JPH1188537A - Facsimile equipment provided with automatic answering recording function - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To surely prevent incorrect detection of CNG signal caused by an OGM even if the OGM including a specific frequency component of 1.1 kHz is recorded. SOLUTION: This equipment is provided with a CNG signal detection circuit 10 that detects a specific frequency component of 1.1 kHz included in a reproduced reply message in the confirmation reproduction mode of a recorded reply message and with a pattern storage section 11 that patterns and stores an output timing of the specific frequency component of 1.1 kHz detected by the CNG signal detection circuit 10. Thus, when the CNG signal detection circuit 10 detects the specific frequency component of 1.1 kHz during transmission of reply message in the automatic answering mode, the detected pattern is compared with the output timing pattern stored in the pattern storage section 11, and when both the timings are different, a transmission of the reply message is decreased by a prescribed level by means of a connection control circuit 7.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention transmits a pre-recorded response message when an incoming call arrives in the answering machine mode, and transmits a facsimile transmission signal C from the other party.
The present invention relates to a facsimile apparatus with an answering machine function that switches from an answering machine mode to a facsimile mode by detecting an NG signal, and more specifically, a malfunction of switching to a facsimile communication unit due to erroneous detection of a frequency component similar to a CNG signal. The present invention relates to a facsimile apparatus with an answering machine function that can prevent the problem.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In a conventional facsimile apparatus having an answering machine function, when an incoming call is received in an answering machine mode, it is necessary to determine whether a received signal is a facsimile signal or an audio signal.

In this case, the facsimile apparatus uses CCIT
T (International Telegraph and Telephone Consultative Committee) Recommendation T. A facsimile signal is transmitted and received in accordance with the facsimile communication procedure shown in No. 30 (document facsimile communication procedure in a general telephone exchange circuit). By doing so, it is determined whether the received signal is a facsimile signal or an audio signal. By the way, the CNG signal is 1.
It is determined to be a repetitive signal that is turned on at 1 kHz for 0.5 seconds and turned off for 3 seconds.

That is, when there is an incoming call in the answering machine mode, a pre-recorded response message (hereinafter referred to as OGM as necessary) is transmitted, and during the transmission, it is determined whether the received signal is a CNG signal or an audio signal. Is determined, and if the signal is a CNG signal, the line is switched from the telephone to the facsimile communication unit.

[0005] By the way, the OGM recorded by the user in advance has C information depending on the content of the message and the quality of the user's voice.
A specific frequency component (1.1 kHz frequency component) similar to the NG signal may be included. Therefore, when a received signal is determined while transmitting an OGM signal at the time of an incoming call in the answering machine mode, a specific frequency component (hereinafter referred to as a 1.1 kHz frequency component) included in the OGM signal is CNG.
There is a problem that the signal is erroneously recognized and switched to the facsimile communication unit. Conversely, CN
If the frequency component of 1.1 kHz included in the OGM is detected during the detection of the CNG signal despite the reception of the G signal, the detection interval of the CNG signal is not constant. There is also a problem that it is determined that the facsimile communication is not accepted and facsimile communication is not accepted.

Therefore, a conventional technique for solving such a problem is disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. Hei 5-48754.
This prior art uses 1.1 kHz in the OGM being recorded.
If there is a frequency component of z, recording is prohibited by regarding it as inappropriate OGM. That is, CNG
The erroneous detection is prevented by recording an OGM that does not include the same frequency component as the signal.

[0007]

However, according to this conventional technique, if a 1.1 kHz frequency component is included in the OGM that the user wants to record, this cannot be recorded. There was a problem that the user had to reluctantly change the content of the OGM before recording. In addition, depending on the content of the message, the quality of the voice of the user, and the like, the content may need to be changed many times, and the content that can be recorded as OGM is further limited.

The present invention has been made in order to solve such a problem, and an object of the present invention is to use an OGM even when an OGM including a specific frequency component of 1.1 kHz is recorded. An object of the present invention is to provide a facsimile apparatus with an answering machine function that can reliably prevent erroneous detection of a CNG signal.

[0009]

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, a facsimile apparatus with an answering machine function according to the first aspect of the present invention transmits a pre-recorded response message when an incoming call is received in an answering machine mode. At the same time, by detecting a CNG signal which is a facsimile transmission signal from the other party, in a facsimile apparatus with an answering machine function which switches from the answering machine mode to the facsimile mode, in the confirmation playback mode of the recorded answer message, the played answer message is reproduced. A component detecting means for detecting a specific frequency component included in the data, and a storage means for storing the output timing of the specific frequency component detected by the component detecting means in a pattern, When a specific frequency component is detected by the component detection means during transmission, the detection is performed. Comparing means for comparing the output timing stored in the storage means and the timing,
As a result of the comparison by the comparing means, when the two timings are different, the sending level of the response message is lowered by a predetermined level, and the answering machine / facsimile switching control for continuing the detection of the CNG signal transmitted from the other party. Means.

