Video phone system having function of answering machine
First Claim
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1. A method to provide an answering machine function to a video phone system, comprising:
- determining whether an incoming call made by a caller is received by a receiver or not;
establishing a conversation between the caller and the receiver when the incoming call is received by the receiver;
initiating an answering system after a buffering time if the incoming call is not answered;
determining a system used by the caller;
if an audio system is used by the caller, playing an audio instruction to request the caller to input a password for access to an audio message stored in the video phone;
if the caller does not input the password, instructing the caller to leave an audio message, and if a duration of the audio message exceeds a message cutoff time, hanging up the incoming call;
if the password is input and confirmed, playing an audio message abstract to the caller for access to the audio messages, and when the messages have been listened to, the step of access to the audio messages is terminated;
if an audiovisual system is used by the caller, playing an audiovisual instruction to request the caller to input a password for access to audiovisual messages stored in the video phone;
if the caller does not input the password, instructing the caller to leave an audiovisual message, and if a duration of the audiovisual message exceeds a message cutoff time, hanging up the incoming call; and
if the password is input and confirmed, playing an audiovisual message abstract to the caller for access to the audiovisual message, and when the messages have been listened to, the step of access to the audiovisual messages is terminated.
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Abstract
A video phone system with an answering machine function. While receiving a phone call, a conversation is established if an operator is available, if no one answers the call, an audiovisual answering system is initiated. This answering system stores the audio message or the audiovisual message according to the system used by the calling party. A user has to input a password to retrieve the messages. In addition, the owner of the video phone system can combine audio-visual information with a graph to configure the incoming call instructions.
13 Citations
16 Claims
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1. A method to provide an answering machine function to a video phone system, comprising:
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determining whether an incoming call made by a caller is received by a receiver or not;
establishing a conversation between the caller and the receiver when the incoming call is received by the receiver;
initiating an answering system after a buffering time if the incoming call is not answered;
determining a system used by the caller;
if an audio system is used by the caller, playing an audio instruction to request the caller to input a password for access to an audio message stored in the video phone;
if the caller does not input the password, instructing the caller to leave an audio message, and if a duration of the audio message exceeds a message cutoff time, hanging up the incoming call;
if the password is input and confirmed, playing an audio message abstract to the caller for access to the audio messages, and when the messages have been listened to, the step of access to the audio messages is terminated;
if an audiovisual system is used by the caller, playing an audiovisual instruction to request the caller to input a password for access to audiovisual messages stored in the video phone;
if the caller does not input the password, instructing the caller to leave an audiovisual message, and if a duration of the audiovisual message exceeds a message cutoff time, hanging up the incoming call; and
if the password is input and confirmed, playing an audiovisual message abstract to the caller for access to the audiovisual message, and when the messages have been listened to, the step of access to the audiovisual messages is terminated. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A video phone with answering machine function, comprising:
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a phone interface, coupled to a telephone line to receive audiovisual information, and to select and convert an audio signal and an audiovisual signal to audio data and audiovisual data accessible to the video phone;
a host controller, coupled to the phone interface to access the audio data and the audiovisual data;
a caller message recording apparatus, coupled to the host apparatus to record a caller message; and
a host instruction recording apparatus, coupled to the host controller to record a caller instruction. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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Specification