JP2002185625A - Intercom device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To ensure satisfactory speech quality by adjusting a volume by automatically level-adjusting the amplification gain of a transmission and reception signal to be amplified by an indoor master device according to the level of the noise around a residence front door where a front door slave device is set. SOLUTION: A reception signal from a slave device microphone 12 of a front door slave device 1 is inputted through a reception amplifier 32 of a speech circuit 26 of an indoor master device 2 to a receiving part 30b, and a transmission signal from a master device microphone 30a of the speech circuit is inputted through a transmission amplifier 31 to a slave device speaker 13 of the front door slave device so that speech can be established. The indoor master device is provided with a surrounding noise detecting circuit 33 for detecting the noise components around the front door slave device from the reception signal, and for outputting a DC signal proportional to it, a CPU 30 for receiving an output from the surrounding noise detecting circuit, and a gain controller 34 for respectively transmitting the transmission signal and reception signal level-adjusted according to the output from the surrounding noise detecting circuit to the slave device speaker and the receiving part under the control of the CPU.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a door phone apparatus and, more particularly, to a door phone apparatus capable of ensuring good call quality regardless of the noise level near the entrance of a dwelling unit where a door unit is installed.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, as this type of intercom apparatus, an intercom apparatus having a configuration shown in a circuit block of FIG. 2 has been proposed.

[0003] The door phone apparatus shown in FIG. 1 is configured such that an entrance slave unit 51 installed at the entrance of a dwelling unit and a living room master unit 52 installed in the dwelling unit are connected via a two-line transmission line L51. ing.

The entrance slave unit 51 has a call button 60, a camera (camera unit) 61, a slave unit microphone 62, and a slave unit speaker 63. Also, the living room parent machine 52 has a CPU 7
0, a call detection circuit 71, a loudspeaker 72, a ringing sound amplifier 73, a monitor unit 74, a video processing circuit 75, a communication circuit 76, a power supply circuit 77, a slave unit power supply circuit 78, and a multiplexing / demultiplexing circuit 79. The communication circuit 76 includes a base unit microphone 80a and a reception unit (receiver) 80b that constitute the handset 80, a transmission amplifier 81, and a reception amplifier 8
2. It has a hybrid circuit 83 and a hook switch 84.

[0005] In the doorphone apparatus thus constructed, when a visitor at the entrance of the dwelling unit presses the call button 60 of the entrance slave unit 51, the transmission line L51 and the room master unit 52 are multiplexed.
A call signal is transmitted to the call detection circuit 71 via the separation circuit 79.

A call detection circuit 71 of the parent room unit 52 detects that there is a call by a visitor based on a call signal from the entrance terminal 51, and outputs a call detection signal to that effect to the CPU 70.
Output to Further, the CPU 7 detects a call detection signal from the call detection circuit 71 and shifts from the standby state to the call state.
0 activates each of the ringing tone amplifier 73, the monitor unit 74, the video processing circuit 75, and the slave unit power supply circuit 78, and outputs a ringing tone signal to the ringing tone amplifier.

[0007] The ringing tone signal amplified by the ringing tone amplifier 73 of the living room master unit 52 is input to the loudspeaker 72 and ringed in the dwelling unit as a ringing tone. Further, the slave unit power supply circuit 78 receives the DC voltage from the power supply circuit 77 that supplies the operating power to the components (including the circuit) of the parent unit of the living room through the multiplexing / demultiplexing circuit 79 and the transmission line L51. To the entrance slave unit 51. Entrance device 5 that becomes active based on this power supply
The first camera 61 captures an image of a visitor as a subject and processes the video signal appropriately processed (eg, FM modulation) via the transmission line L51 and the multiplexing / demultiplexing circuit 79 of the parent device 52. Output to the circuit 75. Further, the monitor unit 74 of the parent device 52 receives a video signal appropriately processed (eg, FM demodulation) via a video processing circuit 75 based on the video signal.
A video of the visitor is displayed.

