Automatic telephone answering apparatus with confirmation of answer gap length for midcycle switching

Claim 2

An automatic telephone answering apparatus of the type including an endless answer tape, which includes means for indicating the completion of one complete revolution of said answer tape, means responsive to said complete revolution indicating means for stopping said answer tape after one complete revolution, means for recording an outgoing message on said answer tape, means for playing back said outgoing message and means for recording an incoming message from the calling party, the improvement comprising: first means adapted to receive said outgoing message and responsive to the termination of said outgoing message for a predetermined period of time, for activating said means for recording an incoming message, whereby an incoming message is recorded and said answer message tape continues to move to its start position, recording state confirming means manually connectable to said answer tape playing back means, or providing an indication in response to the occurrence of a gap in the outgoing message signal lasting for approximately said predetermined period.

Claim 3

An automatic telephone answering apparatus, as claimed in claim 1 wherein said means for indicating the completion of one complete revolution of said answer tape comprises a first conductor foil, said answer tape further including detecting means responsive to said first conductor foil reaching a position indicating substantial completion of one complete revolution for activating said incoming message recording means in the absence of prior activation caused by said first means.

Claim 4

In an automatic telephone answering apparatus of the type in which an incoming call activates an endless answer tape to cause an outgoing message to be reproduced by an answer tape reproducing means and sent to a caller, and a message tape is activated sometime after the sending of said outgoing message to record an incoming message from the caller, and wherein said apparatus is further of the type including means for stopping said answer tape after a complete revolution thereof the improvement comprising, a. means connected to said answer tape reproducing means and adapted to receive said outgoing message simultaneously with the sending of said outgoing message to said caller, for activating said incoming message tape when said outgoing message has terminated for a predetermined duration, b. said means for stopping said answer tape after a complete revolution thereof comprises a conductive foil at a start-stop point on said endless tape, and a first sensing means positioned to respond to the foil when the tape completes a revolution for deactivating said endless answer tape, c. second sensing means, positioned to respond to said foil when said answer tape has substantially completed a revolution, for activating said incoming message tape if said incoming message tape has not previously been activated, d. manually operable switch means for disconnecting said automatic telephone answering apparatus to make it non-responsive to incoming calls, and e. recording state confirming means operable only when said automatic telephone answering apparatus is disconnected for detecting gaps in the said outgoing message recorded on said answer tape, said gaps being at least as long as said predetermined duration, said recordIng state confirming means comprising, i. timer switching means connected to said answer tape reproducing means for producing a trigger signal in response to said gaps in said outgoing message, ii. oscillating means responsive to said trigger signal for generating an oscillating signal, and iii. speaker means responsive to said oscillating signal for emitting an audible tone.

Claim 5

In an automatic telephone answering apparatus of the type in which an incoming call activates an endless answer tape to cause an outgoing message to be reproduced by an answer tape reproducing means and sent to a caller, and a message tape is activated sometime after the sending of said outgoing message to record an incoming message from the caller, and wherein said apparatus is further of the type including means for stopping said answer tape after a complete revolution thereof the improvement comprising, a. means connected to said answer tape reproducing means and adapted to receive said outgoing message simultaneously with the sending of said outgoing message to said caller, for activating said incoming message tape when said outgoing message has terminated for a predetermined duration, b. said means for stopping said answer tape after a complete revolution thereof comprises a conductive foil at a start-stop point on said endless tape, and a first sensing means positioned to respond to the foil when the tape completes a revolution for deactivating said endless answer tape, c. second sensing means, positioned to respond to said foil when said answer tape has substantially completed a revolution, for activating said incoming message tape if said incoming message tape has not previously been activated, d. manually operable switch means for disconnecting said automatic telephone answering apparatus to make it non-responsive to incoming calls, and e. recording state confirming means operable only when said automatic telephone answering apparatus is disconnected for detecting gaps in the said outgoing message recorded on said answer tape, said gaps being at least as long as said predetermined duration, said recordIng state confirming means comprising, i. timer switching means connected to said answer tape reproducing means for producing a trigger signal in response to said gaps in said outgoing message, ii. oscillating means responsive to said trigger signal for generating an oscillating signal, and iii. speaker means responsive to said oscillating signal for emitting an audible tone.