Communication apparatus having audio response function

Abstract: A communication apparatus comprises a memory (3) to store audio messages of a plurality of kinds of languages, a transmission unit to sequentially transmit the audio messages of the plurality of kinds of languages stored in the memory, and a setting unit to set the order of the plurality of kinds of languages, wherein the transmission unit transmits the audio messages stored in the memory in accordance with the set order.

Description: The present invention relates to a communication apparatus having audio response function, to transmit a prestored audio response message at the time of call reception. Related Background Art Document US-A-4 958 366 discloses a communication apparatus having audio response function for transmitting a voice message of one-kind language in response to the call reception. Furthermore, the language of the voice message transmitted from the apparatus can be selected by the operator with operation of the dial keys 1 to 9 or the like. Document US-A-4 866 755 discloses a communication apparatus having audio response function for transmitting a voice message of one-kind language in response to the call reception. Moreover, the voice from the calling-party operator is analysed to discriminate the language capable of being understood by the calling-party operator, and the voice message is transmitted in the discriminated language. Summary of the invention It is an object of the invention to allow a calling party to certainly understand the meaning of an audio response message. Another object of the invention is to allow a partner who calls a telephone to promptly understand an audio response message in accordance with the result of discrimination regarding which language is used by many persons. An object of the present invention is a communication apparatus automatically sending a prestored message to a communication line in response to a calling signal from the communication line, characterised in that it comprises: memory means for storing audio messages of a plurality of kinds of languages; and auto-sending means, responsive to the calling signal, for sequentially transmitting the audio messages of said plurality of kinds of languages stored in said memory means. Another object of the present invention is a communication method for automatically sending a pre-stored message to a communication line in response to a calling signal from the communication line, characterised in that it comprises: a memory step of storing audio messages of a plurality of kinds of languages; and an auto-sending step, responsive to the calling signal, of sequentially transmitting the audio messages of said plurality of kinds of languages stored in said memory step. 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. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Fig. 1 is a block diagram showing a construction of communication apparatus of an embodiment; Fig. 2 is a flowchart showing an inputting operation of the communication apparatus of the embodiment; Fig. 3 is a flowchart showing an outputting operation of the communication apparatus of the embodiment; and Fig. 4 is a diagram showing an example of the operation according to the embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT An embodiment of the invention will be described in detail hereinbelow with reference to the drawings. Fig. 1 is a block diagram showing a fundamental construction of a communication apparatus of the embodiment. In Fig. 1, reference numeral 1 denotes a console unit having various kinds of keys such as one-touch key, ten-key, function key, and the like. The operator selects a language of a message of an audio response (OGM) by operating a desired key of the console unit 1. Reference numeral 2 denotes a display unit to display various kinds of information or a state of the apparatus by a liquid crystal display (LCD), a light emitting diode (LED), or the like. A selecting (inputting) method of the language of the audio response message is displayed. Reference numeral 3 denotes a memory in which fixed audio response messages having previously been preserved (stored). Messages indicative of the same meaning of a plurality of languages have been stored in the memory 3. Reference numeral 4 denotes a control memory to store the order of transmission of the languages of the audio response messages. Reference numeral 5 denotes a control unit to control the whole apparatus. The control unit 5 is constructed by a microcomputer system comprising a microcomputer, a ROM, a RAM, and the like. Reference numeral 6 denotes a network control unit (NCU) to perform a capture, a release, or the like of a line. Reference numeral 7 denotes an audio IC for transmitting the message data read out from the audio response message memory 3 to the line as an audio signal. Reference numeral 8 denotes a communication unit. In the case where the communication apparatus of the embodiment is an answering telephone, a handset and the like are provided for a communication unit 8 in order to perform a speech communication with a recording unit to record the message from a partner and they are controlled by the control unit 5. In the case where the communication apparatus of the embodiment is a facsimile apparatus, a reader unit, a printer unit, a modem, and the like are provided for the communication unit 8 and they are controlled by the control unit 5. Further, the control unit 5 executes encoding and decoding processes of image data and a facsimile communication control. Fig. 2 is a flowchart showing the control operation of the control unit 5 when the order of the languages of audio response messages which are transmitted is registered. The registering operation of the order of the languages of the audio response messages which are transmitted will now be described in accordance with the flow of Fig. 2. First, in step S1, a mode to register the order of the languages of the audio response messages which are transmitted is selected by the function key of the console unit 1. When the mode is selected by the operator, a parameter (n) is set to 0 in step S2. The parameter (n) indicates the order of the language of an OGM message which is transmitted. In step S3, a display to instruct the operator to input the language corresponding to the value of the parameter (n) is displayed on the display unit 2. When the operator inputs the corresponding language by the console unit 1, in step S3, the information of the language corresponding to the value of (n) is stored into the control memory 4. The value of (n) is increased by "1" in step S4. In step S5, a check is now made to see if the operator has executed the operation to finish the input of the language or not. If NO, the processing routine is returned to step S3. If YES, the value of (n) at that time point is stored into a parameter (m) in step S6. The parameter (m) indicates the number of registered languages. In step S7, the value of the parameter (m) is stored into the control memory 4 together with the language order. For example, when it is now assumed that the 0th language (n = 0) is set to English and the first language (n = 1) is set to German and the second language (n = 2) is set to Italian, the information of (m = 3, language order: 0 = English, 1 = German, 2 = Italian) is stored into the control memory 4. Fig. 3 is a flowchart showing the control operation of the control unit 5 when the audio response message is generated. First, when a call signal from the line is detected in step S10, the line is captured in step S11. The apparatus waits for T 1 time until the state of the line becomes stable and, after that, a minimum transmission time timer T 3 of the audio response is started (step S12). The audio response message is transmitted in steps S13 to S21. In step S13, the value of the parameter (n) is set to 0. In step S14, the language corresponding to the value of (n) is read out from the control memory 4. An OGM message in the audio response message memory 3 is selected in accordance with the language information. In step S15, the selected OGM message is supplied to the audio IC 7 and transmitted to the line of the audio response message. After completion of the transmission of the audio response message, the value of (n) is increased by "1" in step S16. A check is made in step S17 to see if the values of (m) and (n) are equal or not. When they differ, step S18 follows and the apparatus waits for a predetermined time T 2 . After that, the processing routine is returned to step S14 and the audio response message of the next language is transmitted. When the values of (m) and (n) are equal in step S17, a check is made in step S19 to see if the minimum transmission time timer T 3 of the audio response has timed out or not. If YES in step S19, a communication process (recording of the message from the partner side, facsimile communication, or the like) in step S22 is executed. If NO in step S19, the apparatus waits for the T 2 time in step S20. After that, a check is made to see if a process to generate a pseudo ringback tone has been selected or not in step S21. In the pseudo ringback tone process, a pseudo ringback tone indicating that the operator is at present calling is transmitted to the partner side at a predetermined time interval (one or two seconds). When the pseudo ringback tone process is not selected in step S21, the processing routine is again returned to step S13 and the audio response message of a different language in the setting order is transmitted. When the pseudo ringback tone process is selected, the pseudo-ringback tone process is executed for a predetermined time in step S22. After that, a communication process similar to step S22 is executed. Fig. 4 shows an example in the case where the OGM message in English is first transmitted, the OGM message in German is subsequently transmitted, and the OGM message in Italian is finally transmitted.

