Automatic telephone answering apparatus with recorded cue signals separating each incoming message

摘要

A first recording medium of automatic telephone answering apparatus records an OGM (Outgoing Message) and a second recording medium records ICMs (Incoming Messages). Immediately after the first ICM is recorded, a first muting portion and a first cue signal (control signal) are sequentially recorded on the second recording medium. Then, the second recording medium is rewound to a position intermediate the length of the first cue signal and the automatic answering mode is reset. Before recording of the second ICM, a second muting portion of a predetermined duration is recorded on the second recording medium, so as to modify the first cue signal to form a second cue signal shorter than the first cue signal. The second ICM is then recorded on the second recording medium. This process is repeated for subsequent ICMs so that a short (second) cue signal marks the separation between each pair of successive ICMs and a long (first) cue signal marks the end of all the ICMs.