JPH06334729A - Message recording and reproducing device for automatic answering telephone - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To more easily record an automatic answering message including a background music. CONSTITUTION:A message memory 12 stores an automatic answering message recorded from e.g. a recording microphone 2. A music memory 22 stores a background music from a line input or the recording microcomputer 32 independently of the recording of the automatic answering message. A voice reproduction mixer section 18 generates a synthesized voice signal of the automatic answering message and the background music for a reply of a call received at any time from a predetermined telephone line. Since the automatic answering message and the background music are recorded independently, e.g. the automatic answering message only is able to be revised.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a message recording / reproducing apparatus for an answering machine which automatically responds to a call received from a predetermined telephone line by automatically reproducing a prerecorded message. In particular, when answering a call received from the predetermined telephone line with a message with background music, it is possible to easily record a more preferable message with background music in an answering machine. The present invention relates to a message recording / playback device.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art LSI (large scale integrated circu
Due to remarkable progress in it's design technology and manufacturing technology, a very high performance CPU (central processing unit)
) Is one chip. In addition, RAM (random ac
Regarding memories such as cess memory) and ROM (read only memory), those having a larger storage capacity have been provided at a lower cost.

Due to such advances in digital technology,
In recent years, in particular, answering machines have become multifunctional and have become popular in many homes. Basically, such an answering machine does not act on behalf of a user who receives a call from a public telephone line or the like at any time by automatically replaying a prerecorded message on behalf of the user. To respond.

In addition, in such an answering machine in recent years,
For example, you can listen to the contents of a call recorded by an answering machine while you are absent (hereinafter referred to as “answer record”) by operating a remote control from a touch-tone public phone while you are out, or automatically when you are out of the office. Some have a remote control operation function of remotely setting an answering machine set to respond. Such remote control operation functions include, for example, a function of recording an answering machine message (a message corresponding to a call received when a person is away) from a public telephone or the like when going out via a public telephone line. There is also.

Further, an answering machine of recent years has what is called an original hold function in which music desired by a user is recorded in advance as a hold melody and the hold melody is played to the other party when a call is held. There is also.
According to such a hold melody, it is possible to use a hold melody that is more diverse and has a wider range than an extremely simple electronic music box provided in many answering machines and multifunction phones in recent years. For example, it is also possible to set a hold melody by the orchestra.

[0006]

However, in the conventional answering machine, it is necessary to consider that some background music is added to the message when answering a call received from the telephone line. Was not done. Hereinafter, such a message containing background music is referred to as a message with background music.

For this reason, when a conventional message with background music is to be created, a user plays desired music from a speaker of a tape recorder or the like while simultaneously blowing the desired message from a microphone as an answering machine message. I was out.

However, when trying to blow an answering machine message from the outside by the remote control operation function as described above, it is impossible to play the background music from the tape recorder or the like as described above. In addition, even if the pre-recorded answering machine message is a message with background music as described above, if you record an answering machine message using the remote control operation function while you are out, not only will the old message disappear. , Of course, the background music disappears.

Further, when the operation button on the answering machine is used, there is a similar problem. That is, even if there is a message with background music in advance, when a new answering message is blown in, the old message disappears, and of course, the background music also disappears.

The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned conventional problems, and is an apparatus for responding to a call received from a predetermined telephone line with a message with background music, when changing the message. Another object of the present invention is to provide a message recording / playback device for an answering machine that can record a message without erasing the background music.

[0011]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION According to the present invention, a message recording / playback of an answering machine, which automatically responds to a call received from a predetermined telephone line by automatically playing back a prerecorded answering machine message. In the device, a message memory for storing the recorded answering machine message, a music memory for storing background music recorded independently of the recording of the answering machine message, and the answering machine for answering the call. The above object is achieved by providing a voice reproduction mixing unit that generates a synthetic voice of a message and the background music.

