JPH07321900A - Automatic answering telephone system - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To surely record messages in the automatic answering system within the range of allocated recording time and number of messages to be recorded by limiting the recording time and the number of messages to be recorded for each mail box. CONSTITUTION:A user performs MB selection with the MB selection button of an operating means 15 while deciding the suitable maximum recording time and number of messages to be recorded for each mail box MB, inputs the maximum recording time and number of messages to be recorded and sets them. These maximum recording time and number of messages to be recorded are stored in a RAM 13. Next, it is investigated whether the total of the set maximum recording time and number of messages to be recorded exceeds the total recording time and the total number of messages to be recorded for the entire MB or not and when it exceeds, such a state is warned and displayed on a display means 16. In this case, the recording time and the number of messages are not set. When it does not exceed, it is decided whether the input operation is finished or not and when not finishing the input operation, the recording time and the number of messages to be recorded are continuously set but when finishing the input operation, it is finished. Thus, the limitation of recording time for each MB or the bottom recording time can be secured.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

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

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A conventional answering machine equipped with a mailbox that can be used by a plurality of people can be provided with respective mailbox areas in addition to a common incoming message recording area. There is a merit that a plurality of people can use an answering machine as if they had their own answering machine.

[0003]

However, although the mailbox of the conventional answering machine has a limitation in the total recording time and the number of recordings, there is no limitation in each area. Therefore, when a message is recorded in one mailbox area for a long time, there is a problem that the common or another mailbox area cannot be recorded at all.

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide an answering machine which can solve the above-mentioned conventional problems by limiting the recording time and the number of recordings in each mailbox.

[0005]

To this end, the answering machine according to the present invention has a voice input means for inputting voice, a voice storing means for storing the voice inputted by the voice input means, and the voice storing means. A speaker that outputs the voices stored in, a mailbox management means that manages which mailbox the input message is for, and recording / playback of voices and assigning recording time or number of recordings to each mailbox. An operation means for instructing, a counting means for counting the recorded time and the number of times, a voice input from the voice input means by the operation means, and a voice stored in the voice output means. And a voice recording / playback control means for controlling whether or not recording is possible in the mailbox area.

[0006]

According to the answering machine having the above structure, it is possible to record without fail within the range of the allocated recording time and the number of recording cases.

[0007]

Next, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a main part of an answering machine according to an embodiment of the present invention. 1 is a telephone line, 2 is a microphone, 3 is a speaker, 4 is digital conversion means for converting voice into digital data, 5 is analog conversion means for converting digital data into analog data, and 6 is converted by the digital conversion means 4. It is an audio data compression means for compressing data in order to efficiently store the digital data. Reference numeral 7 denotes a DTMF detecting means, and which mail box is addressed to the message is detected by the DTMF detecting means 7 and judged from the information. Reference numeral 8 is a voice storing means for storing the voice data compressed by the voice data compressing means 6 at the same time as the order in which the message is inputted, and 9 is a voice for returning the compressed data stored in the voice storing means 8 to the original digital data. The data decompression means 10 is a voice recording / reproduction L for recording and reproducing voice.
The SI includes a voice data compression unit 6, a DTMF detection unit 7, a voice storage unit 8, and a voice data expansion unit 9. Reference numeral 11 is a counting means for counting the recording time and the number of recordings for each mailbox, each message or the entire mailbox, and 12 is a voice recording / re-control for controlling the recording / playback of voice and judging whether or not each mailbox can be recorded. Reference numeral 13 is a RAM as a storage means, 14 is a control means for controlling the apparatus, a counting means 11, a voice recording / reproducing control means 12, a microcomputer having a RAM 13 incorporated therein, and 15 is a recording / reproducing or each mail box. The operation means for operating the allocation of the recording time and the number of recording cases, and 16 are the display means for displaying characters and the like.

FIG. 2 is a flow chart of the operation for setting the maximum recording time and the maximum number of recordings in the mailbox of the answering machine according to the embodiment of the present invention. Next, the operation will be described with reference to FIG. When the user determines an appropriate maximum recording time and maximum number of recordings for each mailbox, the mailbox is selected with the mailbox selection button on the operation means 15 (step 1). When the mailbox is selected, the maximum recording time and the maximum number of recordings are input by the operating means 15 (step 2) and set (step 3). When set, the maximum recording time and the maximum number of recordings are stored in the storage means (RAM) 13. Next, it is determined whether the total of the set maximum recording time and the maximum number of recordings exceeds the total recording time and the total number of recordings of the entire mailbox (step 4). If it exceeds the limit, a warning display indicating that the total recording time / number of records is exceeded is displayed on the display means 16 (step 5). If this warning is displayed, you cannot set the recording time or number of records. If not exceeded, it is determined in the next step 6 whether or not the input operation is ended. If not completed, the process returns to step 1 to continue setting the recording time and the number of recordings.
When finished, the input operation is finished as it is.

