JP2007124170A - Intercom remote response system - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an intercom remote response system with which a plurality of connection destinations registered in advance by one's own family in the order of the priority can be automatically selected and with which a user can freely register and revise advance setting contents from a visit place and to provide terminals. <P>SOLUTION: The intercom remote response system comprises an out-house intercom, a session management server, and a plurality of incoming terminals. The out-house intercom has a presence mode and an absence mode, and when a call button is depressed in a state of the absence mode, the out-house intercom informs the session management server about a call, the session management server automatically selects any of the incoming terminals according to the priority of a personal information table among a plurality of the incoming terminal candidates registered in advance, discriminates the state of the incoming terminal, and thereafter attains the communication between the out-house intercom and the incoming terminal. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention enables a call between a visitor and a householder by automatically selecting a connection destination from a plurality of pre-registered connection destination candidates and connecting the call by an outside intercom that receives a call by a visitor. The interphone remote response technology.

  The conventional technology related to the remote response of the interphone is such that when there is a visitor when the housekeeper is out, the caller is notified to a preset connection destination, and the housekeeper who is out can directly respond to the visitor. As a result, for example, if the visitor is a courier, the redelivery time etc. can be spoken in real time, and when an intercom call is made to confirm the absence of a vacant nest for absence, etc., it can be handled from the outside There is also an effect on crime prevention.

  Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2003-274030 proposes a method using an intelligent network that provides a UPT (Universal Personal Telecommunication) service together with an interphone device. When there is a call on the interphone, connect to the UPT service by the intelligent network via the telephone line, connect to the connection destination registered in advance in the UPT service, and enable communication with the terminal of the home away from home This makes it possible to respond to visitors remotely. This has the technology to determine whether to use a telephone line or UPT according to the connection destination type registered in advance by the householder, and to connect to an appropriate connection destination. Thereby, it is possible to connect by an appropriate connection means regardless of where the family is away from home, and it is possible to handle visitors remotely.

JP 2003-274030 A

  In order to connect a call from a visitor to an out-of-home family member, registration of the connection destination is required. If the registration method is limited to pre-registration at home, and you cannot register and change from the outside, if you forget to register the connection destination before going out or the destination is suddenly changed If this happens, the call cannot be connected to the householder. Therefore, it is desirable that the connection destination can be registered and changed even when away from home.

  Further, even when the connection destination can be registered and changed from outside, it is troublesome to set the connection destination every time the householder moves. Also, there may be a case where there is no time to change the transfer destination, such as during an emergency move. Therefore, it is desirable that the optimum transfer destination is automatically selected even if this change process is not performed every time the householder moves.

  However, the aforementioned prior art does not mention means for registering and changing the connection destination from the outside. Further, there is no mention of means for automatically selecting a connection destination.

  In order to solve the above-described problems, the present invention automatically selects a plurality of connection destinations registered in advance by a family member in accordance with the priority order, and freely registers and changes the pre-set contents from the outside. An object is to provide a system and a terminal that are possible.

  According to the present invention, the object is to provide an interphone remote response system including an out-of-home interphone, a session management server, and a plurality of destination terminals. When the call button is pressed, the session management server is notified of the call, and the session management server automatically selects a destination terminal according to the priority of the personal information table from the plurality of destination terminal candidates registered in advance. Then, after determining the state of the called terminal, this is achieved by enabling communication between the outside intercom and the called terminal.

  The intercom used outside the interphone remote response system has a LAN interface, internal terminal, transmission / reception processing unit, storage unit, absence setting button, camera, microphone, speaker, display, audio image processing unit, call button, and control unit. This is achieved by communicating with the session management server through the LAN interface.

  In addition, the session management server used in the interphone remote response system automatically selects the destination terminal according to the priorities of a plurality of personal information tables registered in advance, determines the status of the destination terminal, The process of selecting the next destination terminal from among a plurality of destination terminal candidates registered in the information table is repeated until a connectable destination terminal is selected, and the connection between the external interphone and the destination terminal is repeated. This is achieved by enabling communication.

