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Description  |
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BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to paging systems and particularly to a voice
mail type paging system that communicates with a beeper capable of
visually displaying messages.
Conventional (old type) paging systems are used for simply calling a beeper
by a tone signal, but recently a new type of beeper for displaying a
message has been produced. There is a difference between these two paging
systems in an instruction message sent to a calling party when calling a
paging center from an outside telephone. Thus, upon reception of an
incoming call, the system discriminates between the call number of a
message type beeper and that of a nonmessage type beeper, and in response,
an appropriate instruction message to the calling party is sent out. The
calling party must follow the instruction of the paging center when he
calls from a normal telephone set. However, if paging is to be
automatically performed by a conventional voice mail center, the center is
required to automatically follow the appropriate instruction from the
paging center.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In an automatic paging system in accordance with the invention, the
difference in an outgoing message from a paging center to a calling party
between one for a non-message type beeper one for a message type beeper is
discriminated by a discriminating means, then according to the
discrimination, in the case of the non-message type beeper the telephone
line is automatically disengaged, for example, after about 10 seconds. In
the case of the message type beeper, the telephone line is disengaged
after a device for automatically sending a message, i.e., a telephone
number, is operated, the system therefore can handle calls for both
subscribers of non-message type and message type beepers.
The above and other objects, features and advantageous of the present
invention will become more apparent from the following description when
taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which a preferred
embodiment of the present invention is shown by way of illustrative
example.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a conventional paging system without a
display capability.
FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of a conventional paging system having
display capability.
FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of the invention.
FIG. 4 is a detailed circuit diagram of a principal portion of FIG. 3.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
The detailed description of the preferred embodiments according to the
present invention will be now described with reference to the accompanying
drawings.
Referring to FIG. 1, reference numeral 1 denotes a voice mail center. When
the voice mail center 1 receives a signal from a caller subscribed and
registered for voice mail (hereinafter called a subscriber), the voice
mail center 1 sends an order message, and the subscriber sends an
identification number (hereinafter called an ID number) and a specified
code number. As a result, the subscriber can hear a message from an
unspecified caller which has been stored in the BOX of the subscriber.
After a general unspecified caller calls a telephone number previously
known to the unspecified caller, the unspecified caller inputs the BOX
number of the subscriber subscribed to voice mail, and after the
unspecified caller records a message for the subscriber, the unspecified
caller hangs up the phone. As a result, the voice mail side calls a paging
center, and the paging center calls a beeper carried by the subscriber. At
this time, in a conventional type paging system, the beeper is only
called, but in a new type paging system as shown in FIG. 2, the specified
message, for example a telephone number of a caller, is displayed on a
display.
This invention presents an automatic paging system which can deal with both
operations.
A system and an operation of this invention will be now explained in
accordance with FIG. 3. First, how a call for transmitting a message to
the subscriber from the specified caller is done will be described.
Namely, in the voice mail center 1, reference numeral 3 denotes an order
(which means an order message) sending section. When the order sending
section 3 receives a signal, the telephone line is set to a closed loop
condition by a closing means, and sends an order message. Accordingly,
after the specified caller sends a message and hangs up the phone, the
voice mail center calls the paging center, and the paging center calls the
subscriber who carries the beeper outside.
The new type paging system has a function which indicates numbers by a
liquid crystal display. Accordingly, the order message, which means the
method for operation, includes not only a message of "please record your
message" but also the telephone number of the unspecified subscriber after
the message is recorded. Thereafter the unspecified caller hangs up the
phone after inputting his telephone number. As a result, the voice mail
center calls the paging center, and starts to call the beeper with the
message display.
Next, the function of the voice mail center will be described. Namely, in
the voice mail service side, as above, after the unspecified caller hangs
up the phone once, the voice mail center detects whether the subscriber
subscribes to the new type beeper or to the conventional type beeper by
the number previously registered. When the beeper is the conventional
type, as the conventional operation, after the paging center is contacted
by dialing automatically, and after the message from the paging center is
heard, the telephone is hung up. However, in the new type beeper, the
paging center is called by automatic dialing, after the message from the
paging center is heard the telephone number of the unspecified caller is
sent to the paging center, thereafter the telephone is hung up.
The above operation will now be explained more in detail. In the new type
paging system, when the voice mail center 1 receives a signal from a
caller, the telephone line is closed. Thereafter a secret number (box
number) is input in accordance to the instruction of the order message
sent from the order sending section 3, for example, "This is a VMX (voice
mail center). Please input your box number", by using a pushphone TEL-1.
Thereafter the unspecified subscriber can hear the box number by speech
synthesis for confirming the box number. And the order message, for
example "After putting No. 1, please speak your message and after, please
push No. 5.", is sent. Accordingly, following the instruction, after the
key "1" on the pushbutton phone is pushed, a message is given verbally and
thereafter the key "5" on the pushbutton phone is pushed. As a result, the
next message, for example, "if you want him to call back, please input
your telephone number after this message." is sent. The specified caller
inputs a telephone number by operating keys of the pushphone tEL-1 and
hangs up the phone.
Continuously, the voice mail center 1 dials automatically by the auto
dialing section 4, and calls the specified beeper through the telephone
number detection section 5 in the paging center 2. Thereafter the voice
mail center 1 sends the message (telephone number) input in the message
inputting section as above to the paging center 2 and this message is
displayed on the display section on the new type beeper 11. When the new
type beeper 11 is started to be called by the auto dialing section 4
through the paging center 2 as the above operation, the paging center 2
gives back an announcement, for example "This is the beeper, please input
your message.", and an intermittent tone, for example "Boo, boo, boo." to
the voice mail center 1. The voice mail center 1 sends the message
(telephone number) memorized in the message inputting section 6 to the
paging center 2 during silence after detecting the announcement and the
intermittent tone. As a result, this operation prevents the announcement
and intermittent tone from interfering with sending a message, and the
message is transmitted correctly to the paging center 2.