Next, a resident in the dwelling unit confirms a visitor at the dwelling unit based on the ringing tone sounded by the loudspeaker 72 of the room master unit 52 and the image displayed on the monitor unit 74. Picks up the handset 80 forming the communication circuit 76 to establish a call with the visitor, and answers the call, the hook switch 84 is hooked off, and the hook switch 84 is detected by this, and under the control of the CPU 70 shifted from the call state to the call state, the hook switch 84 is detected. The transmitting amplifier 81, the receiving amplifier 82, and the hybrid circuit 83 become active, respectively, and the parent device microphone 80a and the receiving unit 80 forming the handset 80 used by the resident.
b, between the transmission amplifier 81 and the reception amplifier 82, the hybrid circuit 83, the multiplexing / demultiplexing circuit 79, the slave unit microphone 62 and the slave unit speaker 63 of the entrance slave unit 51 used by the visitor via the transmission line L51. A communication path is formed, and a transmission signal is formed by transmitting and receiving a transmission signal from a resident and a reception signal from a visitor via the communication path (not described in detail).

[0009]

However, in the conventional intercom apparatus, the amplification gains of the transmission amplifier 81 and the reception amplifier 82 forming the communication circuit 76 of the parent room unit 52 are respectively set to predetermined levels in advance. Since the change cannot be made, for example, if the noise (including noise) near the entrance of the dwelling unit where the entrance child device 51 is installed is relatively large, the dwelling unit that is sounded by the child device speaker 63 of the entrance child device The transmission sound from the resident in the house is masked by the noise, making it difficult to hear.On the other hand, if the noise around the entrance of the dwelling unit is relatively low, the transmission sound from the resident The indoor sound inside is sounded by the slave unit speaker 63, which causes sound leakage outside the dwelling unit, and there is a problem that it is not possible to secure good call quality.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned difficulties, and the transmission / reception talk is amplified by the parent device of the living room in accordance with the noise level near the entrance of the dwelling unit where the entrance child device is installed. It is an object of the present invention to provide a door phone apparatus which can adjust a volume by automatically adjusting a level of a signal amplification gain to thereby ensure good communication quality.

[0011]

In order to achieve this object, a door phone apparatus according to the present invention transmits a reception signal from a microphone of a slave unit of an entrance slave unit to a reception unit via a reception amplifier of a communication circuit of a main room unit. A door phone device for inputting and inputting a transmission signal from a main unit microphone of a communication circuit to a sub-unit speaker of an entrance sub-unit via a transmission amplifier, and performing a telephone call. An ambient noise detection circuit that detects a noise component near the surroundings where the slave unit is installed and outputs a DC signal proportional to the noise component; a CPU that receives an output from the ambient noise detection circuit; and an ambient noise detection circuit that is controlled by the CPU. And a gain controller for transmitting a transmission signal whose level has been adjusted in accordance with an output from the circuit to a child device speaker.

Further, the gain controller of the parent device of the living room constituting the intercom apparatus of the present invention transmits a reception signal whose level has been adjusted according to the output from the ambient noise detection circuit to the reception section under the control of the CPU. It is characterized by.

[0013] According to such an intercom apparatus, the noise component of the reception signal, which is picked up by the visitor at the entrance of the dwelling unit and picked up by the sub-unit microphone of the entrance sub unit, that is, the entrance sub unit is installed. Based on the level of noise (including noise) in the vicinity of the room, the amplification gains of the transmission amplifier and the reception amplifier that constitute the communication circuit of the main unit installed in the dwelling unit are adjusted, and the reception of the handset is performed. The volume of the reception sound that is sounded in the unit can be adjusted, and the volume of the transmission sound from the resident in the dwelling unit that is picked up by the handset's parent device microphone and beeped by the child device speaker of the entrance child device By doing so, good call quality can be ensured regardless of the noise level near the entrance of the dwelling unit where the entrance device is installed.

[0014]

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a preferred embodiment of an intercom apparatus according to the present invention.

FIG. 1 is a circuit block diagram showing a configuration of an intercom apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. An entrance slave unit 1 is installed at the entrance of a dwelling unit, and a parent unit 2 is installed in a dwelling unit.
Are connected via a transmission line L1 composed of two wires.

In FIG. 1, an entrance slave unit 1 is provided with a call button 10 which a visitor at the entrance of a dwelling unit presses to call.
And a camera (camera unit) 11 for capturing an image of a visitor forming a subject, and a slave unit microphone 1 used for establishing a call with a resident in a dwelling unit called by the visitor.
2 and a slave unit speaker 13. Illustration and explanation of a specific configuration and operation of the entrance terminal 1 are omitted.