A facsimile apparatus with an answering machine function according to a second aspect of the present invention is the same as that of the first aspect,
When the answering machine / facsimile switching control means lowers the transmission level of the response message by a predetermined level, and does not detect a CNG signal transmitted from the other party at a fixed period, the transmission of the response message is performed. The level is returned to the original level, and the detection of the CNG signal transmitted from the other party is continued.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a facsimile apparatus with an answering machine function according to the first or second aspect, wherein the specific frequency component is a frequency component similar to the CNG signal.

[0012]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an electrical configuration of a facsimile apparatus with an answering machine function of the present invention. Referring to FIG. 1, a network control circuit (NCU) 3 is connected via a hook switch 2 to a telephone line 1 for connection with a terminal device (not shown), and a facsimile signal is connected to the network control circuit 3. A facsimile communication unit 4 for transmitting / receiving data and a telephone unit 5 with an answering machine for transmitting / receiving a voice signal to / from the other telephone are bidirectionally connected.

An incoming call detection circuit 6 for detecting a call signal is connected to the telephone line 1, and an output of the incoming call detection circuit 6 is guided to a connection control circuit 7. The output of the connection control circuit 7 is guided to the opening / closing control input of the hook switch 2 and the control input of the network control circuit 3, respectively, and is also guided to the OGM recording / reproducing circuit 8 which sends out the OGM in the answering machine mode. The output of the OGM recording / reproducing circuit 8 is guided to the network control circuit 3.

An output of the network control circuit 3 is guided to a CNG signal detection circuit 10 for detecting a CNG signal transmitted first according to a facsimile communication procedure.
The output of the signal detection circuit 10 is guided to the connection control circuit 7. Further, the connection control circuit 7 is bidirectionally connected to a pattern storage unit 11 for patternizing and storing the output timing of the 1.1 kHz frequency component included in the OGM recorded in the OGM recording / reproducing circuit 8. The clock unit 12 that measures the output timing is connected bidirectionally.

The connection control circuit 7 turns off the hook switch 2 on the basis of the incoming call detection signal from the incoming call detection circuit 6 and drives the OGM recording / reproducing circuit 8 in the answering machine mode to control the OGM in the network. The signal is transmitted to the telephone line 1 through the circuit 3 and the hook switch 2. Also, CNG
The detection timing of the CNG signal from the signal detection circuit 10 is compared with the output timing of the 1.1 kHz frequency component stored in the pattern storage unit 11. If the two timings are different, the OGM transmission level is set to a predetermined level. Control to decrease. After the OGM transmission level is lowered by a predetermined level, if the frequency component of 1.1 kHz transmitted from the other party is not detected at a constant period, the OGM transmission level is returned to the original level. ,
The detection of the 1.1 kHz frequency component transmitted from the other party is continued. That is, the connection control circuit 7 corresponds to the answering machine / facsimile switching control means according to claim 1 and the comparing means and answering machine / facsimile switching control means according to claim 2.

The CNG signal detection circuit 10 operates at 1.1 kHz.
, And detects a 1.1 kHz frequency component included in the CNG signal transmitted first according to the facsimile communication procedure and the OGM transmitted from the OGM recording / reproducing circuit 8. It has become. That is, the CNG signal detection circuit 10 corresponds to the component detection unit according to the first aspect.

Next, the operation of the facsimile apparatus with an answering machine function having the above configuration will be described with reference to the timing chart shown in FIG. 2 and the operation flowcharts shown in FIGS. First, the user inputs a response message (OGM) by voice from an internal microphone (or a transmitter) (not shown) and records it in the OGM recording / reproducing circuit 8 (step S1).

Thereafter, when the mode is set to the check reproduction mode of the recorded OGM (step S2), the OGM is reproduced from the OGM recording / reproducing circuit 8 (step S21) and inputted to the CNG signal detecting circuit 10 through the network control circuit 3. Is done. On the other hand, the connection control circuit 7 starts the clock unit 12 simultaneously with the start of the reproduction operation of the OGM recording / reproducing circuit 8 (step S22), and the OGM
Measure the elapsed time from the start of playback of. And CN
Every time a detection signal of a frequency component of 1.1 kHz is output from the G signal detection circuit 10, the output timing is taken in correspondence with the measurement time of the clock unit 12 (step S3).
2, S24). The connection control circuit 7 performs such processing until the end of the transmission of the OGM (step S25), and at the same time as the end of the transmission, stores the data captured so far in the pattern storage unit 11 (step S26).