FIG. 3 shows a view of the paging system which is possible to be used in
both the conventional type beeper and the new type beeper. Referring to
FIG. 3, the paging system therein is different from the paging system in
FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 as follows. In the paging system in FIG. 3, a tone
detecting section 7 and a 10 second timer are set in the voice mail
center, and a beeper calling switching section 9 is set in the paging
center. As the above explanation, when the voice mail center dials
automatically to the paging center, the paging center gives back an
announcement and a tone to the voice mail center. In the new type beeper,
as the above explanation, the paging center gives back an announcement of
"This is the beeper. Please input your message." and a tone of "Boo, boo,
boo" to the voice mail center. After the announcement and the tone are
heard, when a message (telephone number) memorized in the message
inputting section 6 is sent to the paging center, the paging center gives
back an announcement of "Your message is to be sent, please hang up the
telephone and wait." to the voice mail center.
On the other hand, in the conventional type beeper, after the voice mail
center dials automatically the paging center, the paging center sends a
chime voice of "Ping Pong" and an announcement of "The beeper is now being
called out. Please hang up the telephone and wait for the contact from the
outside." Thereafter the chime voice of "Ping Pong" is heard again.
The tone detecting section 7 is a circuit for discriminating the two kinds
of tone, namely "Boo, boo, boo" and "Ping Pong". When the tone "Boo, boo,
boo" is discriminated, the message inputting section 6 is triggered. After
the message memorized in the message inputting section 6 is sent to the
paging center, closing of the voice mail center is released. On the other
side, when the tone detecting section detects a chime voice of "Ping pong"
from the conventional beeper closing of the voice mail center is released
after 10 seconds through the 10 second timer 8. In the paging center, the
telephone number sent from the auto dialing section 4 in the voice mail
center is decoded by the telephone number detecting section 5. The
telephone number detecting section 5 judges whether it is the conventional
type beeper or the new type beeper. The beeper is called out through the
beeper calling switching section, and also, when the beeper is the new
type, the message sent from the voice mail center is sent to the beeper,
and is displayed on the display on the beeper 11.
FIG. 4 shows a circuit view of a principal part of the paging system in
FIG. 3. In FIG. 4, reference symbols L1 and L2 denote a telephone line.
Reference symbol LT denotes a line transformer. Reference numeral 20
denotes an amplifier. Reference numeral 21 denotes a rectifier smoothing
circuit for enveloping the signal input to detect the two kinds of tones.
Reference numeral 22 denotes a CPU (central processing unit). Reference
numeral 23 denotes a ROM (real only memory). Reference numeral 8 denotes
the 10 second timer. Reference numeral 6 denotes the message inputting
section. Reference numeral 4 denotes the auto dialing section. Reference
numeral 25 denotes a closing circuit. And reference symbol Y-1 denotes a
relay for closing.
In FIG. 4, when auto dialing is done, the closing circuit 25 is triggered
by an output from the auto dialing section 4, the relay Y-1 of a load is
set to the operating condition, and the telephone lines L1 and L2 are set
to a closed condition by a point of contact Y1-1. In the closed condition,
when one tone of the two kinds of tones is input, the tone is amplified by
the amplifier 20 through the line transformer LT.
Thereafter the amplified tone is enveloped by the rectifier smoothing
circuit 21 and the output from the rectifier smoothing circuit 21 is input
to the CPU 22. The same tone is repeated several times in each of two
kinds of tone. As a result, the CPU 22 can measure a cycle of the tone and
judge that the output is a tone, and does not judge that the output is a
voice (announcement), because the output has the same cycle. The CPU 22
can discriminate whether the output is a tone from the new type beeper
(Boo, boo, boo...) or from the conventional type beeper (Ping pong, ping
pong...). Alternatively, it can be detected by a filter whether the output
is a tone from the new type beeper or from the conventional type beeper,
because the frequency of each tone is different respectively.
When the tone is for the conventional type beeper, the 10 second timer 8 is
triggered by an output from the CPU. After 10 seconds, the closing circuit
25 is reset and the closed condition is released by the output. On the
other hand, when the tone is for the new type beeper, the message
inputting section 6 is triggered by an output from the CPU 22, and the
message (telephone number) memorized in the message inputting section 6 is
sent to the telephone lines L1 and L2 by a circuit for sending messages
(not shown).
When sending a message is finished, the closing circuit 25 is reset, and
closing of telephone line released.
In the new type beeper, when a caller does not leave a message (telephone
number) in the message inputting section 6, even if a caller receives an
order from the voice mail center, a memory (not shown in the drawings) in
the message inputting section 6 is in the clear condition. Accordingly, in
FIG. 4, the voice mail center calls out the beeper, before the message
(telephone number) memorized in the message inputting section 6, is sent
in correspondence with the tone from the paging center.
A memory in the message input section 6 is checked by the CPU 22. As a
result when the message (telephone number) is not stored therein, the
closing circuit 25 is reset at once by the output from the message
inputting section 6 and the closed telephone line is released.
The same applicant has already filed Japanese application No. 55225 of 1985
disclosing a telephone answering device which can operate paging in
correspondence with the new type paging system. Namely, when paging
against many subscribers is operated automatically by using the voice mail
center, not by using the telephone answering device, this invention
presents a device which is possible to be used in both the conventional
type beeper and the new type beeper in accordance with the order from the
paging center called by the caller. As a result, this invention can
increase the practical effect of such kinds of device.
Although certain preferred embodiments have been shown and described, it
should be understood that many changes and modifications may be made
therein without departing from the scope of the invention.
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