JPS6251545B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION A common commercially available cassette tape has a leader tape without magnetic material at the beginning and end of the tape. For this reason, when such a cassette tape is used in an answering machine that operates when no one is present, the beginning and end of the message cannot be recorded and are lost. A special tape made of tape was used.

On the other hand, there is a method that automatically sends the beginning of the tape so that a normal cassette tape with a leader tape can be used, but even in this case, there is no way to deal with the leader tape at the end of the tape, and the caller's message is This had the disadvantage that the final part of the message was missing, and this was a particularly serious problem since the final part of the message often contained important information such as contact information and contact methods.

As a proposed improvement, the remaining recording time is estimated from the rotational speed of the supply reel inside the cassette tape, and if the remaining recording time is less than the specified value, the next call will not be accepted or the call will be activated as a response-only machine. Methods have already been proposed. However, even in this case, it is difficult to estimate the remaining time of the tape without error due to variations in the hub diameter of the cassette reel and the tape thickness.

The present invention improves upon such drawbacks, and provides an answering machine that accurately detects the remaining recordable time, prevents the end of the caller's message from being cut off, and allows use of an ordinary cassette tape as a tape for recording messages. It is something to do.

The present invention focuses on the fact that the reel rotation speed of a cassette tape differs significantly between the tape start point and the tape end point,
If it is detected that the tape is near the end point based on the number of rotations of the reel, the tape is fast-forwarded for a certain period of time when the recording of the caller's message is completed, and it is detected whether the tape reaches the end point. This is intended to eliminate the missing part at the end of the next message by setting it in a recording-disabled state or in a recordable state.

A detailed explanation of one embodiment of the present invention will be given below. The drawing shows one embodiment of the present invention, which has a cassette tape for playing back a response message and a cassette tape for recording a message, and is equipped with a detector for detecting the rotational speed of the supply reel of the latter tape, that is, the recording-side sending reel. The main parts of an answering machine are shown.

The contact 1a of the office line relay 1 is open when the station is on standby, and when an incoming ring signal arrives, an alternating current flows to the primary side of the photo coupler 4 via the capacitor 2 and the communication transformer 3, and to the secondary side. The output current flows and generates a voltage across resistor 5. This voltage is input to the input port of the microprocessor 6, and as a result, the drive current of the transistor 7 is output from the output port of the microprocessor 6, turning on the station line relay 1, and the station line is connected to the station line relay contact 1a, The connection is closed through a telephone transformer 3 and a photo coupler 4, and the incoming call is completed. Next, the drive currents of the driving transistor 9 of the motor 8 and the driving transistor 11 of the response message reproducing plunger 10 are output from the output port of the microprocessor 6 to reproduce the response message. The reproduction signal is transmitted through the reproduction head 12, the signal amplifier 13, the telephone transformer 3, and the contact 1a of the office line relay 1.
is sent to the caller through When the response message playback is completed, the response message playback plunger 10 is turned off, and the message recording plunger 1 is turned off.
The drive transistor 15 of No. 4 is turned on by the drive current from the microprocessor 6 to start recording. The recording signal is amplified through a signal amplifier 16 and recorded on a recording head 17 on a recording tape.

When the time set by the timer is reached or when it is detected that the caller has hung up, the above-mentioned task recording is completed. The number of rotations of the tape feed reel is detected by a rotation detector. The light emitted by the light emitting diode 18 passes through the slit rotating body 20 that rotates together with the reel, and is received by the phototransistor 19, which generates a potential across the resistor 21 and connects the strobe signal output port and input port of the microprocessor 6. Analog switch 2 inserted between
2 control signals. The slit rotating body 20 is attached to move in conjunction with the supply reel drive shaft of the message recording cassette, and as it rotates, the control terminal of the analog switch 22 repeats high and low levels, thereby causing the micropro A strobe signal input to the input port of the processor 6 is turned on and off, and the microprocessor 6 detects the number of rotations per unit time. The relationship between the remaining recordable tape running time and the change in rotational speed varies greatly when the tape winding diameter is small, so a rotation detector is attached to the supply reel where the winding diameter becomes small at the end of the tape.

If the number of rotations (the same applies when converted to rotation speed) at the time recording is completed is higher than the preset reference value, it is determined that the remaining tape is less than the specified length, and the operation is performed to detect the remaining length of the tape. Start. In other words, the recording plunger 14 is turned off to stop recording, the microprocessor 6 outputs the drive current of the drive transistor 24 of the fast-forwarding plunger 23 to fast-forward for a certain period of time (described later), and rotation is detected during fast-forwarding. If the device continues to detect rotation, it has not reached the end of the tape, and if it stops detecting rotation for a certain period of time during fast forwarding, that is, when the output of the phototransistor 19 shows a constant state, the end of the tape has been reached and the reel has reached the end point. It is determined that the rotation has stopped.

