Telephone answering system

Abstract

A telephone answering system of the voice actuated type is provided which transmits an announcement to the calling party during an announcement interval (T.sub.1) and then records a message from the calling party during a subsequent message interval (T.sub.2). The system is of the type in which the calling party may record a message of any length during the message interval (T.sub.2) within the recording capabilities of the instrument, so long as he continues to talk. The particular system of the invention includes a circuit which effectively hangs up and removes the system from the telephone line for a brief instant at the end of the announcement interval (T.sub.1), so that the dial tone may be re-established on the telephone line at the beginning of the message interval (T.sub.2), instead of the busy signal, in the event the calling party hangs up during the announcement interval (T.sub.1) period. The voice actuated circuitry used in the system does not respond to the tone signal, and automatically hangs up upon the receipt of the tone signal after a short time. However, if a busy signal, rather than the tone signal, is on the line at the beginning of the message interval (T.sub.2), the system would otherwise respond to the busy signal, as to a speech signal, and record the busy signal during the entire message interval (T.sub.2).