JPH0846681A - Telephone set - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To record a caller side telephone number even when a recording capacity is exceeded by sending a recording end message to a caller side and storing a caller side telephone number sent from the caller side. CONSTITUTION:A recording and reproducing means 28 is connected to a speech circuit 22 to realize an automatic message recording function and a voice guide memory 30 is provided to send a reply message. A memory means 32 storing a telephone number of a caller side in relation to a DTMF transmission reception circuit 24 is provided. Then if a recording capacity overflows during the recording of a message, a recording end message is sent to the caller side. Since a recording end message has a content of a procedure notice to enter a telephone number by using a ten-key, the caller side enters its telephone number when the recording end message is heard out. Thus, a called party reproduces the message and recognizes the identified caller and its telephone number and calls back to a caller only requiring callback.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a telephone having an answering machine function, and more particularly to a telephone which takes measures when a recording capacity overflows.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In a telephone having an answering machine, a message of the calling side can be recorded even when the user is out of the office, which is convenient for transmitting the message of the calling side. This telephone uses a recording tape as a message recording means, IC
There are various types such as those using a memory, but most of them have a limited recording time. If the message exceeds the recording capacity, the message cannot be recorded when the recording capacity overflows, and the calling side hangs up the phone in a dead state.

It is difficult for the called side to judge whether the recorded message is sufficient, or whether the message could not be left as a message although there was content to be transmitted.

[0004]

Therefore, while the called party may make an unnecessary call again, the called party hangs up while wanting the called party to make a call because the message contents are insufficient. There are things that must be done. In such a case, if the callee's telephone number or the like can be stored in the called party's memory when the message content is insufficient, the called party's intention can be determined by relying on this. This is because it is considered that the called party wants to call when the telephone number is stored in memory.
By adopting such a means, it is possible to promote mutual communication between the two.

When a message is recorded, even if the name of the calling side is given first, the telephone number is not recorded at present, and the called side always records the telephone number of the person. In such a case and when the message is not sufficiently transmitted, it is very convenient to know the telephone number of the calling side because the waste of the return can be omitted.

Therefore, the present invention solves such a conventional problem, and proposes a telephone having an answering machine capable of recording the telephone number of the calling side even when the recording capacity overflows. It is a thing.

[0007]

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, in the invention described in claim 1, the recording capacity overflows during message recording on the calling side in a state where the answering machine mode is set. In some cases, the recorded message is sent to the calling side, and the telephone number of the calling side transmitted from the calling side is stored by using the ten-key pad.

[0008]

As shown in FIG. 2, when the recording capacity overflows during the recording of a message, a recording end message is sent to the calling side. Since the content of the recording end message is the procedure transmission for inputting the telephone number using the ten-key pad, the calling side inputs the telephone number at the stage when the recording end message is heard.

When the telephone of the called side recognizes the input of the telephone number, the number is stored in the memory. The line is disconnected after storing the telephone number. By reproducing the message, the called party can know the calling party's name and its telephone number from the name of the calling party and the contents read from the memory.
This allows only callers who need to be returned to call back.

[0010]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Next, an example of a telephone having an answering machine function according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 shows an example of a main part of a telephone 10 having an answering machine to which the present invention is applied. In the figure, 1
Reference numeral 2 is a public line, 14 is a handset, and 16 is an operation key (a numeric keypad and a plurality of function keys) provided on the telephone body.
Is.

The operation of the ten-key pad or the like is decoded by the line controller 18 composed of a microcomputer, and the DTMF transmitting / receiving circuit 24 generates a DTMF signal corresponding to the telephone number. Line 1
It is sent to the 2 side. When the line is connected, a call can be made via the call circuit 22. 2 in the calling circuit 22
Line-to-line conversion processing is performed.

When an incoming call is received, the incoming call circuit 26 operates to drive a call bell (piezoelectric buzzer or the like), and an incoming call signal is supplied to the line control section 18 to notify that there is an incoming call. The above-mentioned line control unit 18 has a program for realizing an answering machine function (such as an abbreviated number function) in its memory means (not shown), as well as a program for realizing an answering machine function. It is assumed to be remembered.

In order to realize an answering machine recording function, the voice communication circuit 22 is connected with a recording / reproducing means 28, and a voice guide memory 30 is provided for transmitting a response message or the like. A memory means 32 for storing the telephone number of the calling side is provided in association with the transmission / reception circuit 24 of the DTMF. Reference numeral 34 is a display unit using an LCD or the like, on which a telephone number, current time, etc. are displayed.

The recording / reproducing means 28 can use a recording tape, an IC memory or the like. The recording / reproducing means 28 is not an endless structure but has a recording capacity set in advance.

