JPH11187116A - Automatic answering telephone system and control method therefor - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an automatic answering telephone system improved in operability. SOLUTION: Concerning an automatic answering telephone system 10 connected to a telephone network 5 for storing a message transmitted from one subscriber and reproducing the message corresponding to a request from the other subscriber, this system has a storage part 1 for storing the message and the telephone number of one subscriber reported from the telephone network 5, voice processing part 2 for recording the message into the storage part 1 and reproducing the message stored in the storage part 1, line control part 3 for controlling the line connection between the telephone network 5 and the voice processing part 2, and main control part 4 for storing the telephone number of one subscriber in the storage part 1, originating a call to one subscriber transmitting the message according to an instruction from the other subscriber, and connecting a line connection to the other subscriber and a line connected to one subscriber with the line control part 3.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an answering machine system connected to a telephone network and a control method thereof.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In a conventional answering machine of this type, a message from one subscriber (hereinafter, referred to as a caller) transmitting a message is stored in a storage unit, which is a recording device, and the message is stored in the storage unit. In response to a request from the other subscriber who listens to the message (hereinafter, referred to as a listener), the message message is reproduced.

[0003]

However, the conventional answering machine as described above has only a function of storing a message message, so that a listener may call the caller after listening to the message message. Then, it was necessary to hang up the telephone once and call again. Further, when calling the caller, it is necessary to check the telephone number of the caller, and there is a problem that operability is poor.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems of the prior art, and when calling a caller after listening to a message message, it is troublesome to check the telephone number of the caller. It is an object of the present invention to provide an answering machine system in which the operability is improved by eliminating the need to repeat the call.

[0005]

In order to achieve the above object, an answering machine system according to the present invention is connected to a telephone network, stores a message transmitted from one subscriber, and receives a request from the other subscriber. A storage unit for storing the message and the telephone number of the one subscriber notified from the telephone network, and recording the message in the storage unit. And a voice processing unit that reproduces the message stored in the storage unit; a line control unit that controls a line connection between the telephone network and the voice processing unit; A telephone number is stored, and a call is made to one subscriber who transmitted the message according to an instruction from the other subscriber, and the line control unit A main control unit for connecting the line leading to the line and said one of the subscriber connected to the square of the subscriber, and having a.

Also, in an answering machine system connected to a telephone network for storing a message transmitted from one subscriber and reproducing the message in response to a request from the other subscriber, the answering machine has the following structure. A storage unit for storing the telephone number of the one subscriber notified from the telephone network, and a voice process for recording the message in the storage unit and playing back the message stored in the storage unit Unit, a line control unit that controls a line connection between the telephone network and the voice processing unit, and stores the telephone number of the one subscriber in the storage unit, and according to an instruction from the other subscriber, A main control unit for notifying the other subscriber of the telephone number of the one subscriber who transmitted the message message.

At this time, when the one subscriber calls the other subscriber who cannot receive a call, the main control unit transmits the call from the one subscriber using the voice processing unit. The message message may be stored in the storage unit.

Further, the control method of the answering machine system according to the present invention is connected to a telephone network, stores a message transmitted from one subscriber, and stores the message in response to a request from the other subscriber. In the control method of the answering machine system for reproducing, the message message and the telephone number of the one subscriber notified from the telephone network are stored, and the message message is transmitted in accordance with an instruction from the other subscriber. A call is made to one of the subscribers, and a line connected to the other subscriber is connected to a line connected to the one subscriber.

Also, in the control method of an answering machine system connected to a telephone network for storing a message transmitted from one subscriber and reproducing the message in response to a request from the other subscriber, A message message and the telephone number of the one subscriber notified from the telephone network are stored, and one of the subscribers who transmitted the message message to the other subscriber in accordance with an instruction from the other subscriber. The telephone number of the person is notified.

[0010] At this time, when the one subscriber calls the other subscriber who cannot receive a call, the message transmitted from the one subscriber may be stored.

In the answering machine system configured as described above, the message message and the telephone number of one subscriber notified from the telephone network are stored in the storage unit, and the main control unit transmits the message from the other subscriber. In accordance with the instructions, a call is sent to one of the subscribers who sent the message, and the line connected to the other subscriber is connected to the line connected to the other subscriber, so that the other subscriber can send the message. After the listening, when calling one subscriber, it is not necessary to repeat the call.

[0012] Also, by notifying the other subscriber of the telephone number of one of the subscribers who sent the message, the other subscriber can call one of the subscribers after listening to the message. You don't have to look up that phone number.

[0013]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Next, the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the answering machine system of the present invention.

In FIG. 1, an answering machine system 10
Is connected to the listener 6 and the caller 7 via the telephone network 5.

The storage unit 1 is a recording device for storing a message message from the sender 7 and the telephone number of the sender 7 notified via the telephone network 5. The voice processing unit 2 records and plays a message message on the storage unit 1. Line control unit 3
Controls the line connection between the telephone network 5 and the voice processing unit 2. The main control unit 4 is connected to the storage unit 1, the voice processing unit 2, the line control unit 3, and the telephone network 5, and records and reproduces a message, records the telephone number of the caller 7, makes a call to the caller 7, and the like. Of the answering machine system 10 is controlled.

