Portable answering device

Claim 1

A portable hand held electronic voice pager, comprising: first means for receiving an audio voice message; second means coupled to said first means for recording the received message on magnetic tape; third means coupled to said first means for delivering a real-time audio representation of said message; and a plurality of controls for operating said pager, each of said plurality of controls being operable by finger movements of the hand in which said pager is held, including fourth means for activating one of said second and third means, said fourth means comprises: generating means for generating a control signal having first and second states; and a mode select switch coupled to said tape recorder and to said third means and responsive to said control signal for activating said tape recorder or said third means, including fifth means for indicating when a message has been recorded on said tape recorder, including switch means for resetting said fifth means, sixth means coupled to said tape recorder and to said mode select switch for detecting end of tape and forcing said mode select switch to activate said third means.