  The session management server used in the interphone remote response system is achieved by making it possible to update information in the personal information table by remote operation.

  The outside intercom is achieved by enabling display on a display unit with a pre-registered image as a background.

  According to the present invention, when a householder forgets to register a connection destination before going out, or when the outing place is suddenly changed, the connection destination can be registered and changed from the going out place. Therefore, it is possible to reliably connect to a home away from home in any situation.

  Moreover, even when the connection destination can be registered and changed from outside, it is troublesome to carry out the change process every time the householder moves. It is possible to connect to the most suitable destination terminal. This not only saves you from having to set the connection destination every time a family member moves, but also allows you to quickly and reliably connect to a householder on the go, even when there is no time to change the forwarding destination, such as during an emergency move. It becomes possible.

  Hereinafter, the best mode for carrying out the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a system schematic diagram showing an embodiment of the system of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a block diagram of an external interphone 101 shown in claim 2, and FIG. 3 is a personal information table of a session management server 102 shown in claim 3. 4 is a flowchart for explaining the operation of FIG.

  FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of an interphone remote response system according to claim 1, comprising an out-of-home interphone 101, a session management server 102, a personal information table 103 held by the session management server 102, and a destination terminal 104. It is a schematic diagram of this system.

  When the housekeeper is absent, when the visitor presses the call button 203 of the outside interphone 101, the outside interphone 101 connects the call to the session management server 102. The session management server 102 automatically selects a call notification destination from a plurality of terminals registered in advance by the family member in the personal information table 103. When the session management server 102 automatically selects the call notification destination, the call is explained to the selected connection destination terminal 104.

  Upon receiving the call, the destination terminal 104 displays on the display 202 that there is a visitor at home and the call button 203 is pressed. Then, the destination terminal 104 performs processing for allowing the householder to decide whether to accept or reject the call. When the caller accepts the call, voice / image can be transmitted / received between the intercom 101 and the destination terminal 104.

  FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a configuration example of the outside-home interphone 101 according to claim 2. In FIG. 2, 211 is a LAN interface, 212 is an internal terminal, 210 is a transmission / reception processing unit, 209 is a storage unit, 204 is an absence setting button, 205 is a camera, 206 is a microphone, 207 is a speaker, 202 is a display, 208 is audio An image processing unit, 203 is a call button, and 201 is a control unit.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the outside interphone 101 performs session management and voice and image transmission / reception processing with a LAN interface 211 connected to an existing broadband line at a home and an internal terminal 212 connected to the home interphone 101. A transmission / reception processing unit 210, a storage unit 209 for storing transmission / reception data, visitor's voice and images, a home / absence of a householder, and an image for background image synthesis, an absence setting button 204 for setting the home / absence of a householder, A camera 205 for capturing an image, a microphone 206 for inputting sound, a speaker 207 for outputting various sounds, a display 202 for displaying various information, and sound data input from the microphone 206 or sound data to be output to the speaker 207 Is constituted by a voice image processing unit 208 that processes the above, a call button 203 that is pressed when a visitor notifies the visit, and a control unit 201 that controls them.

  The intercom 101 outside the home is connected to the home intercom through the internal terminal 212. This is a known fact, and any wired / wireless system can be used.

  Further, the means for connecting to the IP network from the external interphone 101 is assumed to use an existing broadband line at the house of the resident. This is also a well-known fact, and the connection means and line type are not limited.

  Further, regarding the absence setting button 204, the home intercom 101 has this function, but the button may be on the home intercom or the external intercom 101. Moreover, you may manage with a server so that it can set from the place of going.

  Next, the background image composition function will be described. The householder can register the indoor image of the house in the outdoor interphone 101 in advance. This image is stored in the storage unit 209 of the intercom 101 outside the home. After a visitor presses the call button 203, when a session is established between the intercom 101 and the destination terminal 104, the transmission / reception processing unit 210 reads in advance the image of the home away from the destination terminal 104, The indoor images stored in the storage unit 209 are combined and displayed on the display 202. This image synthesizing method is a well-known fact, and any method can be used.

  This is because when the housekeeper responds remotely from the outside, if the destination terminal 104 has the camera 205, the image can be transmitted to and received from the outside interphone 101, but the image of the housekeeper is registered in advance. This is a function of combining with an indoor image at home and displaying an image as if in the home on the display 202 of the intercom 101 outside the home. As a result, the visitor feels as if he / she is responding from the home intercom even though the housekeeper is responding from the destination terminal 104, and a high crime prevention effect is expected.

  FIG. 3 shows a personal information table 103 held by the housekeeper, in which a plurality of connection destinations are registered in advance. In the personal information table 103, a connection destination list number, a medium type, and connection destination information can be registered. The connection destination list number is a unique number and represents the priority of the connection destination. Connection destination list numbers are assigned in descending order of priority. The medium type is for registering the medium type of the connection destination terminal 104. Register company PCs, IP mobile phones, mobile phones, etc. as desired by the family members. Although the connection destination information varies depending on the medium type, the connection destination IP address, telephone number, and the like are registered. This personal information table 103 is registered arbitrarily by a family member, and the maximum number of registrations is N.

  Registration of the personal information table 103 can be registered and updated from either the home intercom or the destination terminal 104 on the go.

  With this personal information table 103, a plurality of connection destinations can be automatically selected and connected to the connection destinations registered in advance by the householder according to the priority order.

  A process from when the call button 203 is pressed by a visitor until the incoming call arrives at the destination terminal 104 from the intercom 101 will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

  When the visitor presses the call button 203 (S401), the outside intercom 101 detects the home / absence mode in the control unit 201 (S402). The home mode means that the householder is in the house, and the absent mode means that the householder is out. In this mode determination method, it is assumed that the home setting mode 204 is set when the absence setting button 204, which is a facility of the external interphone 101, is not pressed by a householder, and the absence mode when the button is pressed.

  First, a case where the home mode is set will be described. In the home mode, the housekeeper is in the house as described above, so the outside interphone 101 starts the process of notifying the home interphone of the call (S403). When the control unit 201 of the outside interphone 101 determines that the home mode is set, the control unit 201 issues a call notification command to the home interphone to the transmission / reception processing unit 210. Upon receiving the command, the transmission / reception processor 210 notifies the home intercom terminal of the call from the internal terminal 212. The intercom 101 and the home intercom are already connected by wire and wireless, and the call is automatically notified through the internal terminal 212. Upon receiving this notification, the householder responds to the visitor via the home intercom. Thus, the outside intercom 101 finishes the notification process to the home intercom.

  Next, the case of the absence mode will be described. In the absence mode, the housekeeper is out of the office as described above, so the outside intercom 101 connects the call to the housekeeper who is away from home.

  When the control unit 201 of the external interphone 101 determines that the absence mode is set, the control unit 201 issues a session establishment request transmission command to the transmission / reception processing unit 210. Upon receiving the request, the transmission / reception processing unit 210 sends a session establishment request from the LAN interface 211 to the session management server 102 (S404).

  When session management server 102 receives a session establishment request, session management server 102 starts processing to send the request to destination terminal 104.

  The session management server 102 can automatically select a transmission destination of a session establishment request from a plurality of terminals registered in advance by a family member. Processing of this session management server 102 will be described.

  The session management server 102 has a personal information table 103 in which a family member has previously registered a plurality of connection destinations. As described above, a plurality of connection destinations are registered by the householder in the personal information table 103, and a unique number called a connection destination list number is given to the connection destination. This connection destination list number represents the priority of the connection destination, and the numbers are assigned in the descending order of priority. For example, if four connection destinations are registered in the connection destination list, 1 to 4 are assigned to the connection destination list numbers. Among these numbers, the one with the connection list number 1 has the highest priority, and the one with the connection destination list number 4 has the lowest priority. This priority is set when a family member registers a connection destination in advance. It should be noted that the number of registered connection destinations is arbitrarily determined by the householder, and the maximum number is N.

  The session management server 102 selects the connection destination with the highest priority. First, the session management server 102 initializes the parameter n (S405) and resets the timer (S406). This timer is started when the connection is started after selecting the connection destination, and is reset prior to all processing.

  Next, 1 is added to the initialized parameter n (S407), and the parameter n is compared with the maximum value N of the connection destination list number (S408). As a result of comparing the parameter n with the maximum value N of the connection destination list number, if the parameter n is less than or equal to the maximum value N, a connection destination candidate exists. Further, when the parameter n is larger than the maximum value N, there is no connection destination candidate.

  If there is a connection destination candidate, that is, the parameter n is equal to or less than the maximum value N, the personal information table 103 is referred to identify the connection destination and address (S409).

  Next, it is confirmed whether the destination terminal 104 specified as the connection destination is in a connectable state, and it is determined whether or not connection is possible (S410). The method for checking the status of the destination terminal 104 is to periodically notify the status from the destination terminal 104, store the status of the destination terminal 104 in the database secured in the session management server 102, and the session management server 102 There are a method of referring to the table each time, a method of the session management server 102 performing, for example, pinging the destination terminal 104, and checking the status each time.

  When the destination terminal 104 specified as the connection destination is in a connectable state, the session management server 102 starts a timer (S411) and sends a session establishment request to the destination terminal 104 (S412). This timer is started for the purpose of monitoring so that a case where the session establishment request does not reach the destination terminal 104 for some reason does not occur even though the session management server 102 transmits the session establishment request. As an assumed case, the session management server 102 determines that the destination terminal 104 is connectable, so that a householder moves and the connection of the destination terminal 104 becomes impossible. Sudden breakdown etc. are mentioned. If there is no response for a certain time after the session management server 102 sends a session establishment request to the destination terminal 104, the timer detects a timeout (S422).

  When the destination terminal 104 specified as the connection destination is in a state where connection is not possible and when a timeout is detected by the above-described timer, 1 is added to the parameter n in order to select the next candidate for the connection destination (S407), and the parameter n The process of comparing the connection destination list number with the maximum value N is repeatedly performed (S408).

  As a result, it is possible to automatically select a connection destination having the next highest priority after the connection destination referred to this time.

  This process of automatically selecting the connection destination and identifying the connectable destination terminal 104 is repeated until it is found that the parameter n is larger than the maximum value N of the connection destination list number, that is, there is no connection destination candidate. carry out.

Upon receiving the session establishment request, the destination terminal 104 displays on the display 202 that there is a visitor at home and the call button 203 is pressed (S413). Then, the destination terminal 104 performs processing for allowing the householder to decide whether to accept or reject the received session establishment request (S414). This does not force a session to be established even when the housekeeper is unable to respond, for example, during a meeting, but it gives the housekeeper the option to respond to the situation of the housekeeper. It is for giving.
Although this determination depends on the type of the called terminal 104, for example, assuming a mobile phone terminal having an IP telephone function, an instruction to push 1 when answering a call and 2 when not answering is displayed on the display 202. There is a method of letting a householder input.

  When the family member accepts the session establishment request, the destination terminal 104 sends a session establishment response to the session management server 102 (S415). When receiving the session establishment response, the session management server 102 stops the started timer (S416), and sends the session establishment response to the external interphone 101 (S417). As a result, a session between the intercom 101 and the destination terminal 104 is established (S418). When a session is established between the outside interphone 101 and the destination terminal 104, the outside interphone 101 and the destination terminal 104 activate the microphone 206 and the speaker 207, respectively (S419, S420). Can be transmitted and received (S421).

