JPH0565155U - Facsimile machine with answering machine function - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Abstract] [Purpose] To provide a facsimile machine with an answering machine function that can promptly start facsimile reception when a calling side is a facsimile and record a voice message when the calling side is a person. [Structure] A reception energy detecting unit for detecting a voice signal is provided, and a facsimile procedure signal is transmitted and detected while recording a voice signal of a telephone line. When the facsimile procedure signal is detected, facsimile reception is started and the recorded contents are erased. Even if the facsimile procedure signal is not detected, the recording is continued if the received energy is detected, and if the received energy is not detected, the recording is stopped and the recorded contents are erased.

Description

[Detailed description of the device]

[0001]

[Industrial applications]

 The present invention relates to a facsimile machine with an answering machine function.

[0002]

[Prior Art]

 Facsimile machines equipped with a recording function as an answering machine have been used conventionally. This device normally gives priority to the input to the facsimile device, which is the main function, and functions as a conference call or as an answering recording by a method that is performed after a signal that is not transmitted to the facsimile device is confirmed. It was being done.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory view showing a reception switching system of a conventional device. When a calling signal from a calling side device is input to the receiving side device, a response message preset by the receiving side device is sent to the calling side device. Then, the line connection signal (CED) and the digital identification signal (DIS) are transmitted from the receiving side device to the transmitting side device. If it is a facsimile transmission, the transmission side device transmits a digital command signal (DCS), and the reception side device waits for facsimile reception. In the calling side device, if the call is for a conversation with the receiving side device, the digital command signal (DCS) from the calling side device to the receiving side device is not transmitted and the silent state occurs. FIG. 3 shows this state. When the signal (DCS) from the transmission side device is not input, the receiving side device transmits the digital identification signal (DIS) again, and in the silent state, the digital identification signal (DIS) is transmitted again. In this way, the receiving device sends a digital identification signal (DIS) to the sending device several times in response to no response, and after confirming that it is not a facsimile transmission, the receiving device switches to the absence recording. Was adopted.

Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 61-13856 discloses a communication device which, when a voice signal is recognized, records the voice of the caller if the absence of the operator is set. Further, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 63-63262 discloses a facsimile machine with an answering machine function which receives a FAX signal when a silence or a CNG signal is detected during recording of a received message.

[0005]

[Problems to be solved by the device]

 However, in the reception switching method used in the conventional facsimile machine with an answering machine function, after the digital identification signal (DIS) is transmitted from the receiving side device, the digital command signal (DCS) as a facsimile is transmitted from the transmitting side device. If was not input to the receiving device, digital signals were sent from the receiving device to the sending device multiple times to confirm that the transmission was not for facsimile. In the reception switching method of such a conventional device, when the user on the transmission side wants to record a conversation or a message, it waits for a considerable time (usually 40 seconds) before connecting to the telephone line of the other side. There was a problem that it had to be for 2 to 50 seconds).

In the communication device described in JP-A-61-138656, since the voice of the caller is recorded after recognizing the voice signal, it is not recorded until the voice signal is recognized, and the call is made. There is a problem that some of them are not recorded. Further, in the facsimile machine with an answering machine function described in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 63-63262, a silence or a CNG signal is detected during recording of a received message, so that a part of the caller's voice cannot be recorded. There is no such problem, but there is a problem that the CNG signal is recorded as the voice of the calling party when the calling side is a facsimile machine.

The present invention provides a facsimile apparatus with an answering machine function for the purpose of solving the above problems.

[0008]

[Means for Solving the Problems]

 In order to achieve the above object, in a facsimile machine with an answering machine function of the present invention, a means for transmitting a line connection signal and a digital identification signal to a calling side, and a transmission of the line connection signal and a digital identification signal Sometimes timer means to start operation, energy detecting means to detect energy above a predetermined level on the circuit, recording means to record signals on the line, and detect digital command signals transmitted from the calling side. Means, and when the digital command signal detecting means detects a digital command signal during the operation of the timer means, the recording means stops the recording, erases the recorded contents, and starts the facsimile reception procedure to operate the timer means. If the digital command signal detection means does not detect the digital command signal, the energy detection means is above the specified level. When it detects the energy, continue recording by said recording means, when no detection is characterized in that a control unit for stopping the recording by said recording means, the erasure of recorded contents.

[0009]

【Example】

 A preferred embodiment of a facsimile machine with an answering machine function of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. FIG. 2 shows a facsimile machine for carrying out the present invention.

(1) is a main control unit or CPU, (2) is a ROM that stores the operation program of the present facsimile, (3) is a RAM that stores various data generated as the program progresses, (4) ) Is an image data memory including a RAM. (5) is an operation panel for performing various input operations such as transmission / reception instructions, (6) is a modem, and (7) is a network control device, that is, an NCU, and the modem (6) and The telephone (8) is connected to the line (9).

Reference numeral (10) is a recording device for recording an absence, and reference numeral (11) is a timer, which is composed of a first timer (T1) and a second timer (T2). (12) is a reading device that scans the image data of the original and converts it into a binary electric signal indicating white or black and outputs it. (13) Prints the received image data on recording paper. Recording device. (14) (15) (16) (17) (18) are interfaces respectively.

Next, a reception switching function between facsimile reception and answering machine will be described. In the above-mentioned facsimile apparatus, since facsimile reception is usually given priority, a line connection signal (CED), a digital identification signal (DIS) or (GI) is transmitted from the receiving side apparatus connected to the called station, and a digital signal is transmitted. If the command signal (DCS) or (G C) is received by the receiving side device, the receiving side device determines that the transmitting side device is a facsimile device and waits for facsimile reception. This is similar to the conventional device.

