Remote-controlled system and method for selectively recording desired

Abstract

A method enables for a remotely located telephone user to selectively preprogram the recording of a desired television (TV) program on a video cassette recorder (VCR) tape or of vocal messages from the caller on a storage device in a receiver telephone set. At a first step, each of input ringing signals is processed to provide a detected ringing signal corresponding thereto. At a next step, the number of the detected ringing signals is counted until the number of the counted ringing signals reaches a first predetermined number. Thereafter, at a checking step, it is checked whether or not there is a first tone signal from the caller's telephone when either the number of the counted ringing signals is equal to the first predetermined number or it is smaller than the first predetermined number but equal to or larger than a second predetermined number. At a final step, if it is checked that the first tone signal is provided from the caller's telephone, accepting preprogramming information provided by the caller to thereby preprogram the desired TV program based on the preprogram information, and if otherwise, recording the caller's voice message in the storage device of the receiver telephone set.