  Processing in S408 when there is no connection destination candidate will be described with reference to FIG. If there is no connection destination candidate, that is, if the parameter n is greater than the maximum value N, the session management server 102 sends an error message indicating that there is no connection destination to the external interphone 101 (S501). The content of the error message is saved as a log in the session management server 102 (S502). When receiving the error message, the control unit 201 of the outside interphone 101 notifies the display 202 of the outside interphone 101 that the house is away from home and cannot be handled (S503). At the same time, the camera 205, the microphone 206, and the speaker 207 are activated (S504), and the visitor can leave a message. When a visitor leaves a message, the storage unit 209 of the outside intercom 101 stores voice and images (S505).

  A case where the family member rejects the session establishment request in S414 will be described with reference to FIG. When the housekeeper accepts the session establishment request, the destination terminal 104 sends a rejection notification indicating that the housekeeper refuses the session establishment request to the session management server 102 (S601). The session management server 102 stops the timer (S602), and stores the contents of the rejection notification as a log (S603). Then, the session management server 102 sends a message to the outside interphone 101 (S604). When the outside interphone 101 receives the refusal notification, the outside interphone 101 notifies the display 202 of the outside interphone 101 that the house is away from home and cannot be handled (S605). At the same time, the camera 205, the microphone 206, and the speaker 207 are activated (S606), and the visitor can leave a message. When a visitor leaves a message, the storage unit 209 of the outside intercom 101 stores voice and images (S607).

  According to the present invention, not only can a call of a visitor be connected to a householder quickly and accurately, but also from a plurality of destination terminal candidates registered in advance without relying on human hands as in the prior art. Industrial applicability is high due to the high convenience of this system that automatically selects and connects the terminal.

1 is a system outline diagram of an intercom interphone, a session management server, and a destination terminal in an interphone remote response system to which the present invention is applied. It is a block block diagram which shows the structural example of the outside intercom in the intercom remote response system to which this invention is applied. It is one Example of the personal information table of the session management server to which this invention is applied. It is a flowchart of the system by a remote intercom, a session management server, and a destination terminal in the intercom remote response system to which the present invention is applied. It is a flowchart of the system by a remote intercom, a session management server, and a destination terminal in the intercom remote response system to which the present invention is applied. It is a flowchart of the system by a remote intercom, a session management server, and a destination terminal in the intercom remote response system to which the present invention is applied.

Explanation of symbols

101 ... External intercom, 102 ... Session management server, 103 ... Personal information table, 104 ... Destination terminal, 201 ... Control unit, 202 ... Display, 203 ... Call button, 204 ... Absence setting button, 205 ... Camera, 206 ... Microphone 207, speaker, 208, audio image processing unit, 209, storage unit, 210, transmission / reception processing unit, 211, LAN interface, 212 internal terminal.

Claims (5)

  In the “interphone remote response system” composed of an external interphone, a session management server, and a plurality of receiving terminals, the external interphone has a home / absence mode, and a call button is pressed in the absence mode state. The session management server notifies the call, and the session management server automatically selects a destination terminal according to the priority of the personal information table from the plurality of destination terminal candidates registered in advance, and the status of the destination terminal After the determination, the interphone remote response system is characterized in that communication between the outside intercom and the destination terminal is enabled.   The external interphone used in the interphone remote response system according to claim 1 includes a LAN interface, an internal terminal, a transmission / reception processing unit, a storage unit, an absence setting button, a camera, a microphone, a speaker, a display, a voice image processing unit, a call button, and a control. The intercom outside the telephone which has a part and can communicate with the session management server of Claim 1 from the said LAN interface.   The session management server used in the interphone remote response system according to claim 1 automatically selects a destination terminal according to the priorities of a plurality of pre-registered personal information tables, determines the status of the destination terminal, and cannot receive a call. Repeats the process of selecting the next destination terminal from the plurality of destination terminal candidates registered in the personal information table until a connectable destination terminal is selected, and the remote interphone and the destination terminal are selected. An interphone remote response system characterized by enabling communication with a terminal.   The interphone remote response system according to claim 1, wherein the session management server used in the interphone remote response system can update information in the personal information table by remote operation. The external intercom according to claim 2, wherein the external intercom can be displayed on a display unit with a previously registered image as a background.

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