JPH0115220B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a voice or data input/output management method in a system in which messages, etc., are stored and retrieved between users by accessing a voice or data storage device using a telephone network. It is.

Conventionally, in voice or data storage and forwarding systems using this type of telephone network, the destination of voice or data is specified by telephone number. The drawback was that it was not possible to identify the user and send and receive information such as voice messages.

In order to solve these drawbacks, the present invention specifies the destination using a code consisting of a well-known telephone number plus an additional number, uses the telephone number as is for the selection signal necessary for exchange, and transmits data. In addition to confirming the PIN number that can be set by each user before sending, the system will provide guidance for additional numbers by inputting the phone number, so that multiple users can use one phone number. This allows voice messages to be stored and exchanged separately. Hereinafter, the content of the present invention will be explained in detail with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 shows one embodiment of the present invention, which is applied to a voice message storage and forwarding system. 1st
In the figure, 1 is a private branch exchange, 2 is a voice storage device (VSE), and 3 is a push-button dial (PB) telephone. The private branch exchange 1 performs connection processing in response to calls from the accommodating telephone 3 or the voice storage device 2, and in this embodiment, the service is provided using a three-digit extension number. Specifically, the number "555" is assigned to the voice storage device 2, and the numbers "600", "601", and "602" are assigned to the PB telephone 3, respectively. A to F indicate users of each telephone 3. The voice storage device 2 includes a switch interface 4 having a calling/receiving interface function with the switch 1, an interface 5 performing voice encoding/decoding processing and transfer control,
A message storage unit 6 equipped with a mailbox 10 that aggregates messages input and output by each user for each user, a voice response unit 7 having a voice response function, each user's mailbox and the user's identification code. an ID storage unit 8 that stores the correspondence of (ID);
and a control unit 9 that controls each part and services.
It consists of Here, it is assumed that the exchange interface 4 also has a PB signal reception function during a call with a user. Furthermore, the voice response unit 7 transmits necessary voice guidance in response to a guidance transmission request from the control unit 9, and in particular, by inputting a mailbox number, it is possible to edit the corresponding user name. . Note that the three-digit number assigned to each mailbox 10 in the message storage section 6 is the mailbox number.

FIG. 2 shows a correspondence table between mailbox numbers and various IDs to be stored in the ID storage section 8. In FIG. 2, the corresponding user is added for convenience of explanation and does not actually need to be memorized.

Below, using Figures 1 and 2, user D
sends the voice message addressed to user B to voice storage device 2.
When user B retrieves the voice message, user D registers call delivery of a voice message to user F in the voice storage device 2, calls user F from the voice storage device 2, and sends the voice message. An example of the operation when delivering a message will be explained.

When user D registers a voice message addressed to user B in voice storage device 2, user D first dials "555" to call voice storage device 2. In the voice storage device 2, the exchange interface 4 detects an incoming call and sends it to the control section 9.
The control unit 9 instructs the exchange interface 4 to send a response signal, then starts the voice interface 5 and the voice response unit 7, and transmits the voice guidance of the service procedure issued from the voice response unit 7 to the high-pitched interface. 5. Send to user D through exchange interface 4 and exchange 1. At the same time, the control unit 9 instructs the exchange interface 4 to detect and report the PB signal sent by the user D.

Based on the initial guidance, user D first sends the service number for message registration to the voice storage device 2 using the PB telephone 3. When the control unit 9 detects this through the exchange interface 4,
The control unit 9 includes a voice interface 5 and a voice response unit 7.
, similarly sends out guidance on the information that user D should input next, and monitors the input signal. By repeating this procedure, the control unit 9 allows the user D to sequentially input necessary information.

In this way, after entering the service number for message registration, first enter user D's phone number "601".
(ID), and the control unit 9 searches the table shown in FIG. 2 registered in the ID storage unit 8 to confirm that the caller is the user of the voice storage device 2. Next, the user is asked to enter the ``600'' phone number of the person whose messages will be stored. User D
When receiving the "600 number" from
Searching the table shown in FIG. 2 registered in the ID storage unit 8, we learn that there are three users in number 600, and read out their mailbox numbers and additional numbers. Then, in order to send out the next guidance, this mailbox number, additional number, and guidance type are sent to the voice response section 7, and then,
Waits for input from user D. In the voice response section 7,
With these inputs, for example, "Mr. A with additional number 1, Mr. B with additional number 2, and Mr. C with additional number 3 are anxious at this phone number. Please enter the additional number of the destination. Provide guidance such as "." User D listens to this and dials the additional number "2" of B, who is the sending party. This is transmitted to the control section 9 through the exchange interface 4. This determines the mailbox number "002" in which the message should be stored.

Subsequently, the control unit 9 provides guidance to the user D on how to record the message, and when the process is completed, activates the voice interface 5 and causes the message storage unit 6 to start storing the message in the mailbox "002". The voice of user D, which is input to the voice interface 5 through the telephone 3, the private branch exchange 1, and the exchange interface 4, is compressed and encoded by the voice interface 5, and then sent to the mailbox of the message storage section 6. 002”. The end of the recording is achieved, for example, by the user D dialing a PB signal indicating the end of the message, which is detected by the control unit 9 through the exchange interface 4. Thereafter, several termination sequences are executed, which are omitted here.

