Relay apparatus for pagers

• US 5,862,473 A
• Filed: 05/07/1996
• Issued: 01/19/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 05/10/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: ROHM Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: ROHM Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Nishitani, Shuji
• Primary Examiner(s): Bost, Dwayne D.
• Assistant Examiner(s): WYCHE, MYRON
• Application Number:
  US08/649,849
• Time in Patent Office: 987 Days
• Field of Search: 340/825.44, 379/57, 379/56, 379/210, 379/211, 379/212, 379/67, 379/74, 379/77, 379/88.13, 379/88.15, 455/38.1, 455/31.2, 455/412, 455/417
• US Class Current: 455/412.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/658 Means for redirecting recorded messages to other extensions or equipment
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/533 Voice mail systems

Abstract

A relay apparatus requests entry of a pager number of a person, when the person either accessed a pager through dialing or accessed the relay apparatus through a telephone line. If the pager number is successfully recognized, the relay apparatus informs the person who made the access of the state of messages stored corresponding to the recognized pager number, and requests instruction for a next operation through the telephone line. If replaying is instructed, a stored message is replayed. If recording is instructed, a message of the person who made the access is recorded to a storage box for a person addressed, and a pager of the person addressed is called up afterwards. The relay apparatus operates in a similar way when the person addressed makes an access.

Claims

1. A relay apparatus for pagers, comprising:

an interface means for interfacing with a telephone line;

a tone detection means, connected to the interface means, for determining a tone input through the interface means;

a recording means, connected to the interface means, for recording a voice message input through the interface means by a telephone caller;

a voice guidance means for storing a number of messages stored in the recording means and for outputting the number of messages by voice;

a voice switching means, connected to the voice guidance means, the interface means, and the recording means, for outputting alternatively either an output from the recording means or an output from the voice guidance means through the interface means to the telephone line;

a pager call circuit; and

a controlling means, connected to the tone detection means, the recording means, the voice switching means, the voice guidance means and the pager call circuit, for controlling the recording means, the voice guidance means, the voice switching means and the pager call circuit according to an output from the tone detection means.

2. A relay apparatus for pagers as claimed in claim 1,

wherein said controlling means, on recognizing a terminal number of a pager terminal of a caller that has accessed the relay apparatus through the telephone line, controls said voice guidance means to output by voice the number of stored messages corresponding to the terminal number, and controls the voice switching means to send out the voice through the interface means to the telephone line.

3. A relay apparatus for pagers as claimed in claim 2,

wherein said controlling means, after sending out the number of messages by voice, controls the voice guidance means to output by voice a request for instruction of a next operation.

4. A relay apparatus for pagers as claimed in claim 3,

wherein said controlling means controls the recording means to replay a recorded message in response to a request of the caller for replaying, and controls the recording means to record a message of the caller in response to a request of the caller for recording.

5. A relay apparatus for pagers as claimed in claim 4,

wherein said controlling means, on receiving a recording command from the caller, controls the recording means to record the message and controls the pager call circuit to call up a pager terminal of a person addressed.

6. A relay apparatus, comprising:

a telephone line interface connected with a telephone line;

a tone detection means, connected to said telephone line interface, for determining a tone input through said telephone line interface;

a storage means, connected to said telephone line interface, for storing a voice message input through said telephone line interface by a telephone caller;

a voice guidance means for managing a number of voice messages addressed to a pager terminal corresponding to the tone detected by said tone detection means and for managing the manner of receiving the voice messages;

a pager call circuit;

a voice switching means, connected to said storage means, said voice guidance means and said telephone line interface, for providing either an output from said storage means or an output from said voice guidance means to said telephone line interface; and

a controller means, connected to said tone detection means, said voice switching means, said storage means, said voice guidance means and said pager call circuit, for controlling said storage means, said voice guidance circuit, said voice switching circuit and said pager call circuit,

wherein said controller means operates so that an output of said voice guidance means and an output of said storage means are successively provided to a telephone set through said telephone line interface when a request for reception of a stored message is received from said telephone line through said telephone line interface.