JP2002176510A - Voice communication device and support device, and recording medium - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a voice communication device and its support device, and a recording medium which can reduce an increase in the scale of a communication system. SOLUTION: In the communication system, multiple voice communication devices are connected through a network and each voice communication device has a voice data generating means which generates voice data based on an inputted voice, an individual information storage means which stores individual information for specifying each voice communication device connected to the network, a communication means which sends the voice data generated by the voice data generating means to a voice communication device as an object of transmission based on the individual information stored in the individual information storage means, and a voice output means which outputs voice according to the voice data that the communication means receives from other voice communication devices.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a voice communication device and a support device for transmitting and receiving voice data via a network, and a recording medium.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a voice communication system in which voice is transmitted from a telephone, temporarily stored in a host as a voice message, and transferred to a specified telephone or the like by a specified method has been used. Conventionally, an audio communication system that connects a communication terminal to a network such as the Internet via a public line network and transmits and receives digitized audio data to and from another communication terminal connected to the network has been used. .

[0003]

However, according to the prior art, since a large-scale communication system requiring a server and a gateway is required, an introduction cost and an operation cost are required, and only during a specific period. There was a problem that communication was not possible. Further, according to the prior art, it is necessary to provide a circuit such as an echo canceller in the communication terminal, and the circuit scale has been increased. Further, according to the prior art, the IP is dynamically changed according to the case where the mobile terminal transits to another communication area or the case where the communication terminal connects to the network.
Since an address is assigned, IP addresses from other communication terminals
Data could not be sent to the communication terminal whose address was changed.

The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide a voice communication device, a support device, and a recording medium that can reduce an increase in the scale of a communication system. Is to do. Another object of the present invention is to provide a voice communication device, a support device, and a recording medium that can reduce the circuit scale.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a voice communication device, a support device, and a recording medium that can perform communication even when the address of a communication terminal is changed.

[0005]

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a voice communication device in a communication system in which a plurality of voice communication devices are connected via a network, wherein the voice communication device comprises: Voice data generating means for generating voice data based on input voice, individual information storing means for storing individual information for specifying each voice communication device connected to the network, and the voice data generating means A communication unit that transmits the generated voice data to the voice communication device to be transmitted based on the individual information stored in the individual information storage unit, and a voice data that the communication unit receives from another voice communication device. Voice output means for outputting voice based on the output.

Further, according to the present invention, in the above-mentioned voice communication device, the personal information is transmitted to the other voice communication device by the communication means at predetermined time intervals, and is transmitted from the other voice communication device by the communication means. It is characterized by having an individual information management means for storing individual information in the individual information storage means each time it is received.

Further, according to the present invention, in the above-mentioned voice communication device, the individual information management means cannot communicate with the another voice communication device when the individual information management means does not receive the individual information from the another voice communication device for a predetermined period or more. Is detected.

Further, the present invention is characterized in that in the above-mentioned voice communication apparatus, there is provided control means for controlling not to simultaneously perform generation of voice data by the voice data generation means and output of voice by the voice output apparatus. And

Further, the present invention, in the above-mentioned voice communication device, further comprises a display means for performing a display in accordance with an instruction from the control means, and the control means further transmits the voice data to another voice communication device. When receiving from an audio source, at least one of the audio output unit and the display unit notifies that audio data has been received.

[0010] The present invention is also a support device connected to a communication system in which a plurality of voice communication devices are connected via a network, wherein the support device includes identification information for identifying the voice communication device. And group information storage means for storing, as group information, individual information including address information for specifying an address of the voice communication device, and including the individual information in the received individual information each time the individual information is received from the voice communication device. Address information to be stored in the group information storage means based on the identification information included in the received individual information, and the individual information stored in the group information storage means is read from the individual information storage means to read the individual information. Group information management means for transmitting the information to the voice communication device which has transmitted the information.

According to the present invention, in the above-mentioned support apparatus, the individual information further includes a group ID for classifying the identification information for each predetermined group, and the group information management means includes: Individual information in which the same group ID as the group ID included in the information is set is extracted from the individual information storage means, and the extracted individual information is transmitted to the voice communication device that transmitted the individual information.

Further, according to the present invention, in the above support apparatus, the group information management means detects that the voice communication device cannot communicate if the individual information is not received from the voice communication device for a predetermined period or more. It is characterized by doing.

Further, according to the present invention, in the above support apparatus, when there is a voice data transmission request from the voice communication apparatus, address information designating a transmission destination included in the transmission request is extracted and extracted. The transmission is performed to the voice communication device to be transmitted based on the address information.

Further, the present invention is a recording medium for recording an audio communication program in a communication system in which a plurality of audio communication devices are connected via a network, wherein the recording medium is based on an input audio. An audio data generating step of generating audio data, an individual information storing step of storing individual information for specifying each audio communication device connected to the network, and an audio data generated in the audio data generating step. Based on the individual information stored in the information storage step, a communication step of transmitting to a voice communication device to be transmitted,
And a sound output step of outputting a sound based on sound data received from another sound communication device in the communication step.

