JPH0117302B2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] (a) Field of Industrial Application 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 from a remote location. .

(b) Prior art An automatic answering machine performs an incoming call operation in response to a ringing signal coming from a telephone line, sends a response message recorded on an answering tape to the caller, and then receives a message from the caller. However, recently, in addition to this function, there is also 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. 2. Description of the Related Art Automatic answering machines with automatic answering functions have become widespread. The remote listening operation of an automatic answering machine with such a remote listening function is performed by rewinding the recording tape using a remote control signal and then switching to the playback mode. If the number can be recognized during the remote listening operation, the remote listener will be able to know the time required to listen to the message, which will be extremely convenient. There is a technique described in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 18311/1983 as a technique for notifying remote listeners of the number of calls received while you are away.
The system is configured to recognize the number of incoming calls by counting the number of notification tones sent out by the automatic answering machine, so if there are many incoming calls, it takes a long time just to check the number of incoming calls. It has the problem of becoming.

(c) Purpose of the Invention The present invention provides an automatic answering machine configured to notify a remote listener of the number of incoming calls during remote listening operation, so that if the number of incoming calls exceeds a predetermined number, the remote listener immediately confirms the number of incoming calls. The aim is to provide a device that can do this.

(d) Structure of the Invention The present invention provides an audible signal generation circuit that sends a number of audible signals to a remote listener according to the count value of a counter circuit that counts the number of incoming calls, and also provides a system in which the count value of the counter circuit is greater than or equal to a predetermined value. In the event of a heat wave, the notification sound from the audible signal generation circuit is changed.

(E) Embodiment The illustrated block diagram is an 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 first terminal from which a pulse-like count signal is output when the incoming circuit operates in response to a ringing signal arriving from the telephone line and a connection with the telephone line is made; 4 is a remote control from a remote listener; This is a second terminal that outputs a control signal when a signal is received. 5 is a first counter circuit which has an input terminal 6 connected to the first terminal 3 provided in the control section 2 and counts the number of count signals output from the first terminal 3; It is provided with an output terminal 7 that outputs an H (high) level signal depending on the count value, and an output terminal 8 that outputs an H level signal when the count value is equal to or higher than a predetermined value. Reference numeral 9 denotes a plurality of input terminals 10 connected to the output terminals 7 and 8 of the first counter circuit 5 and a preset enable terminal 11 connected to the second terminal 4 provided in the control section 2. The second counter circuit has a down terminal 12 and presets the count value of the first counter circuit 5 when a control signal is applied to the preset enable terminal 11.
and a plurality of output terminals 13. 14 is an inversion holding circuit whose input terminal is connected to the second terminal 4, and which inverts and maintains its state when a control signal is output from the second terminal 4 in response to reception of a remote control signal; The configuration is such that when an H level signal is output from the output terminal 8 of the first counter circuit 5, the inversion operation to the operating state is prevented. 15 is a first oscillator which starts oscillation when the inversion/holding circuit 14 is inverted to the operating state and outputs a pulse signal at H level for a predetermined period of 0.5 seconds, and L (low) level for 1 second; 16 outputs an audible signal. It is a second oscillator, and is configured to output an audible signal every time the pulse signal from the first oscillator 15 is applied, and send it to a remote listener through the control unit 2. The pulse signal from the first oscillator 15 is applied to the down terminal 12 of the second counter circuit 9.
It has the effect of causing the count value to count down. 17 is a NOR circuit whose input terminal is connected to the output terminal 13 of the second counter circuit 9, and whose output terminal is connected to the reset terminal of the inversion/holding circuit 14. 18 is a signal from the output terminal 8 of the first counter circuit 5 and the control unit 2
19 is an inverting circuit that operates inverted for a predetermined time when the output signal of the NAND circuit 18 is inverted from H level to L level, and operates the second oscillator 16. It has the function of causing an audible signal to be sent out for a predetermined period of time. 20 is a reset switch for returning the count value of the first counter circuit 5 to zero.

