Telephonic communications – Audio message storage – retrieval – or synthesis – Dynamic audio signal recording or reproduction
Reexamination Certificate
1999-03-18
2003-07-29
Tsang, Fan (Department: 2645)
Telephonic communications
Audio message storage, retrieval, or synthesis
Dynamic audio signal recording or reproduction
C379S088190, C379S088100
Reexamination Certificate
active
06600813
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a communication apparatus having recording and reproducing functions.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, among communication apparatuses including an information terminal having a communication function, a portable telephone, and a facsimile apparatus, some communication apparatuses are provided with recording and reproducing functions in which a message sent from a calling side communication apparatus is recorded via a user's operation, and reproduced with arbitrary timing via a user's operation, and an automatically answering and recording function of automatically seizing a line upon detection of a call signal from the line, sending a previously registered answering message to the calling side communication apparatus by using the recording and reproducing functions, and thereafter recording a message sent from the calling side communication apparatus (hereinafter, often referred to as “calling side apparatus”). Some of communication apparatuses having such recording and reproducing functions and a telephone answering function are further provided with a function of previously setting a message-recording level and a compression rate of recording, and a function of adjusting a reproducing volume and speed during reproduction of a message.
In the prior art communication apparatus, in the case where the voice of a user of a calling side apparatus is low or loud, a user of a communication apparatus of a called side must adjust the message-recording level or message-reproducing volume thereof. This produces a problem that the user of the communication apparatus is required to conduct cumbersome operations. When the user of the calling side apparatus speaks rapidly or slowly, the user of the communication apparatus must adjust the message-reproducing speed, thereby causing a problem that the user of the communication appratus is required to conduct cumbersome operations.
When the level of noise which is superimposed on a message sent from the calling side apparatus is high, the message is inaudible unless the compression rate of recording is set to be low. In contrast, when the compression rate of recording is set to be low, the message-recording capacity is reduced. Consequently, the user must adjust the compression rate of recording for each recording in accordance with the state of the noises. In the prior art communication apparatus, therefore, cumbersome operations must be conducted by the user. In the case where the prior art communication apparatus is configured so that the recording of a message is automatically started in the same manner as the automatic telephone answering function, the compression rate of recording can be adjusted only in the initial setting. Consequently, it is difficult to increase the message-recording capacity while enabling a message from a calling side apparatus to be recorded at an audible level.
Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication JP-A 5-176024 (1993) discloses a technique of automatically adjusting the reception-volume level of a telephone terminal apparatus. In the telephone terminal apparatus disclosed by the publication, the reception-volume level in a call which is to be started in response to reception of a termination signal containing a calling number is determined in accordance with a result of matching of an area code in the calling number with a predetermined area code. As a result, the reception-volume level of the telephone terminal apparatus is adjusted according to the area where the calling side communication apparatus exists. In the telephone terminal apparatus, therefore, the reception-volume level in a call between the telephone terminal apparatus and plural communication apparatuses in a certain same area can be hardly set for each of the communication apparatuses. As a result, when the telephone terminal apparatus is further provided with the recording and reproducing functions, it is difficult to set parameters relating to recording and reproducing of a message, in accordance with habits of the users of the communication apparatuses in the same area. The predetermined area codes must be manually registered into the telephone terminal apparatus by the user. Consequently, the volume of reception in a call between the telephone terminal apparatus and a calling side telephone terminal of an area code which is not registered is not adjusted irrespective of the communication history of the telephone terminal apparatus.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the invention to provide a communication apparatus which can always record and reproduce a message in an optimum state of setting without requiring any cumbersome operation by the user.
In a first invention a communication apparatus provided with a recording and reproducing unit capable of recording a message of a caller which arrives through a line, and as well reproducing the recorded message with arbitrary timing, comprises:
a storage unit for storing one or more telephone numbers;
a reception unit for receiving information of the caller which arrives through the line at termination of the call; and
a control unit for, upon termination of the call, determining whether a telephone number coincident with a telephone number contained in information of the caller received by the reception unit is stored in the storage unit or not, and adjusting recording conditions of the recording and reproducing unit on the basis of the determination.
According to the first invention, the communication apparatus operates as described above. As a result, in the communication apparatus, each time when a message from a calling side communication apparatus arrives, conditions of recording the message can be automatically adjusted in accordance with the telephone number in the information of the calling side apparatus which information has been received before the arrival of the message. Therefore, the communication apparatus can adequately record the message from the calling side apparatus in accordance with the calling side apparatus.
In a second invention, the communication apparatus of the first invention is configured so that the storage unit further stores recording conditions to be used when the information of the caller containing the telephone number is received, in relation to the stored telephone number, and when at termination of the call a telephone number coincident with the telephone number contained in the information of the caller received by the reception unit is judged as being stored in the storage unit, the control unit sets recording conditions stored in relation to the telephone number as recording conditions of the recording and reproducing unit.
According to the second invention, the communication apparatus operates as described above. As a result, when a message is to be recorded, the recording conditions are set easily and adequately on the basis of the telephone number in the received information of the caller. Therefore, the communication apparatus can record more adequately the message from the calling side apparatus in accordance with the calling side apparatus.
In a third invention, the communication apparatus further comprises an operation unit for setting a reproducing condition of a message recorded by the recording and reproducing unit, and when a message is recorded by the recording and reproducing unit, the message is associated by the control unit with the telephone number contained in the information of the caller received by the reception unit, and in the case where the reproducing condition is set by the operation unit during reproduction of the message recorded by the recording and reproducing unit, the control unit sets recording conditions on the basis of the set reproducing condition and stores the recording conditions into the storage unit in relation to the telephone number corresponding to the reproduced message.
According to the third invention, the communication apparatus operates as described above. Therefore, the communication
Conlin David G.
Daley, Jr. William J.
Edwards & Angell LLP
Escalante Ovidio
Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha
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