Communication apparatus and method with service execution according to dial number

• US 5,526,423 A
• Filed: 03/22/1994
• Issued: 06/11/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 05/08/1991
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Ohuchi, Masatomo, Ohi, Hirokazu
• Primary Examiner(s): Hofsass, Jeffery
• Assistant Examiner(s): TSANG, FAN S
• Application Number:
  US08/215,672
• Time in Patent Office: 812 Days
• Field of Search: 379/85, 379/201, 379/67, 379/355, 379/354, 379/216, 379/68, 379/156, 379/160, 379/88, 379/89, 379/111, 379/114, 379/106, 379/107, 379/91, 379/92, 379/95, 179/180, 179/200, 179/84, 179/67, 179/92
• US Class Current: 379/88.25
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/27 Devices whereby a plurality of signals may be stored simultaneously
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/56 Arrangements for indicating or recording the called number at the calling subscriber's set
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/656 for recording conversations
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/00 Arrangements for metering, time-control or time indication ; Metering, charging or billing arrangements for voice wireline or wireless communications, e.g. VoIP
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/28 with meter at substation or with calculation of charges at terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/34 Charging, billing or metering arrangements for private branch exchanges
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42221 Conversation recording systems at the subscriber's set H04M1/656
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/42 Circuit arrangements for indirect selecting controlled by common circuits, e.g. register controller, marker

Abstract

In a telephone apparatus which accommodates a plurality of lines and a plurality of terminals, system services in accordance with preset working data are realized based upon prescribed operations such as the dialing of an outgoing call from a terminal. The system services include the storing of desired dial information, the recording and playback of voice information from an outside provider of voice information, and the supplying of billing information.

Claims

1. A communication apparatus comprising:

determining means for determining whether a first dial number inputted in order to place a call corresponds to a predetermined service for storing information from a called station;

calling means for placing a call in accordance with the first dial number;

memory means for storing received information from the called station; and

enabling means for enabling said memory means to store the received information when said determining means determines that the first dial number corresponds to the predetermined service.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said determining means includes second memory means for storing an indication showing that the inputted first dial number corresponds to the predetermined service.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said memory means further includes means for storing the first dial number in advance of inputting said first dial number to place a call.

4. The apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said memory means stores information showing the predetermined service corresponds to the first dial number in advance of inputting said first dial number to place a call.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first dial number corresponds to a telephone number information service.

6. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising input means including dial keys.

8. The apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said recording means avoids placing a call when the inputted second dial number corresponds to the playback service.

7. A communication apparatus having recording means for recording/playing back information from a line, comprising:

memory means for storing a first dial number in advance corresponding to a predetermined service;

input means for inputting a second dial number;

comparing means for comparing the first dial number with the second dial number inputted; and

calling means for placing a call in accordance with the second dial number;

wherein said recording means operates to perform a recording or a playback in accordance with a result of a comparison made by said comparing means, and

the recording and the playback correspond to the predetermined service.

9. The apparatus according to claim 7, wherein said recording means plays back information which has been received from a communication party providing the predetermined service when the inputted second dial number corresponds to the playback service.

10. The apparatus according to claim 7, wherein said recording means plays back recorded information when the first and second dial numbers match with each other.

11. The apparatus according to claim 7, wherein said recording means records the information from the line when the first and second dial numbers match each other.

12. The apparatus according to claim 7, wherein said memory means stores operating modes of said recording means corresponding to the first dial number.

13. The apparatus according to claim 7, wherein said input means includes dial keys.

14. The apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the first dial number corresponds to a weather forecast service.

15. A communication apparatus having recording means for recording/playing back information from a line, comprising:

memory means for storing a first dial number in advance corresponding to a predetermined service;

input means for inputting a second dial number;

comparing means for comparing the first dial number with the second dial number inputted; and

calling means for placing a call,

wherein said recording means operates to perform recording or playback, said recording and playback correspond to the predetermined service, and updates contents of recorded voice information from a called station providing the voice information at a predetermined timing.

16. A communication apparatus comprising:

determining means for determining whether a dial number inputted in order to place a call corresponds to a predetermined service;

executing means for executing the predetermined service in accordance with a determination made by said determining means;

detecting means for detecting the number of times the service is executed at a calling station; and

storage means for storing billing information in dependence upon the number of times the service is executed when said determining means determines that the inputted dial number corresponds to the predetermined service.

