JP2005295197A - Videophone system - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a videophone system provided with an interruption function from a third party that is effective to a videophone. <P>SOLUTION: The videophone system is provided with: a means that switches first to third communication terminals to a connection via a multipoint connection apparatus while the connection between the first and second communication terminals is maintained in the case that the third communication terminal calls the first communication terminal making a videophone speech with the second communication terminal; a means located in the inside of the multipoint connection apparatus and for synthesizing information acquired from the third communication terminal with information transmitted from the second communication terminal to the first communication terminal; and a means located in the inside of the multipoint connection apparatus and for switching the connection between the first and second communication terminals in the multipoint connection apparatus into the connection between the first and third communication terminals. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a videophone system having an interrupt function from a third party.

  Videophones were once possible only between fixed terminals, but due to recent technological innovations, mobile phones and other mobile terminals are also possible, and the number of users is expected to increase.

  By the way, in a voice call, an interrupt service from a third party called “catch phone” (when a call from a third party is made during a call between two parties, a beep sound or the like is mixed into the voice signal. In other words, an interruption service similar to that for voice calls has been provided for videophones.

As a prior art document, a videophone terminal or the like having an interrupt function using a normal circuit switching technique is disclosed (for example, see Patent Document 1).
JP-A-5-327914

  As described above, in the conventional videophone, since a call from a third party is notified by a beep sound or the like as in the case of a voice call, it is impossible to know who the call is from and the face of the other party is It did not take full advantage of the characteristics of videophones that can be seen.

  Further, Patent Document 1 discloses a technique in which an image of a third party who has been called is synthesized and displayed to notify who the call is from, but the conventional circuit switching technique is used. There is a problem that the configuration of the terminal and the exchange is complicated and the control is complicated.

  The present invention has been proposed in view of the above-described conventional problems, and an object of the present invention is to improve based on the technology of a multipoint control unit (MCU) used in a video conference system or the like. An object of the present invention is to provide a videophone system having an interrupt function from a third party that is effective in videophone.

  In order to solve the above-described problems, in the present invention, as described in claim 1, the first communication terminal among the first and second communication terminals that are making a videophone call is provided. When the third communication terminal is called, the first to third communication terminals are connected via the multipoint connection device while maintaining the connection between the first and second communication terminals. Means for switching, means for synthesizing information acquired from the third communication terminal into information transmitted from the second communication terminal to the first communication terminal, inside the multipoint connection device; A connection between the first and second communication terminals in the multipoint connection device is provided in the multipoint connection device, in response to a switching request from the first communication terminal. Means for switching to a connection between communication terminals To have.

  In addition, as described in claim 2, the information combined with the information transmitted to the first communication terminal includes any image, sound, or text specified by the third communication terminal. Can be.

  According to a third aspect of the present invention, the process of switching the connection of the first to third communication terminals to the connection via the multipoint connection device is an interrupt request from the third communication terminal. Can be done accordingly.

  According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided an interrupt service contract for the first communication terminal before switching the connection of the first to third communication terminals to the connection via the multipoint connection device. It can be confirmed by referring to the contractor information.

  According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, a holding tone is transmitted to the second communication terminal that cannot make a call when switching to the connection between the first and third communication terminals. Can do.

  In the present invention, by making improvements based on the technology of a multipoint connection device used in a video conference system or the like, it is possible to realize an interrupt function from a third party that is effective in a video phone. .

  Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of the present invention.

  In FIG. 1, communication terminals (MS: Mobile Station) 1A to 1C are communication terminals such as mobile phones possessed by a user. Also, as equipment on the telecommunications carrier side, a radio base station (BTS: Base Transceiver Station) 2 that transmits and receives radio signals to and from the communication terminals 1A to 1C, and circuit switching / packet switching that performs processing such as circuit connection An integrated exchange (LMMS) 3 and a multipoint control unit (MCU) 4 that performs information synthesis, line switching, etc. to realize an interrupt function from a third party in a videophone And are provided. The multipoint connection device 4 is an improvement based on the technology of the multipoint connection device used in a video conference system or the like.

