trebor@uunet.uu.net (Robert Trebor Woodhead) (10/28/90)
I am looking for a device that will let me connect and use a fax machine and a regular telephone/answering machine on the same line. The catch is that I would like incoming callers to be able to leave either a message or send a fax! The main problem is that in order to send a fax, the receiving fax machine (mine) must first send tones; this is normally done when the fax detects a ring and picks up the phone. However, in order to be able to let people leave voice messages, it is the answering machine that must pick up first. Checking around at a phone store here in Japan (this is for a friend of mine) revealed all sorts of wierd and complicated solutions that involve boxes that listen for voices, and if they dont hear any, timeout and connect the fax. Yuck! Expensive! $300! After a little thought, I feel that what is really needed is a simple box that does the following+ 1) When a call comes in, it is automatically routed to output #1 - the Answering machine. The message on the machine says "Leave a message at the tone, or press <some key> for the fax machine." 2) If the box detects the right touchtone (switch settable) it switches the call over to the fax machine (and may need to fake a ring). 3) N seconds after the answering machine goes offhook (again, switch settable), rerouting capability is disabled; or alternatively, if a different touchtone is heard, the rerouting is turned off. This allows the caller to control an answering machine via touchtones without the switchbox interfering. Seems to me this is a couple of IC's, a dip switch, a relay and two modular plugs! Is there such a device? Even with the usual huge markups it shouldnt retail for more than $100. If there isn't such a device, then perhaps one of the gentle readers of comp.dcom.telecom would be interested in helping me develop and patent one. ;^) Split the royalties after expense? Robert Woodhead - trebor@biar.UUCP - ...!uunet!biar!trebor
roeber@cithe2.cithep.caltech.edu (Frederick Roeber) (10/29/90)
In article <14111@accuvax.nwu.edu>, kddlab!foretune.co.jp!trebor (Robert Trebor Woodhead) writes: > I am looking for a device that will let me connect and use a fax > machine and a regular telephone/answering machine on the same line. > The catch is that I would like incoming callers to be able to leave > either a message or send a fax! Such things exist. I have seen a combination FAX/answering machine that has an OGM, then the `beep' is actually the FAX signal. Then it listens for FAX signals to determine what it should do with the message. The one I've seen had an OGM ``..leave a message at the beep, or if you want to send a FAX, press `send' at the beep,'' but the FAX machine I was sending from patiently waited through the voice message, recognized the beep, and sent. Frederick G. M. Roeber | e-mail: roeber@caltech.edu or roeber@vxcern.cern.ch r-mail: CERN/SL-CO, 1211 Geneva 23, Switzerland | telephone: +41 22 767 5373