Remotely controlled telephone answering apparatus
First Claim
1. Telephone answering apparatus adapted to be coupled to a telephone communication channel, and comprising:
- a first record medium having an announcement message recorded thereon, followed by telephone number information representing a predetermined telephone number, followed by a page message;
first transducer means associated with said first record medium for reproducing said announcement message, said telephone number information and said page message;
first drive means selectively energizable to drive said first record medium relative to said first transducer means;
a second record medium for storing incoming messages received from said telephone communication channel;
second transducer means associated with said second recording medium and selectively operative to record said incoming messages thereon and to reproduce recorded messages therefrom;
second drive means selectively energizable to drive said second record medium bidirectionally relative to said second transducer means;
line seizing means actuable in response to an incoming telephone call for seizing said telephone communication channel to operably connect said telephone answering apparatus thereto and for initiating a telephone answering cycle whereby said first drive means is energized for an announce period such that said announcement message is reproduced and transmitted over said telephone communication channel and then said second drive means is energized to enable an incoming message to be recorded on said second record medium;
means for sensing the termination of said incoming telephone call to de-energize said second drive means and de-actuate said line seizing means;
timing means responsive to the energizing of said second drive means for timing the duration of the incoming message of said incoming telephone call said timing means being de-energized in response to the de-actuation of said line seizing means if said duration is less than a predetermined time and being energized to provide an energize signal if said duration exceeds said predetermined time;
means for applying said energize signal to said line seizing means to re-seize said telephone communication channel and to re-energize said first drive means such that said telephone number information and said page message are reproduced and transmitted over said telephone communication channel;
code detecting means for detecting a first coded signal transmitted over said seized telephone communication channel to said telephone answering apparatus for energizing said second drive means to drive said second record medium such that said recorded incoming messages are reproduced therefrom; and
programmable repeat means selectively operable to re-energize said first drive means and to re-actuate said line seizing means for re-connecting said telephone answering apparatus to said telephone communication channel to transmit said telephone number information and said page message over said telephone communication channel, said repeat means operating either a number of times, preselected as desired, following the completion of an incoming telephone call or until said second drive means is energized, prior to said preselected number of operations, for recording or reproducing incoming messages on said second record medium.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Telephone answering apparatus adapted to be coupled to a telephone line and having a first storage medium, such as a first magnetic tape, for storing announcement information and remote telephone number information, and a second storage medium, such as a second magnetic tape, upon which are recorded messages which are received via the telephone line. In response to an incoming telephone call, the first tape is driven so as to transmit the prerecorded announcement, and at the conclusion of this announcement the first tape is stopped and the second tape is driven so as to record an incoming message. A timing circuit is actuated for the duration of the incoming message so as to determine whether it exceeds a minimum duration. At the conclusion of the incoming message, a calling circuit is actuated to resume driving the first tape so that the remote telephone number information is transmitted, thereby dialing a remote telephone station. If a user of the machine is located at the remote telephone station, he can transmit a coded signal which is detected by a code detector at the telephone answering apparatus so as to cause the messages previously recorded on the second tape to be played back. In the event that the recorded messages are not played back, for example, if the dialed remote telephone is not answered or if the coded signal is not transmitted, a repeat circuit re-energizes the calling circuit a preset number of times, or until such recorded messages are played back. In another embodiment of this apparatus, the announcement and remote telephone number information which are recorded on the first tape can be revised from any remote telephone station. In a still further embodiment, the first tape also may be provided with a page message which is adapted to be transmitted to an automatic paging installation associated with the remote telephone number. In accordance with this page message, a user of the apparatus, who also is a subscriber to the paging installation, will be apprised that a telephone message had been recorded on his telephone answering apparatus and is awaiting retrieval.
