JPS63299451A - Terminal controller - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To perform the selective switching of a home presence mode, an office presence mode, and an absence mode corresponding to the status of a user side, by changing the setting of a mode to the absence mode when no response of a telephone set is obtained and a line is disconnected in a presence mode, and restoring the mode to the presence mode after the mode is set and changed to the absence mode and a prescribed time elapses. CONSTITUTION:In a state where the presence mode is set, when a telephone call signal arrives from a transmission side via a telephone line 14, the signal is detected by a call signal detecting means 22, and a bell is rung for the prescribed time(appropriate number of times) to urge the response of the telephone set 1. When no response is issued by the telephone set 1 and the line is disconnected, the setting mode is changed from the presence mode to the absence mode automatically. Furthermore, the titled device is constituted so that the mode can be restored again to the presence mode automatically when the prescribed time elapses after the setting of the absence mode is changed. In such a way, it is possible to perform the selective switching of the home presence and the office presence modes or the absence mode corresponding to the status of the user side, and to always perform the optimum transmission/ reception of a message.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION (Technical Field) The present invention relates to an improvement in a terminal control device that detects a calling signal arriving via a telephone line and switches and connects the line to a telephone or a terminal device.

[Prior art]

Traditionally, communication methods have been widespread by connecting telephones and various terminal devices to telephone lines. For example, when a facsimile machine is connected as a terminal device, the telephone rings when a call is made. After ringing several times, the line switches to the facsimile machine, causing the inconvenience that the calling party cannot connect to the other party's phone even though they have made a call, and is uncomfortable because they hear the automatic answering tone. There is also a problem in that the called party cannot receive an incoming call even though the telephone bell rings as long as the facsimile machine is set to automatic incoming call mode.

A terminal control device to solve this problem has been proposed by the present inventor in Japanese Patent Application No. 62-35397, etc., and this device is designed to prevent calls from being received by the telephone. In response to a call from a terminal device, the line is automatically switched so that the call can be received at the terminal device. In this terminal control device, the user can select and switch between the home/work mode and the away mode so that the user can always send and receive optimal messages even when the user is at home, at work, or away. That was what was hoped for.

〔the purpose〕

An object of the present invention is to provide a terminal control device that allows the user to select and switch between home/office mode and absentee mode depending on the user's situation, and to operate the terminal device in such a way that optimal message sending and receiving can be performed. The goal is to make it available for efficient use.

〔composition〕

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention is a device that detects a calling signal arriving via a telephone line and switches the line to a telephone or a terminal device, which device can switch between an active mode and an absent mode. The device is equipped with an operation means that can be selectively switched, and is configured so that when the telephone is set to the busy mode and the line is disconnected due to no response from the telephone, the setting is changed to the absent mode, and after a predetermined period of time has elapsed after the setting is changed to the busy mode, the setting is changed to the busy mode. It is configured so that it can be restored.

〔Example〕

Hereinafter, one embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. First, to explain the overall configuration diagram in Figure 1, 1
is a telephone, 2 is a computer as a terminal device,
This computer 2 is equipped with a modem and is capable of personal computer communication. 3 is a facsimile machine also serving as a terminal device, and 4 is a main body of a terminal control device. In the illustrated example, the control circuit configuration section 5 and the signal transmission switching section 6 are formed separately, but they may be formed as an integrated structure. 7.8.9 are pushbutton switches provided in the control circuit component 5, and these pushbutton switches 7.8.9 have a mode selection function when the user is at home, at the office, or away by operating the switch. can be switched. Note that in this specification, the time when the user is at home/at the office is referred to as the present mode, and the time when the user is away is referred to as the absent mode. Reference numeral 10 denotes a cover member that can be opened and closed, which is also provided on the control circuit component 5. When the cover member 10 is opened, a microphone and switches for an IC recording means for recording a telephone response message are inside the cover member 10. (path shown) is provided. Reference numeral 11 denotes a slide switch provided in the signal transmission switching section 6, and when this slide switch 11 is slid from the neutral position to the A side in the figure, the frequency signal for the computer 2 is automatically transferred to the receiving side. Furthermore, when the slide operation is performed to the B side in the figure, a frequency signal for the facsimile machine 3 is automatically transmitted to the receiving side. In this example, a predetermined two-frequency signal to the computer 2 and facsimile machine 3 is sent to the receiving side as an intermittent signal that repeats sending and pausing for 40 m5 a predetermined number of times. 12.13 is a visible display lamp provided in the signal transmission switching unit 6 to blink and display the operation procedure of the device; 14 is a telephone line; 15.16.17
．． 18 is phone M! This is a connection line that connects J1, computer 2, facsimile machine 3, and terminal control device main body 4.

Next, the control circuit component 5 will be explained with reference to FIG. 2. Reference numerals 19, 20, and 21 are relay contacts for respectively switching and connecting the telephone 1, computer 2, and facsimile device 3 to the telephone line 14, and 22 is a telephone a ringing signal detection means for detecting a telephone ringing signal (16th line) arriving from the line 14;
23 is a frequency signal detection means for detecting a frequency signal sent from the signal transmission switching section 6 on the transmitting side; 24 is a ring tone transmitting means for transmitting a telephone ring tone to the transmitting side; 2
5 is a loop detection means for detecting a response when the telephone 1 responds, 26 is an audio response signal sending means for sending a prerecorded telephone response message from the receiving side to the sending side, and 27 is a means for sending a telephone response from the sending side. Recording means for recording the transmitted message; 28 is a calling signal detection means 2;
2, a control means for performing various controls such as switching and connecting the telephone line 14 to the telephone 1, the computer 2, and the facsimile machine 3 using the outputs of the frequency signal detection means 23 and the loop detection means 25 as input; This is a ringing means that rings a bell (tone ringer) to prompt a response.

Next, the operation of this embodiment will be explained.

First, when performing facsimile transmission using the facsimile device 3 on the sending side, the user
Slide the slide switch 11 to switch to B in Figure 1.
After positioning the facsimile machine 3 on the side, start up the facsimile machine 3.

On the other hand, when the pushbutton switch 7 of the control circuit component 5 is pressed and set to the active mode on the receiving side, when a telephone call signal arrives from the transmitting side via the telephone line 14, the call signal is called. The signal is detected by the signal detection means 22, and its output is applied to the control means 28 to form a DC loop and maintain the line. That is, the ringing means 29 is driven by the control means 28 to ring the bell for a predetermined period of time (an appropriate number of times) in order to prompt the telephone Ill to respond, and during this period, if the recipient takes the handset off-hook,
This is detected by the loop detection means 25, and its output is applied to the control means 28. The control means 2 issues a command signal based on the detection output of the loop detection means 25, and the relay contact 19 is operated to switch the contact. In this state, a two-frequency signal is sent out from the signal sending switching unit 6 on the sending side, so this is detected by the frequency signal detection means 23, and its output is applied to the control means 28, and the receiver When this frequency signal is heard and the handset is on-hook, the relay contacts 20, 21 are actuated based on a command from the control means 28, and the contacts are turned off.
.

At the same time, the facsimile device 3 is switched to the aximity device 3 side, and the facsimile device 3 is activated and a known protocol is executed to perform facsimile reception. Additionally, if the sender is using a manual facsimile machine, a message indicating that the facsimile will be sent is sent to the receiver, so the receiver can use the telephone
When the appropriate number of the button (dial) is pressed (rotated), the relay contacts 20 and 21 are activated in the same way as above, the contacts are switched, and the facsimile machine 3 is activated. -ing Then, when this presence mode is set, the predetermined time (appropriate number of times)
When the bell rings but there is no response from telephone 1 and the line is disconnected, the setting is automatically changed from the busy mode to the absent mode (described later). After a predetermined period of time has elapsed, the mode is automatically returned to cloth mode. In this example, even if the handset of the telephone 1 is taken off-hook after the setting has been changed to the absent mode, the telephone 1 returns to the cloth mode again.

Next, when the pushbutton switch 8 is pressed and the automatic mode is set, the line is held in the same manner as above, and then the ringing tone sending unit 2 receives a command from the control unit 28.
4 is activated and returns a telephone ring tone for a predetermined period of time to the transmitting side. During this time, the frequency signal detection means 23 detects whether or not a two-frequency signal is being sent, but during this time, the telephone 1 is in a non-ringing state. During this time, when a two-frequency signal for the facsimile machine 3 is sent out, it is detected by the frequency signal detection means 23 and its output is applied to the control means 28. Then, the operation of the ringing tone sending means 24 is stopped by a command from the control means 28, and the relay contact 20
．． 21 operates and switches its contacts, and at the same time, the facsimile machine 3 is activated and facsimile reception is performed.

On the other hand, when the two-frequency signal is not transmitted within a predetermined time, the ringing means 29 is driven by a command from the control means 28 to ring a bell to prompt the telephone 1 to respond. Then, if there is a response from the telephone 1, a conversation is established between the transmitting side and the receiving side. In addition, at this time, the prescribed time (appropriate number of times)
If there is no response from the telephone 1 even when the bell rings, the voice response signal transmitting means 26 is operated in response to a command from the control means 28, and a prerecorded response message is transmitted to the transmitting side. In this case, when the sending side is a manual facsimile machine, after the sending of the response message is finished, the relay contacts 20 and 21 are activated by a command from the control means 28, and the telephone line 14 is switched to the facsimile machine M3 side, and facsimile reception is performed. This is what is being done. After sending this response message, the automatic mode is automatically changed to the absentee mode, which will be described later.

Next, when the pushbutton switch 9 is pressed and the absentee mode is set, the relay contacts 20 and 21 are activated and the telephone line 14 is activated when the sender is a facsimile machine.
The facsimile reception is performed by switching to the facsimile machine 3 side, as in the automatic mode described above. At this time, the bell of the telephone l rings for a predetermined period of time or remains silent. Then, after a predetermined period of time has elapsed, the voice response signal sending means 26 is activated by a command from the control means 28 to send out the prerecorded response message to the sending side, and the recording means 27 is activated to record the message from the sending side. This is how it is. In this case, the voice response signal sending means 26 and the recording means 27 may be omitted so that only facsimile reception is performed, and after this facsimile reception is performed, the setting is automatically changed to the above-mentioned present mode. You can do it like this.

When the series of message transmission and reception is completed in the manner described above, the relay contacts 19, 20, and 21 each return to their original positions and prepare for the next new incoming call. In the above embodiment, only the operation in the case where the sending side is a facsimile machine has been described, but since the same is true in the case of a computer, the explanation thereof will be omitted.

The present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiments, but can adopt various embodiments. For example, the above-mentioned embodiments have three modes, but these can be divided into two modes: presence and absence. It is also possible to set only the mode, or it is also possible to send out a signal such as a CNG signal by CCITT instead of the signal sending switching section.

〔effect〕

As described in detail above, according to the present invention, it is possible to select and switch between the home/office mode and the absentee mode according to the user's situation, and it is possible to always send and receive optimal messages, and it is possible to use various terminal devices. This has the remarkable effect of making it possible to use it extremely efficiently.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

The drawings show one embodiment of the present invention, with FIG. 1 being an explanatory diagram of the overall configuration, and FIG. 2 being a block diagram of a control circuit. 1-Telephone, 2-Computer, 3-Facsimile device, 4-Terminal control device main body, 5-Control circuit component, 6-Signal transmission switching section, 7.8.9-Push button switch, 14-Telephone line .

Claims (2)

[Claims] (1) A device that detects a calling signal arriving via a telephone line and switches and connects the line to a telephone or terminal device,
The device is equipped with an operation means that can be selectively switched between the busy mode and the absent mode, and is configured so that when the telephone is set to the busy mode, if there is no response from the telephone and the line is disconnected, the setting is changed to the absent mode, and the setting is changed to the absent mode. A terminal control device characterized in that it is configured to return to a current mode after a predetermined period of time has elapsed. (2) The terminal control device according to claim 1, wherein the terminal control device is configured to return to the active mode when the handset of the telephone is off-hook after changing the setting to the absent mode.