JPH0758831A - Automatic answering telephone system - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To record only a required message in a reception message recording section in a timing convenient to the caller by providing a means identifying a message recording control signal from the caller and controlling the recording of a message from the caller with the message recording control signal. CONSTITUTION:When a phone call comes in a state set to the automatic answering telephone mode, at first a switch 22 is connected. Thus, the call is replied by using a message recorded in advance in a reply message recording section 14. Upon the receipt of a message recording control signal from a caller at a recording control signal identification section 18, a switch 24 is connected and a reception message recording section 16 records a message from the caller. In this case, a PB signal by a dial key may be used for a message recording control signal from the caller or an exclusive key may be provided or an exclusive signal may be used.

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 FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing the structure of a conventional answering machine.

In the figure, this answering machine has a line interface 10 for exchanging signals with a telephone line and controlling a telephone line network, a handset 12 for making a call, a RAM, a magnetic tape, etc. Response message recording unit 14 for recording a response message to the caller
And a received message recording unit 16 that includes a RAM, a magnetic tape, and the like, and records a message from a caller.

Further, the switch 20 for turning on / off the handset 12 and the turning on / off of the response message recording unit 14 are provided.
The switch 22 for turning off and the received message recording unit 16
And an on / off switch 24, and further includes a dial key, a recording key, a playback key, an answering machine mode key, and various function keys, and an operation unit 26.
And a system controller 28 that controls the entire apparatus.

In the configuration shown in the figure, when a telephone call is received and the telephone device is not in the answering machine mode, the switch 20 is connected, the handset 12 is turned on, and the telephone operates as a normal telephone. In the answering machine mode, first, the switch 22 is connected and the caller responds to the caller with a message recorded in advance in the response message recording unit 14, and then the switch 24 is connected and the reception message recording unit 16 is called. Records the message from the caller.

As another answering machine, a switch 22 and a switch 2 are provided when a call is received.
There is also a type of device which is connected to 4 and records a message from the calling party in the received message recording section 16 while responding to the calling party with a message previously recorded in the response message recording section 14.

[0007]

However, in any of the above cases, these conventional answering machine systems have the following problems.
The timing of recording the message from the calling party is controlled only by the setting of the answering machine of the called side, and there is a problem that it cannot meet the calling party's will.

For example, when a telephone call is made and the answering machine of the called party is in the answering machine mode, the answering machine of the called party is gathered while the caller is thinking about what message to convey. When the telephone device starts recording the received message, useless silence will be recorded in the received message recording section.

An object of the present invention is to provide an answering machine which can perform a recording operation at a timing desired by a calling party.

[0010]

According to the present invention, an answering machine is provided with means for identifying a message recording control signal from a calling party, and the message recording control signal controls recording of a message from the calling party. It is something that is done.

[0011]

1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of an answering machine according to a first embodiment of the present invention. As shown in the figure, this answering machine is provided with a recording control signal identifying section 18 in addition to the conventional configuration shown in FIG. The recording control signal identifying section 18 identifies the message recording control signal from the calling party.

Next, the operation in the answering machine mode of this embodiment will be described.

When an incoming call is received, first the switch 22
Is connected and responds with a message previously recorded in the response message recording unit 14. When the message recording control signal from the caller is received by the recording control signal identifying section 18, the switch 24 is connected and the received message recording section 1
Record the message from the caller at 6. If the message recording control signal from the caller is not received,
No message is recorded.

As the message recording control signal from the calling party, a PB signal by a dial key may be used, a dedicated key may be provided, or a dedicated signal may be used.

The above operation is performed by the system controller 28.
The control flow is described below with reference to FIG.

First, in step 2-1, a response is made with a message previously recorded in the response message recording section 14, and the process proceeds to step 2-2.

In step 2-3, if the telephone line is disconnected, the process is terminated, and if the telephone line is not disconnected, the process branches to step 2-3.

In step 2-3, if the recording control signal identifying section 18 receives the message recording control signal,
Branch to step 2-4, and if not received, step 2
-2.

In step 2-4, the switch 24
Is connected, the recording of the message from the calling party is started in the received message recording unit 16, and the process proceeds to step 2-5.

If the telephone line is disconnected in step 2-5, the process branches to step 2-6. If the telephone line is not disconnected, this step is repeated.

