Telephone message exporting system

A telephone message exporting system for permitting exporting of collected messages to printed form or electronic form for later review by a user includes an answering machine having multiple telephone and answering machine features coordinated by a central processing unit. Programming converts digital messages into a printable form. A printer is provided to permit selective printouts of the messages left.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to telephone answering machines and more particularly pertains to a new telephone message exporting system for permitting exporting of collected messages to printed form or electronic form for later review by a user.

2. Description of the Prior Art

The use of telephone answering machines is known in the prior art. U.S. Pat. No. 5,661,783 issued to Assis on Aug. 26, 1997 describes a connection of several separate devices including a computer to digitize and display or print messages. Another type of communications machine is U.S. Pat. No. 6,342,901 issued to Adler et al. on Jan. 29, 2002 describes a networked parasitic user interface terminal to display information obtained through a communications link with a remote processor. U.S. Pat. No. 6,310,940 issued to Ratz on Oct. 30, 2001 discloses another networked phone system hard-wiring multiple telephones to a computer.

While these devices fulfill their respective, particular objectives and requirements, the need remains for a single device that works in a self-contained manner to produce written messages translated from incoming telephonic messages as desired by a user.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention generally comprises an answering machine having multiple phone and answering machine features coordinated by a central processing unit. Programming converts digital messages into a printable form. A printer is provided to permit selective printouts of the messages left.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

With reference now to the drawings, and in particular toFIGS. 1 through 3thereof, a new telephone message exporting system embodying the principles and concepts of the present invention and generally designated by the reference numeral10will be described.

As best illustrated inFIGS. 1 through 3, the telephone message exporting system10generally comprises a telephone answering machine20having a main housing22. A central processor24is positioned in the main housing22. An outgoing message storage assembly26is positioned in the main housing22for storing an outgoing message to be played when the answering machine20responds to an incoming call. The outgoing message storage assembly26is operationally coupled to the central processor24. An incoming message storage assembly28is positioned in the main housing22and operationally coupled to the central processor24for storing an incoming message from a caller as a stored audio message. A written translation program30is operationally coupled to the central processor22and the incoming message storage assembly28for translating the stored audio message into a written message. A printer32is positioned in the main housing22and operationally coupled to the central processor24for printing out the written message.

A user input means34is operationally coupled to the central processor24for controlling operational functions of the central processor24. In an embodiment, the user input means comprises a plurality of operational keys36or buttons. Alternately, dials or word recognition software may be used to permit a user to input information to the central processor to perform the various functions of the invention as desired by the user. These functions include the ability to program the central processor22to cause automatic deletion of the stored audio message from the incoming message storage assembly upon printing of the written message translated from the stored audio message.

In an embodiment, a memo storage assembly40is operationally coupled to the central processor22for storing audio memoranda as a stored audio memo. In this embodiment, the written translation program30is operationally coupled to the central processor22and the memo storage assembly40for translating the stored audio memo into a written memo. The stored incoming messages may also be translated to writing in this embodiment as desired by the user.

Preferably, the collected messages and memos can be reviewed aurally and then selectively deleted or saved in the same fashion as currently existing answering machine systems. Printing of messages can be achieved for saved messages or current messages collected.

In an embodiment, an electronic form translation program44is operationally coupled to the central processor22and the incoming message storage assembly28for translating the stored audio message into an electronic data file for exporting to an electronic device. A data transfer port46is operationally coupled to the central processor22for facilitating exporting the electronic data file. The data transfer port46may be an infra-red data transfer port or a networking port for hard-wiring a connection to the invention.

Preferably, a paper supply48is coupled directly to or positioned substantially within the main housing22to provide paper to the printer of the invention. The paper supply48may employ a roll of paper or an input tray supplied with sheets of paper.

The telephone answering machine may further incorporate a telephone headset, cordless handset, speed dialing, speakerphone, multiple line features, dialing from memory, telephone charging capability, and other such features currently known and incorporated into telephones.

Except where they are mutually exclusive, the features described above may be combined in various combinations to form additional embodiments of the invention.

In use, the answering machine is connected to a telephone line to receive incoming messages. The messages are stored digitally in a form that is selectively output to the user in aural or written form depending on the preference of the user.