The main room unit 2 has a CPU 20 for controlling the components (including circuits) of the main room unit, and a call detection for detecting a call from the entrance slave unit 1 by a visitor and informing the CPU 20 of the call. A circuit 21, a loudspeaker 22 that sounds a ringing sound for informing the dwelling unit that there is a call from a visitor, and a ringing sound generated by the CPU 20 in the ringing state and sounded by the loudspeaker 22. A ringing tone amplifier 23 for amplifying the ringing tone signal to be formed, a monitor unit 24 for displaying the image of the visitor imaged by the camera 11 of the entrance cordless handset 1, and an image output by the monitor unit 24. A video processing circuit 25 for appropriately processing (eg, FM demodulation) a video signal forming an image of a visitor, a call function for a resident to establish a call with the visitor, and a call function for the call function. A communication circuit 26 having a kind control (signal processing, etc.) function, and a DC voltage obtained by rectifying and smoothing an AC voltage from a commercial power supply (AC 100 V) are used as operating power for each component (including the circuit) of each of the components of the living room master unit. A power supply circuit 27 for supplying the power and a slave unit power supply circuit 28 for supplying operation power required for video imaging and telephone calls to the entrance slave unit 1
And the call detection circuit 21, the video processing circuit 25, the call circuit 2
6 and a signal transmission line between the slave unit power supply circuit 28 and the transmission line L1 to form a signal transmission line for multiplexing / demultiplexing and transmitting / receiving various signals (including DC voltage). A separation circuit 29 is provided.

Further, the communication circuit 26 of the living room master unit 2 is provided with a transmission sound for the resident to establish a call with the visitor, and a sound from the visitor collected by the slave unit microphone 12 of the entrance slave unit 1. A handset 30 including a base unit microphone 30a and a receiver (receiver) 30b for picking up and ringing a receiving sound, respectively;
A transmission amplifier 31 for amplifying a transmission signal forming a transmission sound picked up by the base unit microphone 30a of the handset 30;
A receiver amplifier 32 for amplifying a reception signal forming a reception sound to be sounded by the reception unit 30b of the handset 30, and a noise component near the periphery of the dwelling unit where the entrance handset 1 is installed is detected from the reception signal; The direct current signal proportional to this is CP
Ambient noise detection circuit 33 for outputting to U20, and CPU detecting a DC signal from ambient noise detection circuit 33
A transmission amplifier 3 controlled by the amplifier 20 and amplifying the transmission signal
1. a gain controller 34 for adjusting the level of the amplification gain of a reception amplifier 32 for amplifying a reception signal;
A signal (transmitted signal, received signal) transmitted / received between the receiving amplifier 32 and the multiplexing / demultiplexing circuit 29 via the transmitting amplifier 31 and the ambient noise detection circuit 33 is converted into a 4-line / 2-line signal.
A hybrid circuit 35 for 2-wire / 4-wire conversion, and a hook-off /
And a hook switch 36 to be turned on.

The operation of the thus configured door phone apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described below.

In the circuit block diagram of FIG. 1, when a visitor at the entrance of the dwelling unit presses the call button 10 of the entrance slave unit 1, a call detection circuit is transmitted via the transmission line L1 and the multiplexing / demultiplexing circuit 29 of the living room master unit 2. A call signal is transmitted to 21.

The call detection circuit 21 of the parent room unit 2 detects that there is a call by a visitor based on a call signal from the entrance slave unit 1 and outputs a call detection signal to that effect to the CPU 20. The CPU 20 detects the call detection signal from the call detection circuit 21 and shifts from the standby state to the call state.
Activates a ringing tone amplifier 23, a monitor unit 24, a video processing circuit 25, and a slave unit power supply circuit 28, respectively.
A ringing tone signal is output to the ringing tone amplifier.