Further, the present invention is a recording medium recording a support program connected to a communication system in which a plurality of voice communication devices are connected via a network, wherein the recording medium identifies the voice communication device. A group information storing step of storing, as group information, individual information including identification information for identifying and an address information for specifying an address of the voice communication device; and receiving the individual information from the voice communication device each time. Storing the address information included in the obtained individual information in the group information storage unit based on the identification information included in the received individual information, reading the individual information stored in the group information storing step, and reading the individual information. The computer executes a group information management step to be transmitted to the transmitted voice communication device. And wherein the Rukoto.

[0016]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, a voice communication device and a group management server according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a schematic block diagram showing a configuration of a communication system to which a voice communication device and a group management server according to an embodiment of the present invention are applied. In this figure, a terminal 1 as a voice communication device is connected to an intranet 60 connected to the Internet 70 via an interface unit 61.
0, PDA (Personal Digital As)
stable) 20, voice communication device 30, PDA 50
Is connected. Here, the PDA 50 is wirelessly connected to the converter 51 connected to the intranet 60. For example, between the PDA 50 and the converter 51, B
Bluetooth (short-range wireless communication) or the like is used.

Here, the configuration of the voice communication device 30 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 2 shows the voice communication device 30.
FIG. 2 is a schematic block diagram for describing the configuration of FIG.
In FIG. 2, an audio data generation unit 31 generates audio data based on an externally input audio. The audio data generating section 31 outputs an analog signal corresponding to an externally input audio signal, and encodes an analog signal corresponding to the audio signal output from the audio input section 31-1. Encoding unit 31-2 for generating audio data
It is composed of The audio input unit 31-1 is, for example, a microphone.

The audio output device 33 outputs audio based on the audio data output from the control unit 34. The audio output device 33 includes a decoding unit 33-2 that decodes audio data output from the control unit 34, and an audio output that emits audio corresponding to the decoded audio data output from the decoding unit 33-2. 33-1. This audio output unit 3
3-1 is, for example, a speaker, an earphone, or the like.

The control unit 34 includes an input device 35 which is an input device such as a keyboard and a mouse, and a CRT (Catho).
A display device 36 such as a de Ray Tube or a liquid crystal display device is connected.

The control unit 34 controls the sound data generation unit 3
1 and the audio output by the audio output device 33 are not performed simultaneously. For example, when audio is being input to the audio input unit 31-1 of the audio data generation unit 31, the audio is not emitted from the audio output unit 33-1.
Further, when sound is emitted from the sound output unit 33-1, control is performed so that an analog signal is not output from the sound input unit 31-1. Further, the control unit 34 includes an input device 35
After the audio data output from the audio data generation unit 31 is stored in the storage unit 38 in response to the instruction from the user, the transmission target is determined based on the IP address included in the individual information stored in the individual information storage unit 40. The voice data is transmitted by the communication unit 37 to the voice communication device. The control unit 3
Reference numeral 4 controls audio data received by the communication unit 37 to be stored in the storage unit 38 and output by the audio output device 33 as audio.

The storage section 38 stores various programs in advance and also stores voice data in accordance with an instruction from the control section 34.

The individual information storage section 40 stores the intranet 6
0 (for example, terminal 10, P
DA20, PDA50) are stored. Here, the individual information is information including at least an IP address. In addition, the individual information includes additional information other than the IP address, for example, as shown in FIG.
A group ID, which is information for classifying P addresses into predetermined groups, an ID, which is information for identifying each voice communication device, a name arbitrarily set for each IP address, A status indicating whether or not the connection is possible and an option including information necessary for connecting to the voice communication device on the Internet 70 (for example, a port number used in IP masquerade or the like) are set. Here, the name is arbitrary, but when an instruction to set a duplicate name is issued from the voice communication device, an error notification is transmitted to the voice communication device. In FIG. 3, “default” is set as the group ID and the ID, which indicates that the information to be identified is not particularly specified.

The individual information management section 39 transmits its own individual information to another voice communication device via the control section 34 and the communication section 37 at predetermined intervals. In addition, the individual information management unit 39
Each time the receiving unit 37 receives the individual information from another voice communication device, the received individual information is received via the control unit 34 and the individual information storing unit 40 is received based on the ID included in the individual information.
And updates the individual information. Here, the individual information is
For example, a local network (intranet 60)
Is transmitted to all voice communication devices connected to. Further, when individual information cannot be received from a certain voice communication device for a certain period of time or more, the individual information management unit 39 detects that the voice communication device cannot communicate. For example, if the reception has not been performed for a certain period or more, it is detected that communication is impossible, and the status of the individual information of the voice communication device is set to “off_line” indicating that communication is not possible. Then, when individual information cannot be received from the voice communication device set to “off_line” for a certain period or more, the individual information of the voice communication device stored in the individual information storage unit 40 is discarded. "Off_lin
If the individual information is received from the voice communication device set to "e" within a further fixed period, the status indicating that the status of the individual information of the voice communication device stored in the individual information storage unit 40 is communicable. on_line ".

