JP2005223421A - Slave unit and communication system provided with the same - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a versatile slave unit which is adaptable to a plurality of kinds of master units and for which various expenses can be reduced. <P>SOLUTION: A communication system 10 comprises the master unit 12 connected to a public telephone network 11 and the slave unit 13 for making radio communication with the master unit, and is configured such that when the slave unit 13 is installed, the slave unit 13 negotiates with the master unit 12 to acquire function support information to which functions utilized by the master unit 12 are utilized and only the functions of the master unit 12 are displayed as a menu image of the slave unit 13 and brought into a usable state. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a communication system including a master unit and one or more slave units that communicate wirelessly with the master unit.

  It is possible to connect a plurality of cordless cordless handsets to a single master phone in a currently popular telephone or a multifunction device of a telephone and a facsimile machine. Therefore, it is useful to share information such as a telephone directory between the parent device and the child device.

For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a digital device that allows memory dial registration contents to be transferred to each other in a communication device having a memory dial function, eliminates memory dial input and change operations, and saves time, and quickly performs memory dial registration. A wireless transmission communication device is disclosed.
JP-A-8-79359

  However, in a conventional communication system (a system composed of a master unit and a slave unit), when a slave unit is added, connection can only be made with a model that supports the master unit. This is because the functions supported by the parent device are different for each model, and a child device having a menu corresponding to the functions of the parent device is required. Therefore, the number of handset models corresponding to the number of handset models is also required. As a result, the cost, design, production and management of the slave unit are high.

  An object of the present invention is to provide a versatile slave unit that supports a plurality of types of master units and to reduce various costs related to the slave units.

  In order to achieve the above object, a communication system of the present invention is a communication system comprising a parent device connected to a public line and one or more child devices wirelessly communicating with the parent device. In this case, the function support information in which the functions that can be used by the master unit or the slave unit are notified to the other device, and the above-mentioned functions can be implemented by using both the master unit and the slave unit. Only the function indicated by the support information is set to a state that can be used by the parent device or the child device.

  The communication system of the present invention is a communication system comprising a parent device connected to a public line and one or more child devices wirelessly communicating with the parent device. Functions that can be implemented only by the slave unit and functions that can be implemented by using both the master unit and the slave unit by acquiring function support information that registers the functions that can be used by the master unit by wireless connection to the master unit Of these, only the functions included in the function support information are displayed and used as a menu screen.

  The slave unit of the present invention is a slave unit that communicates wirelessly with a master unit connected to a public line. When registering a slave unit in the master unit, the slave unit has a function that can be wirelessly connected to the master unit and used by the master unit. Acquire registered function support information, and only functions that can be executed only by the slave unit and functions included in the function support information among the functions that can be executed by using both the master unit and the slave unit. Are displayed and usable as a menu screen.

  According to the present invention, since a menu and operation keys corresponding to a plurality of types of master units are registered in the slave unit, by enabling only the menu corresponding to the function of the installed master unit, Can be shared, and various costs related to the slave unit (costs for design, production, management, etc.) can be reduced.

  FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a main configuration of a master unit and a slave unit of a communication system. The communication system 10 includes a base unit 12 of a telephone connected to the public telephone network 11 and a slave unit 13 capable of wireless communication with the base unit 12. Multiple slave units can be added.

  The base unit 12 is connected to the public telephone network 11 and controls a telephone line control unit 14 that controls a telephone function, a radio unit 15 that includes an antenna and performs radio communication with the slave unit 13, an operation unit 16 that includes various keys, A display unit 17 composed of a liquid crystal panel, a memory 18 used for various functions, and a main control unit 19 for controlling the parent device 12 are provided.

  In addition, the slave unit 13 includes an antenna, a wireless unit 20 that performs wireless communication with the master unit 12, an operation unit 21 that includes various keys, a display unit 22 that includes a liquid crystal panel, and a memory 23 that is used for various functions. And a main control unit 24 for controlling the slave unit 13. The handset 13 is connected to the public telephone network 11 via the base unit 12.

  Various functions are added to such a communication system 10. For example, a phone book function that can register a phone book, a phone book transfer function that transfers a phone book registered in the master unit 12 or the slave unit 13 to the other device, and a speech rate conversion function that converts the call speed to make it easier to hear , A Chinese character display function capable of displaying Chinese characters on the display units 17 and 22, a remote unit remote function capable of playing or setting / canceling an answering machine on the side of the handset 13, a door phone function usable as a door phone, etc. It is done.

  These functions are normally provided in the parent device 12, and function support information indicating what functions the parent device 12 has and which functions are available is stored in the memory 18. And the subunit | mobile_unit 13 can utilize the function which the main | base station 12 has by communication with the main | base station 12. FIG.

