JPH04260256A - Telephone system - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To generate a call tone in a proper tone volume in response to the residence of a recipient by controlling the tone volume of the call tone based on the presence of a person in the vicinity of the telephone set. CONSTITUTION:When an incoming call comes, a line interface 1 detects a call signal from a line 6 and sends the signal to a call tone generating circuit 4. Upon the receipt of a call signal 9, the call tone generating circuit 4 checks a detection signal 10 from a human body sensor 3. That is, the human body sensor 3 always supplies the detection signal 10 to the call tone generating circuit 4. When a person is resident in the vicinity of the telephone set based on the detection signal 10, a speaker 5 is driven by a drive signal 11 representing a small tone volume to generate a call tone whose tone volume is small. Moreover, when no person exists in the vicinity of the telephone set, the speaker 5 is driven by the drive signal 11 representing a large tone volume to generate a call tone whose tone volume is large.

Description

[Detailed description of the invention]

0001

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to telephone equipment.

0002

2. Description of the Related Art In conventional telephones, the volume of the ringing tone can be adjusted by operating an adjustment knob or the like.

0003

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] However, with conventional telephones, the ringtone always sounds at a fixed, adjusted volume, so if the volume is set low, it is difficult to hear the ringtone when you are away from the telephone. On the other hand, when the volume is set high, there is an inconvenience that the ringing tone becomes louder when the user approaches the telephone.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide a telephone device that can emit a ringing tone at an appropriate volume depending on the location of the recipient.

[0005]

[Means for Solving the Problems] The telephone device of the present invention is characterized by having a detection means for detecting the presence of a person in the vicinity of the telephone, and a control means for controlling the volume of a ring tone based on the detection result. shall be.

[0006]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of the present invention.

[0007] The line interface 1 is connected to a telephone line 6, detects a voice signal from this line 6, and connects the receiver 2 to the telephone line 6.
, a voice signal from the handset 2 is transmitted to the line 6 , and a ringing signal 9 is detected and transmitted to the ringing tone generating circuit 4 .

[0008] The receiver 2 converts the received voice signal 7 from the line interface 1 into a sound wave, or converts human voice into a transmitted voice signal 8, and transmits it to the line interface 1.

The human body sensor 3 detects whether a person is present near the telephone and transmits a detection signal 10 to the ring tone generating circuit 4. For example, an infrared sensor or an ultrasonic sensor is used. ing.

The ringing tone generation circuit 4 drives the speaker 5 with a drive signal 11 of two levels, high volume and low volume.
It generates a stage ring tone.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing the operation when a call is received in this embodiment.

First, when an incoming call is received, the line interface 1 detects a ringing signal from the line 6 and sends it to the ringing tone generating circuit 4 (S1).

The ringing tone generation circuit 4 generates a ringing signal 9
Upon receiving this, the detection signal 10 from the human body sensor 3 is checked. In other words, the human body sensor 3 constantly receives the detection signal 10
continues to be supplied to the ringing tone generation circuit 4. Therefore,
Based on this detection signal 10, if there is a person near the telephone (S2), the speaker 5 is driven by a drive signal 11 with a low volume to generate a low ring tone (S3). If there is no person near the telephone (S3), the loudspeaker 5 is driven by the loud drive signal 11 to generate a loud ringing tone (S4).

In this way, a loud ringing tone is generated when the recipient is away from the telephone, and a soft ringing tone is generated when the recipient is near the telephone.

[0015] In the above embodiment, the human body sensor 3
Rather than providing it on the phone case, it is provided separately from the case and connected to the ring tone generating circuit 4 via a cable etc., so that it can be installed at a position slightly away from the phone.
It may be possible to appropriately detect the presence of a person.

Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the ring tone is controlled in two stages, but by devising the method of installing the sensor, control may be performed in three or more stages. For example, if a person is detected near the phone, the phone will ring at a low volume, and if there is a person in the room where the phone is installed, the phone will ring at a medium volume. If there is no one in the room where the telephone is installed, the system calls at high volume assuming that there is someone in the next room.

[0017]

According to the present invention, since the volume of the ringing tone is controlled based on the presence or absence of a person near the telephone, it is possible to make a call at an appropriate volume depending on the location of the recipient.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing operations when a call is received in this embodiment.

[Explanation of symbols]

1...Line interface, 2...Telephone receiver, 3...Human body sensor, 4...ringing tone generation circuit, 5...Speaker, 6...Telephone line.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A telephone device comprising: detection means for detecting the presence of a person near the telephone; and control means for controlling the volume of a ring tone based on the detection result.