Further, the message recording / reproducing apparatus of the answering machine further comprises a music volume setting unit for setting the volume of the background music component in the synthesized voice from a remote place via the telephone line. In addition, the voice reproduction mixing unit includes a music volume control unit that actually controls the volume of the component of the background music in the synthesized voice according to the setting by the music volume setting unit. While achieving the task, it is possible to easily create a message with background music of higher quality.

Further, in the message recording / reproducing apparatus of the answering machine, there is provided a music volume automatic setting section for automatically setting the volume of the background music component in the synthesized voice according to the volume of the component of the answering machine. Further, the audio reproduction mixing unit further includes a music volume control unit that actually controls the volume of the component of the background music in the synthesized voice according to the automatic setting by the music volume automatic setting unit. In addition, the above-mentioned problem can be achieved and the message with background music of higher quality can be created more easily.

[0014]

As described above, in the conventional answering machine,
The creation of the message with background music as described above was not considered and was inconvenient. The present invention has been made in view of such a conventional answering machine, and has been made by paying attention to the fact that such a message containing background music is very useful.

For example, according to such a message with background music, it is possible to greatly improve the impression that the other party has on me. Alternatively, an excellent effect of calming the psychological state of the other party can be obtained even when the other party makes a call in a more complicated situation. For example, if there is a problem with our commercial transaction or product, or if the other party has some misunderstanding about such transaction or product, the psychological state of our other party is complicated and difficult. Even if it is a thing, the background music in the answering message may calm the psychological state of the other person.

Further, the present invention was made by paying attention to the importance of making it easier to change such a message with background music. For example, if you try to change only the message in such a message with background music,
It would be very troublesome if we had to re-introduce the background music. Alternatively, it is almost impossible to play the background music again with the message change with the remote control operation function at the destination as described above. Therefore, it is important to eliminate the need for re-sending the background music as described above when only the message is changed.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the gist of the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 1, the message recording / reproducing apparatus for an answering machine of the present invention mainly comprises a message memory 12, a music memory 22, and a voice reproducing / mixing section 18. Also, if necessary,
The recording microphone 32 and the line input, and the switch S1 for switching the output and the line input of the recording microphone 32 may be provided.

The message memory 12 stores the recorded answering machine message. The music memory 22 stores background music recorded independently of the recording of the answering machine message. The present invention does not specifically limit the message memory 12 and the music memory 22. For example, a magnetic tape such as a compact cassette or a microcassette may be used, or a RAM or the like may be used. A so-called IC (integrated circuit) memory may be used. However, as described above, the message memory 12 and the music memory 22 must be independently recordable. Therefore, it is difficult to record the message memory 12 and the music memory 22 by using one magnetic tape. Therefore, the message memory 12 and the music memory 22 require two independent magnetic tape devices if both are to be recorded using a magnetic tape. On the other hand, the message memory 12 and the music memory 22 may use different storage areas of the same RAM of the IC memory, when the IC memory is used for both.

The music reproducing / mixing unit 18 stores the answering machine message stored in the message memory 12 and the music memory for use in response to a call as described above when the user is absent. 22 is to generate a synthetic voice with the background music stored in 22. The present invention does not specifically limit the audio reproduction / mixing unit 18, and may be, for example, one that outputs the audio stored in each of the message memory 12 and the audio memory 22 as an analog signal. It suffices to use a combination of the voices output from the respective units by an analog adder. Alternatively, when the message memory 12 and the music memory 22 are both IC memories as described above, the voice reproduction / mixing unit 18 stores the voice and music memory 22 stored in the message memory 12 into the voice and music memory 22. The stored voice may be added and mixed by digital processing. In addition, when the voices stored in the message memory 12 and the voices stored in the music memory 22 are added and mixed, the volume of these voices can be freely set as in the embodiment described later. It is not something that will be done. For example, the volumes of these sounds may be added and mixed under a certain setting. In this case, the message volume setting unit 14 and the music volume setting unit 24 as in the embodiment described later are unnecessary, and the configurations of the message volume control unit 16 and the music volume control unit 26 as in the embodiment described later are more preferable. It can have a simple structure.

