JPH06291857A - Access method for voice storage service - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: To facilitate the reproduction of a new message and the increase of a new use function. CONSTITUTION: A message is accumulated in a voice accumulation device 1 by a recording call of a general subscriber as usual. When a contractor outputs a new message collation call, new message existence information in a voice accumulation device that corresponds to the contractor in a home memory station is referred to, and when there is no new message, the call is disconnected. When there is, the contractor's terminal is connected to the device 1, and the message of the contractor is reproduced and sent. When an access call is received from a contractor, the access call is connected to the device 1 without referring to new message existence information of the home memory station, and the device 1 sends a guide that 'Please press the X number if you want to reproduce the message'. It similarly and sequentially sends the guidance of various use functions, allows a contractor to select one and makes only a selected use function valid, i.e., operable.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention is applied to mobile communication, personal (personal number) communication, etc., and stores a message from an arbitrary subscriber in a voice storage device in the network, and a service using the voice storage device. The present invention relates to a method of accessing a voice storage device in a voice storage service method, which enables a subscriber who is permitted to provide the voice storage device, that is, a contractor, to call the voice storage device and retrieve a message relating to the voice storage device.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art FIG. 3 schematically shows a mobile communication system.
The voice storage device 1 is connected to the exchange 2 through a communication line (solid line) and a control line (dotted line), the mobile terminal 6 is connected to the base station 5 through a wireless communication line and control line,
The base station 5 is connected to the exchange 4 through a communication line and a control line, and the exchange 4 is connected to the exchange 2 through a communication line and a control line. The exchanges 2 and 4 are connected to the home memory station 3 through a control line. Actually, many base stations and exchanges are further connected, and also connected to a fixed network.

The structure of each part is briefly shown in FIG. The voice storage device 1, the switching center 2, 4, the base station 5, and the mobile terminal 6 are respectively connected to a communication line and connected to a communication line setting device 14 for setting a communication line with other stations, devices, terminals, etc., and a control line. In addition, a control signal transmitting / receiving device 13 for transmitting / receiving control signals to / from other stations, terminals, devices, etc. is provided. The voice storage device 1 is provided with a contractor information management device 8 for managing contractor information including message information such as presence / absence of messages, number of messages, message reception time, and message sender information for each contractor. Further, a storage device 9 having storage areas 9 _{1 to} 9 _n for storing message contents for each contractor is provided, and a control signal is sent to a signal editing / analyzing device 11
According to this, the storage area control device 10 analyzes and edits, controls selective access of an area in the storage device 9, accumulates or reproduces a message from the communication line for the area, and sends the message to the communication line.

The home memory station 3 is provided with a control signal transmission / reception device 13 which is connected to a control line and transmits / receives control signals to / from a switching center. Each subscriber has subscriber information such as zone information and contract service information. And a subscriber information management device 7 for holding message presence / absence information indicating whether or not a message for the subscriber is stored in the voice storage device 1. After the analysis, the management device 7 is controlled to store, change, and read the subscriber information and the message presence / absence information, and the read information is edited and sent to the exchange. At the subscriber switching center 4, the signal editing / analyzing device 11 analyzes the control signal, and the connection judging device 12 judges the connection with the voice storage device 1 or the home memory station 3 based on the result.

When a communication including message processing information such as message storage and reproduction is connected to the voice storage device 1, the voice storage device 1 performs the message processing and the corresponding contract in the contractor information management device 8 The subscriber's message information is updated, and only the message presence / absence information in the message information is notified to the subscriber information management device 7 of the home memory station 3 through the control line. This is for the purpose of discarding the connection request in the network without connecting to the voice storage device 1 when the corresponding message is not stored in response to the connection request of the message reproducing call from the contractor. When a person requests the voice storage device 1 to connect a message reproduction call, the switching center 4 inquires of the home memory station 3 about the "message presence / absence information" for the subscriber, and if there is no message, disconnection processing is performed. If there is a message, connection processing to the voice storage device 1 is performed via the exchange 2.

The connection process at the time of message processing is performed, for example, as shown in FIG. When a connection request to the voice storage device 1 from a general subscriber or a contractor reaches the exchange 4, the exchange 4 inquires of the home memory station 3 about subscriber information about the contractor, and the home memory station 3 When the response to the inquiry about the subscriber information is received from 3,
Check whether the contractor has a voice storage service contract, if not, reject the connection request,
If there is a contract, access to the voice storage device 1 is executed. After performing the required call processing, the address signal is transmitted to the voice storage device 1 through the exchange 2 to set the line, and the voice storage device 1 sends an address completion signal and a response signal indicating that the call may be started. Is sent.

When these are received by the exchange 4 and the subscriber or the contractor receives the response signal, the voice storage service is provided through the communication line. That is, message processing such as storage of a message from the subscriber in the voice storage device 1 or transmission of a message reproduced from the voice storage device 1 to the subscriber is performed, and whether or not the message information is present based on the message process. Change information,
Change the number of messages, subscribe to message sender information,
Message information such as deletion is updated.