The present invention is constructed as described above, and its operation will be explained next. In the standby state and the state where the remote listener does not send a remote control signal, the inversion holding circuit 1
4 is in a non-inverting state, the first oscillator 15 and the second oscillator
Oscillator 16 is inactive. In the standby state, when a calling signal arrives, the incoming call circuit forming the control unit 2 operates to establish a connection with the telephone line,
After sending the response message recorded on the response tape to the caller, a predetermined operation is performed in which the message from the caller is recorded on the recording tape for a predetermined period of time, and the system returns to the standby state. The response recording operation is performed in this way, but when an incoming call is received, a count signal is output from the first terminal 3 and applied to the input terminal 6 of the first counter circuit 5, so that the first counter circuit 5 starts counting. Perform the action. A count signal is outputted from the first terminal 3 every time a response recording operation of the above-mentioned automatic answering machine is performed, and the first counter circuit 5 counts the number of times.

As described above, the normal response recording operation and the counting operation of the number of incoming calls by the first counter circuit 5 are performed, but next, the remote listening operation will be explained. First, a case where the number of calls received while the user is away is less than a predetermined value, that is, a case where the output of the output terminal 8 of the first counter circuit 5 is at L level will be described. In such a state, the output of the NAND circuit 18 is at H level, and the inversion holding circuit 14 is in an operable state. When the remote listener sends out a remote control signal after calling the automatic answering machine, a control signal is output from the second terminal 4 of the control section 2, and the control signal is sent to the preset enable terminal 11 of the second counter circuit 9, which is inverted. Holding circuit 14 and NAND circuit 18
is applied to the input terminal of When a control signal is applied to the preset enable terminal 11 of the second counter circuit 9, the count value counted by the first counter circuit 5 is preset to the second counter circuit 9, and the count value corresponding to the preset count value is preset to the second counter circuit 9. The resulting signal is output from the output terminal 13. When an H level signal is output from the output terminal 13, the output of the NOR circuit 17 which receives the signal becomes L level. When a control signal from the second terminal 4 of the control section 2 is applied to the inversion/holding circuit 14, the inversion/holding circuit 14 is inverted to the operating state.
When the inversion/holding circuit 14 is inverted to the active state, the first oscillator 15 becomes active and outputs a pulse signal at a predetermined period. The pulse signal from the first oscillator 15 is applied to the second oscillator 16, and as a result, the second oscillator 16 outputs an audible signal every time the pulse signal is applied, and sends it to the remote listener through the control unit 2. be done. Further, the first oscillator 1
The pulse signal from 5 is applied to the down terminal 12 of the second counter circuit 9.
The preset count value is downcanted. When the second counter circuit 9 performs a down-count operation and the count value of the second counter circuit 9 becomes zero, all the outputs of the output terminals 13 go to L level, so the output of the NOR circuit 17 goes from L level to H level. to be reversed. the result,
The inversion holding circuit 14 is reset and returned to the non-operating state, and along with this, the first oscillator 1
5 and the second oscillator 16 are inactive and no audible signal is transmitted to the remote listener.
Therefore, the number of audible signals sent to the remote listener is the count value of the first counter circuit 5 preset in the second counter circuit 9, that is, the number of incoming calls that came in while you were away, and the number of audible signals sent to the remote listener is can recognize the approximate number of messages before starting the message listening operation using the remote control. Thereafter, a well-known remote listening operation is performed and the automatic answering machine returns to the standby state. The remote listening operation in such a state is performed as described above, but since an L level signal is applied to one input terminal of the NAND circuit 18, the second terminal 4 of the control unit 2 is Even if an H-level control signal is applied to the other input terminal, the output of the NAND circuit 18 will not be inverted to L-level, and the inverting circuit 19 will not operate.

