JP2001309047A - Internet speech system and speech request information giving method to be used for it - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an Internet speech system by which connection to the Internet can be requested automatically without depending on the Internet connecting situation of the opposite party. SOLUTION: The Internet telephone/TV-telephone software 11 in a client terminal 1 performs voice and image packet communication within a network. The Internet connecting situation informing/obtaining software 12 informs a connection managing server 2 of its own Internet connecting situation and obtains the connecting situation of another client terminal. When the opposite party is not connected to the Internet 100, a mail message transmission part 22 for a portable terminal in the server 2 transmits a message for connection to the Internet 100 to the portable telephone/PHS terminal 3 of the opposite party by a mail for the portable terminal.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an Internet communication system and a communication request information notification method used therefor.
In particular, the present invention relates to an Internet telephone and an Internet videophone that make calls using the Internet.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Currently, an environment for conducting the Internet,
That is, personal computers and the like are spreading widely to ordinary households, and various services for ordinary households using the Internet are provided.

[0003] One of the services using the Internet is to use the Internet instead of a normal telephone line.
2. Description of the Related Art There are Internet telephones and Internet videophones for exchanging voices and moving images on the Internet.

[0004]

In the conventional Internet telephone and Internet videophone described above, both parties must be connected to the Internet when using them, but the other party must be connected to the Internet. If you are not connected, you will need to call for Internet access in some way.

It is conceivable to use a telephone to call the other party. However, since a telephone line is already used to connect to the Internet, it is necessary to temporarily call the other party to connect to the Internet. There are still inconveniences in operation compared to ordinary telephones, such as disconnecting the connection to the telephone or giving up the telephone call.

Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to solve the above-mentioned problems, and to provide an Internet communication system capable of automatically making a request for connection to the Internet irrespective of the Internet connection status of a communication partner, and call request information used therefor. To provide a notification method.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an Internet communication system capable of knowing the Internet connection status of another Internet telephone / TV telephone user who has not been connected to the Internet, and to be used for the system. An object of the present invention is to provide a method for notifying call request information.

[0008]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An Internet communication system according to the present invention is an Internet communication system using an Internet telephone and an Internet videophone for making a telephone call using the Internet, wherein the Internet telephone and the Internet videophone are used. A connection management server connected to the user terminal via the Internet, management means provided in the connection management server and managing the connection status of the user terminal to the Internet, provided in the connection management server; When the called user terminal is not connected to the Internet, the called mobile phone / PHS (Personal Handyphone)
e System) for transmitting character information for calling for connection to the Internet.

Another Internet communication system according to the present invention, in addition to the above-described configuration, notifies the connection management server of a connection status of the terminal to the Internet and a connection status of another user terminal to the Internet. Is provided in the user terminal from the connection management server.

According to the present invention, there is provided a method for notifying call request information of an Internet communication system, the method comprising the steps of: A step of managing the connection status of the user terminal to the Internet by a connection management server connected to the user terminal using the videophone via the Internet; At the time of connection, the mobile phone / PHS (Personal Hand
and transmitting character information for calling for connection to the Internet to a DyphoneSystem.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for notifying call request information of an Internet communication system, the method further comprising: notifying the connection management server of a connection status of the terminal to the Internet; Acquiring the connection status of the terminal to the Internet from the connection management server.

That is, according to the method for notifying call request information of the present invention, the Internet connection status of a user of an Internet telephone or an Internet videophone is managed by a connection management server on the Internet, and when a communication partner is not connected to the Internet, From the connection management server, the mobile phone / PHS (Personal HandyphoneS
system) automatically sends an e-mail for the portable terminal calling for connection to the Internet.

This eliminates the need for the user of the Internet telephone or the Internet videophone to prompt the other party to connect to the Internet by telephone or the like.
In addition, a user of an Internet telephone or an Internet videophone can know in real time that another specific user has connected to the Internet.

[0014]

Next, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of an Internet communication system according to an embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 1, an Internet communication system according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a client terminal 1, a connection management server 2, a mobile phone / PHS terminal 3, an Internet 100 which is a packet communication network, and a public telephone network 200. It is configured.

In this case, the client terminal 1 is connected to the connection management server 2 via the Internet 100, and the portable telephone / PHS terminal 3 is connected to the connection management server 2 via the public telephone network 200.

The client terminal 1 is an Internet telephone /
TV phone software 11, Internet connection status notification / acquisition software 12, communication partner storage unit 13,
It is configured to include a speaker 14 and a microphone 15.

The Internet telephone / TV telephone software 11 is a function for performing voice and image packet communication within the network, and the Internet connection status notification / acquisition software 12 notifies the connection management server 2 of its own Internet connection status and , A function of acquiring the connection status of another client terminal (not shown).

The connection management server 2 includes an address / telephone number table 21 and a portable terminal mail message transmitting unit 22.
And The address / telephone number table 21 stores the name of the user (client terminal 1) of the Internet telephone / TV telephone and the I of the user (client terminal 1).
A P (Internet Protocol) address and the telephone number of the user's mobile phone / PHS terminal 3 are stored in association with each other.