The communication section 37 receives an instruction from the control section 34 and, based on the individual information stored in the individual information storage section 40, transmits the audio data generated by the audio data generation section 31 as an audio communication target. Send to device.

Next, returning to FIG.
1 is, for example, a computer, and is a public network 110
And ISP (Internet Service Pro)
vider) 90 to connect to the Internet 70 for communication. The portable wireless device 130 is connected to the public line network 100 and the Internet 70 connected to the IPS 90 via a base wireless device or the like. This portable wireless device 130
Is, for example, a mobile phone or a PHS (Personal).
Handy Phone System). PD
A140 wirelessly connects to the portable wireless device 130,
Connect to the Internet 70.

The voice communication device 160 has a radio communication function, is connected to the base station radio 151 by radio,
It is connected to the Internet 70 via the server 150 connected to the base transceiver 151. The base transceiver 156
The server 155 is connected to the server 155, and the server 155 is connected to the Internet 70. The ISP 90 is connected to the public network 10
0, the communication protocol between the public network 110 and the Internet 70 is converted, and the public network 100, the public network 110 and the Internet 70 are connected.

Next, the group management server 80 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 4 shows the group management server 80.
FIG. 2 is a schematic block diagram for describing the configuration of FIG.
In this figure, a group information storage unit 82 stores ID which is identification information for identifying a voice communication device and IP which is address information for specifying an address of the voice communication device.
Individual information including an address is stored as group information. The individual information further includes a group ID for classifying the identification information for each predetermined group. FIG. 5 shows an example of group information stored in the group information storage unit 82. In this figure, the group information includes a group ID (“group1” or “groupup”) for each ID.
2 ”) is set. The registration of the group ID is instructed by a representative (user) who sets the group.

Each time the individual information is received from the voice communication device, the group information management unit 81 stores the address information included in the received individual information in the group information storage unit 82 based on the identification information included in the received individual information. I do. Also,
The group information management unit 81 reads the individual information stored in the group information storage unit 82 from the individual information storage unit 82, and transmits the individual information to the voice communication device that transmitted the individual information. Further, the group information management unit 81 extracts from the individual information storage unit 82 the individual information having the same group ID as the group ID included in the transmitted individual information, and transmits the extracted individual information to the individual information. Transmit to the voice communication device. When the individual information is not received from the voice communication device for a certain period of time or longer, the group information management unit 81 detects that the voice communication device cannot communicate.

When there is a voice data transmission request from the voice communication device, the control unit 84 extracts from the individual information storage unit 82 an IP address corresponding to transmission destination information designating a transmission destination included in the transmission request. Based on the extracted IP address information, the communication unit 8
5 controls the transmission of the audio data. This audio data is transmitted as an IP packet. Control unit 84
When the destination information is a group ID designating a group to be transmitted, an IP address in which the group ID designated for transmission is set is extracted, and the destination information designates a voice communication device to be transmitted. In this case, an IP address to which an ID specified to be transmitted is set is extracted. Also,
When an instruction to set a duplicate name is issued from the voice communication device, the control unit 84 performs control to transmit an error notification to the voice communication device.

The ID assigning section 83 assigns an ID to each voice communication device in response to a request for issuing an ID from the voice communication device.

The group management server 80 includes, for example,
When the IP address of the voice communication device can be specified in a specific network such as the intranet 60, there is no need to provide the IP address. However, NAT (Network A
address Translation) or IP masquerade, the network
It is provided to hold information for specifying a communication partner such as a global address and a port number converted by an AT or IP masquerade.

Further, the group management server 80 corresponds to a support device described in claims 7 to 10.

Returning to FIG. 1, the terminal 10, the PDA 2
0, PDA 50, terminal 120, terminal 121, PDA 14
0, the configuration of the voice communication device 30 shown in FIG. 2 is also applied to the voice communication device 160, and voice data can be transmitted and received as the voice communication device.

Next, the operation of the voice communication device and the group management server in the above configuration will be described with reference to the drawings. First, a case where the voice communication device 30 connected to the intranet 60 performs communication within the intranet 60 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram for explaining the operation of the voice communication device 30. First,
When the power of the voice communication device 30 is turned on (step S
1) On the display device 36 of the voice communication device 30, for example, a menu screen as shown in FIG. 7 is displayed. Next, the voice communication device 30 performs a process of notifying the individual information to another voice communication device connected to the intranet 60 (step S2). This individual information notification process is performed as follows. That is, the individual information management unit 39 transmits the individual information set in the audio communication device 30 stored in the individual information storage unit 40 via the control unit 34 and the communication unit 37 to each of the audio communication devices connected to the intranet 60. (Terminal 10, PDA
20, PDA 50).

