JP2002335341A - Voice speech device via communication network - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a voice speech device that can conduct voice speech processing in compliance with the Internet protocol in real time and is connected to a communication network where voice quality can be ensured. SOLUTION: This invention provides a terminal equipment provided with a setup device connected to a network and having a function of conducting a procedure required for the connection for a voice speech via the network and with an RTP(real time protocol) control section. The RTP control section includes a voice signal input section connected to a microphone, a voice signal output section connected to a speaker, a signal compression section connected to the voice signal input section to compress the received voice signal, and a signal expansion section that is connected to the voice signal output section and expands the received compressed voice signal to output the result to the voice signal output section. The RTP control section is connected to an input output port of the terminal equipment transmits the voice signal compressed by the signal compression section to the network from the input output port of the terminal equipment and receives the voice signal from the network via the input output port of the terminal equipment.

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 for making a voice communication via a communication network such as the Internet or a LAN.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, as a call system for making a voice call via a communication network such as the Internet or a LAN, a terminal device similar to a fixed telephone is directly connected to the communication network, and an Internet protocol (IP) is used.
There is known a so-called IP phone which makes a voice call by using a personal computer, and a so-called Internet phone which is equipped with software for enabling a voice call in a personal computer and connects the personal computer to a communication network.

[0003] Among these conventional systems, an IP phone requires a terminal device to have all functions for realizing a voice call according to the Internet protocol, which makes the device complicated and expensive.

In the Internet telephone system,
Since the sound quality of a call depends on the performance of equipment on the computer side such as a sound card, it has been difficult to secure stable sound quality only by adjusting the software for the Internet telephone. Further, in a computer having a single-task OS, it is difficult to compress and decompress an audio signal in real time.

[0005]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention is not so complicated and expensive as an IP phone, and enables a single task computer to perform a voice call process by an Internet protocol in real time, and to provide a computer device such as a sound card. It is an object of the present invention to provide a voice communication device via a communication network that can ensure sound quality without depending on the performance of a telephone.

[0006]

Means for Solving the Problems In order to solve the above problems, the present invention is directed to a call connected to a communication network and having a function of performing a procedure necessary for connection for voice communication via the communication network. A terminal device including a setting unit,
A voice communication device comprising a real-time protocol (RTP) control unit. Real-time protocol (RT
P) The control unit includes an audio signal input unit connected to a microphone, an audio signal output unit connected to a speaker or an earphone, and a received audio signal connected to the audio signal input unit. And a signal decompression unit connected to the audio signal output unit for decompressing the received compressed audio signal and outputting the decompressed audio signal to the audio signal output unit. Further, the real-time protocol control unit is connected to the input / output port of the terminal device, sends out the audio signal compressed by the signal compression unit from the input / output port of the terminal device to the communication network, and An audio signal is received via an input / output port of the terminal device.

A real-time protocol control unit according to the present invention enables compression and transmission of an audio input signal regardless of the status of a terminal device, expansion of a received audio signal and transmission to a speaker or earphone regardless of the status of a terminal device. Enable transmission. Therefore, when the real-time protocol control unit according to the present invention is used, even when the terminal device is, for example, a single-task personal computer, it is related to the situation of the computer, such as whether the computer is performing a task other than a voice call. Instead, voice calls can be processed in real time.

In the present invention, the terminal device can be constituted by a personal computer. In this case, the real-time protocol (RTP) control unit prevents the voice communication even when the terminal device is performing other tasks. To be able to carry out without being overwhelmed. Here, as the microphone and the speaker or the earphone, those provided in the personal computer can be used as they are, or the microphone and the speaker or the earphone can be separately provided for the real-time protocol control unit.

The real-time protocol (RTP) control unit may be configured as an external device external to the terminal device, or may be built in the terminal device.

