Patent Publication Number: US-2004042594-A1

Title: Telephone unit and method of transmitting the received information about callers

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD  
       [0001] The present invention relates to a telephone unit which can transmit upon request the caller-related information including caller data stored in a memory to, for example, a user of the telephone unit away from home. Method of transmitting is also disclosed in the invention.  
       BACKGROUND ART  
       [0002] Functions of the recent janitor telephones (message recording telephone) have become sophisticated. For example, some of such telephone units can provide a user away from home with the incoming telephone numbers and messages of callers in the form of voice message.  
       [0003]FIG. 15A and FIG. 15B show the structure of a conventional massage-recording telephone system. Telephone unit  221  installed at home is connected with other party&#39;s telephone unit  223  via telephone network  222 . It is also connected with other telephone unit  224  of the user such as portable telephone or the like.  
       [0004] Referring to FIG. 15A, when telephone unit  221  gets a call from other party&#39;s telephone unit  223 , it receives caller data  231  which indicate telephone number of the other party&#39;s telephone unit  223  and incoming date and time, as well as the message. A memory unit (not shown) of telephone unit  221  records caller data  231  in the form of history data representing call record from caller, while the received message in the form of recorded data. Information containing these history data and recorded data is referred to as caller-related information.  
       [0005] Referring to FIG. 15B, the user away from home transmits demand signal  232  using telephone unit  224  requesting telephone unit  221  to send contents of received calls. Telephone unit  221  transmits caller-related information  233  stored in the memory unit to telephone unit  224 . In this way, the user away from home can receive caller-related information  233 , and be informed of the contents in the form of voice message, or through other means. The caller-related information thus accessible to the user from outside, or by direct operation of telephone unit  221 , is an old information, while the caller-related information that the user has not been informed of is a new information.  
       [0006] As described in the above, conventional massage-recording telephone unit can transmit the received caller-related information including caller&#39;s telephone number, message, etc. to a user away from home. However, such function of conventional telephone unit is to simply transmit the caller-related information accumulated in the telephone unit through incoming. In other words, the conventional telephone unit is not capable of selectively transmitting the caller-related information, or collectively transmitting only those received from a certain specific caller.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0007] In a telephone unit of the present invention, when a call is received and caller data is delivered, and a history data containing caller&#39;s telephone number and incoming date and time that correspond to indications in the caller data is existing, the telephone unit updates the history data and stores it. The telephone unit has a caller data voice transmittance processor which transmits, in accordance with a reproduction command, the stored history data to outside via a voice processor. A transmitting method in the present invention includes the steps of determining whether or not a caller data is received, storing a history data containing caller data, updating a history data of caller if there is the one which is indicated in the caller data, reading a caller data stored in memory and outputting it, receiving a reproduction command from outside, and transmitting the updated history data to outside. 
     
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
     [0008]FIG. 1A, FIG. 1B are structures of a massage-recording telephone system in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.  
     [0009]FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a telephone unit in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.  
     [0010]FIG. 3 is a function block diagram of a main controller in the telephone unit.  
     [0011]FIG. 4 is a flow chart showing the operation of the main controller in the telephone unit.  
     [0012]FIG. 5 is a function block diagram of a bell counts processor in the telephone unit.  
     [0013]FIG. 6 is a flow chart showing the operation of the bell counts processor in the telephone unit.  
     [0014]FIG. 7 is a function block diagram of a caller data reception processor in the telephone unit.  
     [0015]FIG. 8 is a flow chart showing the operation of the caller data receiving and processing unit in a telephone unit in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.  
     [0016]FIG. 9 is a function block diagram of a network monitor processor in the telephone unit.  
     [0017]FIG. 10 is a flow chart showing the operation of the network monitor processor in the telephone unit.  
     [0018]FIG. 11 is a function block diagram of a caller data voice transmittance processor in the telephone unit.  
     [0019]FIG. 12 is a flow chart showing the operation of the caller data voice transmittance processor in the telephone unit.  
     [0020]FIG. 13 is a function block diagram of a speech transmittance processor in the telephone unit.  
     [0021]FIG. 14 is a flow chart showing the operation of the speech transmittance processor in the telephone unit.  
     [0022]FIG. 15A, FIG. 15B are structures of a conventional massage-recording telephone system. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
     [0023]FIG. 1A, FIG. 1B show the structures of a massage-recording telephone system in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. Telephone unit  21  at a user&#39;s home is connected to other party&#39;s telephone unit  23  via telephone network  22 . It is also connected to other telephone unit  24 , e.g. a portable telephone unit.  
