Abstract: A solid state telephone answering system is provided which includes replaceable magnetic tape cassettes, one of which contains a recorded announcement to be sent to the calling party when the system first answers the telephone, and a second of which serves to record the message from the calling party. A person may achieve remote control of the system by transmitting a tone of a predetermined frequency over the telephone line for a short time interval. In response to such a tone, the telephone answering system conditions itself to permit the caller to record a new announcement on a loop magnetic tape in the announcement cassette.

Abstract: A telephone answering system is provided which includes an automatic ring delay circuit which sets the system so that the first call received after the system has been turned on requires four rings, for example, to activate the system, and all subsequent calls require but two rings, for example. The telephone answering system also includes an oscillator circuit which is momentarily energized at the end of an announcement interval so as to generate a beep signal to the calling party to notify the calling party that the system is now in condition to record his message.

Abstract: Telephone answering apparatus is provided which is simple in its construction as compared with the usual prior art apparatus, but which is capable of performing all of the operations performed by the more complex prior art apparatus, and also of performing operations beyond the capabilities of the usual prior art apparatus. The apparatus of the invention utilizes a cassette-type tape unit on which announcement messages may be recorded, for transmission to a calling party during an initial time interval (T.sub.1). The apparatus also includes a cassette-type tape unit to record the messages from the calling party during a subsequent message recording interval (T.sub.2).

Abstract: A telephone answering apparatus is provided which is simple in its construction as compared with the usual prior art systems, but which is capable of performing all the operations performed by the prior art systems, and more. The apparatus of the invention includes electronic solid state circuitry, and it is simplified materially as compared with the usual prior art mechanisms. The embodiment to be described utilizes but two mechanical relays to perform all the switching operations. A multiple channel announcement tape deck is used with a simplified channel changing mechanism. A cassette-type tape is included to record the messages from the calling party for convenient message storage. The cassette is spring loaded so that it can be pulled back for a "fast forward" tape drive capability.

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.