In the present invention, the voice guide includes a response message informing that the user is in the answering machine mode, and in the present invention, a recording end message or an error message sent when the recording capacity is overflowed and the message cannot be recorded. Therefore, these data are stored in memory. The error message is a message sent to call the caller's attention when the caller's input of the telephone number is not normally performed after the recording end message is sent. Details will be described later.

According to the present invention, when the recording capacity overflows, the calling side is informed of the overflow,
Then the telephone number of the calling party is recorded. Therefore, the telephone number (DTMF signal) sent from the calling side is DTMF.
The transmission / reception circuit 24 demodulates and the code data corresponding to the numbers “0” to “9” is stored in the memory means 32. The "*" key transmitted at the beginning and end of the telephone number is used as a code for identifying the start and end of transmission of the telephone number.

The processing procedure when the recording capacity overflows will be described with reference to FIG. When there is an incoming call while the answering machine mode is set, a response message is sent to the calling side to enter the requirement recording mode (step 41,
42, 43). Since the capacity does not overflow during normal message recording, the requirement end mode is determined by the line disconnection signal and the requirement recording mode is maintained until the line disconnection signal arrives (steps 44 and 45). When the requirement recording is completed, the line is disconnected and the answering machine mode is changed to the initial mode (step 46). During the requirement recording, the overflow state of the recording capacity is judged (step 44). Whether it overflowed,
When it is a recording tape, it can be judged by detecting the tape end, and when the IC memory is used, the overflow can be judged by its address.

When an overflow is detected, a recording end message is automatically sent to the calling side (step 5).
1). The recording end message is, for example, "The requirement recording was interrupted due to lack of memory. Since the contact information will be recorded, after the signal tone, enter the phone number of the contact after the * key and finally press the * key. Please press to finish. "

The calling side recognizes from this message that the requirement recording is not possible, and the telephone number is input according to the message. Whether the telephone number is input or not is confirmed by pressing the * key added before and after. The determination is made (step 52). * When the key input is confirmed, the telephone number is stored in the memory means 32 (step 5).
3).

Next, a predetermined time is provided for the input of the telephone number, and the input within the set time is confirmed by receiving the last * key (steps 54 and 55). In the normal case, the telephone number input is completed within the set time, the telephone number is stored, and then the line is disconnected (step 46).

If the * key reception cannot be confirmed within the set time, a timeout occurs, and in this case an error message is sent (step 56). For example, an error message such as "The contact information could not be recorded. We are waiting for your contact again." Is sent to the calling side, and the requirement recording mode transitions to the initial mode. By sending the error message, the input mistake on the calling side can be confirmed.

On the called side, the message recorded in the recording / reproducing means 28 can be confirmed by selecting the recording / reproducing mode. When the message has to be interrupted due to the overflow of the recording capacity, the memory means 32 is read and the stored telephone number is confirmed by voice using the handset 14, or the memory means 32 is used. The read telephone number is displayed and confirmed on the display unit 34. In this way, the calling party can be specified, so that the calling party can be surely contacted.

The above-mentioned identification codes to be added before and after the telephone number are merely examples, and other function keys can be used. Since the information stored in the memory means 32 is only the telephone number and the signal for identifying it as described above, it is sufficient that the memory capacity for storing each is very small. Therefore, as the memory means 32 for storing the telephone number of the calling side, another memory, for example, a partial area of a memory (not shown) provided in the circuit controller 18 can be used. This makes it cheap and simpler to construct.

[0025]

As described above, in the telephone according to the present invention described in claim 1, the telephone number of the calling side is recorded even when the recording capacity overflows during the operation of the answering machine. This is to ensure that the caller can be identified.

According to this, even in the worst case where the recording capacity overflows, the calling side that recorded the message can be accurately recognized, so that the calling side can be surely contacted. The calling party can wait for the call with peace of mind. Therefore, the present invention is suitable for application to a telephone having an answering machine function.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a system diagram of essential parts showing an example of a telephone according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing an example when an answering machine mode is set.

[Explanation of Codes] 10 Telephone 14 Handset 16 Operation Key 18 Line Controller 24 DTMF Transmitter / Receiver Circuit 28 Recording / Reproducing Means 30 Voice Guide Memory 32 Memory Means

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. When a recording capacity overflows while a message is being recorded by the calling side when the answering machine is set, a recording end message is sent to the calling side, and a numeric keypad is used. A telephone having an answering machine, wherein a telephone number of a calling side transmitted from a calling side is stored in a memory. 2. A telephone according to claim 1, wherein an identification code is added to the beginning and the end of the telephone number together with the telephone number. 3. The telephone according to claim 1, wherein the stored telephone number is output as voice or displayed on a display unit.