Next, the voice communication device 30 performs an individual information communication process every time a preset time elapses (step S3) (step S2).

Next, when the voice communication device 30 receives the individual information including the status “absent” from the PDA 50 as another voice communication device, the voice communication device 30 separates the individual information based on the name included in the received individual information. The information is stored in the individual information storage unit 40 by the information management unit 39, and the individual information is updated (step S4). In this case, the individual information shown in FIG. 3 is updated like the individual information shown in FIG. The status “absent” is a setting indicating that the PDA 50 is in a communicable state, but the user of the PDA 50 cannot respond. On the other hand, when the voice communication device 30 cannot receive the individual information within a certain period, the voice communication device 30 changes the status of the individual information of the voice communication device that cannot receive the individual information to “off_l”.
"ine". Further, when the individual information cannot be received within a certain period, the individual information of the voice communication device for which the individual information could not be received is deleted from the individual information storage unit 40.

Next, when the "send" button on the menu screen shown in FIG. 7 is depressed via the input device 35 and a voice transmission instruction is issued from the user, the voice communication device 30 performs an address selection process ( Step S5). In this address selection processing, the control unit 34 of the voice communication device 30 displays a transmission menu including a destination list as shown in FIG. 9 based on the individual information stored in the individual information storage unit 40 on the display device 3.
Indicated by 6. Then, when the name of “PDA20” in the “destination” column is indicated from the input device 35, the transmission target is set as the PDA20.

Next, when the "record / transmit" button is pressed by the user via the input device 35, the voice communication device 30 performs a recording / transmission process (step S6). In the recording / transmission processing, after the user inputs an instruction to press the “record / transmit” button of the transmission menu shown in FIG.
When the voice is input to the control unit 34, the control unit 34 stores the voice data corresponding to the voice output from the voice data generation unit 31 in the storage unit 38. Then, the control unit 34 reads the IP address of the PDA 20 from the individual information storage unit 40 via the individual information management unit 39, and, based on the read IP address, the audio data stored in the storage unit 38 by the communication unit 37 by the PDA 20 Send to When the PDA 20 receives this audio data, it outputs the received audio data.

Next, when receiving the voice data from the PDA 20, the voice communication device 30 performs a receiving process (step S7). In the receiving process, the control unit 34 stores the audio data received by the communication unit 37 in the storage unit 38, and then emits a sound (such as a sound effect) for notifying that the audio data has arrived by the audio output device 33. A sound is made, and a display for notifying that the voice data has arrived is displayed on the display device 36. At this time, on the screen of the display device 36, for example,
As shown in FIG. 10, a reception log in which “unreproduced” indicating that the sound has not been output yet is displayed. When the user instructs, via the input device 35, to reproduce the reception log in which “unreproduced” is set, the control unit 34
Reads the audio data corresponding to the instructed reception log from the storage unit 38, and outputs the audio corresponding to the read audio data by the audio output device 33.

Next, returning to the menu screen, when the user presses the "environment setting" button via the input device 35 and inputs an instruction for environment setting, the voice communication device 30 is activated.
Performs an environment setting process (step S8). In this environment setting process, the control unit 34 displays an environment setting menu screen as shown in FIG. Then, after setting is performed in accordance with an instruction input from the input device 35, when the “end setting” or “cancel” button is pressed, the screen returns to the menu screen. And
When the power is turned off, the voice communication device 30 ends the processing operation. In this way, transmission and reception of audio data are performed.

Next, an operation in which the voice communication device 30 performs a recording / transmission process and a reception process according to the environment setting will be described. First, the case where the recording / transmission processing is performed will be described. If the setting for performing “voice detection” has not been made in the “transmission setting” of the configuration menu screen shown in FIG. 11, the control unit 34 responds to an instruction from the user via the input device 35 in the recording / transmission processing. In response, the voice input to voice data generation unit 31 is converted into voice data and stored in storage unit 38. On the other hand, if the setting for performing “voice detection” is made, the control unit 34
Each time a user's voice input to 1 is detected, the detected voice is converted into voice data and stored in the storage unit 38. For example, audio data is generated for each sentence of the user's words, and stored in the storage unit 38. When silence is detected, recording ends when silence is detected. That is,
Generation of audio data stops.

When "automatic transmission after recording" is set, the voice communication device 30 transmits voice data when the user instructs the end of recording or when silence is detected. . On the other hand, "Automatic transmission after recording"
Is set not to perform, that is, when “manual transmission” is set, the voice communication device 30
The recorded voice data stored in the storage unit 38 is transmitted according to an instruction from the user. On the other hand, when “real-time transmission” is set, the voice communication device 30
Each time voice data is generated from voice, it is sequentially transmitted to the voice communication device 30 to be transmitted.

