Telephone answering machine
First Claim
1. A telephone answering machine which is connected to a communication line through which calling party information comes when a call incomes, automatically catches the communication line in response to a call incoming signal which is sent from the communication line, at the same time transmits a response message to the communication line, and thereafter records a calling party'"'"'s message which is sent through the communication line, the telephone answering machine comprising:
- receiving means for receiving calling party information;
storing means for storing the calling party information which has been received by the receiving means;
comparing means for comparing, upon establishment of a new connection, the calling party information which has been received by the receiving means with the calling party information which has been stored in the storing means as a result of a calling party message having been recorded for a previous connection for a called party; and
controlling means for providing differing pre-recorded response output operations of the telephone answering machine for the same called party depending on a comparison result of the comparing means and by virtue of the fact that the new connection has been established.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
In a telephone answering machine, when the calling party information reception unit receives calling party information, and the call detection circuit detects a receiving signal, the main control unit makes the line interface capture the communication line and generate a communication path to the calling party telephone. The main control unit then determines whether the memory has the same calling party information that has been received by the calling party information reception unit. When it has been judged in the negative, the main control unit makes the response message output unit output the first response message. When it has been judged in the affirmative, the main control unit makes the response message output unit output the second response message. Under the direction of the main control unit, the response message output unit outputs the first response message or the second response message to the calling party telephone through the communication path which is generated by the line interface 2. As the result, the telephone answering machine identifies a large amount of calling party information, records a large number of messages, and allows the called party to listen to the messages without trouble.
-
Citations
19 Claims
-
1. A telephone answering machine which is connected to a communication line through which calling party information comes when a call incomes, automatically catches the communication line in response to a call incoming signal which is sent from the communication line, at the same time transmits a response message to the communication line, and thereafter records a calling party'"'"'s message which is sent through the communication line, the telephone answering machine comprising:
-
receiving means for receiving calling party information; storing means for storing the calling party information which has been received by the receiving means; comparing means for comparing, upon establishment of a new connection, the calling party information which has been received by the receiving means with the calling party information which has been stored in the storing means as a result of a calling party message having been recorded for a previous connection for a called party; and controlling means for providing differing pre-recorded response output operations of the telephone answering machine for the same called party depending on a comparison result of the comparing means and by virtue of the fact that the new connection has been established. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
-
-
9. A telephone answering machine comprising:
-
a line interface circuit through which calling party information is obtained for incoming telephone calls; a message playback and recording unit which plays pre-recorded messages in response to otherwise unanswered incoming telephone calls and which records calling party messages which are responsive to the pre-recorded messages; a memory which stores calling party information for incoming calls for a calling party leaving calling party messages; a controller operable to search the memory for calling party information upon receipt of an incoming call to a called party and which, upon determining that the calling party has left a calling party message to the same called party during a previous connections, causes the message playback and recording unit to apply a differing pre-recorded message to the calling party during a subsequent incoming call to the same called party. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
-
-
17. A telephone answering machine comprising:
-
a line interface circuit through which calling party information is obtained for incoming telephone calls; a message playback and recording unit which plays pre-recorded messages in response to otherwise unanswered incoming telephone calls and which records calling party messages which are responsive to the pre-recorded messages; a memory which stores calling party information for incoming calls for a calling party leaving calling party messages; a controller operable to search the memory for calling party information upon receipt of an incoming call and which, upon detection by the controller of an incoming call already having calling party information stored in the memory and for which the playback and recording unit records a new calling party message, erases an earlier calling party message associated with the calling party information. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19)
-
Specification