Claims: A communication apparatus automatically sending a prestored message (S15) to a communication line in response to a calling signal (S10) from the communication line, characterised in that it comprises: memory means (3) for storing audio messages of a plurality of kinds of languages; and auto-sending means (5, S14 to S18), responsive to the calling signal, for sequentially transmitting the audio messages of said plurality of kinds of languages stored in said memory means. An apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising setting means (5, S3 to S5) for setting the order of said plurality of kinds of languages, wherein said auto-sending means sequentially sends the audio messages of said plurality of kinds of languages stored in said memory means in accordance with the order set by said setting means. An apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising control means (5, S17) for controlling said auto-sending means in accordance with whether or not the audio messages of the number of languages whose order had been set by said setting means have been sent. An apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein said auto-sending means repetitively sends the audio messages of said plurality of kinds of languages stored in said memory means. An apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein said auto-sending means sends the audio messages of said plurality of kinds of languages stored in said memory means and, after that, sends a pseudo ring-back tone signal (S22). An apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5, further comprising communicating means (8) for performing a communication after the audio messages were sent by said auto-sending means. An apparatus according to claim 6, wherein said communicating means (8) is adapted to perform a facsimile communication. An apparatus according to either one of claims 6 or 7, wherein said communicating means (8) includes an answering telephone unit. An apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 8, further comprising control means (5, S19) for controlling said auto-sending means in accordance with whether or not the audio messages have been sent for a predetermined time. An apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein said audio messages of said plurality of kinds of languages denote the same content. A communication method for automatically sending a pre-stored message (S15) to a communication line in response to a calling signal from the communication line, characterised in that it comprises: a memory step (S1 to S7) of storing audio messages of a plurality of kinds of languages; and an auto-sending step (S14 to S18), responsive to the calling signal, of sequentially transmitting the audio messages of said plurality of kinds of languages stored in said memory step. A method according to claim 11 further comprising a setting step (S3 to S5) for setting the order of said plurality of kinds of languages, wherein said auto-sending step sequentially sends the audio messages of said plurality of kinds of languages stored in said memory step in accordance with the order set in said setting step. A method according to claim 12, further comprising a control step (S17) of controlling said auto-sending step in accordance with whether or not the audio messages of the number of languages whose order had been set in said setting step have been sent. A method according to any one of claims 11 to 13, wherein said auto-sending step repetitively sends the audio messages of said plurality of kinds of languages stored in said memory step. A method according to any one of claims 11 to 14, wherein said auto-sending step sends the audio messages of said plurality of kinds of languages stored in said memory step and, after that, sends a pseudo ring-back tone signal (S22). A method according to any one of claims 11 to 15, further comprising a communicating step of performing a communication after the audio messages were sent in said auto-sending step. A method according to claim 16, wherein said communicating step performs a facsimile communication. A method according to either one of claims 16 or 17, wherein said communicating step includes an answering operation of an answering telephone unit. A method according to any one of claims 11 to 18, further comprising a control step of controlling said auto-sending step in accordance with whether or not the audio messages have been sent for a predetermined time. A method according to any one of claims 11 to 19, wherein said audio messages of said plurality of kinds of languages denote the same content.

Inventors: MOROHARA TAKAYUKI, UEHARA SHINGO, MOROHARA, TAKAYUKI, UEHARA, SHINGO, MOROHARA, TAKAYUKI, C/O CANNON KABUSHIKI KAISHA, UEHARA, SHINGO, C/O CANNON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
Applicants: CANON KK, CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
Application year: 1993
Main classification: H04M1
IPC codes: H04N1, H04M1