Therefore, when the end point is detected by the above detection, after turning off the rapid-forward plunger 23, the station line is restored with the motor 8 and station line relay 1 turned off, and
Even if the next incoming call signal is input to the microprocessor 6, the office line relay 1 will not be turned on.
If the end point is not detected, after turning off the fast-forward plunger 23, the driving transistor 26 of the plunger 25 for rewinding the message recording tape is controlled by the output from the microprocessor 6.
ON, rewind the fast-forwarded portion, turn off the rewind plunger 25, and then rewind the response message playback tape rewind plunger 27.
The drive transistor 28 of the microprocessor 6
The output current is turned on to rewind the tape, and after the rewinding is completed, the plunger 27, motor 8, and office line relay 1 are turned off to restore the office line and enter a standby state for the next incoming call.

If the above fast forward time is set to about 3 minutes when converted to recording time, and the detection error of the rotation speed for starting the remaining tape time detection operation is converted to 1 minute when converted to recording time, this corresponds to 4 minutes of remaining tape time. The speed of the recording tape starts from the point at which the number of revolutions reaches that point. Since most normal business messages are within 3 minutes, by setting the time as described above, it is possible to eliminate not only the leader tape at the end point but also the loss of messages due to no remaining tape.

With an answering machine that can play and send a response message that prompts the caller to record the message and a response message that only informs the caller that the caller is not available, if there is not a specified amount of tape remaining, the following message is sent: It is preferable to use a response-only answering machine that reproduces and sends a response-only message upon receiving an incoming call. Furthermore, as a process for the microprocessor, constantly detecting the rotation speed increases the amount of work and requires higher processing speed and program capacity, resulting in a large loss. Feeding the tape requires wasted tape and results in loss. Therefore, for example, in a device that records an end mark at the end of a caller's message for a cueing function during playback, it is convenient to detect the end mark while it is being recorded.

As described above, the present invention detects from the number of rotations of the reel that the tape for recording a business message is near the end point, and at this time fast-forwards the tape for a certain period of time to detect whether the tape reaches the end point. As a result, if the end point is reached, subsequent messages will not be recorded; on the other hand, if the end point is not reached, there is enough tape length to record again, so the system rewinds the fast-forwarded amount and makes recording possible. Because of this unique feature, it is possible to use standard commercially available cassette tapes for recording message messages, and it is extremely reliable because the end of the caller's message is not missing. It can be an expensive answering machine.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

The drawing is a circuit configuration diagram of a main part showing an embodiment of an answering machine according to the present invention. 1... Office line relay, 6... Microprocessor, 7... Transistor, 8... Motor, 14...
...Plunger for recording messages, 17...Recording head, 18...Light emitting diode, 19...Phototransistor, 20...Slit rotating body, 21...Resistor, 22...Analog switch, 23...Plunger for fast forwarding , 24... Drive transistor, 25... Rewinding plunger, 26...
Drive transistor, 27... rewinding plunger.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A recording cassette tape for recording matters sent via a central office line, and a recording/playback device capable of fast-forwarding and rewinding the recording cassette tape. A rotation detector detects the number of revolutions per unit time of the cassette tape delivery reel.
The number of revolutions at the end of the recording is detected, and if the detected number of revolutions is greater than a reference value, the recording cassette tape is fast-forwarded for a certain period of time, and the end of the recording cassette tape must not be detected during this fast-forwarding. Rewind the tape length that was fast-forwarded above to restore the central office line,
It returns to the standby state where it is possible to record the caller's business for the next incoming call, and if the end of the recording cassette tape is detected during the above-mentioned fast-forward operation, the central office line is restored and the next incoming call cannot be accepted. On the other hand, if the number of rotations of the reel at the end of recording the message is below the reference value, the answering machine returns to the standby state and records the caller's message for the next incoming call. Telephone device. 2. If the end of the recording cassette tape is detected during the above-mentioned fast-forward operation and the central office line is restored, a response message for the next incoming call will only be played and sent, but the caller's business will not be recorded. An answering machine according to claim 1, characterized in that: 3. When detecting the number of rotations of the feed reel of the recording cassette tape at the end of recording the message, the rotation speed should be detected during the recording of the end mark, which is recorded as a cue signal during playback after recording the message. An answering machine according to claim 1, characterized in that: