JP2001094601A - Ip communication network system and voice message control method - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To quickly inform a caller of a state that a called party (called party communication device) requests a voice message and to warrant the quality of the voice message when the called party reproduces the voice message. SOLUTION: A voice message control method includes a step where a called party communication device informs a caller communication device about its state of requesting a voice message through an IP packet network in a call control sequence before establishing a voice communication path and a step where the caller side communication device transmits the voice message reproduced by the called party communication device to the called party communication device through the IP network based on a specific communication protocol to warrant the reliability. The call control sequence is in compliance with the communication protocol of the recommendations H. 323.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention integrates a circuit switching network such as a telephone network and an IP (Internet Protocol) packet network such as the Internet network or an intranet network, thereby reducing the cost of equipment and operation. More particularly, the present invention relates to an IP communication network system that enables communication control of voice messages as packetized voice information via an IP packet network.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, local area networks (L)
AN) Advances in network technology, such as broadening of the bandwidth, etc., and PCs, including multi-function personal computers (PCs) and faster CPUs applied to PCs, etc.
As technology advances, it has become practically possible to communicate voice information at high speed between PCs on a plurality of LANs.

[0003] Due to these technological advances, conventional telephone voice communication can be performed over an Internet network composed of a dedicated line, a LAN, a wide area network (WAN), and the like (in this specification, unless otherwise limited, an intranet. Application software running between PCs on a network (including a network) and hardware systems incorporating this software are rapidly being marketed.
This system is called "Internet telephony."

[0004] I called Internet Telephony
In a P communication network system, in order to integrate voice communication and data communication, VoIP (Voice over I
Internet Protocol) technology. This VoIP technology is a network layer protocol used in the Internet, that is, on a network having an IP (IP network), voice is converted into a frame every short time (for example, about 20 msec), and transmitted and received as a packet with an IP header attached. Is what you do. It should be noted that the history of transmission and reception of voice information in a computer network has a long history, and an experiment was conducted in 1974 on the Internet's predecessor, ARPANET (Danny Cohen, “RFC741: Specifications for t
he Network Voice Protocol (NVP), ”IETF, 1976).

[0005] Further, an Internet telephony gateway has been developed which has a gateway function for converting a communication protocol between a telephone network and the Internet network and realizes communication between the telephone network and the Internet network. A system that uses an Internet telephony gateway to relay between conventional exchanges in a telephone network via the Internet network (a hollowing-out system using Internet telephony) has been proposed and has already been put into practical use.

Generally, compared to a telephone call (voice communication) using a conventional telephone network, a telephone call in a system in which Internet telephony is skipped can be operated at lower cost. , Is rapidly spreading. Although a transmission (transfer) standard for a hollow system using an Internet telephony gateway has not yet been established, at present, ITU-T Recommendation H.264 which defines services in the Internet network. Three
There are 23.

Conventionally, in a machine response (IVR) voice mail service using an IP communication network system, a voice message is transmitted from a caller (calling side communication device) and a voice message is received from a callee (calling side communication device). The transmission of the message request guidance is performed via a voice communication path (in-band path or in-channel path).

[0008] In particular, H. When transmitting and receiving a voice message and request guidance in accordance with the H.323 protocol procedure, the transmission of the voice message of the caller, which is not particularly required for immediacy, is performed with the same low reliability of UDP / UDP as normal voice information.
This is performed using a voice compression technique or the like according to a communication procedure of IP (User Datagram Protocol / Internet Protocol).

[0009]

Therefore, the conventional I
In the machine response voice mail service using the P communication network system, not only it takes time until the voice message request guidance is reproduced, but also the one-sided listening to the voice message of the speaker. However, there is a possibility that communication between the caller and the callee cannot be sufficiently performed.

An object of the present invention is to provide a receiving side (a receiving side communication device).
The present invention is to provide an IP communication network system and a voice message control method capable of promptly notifying a caller of a state requesting a voice message.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an IP communication network system and a voice message control method which enable a called party to guarantee the quality of playing a voice message.

[0012]

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, a voice message control method according to the present invention provides a voice message control method in which a called communication device requests a voice message in a call control sequence before a voice communication path is established. Notifying the originating communication device through an IP packet network that the destination communication device reproduces a voice message for reproduction by the destination communication device in accordance with a specific communication protocol that guarantees reliability. Transmitting to the receiving side communication device through the IP packet network.

Here, the call control sequence is described in Recommendation H.264.
323 communication procedure. Further, the specific communication protocol is TCP / IP (Transmission Control Protocol).
ocol / Internet Protocol).

In the voice message control method according to the present invention, the transmitting side communication apparatus recognizes that the receiving side communication apparatus requests the voice message; and the request state is recognized in the recognition step. And a step of visually or audibly displaying the request status of the voice message to the caller.

Further, the voice message control method of the present invention includes a method of transmitting a voice message to be played by the receiving communication device from the originating communication device to the receiving communication device through the IP packet network. The method further includes the step of specifying from the side communication device.

Further, in the voice message control method according to the present invention, the transmitting method of transmitting a voice message to be reproduced by the receiving communication device from the transmitting communication device to the receiving communication device through the IP packet network is described. The method further includes the step of specifying from the side communication device.

According to the IP communication network system of the present invention, in a call control sequence before a voice communication path is established,
Means for notifying, via an IP packet network, the calling communication device that the called communication device is requesting a voice message; and the called communication device playing back the data in accordance with a specific communication protocol that guarantees reliability. Means for communicating a voice message from the originating communication device to the destination communication device through the IP packet network.

Further, in the IP communication network system of the present invention, means for recognizing in the transmitting side communication device that the receiving side communication device requests a voice message; and a request state is recognized by the recognizing means. And a means for visually or audibly displaying the request status of the voice message to the caller.

The IP communication network system according to the present invention further comprises a method of transmitting a voice message to be played by the receiving communication device from the calling communication device to the receiving communication device through the IP packet network. There is further provided a means for designating from the side communication device.

Further, the IP communication network system of the present invention provides a method for transmitting a voice message to be played back by the called communication device from the calling communication device to the called communication device through the IP packet network. There is further provided a means for designating from the side communication device.

With the above configuration, according to the present invention, by transmitting control information relating to a voice message in a call control sequence, the receiving side (receiving side communication device) can request a voice message. It is possible to promptly notify the transmitting side (the transmitting side communication device) of the fact.

Further, according to the present invention, by transmitting a voice message in a format in which quality is guaranteed in accordance with a communication procedure that guarantees reliability, for example, TCP / IP, the receiving side reproduces a voice message. Quality can be guaranteed.

[0023]

Next, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. [Configuration of IP Communication Network System] Referring to FIG. 1 showing a configuration of an IP communication network system according to an embodiment of the present invention, a circuit switching network (SCN: Swi)
Private branch exchanges (PBXs) 1 and 2 constituting a telephone network as a tched circuit network accommodate communication terminal devices 3 and 4, respectively. These communication terminals 3 and 4 are telephones having a voice communication function. A communication terminal device equivalent to a telephone having a voice communication function is an Internet telephony gateway (VoIP).
Gateway) 5, 6 can be directly accommodated.

The Internet telephony gateways 5 and 6 connect the private branch exchanges 1 and 2 to an IP packet network (IP packet NW) 7, respectively. IP packet network 7
Is an Internet network composed of a dedicated line, a LAN, a WAN, and the like. The Internet network is strictly called an intranet network when it is an internal network such as in a company, but is not particularly distinguished here. The IP packet network 7 includes a communication terminal device 8 having a voice communication function and a data communication function,
9 are accommodated. These communication terminal devices 8 and 9 are data terminals such as personal computers (PCs), and are referred to as Internet phones PC herein.

With such a configuration, a relay network without Internet telephony is formed. [Detailed Configuration / Normal Operation of Communication Terminal Device (Internet Phone PC)] In the IP communication network system shown in FIG.
9 is a display device (display) 8 as shown in FIG.
0, a keyboard 81, an audio output device (speaker) 82, and an audio input device (microphone) 83. The communication terminal devices 8 and 9 also include a display device control unit 84, a keyboard control unit 85, and a decoding control unit 8 that decodes audio information input through the bus 90 and outputs the decoded information from the audio output device 82.
6 and an encoding control unit 87 that encodes audio information input from the audio input device 83 and outputs the encoded information to the bus 90.

Further, the voice terminal devices 8 and 9 are connected to the IP packet network 7 by a network interface (I / F) unit 88.
A packet assembling / disassembling control unit 89 for assembling voice information to be transmitted through the IP packet into IP packets and disassembling IP packets received from the IP packet network 7 through the network interface unit 88 is provided. Each of the audio terminal devices 8 and 9 includes a central control device (CPU) 91 and a storage device 92.

With this configuration, the voice terminal devices 8 and 9 function as an Internet phone PC for performing voice communication and data communication. In FIG. 3, the communication terminal devices 8 and 9 are a transmitting side (calling PC) and a receiving side (terminating PC), respectively.
2 shows a normal signaling sequence when voice communication is performed through the packet network 7. Communication terminal devices 8, 9
Is based on ITU-T Recommendation H. 225
Each message SETUP, CALLPROC, ALERT, and C according to the call control sequence according to the protocol.
Send and receive ONCONNECT.

Next, the communication terminal apparatuses 8 and 9 communicate with each other through the IP packet In accordance with the H.245 protocol, information on the partner capability such as a communication band is exchanged. Thereby, RTP (Realtime Tr) required for voice communication
The transport protocol (in-band path) is established. This RTP is a transport layer protocol for transmitting stream data such as audio information and image information.

[Detailed Configuration of Gateway / Normal Operation] The gateways 5 and 6 in the IP communication network system shown in FIG. 1 have a function of performing communication protocol conversion between the PBXs 1 and 2 of the circuit switching network and the IP packet network 7. And realizes communication between the circuit switching network and the IP packet network 7 respectively. When the gateways 5 and 6 each directly accommodate telephones as communication terminal devices, the gateways 5 and 6 respectively realize communication between the telephones and the IP packet network 7.

Therefore, as shown in FIG. 4, the gateway 5 (or 6) is provided with a circuit switching network interface (I / I / O) for connecting to the PBX 1 (2) or a directly accommodated telephone.
F) A unit 50 and a central control unit 60 including a storage device are provided. The circuit-switched network interface unit 50 is used for an office line trunk, a trunk line trunk and a subscriber line in the case of an analog line, and an interface of an existing PBX such as an ISDN interface and a digital trunk line interface in the case of a digital line. Can handle all.

The central control unit 60 includes a circuit switching network control unit 61, a call control unit 62, a switching processing unit 63, and a subscriber / trunk circuit unit 64. In addition, the central controller 6
0 is the VoIP control unit 65 and H.0. H.225 signaling control section 66, H.264. 245 control unit 67 and IP packet network 7
Network interface (I
/ F) section 68.

FIG. 5 shows ordinary signaling in the case where telephones or PBXs 1 and 2 directly accommodating the gateway are the transmitting side and the receiving side, respectively, and perform voice communication through the transmitting side gateway 5, the receiving side gateway 6 and the IP packet network 7. 4 shows a sequence. The telephones or PBXs 1 and 2 directly accommodating the gateway proceed with the call setting to the corresponding gateways 5 and 6 by the usual circuit switching connection procedure.

The gateways 5 and 6 communicate with each other through the IP packet network 7 according to ITU-T Recommendation H.264. Each message SETUP according to a call control sequence according to the H.225 protocol,
Sends and receives CALLPROC, ALERT, and CONNECT. Then, the gateways 5 and 6 communicate through the IP packet network 7 with the recommendation H.264. In accordance with the H.245 protocol, information on the partner capability such as a communication band is exchanged.

As a result, the RTP in-band path (in-channel path) necessary for voice communication is established by the gateways 5 and 6.
Established in between. In addition, the telephones directly accommodated in the gateway or the PBXs 1 and 2 (telephones 3 and 4) are also connected by an in-channel path.

[Voice Message Control Operation in IP Communication Network System] In the above-described IP communication network system, communication terminals (telephones) 3, 4
Communication terminals (Internet phone PC) 8, 9
Between the communication terminal device 3 or 4 and the communication terminal device 8 or 9
And voice communication can be performed through the IP packet network 7. Here, the control operation when a voice message is transmitted and received between the communication terminal devices (internet phone PCs) 8 and 9 will be described in detail. However, when the voice communication is performed between the other communication terminal devices, call control is performed as described later. Since they are handled in a sequence, they are basically the same.