The address / telephone number table 21 notifies the portable telephone / PHS terminal 3 for each Internet telephone / TV telephone user when another specific Internet telephone / TV telephone user connects. It is also possible to set whether or not.

The portable terminal mail message transmitting unit 22 sends a message for calling for connection to the Internet 100 to the portable telephone / PHS terminal 3 of the call partner when the call partner is not connected to the Internet 100 (for example, a portable terminal mail (eg, , Character information such as text data).

The portable telephone / PHS terminal 3 is a portable telephone or PHS terminal connected to the public telephone line network 200, and has a portable terminal mail receiving unit / display unit 31. The mobile terminal mail receiver / display unit 31 has a function of receiving and displaying a mobile terminal mail provided by the mobile phone / PHS carrier, and is transmitted from the mobile terminal mail message transmitter 22 of the connection management server 2. Receive and display the mobile terminal mail.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of an Internet communication system according to one embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 2, the Internet communication system according to one embodiment of the present invention has the same configuration as the above-described Internet communication system according to the embodiment of the present invention.
An example in which addresses and telephone numbers are assigned is shown.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing the operation of the client terminal 1 in FIG. 2, FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing the operation of the connection management server 2 in FIG. 2, and FIG. Is Internet 100
6 is a flowchart showing an operation when the connection is not established. The operation of the Internet communication system according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.

When an Internet telephone / TV telephone user makes an Internet telephone / TV telephone, an Internet connection status notification / acquisition software 1
2 (step S1 in FIG. 3) and the Internet 100
(Step S2 in FIG. 3).

The Internet connection status notification / acquisition software 12 included in the client terminal 1 connects to the connection management server 2 and notifies the connection to the Internet 100 and the IP address of the client terminal 1 (step S3 in FIG. 3). For example, the name of the Internet telephone / TV telephone user (name of the client terminal 1) is "xx
x ”and the IP address of the client terminal 1 as“ 11.2
2.3.44 ”, the Internet connection status notification / acquisition software 12 assigns the name“ xxx ”and the IP address“ 11.22.33.44 ”to the connection management server 2.
Notify.

The connection management server 2 receives the name “xxx” and the IP address “11.22.3” from the client terminal 1.
3.44 "(step S11 in FIG. 4), and updates and stores the address / telephone number table 21 (step S12 in FIG. 4).

The Internet telephone / TV telephone user activates the Internet telephone / TV telephone software 11 on the client terminal 1 (step S4 in FIG. 3), and selects the other party from the other party storage unit 13 (step S in FIG. 3).
5). For example, the call partner is “yyy”.

The Internet connection status notification / acquisition software 12 connects to the connection management server 2 and obtains information on the Internet connection status of the other party (step S in FIG. 3).
6) The subsequent processing is changed according to the connection status (step S7 in FIG. 3).

When the other party is not connected to the Internet 100, the Internet connection status notification / acquisition software 12 requests the connection management server 2 to call the other party (step S8 in FIG. 3).

Upon receipt of the request from the client terminal 1, the connection management server 2 obtains the telephone number of the mobile phone / PHS terminal 3 of the other party from the address / telephone number table 21 (step S16 in FIG. 4). A mobile terminal e-mail for prompting connection is transmitted to the mobile phone / PHS terminal 3 (step S17 in FIG. 4).

For example, the mobile phone of the call partner “yyy” /
The number of the PHS terminal 3 is “090-2222-2222”
Then, the connection management server 2 sends a mobile terminal mail to this number to prompt connection to the Internet 100.

At this time, the maximum value (threshold) of the number of outgoing e-mails for the mobile terminal is set in the connection management server 2. If the threshold value is exceeded, the client terminal 1 is notified that the other party is not connected to the Internet 100. The message is notified (steps S19 and S20 in FIG. 4).

When the communication partner is connected to the Internet 100, the Internet connection status notification / acquisition software 12 obtains the IP address of the communication partner from the connection management server 2 (step S9 in FIG. 3), and the Internet telephone / T
The V-phone software 11 is activated to start a telephone call (step S10 in FIG. 3).

When the Internet telephone / TV telephone user connects to the Internet 100 and notifies another Internet telephone / TV telephone user of the connection to the Internet 100, the operation of the connection management server 2 will be described. 5
Shown in

When the Internet telephone / TV telephone user connects to the Internet 100, the connection management server 2
Receives the notification from the Internet connection status notification / acquisition software 12 included in the client terminal 1 (step S31 in FIG. 5), and updates the address / telephone number management table 21 (step S32 in FIG. 5).

At this point, the connection management server 2 searches the address / telephone number management table 21 to determine whether or not notification is required to other users (step S33 in FIG. 5). Send a notification to

When the notified party is connected to the Internet 100, the connection management server 2 searches the address / telephone number table 21, checks the IP address of the notified client terminal (step S36 in FIG. 5), and sends a message. (Step S37 in FIG. 5).

If the notification destination is not connected to the Internet 100, the connection management server 2 searches the address / telephone number table 21 and checks the mobile phone / PHS terminal 3 telephone number of the notification destination user (step S38 in FIG. 5). ), A mobile terminal mail is transmitted to the mobile phone / PHS terminal 3 (step S39 in FIG. 5).