     [0024]FIG. 2 shows a block diagram of a telephone unit in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. Network interface unit (hereinafter referred to as interface)  1  controls the closure and the opening of telephone network. A/D D/A conversion circuit (conversion circuit)  2  converts analog signal to digital signal, and vice versa. Tone signal output circuit (output circuit)  3  transmits beep sound representing the start of recording. Parallel-connected telephone units on-hook off-hook detection circuit (detection circuit)  4  detects the on-hook or off-hook state at the parallel-connected telephone units. Dial Tone Multi Frequency(DTMF) signal detection circuit (detection circuit)  5  detects the DTMF signal including password and reproduction command. Speech-end sound detection circuit (detection circuit)  6  detects the speech-end sound at telephone network. Bell signal detection circuit (detection circuit)  7  detects bell signal at telephone network. Caller data receiving circuit (receiving circuit)  8  receives caller data delivered when a call is made. The caller data includes telephone number, caller&#39;s name, date and time, etc. Voice processor  9  compresses the digitalized voice signal (digital voice data), and stores it in memory  11  as compressed voice data. Processor  9  decompresses the compressed voice data stored in memory  11  and delivers it to conversion circuit  2 . Processor  9  converts the text data stored as caller data into speech data, and delivers it to conversion circuit  2 . Main controller (controller)  10  controls relevant circuits and judges the conditions of them. Memory  11  stores, as described earlier, the compressed voice data, the speech data, the caller data, etc. On-hook off-hook detector (detector)  12  notifies controller  10  that a talk button, or a speaker phone button, is pressed, or a handset is lifted up.  
     [0025]FIG. 3 shows a function block diagram of controller  10  implemented in accordance with a program. Bell signal detection determining unit (determining unit)  101  determines whether a bell signal is detected at detection circuit  7  or not. Caller data reception determining unit (determining unit)  102  determines whether a caller data is received at receiving circuit  8  or not. Bell counts processor (processor)  103  counts number of bell ringing. Caller data reception processor (processor)  104  processes the caller data received. Network controller (controller)  105  controls the telephone network. Recording controller (controller)  106  controls things related to recording. Network monitor processor (processor)  107  monitors the telephone network. Password data determining unit (determining unit)  108  determines whether a password is received or not, and judges whether the password is correct or not. Caller data voice transmittance processor (processor)  109  processes caller data to be transmitted in the form of voice. Speech-end sound detector (detector)  109 A detects a speech-end sound. Recorded data presence determining unit (determining unit)  110  determines whether there exists a recorded data or not. Flag setting unit (setting unit)  111  sets up various kinds of flags.  
     [0026] Operation of the above-configured controller  10  is described with reference to FIG. 4, hereinafter. Determining unit  101  monitors bell signal at the telephone network (S 1 ). And it determines whether bell signal is detected or not, based on notice delivered from detection circuit  7  (S 2 ). The bell signal is generated by, for example, telephone unit  24  operated by the user away from home, ref FIG. 1B. If a bell signal is determined to have been detected, determining unit  102  determines whether caller data is received or not (S 3 ). If it is determined that no caller data was received, processor  103  counts the number of bells. When the bell counts reached a predetermined number the processing shifts to S 5  (S 4 ). If caller data is determined to have been received at S 3 , processor  104  provides a new history data, or updates an existing one (S 14 ). When the caller data reception processing is finished, the processing shifts to S 4 .  
     [0027] At S 5 , controller  105  controls interface  1  to close the telephone network. Controller  106  outputs a responding message and a beep sound representing the start of recording to, for example, the user&#39;s telephone unit  24  away from home via telephone network (S 6 , S 7 ), and begins recording (S 8 ). Conversion circuit  2  converts voices from telephone network into digital voice data, voice processor  9  converts it into compressed voice data. Memory  11  stores compressed voice data. The recording is made in this way. Next, processor  107  monitors network (S 9 ). At the network monitoring, DTMF signal is monitored; in a case where no off-hook state is detected, neither in the parallel telephone units, the processing shifts to S 10 . If a parallel telephone unit is determined to be in off-hook state, the network monitoring is terminated and the process shifts to S 1 .  