It is also possible to set a minimum recording time for a certain mailbox. Therefore, an example thereof will be shown. Suppose the total recording time for the entire mailbox is 30 minutes and there are 4 mailboxes. If one of them is a common mailbox and you want to record for at least 10 minutes, set the total recording time within the remaining three mailboxes to within 20 minutes. With this setting, the remaining three mailboxes can be freely recorded within a total of not more than 20 minutes. Also, one of the three mailboxes can be limited to a maximum recording time of 5 minutes.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram of the management table and voice message area of the answering machine according to one embodiment of the present invention, showing what is necessary to manage the recording time and the number of recordings. is there. To briefly explain how it is managed, the recordable time and the recordable number in the management table are compared with the current recordable time and the recordable number so that the setting is managed so as not to exceed the setting. This is because the recordable time and recordable number of each mailbox, the current recordable time and the recordable number are stored in the RAM 13, so that the above management is performed. In the message area, it is a pointer for each message of each mailbox in the management table that indicates in which area each message is located. The pointer points to the beginning of each message area. Therefore, when reproducing or deleting a message, it is possible to know where the message is by referring to this pointer.

Next, the case of recording in the mailbox n will be described. FIG. 4 is a flowchart of the operation of recording in the mailbox of the answering machine in one embodiment of the present invention. When recording in mailbox n, D before recording
Based on the information from the TMF detection means 7, it is determined which mailbox the message is for. When it is determined that the message is for the mailbox n, it is determined whether the message can be recorded in the mailbox n (step 11). If the maximum recording time of the mailbox n or the maximum number of recordings is exceeded, recording will not be possible. If not, recording of the message will start (step 12),
At the same time, the recording time for each message is counted as 1
It is counted by 1 (step 13).

Next, it is judged whether or not the recording is completed (step 14). If the recording is not finished,
The counting means 11 continuously counts the recording time for each message. When the recording is completed, the recording time of each message is stored in the storage means 13, and the recording time is added to the recording time of the mailbox n (step 15). Also, the number of recordings is incremented by the number of recordings in the mailbox n (step 16). Then, the recording time and the number of recording cases of this mailbox n are also stored in the storage means 13.

Next, the voice recording / re-controlling means 12 judges whether the recording time and the number of recordings in the mailbox n exceed the maximum recording time and the maximum number of recordings in the mailbox n (step 17). At this time, since the maximum recording time, the maximum number of recordings, the current recording time and the number of recordings are stored in the storage means 13, the above determination is performed by comparing them. If the maximum recording time or the maximum number of recordings is exceeded, a FULL display indicating that the mailbox n has been exceeded is displayed on the display means 16 (step 1).
8). If it does not exceed the limit, recording ends.

Next, the case of reproducing a message will be described. FIG. 5 is a flow chart of an operation for reproducing a message in the answering machine according to the embodiment of the present invention. Select which mailbox to play before playing the message. When it is determined which mailbox is to be reproduced, the operation means 15 reproduces the message (steps 21 and 22). After listening to the message, the operation means 15 is displayed as to whether or not to delete the message.
It is judged from the input from (step 23). If it is to be erased, the message designated by the operating means 15 is erased (step 24). If not erased, the process ends.

When the message is deleted, the recording time and the number of recordings in the mailbox containing the deleted message are reduced (step 25). At this time, since the recording time and the number of recordings for each message are stored in the RAM 13, the recording time and the number of recordings for the deleted message are reduced. If there is a message saying that the message exceeds the mailbox setting, you will not be able to record even if you set the answering machine unless you erase the message. In order to prevent the case where the recording cannot be performed, a message that the setting is exceeded is displayed in step 17 of the flowchart of FIG. 4 so that the user can immediately recognize.

[0016]

As described above, according to the answering machine of the present invention, by assigning the maximum recording time and the maximum number of recordings to each mailbox, it is possible to always record within the assigned range.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a main part of an answering machine according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart of an operation of setting a maximum recording time and a maximum number of recordings in a mailbox of an answering machine according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram of a management table and a voice message area of an answering machine according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart of an operation of recording in a mailbox of an answering machine according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart of an operation of reproducing a message of the answering machine according to the embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 2 Microphone 3 Speaker 7 DTMF Detection Means 8 Voice Storage Means 10 Voice Recording / Reproduction LSI 11 Counting Means 12 Voice Recording / Recontrol Means 13 Storage Means (RAM) 14 Control Means 15 Operation Means 16 Display Means

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A voice input means for inputting voice, a voice storage means for storing the voice input by the voice input means, a speaker for outputting the voice stored in the voice storage means, and an input message. Mailbox management means to control which mailbox is for, voice recording / playback and operation means to instruct each mailbox to allocate recording time or number of recordings, and count the recorded time and number Control means for recording the voice input from the voice input means by the operation means, and sending the stored voice to the voice output means, and recording / recording in the mailbox area. An answering machine which is provided with a voice recording / reproducing control means for judging whether or not it is impossible. 2. An answering machine as set forth in claim 1, wherein the recording medium comprises a mail box which is an IC memory. 3. The answering machine according to claim 1, wherein said voice recording / replaying control means judges whether recording is possible or not based on the maximum recording time of the mailbox. 4. The answering machine according to claim 1, wherein the voice recording / reproducing control means determines whether or not the recording of another mailbox is possible, based on the minimum recording time of the mailbox.