  As an internal configuration, the line switching / packet switching integrated exchange 3 includes a line connection processing unit 31 that performs line connection between two of the communication terminals 1A to 1C (for example, between the communication terminal 1A and the communication terminal 1B). And a call status storage unit 32 for managing the current call status, and when a third party calls to one of the communication terminals that are calling between the two parties, the third party communication terminal is connected to multiple points. A call transfer processing unit 33 connected to the device 4 and a line-route switching processing unit that switches the communication terminal that is talking between the two parties to the connection via the multipoint connection device 4 while maintaining the connection between the two parties. 34 is provided.

  The multipoint connection device 4 includes a contractor information management unit 41 that refers to contractor information to check whether there is an interrupt service contract for the communication terminal that receives the interrupt, and a communication terminal that receives the interrupt. The information is transmitted from the communication terminal of the other party to the communication terminal, and the composition unit 42 for synthesizing the information such as the image, voice and text acquired from the communication terminal on the interruption side, and switching from the communication terminal on the interruption side A line switching unit 43 is provided for switching the communication terminal of the other party in response to a request.

  FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an outline of the operation of the above-described embodiment. In the case where a call is made from the communication terminal 1C during a videophone call between the communication terminal 1A and the communication terminal 1B. Show. That is, when a call is made from the communication terminal 1C to the communication terminal 1A during a videophone call between the communication terminal 1A and the communication terminal 1B (step S1) (step S2), After confirming the interrupt service contract for the communication terminal 1A and confirming the interrupt request for the communication terminal 1C, the communication terminal 1C is connected to the multipoint connection device 4 (step S3).

  Almost at the same time, the connection between the communication terminal 1A and the communication terminal 1B is switched to the connection via the multipoint connection device 4 while maintaining the connection between the communication terminal 1A and the communication terminal 1B (step S4, S5). In this state, the information transmitted from the communication terminal 1C is combined with the information transmitted from the communication terminal 1B to the communication terminal 1A and transmitted.

  Then, in response to the switching request from the communication terminal 1A, the connection between the communication terminal 1A and the communication terminal 1B in the multipoint connection device 4 is switched to the connection between the communication terminal 1A and the communication terminal 1C (step S6). . Further, in response to the switching request from the communication terminal 1A, the connection between the communication terminal 1A and the communication terminal 1C in the multipoint connection device 4 is switched to the connection between the communication terminal 1A and the communication terminal 1B (step S7). .

  By using the multipoint connection device 4 in this way, connections from the plurality of communication terminals 1A to 1C can be easily integrated, and an interrupt function from a third party can be easily realized.

  FIG. 3 is a sequence diagram showing the operation of the above embodiment in more detail.

  In FIG. 3, under the control of the circuit connection processing unit 31 in the circuit switching / packet switching integrated switching system 3, during a videophone call between the communication terminal 1A and the communication terminal 1B (step S101). When a call is made from the communication terminal 1C to the communication terminal 1A (step S102), the line connection processing unit 31 of the circuit switching / packet switching integrated exchange 3 calls the destination communication terminal 1A from the call status storage unit 32. It is detected that the multipoint connection device 4 is captured.

  The contractor information management unit 41 of the multipoint connection device 4 confirms from the contractor information whether there is an interrupt service contract for the communication terminal 1A (step S103). Then, a signal sound indicating that the call is busy (busy) is transmitted and the connection is disconnected (step S104).

  When an interrupt service contract is made, it is confirmed whether or not an interrupt is to be made to the communication terminal 1C (step S105). When there is an interrupt request from the communication terminal 1C (step S106), circuit switching / packet switching is performed. Under the control of the call transfer processing unit 33 of the integrated exchange 3, the communication terminal 1C is transferred to the multipoint connection device 4 (step S107).

  At almost the same time, the communication terminal 1A and the communication terminal are maintained in a state in which the connection between the communication terminal 1A and the communication terminal 1B is maintained under the control of the line switching processing unit 34 of the circuit switching / packet switching integrated switch 3. The connection with 1B is switched to the connection via the multipoint connection device 4 (steps S108 and S109). In this state, communication terminal 1C is not directly connected to communication terminal 1A and communication terminal 1B.