As described above, the connection management server 2 stores the Internet connection status of the communication partner, and
Internet phone / TV automatically when connected to
By connecting by telephone and automatically sending an e-mail for the portable terminal to the portable telephone / PHS terminal 3 when not connected to the Internet 100 and calling the other party to connect to the Internet 100, the Internet telephone / TV telephone can be connected. When doing this, regardless of the Internet connection status of the other party,
A request for connection to the Internet 100 can be made automatically.

Further, the connection management server 2 stores the Internet connection status of other Internet telephone / TV telephone users, and when a specific user preset by the user connects, the user's mobile telephone is connected. / PHS terminal 3 automatically sends mobile terminal e-mail to the Internet 10
It is possible to know the Internet connection status of another Internet telephone / TV telephone user that has been set in advance, even if it is not connected to 0.

[0041]

As described above, according to the Internet telephone system of the present invention, when using an Internet telephone and an Internet video telephone for making a telephone call using the Internet, a user terminal using the Internet telephone and the Internet video telephone. A connection management server connected to the Internet via the Internet manages the connection status of the user terminal to the Internet, and connects to the mobile phone / PHS of the call destination to the Internet when the call destination user terminal is not connected to the Internet. By transmitting the character information for calling for connection of the Internet, there is an effect that a request for connection to the Internet can be automatically made regardless of the Internet connection status of the other party.

According to another Internet communication system of the present invention, in addition to the above operations, the user terminal notifies the connection management server of the connection status of the terminal to the Internet, and the other user terminals By obtaining the Internet connection status of the user from the connection management server, it is possible to know the Internet connection status of another Internet telephone / TV telephone user set in advance without connecting to the Internet. is there.

[Brief description of the drawings]

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

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a configuration of an Internet communication system according to one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart illustrating an operation of the client terminal of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustrating an operation of the connection management server of FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing an operation of the connection management server of FIG. 2 when a user is not connected to the Internet.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Client terminal 2 Connection management server 3 Mobile telephone / PHS terminal 11 Internet telephone / TV telephone software 12 Internet connection status notification / acquisition software 13 Talk party storage unit 21 Address / telephone number table 22 Mobile terminal mail message transmission unit 31 Mobile terminal Mail receiving unit / display unit 100 Internet 200 Public telephone network

 ──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page F term (reference) 5K024 AA71 AA76 CC01 CC11 DD01 DD04 GG01 GG03 5K101 KK04 KK16 PP06 RR05 9A001 BB03 BB04 CC03 CC05 DD10 FF03 JJ14 JJ18 JJ25 JJ27 KK56 LL09

Claims (10)

[Claims] 1. An Internet telephone system using an Internet telephone and an Internet videophone for making a telephone call using the Internet, wherein the connection is connected to the user terminal using the Internet telephone and the Internet videophone via the Internet. A management server, management means provided in the connection management server for managing the connection status of the user terminal to the Internet, and a user terminal provided in the connection management server and a call destination not connected to the Internet. At the time of the call
PHS (Personal Handyphone S
transmission means for transmitting character information for calling for connection to the Internet (system). 2. The user terminal has a function of notifying the connection management server of the status of connection of the terminal to the Internet to the connection management server and acquiring the status of connection of another user terminal to the Internet from the connection management server. The internet communication system according to claim 1, wherein the Internet communication system includes: 3. An address / telephone number table storing the name of the user terminal, the IP (Internet Protocol) address of the user terminal, and the telephone number of the mobile phone / PHS of the user in association with each other. 2. The connection management server according to claim 1, wherein
Or, the internet communication system according to claim 2. 4. The connection management server further comprises means for notifying another user terminal when the user terminal registered in the address / telephone number table in advance is connected to the Internet. The Internet communication system according to claim 3, wherein 5. The Internet communication system according to claim 1, wherein said transmitting means is configured to transmit said character information using a mobile terminal mail. 6. A method for notifying call request information of an Internet telephone system for making a telephone call using the Internet and an Internet telephone system using an Internet videophone,
Managing a connection status of the user terminal to the Internet by a connection management server connected to the user terminal using the Internet telephone and the Internet videophone via the Internet; Is not connected to the Internet and the mobile phone / PHS (Personal Handypho
transmitting text information for calling for connection to the Internet to a Ne System. 7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of notifying the connection management server of a connection state of the own terminal to the Internet and the step of obtaining the connection state of another user terminal to the Internet from the connection management server. 7. The call request information notification method according to claim 6, wherein the call request information notification method is included in a caller terminal. 8. The address / address of the connection management server by associating the name of the user terminal, the IP (Internet Protocol) address of the user terminal, and the telephone number of the mobile phone / PHS of the user with each other. 8. The call request information notification method according to claim 6, wherein the call request information is stored in a telephone number table. 9. The connection management server further comprising a step of notifying a user terminal registered in the address / telephone number table to another user terminal when the user terminal is connected to the Internet. 9. The method for notifying call request information according to claim 8, wherein 10. The step of transmitting the character information,
10. The call request information notification method according to claim 6, wherein the character information is transmitted using a mobile terminal mail.