(Operation Example 1) A description will be given with reference to FIG. 1, FIG. 2, and FIG. 6, which show a sequence chart of the operation, and FIG. 7, which shows message configuration information. In FIG. 6, the communication terminal devices 8 and 9 are respectively connected to a transmitting side (calling PC) and a receiving side (call destination PC).
C) shows a signaling sequence in the case of performing voice message communication through the IP packet network 7.

The communication terminal devices 8 and 9 communicate with each other through the IP packet network 7 according to ITU-T Recommendation H.264. Each message SETUP, INFO, INF according to a call control sequence before the establishment of a voice communication path (in-band path) according to the H.323 protocol
Sends and receives O-ACK. INFO message and IN
The FO-ACK message is a message newly set for implementing the present invention.

When the originating communication terminal device 8 receives an INFO message from the receiving communication terminal device 9 in response to the transmission of the call setup message SETUP, the message is analyzed. As a result of the analysis, the originating communication terminal device 8 recognizes that the receiving communication terminal device 9 is requesting a voice message. The request display of the voice message to the caller (user) is performed by reproducing the voice file in the own device or by visually displaying the warning message. That is, the request guidance is reproduced from the audio output device 82 in the communication terminal device 8 or is visually displayed on the screen of the display device 80.

When a caller inputs a voice message, a voice file (for example, a WAVE file) is created according to a general voice message creation procedure, and INFO-A is created.
It is added as payload information of the user / user information element UUI of the CK message, and transmitted from the communication terminal device 8 on the calling side to the communication terminal device 9 on the receiving side. Receiving-side communication terminal device 9
Then, by reproducing the voice information of the voice file included in the received INFO-ACK message, the voice message from the sender can be heard.

(Operation Example 2) A description will be given with reference to FIG. 1, FIG. 2, and FIG. 8, which show a sequence chart of the operation, and FIG. 7, which shows message configuration information. In FIG. 8, the communication terminal devices 8 and 9 are respectively connected to the transmitting side (the calling PC) and the receiving side (the receiving P
C) shows a signaling sequence in the case of performing voice message communication through the IP packet network 7.

The communication terminal apparatuses 8 and 9 communicate with each other through the IP packet network 7 according to the ITU-T Recommendation H. Each message SETUP, INFO or SNM according to a call control sequence before establishing a voice communication path (in-band path) in accordance with the H.323 protocol
Sends and receives P (Simple Network Management Protocol) protocol messages. The INFO message is a message newly set for implementing the present invention.

When receiving the INFO message from the receiving communication terminal device 9 in response to the transmission of the call setup message SETUP, the calling communication terminal device 8 analyzes this message. As a result of the analysis, the originating communication terminal device 8 recognizes that the receiving communication terminal device 9 is requesting a voice message. The request display of the voice message to the caller (user) is performed by reproducing the voice file in the own device or by visually displaying the warning message. That is, the request guidance is reproduced from the audio output device 82 in the communication terminal device 8 or is visually displayed on the screen of the display device 80.

In the user / user information element UUI of the INFO message from the receiving side communication terminal device 9, the protocol designation information, that is, the “presence or absence of designated protocol” is “present” together with “voice message request”, and is designated as “specified protocol”. When “E-mail, for example, SNMP” is set, the voice message from the transmitting communication terminal device 8 is transmitted by an e-mail function (mailer function). The “mail address” of the INFO message from the receiving communication terminal device 9 includes a destination (Aaaa@bbb.c).
o. jp) is set.

When the caller inputs a voice message, a voice file (for example, a WAVE file or text) is created according to a general voice message creation procedure, that is, edited as electronic mail content, and an electronic mail mailer is started. , As an SNMP protocol message from the originating communication terminal device 8 to the receiving communication terminal device 9. In the receiving side communication terminal device 9, the received S
By reproducing the voice information of the voice file or text included in the NMP protocol message, the voice message from the caller can be heard.

The sender may arbitrarily select a procedure for transmitting a voice message from the sender communication terminal device 8, for example, a control for selecting an e-mail in response to a predetermined key operation.

