Communication device and storage medium

• US 6,307,646 B1
• Filed: 10/07/1997
• Issued: 10/23/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 10/09/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Brother Industries Limited)
• Original Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Brother Industries Limited)
• Inventors: Yasui, Kunihiro, Otsuka, Shuji
• Primary Examiner(s): Bella, Matthew C.
• Assistant Examiner(s): DESIRE, GREGORY M
• Application Number:
  US08/946,661
• Time in Patent Office: 1,477 Days
• Field of Search: 382/115, 382/305, 358/400, 358/402, 358/407, 358/434, 358/440, 358/444, 379/93.03, 379/100.08, 379/100.09, 379/100.15, 379/88-2-
• US Class Current: 358/400
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/652 Means for playing back the recorded messages by remote control over a telephone line H04M1/658 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00209 Transmitting or receiving image data, e.g. facsimile data, via a computer, e.g. using e-mail, a computer network, the internet, I-fax
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32358 using picture signal storage, e.g. at transmitter H04N1/17 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0093 Facsimile machine H04N2201/0094 takes precedence

Abstract

A communication device is provided wherein a message stored in a message box for a specific individual and a message stored in a general mail box and not addressed to a specific individual can be retrieved sequentially without releasing a line. The communication device includes a personal information output control device that reads personal information stored in a personal information storing device and outputs the personal information via a telecommunication line and a general information output device that reads general information stored in a general information storing device and not addressed to the specific individual and outputs the information via the telecommunication line. The information is output by operating the personal information output control device and the general information output control device according to a request, which is input via the telecommunication line.

Claims

1. A communication device capable of communicating with an external communication device via a telecommunication line, comprising:

personal information storing means for storing only personal voice and personal image information which can be input or output for a specific individual;

personal information output control means for outputting said personal information stored in said personal information storing means via the telecommunication line;

general information storing means, separate from said personal information storing means, for storing only general voice and general image information which can be input or output;

general information output control means for outputting said general information stored in said general information storing means via said telecommunication line; and

information output means for, when one of said personal information stored in said personal information storing means or said general information stored in said general information storing means is output via said telecommunication line in a transmission by said personal information output control means or said general information output control means, automatically outputting the other information via said telecommunication line during the same transmission by operating said personal information output control means or said general information output control means,

wherein the information output means outputs, at one communication, via the telecommunication line,

     1) one of the general voice information stored in the general information storing means, and the personal voice information stored in the personal information storing means,

     2) the other one of the general voice information and the personal voice information,

     3) one of the general image information stored in the general information storing means and the personal image information stored in the personal information storing means, and

     4) the other one of the general image information and the personal image information, according to a request from the external communication device.

2. The communication device according to claim 1, wherein said information output means outputs said general information stored in said general information storing means via said telecommunication line by operating said general information output control means when said personal information stored in said personal information storing means is output via said telecommunication line by said personal information output control means.

3. The communication device according to claim 2, wherein:

said personal information stored in said personal information storing means comprises personal voice information and personal image information;

said general information stored in said general information storing means comprises general voice information and general image information; and

said information output means outputs said general voice information stored in said general information storing means via said telecommunication line after said personal voice information stored in said personal information storing means is output via said telecommunication line and afterward, outputs said general image information stored in said general information storing means via said telecommunication line after said personal image information stored in said personal information storing means is output via said telecommunication line.

4. The communication device according to claim 1, wherein said information output means outputs said personal information stored in said personal information storing means via said telecommunication line by operating said personal information output control means when said general information stored in said general information storing means is output via said telecommunication line by said general information output control means.

5. The communication device according to claim 4, wherein:

said personal information stored in said personal information storing means comprises personal voice information and personal image information;

said general information stored in said general information storing means comprises general voice information and general image information; and

said information output means outputs said personal voice information stored in said personal information storing means via said telecommunication line after said general voice information stored in said general information storing means is output via said telecommunication line and afterward, outputs said personal image information stored in said personal information storing means via said telecommunication line after said general image information stored in said general information storing means is output via said telecommunication line.

6. The communication device according to claim 1 wherein each information outputted by the information output means has no relation to each other.

7. A communication device capable of communicating with an external communication device via a telecommunication line, comprising:

personal information storing means for storing only personal information which can be input or output for a specific individual;

personal information output control means for outputting said personal voice and personal image information stored in said personal information storing means via said telecommunication line;

general information storing means, separate from said personal information storing means, for storing only general voice and general image information which can be input or output;

general information output control means for outputting said general information stored in said general information storing means via said telecommunication line; and

information output means for, when one of said personal information stored in said personal information storing means or said general information stored in said general information storing means is output via said telecommunication line in a transmission by said personal information output control means or said general information output control means, outputting the other information via said telecommunication line in the same transmission by operating said personal information output control means or said general information output control means according to a request for the other information,

wherein the information output means outputs, at one communication, via the telecommunication line,

     1) one of the general voice information stored in the general information storing means, and the personal voice information stored in the personal information storing means,

     2) the other one of the general voice information and the personal voice information,

     3) one of the general image information stored in the general information storing means and the personal image information stored in the personal information storing means, and

     4) the other one of the general image information and the personal image information, according to a request from the external communication device.

