Telephonic communications – Audio message storage – retrieval – or synthesis
Reexamination Certificate
1999-06-16
2002-08-20
Hoosain, Allan (Department: 2645)
Telephonic communications
Audio message storage, retrieval, or synthesis
C379S070000, C379S077000, C379S088010, C379S088040
Reexamination Certificate
active
06438214
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to an answering system for a communication device, more particularly to an answering machine for a telephone, when set up with an automatic answering mode because a called party is absent or does not want to answer it, which responds to a calling party by outputting automatically an responding message having been recorded thereon once predetermined calling signals are transmitted to the telephone by a telephone switching system.
2. Discussion of Related Art
An automatic answering system detects the number of ringing tones which are generated by a tone ringer in accordance with incoming signals through a telephone switching system from a calling party. Then, the automatic answering system responds to the calling party by means of outputting an answering message once a predetermined value is satisfied with the number of ringing tones. The automatic answering system, when answering, sends the answering message having been recorded on a magnetic tape or the like to the calling party.
In this case, the caller may leave a message in a message storing device such as a magnetic tape of a called party who is able to check the message whenever he wants to. Lately, instead of the magnetic tape as a message storing device, the magnetic tape is replaced by a digital chip which provides an excellent voice and has long endurance.
FIG. 1
shows a block diagram of a telephone according to a related art.
Referring to
FIG. 1
, an incoming call detector
10
detects calling signals transmitted from a telephone switching system through two lines L
1
and L
2
for carrying signals. Calling signals, data signals of voice signals transmitted from a calling party and the like are carried through the lines L
1
and L
2
.
To terminals of input and output of the incoming call detector
10
, switches
11
and
12
are connected, respectively. The switches
11
and
12
work as hook switches. The switch
11
switches between a local line L
1
and the input terminal of the incoming call detector
10
. Outputs of the incoming call detector
10
go to either a path A or the other path B by the other switch
12
.
A tone ringer
13
generates ringing tones by driving an external display such as a buzzer or a bell, which is not shown in the drawing, once calling signals from the telephone switching system are inputted through the path A of the switch
12
. A called party is notified of the incoming call by the ringing tones.
On an off-hook state that a closed circuit is formed between a telephone and the telephone switching system when a receiver is picked up, a speech network
14
generates audible voice signals by means of driving a speaker
15
of the telephone which is an external output device or a speaker equipped inside the telephone body, once voice signals from the telephone switching system are inputted through the other path B of the switch
12
. Thereby, the called party receives a message transmitted by the calling party.
A line voltage regulator
17
generates an output of 5V or 45V. A voltage of 45V is generated during an on-hook state, while a voltage of 5V is generated during the off-hook state.
In the automatic answering system for a telephone of the related art, a signal delivering line is formed between a calling party and a called party -by a telephone switching system-once the predetermined calling signals are generated from the telephone switching system, and then a communication is carried out by responding to the incoming call by means of outputting automatically a pre-recorded answering message.
However, a phone call is made even though a calling party has no intention to leave a message in the automatic answering machine of the called party but speak directly to the called party. Thus, the calling party has to pay the bill which is unnecessary, and the efficiency of communication system decreases since the phone lines are occupied by the unnecessary phone calls.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, the present invention is directed to an answering system for a communication device that substantially obviates one or more of the problems due to limitations and disadvantages of the related art.
The object of the present invention is to provide an answering system for a communication device which, when set up with an automatic answering mode because a called party is absent or does not want to answer it, responds to a calling party by outputting automatically an responding message that a telephone of the called party is set up with an automatic answering mode for a predetermined time, whereby unnecessary calls are avoided by informing the calling party that the automatic answering mode is activated in spite of disconnected communication.
Additional features and advantages of the invention will be set forth in the description which follows and in part will be apparent from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. The objectives and other advantages of the invention will be realized and attained by the structure particularly pointed out in the written description and claims hereof as well as the appended drawings.
To achieve these and other advantages and in accordance with the purpose of the present invention, as embodied and broadly described, the present invention includes an answering system having an automatic answering system wherein the answering system is connected to a telephone switching system through signal transferring lines, wherein calling signals are generated from the telephone switching system when an automatic answering mode is set up and then wherein a predetermined voltage is applied to the signal transferring lines after a certain time has elapsed from a point from which the calling signals have been generated, and wherein the answering system for a communication device starts to be activated when the calling signals keep on going until the end point of supplying the signal transferring lines with the predetermined voltage.
In another aspect of the present invention, an answering system for a communication device wherein the answering system has an automatic answering system and is connected to a telephone switching system through signal transferring lines, includes an incoming call detector detecting signals having been transmitted from the telephone switching system through the signal transferring lines, a hook switch further including a first switch switching between the signal transferring lines and the incoming call detector, and a second switch branching outputs of the incoming call detector into a first path or a second path, a tone ringer generating ringing tones by means of driving an external display when calling signals transmitted from said telephone switching system are inputted through the first path, a voltage regulator further including an automatic answering mode voltage regulator generating a first output voltage, and a line voltage regulator generating a second output voltage or a third output voltage wherein the line voltage regulator generates the second output voltage on an on-hook state or generates the third output voltage on an off-hook state, a third switch switching a third path and a fourth path wherein the third path lies between the second path and an output terminal of the automatic answering mode voltage regulator and wherein the fourth path lies between the second path and an output terminal of the line voltage regulator, a counter counting the number of the ringing tones generated from the tone ringer wherein the counter is set up with a predetermined count value as a reference, a timer set up with a predetermined reference time wherein the timer connects the third switch to the third path for a period from a point where a counting value of the counter is satisfied with the predetermined count value until the predetermined reference time is elapsed and wherein the timer connects the third switch to the fourth path after the predetermined reference time has elapsed.
It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description
Birch, Stewart, Kolash & Birch LLP
Hoosain Allan
LG Semicon Co. Ltd.
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