Next, the receiving process will be described. FIG.
When “automatic reproduction” is set in the reception setting shown in, the voice communication device 30 sequentially outputs a voice based on the received voice data each time voice data is received from another voice communication device 30. I do. The voice communication device 30
When audio data is received from a plurality of terminals, the audio data is output in the order in which the audio data was received. On the other hand, when “incoming alarm” is set in the reception setting, the voice communication device 30
A sound such as a sound effect is output by 3 and the user is notified that the sound data has arrived. Also, the voice communication device 30
Displays a notification that the audio data has arrived on the display device 36 by displaying a pop-up menu or the like. On the other hand, when “log” is set in the reception setting, the voice communication device 30 stores the received voice data in the storage unit 38 and displays the received history as history information on the display device 36 as necessary. I do.

Next, the status setting shown in FIG. 11 will be described. When the status setting is set to “on_line”, the voice communication device 30 indicates a state in which communication via the network is possible. In the case where the status setting is set to “absent”, for example, when receiving voice data from the PDA 20, the voice communication device 30 stores the received voice data in the storage unit 38 and then stores the received voice data in the storage unit 38 in advance. The voice data serving as the response message is transmitted to the PDA 20. This response message includes, for example, a message such as “I'm out of the office now”, and the PDA 20
Can recognize that the user of the voice communication device 30 is absent. Note that, besides “absent”, this status may be set to “during meal” or “during a meeting”, and a response message corresponding to each status may be stored in the storage unit 38. In addition to this response message, voice data obtained by recording the voice of the user may be set in addition to being stored in the storage unit 38 in advance.

In addition to the environment setting described above, an instruction to automatically reproduce audio data may be set as additional information for audio data to be transmitted, and transmitted. In this case, the audio communication device 30 that has received the audio data to which the additional information has been set immediately reproduces the received audio data based on the additional information. However, if the audio communication device 30 on the receiving side is set not to perform “automatic reproduction”, the environment setting on the receiving side has priority.

Next, the operation of the group management server 80 for managing group information will be described with reference to the drawings. Here, a case where the IP address is changed by moving voice communication device 160 from the communication area of base radio 151 to the communication area of base radio 156 will be described. FIG. 12 is a flowchart illustrating an operation in which the group management server 80 manages group information. First, the power of the voice communication device 160 is turned on,
After the individual information whose ID is set to “default” and the ID assignment request are wirelessly transmitted from the voice communication device 160 to the base station 151, the group management server 80 is transmitted from the base station 151 via the server 150 and the Internet 70. Is transmitted to the group management server 80
Receives the individual information and the ID assignment request (step S21).

Upon receiving the individual information and the ID assignment request, the group management server 80 assigns an ID to the voice communication device 160 by the ID assignment unit 83 (step S22). Then, the group management server 80
Sets the assigned ID in the individual information and stores it in the group information storage unit 82 (see FIG. 5), and then sets the voice communication device 1
The terminal 12 having the same group ID “group2” as the group ID “group2” set to 60
1. The individual information of the PDA 140 and the voice communication device 160 is extracted from the group information storage unit 82. Then, the group management server 80 transmits the extracted individual information to the voice communication device 160 as group information (step S2).
3).

The voice communication device 160 transmits the group information transmitted from the group management server 80 to the Internet 7
0, received via the server 150, the radio base station 151,
It is stored in the individual information storage unit 40 as group information.

After voice communication apparatus 160 moves from the communication area of base station radio 151 to the communication area of base station radio 156 and acquires a new IP address, individual information is transmitted from voice communication apparatus 160. Then, the group management server 80 receives this individual information (step S2).
4). Then, the group management server 80 stores the received individual information in the group information storage unit 82 and updates the group information based on the ID included in the received individual information (step S25). At this time, in the group information in the group information storage unit 82, the IP address of the voice communication device 160 is updated as shown in FIG. Next, the group management server 80 transmits the group information to the voice communication device 160 by the same processing as step S23 (step S26).

Next, the group management server 80 transmits the individual information from the voice communication device 160 within a certain period from the time when the group information is received in step S24, based on the clock provided inside the group information management unit 81. It is detected whether or not it has been received (step S27). When the individual information is received from the voice communication device 160 within a certain period, the group management server 80 proceeds to step S25 and updates the group information.

On the other hand, if the individual information cannot be received from the voice communication device 160 within a certain period, the group management server 80 sets the status of the individual information of the voice communication device 160 to “off_line” (step S2).
8). Then, the group management server 80, based on a clock provided inside the group information management unit 81,
Further, it is detected whether or not the individual information is received from the voice communication device 160 within a certain period (step S29). When the individual information is received from the voice communication device 160 within a certain period, the group management server 80 sets the status of the individual information of the voice communication device 160 to “on_line”,
Move to step S25.

On the other hand, when the individual information cannot be received from the voice communication device 160 within a certain period, the group management server 80 deletes the individual information of the voice communication device 160 stored in the group information storage unit 82 (step). S3
0).