45 Citations
28 Claims
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1. Telephone answering apparatus adapted to be coupled to a telephone communication channel, and comprising:
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a first record medium having an announcement message recorded thereon, followed by telephone number information representing a predetermined telephone number, followed by a page message; first transducer means associated with said first record medium for reproducing said announcement message, said telephone number information and said page message; first drive means selectively energizable to drive said first record medium relative to said first transducer means; a second record medium for storing incoming messages received from said telephone communication channel; second transducer means associated with said second recording medium and selectively operative to record said incoming messages thereon and to reproduce recorded messages therefrom; second drive means selectively energizable to drive said second record medium bidirectionally relative to said second transducer means; line seizing means actuable in response to an incoming telephone call for seizing said telephone communication channel to operably connect said telephone answering apparatus thereto and for initiating a telephone answering cycle whereby said first drive means is energized for an announce period such that said announcement message is reproduced and transmitted over said telephone communication channel and then said second drive means is energized to enable an incoming message to be recorded on said second record medium; means for sensing the termination of said incoming telephone call to de-energize said second drive means and de-actuate said line seizing means; timing means responsive to the energizing of said second drive means for timing the duration of the incoming message of said incoming telephone call said timing means being de-energized in response to the de-actuation of said line seizing means if said duration is less than a predetermined time and being energized to provide an energize signal if said duration exceeds said predetermined time; means for applying said energize signal to said line seizing means to re-seize said telephone communication channel and to re-energize said first drive means such that said telephone number information and said page message are reproduced and transmitted over said telephone communication channel; code detecting means for detecting a first coded signal transmitted over said seized telephone communication channel to said telephone answering apparatus for energizing said second drive means to drive said second record medium such that said recorded incoming messages are reproduced therefrom; and programmable repeat means selectively operable to re-energize said first drive means and to re-actuate said line seizing means for re-connecting said telephone answering apparatus to said telephone communication channel to transmit said telephone number information and said page message over said telephone communication channel, said repeat means operating either a number of times, preselected as desired, following the completion of an incoming telephone call or until said second drive means is energized, prior to said preselected number of operations, for recording or reproducing incoming messages on said second record medium. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. Telephone answering apparatus adapted to be coupled to a telephone communication channel and being of the type that responds to an incoming telephone call to transmit announcement information and then to receive and store an incoming message, said apparatus comprising:
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a first magnetic tape having recorded thereon, in order, an announcement message, an end of announcement signal, a telephone number code and a page message; first drive means for driving said first magnetic tape in an endless loop; a first transducer for recording signals on and reproducing signals from said first magnetic tape; a second magnetic tape for recording incoming messages received via said telephone communication channel; second drive means for driving said second magnetic tape; a second transducer for recording said incoming messages on said second magnetic tape; incoming call detecting means for detecting an incoming telephone call to seize said telephone communication channel and to energize said first tape drive means to drive said first tape past said first transducer whereby said announcement message is played back; end of announcement signal detecting means for detecting when said end of announcement signal is played back to de-energize said first tape drive means and to energize said second tape drive means so as to drive said second tape past said second transducer whereby an incoming message is recorded on said second tape; end of call detecting means for detecting the completion of an incoming telephone call; means for releasing said telephone communication channel in response to the detection of said completion of said incoming telephone call; calling means responsive to the detected completion of selected incoming telephone calls for re-seizing said telephone communication channel and for playing back said telephone number code from said first magnetic tape representing a remote telephone number so as to dial said remote telephone number, said calling means including delay means for delaying the seizing of said telephone communication channel for a predetermined time following the completion of said incoming telephone call, and means for energizing said first tape drive means when said telephone communication channel is re-seized; and information storage control means for replacing at least a portion of the information recorded on said first magnetic tape with revised information received via said telephone communication channel, said information storage control means including; coded signal detecting meand selectively coupled to said telephone communication channel for detecting predetermined coded signals whether said coded signals are transmitted to said telephone answering apparatus from a remote telephone station which had been dialed by said calling means or as part of an incoming telephone call for inhibiting said second magnetic tape from recording information received via said telephone communication channel; and enabling means responsive to the detection of said predetermined coded signals for enabling said first magnetic tape to record information received via said telephone communication channel so as to change the information which previously had been recorded thereon. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. Telephone answering apparatus adapted to be coupled to a telephone line and having a first cyclical magnetic tape upon which are recorded announcement information to be transmitted in reply to an incoming telephone call and additional information representing a remote telephone number and a page message, and a second magnetic tape for recording messages received from remote callers via said telephone line, said apparatus comprising:
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line seizing means responsive to an incoming telephone call to seize said telephone line; first tape drive means energized when said telephone line is seized to drive said first tape to play back said announcement information recorded thereon and to transmit same via said telephone line; second tape drive means energized in response to the conclusion of said announcement information to de-energize said first tape drive means and to drive said second tape to record messages transmitted thereto over said telephone line; line release means energized in response to the end of a transmitted message for releasing said telephone line; calling means energized in response to the releasing of said telephone line for subsequently actuating said line seizing means and to energize said first tape drive means so as to drive said first tape to play back said additional information and said page message; first code detecting means for detecting a first coded signal transmitted to said telephone answering apparatus via said telephone line to energize said second tape drive means and to deenergize said first tape drive means, said second tape drive means being energized by the detection of said first coded signal to rewind said second tape and to play back messages recorded thereon; means for energizing said line release means in the event that said first tape is driven through a complete cycle; repeat means selectively operable when said first tape is driven through a complete cycle for energizing said first tape drive means and thereby drive said first tape through said announcement information and then energize said calling means such that said additional information and said page message are transmitted again, said repeat means being operable a selected number of times; means for resetting said repeat means to an initial condition when said second tape drive means is energized to rewind said second tape; second code detecting means for detecting a second coded signal on said telephone line to de-energize said second tape drive means and to energize said first tape drive means; and recording means responsive to the detected second coded signal for recording information received via said telephone line on said first tape. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28)
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Specification