8. The communication device according to claim 7, wherein said information output means outputs said general information stored in said general information storing means via said telecommunication line by operating said general information output control means according to said request when said personal information stored in said personal information storing means is output via said telecommunication line by said personal information output control means.

9. The communication device according to claim 8, wherein:

said personal information stored in said personal information storing means comprises personal voice information and personal image information;

said general information stored in said general information storing means comprises general voice information and general image information; and

said information output means outputs said general voice information stored in said general information storing means via said telecommunication line after said personal voice information stored in said personal information storing means is output via said telecommunication line and afterward, outputs said general image information stored in said general information storing means via said telecommunication line after said personal image information stored in said personal information storing means is output via said telecommunication line.

10. The communication device according to claim 7, wherein said information output means outputs said personal information stored in said personal information storing means via said telecommunication line by operating said personal information output control means according to said request when said general information stored in said general information storing means is output via said telecommunication line by said general information output control means.

11. The communication device according to claim 10, wherein:

said personal information stored in said personal information storing means comprises personal voice information and personal image information;

said general information stored in said general information storing means comprises general voice information and general image information; and

said information output means outputs said personal voice information stored in said personal information storing means via said telecommunication line after said general voice information stored in said general information storing means is output via said telecommunication line and afterward, outputs said personal image information stored in said personal information storing means via said telecommunication line after said general image information stored in said general information storing means is output via said telecommunication line.

12. The communication device according to claim 7 wherein each information outputted by the information output means has no relation to each other.

13. A storage medium for recording a program for operating a communication device capable of communicating with an external communication device via a telecommunication line, the communication device provided with personal information storing means for storing only personal voice and personal image information which can be input or output for a specific individual and general information storing means, separate from said personal information storing means, for only storing general voice and general image information which can be input or output, wherein said storage medium records a program for enabling an information processor to function as:

personal information output control means for outputting said personal information stored in said personal information storing means via said telecommunication line;

general information output control means for outputting said general information stored in said general information storing means via said telecommunication line; and

information output means for, when one of said personal information stored in said personal information storing means or said general information stored in said general information storing means is output via said telecommunication line in a transmission by said personal information output control means or said general information output control means, automatically outputting the other information via said telecommunication line during the same transmission by operating said personal information output control means or said general information output control means

wherein the information output means outputs at one communication, via the telecommunication line,

     1) one of the general voice information stored in the general information storing means, and the personal voice information stored in the personal information storing means,

     2) the other one of the general voice information and the personal voice information,

     3) one of the general image information stored in the general information storing means and the personal image information stored in the personal information storing means, and

     4) the other one of the general image information and the personal image information, according to a request from the external communication device.

14. The communication device according to claim 13 wherein each information outputted by the information output means has no relation to each other.

15. A communication device capable of communicating with an external communication device via a telecommunication line, comprising:

personal information storing means for storing only personal voice and personal image information which can be input or output for a specific individual;

personal information output control means for outputting said personal information stored in said personal information storing means via the telecommunication line;

general information storing means, separate from said personal information storing means, for storing only general voice and general image information which can be input or output;

general information output control means for outputting said general information stored in said general information storing means via said telecommunication line; and

information output means for automatically outputting said personal information and said general information by said personal information output control means and said general information output control means via said telecommunication line by one output operation

wherein the information output means outputs at one communication, via the telecommunication line,

     1) one of the general voice information stored in the general information storing means, and the personal voice information stored in the personal information storing means,

     2) the other one of the general voice information and the personal voice information,

     3) one of the general image information stored in the general information storing means and the personal image information stored in the personal information storing means, and

     4) the other one of the general image information and the personal image information, according to a request from the external communication device.

16. The communication device according to claim 15, further comprising:

personal information input control means for storing said personal information input via said telecommunication line in said personal information storing means; and

general information input control means for storing said general information input via said telecommunication line in said general information storing means.

17. The communication device according to claim 15, wherein the personal information storing means and said general information storing means are a random access memory, an erasable programmable read only memory or a hard disk.

18. The communication device according to claim 15 wherein each information outputted by the information output means has no relation to each other.

19. A communication device capable of communicating with an external communication device, via a communication line, comprising:

personal information storing means for storing personal information, including a sound information and an image information, which can be inputted/outputted for a specific individual;

personal information output control means for outputting said personal information stored in said personal information storing means via a communication line;

general information storing means for storing general information, including a sound information and an image information, which can be inputted/outputted;

general information output control means for outputting said general information stored in said general information storing means via said communication line; and

information detecting means for detecting the information stored in both said personal information storing means and said general information storing means,

wherein at least one of said personal information output control means and general information output control means outputs the stored sound information first, and then at least one of said personal information output control means and general information output control means outputs the image information when said information detecting means detects at least one sound information and at least one image information stored in at least one of said personal information means and said general information storing means;

information output means for automatically outputting said personal information and said general information by said personal information output control means and said general information output control means via said communication line by one output operation

wherein the information output means outputs at one communication, via the communication line,

     1) one of the general sound information stored in the general information storing means, and the personal sound information stored in the personal information storing means,

     2) the other one of the general sound information and the personal sound information,

     3) one of the general image information stored in the general information storing means and the personal image information stored in the personal information storing means, and

     4) the other one of the general image information and the personal image information, according to a request from the external communication device.

20. The communication device according to claim 19 wherein each information outputted by the information output means has no relation to each other.