     [0028] At S 10 , determining unit  108  determines whether a password data is received or not. If a password data is determined to have been received, determining unit  108  determines whether the password coincides with a specific password (e.g. the user&#39;s password) or not (S 17 ). If the password is determined to be in coincidence, controller  106  terminates the recording operation (S 18 ), and processor  109  transmits the caller data in the form of voice (S 15 ). If it is determined that no password is received at S 10 , detector  109 A determines whether an end-speech sound is detected or not (S 10 A); if a speech-end sound is determined to have been detected, controller  106  terminates the recording operation (S 11 ). If it is determined that no speech-end sound is detected, the processing returns to S 9 . In a case if the password is determined not to be in coincidence at S 17 , controller  106  terminates the recording operation, also in this case (S 11 ). Next, controller  105  puts the telephone network in open state (S 12 ). And then, determining unit  110  determines whether there exists recorded data in memory unit  11  or not (S 13 ). If there is a recorded data, setting unit  111  sets up a flag telling that there is a recorded history data received (S 16 ), and the main processing is finished. On the other hand, if there is no recorded data, no such a flag is set up, and the main processing is finished.  
     [0029]FIG. 5 is a function block diagram showing processor  103 , which is the principal operating member at S 4 . Bell counter (counter)  121  counts the number of bell ringing based on notice delivered from detection circuit  7 . Off-hook detector (detector)  122  determines whether an off-hook is detected or not, based on notice delivered from detector  12 . Parallel-connected telephone units determining unit (determining unit)  123  determines whether there is on-hook or off-hook state among the parallel-connected telephone units (not shown), based on notice delivered from detection circuit  4 . The on-hook or off-hook state means whether a telephone unit among the parallel-connected units is in the state where the receiver of which is lifted up or not.  
     [0030] Operation of the above-configured processor  103  is described referring to FIG. 6. Counter  121  counts number of bell ringing (S 41 ). Detecting unit  122  determines whether off-hook state is detected or not (S 42 ); if off-hook state is determined to have been detected, the processing shifts to talking state (S 45 ). If it is determined that no off-hook state is detected, determining unit  123  determines whether a parallel-connected telephone unit is in off-hook state or not (S 43 ). If it is determined that there is off-hook state, the main processing is terminated, and the bell counting process is also finished. If it is determined that there is no off-hook state among parallel-connected telephone units, counter  121  determines whether the number of bell ringing is in excess of a predetermined number (e.g. five) or not (S 44 ). If it is determined that the number exceeded the predetermined number, the bell counting process is terminated and the processing shifts to S 5 ; if it is determined that the number is not more than the predetermined number, it returns to S 41 .  
     [0031]FIG. 7 is a function block diagram of processor  104 , which is the principal operating member at S 14 . History data presence determining unit (determining unit)  131  determines whether there exists a history data or not. History data updating unit (updating unit)  132  updates history data. History data registration unit (registration unit)  133  registers a new history data.  
     [0032] Operation of the above-configured processor  104  is described with reference to FIG. 8. Determining unit  131  determines whether there exists a history data pertaining to the caller indicated by the received caller data or not (S 141 ). If determining unit  131  determined that there exists the history data, updating unit  132  updates the history data in the date and time received (incoming date and time) (S 142 ), and number of incoming history data is counted up by one count (S 143 ). History data contains the caller&#39;s telephone number, the caller&#39;s name, presence or non-presence of recorded data, etc as well as the above-described incoming date and time and the number of incoming data. If determining unit  131  determines that there is no history data pertaining to the same caller at S 141 , registration unit  133  registers a new history data (a newly received history data) (S 144 ), and determines whether there is name data contained in the received caller data or not (S 145 ). If it is determined that there exists a name, the name data is stored in the new history data (S 147 ), and the caller data reception processing is finished, and the processing shifts to S 4 . If there is no name data in the received caller data, a telephone directory (not shown) stored in memory  11  is searched for a name data that corresponds to the telephone number indicated in the received caller data (S 146 ). When a name data corresponding to the telephone number is found in the telephone directory, the name data is stored in the new history data (S 147 ); if there is no name data, the caller data reception processing is terminated, and the processing shifts to S 4 . Steps S 145  through S 147  indicate operation for coordinating the name data.  
     [0033]FIG. 9 is a function block diagram of processor  107 , which is the principal operating member at S 9 . DTMF monitor (monitor)  141  monitors DTMF signal. Off-hook detector (detector)  142  determines whether an off-hook state is detected or not based on notice from detector  12 . Parallel telephone units determining unit (determining unit)  143  determines the on-hook or off-hook state among the parallel-connected telephone units, based on notice from detection circuit  4 .  