FIG. 2A shows an example of the output timing stored in the pattern storage section 11 in this manner. FIG.
(A) is a time T1 from the OGM reproduction start time (t0).
The first 1.1 kHz frequency component from the OGM is detected (indicated by reference numeral 31) at a time t1 at which (for example, 3 seconds) have elapsed, and thereafter, at the time t3 at which a time T2 (for example, 5 seconds) has elapsed, the second 1 .1 kHz is detected (indicated by reference numeral 32).

In this way, after the output timing of the 1.1 kHz frequency component included in the recorded OGM is stored in the pattern storage section 11, the mode shifts to the answering machine mode (step S3). In the answering machine mode, when a call signal is sent from the partner terminal device through the telephone line 1 (step S4), the call signal is detected by the incoming call detection circuit 6, and the incoming call detection signal is sent to the connection control circuit 7. You. Upon receiving the incoming call detection signal, the connection control circuit 7 outputs a control signal for instructing the hook switch 2 to go off-hook. The hook switch 2 goes off-hook in response to the control signal and connects to the telephone line 1 (step S5).

The connection control circuit 7 outputs a control signal for instructing the OGM recording / reproducing circuit 8 to reproduce. OGM
The recording / reproducing circuit 8 reproduces the OGM recorded in advance based on the control signal, and sends out the OGM to the telephone line 1 through the network control circuit 3 and the hook switch 2 (step S6). Also,
The connection control circuit 7 starts the clock unit 12 simultaneously with the start of the reproduction operation of the OGM recording / reproducing circuit 8, and measures the elapsed time from the start of the OGM reproduction (step S7). And CN
Each time a detection signal having a frequency component of 1.1 kHz is output from the G signal detection circuit 10 (steps S8 and S9), the output timing (specifically, the elapsed time from the start of OGM reproduction) and pattern storage are performed. The output timing (specifically, the elapsed time from the start of the OGM reproduction) stored in the unit 11 is compared (step S10). As a result of the comparison, both output timings match (elapsed time matches)
In this case, the detection signal output from the CNG signal detection circuit 10 is determined to be the detection signal 31 of the frequency component of 1.1 kHz included in the OGM being transmitted, and the state is maintained as it is. The sending operation is continued (from step S11 to step S8).

On the other hand, at time t2 when a time T3 has elapsed from t0, which is the OGM reproduction start time, the 1.1 kHz frequency component included in the received signal is detected by the CNG signal detection circuit 10, and the detected signal [FIG. 2 (b)
Is output (step S).
9), the connection control circuit 7 compares the output timing of the detection signal 41 with the output timing (see FIG. 2A) stored in the pattern storage unit 11 (step S1).
0). In this case, the two output timings do not match [T1
<T3 <(T1 + T2)], the connection control circuit 7
The detection signal output from the NG signal detection circuit 10 is determined to be a detection signal of a frequency component of 1.1 kHz included in the reception signal, and at that time (time t2), the transmission level of the OGM is reduced by a predetermined level L1. [See FIG. 2C] (from step S11 to S12).

Here, the predetermined level L1 is a level at which the output level of the OGM is slightly lower than the detection level of the CNG signal (indicated by a dashed line in FIG. 2C). As a result, even if the OGM being transmitted contains a frequency component of 1.1 kHz thereafter, it is not detected by the CNG signal detection circuit 10, so that this frequency component does not cause a malfunction. That is, output at time t3,
The second 1.1 kHz frequency component included in the OGM is not detected. That is, the detection signal 32 in FIG.
Will not be output.

On the other hand, after the transmission level of the OGM is lowered by the predetermined level L1 as described above, the detection signal from the CNG signal detection circuit 10 is returned again after three seconds, which is the transmission interval of the CNG signal (time t4) [FIG. In b), indicated by reference numeral 42]
Is output (step S13), the connection control circuit 7 determines that the received signal is a facsimile signal, and at this point, stops the transmission of the OGM, and connects the network control circuit 3 to the facsimile communication unit 4 side. Switch (step S
14). As a result, facsimile communication is performed thereafter.

On the other hand, after the transmission level of the OGM is lowered by the predetermined level L1 and the detection signal is not output from the CNG signal detection circuit 10 after the elapse of 3 seconds (time t4), which is the transmission interval of the CNG signal, Is the connection control circuit 7
Determines that the signal of the 1.1 kHz frequency component received at time t2 was not a CNG signal, and
The level of M is returned to the original level (indicated by a two-dot chain line in FIG. 2C) (from step S13 to step S15).
The connection control circuit 7 performs such a reception operation until the end of the transmission of the OGM, and the 1.1 kHz transmitted from the other party is transmitted.
The detection of the frequency component is continued. Then, step S8
When the transmission of the OGM is completed, the subsequent processing is executed as before (step S16).