As described above, each time the individual information is transmitted from the voice communication device 160, the group information in the group information storage unit 82 is updated. Then, for example, when the individual information is notified from the terminal 121, the group information in which the IP address of the voice communication device 160 has been changed is transmitted to the terminal 121, so that the IP address of the voice communication device 160 has been changed. This is reflected in other voice communication devices.

Further, as described above, since the individual information can be received at regular intervals and the updated group information can be transmitted, the state and the IP address of another connected voice communication device in the same group can be determined. Can be managed.

Next, the operation of the group management server 80 for transmitting and receiving audio data will be described with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 14 is a flowchart for explaining the operation in which the group management server 80 transmits and receives audio data. First, when the user of the voice communication device 160 specifies an instruction to transmit voice data and a name indicating a transmission destination from group information stored in the storage unit 38, the voice communication device 160 transmits the voice data and the transmission destination. A transmission request for audio data including information is transmitted to the group management server 80.

When a request for transmission of voice data including voice data and transmission destination information is made from voice communication apparatus 160,
The control unit 84 of the group management server 80 receives the audio data transmission request from the audio communication device 160 (Step S41), and stores it in the storage unit 86. Then, the group management server 80 extracts the destination information included in the received transmission request (Step S42), and extracts the group information storage unit 8
The IP address corresponding to the name included in the extracted destination information is extracted based on the information stored in step S2 (step S43). Then, the group management server 80 transmits the voice data stored in the storage unit 86 to the voice communication device to be transmitted based on the extracted IP address (Step S44).

Here, a plurality of IP addresses may be set as the destination information. For example, when the user of the voice communication device 160 specifies a group ID as a transmission destination, the voice communication device 160 reads out each IP address in which the specified group ID is set from the storage unit 38 and sets the IP address as transmission destination information. .

In the above embodiment, the case where the voice communication apparatus 160 sets a name as destination information has been described. However, a group ID or ID is set as destination information, and the group management server 80 sets the destination information. The group ID or the IP address corresponding to the ID may be read from the group information storage unit 82 and the audio data may be transmitted to the transmission target. As described above, when transmitting and receiving voice data via the group management server 80, the voice data can be transmitted using the latest IP address of each voice communication device, so that the voice data can be transmitted more reliably. It is also effective when the line of the voice communication device is thin, such as in-group simultaneous transmission. Further, the group management server 80 can perform additional control when relaying audio data. In the above embodiment,
The case where voice data is transmitted and received via the group management server 80 has been described.
May be transmitted and received without relaying the audio data. For example, the IP address stored in the individual information storage unit 40 of the voice communication device is set as the transmission destination information, and the voice data is transmitted to the voice communication device of the other party. As a result, the load on the group management server 80 can be reduced,
Even when the number of users of the voice communication device increases, the scale of the system can be reduced. In addition, the transmission speed is higher than in the case of relaying through the group management server 80.

As described above, since the IP address can be managed and the voice data can be transmitted and received by using the group management server 80, not only the communication means within the organization or the fellow but also the unspecified group, It is also a fun way to get information by participating in groups such as hobbies and local information, and to enjoy chatting. In addition to one-to-one voice communication, individual users can use it at home or on the go, such as in a group voice chat or conference using the broadcast function that sends the same information to the group. It is. Also, the group management server 8
When the group information is transmitted as a response, a communication system that transmits an advertisement such as a banner or other information to the operation side that operates the voice communication can be constructed.

In the above-described embodiment, the case where the voice communication device 30 transmits and receives voice data in accordance with environment settings such as voice detection and automatic reproduction has been described. However, the terminal to which the configuration shown in FIG. 10, PDA20, PDA5
0, the terminal 120, the terminal 121, the PDA 140, and the voice communication device 160 can also transmit and receive voice according to the environment setting, similarly to the voice communication device 30.

Further, according to the above-described embodiment, since the recording and the reproduction of the voice are controlled not to be performed at the same time, a complicated circuit such as an echo canceller or the like necessary for a countermeasure for howling is provided like a speaker phone of a general telephone. Without setting
Further, processing such as voice synthesis and exclusive control can be omitted, and voice data can be transmitted as needed. As a result, the circuit scale can be reduced, and furthermore, the effect of reducing the power consumption and the size of the voice communication device can be obtained.

Further, since encoding and decoding can be performed in a non-real time manner, it can be mounted on a wearable computer (watch type PDA) or the like which is a CPU (central processing unit) having a relatively low speed. It is possible to connect to an intranet using Bluetooth, Bluetooth, or the like, or connect to the Internet via a PDC (mobile phone) or PHS compatible with Bluetooth, and realize a simple watch-type voice communication device.

In the case where the voice communication device 30 communicates with all members in the group, and in the case where all of the groups are selected and transmitted when the address of the transmission destination is selected, the information is stored in the individual information storage unit 40. The message may be sent to all the parties. In addition, the audio data may be transmitted to the entire group based on the data in the group information storage unit 82 of the group management server 80 by instructing the group management server 80 to specify the group ID and making a transmission request. This is an effective method when the line of the terminal is thin.