In such a configuration, when the answering machine system 10 receives an instruction to record a message from the caller 7 via the telephone network 5, the main control unit 4 sends the call of the caller 7 to the voice processing unit 2. It instructs the line controller 3 to connect. The line control unit 3 connects the call of the caller 7 to the voice processing unit 2. Further, the main control unit 4 instructs the voice processing unit 2 to record a message message, and the voice processing unit 2 stores the message message sent from the caller 7 in the storage unit 1. The main control unit 4 stores the telephone number of the caller 7 notified from the telephone network 5 in the storage unit 1.

On the other hand, the answering machine 10 is connected to the telephone network 5.
When the main control unit 4 receives an instruction to listen to a message message from the listener 6 via the, the main control unit 4 instructs the line control unit 3 to connect the call of the listener 6 to the voice processing unit 2. The line control unit 3 connects the call of the listener 6 to the voice processing unit 2. Further, the main control unit 4 instructs the voice processing unit 2 to reproduce the message message, and the voice processing unit 2 reproduces the corresponding message message stored in the storage unit 1.

When the listener 6 makes a return call to the caller 7 after listening to the message message, the main controller 4 holds the call of the listener 6 when receiving a call request via the telephone network 5. To the line control unit 3, and the line control unit 3 holds the call of the listener 6. The main control unit 4 also stores the sender 7 of the message message stored in the storage unit 1 and reproduced immediately before.
Is retrieved, and a call is made to the telephone network 5 using the telephone number.

When the call is connected to the caller 7, the main controller 4
Instructs the line control unit 3 to connect the line of the listener 6 and the line of the caller 7 which are on hold, and the line control unit 3 connects the line of the listener 6 and the line of the caller 7. . According to the above processing, the listener 6 can return the call to the caller 7 without calling again after listening to the message message.

After listening to the message, the listener 6
When the main control unit 4 receives the call request from the telephone number, the main control unit 4 searches for the telephone number of the sender 7 of the message message reproduced immediately before,
The listener 6 may be notified of the telephone number. In this way, the listener 6 does not need to check the telephone number of the caller 7 although it needs to make a call again.

Next, the operation of the answering machine system of the present invention will be described in more detail with reference to the drawings.

First, the processing when the caller 7 records a message message to the listener 6 who cannot receive a call will be described.

When the caller 7 makes a call to the listener 6 who is in a state of being unable to receive a call, the telephone network 5 sends a recording request to the main controller 4. Upon receiving the recording request, the main control unit 4 instructs the line control unit 3 to connect the call originated by the caller 7 to the listener 6 to the voice processing unit 2. The line control unit 3 is a caller 7
Is connected to the voice processing unit 2 so that the caller 7 can record a message.

The main control unit 4 instructs the voice processing unit 2 to record a message, and the voice processing unit 2 records the message of the caller in the storage unit 1. Further, the main control unit 4 stores the telephone number of the caller 7 notified from the telephone network 5 in the storage unit 1. Through the above processing, the message and the telephone number of the caller 7 are stored in the storage unit 1. Next, a process in which the listener 6 listens to a message message addressed to himself and makes a return call to the sender 7 will be described with reference to FIG.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the operation of the answering machine system shown in FIG. 1, and is a flow chart showing a processing procedure for a listener of a message message.

In FIG. 2, first, the listener 6 sets the answering machine system 1 to listen to a message message addressed to the listener 6.
When a call is made to 0, the telephone network 5 sends a reproduction request to the main control unit 4. The main control unit 4 having received the reproduction request instructs the line control unit 3 to connect the call of the listener 6 to the voice processing unit 2. The line control unit 3 connects the call of the listener 6 to the voice processing unit 2 (step S1).

Next, the main control unit 4 instructs the voice processing unit 2 to reproduce the message message, and the voice processing unit 2 reproduces the message message stored in the storage unit 1. The reproduced message message is sent to the listener 6 via the telephone network 5 (step S2).

After the message is reproduced, the main control unit 4 waits for an instruction from the listener 6 (step S3). At this time, if a reproduction instruction of the next message is issued (for example, by a tone signal), the process returns to step S2 to reproduce the next message. When the end of the reproduction of the message is instructed, the call of the listener 6 is disconnected and the service is ended (step S11).

When a return call is instructed by the listener 6 to make a return call to the sender 7 of the message message, the main controller 4 instructs the line controller 3 to hold the call of the listener 6. Then, the line controller 3 holds the call of the listener 6 (step S4).

Next, the contents of the storage section 1 are searched, the telephone number of the sender 7 of the message message reproduced immediately before is obtained (step S5), and a call is made to the telephone network 5 using the obtained telephone number (step S5). S6).