17. The apparatus according to claim 16, wherein said detecting means detects the number of times the service is executed, by detecting an operation for inputting the inputted dial number.

18. The apparatus according to claim 16, wherein the dial number corresponds to a telephone number information service.

19. A communication apparatus connected to a network, comprising:

receiving means for receiving service information from the network by accessing a service station in the network at a predetermined timing;

a memory for storing the received information;

inputting means for inputting an access number; and

read-out means for reading out the received information from said memory when the access number corresponding to that of the service station in the network is inputted.

20. The apparatus according to claim 19, wherein the received information stored in said memory is updated at a predetermined timing.

21. The apparatus according to claim 19, further comprising calling means for automatically calling the network such that said receiving means receives the service information.

22. The apparatus according to claim 21, wherein said calling means is enabled to call the network when the service information changes.

23. The apparatus according to claim 19, wherein in the event no received information is stored in the memory, information showing no-received information is notified.

24. A communication method comprising the steps of:

determining whether a first dial number inputted in order to place a call corresponds to a predetermined service for storing information received from a called station;

placing a call in accordance with the first dial number; and

enabling storing of received information when it is determined that the first dial number corresponds to the predetermined service.

25. The method according to claim 24, wherein in the determining step, a stored indication showing that the inputted first dial number corresponds to the predetermined service is used.

26. The method of claim 24 wherein in the determining step, the first dial number which is stored in advance of inputting said first dial number to place a call is used.

27. The method of claim 26 wherein information showing the predetermined service corresponding to the first dial number is stored in advance of inputting the first dial number to place a call.

28. The method according to claim 24 wherein the first dial number corresponds to a telephone number information service.

29. The method of claim 24, further comprising a step of inputting dial numbers by dial keys.

30. A communication method in communication apparatus having recording means for recording/playback of information from a line comprising the steps of:

storing a first dial number corresponding to a predetermined service in advance;

inputting a second dial number;

comparing the first dial number with the second dial number inputted to place a call;

placing a call according to the second dial number;

performing a recording or a playback according to a result of a comparison in the comparing step,

wherein the recording and the playback correspond to the predetermined service.

31. The method according to claim 30, wherein the placing of a call is avoided when the inputted second dial number corresponds to the playback service.

32. The method according to claim 30, wherein information received from a communication party providing the predetermined service is played back when the inputted dial number corresponds to the playback service.

33. The method of claim 30 wherein the playback of recording information is performed by the recording means when the first and second dial numbers match each other.

34. The method according to claim 30 wherein the information from the line is recorded by the recording means when the first and second dial numbers match each other.

35. The method of claim 30 wherein operating modes of the recording means corresponding to the first dial number are stored.

36. The method according to claim 30 wherein inputting is performed by dial keys in the inputting step.

37. The method according to claim 30, wherein the first dial number corresponds to a weather forecast service.

38. A communication method in communication apparatus having recording means for recording/playback of information from a line comprising the steps of:

storing a first dial number corresponding to a predetermined service in advance;

inputting a second dial number;

comparing the first dial number with the second dial number inputted to place a call; and

placing a call according to the second dial number,

wherein recording or playback corresponding to the predetermined service is performed by the recording means and the contents of recorded voice information from a called station providing the voice information are updated at a predetermined timing by the recording means.

39. A communication method comprising the steps of:

determining whether a dial number inputted to place a call corresponds to a predetermined service;

executing the predetermined service in accordance with a determination in the determining step;

detecting the number of times the service is executed at a calling station; and

storing billing information in dependence upon the number of times the service is executed when the determination in the determining step determines that the inputted dial number corresponds to the predetermined service.

40. The method of claim 39, wherein in said detecting step, the number of times is detected by detecting an operation for inputting the inputted dial number.

41. The method according to claim 39, wherein the dial number corresponds to a telephone number information service.

42. A communication method for communication apparatus connected to a network comprising the steps of:

receiving service information from the network by accessing a service station in the network at a predetermined timing;

storing the received information;

inputting an access number; and

reading out the stored received information when the access number corresponding to that of the service station in the network.

43. The method according to claim 42, wherein the stored received information is updated at a predetermined timing.

44. The method according to claim 42, further comprising the step of automatically calling the network to receive the service information.

45. The method according to claim 44, wherein the automatic calling step includes the step of calling the network when the service information changes.

46. The method according to claim 42, wherein in the event no received information is stored, information showing no-received information is notified.