When the storage or reproduction of the message is completed and the subscriber or the contractor goes on-hook, a disconnection signal is sent from the exchange 4 to the exchange 2 and then from the exchange 2 to the voice storage device 1 in sequence. The communication lines are sequentially opened, and the restoration completion signal is returned. When the restoration completion signal is transmitted from the voice storage device 1, message presence / absence information about the contractor at that time is also transmitted, and this is also transmitted from the exchange 2 to the home memory station 3 to update the corresponding message presence / absence information. It When the home memory station 3 receives the message presence / absence information, it sends a response to the exchange station 2.

[0009]

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION After the subscriber calls the voice storage device 1 and takes out a message for himself, that is, after listening to a replayed message, the subscriber is instructed whether to erase or save the message. Person does. For example, there is a meeting place in the message,
When it is desired to save this message instead of a memo, the message is reproduced, and then the voice storage device 1 is instructed to save the message. Therefore, since the message is stored in the voice storage device 1, the message presence / absence information for the contractor in the home memory station 3 is present. Therefore, if the contractor wants to take out a new message other than the save message, if the subscriber makes a reproduction call to the voice storage device 1 even if there is only the save message, the message of the home memory station 3 Since the presence / absence information is present, the subscriber terminal is connected to the voice storage device 1 through the communication line, and the message is reproduced, so that the message is unnecessarily reproduced, and the communication line is connected. Due to this being done, charging will also be done.

FIG. 6 is a functional view of the conventional voice storage service. A recorded call in which an unspecified caller records a message to a contractor is a switching center 2 in FIG.
4. Enable the message recording function of the voice storage device 1 through the exchange facility 15 including the home memory station 3 and the like. The reproduction call in which the subscriber reproduces the message in the voice storage device 1 is disconnected if the corresponding message presence / absence information in the home memory station is absent in the switching facility 15, but if there is, the message reproduction in the voice storage device 1 is performed. The function is enabled, and after the playback, the message can be saved or erased. As described above, conventionally, different recording calls and reproducing calls are used for the recording function and the reproducing function, respectively.

Therefore, when a subscriber has a transfer function for transferring his or her own message to the message storage area of another subscriber, or when there is a message recording request to the subscriber, the recording requester is provided with guidance that he is absent for a long time. When adding a new use function to the voice storage device 1, such as a guidance registration function for streaming or a service change function such as changing from a voice message storage service to a facsimile message storage service, a call to the new use function is made. The voice accumulating device 1 is configured to receive the data separately, and each time a new use function is added, the modification for that purpose is performed over the entire system by providing the voice accumulating device 1 with an interface for calls of the new use function. It is necessary to add new usage function, and it requires a lot of work.

[0012]

According to the invention of claim 1, information indicating the presence or absence of a new message in the voice storage device for each contractor is provided to the home memory station which manages the subscriber information of the contractor. When the exchange accepts a new message inquiry call from the contractor, the new message presence / absence information in the contractor's home memory station is checked, and if the new message indicates no, the call is disconnected, If yes, the subscriber's terminal is connected to the voice storage device, and when the exchange accepts the access call from the subscriber, the subscriber's terminal is checked without checking the new message presence / absence information of the home memory station. To the voice storage device.

According to the invention of claim 2, on the premise of the invention of claim 1, when there is an access call, the voice accumulating device sequentially guides the utilization function, and thereby the contractor who has issued the access call uses it. Select a function and enable the selected usage function. In short, a conventional replay call can be divided into a new message inquiry call and an access call, and by storing the new message presence / absence information in the home memory station, it is possible to retrieve the message only when there is a new message. Also, it is possible to select a plurality of utilization functions separately for one access call by the access call and the utilization function sequential guidance.

[0014]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS FIG. 1 shows an outline of a system in which the present invention is applied to mobile communication, and the same reference numerals are attached to the portions corresponding to those in FIG. In the present invention, the home memory station 3 is made to hold not only the message presence / absence information but also the new message presence / absence information indicating whether or not a new message, that is, an unreproduced message exists in the voice storage device 1. This retention is performed in the same manner as the conventional retention of message presence / absence information. For example, in FIG. 5, when message processing is performed in the voice storage device 1 and message information is updated, when a new message is registered and when the new message is played back, the message is deleted or saved, When the message is no longer a new message, the new message presence / absence information created accordingly is notified to the home memory station 3 when the restoration completion signal is transmitted from the voice storage device 1.