In step 2-6, the recording of the message in the received message recording unit 16 is stopped, and the process ends.

In the above embodiment, the case where the message recording control signal is used to start the recording of the received message is described. However, when the message from the caller is recorded in the received message recording section 16, The recording of the message may be stopped when the recording control signal is received.

In the first embodiment described above, a normal answering machine has been described. Next, as a second embodiment of the present invention, an answering machine having a function of transmitting image data will be described.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing the structure of an answering machine according to the second embodiment.

This answering machine has a line interface 40 for exchanging signals with a telephone line and controlling a telephone line network, a recording control signal identifying section 42 for identifying a message recording control signal from a communication partner, and image data. An image transmission section 44 for transmitting a message, a reception message recording section 46 for recording a message from a communication partner, and a switch 48 for switching the image transmission section 44 and the reception message recording section 46. , A dial key, a recording key, a reproduction key, an image transmission key, and various function keys, and a system controller 52 for controlling the entire apparatus.

Next, the operation of the second embodiment will be described.

Normally, in the answering machine, the switch 48 is connected to the side of the image transmitting section 44 and operates as an image transmitting machine. When the recording control signal identifying unit 42 receives a message recording control signal from the communication partner before or during image transmission, the switch 48 is switched to the received message recording unit 46 side to record the received message.

When the recording control signal identifying section 42 receives a message recording control signal from a communication partner during recording of a received message, the switch 48 is switched to the image transmitting section 44 side to perform image transmission.

Here, as the message recording control signal from the communication partner, a PB signal by a dial key may be used, a dedicated key may be provided, or a dedicated signal may be used.

The above operation is performed by the system controller 52.
Is carried out under the control of (1), and the flow of this control will be described below with reference to FIG.

First, in step 5-1, the switch 48 is connected to the image transmitting unit 44 side, the image transmitting unit 44 starts transmitting image data, and the process proceeds to step 5-2.

In step 5-2, if the telephone line is disconnected, the process is terminated, and if the telephone line is connected, the process branches to step 5-3.

In step 5-3, if the recording control signal identifying section 42 receives the message recording control signal, the process branches to step 5-4.
Branch into 2.

In step 5-4, the image transmission unit 4
The transmission of the image data by 4 is stopped, and step 5-5
Proceed to.

In step 5-5, the switch 48
Is connected to the received message recording unit 46 side to start recording a message from the calling party in the received message recording unit 46, and the process proceeds to step 5-6.

In step 5-6, if the telephone line is disconnected, the process is terminated, and if the telephone line is not disconnected, the process branches to step 5-7.

In step 5-7, if the message recording control signal is received by the recording control signal identifying section 42, the process branches to step 5-8. If not, step 5-6.
Branch to.

In step 5-8, the recording of the message in the received message recording section 46 is stopped, and the process proceeds to step 5-1 described above.

[0039]

As described above, according to the present invention,
By the calling party issuing the message recording control signal, it is possible to record only the necessary message in the received message recording section on the called side at a timing convenient for the calling party.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a first exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing the operation of the first embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a conventional example.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a second exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing the operation of the second embodiment.

[Explanation of symbols]

 10, 40 ... Line interface, 12 ... Handset, 14 ... Response message recording section, 16, 46 ... Received message recording section, 18, 42 ... Recording control signal identifying section, 20, 22, 24, 48 ... Switch, 26, 50 ... operation part, 28, 52 ... system controller.

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A recording means for recording a message from a communication partner; a receiving means for receiving a message recording control signal from the communication partner; and a recording means for recording the message recording control signal by the receiving means. An answering machine, comprising: a control unit for controlling message recording. 2. A recording means for recording a message from a communication partner; a receiving means for receiving a message recording control signal from the communication partner; a recording of the message by the recording means when the message recording control signal is received. Recording start means for starting; and recording stop means for stopping the recording of the message by the recording means when the message recording control signal is received by the receiving means during the recording of the message in the recording means. Answering machine. 3. Data communication means for communicating image data; recording means for recording a message from a communication partner;
Receiving means for receiving a message recording control signal from a communication partner; and selectively receiving image data communication by the data communication means and recording a message in the recording means when the message recording control signal is received by the receiving means. An answering machine that has switching means for switching to.