초록 ▼

An information system for storing and automatically retrieving selected information and transmitting it to a user over a telephone line is described. The system includes a recorder unit on which a series of information messages can be recorded on a recording medium and replayed from the recording me

An information system for storing and automatically retrieving selected information and transmitting it to a user over a telephone line is described. The system includes a recorder unit on which a series of information messages can be recorded on a recording medium and replayed from the recording medium. A telephone coupler unit for connection to a telephone line detects incoming calls on the line. An automatic controller operates the coupler unit to connect calls through an audio switch assembly to the recorder unit. The controller monitors connected calls to detect touch tone signals from a user and automatically operates the recorder unit in response to the signals to drive it to a user chosen position represented by the signals and to play the message recorded at that position.

대표청구항 ▼

An automatic user selected variable telephone message playback system, comprising: a recorder unit for recording information messages in a series of predetermined message areas on a recording medium each of said message areas being associated with a respective multiple digit message identifier corre

An automatic user selected variable telephone message playback system, comprising: a recorder unit for recording information messages in a series of predetermined message areas on a recording medium each of said message areas being associated with a respective multiple digit message identifier corresponding to a particular series of telephone Touch-Tone signals, said recorder unit including drive means for driving said recording medium to the beginning of any one of said message areas and means for playing the information message in that message area; a telephone coupler unit including means for connection to a telephone line and means for detecting incoming calls by a user on said telephone line; an audio switching unit including means for selectively connecting said telephone line via said telephone coupler unit to said recorder unit in response to detection by said telephone coupler unit of a telephone call; said selectively connecting means of said audio switching unit comprising a multi-directional switch assembly means operated by said automatic controller, said assembly means having four inputs and three outputs, the controller including means for controlling which of the inputs is connected to which of the outputs; the four inputs comprising: a message recording line input; a data input connected from said automatic controller; a telephone line input connected from the telephone coupler unit; an input connected from an output of the recorder unit; and the three outputs comprising: an output connected to an input to the recorder unit; a data output connected to the input of the automatic controller; and an output connected to the telephone coupler unit; an automatic controller for controlling the operation of said units, said controller including: means for monitoring said telephone line of said connected telephone call to detect a series of Touch-Tone signals on said telephone line entered from a user-operated Touch-Tone telephone and representing a message selected by said user; means for associating said user-entered Touch-Tone signals with the corresponding message identifies; means for automatically operating said recorder unit drive means in response to said detected Touch-Tone signals to drive said recording medium to the beginning of the message area associated with said corresponding message identifier, and for operating said recorder unit to play the information message store in said message area over said telephone line via said switching unit and coupler unit; said controller selectably controlling said audio switching unit to connect said message recording line input through the output to the recording unit input in order to record a message on said recording medium; said controller selectably controlling said audio switching unit to connect said data input form the automatic controller through the output to the recording unit input in order to write a beginning of message marker and an end of message marker onto said recording medium; said controller selectably controlling said audio switching unit to connect said input from the recorder unit output through the output to the telephone coupler unit in order to enable a user to listen to a selected recorder message; and said controller selectably controlling said audio switching unit to connect said telephone line input from the telephone coupler unit through the output to the recorder unit input in order to enable a user to record a message onto said recording medium.