  Therefore, the operation unit 21 of the slave unit 13 and the menu screen for displaying various functions need to correspond to the functions of the master unit 12. The subunit | mobile_unit 13 of this invention has versatility so that it can respond | correspond to multiple types of main | base stations. In other words, regardless of the functions of the parent device to which the child device 13 is connected, the operation unit 21 has a plurality of uses for one key, and the menu screen displayed on the display unit 22 has a plurality of parents. All the functions provided in the machine can be displayed. Therefore, the slave unit 13 acquires the function support information of the connected master unit and stores it in the memory 23 so that the function of the connected master unit can be used.

  Next, the procedure and operation when the handset 13 is added will be described. FIG. 2 is a sequence diagram for explaining transfer of function support information between the master unit 12 and the slave unit 13 when the slave unit 13 is added. First, when the user operates the operation unit 21 of the child device 13 to instruct the extension of the child device 13, the child device 13 negotiates function support information with the parent device 12. In response to this, the parent device 12 adds function support information to the wireless ID used for communication with the child device 13 in the future and transmits it to the child device 13. In response to this, the slave unit 13 returns ACK (slave unit number). As a result, the parent device 12 can recognize the child device 13.

  Subsequently, the slave unit 13 processes the acquired function support information. Specifically, the function support information is stored in the memory 23 and set in a state where the corresponding function can be used. Thus, the extension of the slave unit 13 is completed.

  FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing the operation on the side of the slave unit 13 when the function of the master unit 12 is operated. When the function registered in the function support information is operated on the base unit 12 side, information on the function being operated is received from the base unit 12 in step S10. In step S11, the function support information stored in the memory 23 is read out. Next, the process proceeds to step S12, and it is determined whether or not the function being operated by the master unit 12 is supported by the slave unit 13. That is, the function information received in step S10 is compared with the function support information read in step S11. If the function is supported in step S12, the process proceeds to step S13, and the corresponding menu is read from the menus of the slave unit 13 and displayed on the display unit 22. On the other hand, if the function is not supported in step S12, it is a function that cannot be used on the handset 13 side, so the process ends without displaying the menu.

  For example, when the master unit 12 and the slave unit 13 correspond to the door phone function and are connected to the door phone, when the door phone is sounded, the master unit 12 first operates the door phone function on the base unit 12 side, and the door phone Is transmitted to the slave unit 13. The handset 13 that has received it confirms that it supports the door phone compared with the function support information, and displays the door phone menu screen on the display unit 22. As a result, the user can respond to the doorphone in either the parent device 12 or the child device 13.

  As described above, since the menus and operation keys corresponding to a plurality of types of master devices are registered in the slave device 13, only the necessary menus and operation keys are enabled according to the functions of the installed master device. Thus, the slave unit 13 can be shared, and various costs related to the slave unit (costs for design, production, management, etc.) can be reduced.

  In the above-described embodiment, the case where some function is started in the parent device 12 has been described. However, when any function is started on the child device 13 side, function support information to be operated is transmitted from the child device 13 to the parent device 12. To send.

  The present invention can be used for a communication system having a relationship between a parent device and a child device such as a telephone or a facsimile machine.

It is a block diagram which shows the principal part structure of the main | base station of a communication system of this invention, and a subunit | mobile_unit. It is a sequence diagram explaining transmission / reception of the function support information between the main | base station and a subunit | mobile_unit at the time of the expansion | extension of the subunit | mobile_unit of this invention. It is a flowchart which shows operation | movement by the side of the subunit | mobile_unit at the time of operation | movement of the function which the main | base station of this invention has.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Communication system 11 Public telephone network 12 Base unit 13 Sub unit 14 Telephone line control unit 15, 20 Radio unit 16, 21 Operation unit 17, 22 Display unit 18, 23 Memory 19, 24 Main control unit

Claims (3)

In a communication system comprising a master unit connected to a public line and one or more slave units that communicate wirelessly with the master unit,
When registering the slave unit to the master unit,
The function support information in which functions that can be used in the master unit or slave unit are registered is notified to each other device, and the above-mentioned function support information is included in the functions that can be implemented by using both the master unit and the slave unit. A communication system, wherein only the function to be shown is set in a state that can be used by a parent device or a child device. In a communication system comprising a master unit connected to a public line and one or more slave units that communicate wirelessly with the master unit,
When registering the slave unit to the master unit,
Implemented by acquiring function support information that registers the functions that can be used by the slave unit wirelessly connected to the master unit and using both the master unit and the slave unit. A communication system, wherein only a function included in the function support information among the possible functions is displayed and used as a menu screen. In the slave unit that communicates wirelessly with the master unit connected to the public line,
When registering a slave unit to the master unit, obtain the function support information that registers the functions that can be used by the master unit by wireless connection to the master unit. Only the functions included in the function support information among the functions that can be implemented by using both of the machines are displayed and usable as a menu screen.

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