facsimile terminal 301 automatically transmits and keeps silent when receiving a call

Transfer an incoming call to the mail storage / playback apparatus 12 Send voice guidance (see the following guidance example) from the mail storage / playback apparatus 12 to the telephone set 3.

Continued silent state after voice guidance is completed. The mail storage / reproduction device 12 determines that a facsimile has been received when the silent state continues for a certain period of time.

The mail storage / reproduction device 12 receives and stores the facsimile signal from the facsimile terminal 301 in accordance with the procedure between the facsimile terminals.

Pattern 2. Facsimile terminal 301 receives the CNG signal at the time of incoming by automatic transmission. Transfers the incoming call to the mail storage / playback device 12.

The mail accumulating / reproducing apparatus 12 judges that the CNG signal is received and the facsimile is received. The mail accumulating / reproducing apparatus 12 receives and accumulates the facsimile signal from the facsimile terminal 301 according to the procedure between the facsimile terminals.

Pattern 3. Facsimile terminal 301 manually transmits push subscriber's push dial operation intervention Transfers an incoming call to the mail storage / playback device 12

Voice guidance (see the guidance example below) is sent from the mail storage / reproduction device 12 to the telephone 3.

The telephone 3 listens to the voice guidance, presses the designated push dial, and then presses the start button of the facsimile terminal, and the mail storage / reproduction device 12 determines that the facsimile reception is received by receiving the push dial tone designated by the voice guidance.

The mail storage / reproduction device 12 receives and stores a facsimile signal from the facsimile terminal 301 according to the procedure between the facsimile terminals.

[Voice guidance example] This is ○○○○. You are currently on a call. (Or I'm away), so please put a message after the beep. In the case of facsimile communication, press "#" after the beeping sound and press the start button of the facsimile terminal.

Note that here, XX is the surname of the called subscriber, etc., and the voice is synthesized by the data previously input to the mail storage / playback apparatus 12. It is also possible to change the guidance to a prerecorded reading by the called subscriber.

(2) Reproduction of Facsimile Information The telephone 1 receives a signal indicating that there is accumulation (voice message or a signal indicating that there is accumulation of facsimile signals) from the automatic exchange 130 after the call ends or at the time of calling. By the operation of the telephone 1, the telephone 1 and the mail storage / reproduction device 12 are connected, and subsequently, the stored voice message and facsimile signal are reproduced.

During reproduction of the voice message, the voice message is sent out via the voice signal transmitting / receiving unit 20 of the mail information processing unit 16, and during reproduction of the facsimile signal, via the facsimile signal transmitting / receiving unit 21 of the mail information processing unit 16. Then, a facsimile signal is transmitted. These controls are performed from the main controller 17 through the control bus.

As for the order of reproducing the mail, after all the voice mail is reproduced first, the telephone 1 is switched to the facsimile terminal 101 and the facsimile mail is reproduced.

When the mail to be reproduced is changed from voice mail to facsimile mail, or when there is no voice mail and the facsimile mail is reproduced from the beginning, the guidance is given to the telephone terminal 1 to the facsimile terminal 10 by the guidance before the reproduction.
Prompt to press the start button of 1.

Next, an example of processing when reproducing a facsimile signal will be described. The telephone 1 receives a signal indicating that mail has been accumulated. By operating the telephone 1, the telephone 1 is connected to the mail accumulation / reproduction device 12.

Voice guidance (see voice guidance example 1 below) is sent from the mail storage / playback apparatus 12 to the telephone set 1. The mail storage / playback apparatus 12 sequentially sends voice mails to the telephone set 1.

After the voice storage / reproduction device 12 finishes sending the voice mail, if there is a facsimile mail, the voice guidance is sent to the telephone 1 (see the guidance example 2 below). The telephone 1 follows the voice guidance and pushes the start button of the facsimile terminal 101. Press

The facsimile terminal 301 receives a facsimile mail from the mail storage / reproduction device 12 according to the procedure between the facsimile terminals.

Example of voice guidance Example 1 This is a voice response proxy service. You have received 3 voice mails and 2 fax mails. We will send it by voice mail first.

Example 2 Next, since a fax mail will be sent, press the start button on the fax terminal.

[0041]

According to the telephone answering system with the facsimile function of the present invention, since the facsimile signal can be answered like the voice message, the following effects can be obtained.

(1) In the conventional method, it is possible to prevent unnecessary call frequency addition on the sending side due to a response from the mail storage / reproduction device when a facsimile signal is received.

(2) In the conventional method, the silence due to an incoming call of a facsimile signal or the storage of a CNG signal in the mail storage / reproduction apparatus is eliminated, and the limited storage area (memory) of the mail storage / reproduction apparatus is invalidly used. Can be prevented.

(3) According to the present invention, the mail information storing / reproducing unit of the mail storing / reproducing apparatus is shared by the voice message and the facsimile signal, so that the apparatus price can be reduced by combining the two functions.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a relay system diagram showing a telephone response proxy system as one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing details of a mail storage / reproduction device in FIG.

3 is a block diagram showing details of a mail information processing unit in FIG.

[Explanation of symbols]

1, 2, 3 ... Telephone, 101, 301 ... Facsimile terminal, 4, 5 ... Common line signal transmission / reception control section, 6 ... Control information transmission / reception control section, 7 ... Mail storage / reproduction section, 8 ... Notification signal transmission section, 9 ... I interface subscriber module (IS
M), 10 ... Automatic incoming call transfer unit, 11 ... Switching network, 12 ... Mail storage / playback device, 130 ... Transfer source automatic exchange, 131
… Sending automatic exchange, 132… Transfer destination automatic exchange, 14
… Network interface, 15… Call path,
16 ... Mail information processing unit, 17 ... Main control unit, 18 ... Control bus, 19 ... Mail information storing / reproducing unit, 20 ... Voice signal transmitting / receiving unit, 21 ... Facsimile signal transmitting / receiving unit, 22 ... Facsimile signal detecting unit

─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of the front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁵ Identification code Internal reference number FI Technical indication H04N 1/32 Z 2109-5C

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. When the called subscriber has an incoming call while the called telephone subscriber (hereinafter referred to as a called subscriber) is in a call or is absent, the incoming call is received by the called subscriber. To the mail storage / playback device installed in the exchange, and the voice message from the calling telephone subscriber (hereinafter referred to as the calling subscriber) is stored in the mail storing / playing equipment. When making a call, the exchange notifies the called subscriber that there is a voice message stored, and the stored voice message (hereinafter, stored voice message is voice mail, stored facsimile signal is facsimile mail, (This is generically referred to as mail.) In the proxy telephone answering system for listening to the mail, the mail storage / playback device confirms that the transferred call is from a facsimile terminal. When the function to detect the outgoing facsimile signal and the function to send and receive the facsimile signal are added and the incoming call is transferred to a certain called subscriber, the following signal from the calling subscriber is a facsimile signal. Also, the telephone answering system with a facsimile function is characterized in that it receives the same, stores it like a voice message, and enables reproduction of the facsimile mail based on a retrieval request from a called subscriber.