The ringing tone signal amplified by the ringing tone amplifier 23 of the parent room unit 2 is input to the loudspeaker 22 and is ringed in the dwelling unit as a ringing tone. Also, the slave unit power supply circuit 2
8 supplies a DC voltage from a power supply circuit 27 that supplies operating power to each component (including a circuit) of the constituent units of the living room master unit to the entrance slave unit 1 via a multiplexing / separating circuit 29 and a transmission line L1. I do. The camera 11 of the entrance handset 1 that becomes active based on this power supply captures an image of a visitor as a subject, and appropriately processes a signal (eg, FM modulation) of the image signal into a transmission line L.
1. Output to the video processing circuit 25 via the multiplexing / demultiplexing circuit 29 of the parent room 2. Further, an image of the visitor is displayed on the monitor unit 24 of the parent device 2 based on the image signal appropriately processed (eg, FM demodulation) via the image processing circuit 25.

Next, a resident in the dwelling unit confirming a visitor at the dwelling unit based on the ringing tone sounded by the loudspeaker 22 of the room master unit 2 and the image displayed on the monitor unit 24. However, when the handset 30 forming the call circuit 26 is picked up and answered in order to establish a call with the visitor, the hook switch 36 is hooked off, which is detected, and under the control of the CPU 20 shifted from the call state to the call state, the hook switch 36 is detected. The transmission amplifier 31, the reception amplifier 32, the ambient noise detection circuit 33, the gain controller 34, and the hybrid circuit 35 are respectively activated, and the parent device microphone 30a and the reception unit 30b which form the handset 30 used by the resident.
The transmission amplifier 31 and the reception amplifier 32, the ambient noise detection circuit 33, the hybrid circuit 35, the multiplexing / demultiplexing circuit 29, the slave unit microphone 12 and the slave unit speaker of the entrance slave unit 1 used by the visitor via the transmission line L1. 13 is formed.

Here, the sound received from the visitor at the entrance of the dwelling unit to establish a telephone conversation with the resident in the dwelling unit is converted into an electric signal and appropriately processed (amplified,
A transmission line L
1. The signal is transmitted to the hybrid circuit 35 forming the communication circuit 26 via the multiplexing / demultiplexing circuit 29 of the parent room 2. Also,
The hybrid circuit 35 converts the reception signal from the entrance terminal 1 into a 2-line / 4-line and outputs it to the ambient noise detection circuit 33.

The surrounding noise detection circuit 33, which forms the communication circuit 26 of the parent room 2, has a noise component of the reception signal via the hybrid circuit 35, that is, the vicinity of the vicinity of the dwelling unit included in the reception signal from the visitor. The level of noise (including noise) is detected, and a DC signal proportional to the detected level is output to the CPU 20.

Also, the CPU 20 of the parent device 2 uses the transmission amplifier 31 and the reception amplifier 32 based on the signal level of the DC signal from the ambient noise detection circuit 33 forming the communication circuit 26.
The gain controller 34 controls the level of each of the amplification gains. That is, when the signal level of the DC signal from the ambient noise detection circuit 33 forming the communication circuit 26 is higher than a preset threshold level, the CPU 20 determines that the noise near the dwelling entrance is relatively large. The gain controller 34 determines whether the amplification gains of the transmission amplifier 31 and the reception amplifier 32 are large, respectively.
On the other hand, when the signal level of the DC signal is lower than a preset threshold level, it is determined that the noise near the periphery of the dwelling unit is relatively small, and the transmission amplifier 31 and the reception amplifier The gain controller 34 is controlled so that the 32 amplification gains are maintained at predetermined levels respectively set in advance.

Here, when the noise around the entrance of the dwelling unit is relatively large, the reception signal via the ambient noise detection circuit 33 constituting the communication circuit 26 of the parent room 2 is transmitted to the gain controller under the control of the CPU 20 described above. 34, that is, as a received signal amplified through the receiving amplifier 32 whose level has been adjusted to a large amplification gain, is input to the receiving section 30b of the handset 30, and is sounded as a receiving sound from the visitor. Even if the resident in the dwelling unit has relatively loud noise near the entrance of the dwelling unit, it is possible to confirm the reception sound from the visitor whose volume has been adjusted to a level that is easy to hear, thereby ensuring good call sound quality.

Also, in order to establish a call with the visitor, the resident in the dwelling unit picks up sound at the base unit microphone 30a of the handset 30 forming the communication circuit 26 of the room base unit 2 and converts it into an electric signal. The transmission signal forming the transmission sound from the resident is amplified through the transmission amplifier 31 whose level has been adjusted to a large amplification gain by the gain controller 34 under the control of the CPU 20, and the hybrid circuit 35 is a 4-line / 2-line transmission signal from the transmission amplifier 31.
The signal is converted to a line and output to the entrance device 1 via the multiplexing / demultiplexing circuit 29 and the transmission line L1.

