JPS6249777B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to an automatic answering machine having a remote listening function that allows a message from a caller recorded on a recording tape to be listened to at a remote location.

The automatic answering machine receives a call in response to a ringing signal coming from the telephone line, sends a response message recorded on an answering tape to the caller, and then records the message from the caller on a recording tape. However, recently automatic answering machines have become popular, which have a so-called remote listening function that allows the message from the caller recorded on the recording tape to be played back and listened to from a remote location. It's coming.

The present invention relates to an automatic answering machine having such a remote listening function, and more particularly, to provide a device that notifies a remote listener of the number of messages recorded on a recording tape.

The figure is a block diagram showing one embodiment of the present invention. In the figure, 1 is the connection terminal for the telephone line, 2
1 is a control unit of the automatic answering machine, and is composed of a call receiving circuit, a drive control circuit for answering tape, recording tape, and the like. 3 is a terminal for outputting a control signal when the state is switched to recording a message from the caller on the recording tape after the response message recorded on the response tape is sent to the caller; 4 is a remote listening terminal; This is a terminal that outputs a control signal when receiving a remote control signal from the user. 5 is an up/down counter, which is provided with an up terminal 6, a down terminal 7, and an output terminal 8. Reference numeral 9 has an input terminal connected to the terminal 4, and upon reception of a remote control signal, the input terminal is connected to the terminal 4.
10 is an inversion holding circuit that performs an inversion operation and maintains its state when a control signal is output from the inversion holding circuit 9. When the inversion holding circuit 9 is inverted to an operating state, it starts an oscillation operation, and for a predetermined period, for example, an H level for 0.5 seconds and an L level for 1 second. A first oscillator 11 outputs a pulse signal, a second oscillator 11 outputs an audible signal, and the first oscillator 1
Each time a pulse signal is applied from 0, an audible signal is output and sent to a remote listener. The output terminal of the first oscillator 10 is connected to the down terminal 7 of the up down counter 5. 12 is a NOR circuit whose input terminal is connected to the output terminal 8 of the up-down counter 5, and whose output terminal is connected to the reset terminal of the inversion/holding circuit 9.

The present invention is constructed as described above, and its operation will be explained next. In the standby state and the state in which the remote listener does not send a remote control signal, the inversion holding circuit 9
is in a non-inverting operating state, and the first oscillator 10 and the second oscillator 11 are in an inactive state. When a ringing signal arrives in the standby state, the incoming circuit operates to establish a connection with the telephone line, send the response message recorded on the answering tape to the caller, and then transfer the message from the caller to the recording tape. It performs a predetermined operation of recording for a predetermined period of time and returning to the standby state, but when the state is switched to recording a message from the caller, a count signal is output from terminal 3, and up-down counter 5 starts counting. . As a result, an output signal appears at the output terminal 8, and the output of the NOR circuit 12 which receives this signal as input becomes L level. Every time the above-described automatic answering machine operates, a count signal is output from the terminal 3, and the up-down counter 5 counts the number of times.

Next, the operation of the remote control will be explained. When the remote listener sends out a remote control signal after calling the automatic answering machine, a control signal is output from terminal 4, and as a result, inversion holding circuit 9 is inverted to the operating state.
When the inversion/holding circuit 9 is inverted to the operating state, the first oscillator 10 is inverted to the operating state and outputs a pulse signal at a predetermined period. As a result, the second oscillator 11 outputs an audible signal each time the pulse signal of the first oscillator 10 is applied, and the signal is transmitted to a remote listener. Further, the pulse signal from the first oscillator 10 is applied to the down terminal 7 of the up-down counter 5, and the down-counting operation of the up-down counter 5 is performed to cause the up-down counter 5 to count down. When becomes zero, all the outputs of the output terminals 8 become L level, so the output of the NOR circuit 12 is inverted from L to H level. As a result, the inversion holding circuit 9 is reset and returned to the non-operating state, and along with this, the first oscillator 10 and the second oscillator
Oscillator 11 is inactive and no audible signal is transmitted to the remote listener. Therefore, the number of audible signals sent to the remote listener becomes the count of the up-down counter 5, that is, the number of the caller's messages recorded on the recording tape, and the remote listener starts listening to the messages using the remote control. You can recognize the number of messages beforehand. Thereafter, a well-known remote listening operation is performed and the automatic answering machine returns to the standby state.

As explained above, according to the present invention, when a remote control signal is sent out for remote listening, audible signals are sent out equal to the number of messages from the caller recorded on the recording tape, so that the remote listener can The number of messages can be recognized before remote listening, and the present invention is extremely effective for remote listening. In addition, the inverting and holding circuit, which becomes active upon reception of a remote control signal and causes the first oscillator to oscillate, returns to a non-active state when the up-down counter reaches zero, so during remote listening operation Even if the telephone line is disconnected, the inversion holding circuit can be reliably returned to the non-operating state, and the malfunction caused by the continued oscillation of the first oscillator, i.e., the down-counting operation of the up-down counter and the audible signal. It is possible to prevent the sending operation.

Furthermore, since the signal to the up terminal of the up-down counter is applied when the automatic telephone answering device is switched to the state of recording a message from the caller, the remote listening operation can be performed while the answering message is being sent. For example, the remote listener's incoming calls are not counted by the up-down counter, and the number of audible signals sent from the second oscillator becomes the number of messages from the caller while the caller is away, and the remote listener is not counted by the up-down counter. can be easily recognized. Furthermore, if the caller hangs up while the answering message is being sent, that is, before switching to the recording state, the automatic answering machine is configured to return to the standby state without switching to the recording state. If the present invention is adopted, the up-down counter will not perform up-counting operation, so the number of audible signals sent out from the second oscillator will be the number of messages from the caller actually recorded on the recording tape. , the invention has the advantage that the remote listener can perceive the exact number.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

The illustrated block diagram is one embodiment of the present invention. Explanation of main drawing numbers, 2...Control unit of automatic answering machine, 5...Up-down counter, 6...
...Up terminal, 7...Down terminal, 9...Inversion holding circuit, 10...First oscillator, 11...Second oscillator.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1 After sending the response message recorded on the response tape to the caller, the system enters the recording mode and records the message from the caller on the recording tape, and the function from the caller recorded on the recording tape. In an automatic answering machine equipped with a remote listening function that allows messages to be heard from a remote location, an inversion holding circuit that inverts to an operating state and maintains that state upon reception of a remote control signal;
a first oscillator that oscillates and outputs a signal with a predetermined period when the inversion/holding circuit is in an operating state;
A second oscillator outputs an audible signal each time the output signal of the first oscillator is applied, and a signal is applied each time a state is switched to recording a message from a caller after sending a response message. The up-down counter has an up terminal to which the output signal of the first oscillator is applied, and a down terminal to which the output signal of the first oscillator is applied. The output signal of the first oscillator accompanying the inversion of the inverting and holding circuit to the operating state causes the up-down counter to count down and an audible signal from the second oscillator to be transmitted to a remote listener, thereby causing the up-down counter to count down. An automatic answering machine, characterized in that when the count of the counter reaches zero, the inversion holding circuit is inverted to a non-operating state and the oscillation operation of the first oscillator is stopped.