Video player with telephone interface to provide telephone answering and dialing functions with on-screen display

摘要

A video cassette recorder (VCR) is provided with an interface with a telephone jack and a telephone so as to function as an automatic telephone answering machine and as an telephone directory for dialing telephone numbers selected by a user from a list provided via an on-screen display. When an incoming call is received via the telephone jack, a controller determines if the telephone has not been answered within a predetermined amount of time. When the predetermined amount of time lapses without pickup, the VCR records a message from the incoming caller. The telephone number of the incoming caller is also recorded. In the telephone directory mode of operation, a user inputs commands via a key input to select a name and corresponding telephone number from an on-screen display of stored telephone number data and corresponding name data. A controller inside the VCR then causes the selected number to be automatically dialed.