Telephonic communications – Audio message storage – retrieval – or synthesis
Reexamination Certificate
1997-01-21
2001-01-30
Zele, Krista (Department: 2748)
Telephonic communications
Audio message storage, retrieval, or synthesis
C379S072000, C379S088040, C379S088180, C379S093010
Reexamination Certificate
active
06181779
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to an automated answering machine, in particular to a rationalized automated answering machine which can adjust the playback of an Out Going Message (OGM) left by a host according to the talk pattern of a caller.
2. Description of Related Art
In a conventional automated answering machine, a pre-recorded Out Going Message (OGM) is played before which the caller can be prompted to leave a message following a “beep”. When the caller calls in and a host/user can not answer the phone, the caller's left message is recorded by an magnetic tape or a digital IC.
FIG. 1
presents a schematic view showing the question-answer situation of a prior automated answering machine in which the left side of the schematic depicts a typical prerecorded voice prompt or Out Going Massage (OGM) from the automated answering machine, while the right side depicts talk from the caller. Typically, the caller may feel impatient and irritated when hearing the Out Going Message left by the host after the telephone is on line. The caller may also be not familiar with leaving messages after a beep sound. Moreover, since the caller can not interrupt the OGM at all before a beep sound in prior automated answering machines, many callers unfamiliar with such machines tend to hang up the phone after realizing that the voice prompt is just an Out Going Message from the automated answering machine. Other callers cannot be bothered to wait until the completion of the OGM. This prevents the automated answering machine from being utilized to accomplish its purpose in relaying messages.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Therefore, the object of the invention is to provide a rationalized automated answering machine that distinguishes each sentence interval in the Out Going Message (OGM) by using a microcomputer and records space positions between adjacent sentences. When the rationalized automated answering machine receives a call and plays the Out Going Message, the sound of a caller may be monitored simultaneously. If the caller interrupts at any point during the playing of the OGM, the Out Going Message playing stops immediately and a message left by the caller is recorded. And yet, the Out Going Message is played continuously after talk from the caller finishes. In this way, the caller does not have to wait until the Out Going Message finishes playing before talking, thereby avoiding caller irritation and impatience.
Another object of the invention is to provide the function of filtering select so that the users can set the rationalized automated answering machine to only record messages left by the caller or record all messages after the telephone is on line. To the caller who is not familiar with leaving a message, the host can recognize the sound of the caller, such as “hello, hello . . . ” to distinguish the caller and then call back later.
The rationalized automated answering machine of the invention includes a telephone line interface circuit which services as the interface between a ring line and a tip line and an internal circuit; a ringing detector which checks the number of rings; a hybrid circuit dividing connecting ends of the telephone line interface circuit into an input end and an output end; a sound input selector connected to the output end of the hybrid circuit and a microphone, for selecting a source of sound input; a sound output selector connected to the input end of the hybrid circuit and an amplifier for selecting output position of sound; a sound coder connected to the sound input selector to code input sound; a memory for saving sound data coded by the sound coder; a sound decoder for decoding sound data inside the memory and then delivering the sound data to the sound output selector; a signal input detector for checking sound situations from the caller; and a processor for distinguishing each sentence position of the Out Going Message left by a host and controlling the playback modes of the Out Going Message according to the checking result of the signal input detector;
The rationalized automated answering machine of the invention mentioned above can simply distinguish the discrete sentences of the Out Going Message left by the host by using a microcomputer and record space positions between adjacent sentences. When the rationalized automated answering machine receives a call and plays the Out Going Message left by the host, the rationalized automated answering machine also monitors the sound from the caller simultaneously. If the caller interrupts the playing of the Out Going Message, the playback of the Out Going Message stops immediately and the rationalized automated answering machine records the sound of the caller. After the caller finishes talking, the Out Going Message playing is restarted. Moreover, when each sentence of Out Going Message finishes playing, the rationalized automated answering machine will wait for a message from the caller and if no message from the caller is received over a period time, the Out Going Message will continue playing.
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Hoosain Allan
Ladas & Parry
Winbond Electronics Corporation
Zele Krista
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