When the message message sender 7 arrives,
The main control unit 4 controls the line control unit 3 to connect with the call of the caller 7.
And the line control unit 3 connects the call of the caller 7 to the answering machine system 10. Thereafter, the main control unit 4 instructs the line control unit 3 to connect the held call of the listener 6 and the call of the caller 7, and the line control unit 3 transmits the call of the listener 6 and the call of the caller 7. The call is connected (step S7).

Therefore, the listener 6 can talk with the sender 7 as it is after listening to the message (step S8).

After the end of the call, the main control unit 4 instructs the line control unit 3 to switch the call of the listener 6 to the voice processing unit 2, and the line control unit 3 returns the call of the listener 6 to the voice processing unit 2 again. Is connected to (step S9). Thereafter, the main controller 4 waits for an instruction from the listener 6 (step S10).

At this time, when the listener 6 gives an instruction to reproduce the next message again, the process returns to step S2 and repeats the processing of steps S2 and S3.
Further, when the listener 6 instructs the end of the reproduction of the message message, the call of the listener 6 is disconnected and the service is ended (step S11).

Therefore, a call can be made to the sender 7 of the message while the call of the listener 6 is held, and the listener 6 call can be connected to the line that has arrived at the sender 7, so that the listener 6 Only one call to the answering machine system 10 to listen to the message and the message sender 7
Calls and calls can be made freely. This eliminates the need for the listener 6 to call the sender 7 again after listening to the message message.

Further, since the telephone number of the caller 7 can be stored together with the message message, when the caller 7 is called after listening to the message message, the caller 7 can be stored.
No need to look up the phone number.

Therefore, the message message listener 6 does not have to check the telephone number of the message message sender 7 and has to make a call again, so that an answering machine system with improved operability can be obtained.

[0039]

Since the present invention is configured as described above, the following effects can be obtained.

The message is stored in the storage unit and the telephone number of one of the subscribers notified from the telephone network, and the main control unit in accordance with an instruction from the other subscriber, transmits the message to one of the subscribers. By calling the other party and connecting the line connected to the other subscriber and the line connected to one subscriber, the other subscriber listens to the message,
When one subscriber is called, there is no need to repeat the call.

Also, by notifying the other subscriber of the telephone number of one of the subscribers who transmitted the message, the other subscriber can listen to the message and then call one of the subscribers. You don't have to look up that phone number.

Therefore, the subscriber who listens to the message message does not have to check the telephone number of the message message sender and restart the call, so that an answering machine system with improved operability can be obtained.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of an answering machine system of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an operation of the answering machine system shown in FIG. 1, and is a flowchart showing a processing procedure for a listener of a message message.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Storage part 2 Voice processing part 3 Line control part 4 Main control part 5 Telephone network 6 Listener 7 Sender 10 Answering machine system

Claims (6)

[Claims] 1. An answering machine system connected to a telephone network for storing a message transmitted from one subscriber and reproducing the message in response to a request from the other subscriber. A storage unit for storing the telephone number of the one subscriber notified from the telephone network; and a voice process for recording the message to the storage unit and playing back the message stored in the storage unit. Unit, a line control unit that controls a line connection between the telephone network and the voice processing unit, and stores the telephone number of the one subscriber in the storage unit, and according to an instruction from the other subscriber, A call is made to one of the subscribers who transmitted the message, and the line control unit connects the line connected to the other subscriber and the line connected to the one subscriber. Voice mail system, comprising a main control unit. 2. An answering machine system connected to a telephone network for storing a message transmitted from one subscriber and reproducing the message in response to a request from the other subscriber. A storage unit for storing the telephone number of the one subscriber notified from the telephone network; and a voice process for recording the message to the storage unit and playing back the message stored in the storage unit. Unit, a line control unit that controls a line connection between the telephone network and the voice processing unit, and stores the telephone number of the one subscriber in the storage unit, and according to an instruction from the other subscriber, An answering machine system, comprising: a main control unit that notifies the other subscriber of the telephone number of the one subscriber that transmitted the message. 3. The main control unit, wherein when the one subscriber calls the other subscriber who cannot receive a call, the main control unit transmits the call from the one subscriber using the voice processing unit. 3. The answering machine system according to claim 1, wherein a message is stored in said storage unit. 4. A control method for an answering machine system connected to a telephone network, for storing a message transmitted from one subscriber and reproducing the message in response to a request from the other subscriber, Storing a message and the telephone number of the one subscriber notified from the telephone network, calling a subscriber who transmitted the message according to an instruction from the other subscriber; A method for controlling an answering machine system, wherein a line connected to the other subscriber and a line connected to the one subscriber are connected. 5. A control method for an answering machine system connected to a telephone network, storing a message transmitted from one subscriber, and reproducing the message in response to a request from the other subscriber. A message message and the telephone number of the one subscriber notified from the telephone network are stored, and one of the subscribers who transmitted the message message to the other subscriber in accordance with an instruction from the other subscriber. A method of controlling an answering machine system, wherein a telephone number of a caller is notified. 6. The answering machine according to claim 4, wherein when the one subscriber calls the other subscriber who cannot receive a call, the answering message transmitted from the one subscriber is stored. How to control the phone system.