[0010]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. First, referring to FIG. 1, a plurality of terminal devices 2 are connected to a communication network 1 such as the Internet or a LAN. Each terminal device 2 is constituted by a personal computer, and an external device 3 for making a voice call through the terminal device 2 via the terminal device 2 is connected to the terminal device 2. The network 1 includes a terminal device 2
A server 4 is provided for enabling voice calls between one another.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the terminal device 2 and the external device 3 connected to the terminal device 2. The personal computer constituting the terminal device 2 includes an input / output port 2a and a CPU 2b, and the input / output port 2a is connected to the communication network 1. The external device 3 includes an audio signal compression section 3b connected to the microphone 5 via the audio signal input section 3a, and an audio signal expansion section 3d connected to the speaker or the earphone 6 via the audio signal output section 3C. It has an RTP control unit 3e. As shown in FIG. 1, the microphone 5 and the speaker 6 can be configured in the form of a receiver in a normal telephone. RTP controller 3e
Is connected to the communication network 1 via the input / output port 2a of the terminal device 2.

The CPU 2b of the terminal device 2 includes a call setting unit 2c for setting a call for a voice call via the communication network 1. FIG. 3 shows a call setting function of the call setting unit 2c. In order to realize a voice call using the Internet protocol via the communication network 1, 3
A call setup procedure consisting of step-by-step procedures is required.

First, in the first stage, a registration procedure between the terminal device 2 and the server 4 is performed. The terminal device 2 notifies the server 4 of its own IP address and registers it. At the same time, the terminal device 2 informs the server 4 of the bandwidth on the network 1 that the user wants to use for voice communication. Server 4
Confirms whether the bandwidth can be secured on the network 1 at that time, and if the bandwidth can be secured, notifies the terminal device 2 to that effect, whereby the terminal device 2
Voice communication with another terminal device 2 is recognized. Further, the server 4 periodically inquires each terminal device 2 whether it is online or offline, receives a response from the terminal device 2, and stores the answer to monitor the state of each terminal device 2. be able to. Summarizing these three procedures, "RAS (Registration, Admission &
Status) signaling.

In the second stage, one terminal device 2
A message requesting a voice call, that is, a “setup message” is sent to the other terminal device 2. The terminal device 2 that has received the voice call request returns a message to that effect, that is, a “connect message” to the terminal device 2 that has issued the call request, if the voice call is permitted. The “setup message” and the “connect message” are collectively called “call control signaling”. The call control signaling may be performed directly between the terminal devices or may be performed via the server 4.

Next, in a third stage, information about the capability of making a voice call between the two terminal devices 2 for making a voice call with each other, for example, information about the type of a voice call code conversion codec, and RTP control. Exchange messages for confirming port numbers in the sections. This is called "capability information exchange". Further, in a voice call via the communication network 1, a voice signal in a series of voice calls is divided into a number of packets and flows over the packet, and an information signal packet unrelated to the voice call flows between packets. In other words, a message for establishing a rule between the terminal devices 2 is identified so that only the packets transmitted by the transmitting terminal device 2 can be identified and picked up from a large number of packets received by the receiving terminal device 2. Exchange. This is called "establishing a logical channel".

The above-described call setting including the first, second, and third steps is performed by a call setting function incorporated as software in the CPU 2b of the personal computer constituting the terminal device 2. In FIG. 1, CP
This call setting function is displayed as a call setting section 2c in U2b. The terminal device 2 is not limited to a personal computer as long as it has the above-described call setting function, and any type of device may be used.

When the call setup is completed in the above-described procedure, the transmission of the voice signal between the terminal devices 2 is performed in real time. The voice is converted into a voice electric signal in the microphone 5 and is input from the voice signal input unit 3a to the signal compression unit 3b of the RTP control unit 3e, compressed, and is input / output port 2a of the terminal device 2 in the form of a voice signal packet. Is transmitted to the communication network 1 from the network. The received audio signal is sent from the input / output port 2a of the terminal device 2 to the RTP control unit 3e, processed in the signal expansion unit 3d of the RTP control unit 3e, and transmitted to the speaker or earphone 6 from the audio signal output unit 3c. , Audible sound.