As shown in FIG. 2, in the present invention, three calls, namely, an access call and a new message inquiry call, in addition to a recording call, are used for the voice storage device 1. Therefore, three interfaces for these three calls are used. Are provided in the voice storage device 1. The caller is a voice recording call as in the conventional voice storage device 1
It is possible to store the message in the storage area of the corresponding contractor. The subscriber also issues a new message inquiry call when he wants to retrieve an unplayed message. The exchange 4 that has received this is the home memory station 3
If there is no new message, this new message inquiry call is disconnected, and if there is a new message, the mobile terminal 6 is connected to the voice storage device 1. Therefore, the unreproduced message for the contractor in the voice storage device 1 can be reproduced and taken out.

When requesting a service other than the retrieval of a new message, the contractor issues an access call. The exchange 4 which has accepted this access call stores the access call as voice without referring to the new message presence / absence information of the home memory station 3, that is, regardless of whether the new message presence / absence information is present or absent. Feed to device 1. Upon receipt of this access call, the voice storage device 1 uses its function, other than the message recording function, such as a message reproducing function, a guidance registration function, a service changing function, a message transfer function, etc., in accordance with the guidance of the contractor. That is, the user of the mobile terminal 6 is allowed to select a function to be used by sending the guide to the mobile terminal 6 side, for example, "Please press the X number if you want to reproduce a message". When the usage function is selected by the user of the mobile terminal based on this guidance, the selected usage function becomes valid. For example, when the message playback function becomes valid, the accumulated messages up to that point are unplayed messages,
It is reproduced regardless of the stored message and sent to the mobile terminal 6. When another function to be used is selected, the function to be used becomes valid and the function selected from the mobile terminal 6 can be executed. That is, the processing for the access call in the voice storage device 1 has a tree structure of the main menu type. Therefore, the new utilization function can be increased without newly establishing a connection call.

In the above description, the message stored in the voice storage device 1 may be not only a voice message but also a facsimile message for a terminal capable of facsimile transmission / reception. Also, in the above description, a call from a mobile terminal is taken as an example, but any of a recording call, an access call and a new message inquiry call to the voice storage device 1 may be made from, for example, a fixed network connected to a mobile communication network. . In that case, the check with the home memory station 3 is performed by the gateway exchange. Further, the present invention can be applied not only to mobile communication but also to personal communication in which the receiving terminal is registered in the home memory station and any terminal can be used.

[0018]

As described above, according to the invention of claim 1, the voice storage device is accessed by any one of the registration call, the new message inquiry call and the access call, and the new message presence / absence information is obtained. Is held in the home access station, the new message inquiry call is appropriately made, that is, the same message in the voice storage device 1 is not stored, and the maximum time that is not deleted is not taken into consideration. If a new message inquiry call is occasionally made in a very short time, the new message can be connected to the voice storage device 1 only when there is a new message, and the new message can be retrieved without worrying about the maximum time. If there is no message, even if a new message inquiry call is frequently made, there is no risk of being charged without being connected to the voice storage device 1 and being charged.

As described above, an access call other than the new message inquiry call is used. The access call arrives at the voice storage device 1 regardless of the new message presence / absence information, and each utilization function is sequentially guided. Since the function is selected, it is possible to increase the function to be used in the voice storage device 1 without increasing the number of the first three interfaces, that is, to increase the number of new function to be used without modifying the entire system. can do.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an outline of a mobile communication system to which the present invention is applied.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a relationship between various calls to a voice storage device to which the present invention is applied and corresponding utilization functions.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram schematically showing a mobile communication system having a voice storage service.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing an outline of a configuration of each part of FIG.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a processing sequence for holding message presence / absence information to a home memory station.

FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing a relationship between a call to a voice storage device and a corresponding utilization function in a conventional voice storage service.

 ─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of the front page (72) Inventor Ayami Hidaka 2-10-1 Toranomon, Minato-ku, Tokyo NTT Mobile Communication Network Co., Ltd. (72) Inventor Koichiro Sawai, Toranomonji, Minato-ku, Tokyo Chome 10-1 NTT Mobile Communications Network Co., Ltd. (72) Inventor Richard E. Cohen United States 01880 Wakefield Quanapouit Parkway 100 Massachusetts Boston Technology, Incorporated

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. An access method in a voice storage service, wherein a message from an arbitrary subscriber is stored in a voice storage device in a network, and a contractor can call the voice storage device to retrieve a message about himself / herself. In the above, in the home memory station that manages the subscriber information of the subscriber, the information indicating the presence or absence of a new message in the voice storage device for each subscriber is held, and the exchange accepts the new message inquiry call from the subscriber. And the new message presence / absence information in the home memory station of the contractor are collated. If the new message indicates no, the call is disconnected. When a terminal is connected and the exchange accepts an access call from the contractor, the contractor's terminal is switched to the home memory station without the above verification. How to Access voice storing services, characterized in that connected to serial voice storage device. 2. The access function is sequentially guided from the voice storage device to the access call, so that the contractor who has issued the access call selects the usage function, and the selected usage function is enabled. The method for accessing a voice storage service according to claim 1, wherein: