KR100251939B1 - Auto reply and masege receve method for pc video phone - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: A method for automatically responding and receiving message in a PC video phone during absence is provided to make a receiver perform an automatic answering to a caller and receive a message being transmitted from a caller by using a white board respectively between a caller and a receiver. CONSTITUTION: If a call receipt is informed to the first relay module through the third and the second relay modules from a PCVP board(3a), the first relay module controls for ringing(3b). It is detected whether an automatic answering function is set(3c). If an automatic answering function is set, it is checked whether the pre-set automatic receiving time is passed(3d). If the pre-set automatic receiving time is passed, the ringing is stopped(3e), and a control is performed for connecting a calling path(3f). An absence message loaded in a memory is read from an auxiliary memory for transmitting an operation of the automatic answering function to a caller(3g). A white board is driven by automatically controlling a sketchbook out of application software, and the message is transmitted to the caller by automatically controlling a file transmission out of application software(3h), and waits(3i). If the first relay module senses a break off of a telephone after receiving a message from the other person(3j), information with respect to received message from the other person is registered and updated in an absence message receiving list(3k).

Description

How to Receive Missed Auto Answer and Message of PC Video Phone

1 is a block diagram of a PC video phone to which the present invention is applied.

2 is a configuration diagram of a multiple communication network support apparatus of a PC video phone to which the present invention is applied.

3 is a flowchart illustrating an automatic response control process of a PC video phone according to the present invention.

4 is a flowchart illustrating an automatic response mode operation process of the height board according to the present invention.

* Explanation of symbols for main parts in the drawings

1: control unit 2: keyboard

3: mouse 4: display unit

8: memory 9: auxiliary storage device

11a, 11b: PCVP Board

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention [0001] The present invention relates to a method for automatically answering a PC video phone in a videoconferencing system, and more particularly, to a method for receiving an automatic answer and a message using a white board.

In general, a video phone performs a telephone function with an image. In addition, various tools for data conferences, such as a whiteboard for viewing and taking notes on the same screen, a file transfer function for transferring files, and application sharing for sharing one program, etc. This is supported.

This feature of data conferencing adds value to PC video phones. However, this is basically possible only when both parties on a call exist at the same time. This is because you cannot do anything if the person you want to talk to is absent. In this respect, the auto-answer feature is required for PC video phones as it is supported for regular phones. Of course, there are products such as ShareVision and ProShare that can automatically answer incoming calls. However, these products don't tell you if the other person is absent or not, so callers are more likely to be confused. There is also the inconvenience of not being able to leave a message as if the absent person leaves a message on a general answering machine.

Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a method in which a called party can automatically answer the calling party and receive a message transmitted from the calling party by using each whiteboard between the calling party and the absent called party. have.

An apparatus for automatically answering a missed PC message and receiving a message for achieving the above object includes: a control unit which collectively controls the overall operation of the PC video phone; An auxiliary memory device for loading various programs and missed messages executed by the control unit; A memory for temporarily loading an arbitrary program from the subsidiary enterprise apparatus and temporarily storing execution result data of the program by the control unit and a missed message reception list; User interface means for interfacing with a user such as key input for dialing or setting of an auto answering mode; A display unit configured to display a screen of a counterpart and display a user interface content and implement a whiteboard at a predetermined position on the screen under predetermined control; A PC video phone board connected to a predetermined communication network under the control of the controller; A communication network device driver loaded by the control unit into the memory from the auxiliary storage device and configured to operate the PC video phone board for the communication network under predetermined control; Means for loading the memory from the auxiliary storage device by the controller into a memory, implementing a whiteboard on a screen, and controlling the information recorded on the whiteboard to be stored in the memory; It is loaded by the control unit into the memory from the auxiliary storage device, characterized in that it comprises a file transmission means for the transmission of the missed automatic response message or the reception of the message. Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

First, in adding reference numerals to the components of each drawing, it should be noted that the same reference numerals have the same reference numerals as much as possible even if displayed on different drawings. In addition, in the following description, many specific details such as components of specific circuits are shown, which are provided to help a more general understanding of the present invention, and the present invention may be practiced without these specific details. It will be obvious to those skilled in the art. In the following description of the present invention, if it is determined that a detailed description of a related known function or configuration may unnecessarily obscure the subject matter of the present invention, the detailed description thereof will be omitted.

1 is a configuration diagram of a PC video phone to which the present invention is applied. The overall control is achieved by the controller 1 driving each hardware and software, and the operating system adopts a graphic environment such as Windows. The keyboard 2 and the mouse 3 are for an interface with the user, and the display unit 7 displays the screen of the counterpart and the user interface of the program. The memory 8 and auxiliary storage device 9 store data such as programs, phone books, schedules and memories. The PCVP boards 11a and 11b are for supporting a communication network.

2 is a configuration diagram of a multi-network support device for a PC video phone according to the present invention, in which a PCVP system program and other hardware mounted on the auxiliary storage device 9 and the memory 8 and executed by the control unit 1 are combined. This is the structure shown.

According to FIG. 2, application software and hardware-oriented drivers used by a user are hierarchically configured, and each application software is to perform the following functions.

Video: Displays a video screen.

Dialer: An interface for dialing like a pad on a phone.

Phone book: Functions as a phone book.

Sketch: A white board where callers can take notes or draw pictures at the same time.

Memo: You can write or draw a simple memo or picture by yourself.

File Transfer (file JX): Used to send or receive files.

Scheduler: manages user schedules.

Main: enables the user to use the application software and conveys to the second relay module all messages or information necessary to execute the application software. In other words, it serves as a relay between the second relay module and the application software.

The following sections separate the device and application software.

Second relay module (API): An application software programming interface that acts as a relay between a device-dependent service provider interface (JPI) and application software. IJDN or PIJN determines the direction of the message passed from the main and abstracts the JPG functions so that the main can make the same function call regardless of the network.

Third relay module (n) (JPI): Calls a device function to implement the actual function. From here, it depends on the communication network and provides an interface for driving the device driver through the abstracted function of the second relay module. Here, '(n)' is a mark for distinguishing relay modules according to PIJN, LAN, etc. according to alphabets A, B, C, etc., for convenience, 'third relay module' without such a mark is applied to the second relay module without network distinction. It will be used when collectively referred to as the corresponding layer.

Device Driver: The part that drives the hardware and is abstracted through JPI.

By having the above hierarchical structure, the user can use the application software regardless of which communication network PCVP board 11a is currently operating.

Next, the operation of the program will be described in detail.

In order to operate the device independent application software in a hierarchical structure, the first relay module and the second relay module (API) serve as relays between the application software and the device. It has a function to select the relay module of the communication network according to the message of the second relay module to call the relay module (SPI) of the communication network corresponding to the message generated in the application software. This allows the dialer to determine the relay module of the network that should be used when a call connection is made so that the relay module of the network is used until the call is terminated.

3 is a flowchart illustrating an automatic response control process in the first relay module according to the present invention.

If the call from the PCVP board through the third and second relay module is known to the first relay module in step 3a, the first relay module controls to ring in step 3b. In step 3c, it is checked whether the auto answer function is set. If the auto answer function is set, check if the auto receive time set in step 3d has elapsed. As a result of the check, if the automatic reception time has elapsed, the ring stops in step 3e and the call path is controlled in step 3f. In step 3g, the missed message preloaded in the memory 8 from the auxiliary memory device 9 is read from the auxiliary memory device 9 to transmit a message indicating the operation of the automatic response function to the caller. Then, in order to display on the whiteboard, the user automatically starts the whiteboard on the screen by automatically controlling the sketchbook in the user application software in step 3h, and automatically transmits the message to the caller by controlling the file transfer in the user application software. Proceed to step 3i and wait.

4 is a flowchart illustrating an operation of the whiteboard, and performs the following operation in the standby state of the first relay module. That is, as described above in step 4a, the missed message is read from the memory 8 and displayed and transmitted on the screen. Thereafter, in step 4b, the message is received from the other party and automatically stored in the memory 8.

Referring back to FIG. 3, when the first relay module detects that the call is disconnected after receiving a message from the other party as in step 4b of FIG. 4, the controller proceeds to step 3k and stores the memory in the memory 8. The information on the message received from the counterpart is registered and updated in the missed message reception list.

The interaction between the first relay module and the sketchbook (white board program) will be described in more detail based on the operation of FIGS. 3 and 4 as follows.

First, the sender requests a telephone call through a dialer or phonebook. This request is delivered to the first relay module in the message format of the Windows OS. The first relay module sends this message to the second relay module by calling a call connection function. The second relay module calls and transfers a call connection function to the third relay module. The third relay module transmits a modem control command AT command to a communication port driver on the OS.

The OS's comfort driver controls the modem with the given AT comment. This allows the telephone call signal to be transmitted over the telephone line through the modem.

The receiver modem receives the call signal and sends data such as letters and numbers to the OS's comfort driver.

In the following description of the receiver side execution process, the third relay module always monitors the comfort and finds out whether there is any data such as letters or numbers delivered by the modem and polls it. The second relay module converts the message into a message of the Windows OS and transmits the message to the first relay module.

When the message for the call is delivered, the first relay module rings the ring and informs the user that the call has come. If not, the process is performed as in the case of FIG.

