Telephone call responding system and control method and device therefor

A telephone call responding device for connection to a subscriber telephone line, comprising:

• keypad means having a plurality of control keys each associated with a different pre-programmed verbal message stored in digital data form, each of said keys being manually-actuatable for delivering a verbal message associated therewith over a telephone line;
• message speech generator means operably connected with said keypad means, for processing said digital message data stored in said keypad means into an analog speech message;
• digital control means operably connected with said keypad means and said message speech generator means, for sensing actuation of any of said plurality of control keys of said keypad means and in response thereto issuing a phone pick-up command and causing said message speech generator means to process the stored digital message data associated with said actuated key into an analog speech signal;
• and
• telephone interface means operably connected with said digital control means and with an analog speech signal output of said message speech generator means and selectively connectable with a telephone line, for, when said telephone interface means is connected with said telephone line and in response to said pick-up command from said digital control unit, placing said telephone line in an off-hook condition and operably connecting the analog speech signal output of said message speech generator means to said telephone line for causing said analog speech signal to be delivered over said telephone line.

A method for controlling a telephone call responding system having a keypad means including a plurality of control keys each associated with a different preprogrammed message stored as a digital speech data representation thereof, a message speech generator means for processing digital speech data into an analog speech signal, and a telephone interface means connectable with a telephone line for placing the telephone line in an off-hook condition and for delivering the analog speech signal output of the message speech generator means over the telephone line, the method comprising:

• (a) detecting the actuation of any of said control keys;
• (b) upon detecting actuation of any one of said control keys, causing the telephone interface means to place the telephone line in an off-hook condition and to connect the analog speech signal output of the message speech generator means to the telephone line;
• (c) causing the message speech generator means to process the stored pre-programmed digital speech data representing the message corresponding to the particular key actuated into an analog speech signal and to output said analog speech signal over the line;
• and
• (d) upon completion of the outputting of said analog speech signal over the telephone line, causing the telephone interface means to place the telephone line in an on-hook condition and to disconnect the analog speech signal output of the message speech generator means from the telephone line.