Voice mail system on magnetic tape
First Claim
1. A method for recording audio messages on a magnetic tape in a message system, the audio messages being transmitted from a user over a telephone line, and subsequently forwarding the messages to recipients designated by a mailbox identifier transmitted by the user, comprising:
- switching the system from an idle state to an active state in response to a user generated ringing signal over the telephone line;
detecting a user generated record access signal, which includes a mailbox identifier for a recipient;
determining the location of one cell of a plurality of cells on said tape for recording a message in response to said record access signal;
recording an audio message from said user in said cell;
storing the location of said cell in association with the mailbox identifier;
transmitting a message waiting signal to a location remote from said tape for indicating a message is waiting for the recipient;
switching the system from the active state to the idle state following such recording;
responding to a recipient generated access signal to allow the recipient to switch the system from the idle state to the active state;
detecting a recipient generated play access signal which includes the recipient'"'"'s mailbox identifier to allow the recipient to receive a message associated with the recipient'"'"'s mailbox identifier;
determining the location of a cell stored in association with the recipient'"'"'s mailbox identifier in response to the play access signal;
transmitting the message recorded in a cell in association with the recipient'"'"'s mailbox identifier to the recipient; and
switching the system from the active state to the idle state following such message transmission.
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0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
The present invention is a magnetic tape-based "voice mail" multi-user message system. The system transmits audio prompts to callers to help guide them through the various procedures. The callers respond with Touch-Tone commands. A novel circuit is provided to detect these tone commands without significant interference from the audio prompt signals. This circuit is highly insensitive to deviations in the impedance of the incoming telephone line from its expected value. A circuit is also provided to prevent Touch-Tone commands which are recorded on tape from being re-executed when they are played back from the tape. A single L.E.D. indicator on each recipient'"'"'s telephone set indicates the status of the system: idle with new message waiting; idle without new message waiting; busy with new message waiting; or busy without new message waiting.
84 Citations
25 Claims
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1. A method for recording audio messages on a magnetic tape in a message system, the audio messages being transmitted from a user over a telephone line, and subsequently forwarding the messages to recipients designated by a mailbox identifier transmitted by the user, comprising:
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switching the system from an idle state to an active state in response to a user generated ringing signal over the telephone line; detecting a user generated record access signal, which includes a mailbox identifier for a recipient; determining the location of one cell of a plurality of cells on said tape for recording a message in response to said record access signal; recording an audio message from said user in said cell; storing the location of said cell in association with the mailbox identifier; transmitting a message waiting signal to a location remote from said tape for indicating a message is waiting for the recipient; switching the system from the active state to the idle state following such recording; responding to a recipient generated access signal to allow the recipient to switch the system from the idle state to the active state; detecting a recipient generated play access signal which includes the recipient'"'"'s mailbox identifier to allow the recipient to receive a message associated with the recipient'"'"'s mailbox identifier; determining the location of a cell stored in association with the recipient'"'"'s mailbox identifier in response to the play access signal; transmitting the message recorded in a cell in association with the recipient'"'"'s mailbox identifier to the recipient; and switching the system from the active state to the idle state following such message transmission. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 22, 23, 24, 25)
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14. A voice mail system for recording audio messages transmitted by a user over a telephone line to the system and for subsequently forwarding the messages to recipients designated by mailbox identifiers transmitted by the user, comprising:
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a magnetic tape divided into a plurality of message cells; means, coupled to said telephone line, for recognizing an incoming call and placing the system in an active state; decoder means coupled to said telephone line for decoding control signals including mailbox identifiers transmitted on said telephone line; processing means coupled to said decoder means for controlling the operation of said voice mail system; message recording means, controlled by said processing means and coupled to said telephone line, for recording audio messages in said message cells; memory means, controlled by said processing means, for storing cell locations in which messages have been recorded and mailbox identifiers associated with the stored cell locations; means for switching the system to an idle state after an audio message has been recorded and after the memory means has stored the cell location and mailbox identifier; indicator means located at a location remote from the message recording means, controlled by said processing means, for indicating the presence of a new recorded audio message in the system in association with a recipient'"'"'s mailbox identifier; means for the recipient to switch the system to an active state; playback means, controlled by said processing means and coupled to said telephone line, for playing a message recorded in a cell in response to a recipient'"'"'s generated control signal which includes the mailbox identifier associated with the recorded message; and means for returning the system to the idle state following the playback of a message. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. In a voice mail system for connection to a telephone line, the system including a decoder coupled to the telephone line for decoding incoming dual tone multiple frequency command signals and including a prompting device coupled to the telephone line for transmitting outgoing audio voice prompt signals, means for preventing the outgoing prompt signals from interfering with the decoding of said incoming command signals, said means comprising:
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transformer means having a first and a second side, the first side being coupled to the telephone line; first voltage divider means having an input connected to the output of the prompting device and an output connected to the second side of the transformer for producing at the second side of the transformer a voltage corresponding to approximately one-half the voltage output from the prompting device; amplifier means having an inverting input, a non-inverting input, and an output, the inverting input being coupled to the second side of the transformer and the output being coupled to an input of the decoder, for providing to the decoder a net signal voltage equal to two times a voltage applied to the non-inverting input minus a voltage applied to the inverting input by the second side of the transformer; and second voltage divider means having an input connected to the output of the prompting device and an output coupled to the non-inverting input of the amplifier means, for producing at the non-inverting input of the amplifier means a voltage equal to one-fourth a voltage output from the prompting device, whereby the amplifier means provides to the decoder a net signal devoid of voice prompt signals. - View Dependent Claims (21)
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Specification