The recording microphone 32 is used to blow an answering message desired by the user into the message memory 12. Alternatively, the recording microphone 32 is also used for storing desired background music output from, for example, a speaker of a tape recorder in the music memory 22. or,
In FIG. 1, it is possible to record desired background music from the line input by switching the switch S1 for the music memory 22.

As described above, according to the present invention, as described above, the message memory 12 and the music memory 22 can be independently recorded, and the answering message and
The background music of the answering machine message can be recorded independently. That is, even if the answering machine message is changed, the previously stored background music described above is not erased. Therefore, the message with background music as described above can be recorded more easily and better.

[0023]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the structure of an answering machine equipped with a message recording / reproducing apparatus to which the present invention is applied.

As shown in FIG. 2, the answering machine of this embodiment mainly includes a recording microphone 32, a message memory 12, a music memory 22, a voice reproduction / mixing section 18, a telephone line receiver / combiner. 34, a telephone line transmitting / combining unit 36, a message volume setting unit 14, a music volume setting unit 24, and switches S1 and S2. The voice reproduction / mixing unit 18 includes a message volume control unit 16, a music volume control unit 26, and an adder 28.

First, in this embodiment, the message memory 12 and the music memory 22 are both IC memories as described above. The maximum recording time of the message memory 12 is about 15 seconds. On the other hand, the maximum recording time of the music memory 22 is about 17 seconds. That is, the music memory 22
Is longer than the longest recording time of the message memory 12. Therefore, the music memory 22
By recording the background music for the full length of the maximum recording time, from the time length of the answering message,
The duration of background music is never shorter.

In the voice reproduction / mixing section 18, the answering machine message stored in the message memory 12 and the background music stored in the music memory 22 are added and mixed by the adder 28. It is generated as a message with background music. The adder 28 adds the answering machine message recorded by PCM (pulse code modulation) and the background music as digital data to generate a synthetic voice. At this time, the message volume control unit 16 controls the volume of the answering machine message from the message memory 12 based on the volume setting by the message volume setting unit 14. On the other hand, the music volume control unit 26 controls the volume of the background music from the music memory 22 based on the volume setting by the music volume setting unit 24.
The volume of the message volume setting unit 14 and the volume of the music volume setting unit 24 in the manual mode, which will be described later, are both set by operating buttons on the answering machine. Therefore, the message volume control unit 16, the music volume control unit 26, and the like should properly control the volume of the answering message component and the background music component in the message with background music, and the ratio between these volumes. You can

Further, in the answering machine of this embodiment, the telephone line receiving / combining unit 34 and the telephone line transmitting / combining unit 36 are connected to a predetermined telephone line, for example, a public telephone line.

In the present embodiment, the voice from the telephone line receiving / combining unit 34 can be stored in the message memory 12 while switching the switch S2. Also, by the telephone line reception combiner 34,
For example, the volume of the message volume setting section 14 and the volume of the music volume setting section 24 in the manual mode, which will be described later, can be set by button operation of a public telephone of a touch-tone type connected to a predetermined telephone line. It can be operated by remote control.

On the other hand, the telephone line transmitting / combining unit 36, as a response to a call received from the predetermined telephone line at any time when the user is absent, etc., the voice reproduction mixing unit 18
The above-mentioned message with background music output by is output.

In this embodiment, the music volume setting section 24 has a "manual mode" and an "automatic mode".
And “variable automatic mode”, and any one of them is selected. When the manual mode is set, the volume of the music volume setting unit 24 is set by the operation button or the like on the answering machine. Further, in such a manual mode, the music volume setting section 24 controls the volume of the music volume control section 26 based on the volume setting set by the remote control via the telephone line reception coupler 34 and the like. In the automatic mode, the music volume setting section 24 detects the overall volume of the answering machine message stored in the message memory 12 and the background volume stored in the music memory 22. The volume of the answering message component and the volume of the background music component in the message with background music output from the voice reproduction mixing unit 18 are adjusted to have an appropriate ratio while detecting the overall volume of the volume of the background music. Then, the volume of the background music is automatically set. Further, in the variable automatic mode, the automatic setting of the volume of the background music in the automatic mode as described above is sequentially performed every relatively short time. That is, in the variable automatic mode, the volume of the background music component is changed according to the volume level of each of the answering machine message and the background music, not the overall volume level of the answering machine message or the background music. It is set automatically. Therefore, in the variable automatic mode, for example, in the unrecorded portion of the message memory 12, the volume of the background music component can be automatically set relatively large.