In the environment setting shown in FIG.
By setting whether or not to use the "group server" in the "option" item, whether to transmit and receive individual information and voice data between voice communication devices within a local network by one voice communication device Whether voice data is transmitted and received between voice communication devices using the group information of the group management server 80,
Further, whether to transmit and receive audio data via the group management server may be selectively used.

The voice communication device 3 in the configuration of FIG.
Alternatively, the communication processing may be performed by transmitting a program for realizing the function of the group management server 80 in the configuration of FIG. 4 to the computer system and executing the program by the computer system that has received the program. Further, the communication processing may be performed by recording this program on a computer-readable recording medium, reading the program recorded on the recording medium into a computer system, and executing the program. The “computer system” here means
It includes hardware such as an OS and peripheral devices.

The “computer-readable recording medium” is a portable medium such as a floppy (registered trademark) disk, a magneto-optical disk, a ROM, a CD-ROM, or a storage device such as a hard disk built in a computer system. That means. Further, a "computer-readable recording medium" refers to a communication line for transmitting a program via a network such as the Internet or a communication line such as a telephone line, and dynamically holds the program for a short time. In this case, it is also assumed that a program that holds a program for a certain period of time, such as a volatile memory in a computer system serving as a server or a client in that case, is included.
Further, the above-mentioned program may be for realizing a part of the above-mentioned functions, or may be for realizing the above-mentioned functions in combination with a program already recorded in a computer system.

The embodiment of the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the drawings. However, the specific configuration is not limited to this embodiment, and includes a design and the like within a range not departing from the gist of the present invention. It is.

[0068]

As described above, according to the present invention, audio data is generated based on an input voice, and is transmitted based on the individual information stored in the individual information storage means. The voice is output based on voice data transmitted to the voice communication device and received from another voice communication device. As a result, voice communication can be performed without providing a server or a gateway, and an effect of preventing an increase in the scale of the communication system can be obtained.

Further, according to the present invention, the personal information is transmitted to another voice communication device every predetermined period, and the individual information is stored each time it is received from another voice communication device. Thus, it is possible to determine whether or not the transmission destination is communicable, thereby obtaining an effect that audio data can be transmitted reliably.

Further, according to the present invention, the generation of the audio data and the output of the audio are not performed at the same time, so that there is no need to provide a complicated circuit such as an echo canceller necessary for the countermeasures against howling, and furthermore, the audio is not generated. Since processes such as synthesis and exclusive control can be omitted, the circuit scale can be reduced, and the effect of reducing the power consumption and size of the voice communication device can be obtained. Also, a relatively slow CPU
It is possible to configure a circuit with the above. This makes it possible to apply the voice communication device to a wearable computer such as a wristwatch-type PDA.

According to the present invention, when audio data is received from another audio communication device, the fact that the audio data has been received is notified by the audio output means or the display means. The user can understand that the communication has been performed, and thereby, the real-time property of the voice communication can be improved.

Further, according to the present invention, the voice is output each time voice data is received from another voice communication device, so that real-time performance in voice communication can be further improved.

According to the present invention, each time the individual information is received from the voice communication device, the address information included in the received individual information is stored based on the identification information included in the received individual information, and the individual information is stored. Since the individual information stored in the voice communication device that transmitted the information is transmitted, the voice communication device does not notify all other voice communication devices of the change of the address information every time the address information is changed, IP dynamically assigned to voice communication device
The effect that the address can be managed can be obtained.

Further, according to the present invention, the individual information having the same group ID as the group ID included in the individual information is extracted from the individual information storage means, and the extracted individual information is stored in the voice transmitting the individual information. Since the transmission is performed to the communication device, an effect is obtained that the address of each voice communication device can be managed for each group.

Further, according to the present invention, by causing a computer to read and execute a voice communication program recorded on a recording medium, it is possible to perform voice communication using a general-purpose computer.

Further, according to the present invention, the support program recorded on the recording medium is read and executed by the computer, so that the IP address of the voice communication device can be managed using a general-purpose computer.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic block diagram showing a configuration of a communication system to which a voice communication device and a group management server according to an embodiment of the present invention are applied.

FIG. 2 is a schematic block diagram for describing a configuration of a voice communication device 30.

FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an example of individual information.

FIG. 4 is a schematic block diagram for describing a configuration of a group management server 80.

FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating an example of group information stored in a group information storage unit 82;

6 is an explanatory diagram for explaining an operation of the voice communication device 30. FIG.

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of a menu screen displayed on the display device 36.

FIG. 8 is a diagram for explaining updated individual information.

FIG. 9 is a diagram showing an example of a transmission menu displayed on the display device 36.

FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a reception menu displayed on the display device 36.

FIG. 11 is a view showing an example of an environment setting menu screen displayed on the display device 36.

FIG. 12 is a flowchart illustrating an operation of managing group information by a group management server 80;

FIG. 13 is a diagram for explaining updated group information.