     [0034] Operation of the above-configured processor  107  is described referring to FIG. 10. Monitor  141  monitors the DTMF signal (S 91 ). And then, detector  142  determines whether an off-hook state is detected or not (S 92 ). If it is determined that an off-hook state is detected, the processing shifts to talking state (S 94 ). If it is determined that no off-hook state is detected, determining unit  143  determines whether a parallel-connected telephone unit is in off-hook state or not (S 93 ); if it is determined that there is an off-hook state, the network monitoring process is terminated, and the processing shifts S 11  in the main processing. If it is determined that there is no off-hook state among the parallel-connected telephone units, the network monitoring process is terminated, and the processing shifts to S 10  in the main processing.  
     [0035]FIG. 11 is a function block diagram of processor  109 , which is the principal operating member at S 15 . Reproduction command determining unit (determining unit)  151  determines contents of a reproduction command. Incoming history data presence determining unit (determining unit)  152  determines whether there is incoming history data (received history data) or not. Speech transmittance processor (processor)  153  transmits a speech (notifying voice signal). Whole history information transmittance determining unit (determining unit)  154  determines whether all of the relevant history information has been transmitted or not. History information shifting unit (shifting unit)  155  transfers the transmitting history information to next history information. When there is no incoming history data, notifying unit  156  notifies accordingly. Network controller (controller)  157  controls opening/closing of telephone network.  
     [0036] Operation of the above-configured processor  109  is described referring to FIG.  12 . Determining unit  151  determines whether the contents of a reproduction command is opting for the all caller-related information or for the new caller-related information (S 151 ). If it is determined that the command is opting for the new caller-related information, or it is determined that there is no reproduction command received, then determining unit  152  determines whether there is a new incoming history data or not (S 152 ). If it is determined that there is no new incoming history data, notifying unit  156  sends a notice telling that no new incoming history data exists to, for example, telephone unit  24  of the user, via interface  1  and telephone network  22  (S 153 ). Controller  157  turns the telephone network into open state (S 154 ). If it is determined that there is a new incoming history data at S 152 , processor  153  transmits a speech (S 155 ). And then, determining unit  154  determines whether all of the latest history data has been transmitted or not (S 156 ). If it is determined that they have been transmitted, controller  157  turns the telephone network into open state (S 154 ); if determined otherwise, shifting unit  155  shifts to the next history information (S 157 ), and the processing shifts to S 155 .  
     [0037] If it is determined that all of the caller-related information is opted for at S 151 , determining unit  152  determines whether there exists incoming history data or not (S 158 ). If it is determined that there is no incoming history data, notifying unit  156  sends a notice telling that no new incoming history data exists to, for example, telephone unit  24  of the user, via interface  1  and telephone network  22  (S 153 ). Controller  157  turns the telephone network into open state (S 154 ). If it is determined that there is an incoming history data at S 158 , processor  153  transmits a speech (S 159 ). And then, determining unit  154  determines whether all of the history data have been transmitted or not (S 160 ). If it is determined that they have been transmitted, controller  157  turns the telephone network into open state (S 154 ); if determined otherwise, shifting unit  155  shifts to the next history information (S 161 ), and the processing shifts to S 159 . When new incoming history has been transmitted, setting unit  111  sets up a flag indicating that it has been transmitted, in order that it will not be transmitted as new incoming history at the subsequent transmittance of incoming history.  
     [0038]FIG. 13 is a function block diagram of processor  153  that is the principal operating member at S 155  and S 159 . Voice processor  161  converts caller data (text data) into speech data at voice processor  9 , and the speech data into analog voice signal at conversion circuit  2 . Slow reproduction command determining unit (determining unit)  162  determines whether slow reproduction command is received or not. Reproduction setting unit (setting unit)  163  specifies the slow reproduction. Reproduction method command determining unit (determining unit)  164  determines whether a command indicating a method of reproduction (reproduction method command) is received or not. Notifying unit  165  notifies whether or not there exists a recorded message. Record reproduction command determining unit (determining unit)  166  determines whether a record reproduction command is received or not. Reproduction transmitting unit  167  reproduces the recorded message and transmits it.  
     [0039] Operation of the above-configured speech transmittance processor  153  is described referring to FIG. 14. Voice processor  161  converts the caller data into speech data (digital voice data) at voice processor  9 . Further at conversion circuit  2 , the speech data is converted into analog voice signal (S 171 ). Determining unit  162  determines whether a slow reproduction command is received or not (S 172 ). When a slow reproduction command is determined to have been received, setting unit  163  sets the slow reproduction (S 177 ). When slow reproduction finishes, determining unit  164  determines whether a repeat command is received or a skip command is received (S 173 ). When a repeat command is determined to have been received, it returns to S 171 . When repeat operation finishes, notifying unit  165  sends a message to, for example, telephone unit  24  of the user, as to whether or not there is a recorded message (S 174 ). Determining unit  166  determines whether a record reproduction command is received or not (S 175 ). When it is determined to have been received, reproduction transmitting unit  167  reproduces recorded message and transmits it to, for example, telephone unit  24  of the user (S 176 ). If it is determined that a skip command is received at S 173 , or it is determined that no record reproduction command is received at S 175 , the speech transmitting processing is terminated, and the processing shifts to S 156  or S 160 .  