[0046]

As described above, according to the present invention,
By communicating control information on a voice message in a call control sequence, the receiving side (receiving side communication device)
Can be promptly notified to the calling side (calling side communication device) that is requesting a voice message.

According to the present invention, a communication procedure for ensuring reliability, for example, TCP / IP (Transmission Control)
By transmitting the voice message in a format whose quality is guaranteed in accordance with Protocol / Internet Protocol), it is possible to guarantee the quality when the receiving side reproduces the voice message.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of an IP communication network system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a detailed configuration of a communication terminal device (Internet phone PC).

FIG. 3 is a signaling sequence of a normal operation between communication terminal apparatuses (Internet phone PCs).

FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing a detailed configuration of a gateway.

FIG. 5 shows a normal operation signaling sequence between gateways.

FIG. 6 is a sequence chart for explaining a control operation of voice message communication between communication terminal devices (internet phone PCs).

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing message configuration information.

FIG. 8 is a sequence chart for explaining a control operation of voice message communication between communication terminal devices (internet phone PC).

[Explanation of symbols]

 1, private branch exchange (PBX) 3, 4 communication terminal device (telephone) 5, 6 gateway 7 IP packet network 8, 9 communication terminal device (internet phone PC)

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁷ Identification symbol FI Theme coat ゛ (Reference) H04M 11/00 303 9A001 F term (Reference) 5K030 HA01 HA08 HA11 HB01 LB02 5K033 BA14 CA07 CB01 CB02 CC01 5K034 BB06 CC05 EE11 NN22 5K051 AA02 BB01 CC02 CC04 FF07 HH16 HH17 JJ14 5K101 LL02 LL03 PP03 SS08 TT06 9A001 BB04 CC06 CC07 DD10 EE04 HH15 HH18 JJ14 JJ18 JJ25 KK56

Claims (12)

[Claims] In a call control sequence before a voice communication path is established, a step of notifying, via an IP packet network, a calling side communication apparatus that a called side communication apparatus is requesting a voice message; Transmitting a voice message to be played by the called communication device from the calling communication device to the called communication device through the IP packet network in accordance with a specific communication protocol to be guaranteed. . 2. The call control sequence according to Recommendation H.264. 323
2. A voice message control method according to claim 1, wherein the voice message control method conforms to the following communication procedure. 3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the specific communication protocol is TCP / I.
2. The voice message control method according to claim 1, wherein P is P. 4. A step of recognizing in the calling side communication device that the called side communication device requests a voice message; and when a request state is recognized in the recognition step, a request for a voice message is sent to the caller. Displaying the status visually or audibly.
The described voice message control method. 5. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of designating, from the receiving side communication device, a method of transmitting a voice message to be played back by the receiving side communication device from the calling side communication device to the receiving side communication device through the IP packet network. The voice message control method according to claim 1, further comprising: 6. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of designating, from the calling communication device, a method of transmitting a voice message to be played back by the called communication device from the calling communication device to the called communication device through the IP packet network. The voice message control method according to claim 1, further comprising: 7. A means for notifying, via an IP packet network, a calling communication device that a called communication device is requesting a voice message in a call control sequence before a voice communication path is established; Means for transmitting a voice message to be played back by the called communication device from the calling communication device to the called communication device through the IP packet network in accordance with a specific communication protocol to be guaranteed. . 8. The call control sequence according to Recommendation H.264. 323
8. The IP communication network system according to claim 7, which conforms to the communication procedure of (1). 9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the specific communication protocol is TCP / I
The IP communication network system according to claim 7, wherein P is P. 10. A means for recognizing at the calling communication device that the called communication device requests a voice message; and a request for a voice message to the caller when the request status is recognized by the recognition means. Means for visually or audibly displaying the status.
P communication network system. 11. A means for designating, from the receiving side communication device, a method of transmitting a voice message to be reproduced by the receiving side communication device from the calling side communication device to the receiving side communication device through the IP packet network. The IP communication network system according to claim 7, comprising: 12. The originating communication device further includes means for designating, from the originating communication device, a method of transmitting a voice message for reproduction by the destination communication device from the originating communication device to the destination communication device through the IP packet network. The IP communication network system according to claim 7, comprising: