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Automatic telephone answering apparatus

  • US 5,699,410 A
  • Filed: 06/21/1995
  • Issued: 12/16/1997
  • Est. Priority Date: 06/23/1994
  • Status: Expired due to Fees
First Claim
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1. An automatic telephone answering apparatus comprising:

  • an interface circuit for communicating with a telephone line;

    storing means for storing a plurality of blocks of sound data at storing regions respectively;

    sound reproducing means for reproducing one of the blocks of sound data;

    mail box means, having a plurality of mail box portions including a plurality of mail box numbers, for storing data indicative of said storing regions respectively;

    ring signal detection means for detecting a ring signal from said telephone line, said ring signal including a data pattern of a type corresponding to one of a plurality of predetermined types of data patterns, each of said data patterns including at least a ringing period and at least a ring mute period;

    data pattern detection means, including ringing period measuring means for measuring said ringing period and ring mute period measuring means for measuring said ring mute period, said data pattern detection means detecting said data pattern of said ring signal in accordance with said ringing period measured by said ringing period measuring means and said ring mute period measured by said ring mute period measuring means, and detects the type of said data pattern of said ring signal, from said predetermined types of data patterns, in accordance with said detected data pattern of said ring signal;

    mail box number storing means for storing data of said mail box numbers;

    control means for determining one of said mail box portions and one of said mail box numbers in accordance with said detected type of said data pattern of said ring signal, storing data of the determined one of said mail box numbers in said mail box number storing means, communicating with said telephone line using said interface circuit and then, reproducing and sending said one of the blocks of sound data in accordance with said data of the determined one of said mail box numbers using said sound reproducing means to said telephone line.

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