Automatic telephone answering/recording device of digital type

Claim 1

An automatic telephone answering/recording device, comprising: means for converting an outgoing message recorded in a RAM (random access memory) in digital form into an analog signal for transmission thereof onto a telephone line; means for recording messages from a number of unspecified callers in separate message channels, i.e., within different memory portions of said RAM having a common message storage capacity; means for playing back messages from up to said number of the unspecified callers, channel by channel, in accordance with a first remote control signal sent by a user of said device from a remote place; means for providing a blank portion between messages stored in said RAM each time playback of a channel for a message from the unspecified caller is completed; means for permitting playback of a message from another unspecified caller upon elapse of the blank portion; means for receiving a second remote control signal from the user when remote listening of a message is completed; message number storage means for storing a message number corresponding to a message which needs to be stored in accordance with reception of the second remote control signal; erase means for erasing a message which is not stored in said message number storage means and no longer needs to be stored upon restoration of said device to a standby mode thereof; and transfer/storage means for successively transferring messages specified by message numbers stored in said message number storage means to a fill location at which a message erased by said erase means was stored.