JPH06164706A - Automatic answering telephone set - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To effectively utilize a recording enable time for a message. CONSTITUTION:A DTMF signal sent from a caller is detected by a tone detection means 4 and a signal corresponding to a detected DTMF signal is stored in a storage reproduction section 5 together with the message from the caller. When the message is reproduced, a control section 6 identifies the caller of the message from a signal corresponding to the DTMF signal stored simultaneously and allows a display section 7 to display a character or the like by which the caller is identified.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an answering machine.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art An answering machine of a so-called IC recording system for digitizing a response message and a message message from a calling party and storing them in a random access memory (RAM) is disclosed in, for example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 58-59657. H0
4M 1/64) and the like. I like this
Compared to an answering machine using a magnetic tape, the C recording type answering machine does not have a tape mechanism, so that it can be downsized, and has an advantage that a cue time is very short when listening to a message. is there. However, since the cost per recording time of the RAM is higher than that of the magnetic tape, the recordable time of the message is short in the answering machine of the IC recording system.

On the other hand, in the answering machine, the user identifies the calling party who recorded the received message by the recorded voice of the calling party. Therefore, the calling party always records the identifying voice such as name. There is a need to. Therefore, the time that the message can be recorded is shortened by the time required for the name and the like. This is a problem especially in the case of the answering machine of the IC recording system, since the recordable time is short as described above.

[0004]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In order to solve the above problems, it is an object of the present invention to provide an answering machine which can effectively utilize the recordable time of a message.

[0005]

The answering machine of the present invention is a tone detecting means for detecting a DTMF signal sent from a calling party, and a D tone detected by this tone detecting means.
A storage / reproduction unit that stores and reproduces a signal corresponding to a TMF signal together with a voice signal from a caller, and a storage and reproduction operation of the storage / reproduction unit, and a DTMF signal reproduced from the storage / reproduction unit. And a means for notifying the calling party identified by the control section.

[0006]

The caller of the message concerned is identified based on the signal corresponding to the DTMF signal stored together with the message from the caller reproduced by the memory reproducing unit.
Notify me.

[0007]

An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an answering machine of the present invention. In FIG. 1, 1 is a telephone network, 2 is an incoming call detection unit that detects an incoming call from a caller, and 3 is a communication unit that controls communication with the caller, and includes a communication controller 3A and a speech network circuit 3B. Contains.

Reference numeral 4 is a DTMF (Dual Tone) from the telephone network 1.
A tone detector that detects a Multi Frequency signal and a call progress tone, and includes a tone decoder 4A and a tone receiver 4B.

Reference numeral 5 denotes an IC memory (RAM) by digitizing a response message and a message message from a caller.
The storage / playback unit stores the digital signal read from the IC memory into an audio signal and plays back the audio signal.

A control unit 6 controls the storage / reproduction unit 5, and supplies a signal indicating a push button number corresponding to the DTMF signal detected by the tone detection unit 4 to the storage / reproduction unit 5.

Reference numeral 7 is a display unit for displaying a corresponding push button number in accordance with an instruction from the control unit 6 based on a signal indicating the push button number reproduced by the memory reproducing unit 5.

Reference numeral 8 is a handset connected to the speech network circuit 3B, and 9 is a speaker.

Next, the operation will be described.

First, the user assigns, for example, a 3-digit personal identification number to a specific caller who can be a communication partner such as a friend or acquaintance, and informs each person of the personal identification number.

When the answering machine is not used, an incoming call from the calling party is detected by the incoming call detecting section 2, and a ringing tone is generated. At this time, the user gives an instruction operation of a call such as lifting the handset 8. When the communication is performed, the communication section 3 is controlled to enter a call state, the voice from the sender is output from the handset 7 or the speaker 8, and the voice of the user is output from the telephone network 1.
Sent to.

When the user sets the answering machine standby state, the control section 6 detects the DT detected by the tone detection section 4.
The signal indicating the push button number corresponding to the MF signal is set to be supplied to the storage / playback unit 5.

In this state, when an incoming call from the caller is detected by the incoming call detecting section 2, a ringing tone starts to sound, and when a predetermined number of times (for example, three times), the communication section 3 closes the line. After that, the response message indicating that the user is out of the office is reproduced from the memory reproducing unit 5, and is transmitted to the caller through the communication unit 3. After the response message is transmitted, the personal identification number is awaited for a certain period of time.

When the caller inputs the personal identification number assigned to him / her by the push button, the tone receiver 4B detects the DTMF signal and sends a signal indicating the pushed push button number to the control unit 6. A signal indicating the push button number is supplied to the storage / playback unit 5 by the control unit 6. The message from the caller is supplied to the storage / playback unit 5 via the communication unit 3, and this voice is digitized and stored in the IC memory with the signal indicating the push button number as the head signal.

If the password input waiting time is reached,
If the secret code is not input, the control unit 6 determines that the secret code is transmitted from a person other than the specific caller who has been given in advance, and stores a signal indicating the number assigned to the person other than the specific caller. It is supplied to the reproducing unit 5.

Next, the reproduction operation of the message will be described.

When the user operates the reproduction of the message, the control unit 6 puts the storage reproduction unit 5 into the reproduction state. At this time, the signal indicating the push button number which is the head signal of each message is transmitted to the control unit. Display unit 9 under the control of 6
And the push button number is displayed. Also, the message of interest is output from the speaker 9.

As described above, since the recitation number assigned to each specific caller is displayed on the display unit 7 when the message is reproduced, the specific caller does not need to give his / her own name, The allocated IC memory can be effectively used for the message. In addition, the user can always confirm from the display unit who the sound being reproduced is from, so that it is not necessary to reproduce the sound even if the user hears the name as in the conventional case.

In the above embodiment, the reproduced personal identification number is displayed. However, the number may be displayed in characters instead of being displayed as it is, or it may be notified by a voice synthesis sound. It may be configured.

Further, the DTM by pressing the push button
Instead of discriminating the specific calling party by the F signal, the discrimination may be made by voice recognition.

Further, it goes without saying that the present invention can be applied not only to analog type telephones but also to digital type telephones which are expected to spread in the future.

[0027]

As described above, according to the present invention,
When recording a message, instead of giving the name of a specific caller, enter the code number assigned by the push button on the calling telephone and send a signal corresponding to the number.
Since it is stored in the AM and is notified according to the signal at the time of reproduction, the storage capacity of the RAM required for identifying the calling party is significantly reduced, and the limited recording time can be effectively utilized. it can.

[Brief description of drawings]

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

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Telephone Network 2 Incoming Call Detection Section 3 Communication Section 3A Communication Controller 3B Speech Network Circuit 4 Tone Detection Section 4A Tone Decoder 4B Tone Receiver 5 Memory Playback Section 6 Control Section 7 Display Section 8 Handset 9 Speaker

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A tone detecting means for detecting a DTMF signal sent from a calling party, a signal corresponding to the DTMF signal detected by the tone detecting means is stored together with a voice signal from the calling party, and A storage / playback unit for playing back, and controlling storage and playback operations of the storage / playback unit,
A control unit for identifying a caller according to a signal corresponding to the DTMF signal reproduced from the storage / reproduction unit; and a unit for notifying the caller identified by the control unit. A featured answering machine. 2. The answering machine according to claim 1, wherein the means for notifying the calling party is a display means for confirming the calling party by displaying characters.