Remote message repeat control for telephone answering system

Abstract

A remote repeat message control for a telephone answering system is provided, by which a person may cause his telephone answering system to repeat any message read to him over the telephone line by the system. In order for the user to gain access to and activate his telephone answering system from a remote point to receive the recorded messages, he dials the telephone number of his system and, after the system has answered, and after the announcement has been transmitted to the caller, he transmits a predetermined digital code over the telephone line from a remote control unit. At the end of each message transmitted to the user over the telephone line, a dual tone is transmitted by the telephone answering system to the user. The user can then cause the machine to repeat the previous message by again transmitting the digital code over the telephone line within a predetermined time interval. At the end of the last of the messages the telephone answering system transmits a different number of dual tone signals over the telephone line, and when the user hears these latter tones he can again send the digital code over the line. This latter action causes the message tape of the telephone answering system to return to its origin position, and all previously recorded messages to be erased from the message tape.