As described above, when the remote listener sends out a remote control signal, the count value counted in the first counter circuit 5 is preset in the second counter circuit 9, and the count value preset in the second counter circuit 9 is counted down. Then, the count value of the second counter circuit 9 returns to zero, but the count value of the first counter circuit 5 does not change. Therefore, when an incoming call operation is performed after the remote listening operation is completed and the remote listening state is returned to the standby state, the first counter circuit 5 performs a counting operation, and the count value of the first counter circuit 5 is added to the count value before remote listening. and increase. Therefore, next time the remote listener sends out a remote control signal to perform a remote listening operation, the above-described operation is performed and the count value of the first counter circuit 5 is preset in the second counter circuit 9. Therefore, the number of audible signals obtained by adding the number of new incoming calls to the number of the first remote listening operation will be sent to the remote listener. Furthermore, when the reset switch 20 is closed, the first counter circuit 5 is reset.
The count value becomes zero.

The remote listening operation when the number of incoming calls is less than a predetermined value is as follows:
The operation is performed as described above, but next, the operation when the number of incoming calls is greater than a predetermined value will be explained. When the number of incoming calls exceeds a predetermined value, an H-level signal is output from the output terminal 8 of the first counter circuit 5, and this signal is applied to one input terminal of the inversion/holding circuit 14 and the NAND circuit 18. In such a state, even if the control signal from the second terminal 4 of the control section 2 is applied to the inversion/holding circuit 14, the inversion/holding circuit 14 will not be inverted to the operating state. When the remote listener sends out a remote control signal after calling the automatic answering machine, a control signal is output from the second terminal 4 of the control unit 2 and applied to the NAND circuit 18.
The output of the NAND circuit 18 is inverted from H level to L level. an inversion circuit 1 to which a signal is applied when the output of the NAND circuit 18 is inverted to L level;
9 performs an inverting operation for a predetermined period of time, during which the output signal is
applied to the oscillator 16. As a result, the second oscillator 16 operates to oscillate, and an output audible signal is sent to the remote listener through the control unit 2. Since the operation of transmitting an audible signal from the second oscillator 16 to the remote listener is performed only during a predetermined time period when the inverting circuit 19 is in the operating state, if the operating time of the inverting circuit 19 is set to, for example, about 3 seconds, the above-described operation can be performed. First oscillator 15
The remote listener can immediately recognize that the number of incoming calls exceeds a predetermined number. Therefore, it is possible to recognize before performing the remote listening operation that it will take a long time to listen to all the messages recorded on the recording tape, and to choose whether or not to perform the remote listening operation. .

In this embodiment, when the number of incoming calls exceeds a predetermined value, the transmitting time of the audible signal is changed, but it is also possible to change the frequency of the audible signal.

(F) Effect of the Invention The present invention provides that when a remote listener transmits a remote control signal to remotely listen to a message from a caller recorded on an audio tape, if the number of incoming calls while the caller is away is less than a predetermined number, The number of audible signals corresponding to the number of incoming calls is sent to the remote listener, and when the number of incoming calls is more than a predetermined number, a different audible signal is sent to the remote listener than when the number of incoming calls is less than the predetermined number. , it is possible to immediately recognize whether the number of messages recorded on the recording tape is large or small at the start of remote listening operation, and if there is a small number, it is possible to check the number of messages by counting the number of audible signals sent out. It has the advantage of being able to recognize approximate numbers,
This is extremely effective in increasing the commercial value of an automatic answering machine with a remote listening function.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

The illustrated block diagram is one embodiment of the present invention. Explanation of main drawing numbers, 2...Control unit, 5...First counter circuit, 9...Second counter circuit, 11
... Preset enable terminal, 12 ... Down terminal, 14 ... Inversion holding circuit, 15 ... First oscillator, 16 ... Second oscillator, 19 ... Inversion circuit.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. An automatic answering machine that is equipped with a counter circuit that counts the number of incoming calls, and an audible signal generation circuit that sends a number of audible signals corresponding to the count value of the counter circuit to a remote listener at the start of a remote listening operation. When the count value of the counter circuit is above a predetermined value, by changing the frequency or transmission time of the audible signal output from the audible signal generating circuit, the number of incoming calls is equal to or greater than the predetermined number immediately upon starting the remote listening operation. An automatic answering machine is characterized in that it notifies a remote listener of the call.