When the first relay module is in the auto-response mode, the first relay module calls a function called WinExec, which is a child process start command of the Windows OS, to start the whiteboard, and simultaneously enters the auto-response mode on the command line. Indicates that it is activated. It also transmits data to inform the sender that the receiver's auto-response has been activated.

When the whiteboard is activated, the first relay module transmits data to the sender side to activate the whiteboard.

The first relay module on the sender side receives data for starting the whiteboard on the receiver side and starts the whiteboard.

The receiver's whiteboard analyzes the comment line as it is activated to determine the mode in which it is activated, and reads a file containing a response message set in advance as in FIG.

The first relay module on the receiver side receives the file transfer request from the whiteboard, starts the file transfer program, and sends data to the sender side to start the file transfer program.

The sender side starts the file transfer program.

The receiver sends a message file for reply.

The transmission method is delivered to the other party in the same procedure as the above-mentioned call connection request.

When the transfer is complete, the sender's whiteboard displays the contents of the auto-reply message on the screen.

The sender can leave a message through the whiteboard or send a file via file transfer.

When the caller requests to hang up, the caller ends the call in the same way as the call connection process.

The receiver modem informs that the telephone is disconnected and the first relay module knows that the telephone is disconnected through the third relay module.

The first relay module notifies the whiteboard through a message that the phone is disconnected, and the whiteboard receiving the message saves and receives the data received by the whiteboard. When the whiteboard ends the operation, the first relay module updates the missed message reception list and enters a standby state.

The application program of the PC videophone according to the embodiment of the present invention is configured independently of the communication network and does not depend on the network, so it does not matter which communication network is used.

Also, if any modem is adopted as the mode of the PSTN, the configuration of the modem is not different from that of a general modem. In order to support voice together, modems such as a DSVD modem having a modem function together with a voice board are released. Since the present invention uses such a conventional modem, there is no special structure or message format.

The control of such a modem generally uses a modem control code called an AT command. This code contains commands from the initialization of the modem to the call connection and is known. In addition, since data is transmitted to a port called a computer comfort, and a modem is usually connected to the comfort of the computer, data transmitted to this port is transmitted through the modem. This sequence of steps is accomplished by a program called a comfort driver on the operating system, which the third relay module in FIG. 2 uses to control the modem and transmit data. The second relay module has only a relationship with the third relay module and is not related to a hardware configuration such as a modem of a layer below it. Therefore, so are the upper programs of the second relay module.

The present invention as described above has the advantage of being able to automatically inform the other party of his or her absence as a text message using a white board to receive a text message from the other party through the white board. In addition, the caller can leave a text message in the absence of the other party has the advantage that it is convenient.

Meanwhile, in the detailed description of the present invention, specific embodiments have been described, but various modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the present invention. Therefore, the scope of the present invention should not be limited to the described embodiments, but should be defined not only by the scope of the following claims, but also by the equivalents of the claims.

Claims (4)

A control unit which collectively controls the overall operation of the PC video phone, An auxiliary memory device for loading various programs and missed messages executed by the control unit; A memory for temporarily loading an arbitrary program from the auxiliary memory device and temporarily storing execution result data of the program by the controller and a missed message reception list; User interface means for interfacing with a user, such as key input for dialing or setting an auto answer mode; A display unit for implementing a whiteboard at a predetermined position on the screen under a predetermined control when displaying the other party's screen and displaying the user interface contents; A PC video phone board connected to a predetermined communication network under the control of the controller; A communication network device driver loaded by the control unit into the memory from the auxiliary storage device and operating the PC video phone board for a communication network under a predetermined control; Means for loading the memory from the auxiliary memory device by the controller to implement a whiteboard on the screen and controlling the information recorded on the whiteboard to be stored in the memory; And a file transmission means for loading the missed auto-reply message or receiving the message by being loaded into the memory from the auxiliary storage device by the control unit. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the communication network is a public switched network. 3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the PC video phone board includes a ringer and a telephone line interface means. Claims [1] A method of receiving an automatic answering and receiving message of a PC videophone having a program for implementing a whiteboard on a screen, a file transmitting program, and a memory for storing a list of missed automatic reply messages and missed messages. A first step of ringing a ring and checking whether an automatic answering function is set when a call is received; A second step of checking whether the automatic answering time has elapsed if the automatic answering function is set, and stopping the ring and automatically connecting the call if the checkout time has elapsed; A third step of reading the missed message from the memory and displaying the missed message on the whiteboard and transmitting the missed message to a caller to notify the fact of the operation of the auto answering function; A fourth step of receiving a message from the caller and automatically storing the message in the memory; And a fifth step of registering and updating information on the received message in the missed message reception list stored in the memory when detecting the disconnection of the call.