FIG. 14 is a flowchart for explaining an operation in which the group management server 80 transmits and receives audio data.

[Explanation of symbols]

10, 120, 121 terminals 20, 50, 1
Reference Signs List 40 PDA 30, 160 Audio communication device 31 Audio data generator 31-1 Audio input unit 31-2 Encoding unit 33 Audio output device 33-1 Audio output unit 33-2 Decoding unit 34, 84 Control unit 35 Input device 36 Display Device 37, 85 Communication unit 38, 86 Storage unit 39 Individual information management unit 40 Individual information storage unit 51 Converter 60 Intranet 70 Internet 80 Group management server 81 Group information management unit 82 Group information storage unit 83 ID assignment unit 130 Portable wireless device 150, 155 server 151, 156
Base radio

 ──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continuing on the front page (72) Inventor, Sumi Nakira 1-5-1, Otemachi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo Mitsubishi Materials Corporation Mobile Business Development Center (72) Inventor Kenichiro Hosobuchi Musashino-shi, Tokyo 1-8-10 Kichijoji Honmachi Mitsubishi Materials Corporation Mobile Business Development Center F-term (reference) 5K027 AA11 DD11 DD14 FF22 HH21 MM17 5K101 KK05 LL12 NN07 NN15 NN23 PP03 UU19

Claims (11)

[Claims] 1. A voice communication device in a communication system in which a plurality of voice communication devices are connected via a network, wherein the voice communication device generates voice data based on input voice. Means, individual information storage means for storing individual information for specifying each audio communication device connected to the network, and individual data stored in the individual information storage means for the audio data generated by the audio data generation means. Communication means for transmitting to a voice communication device to be transmitted based on the information; and voice output means for outputting voice based on voice data received by the communication means from another voice communication device. Voice communication device. 2. While transmitting its own individual information to another voice communication device by said communication means at predetermined time intervals,
2. The voice communication device according to claim 1, further comprising an individual information management unit that stores individual information in the individual information storage unit each time the communication unit receives the information from another voice communication device. 3. The personal information management unit detects that the other voice communication device cannot communicate if the individual information is not received from the another voice communication device for a certain period of time or more. The voice communication device according to claim 2. 4. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising control means for performing control such that generation of voice data by said voice data generation means and output of voice by said voice output device are not performed at the same time. The voice communication device according to any one of the above. 5. A display device for performing a display in accordance with an instruction from the control unit, wherein the control unit further includes, when the audio data is received from another audio communication device, the audio output unit or 5. The voice communication device according to claim 4, wherein at least one of the display means notifies that the voice data has been received. 6. A support device connected to a communication system in which a plurality of voice communication devices are connected via a network, wherein the support device includes identification information for identifying the voice communication device and the voice communication. Group information storage means for storing individual information including address information for specifying the address of the device as group information; and each time the individual information is received from the voice communication device, the address information included in the received individual information is stored. While storing in the group information storage means based on the identification information included in the received individual information, read the individual information stored in the group information storage means from the individual information storage means and transmitted the individual information And a group information management means for transmitting to the voice communication device. 7. The individual information further includes a group ID for classifying the identification information for each predetermined group, and the group information management means includes the same group ID as the group ID included in the transmitted individual information. 7. The support apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the personal information that has been set is extracted from the personal information storage unit, and the extracted personal information is transmitted to the voice communication device that transmitted the personal information. 8. The apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the group information management unit detects that the voice communication device cannot communicate when the individual information is not received from the voice communication device for a predetermined period or more. The support device according to claim 7. 9. When a voice data transmission request is received from the voice communication device, address information specifying a transmission destination included in the transmission request is extracted, and voice to be transmitted is extracted based on the extracted address information. The support device according to any one of claims 6 to 8, wherein the support device is transmitted to a communication device. 10. A recording medium recording a voice communication program in a communication system in which a plurality of voice communication devices are connected via a network, wherein the recording medium generates voice data based on input voice. Voice data generating step, an individual information storing step of storing individual information for specifying each voice communication device connected to the network, and the voice data generated in the voice data generating step in the individual information storing step. A communication step of transmitting to the voice communication device to be transmitted based on the stored individual information, and a voice output step of outputting voice based on voice data received from another voice communication device in the communication step. Recorded a voice communication program characterized by being executed by a computer Computer-readable recording medium. 11. A recording medium recording a support program connected to a communication system in which a plurality of voice communication devices are connected via a network, wherein the recording medium is an identification for identifying the voice communication device. A group information storage step of storing information and individual information including address information for specifying an address of the voice communication device as group information; and each time the individual information is received from the voice communication device, Voice communication which stores the address information included in the group information storage means based on the identification information included in the received individual information, and reads out the individual information stored in the group information storage step and transmits the individual information. Managing the group information to be transmitted to the device; and causing the computer to execute Computer readable recording medium recording a support program characterized.