Importance

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Abstract

An automatic telephone answering apparatus comprises: an interface circuit for communicating with a telephone line; a memory for storing a plurality of blocks of sound data; a sound reproducing circuit for reproducing one of blocks of sound data; a ring signal detection circuit for detecting a ring signal having predetermined types of data patterns; a data pattern detection portion for detecting which one of said predetermined types of data pattern said detected ring signal has; and a control portion for communicating with said telephone line using said interface circuit and then, reproducing and sending said one of blocks of sound data in accordance with said detected data pattern using said sound reproducing means to said telephone line. The data patterns are assigned to one telephone line and are detected by measuring ringing and ring mute periods of the ring signal. This apparatus further comprises a mail box portion having mail boxes assigned to the data patterns respectively, so that first out-going messages are provided to mail boxes respectively. A user of each mail box can listen to ICMs in the mail box assigned thereto. The user of the mail box at the outside location can know the presence of at least an ICM stored in the mail box by counting the cycles of the ring signal before this apparatus responds the user's call.

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First Claim