  Next, in the communication terminal 1C, information such as an arbitrary image, voice, and text to be notified to the communication terminal 1A that is a call destination is set (step S110) and sent to the multipoint connection device 4 (step S111). ). FIG. 4 (a) shows an example of a screen for setting an image, text, etc. in the communication terminal 1C. After selecting and inputting a desired image, text, etc., the user can press the “Send” button. Transmission to the point connection device 4 is performed.

  The synthesizing unit 42 of the multipoint connection device 4 synthesizes information such as images, sounds, and texts acquired from the communication terminal 1C with information transmitted from the communication terminal 1B to the communication terminal 1A (step S112). (Step S113). FIG. 4B shows an example of the display screen of the communication terminal 1A. The image and text acquired from the communication terminal 1C are combined with the image of the communication terminal 1B that is the current call partner and displayed. In addition, when the voice is synthesized, the voice is also reproduced at the same time.

  The communication terminal 1A recognizes the user of the communication terminal 1C that has interrupted the image, sound, text, etc. sent from the communication terminal 1C, and makes a switching request to the multipoint connection device 4 when responding to the interrupt ( Step S114).

  In response to a switching request from the communication terminal 1A, the line switching unit 43 of the multipoint connection apparatus 4 establishes a connection between the communication terminal 1A and the communication terminal 1B in the multipoint connection apparatus 4 with the communication terminal 1A and the communication terminal 1C. The connection is switched to (step S116, S117). Prior to this switching, a hold sound is transmitted to the communication terminal 1B that cannot make a call (step S115). Furthermore, the line switching unit 43 of the multipoint connection apparatus 4 monitors the switching request from the communication terminal 1A (step S118). If there is a switching request from the communication terminal 1A again, the communication terminal 1A and the communication terminal 1B The connection is switched to the connection between them, and thereafter, the switching process is similarly performed.

  The present invention has been described above by the preferred embodiments of the present invention. While the invention has been described with reference to specific embodiments, various modifications and changes may be made to the embodiments without departing from the broad spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the claims. Obviously you can. In other words, the present invention should not be construed as being limited by the details of the specific examples and the accompanying drawings.

It is a block diagram which shows one Embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows the operation | movement outline | summary of embodiment. It is a sequence diagram which shows operation | movement of embodiment. It is a figure which shows the example of a display screen.

Explanation of symbols

1A-1C communication terminal (MS: Mobile Station)
2 Base transceiver station (BTS)
3 Circuit-switched / packet-switched integrated switching system (LMMS: Local Mobile Multimedia Switching System)
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 31 Line connection process part 32 Call status storage part 33 Call transfer process part 34 Line switching process part 4 Multipoint control unit (MCU: Multipoint Control Unit)
41 Contractor information management unit 42 Combining unit 43 Line switching unit

Claims (5)

When a call is made from the third communication terminal to the first communication terminal among the first and second communication terminals that are making a videophone call, between the first and second communication terminals. Means for switching the first to third communication terminals to a connection via a multipoint connection device while maintaining the connection;
Means for combining the information acquired from the third communication terminal with the information transmitted from the second communication terminal to the first communication terminal inside the multipoint connection device;
A connection between the first and second communication terminals in the multipoint connection device is provided in the multipoint connection device, in response to a switching request from the first communication terminal. A videophone system comprising means for switching to a connection between communication terminals.   2. The videophone according to claim 1, wherein the information combined with the information transmitted to the first communication terminal includes an arbitrary image, sound, or text designated by the third communication terminal. system.   The process for switching the connection of the first to third communication terminals to a connection via the multipoint connection device is performed in response to an interrupt request from the third communication terminal. 3. The videophone system according to any one of 2 above.   Before switching the connection of the first to third communication terminals to the connection via the multipoint connection device, the presence / absence of an interrupt service contract for the first communication terminal is confirmed with reference to the contractor information. The videophone system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein   5. The holding sound is transmitted to the second communication terminal that cannot make a call when switching to the connection between the first and third communication terminals. 6. The videophone system described.

Images