Telephonic communications – Audio message storage – retrieval – or synthesis – Message signal analysis
Reexamination Certificate
1997-01-20
2003-01-21
Weaver, Scott L. (Department: 2645)
Telephonic communications
Audio message storage, retrieval, or synthesis
Message signal analysis
C455S412100
Reexamination Certificate
active
06510208
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a telephone apparatus with an audio recording function and its audio recording method which can preserve a response to a partner side and a message from the partner side. More particularly, the invention relates to a telephone apparatus with an audio recording function and its audio recording method which are suitable for use in a cellular phone of a cellular telephone system of the CDMA (Code Division Multiple Access) system.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, many telephones having a voice memorandum function (simply referred to as a voice memo function hereinbelow) for enabling a response of an answer-phone to be informed from this side to the partner side when the user is absent or enabling a message from the partner side to be left have been brought to market. In the telephone having the voice memo function, a response of the answer-phone from the partner side can be previously recorded in case of absence. When there is a reception call from the partner side, a voice of the response of the answer-phone is reproduced and is sent to the partner side. Thus, the absence can be notified to the partner side and it is promoted to decide whether the message should be left or not as necessary. When there is a message from the partner side, the message from the partner side is accumulated in the telephone having the voice memo function. When the message from the partner side remains, the user of the telephone reproduces the message when he comes home. Thus, the user of the telephone can confirm the contents of the remaining message from the partner side in case of absence.
As such a telephone with the voice memo function, hitherto, for example, there has been known a telephone such that a drive unit of a small tape cassette is provided, a small magnetic tape cassette is set into the tape cassette drive unit of the telephone main body, and a response of an answer-phone or a voice of a message of the partner side is recorded in the small magnetic tape cassette. Hitherto, there has also been known a telephone such that a semiconductor memory is provided, a response of an answer-phone or a voice of a message of the partner side is converted into a digital signal, and the response of the answer-phone or the voice of the message of the partner side is recorded as a digital signal into the semiconductor memory.
A construction such that the voice memo function is installed in a cellular phone of a cellular telephone system is considered. As mentioned above, as telephones having the voice memo function, the telephone in which a voice is recorded in the small tape cassette and the telephone in which a voice is recorded as a digital signal into the semiconductor memory have been known. However, in the cellular phone of the cellular telephone system, it is difficult to use a magnetic tape cassette in order to realize a small size and a light weight. Therefore, in a case such that the voice memo function is installed in the cellular phone of the cellular telephone system, a construction such that the response of the answer-phone or the message of the partner side is recorded in the semiconductor memory is considered.
However, in the voice memo function using the semiconductor memory, a semiconductor memory of a large capacity is necessary in order to record for a long time. When the memory of the large capacity is installed, it becomes an obstacle for realization of a small size and a light weight and the costs rise.
OBJECTS AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is, therefore, an object of the invention to provide a telephone apparatus with an audio recording function which can record and reproduce a voice for a long time without using a memory of a large capacity and an audio recording method of such a telephone apparatus with the audio recording function.
To accomplish the above object, according to one aspect of the invention, there is provided an audio recording method of recording a voice into a storage device, comprising: an audio processing step of compressing a non-compressed audio signal when such a signal is inputted and keeping a compressed audio signal as it is when such a compressed signal is inputted; and a storing step of storing an output derived in the audio processing step into the storage device.
According to another aspect of the invention, there is provided an audio reproducing method of reproducing a voice from a storage device, comprising: a reading step of reading a compressed signal which was stored and recorded in the storage device; and an audio processing step of receiving an output derived in the reading step, decompressing the output derived in the reading step when an output of a non-compressed audio signal is required, and keeping the output derived in the reading step as it is when an output of the compressed audio signal is required.
According to still another aspect of the invention, there is provided a transmitting method having a step of recording and reproducing a voice to/from a storage device, comprising: a compressing step of receiving a non-compressed audio signal and compressing it; a storing step of storing an output derived in the compressing step into the storage device; a reading step of reading out a compressed signal which was stored and recorded in the storage device; a modulating step of receiving an output derived in the reading step and modulating it; a high frequency signal processing step of converting an output derived in the modulating step into a high frequency signal; and a transmitting step of transmitting an output derived in the high frequency signal processing step.
According to further another aspect of the invention, there is provided a receiving method having a step of recording and reproducing a voice to/from a storage device, comprising: a receiving step of receiving a high frequency signal; a demodulating step of demodulating an output derived in the receiving step; a storing step of storing a previously compressed audio signal which is obtained from an output derived in the demodulating step into the storage device as it is; a reading step of reading out the compressed signal which was stored and recorded in the storage device; and a decompressing step of decompressing an output derived in the reading step.
According to the invention, an audio recording apparatus, an audio reproducing apparatus, a transmitting apparatus, and a receiving apparatus to accomplish the above methods are also provided, respectively.
The above and other objects and features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description and the appended claims with reference to the accompanying drawings.
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Maioli Jay H.
Sony Corporation
Weaver Scott L.
LandOfFree
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