As described above, according to the present embodiment, the present invention can be applied to record an answering message and background music independently, and a message with background music can be recorded more easily. can do. For example, if you want to change only the answering message after creating a message with background music,
For example, when changing the answering machine message from a public telephone etc. on the go with the remote control operation function on the go as described above,
It can be a message with good background music.

Further, in this embodiment, the volume of the answering message component and the volume of the background music component in the generated message with background music can be adjusted, so that the background music with higher quality can be added. You can compose a message. Furthermore, in this embodiment, it is possible to automatically set the volume of the background music component. With this automatic setting, for example, when creating a message with background music from a remote place using the remote control operation function, check the ratio of the volume of the answering message component to the volume of the background music component. For this reason, it is not always necessary to monitor the message via the telephone line. Therefore, the message with the desired background music can be created with the call time for blowing the desired answering machine message, that is, without the monitor time. can do.

Further, in the present embodiment, as described above, the maximum recording time of the message memory 12 is about 15 seconds. On the other hand, the maximum recording time of the music memory 22 is about 17 seconds. That is, the longest recording time of the music memory 22 is the message memory 1
2 is longer than the maximum recording time. Therefore, by recording the background music in the music memory 22 for the longest recording time, the time length of the background music is not shorter than the time length of the answering message. . Further, in the present embodiment, the voice reproduction / mixing unit 18 adds the answering machine message stored in the message memory 12 and the background music stored in the music memory 22 to the adder 28 and the like. At the time of adding and mixing in, the length of the obtained message with background music is set in correspondence with the length of the answering machine message stored in the message memory 12. That is, it is set to be 1 to 2 seconds longer than the length of the answering machine message. Therefore, even if the answering machine message is relatively short, it is possible to generate a message with background music of an appropriate length, and even if the answering machine message ends, only the background music is recorded. The attached message will not be generated.

[0035]

As described above, according to the present invention, when a device that responds to a call received from a predetermined telephone line with a message with background music changes the background music, It is possible to obtain an excellent effect that a message can be recorded without erasing.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the gist of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a configuration of an answering machine including a message recording / reproducing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of Codes] 12 ... Message Memory 14 ... Message Volume Setting Section 16 ... Message Volume Control Section 18 ... Voice Reproduction Mixing Section 22 ... Music Memory 24 ... Music Volume Setting Section 26 ... Music Volume Control Section 28 ... Adder 32 ... recording microphone 34 ... telephone line receiving coupler 36 ... telephone line transmitting coupler S1, S2 ... switch

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A message recording / reproducing apparatus for an answering machine, which automatically responds to a call received from a predetermined telephone line by automatically reproducing a pre-recorded answering machine. A message memory for storing a message, a music memory for storing background music that is recorded independently from the recording of the answering machine, and a memory for the answering machine and the background music for answering the call. A message recording / playback device for an answering machine, comprising: a voice playback / mixing unit for generating synthetic voice. 2. The music volume setting unit according to claim 1, further comprising a music volume setting unit that sets a volume of the component of the background music in the synthesized voice from a remote place via the telephone line. The message of the answering machine characterized in that the reproduction mixing section comprises a music volume control section for actually controlling the volume of the background music component in the synthesized voice according to the setting by the music volume setting section. Recording and playback device. 3. The music volume automatic setting unit according to claim 1, further comprising a music volume automatic setting unit that automatically sets the volume of the background music component in the synthesized voice in accordance with the volume of the voice mail component. The voice reproduction mixing unit is provided with a music volume control unit that actually controls the volume of the component of the background music in the synthesized voice according to the automatic setting by the music volume automatic setting unit. A message recording / playback device for an answering machine, which is characterized in that