As is apparent from the above description, in the present voice communication device, after the call is set by the call setting unit 2c provided in software in the CPU 2b of the terminal device 2 composed of a personal computer. The signal processing for voice communication is performed directly between the RTP control units 3e without passing through the CPU 2b. Therefore, even when the personal computer constituting the terminal device 2 has a single-task OS and the CPU 2b is busy performing other tasks, signal processing for voice communication is performed in real time. it can.

FIG. 4 shows another embodiment of the present invention.
It is a block diagram similar to. 4, corresponding parts are denoted by the same reference numerals as in FIG. The embodiment of FIG. 4 differs from the embodiment of FIG. 2 in that the RTP control unit 3 e described above with reference to FIG. 2 is incorporated in a personal computer constituting the terminal device 2. In this embodiment, the microphone 5 and the speaker 6 used in the personal computer are used as they are.
Otherwise, the device of this embodiment is the same as that shown in FIG. Therefore, further detailed description is omitted.

FIG. 5 is a view similar to FIG. 2 showing still another embodiment of the present invention. In the embodiment shown in FIG.
The P control unit 3e is formed as the external device 3, and the terminal device 2
Connected to a personal computer. FIG.
The device of the embodiment is different from the device of the embodiment of FIG. 2 in that the audio signal input unit 3a and the audio signal output unit 3c of the external device 3 are respectively a microphone 5 and a speaker 6 of a personal computer constituting the terminal device 2. It is connected to. Otherwise, the device of FIG. 5 is identical to the device of FIG.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an entire voice communication device using a communication network embodying the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram schematically illustrating a configuration of a terminal device and an external device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a call setting in a voice call using a communication network and a subsequent voice call for each procedure.

FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 2, illustrating a voice communication device according to another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a view similar to FIG. 2, illustrating a voice communication device according to yet another embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 ... communication network, 2 ... terminal device, 2
a input / output port, 2b CPU, 2c
... Call setting unit, 3 ... External device, 3a ... Sound signal input unit, 3b ... Signal compression unit, 3c ...
Audio signal output unit, 3d ... signal expansion unit, 3e ...
・ RTP control unit, 4 ・ ・ ・ ・ server

Claims (6)

[Claims] 1. A terminal device having a call setting unit connected to a communication network and having a function of performing a procedure required for connection for voice communication via the communication network, and a terminal device connected to the microphone. An audio signal input unit, an audio signal output unit adapted to be connected to a speaker or an earphone, a signal compression unit connected to the audio signal input unit and compressing a received audio signal, and the audio signal output unit A real-time protocol (RTP) control unit including a signal decompressing unit connected to and expanding the received compressed audio signal and outputting the decompressed audio signal to the audio signal output unit, the real-time protocol control unit comprising: An audio signal that is connected to an input / output port of a terminal device and compressed by the signal compression unit is transmitted from the input / output port of the terminal device to the communication network. , Characterized in that the audio signal from the communication network adapted to receive via the input and output ports of the terminal device, voice communication devices over a communication network. 2. The voice communication device via a communication network according to claim 1, wherein said terminal device is a personal computer, and said real-time protocol (RTP) control unit controls said terminal device to perform another task. A voice communication device characterized in that a voice call can be performed without interruption even in a state where the voice communication is being performed. 3. The voice communication device via the communication network according to claim 2, wherein at least one of the microphone and the speaker is provided in the personal computer. 4. One of claims 1 to 3
Item 7. A voice communication device via a communication network according to Item 1, wherein the real-time protocol (RTP) control unit is configured as an external device external to the terminal device. 5. The method according to claim 1, wherein:
Item 7. A voice communication device via a communication network according to item 1, wherein the real-time protocol (RTP) control unit is built in the terminal device. 6. An external device for voice communication of a terminal device connected to a communication network, comprising: a real-time protocol (RTP) control unit for configuring the voice communication device according to claim 4.