[0013] Therefore, when switching the reception to the answering machine, the problem is to identify whether the calling device is a fax machine or a telephone for conversation. According to the present invention, when the signal (CED) or (DIS) is sent from the receiving side device, instead of transmitting the signal (DCS) from the sending side device, in the case of voice such as "Hello ... An energy detecting unit is provided for detecting as energy.

The energy detection unit is composed of a CPU (1) and a modem (6), for example, and the transmission energy of the voice transmitted from the transmission side device is input to the energy detection unit as reception energy and recorded. Recorded by the device (10). The energy detector calculates, for example, the received energy at the modem (6) and sends it to the CPU (1) as a corresponding numerical value. The CPU (1) detects the numerical value by the first timer (T1) during a fixed time (t1) (for example, 20 seconds in the present embodiment), and when the numerical value is higher than the set level, the sound is output. It is decided to judge. Therefore, if the received energy is detected by the energy detection unit, the recording device (10) continues recording, and recording can be performed reliably and easily, and the predetermined time (t1) is set. Therefore, the received energy can be detected within the predetermined time (t1).

Since the received energy may be erroneously detected by the energy detecting unit in the noise on the line (9), the set level is set to −36 dBm in this embodiment, and the received energy is If is above this set level (-36 dBm), it is judged as a human voice. Further, this setting level is not limited to this embodiment.

Further, since the energy detecting section is composed of the CPU (1) and the modem (6), there is an advantage that no special detecting device is required.

Next, the operation of the facsimile machine with an answering machine function of the present invention will be described with reference to the flow chart shown in FIG.

When the calling signal from the calling side device is input to the receiving side device (step 1), the CPU (1) of the receiving side device sends a voice response message set in advance in the RAM (3). Then, it is sent to the modem (6) through the interface (15), converted into a voice signal, and then output on the line (9) via the NCU (7) (step 3). The voice response message may be, for example, a message such as "Polo Polo Tonari Mashitara, Fax Nikiri Kaeruka, Message No Shikoku". If the voice response message has not been input to the RAM (3) in advance (step 2), the mode is switched to facsimile reception (step 18).

Then, after receiving the line connection signal (CED) at the receiving side device (step 4), the first timer (T1) (for example, 20 seconds (t1)) is reset and started (step 5), The digital identification signal (DIS) or (GI) is transmitted (step 6). Then, the second timer (T2) (for example, 3 seconds (t2)) is reset and started (step 7), and the sound on the line (9) is recorded by the recording device (10) (step 8). , Is also input to the above-mentioned energy detection unit (step 9).

Here, when the digital command signal (DCS) or (GC) from the transmitting side device is received by the receiving side device (step 10), the recorded portion of the recording device (10) is erased (step 17). At the same time, it switches to facsimile reception (step 18). The above operations (step 8) to (step 11) are repeated until a predetermined time (t2) by the second timer (T2) has elapsed (step 11). Then, the elapse of a predetermined time (t1) by the first timer (T1) is checked (step 12), and if it is within the predetermined time (t1), the energy detecting section identifies the presence or absence of sound on the line (9) (step 13). If there is received energy, the operation proceeds to step 8 and repeats the above operations (step 8) to (step 13). If there is no received energy, the operation proceeds to step 6 and repeats the above operations (step 6) to (step 13).

When the predetermined time (t1) by the first timer (T1) has elapsed (step 12) and the received energy identified by the energy detection unit (step 14) is present, the recording device (10) Answering recording is performed by (step 15), and when there is no received energy, the recording part of the recording device (10) is erased and the telephone line is disconnected (step 16).

As described above, in the present embodiment, it is discriminated whether or not it is voice by comparing the received energy from the transmission side device with the set level by the above-mentioned energy detection unit. At the time of sending a voice response message from the device on the side (step 3), the device on the sending side is instructed to press the push button of the telephone, and the pulse signal generated when this button is pressed is detected by the energy detector. However, the calling side device may be determined to be a telephone for conversation and may be recorded as an absence.

The predetermined times (t1) and (t2) by the above-mentioned first timer (T1) and second timer (T2) are of course not limited to these and can be changed.

[0024]

[Effect of the device]

 As described above in detail, according to the present invention, the sound on the line is recorded and the voice is judged by the energy detector, so that the caller can promptly convey the message and the caller can You can record all the messages. Also, when a facsimile signal from the calling side is detected within a predetermined time, the recorded content is erased, so only the facsimile procedure is not recorded, improving the efficiency of use of recording media, and It is also convenient when playing back and listening to the recorded content.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a flowchart for explaining an operation procedure of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a facsimile apparatus embodying the present invention.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing a conventional reception switching system.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 CPU 6 Modem 11 Timer t1 Predetermined time CED Line connection signal DIS Digital identification signal

Claims (1)

[Scope of utility model registration request] 1. A means for transmitting a line connection signal and a digital identification signal to a calling side, a timer means for starting an operation when the line connection signal and the digital identification signal are transmitted, and energy above a predetermined level on the line. Energy detecting means for detecting, recording means for recording a signal on the line, means for detecting a digital command signal transmitted from the calling side, and digital command signal detecting means for digital command during the operation of the timer means. When a signal is detected, the recording means stops the recording, erases the recorded contents, and starts the facsimile reception procedure, and when the digital command signal detecting means does not detect the digital command signal while the timer means is operating, the energy When the detecting means detects the energy of a predetermined level or higher, the recording by the above-mentioned recording means is continued and it must be detected. A facsimile machine with an answering machine function, which comprises a control unit for stopping recording by the recording means and erasing the recorded contents.