The entrance cordless handset 1 appropriately processes the transmission signal from the living room master unit 2 (two-wire / four-wire conversion, amplification), and sounds the transmission sound from the resident through the handset speaker 13. By doing so, even if the noise near the entrance of the dwelling unit is relatively loud, the visitor at the entrance of the dwelling unit can confirm the transmission sound from the resident adjusted to a volume that is easy to hear without being masked by the noise. Good call quality is ensured.

On the other hand, when the noise in the vicinity of the entrance of the dwelling unit is relatively small, the reception signal via the ambient noise detection circuit 33 forming the communication circuit 26 of the parent room unit 2 has the above-mentioned C signal.
The level adjustment of the gain controller 34 by the control of the PU 20, that is, the amplified signal is input to the receiver 30 b of the handset 30 as a reception signal amplified through the reception amplifier 32 holding the amplification gain at a predetermined level, By being sounded as a reception sound from the visitor,
The resident in the dwelling unit can confirm the reception sound from the visitor adjusted to a volume that is easy to listen to, so that good call sound quality can be ensured.

The resident in the dwelling unit picks up sound at the base unit microphone 30a of the handset 30 forming the communication circuit 26 of the room base unit 2 in order to establish a call with the visitor, and converts it into an electric signal. The transmission signal forming the transmission sound from the resident is adjusted by the above-described level control of the gain controller 34 under the control of the CPU 20, that is, the transmission amplifier 31 holding the amplification gain at a predetermined level set in advance. The hybrid circuit 35 converts the transmission signal from the transmission amplifier 31 into a 4-line / 2-line signal, and the multiplexing / demultiplexing circuit 29
The data is output to the entrance terminal 1 via the transmission line L1.

Entrance cordless handset 1 appropriately performs signal processing (two-wire / four-wire conversion, amplification) on the transmission signal from living room master unit 2, and sounds the transmission sound from the resident through slave unit speaker 13. By doing so, the visitor at the entrance of the dwelling unit can confirm the transmission sound from the resident whose sound volume in the dwelling unit has been adjusted to a level that is easy to hear without sound leakage, thereby ensuring good call quality.

[0033]

As is clear from the above description, according to the door phone apparatus of the present invention, the reception signal of the reception sound from the visitor at the dwelling unit, which is picked up by the sub unit microphone of the sub unit, is received. Based on the noise component, that is, the level of the noise (including noise) near the surroundings where the entrance slave unit is installed, the transmitting amplifier and the receiving amplifier of the talking amplifier of the living room master unit installed in the dwelling unit The level of the amplification gain is adjusted, and the volume of the reception sound that is ringed by the receiver of the handset can be adjusted. Since the volume of the transmission sound from the resident can be adjusted, good communication quality can be ensured regardless of the noise level near the entrance of the dwelling unit where the entrance unit is installed.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a circuit block diagram showing a configuration of an intercom apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a circuit block diagram showing a configuration of a conventional door phone apparatus.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 ····· Entrance cordless handset 2 ······························································ Call Circuit 30a ······ Base unit microphone 30b ······································································································・ Gain controller

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A reception signal from a handset microphone (12) of an entrance slave unit (1) is transmitted to a reception unit (30b) via a reception amplifier (32) of a communication circuit (26) of a living room base unit (2). A door phone device for inputting and inputting a transmission signal from a base unit microphone (30a) of the communication circuit to a slave unit speaker (13) of the entrance slave unit via a transmission amplifier (31) to make a call. An ambient noise detection circuit (33) for detecting a noise component in the vicinity of the location where the entrance terminal is installed from the reception signal and outputting a DC signal proportional to the noise component; CPU (2) that receives the output from the detection circuit
0) and a gain controller (3) for transmitting the transmission signal, the level of which is adjusted according to the output from the ambient noise detection circuit under the control of the CPU, to the child device speaker.
4) A door phone device comprising: 2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said gain controller sends said reception signal whose level has been adjusted in accordance with an output from said ambient noise detection circuit to said reception section under control of said CPU. 2. The intercom apparatus according to claim 1.