     [0040] As described above, main controller  10  in a telephone unit in the present embodiment has caller data reception determining unit  102 , caller data reception processor  104 , and caller data voice transmittance processor  109 . Determining unit  102  determines whether a caller data is received or not. When a caller data is determined to have been received, and there exists a history data containing the same caller&#39;s telephone number, incoming date and time indicated in the received caller data, processor  104  updates the history data and have it stored in memory  11 . Upon request from the user away from home, processor  109  transmits the history data stored in memory  11  via voice processor  9 . Processor  9  reads caller data out of memory  11 , and outputs it to network interface unit  1 . A telephone unit having the above-described structure can transmit, in response to request of the user away from home, either the entire caller-related information including old and new, the latest caller-related information alone, or the whole set of caller-related information received from a specific caller.  
     [0041] If there exists no such history data, processor  109  generates a new history data. Thus, history data including incoming of caller data can be provided automatically.  
     [0042] A telephone unit in the present embodiment further has password data determining unit  108 . Determining unit  108  determines whether or not a password received from outside after closure of network coincides with a specific password. When the password is determined to have coincidence with the specific password, processor  109  transmits history data in accordance with the contents of reproduction command to outside via processor  9 . In this way, a caller data can not be tapped out easily by undue access makers; thus, the confidentiality of caller data is protected to a certain extent.  
     [0043] Furthermore, determining unit  102  has history data presence determining unit  131  and history data updating unit  132 . Determining unit  131  determines whether there exists a history data pertaining the caller indicated in the caller data or not. When it is determined that history data exists, updating unit  132  updates the history data in the date and time to the latest, and counts up the number of incoming history data by one count. Under the above-described structure, the history data can be appropriately updated.  
     [0044] Determining unit  102  further has history data registration unit  133 . If it is determined that there exists no history data, registration unit  133  registers a new history data. Under the above described-structure, history data can be duly provided, if there exists no history data.  
     [0045] Furthermore, when name data is contained in caller data, registration unit  133  registers the name data in the history data. Thus, when a name data is contained caller data, it is surely registered in the history data. In a case where there is no name data contained in caller data but the same telephone number as that indicated in caller data is seen in a telephone directory stored in memory  11 , registration unit  133  registers the name data corresponding to the telephone number in the history data. In this way, when a name data is registered in telephone directory it can be registered in history data without fail. Thus, when caller-related information is transmitted to the user away from home, he or she can be informed of caller&#39;s name without fail.  
     [0046] Furthermore, processor  109  has speech transmittance processor  153 . Processor  153  transmits history data stored in memory  11  to outside via processor  9 , as analog voice signal. Thus, the user can be informed of history data corresponding to a reproduction command, in the form of voice.  
     [0047] Furthermore, processor  153  has reproduction setting unit  163 , which reads out history data slow from memory  11  if reproduction command received specifies a slow reproduction. Thereby, when a slow reproduction is specified by the reproduction command received, recorded data is surely reproduced slow, and the slow-reproduced voice signal is transmitted to the user away from home. Therefore, the user can understand the message without fail.  
     [0048] Furthermore, processor  153  has reproduction method command determining unit  164 , which determines whether a repeat command is received or not. When it is determined that a repeat command is received, the voice message is reproduced repeatedly. Therefore, the user can hear surely and understand the voice message without fail. Determining unit  164  may be designed so that it can determine whether a skip command is received or not. When it is determined that a skip command is received, the voice message reproduction is skipped. Thereby, reproduction processing can be terminated immediately upon the skip command, and the processing can be expedited.  
     [0049] Furthermore, main controller  10  in the telephone unit has recorded data presence determining unit  110  and flag setting unit  111 . Determining unit  110  determines whether there is a recorded data in memory  11 . Flag setting unit  111  sets, when it is determined that there is a recorded data, a flag indicating the presence of recorded history data. Under the above-described configuration, the user can be informed of the existence, or non-existence, of recorded message surely and quickly. Thus the user can have reproduced voice message immediately.