Next, the procedure by which user B retrieves a message from the voice storage device 2 will be explained. User B is "number 555"
The procedure is the same as described above until the voice storage device 2 is called by dialing , and then the service number for message retrieval is dialed. Control unit 9
When the message retrieval service number is received at , the control section 9 prompts the caller B to input the telephone number. In the control unit 9, the input telephone number “600
The caller B searches the table shown in FIG. 2 registered in the ID storage unit 8 by number 600, learns that there are three users in number 600, and prompts caller B to input an additional number. This occurs when the caller knows his/her own additional number, but if the caller does not know his/her own additional number, guidance including the correspondence between the user name and additional number will be sent out in the same way as when registering earlier. You may also do so. When the additional number “2” is input, the control unit 9
is the mailbox number “002” and password “5458” that correspond to the additional number in the phone number “600”
is removed from the ID storage section 8, and this time the user is prompted to enter the password. If the input password matches the read password, the control unit 9 reads the voice message stored in the mailbox "002", activates the voice interface 5 to decode and reproduce it, and then connects it to the switchboard interface. Ace 4,
It is sent to user B's telephone 3 through private branch exchange 1.

Next, a case where user D calls and delivers a voice message to user F will be described. The procedure for user D to register a voice message in the voice storage device 2 is to call the service number and deliver it;
This process is the same as when registering a voice message from user D to user B, except that the date and time of the call are specified in addition to the recipient's telephone number and additional number. Voice messages are sent to mailbox “006” in message storage section 6.
is accumulated in

In the voice storage device 2, the control unit 9 manages the call delivery time, mailbox number, etc., and the ID of a message whose sending time has come is determined from the mailbox number in which the message is stored.
The storage unit 8 is searched and the destination telephone number “602”, additional number “2”, and password number “5543” are read out from the ID storage unit 8. Thereafter, the control section 9 activates the exchange interface 4 and performs call control on the private branch exchange 1. When the exchange 1 receives "number 602", it calls the telephones E and F. When either of them responds, the exchange interface 4 detects this and informs the control section 9, which starts the voice response section 7 and gives the type of guidance to be sent and the mailbox number. As a result, the voice response unit 7 edits and sends a message such as "This is the voice storage center. We will deliver a message to Mr. F. Please give us your password."
If the responder is F, he inputs his own PIN number from the PB telephone 3, and the control unit 9 detects this through the exchange interface 4 and confirms that it matches the PIN read out earlier from the ID storage unit 8. Thereafter, the corresponding message is read out from the mailbox "006" of the message storage section 6 and reproduced and transmitted by the audio interface 5. Further, when the password numbers do not match or when the password number is not input, the control unit 9 terminates the service and retries after a certain period of time.

Although an example of the operation of the present invention has been described above, various modifications can be made to the specific contents of the procedure and guidance. Furthermore, various control methods within the voice storage device other than ID control, including message management methods, are conceivable, but since they are not directly related to the present invention, only the basic operations have been described.

As explained above, the present invention allows individual users to be identified even when one telephone is used by multiple subscribers or when multiple telephones are connected to one telephone line at a branch. Since it is possible to store and exchange voice mails, etc., it is possible to expand the use of voice mail systems, etc., including confidentiality protection. In addition, by adding an additional number (usually one digit is sufficient) to the subscriber number used in the exchange to identify the person to whom the message is sent or delivered, for example, the voice storage device can In addition to being able to reduce the amount of information, by using the voice response function, the user can use the service without having to remember the additional number of the other party. Furthermore, the present invention is applicable not only to voice messages but also to cases where images and data are stored and exchanged through a telephone network.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a system configuration diagram showing one embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of the format of the ID storage section in FIG. 1. 1... Constituent exchange, 2... Audio storage device, 3...
...PB telephone, 4...Switchboard interface, 5
...Voice interface, 6...Message storage section, 7...Voice response section, 8...ID storage section, 9...
...Control unit, 10...Mailbox.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. In a system in which an information storage device is connected to an exchange and users accommodated in the exchange store and exchange messages via the information storage device, each user accommodated in the exchange A group of mailboxes that accumulate input/output messages for each user, and a mailbox number to specify the mailbox, the telephone number and additional number of the user, and the corresponding user can be set for each mailbox. A storage unit is provided to store the password, and when writing to the mailbox,
Based on the other party's phone number input by the user, the corresponding mailbox number and additional number are retrieved from the storage section, and using this information, the user name and additional number corresponding to the corresponding mailbox are sent to the user. Provides guidance and allows the user to select and input an additional number, determines the mailbox in which to write the message based on the telephone number of the other party and the additional number, and when reading from the mailbox, adds the corresponding mailbox number from the storage section. A message characterized in that a PIN is extracted along with the number, the read PIN is compared with the PIN entered by the user, and the mailbox from which the message is read is determined by comparing the telephone number, additional number, and the PIN. An input/output management method for storage/exchange systems.