As described above, the timing of the detection signal output from the CNG signal detection circuit 10 and the pattern storage unit 1
In the case where the output timing stored in No. 1 does not match, the transmission level is reduced by lowering the output level of the OGM (steps S13 to S15).
F), there is no worry about giving the other speaker anxiety. In other words, when the detection signal output from the CNG signal detection circuit 10 is a signal due to erroneous detection (for example, a signal detected from a 1.1 kHz frequency component included in the voice from the other party), the OGM is immediately interrupted. Gives the other party anxiety about whether the line is still connected,
This is because, although the output level is merely lowered, the volume is reduced, but the OGM can be sufficiently heard by the other party, so that it is possible to confirm that the line is connected. Thus, after the transmission of the OGM is completed, the other party can send the requirement message after waiting for the answering machine mode to be executed.

[0027]

According to the facsimile apparatus with an answering machine function according to the first aspect of the present invention, in the confirmation / reproduction mode of the recorded response message, 1.1k included in the reproduced response message is included.
And a storage means for storing a pattern of the output timing of the specific frequency component detected by the component detection means. When a specific frequency component is detected by the component detection means, a comparison means for comparing the detection timing with the output timing stored in the storage means, and as a result of the comparison by the comparison means, when the two timings are different, An answering machine / facsimile switching control means for lowering the transmission level of the response message by a predetermined level and continuing to detect the CNG signal transmitted from the other party is provided. Thereby, the 1.1 kHz included in the response message
The CNG signal can be reliably distinguished from the specific frequency component, so that the contents of the response message can be freely set without restriction and the malfunction of the mode switching due to the erroneous detection in the answering machine mode can be reliably prevented. it can.
In the facsimile apparatus with an answering machine function according to the second aspect of the present invention, the answering machine / facsimile switching control means lowers the transmission level of the response message by a predetermined level and then transmits the CNG signal transmitted from the other party. If the response message is not detected in a fixed cycle, the transmission level of the response message is returned to the original level, and the detection of the CNG signal transmitted from the other party is continued. That is, the detection signal output from the component detection means is not the detection signal of the CNG signal, but is included in, for example, the sound from the other party.
If the response message is suddenly interrupted when a specific frequency component of kHz is detected, the other party may be anxious as to whether the line is still connected. Is sent continuously, so there is no need to worry about such anxiety. Therefore, after the transmission of the response message is completed, the other party can send the requirement message after waiting for the answering machine mode to be executed.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an electrical configuration of a facsimile apparatus with an answering machine function of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a timing chart for explaining the operation of the facsimile apparatus with an answering machine function of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart for explaining the operation of the facsimile apparatus with an answering machine function of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart for explaining the operation of the facsimile apparatus with an answering machine function of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

6 incoming call detection circuit 7 connection control circuit (comparison means, answering machine / facsimile switching control means) 8 OGM recording / reproducing circuit 10 CNG signal detection circuit (component detection means) 11 pattern storage section (storage means) 12 clock section

Claims (3)

[Claims] When a call is received in answering machine mode, a response message recorded in advance is sent out, and a CNG signal which is a facsimile transmission signal from the other party is detected to switch from answering machine mode to facsimile mode. In a facsimile apparatus with an automatic answering machine function, a component detecting means for detecting a specific frequency component included in the reproduced response message in a confirmation reproduction mode of the recorded response message, and outputting the specific frequency component detected by the component detecting means. Storage means for patterning and storing the timing, and in the answering machine mode, when the specific frequency component is detected by the component detection means during the transmission of the response message, the detection timing is stored in the storage means. Means for comparing the output timing with Result comparison, when both the timing are different, predetermined level to reduce the transmission level of the response message,
A facsimile apparatus with an answering machine function, comprising: answering machine / facsimile switching control means for continuing detection of a CNG signal transmitted from the other party. 2. The answering machine / facsimile switching control means, after lowering the transmission level of the response message by a predetermined level, if the CNG signal transmitted from the other party is not detected at a fixed cycle, 2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the transmission level of the response message is returned to the original level, and detection of a CNG signal transmitted from the other party is continued.
Facsimile machine with answering machine function described. 3. The facsimile apparatus with an answering machine function according to claim 1, wherein the specific frequency component is a frequency component similar to the CNG signal.