JP2007266878A - Multimedia compatible apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a multimedia compatible apparatus capable of coping with various kinds of media comprising audio and video or the like and efficiently managing, operating and utilizing multimedia information. <P>SOLUTION: A server apparatus in the multimedia compatible apparatus includes: a signal format identification section for identifying a signal format of a call signal; a call control section for storing signal formats of client terminals to a database in cross reference with the client terminals; and a signal format notice section that reads the signal format for each client terminal from the database and notifies a concerned client terminal about each of the signal formats. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a multimedia response device, and more particularly to a multimedia response device that is connected to a public network, an IP network, and the like and is used in a call center that uses a plurality of media such as audio and video.

  In recent years, call centers using VoIP (Voice over IP) have become widespread with the spread of the Internet and the development of subscriber optical access networks such as FTTH (Fiber To The Home). Such a call center uses a telephone answering system based on so-called computer telephony (CT) technology or computer telephony integration (CTI) technology, and customer relationship management (CRM). Management).

  However, in a conventional call center, for a call answered by an operator, a call time, a destination telephone number, etc. are recorded and stored as call information of the destination (for example, refer to Patent Document 1).

  As described above, the media recorded and stored by the call center has been limited to the audio media, so that it is not possible to deal with media consisting of various information such as audio and video, or management related to various media, There was a problem that management was difficult or inefficient.

As described above, as communication using various multimedia such as audio and video progresses, a call center system that is compatible with such multimedia and that can efficiently handle, manage, and operate is desired.
JP 2002-64639 A (page 2-3, FIG. 1)

  The present invention has been made in view of the above-described points, and an object of the present invention is to cope with various media including audio and video, and to efficiently manage, operate, and use multimedia information. Provide a possible multimedia response device.

  The multimedia response device of the present invention includes a server device for interconnecting call signals between a client terminal device, a management terminal device, a database, and a network including a public telephone line network and / or an IP network and the client terminal device. A multimedia response device, wherein the server device includes a signal format identifying unit that identifies a signal format of a call signal, a call control unit that stores a signal format for each client terminal device in a database in association with the client terminal device, And a signal format notifying unit that reads a signal format for each client terminal device from the database and notifies each corresponding client terminal device of the signal format.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In the drawings described below, substantially the same or equivalent components or equivalent parts are denoted by the same reference numerals.

  FIG. 1 is a block diagram schematically showing the configuration of a multimedia response system (apparatus) 10 that is Embodiment 1 of the present invention. The multimedia reception system 10 has a multimedia reception server device, and is provided, for example, in a call center.

  A gateway (GW) server device 20 of the multimedia reception system 10 is connected to a public telephone line network 11 and an IP network (network) 12.

  Connected to the public telephone network 11 are an audio media device 14A that performs audio media communication and an audio / video media device 14B that performs audio and video media communication, and a multimedia response system via a multimedia (MM) server device 20. 10 can be communicated. Similarly, the audio network device 14C and the audio / video media device 14D are also connected to the IP network 12 to perform audio media and audio / video media communication with the multimedia response system 10.

  Note that the media devices 14A, 14B, 14C, and 14D are examples, and are media communication devices that transmit various media generated by various audio and / or video coding, as will be described later.

  A gateway (GW) server device (hereinafter simply referred to as a gateway server) 20 is a call management (CM) server device (hereinafter simply referred to as a call management server) that performs call control and the like in the multimedia response system 10. 21), an administrator monitor device 22 for a system administrator who manages and operates the multimedia response system 10, an operator terminal device 23 and an operator telephone device 24, and a database (DB) device for storing various data ( Hereinafter, it is simply referred to as a database.) 25 and the like are connected to each other by a line such as a LAN (Local Area Network) cable or a telephone line.

  As will be described later, the gateway server 20 and the call management server 21 cooperate to support a multimedia call and function as a multimedia server device for using the media information.

  An administrator monitor device 22, an operator terminal device 23, and the like, which are client devices of the gateway server 20, are dedicated computer terminals or personal computers on which applications, interfaces, hardware, etc. necessary for customer service, telephone calls, data communication, etc. are appropriately installed. (PC) terminal. Furthermore, an Internet connection function, a web browsing function (WEB browser), an electronic mail function, and the like are installed.

  The gateway server 20 is connected to the devices in the multimedia reception system 10 via a LAN cable, a line, and the like, and has a function as a gateway server and an IP gateway server for the public telephone line network.

  More specifically, the gateway server 20 has various functions and hardware for communicating with a call management server 21, an administrator monitor device 22 that is a client device in the multimedia response system 10, an operator terminal device 23, and the like. is doing. For example, the gateway server 20 may have a router function and an interface circuit in addition to the gateway function.

  In addition, the gateway server 20 is a PBX (Private Branch eXchange) device that performs a connection for making an external line or extension call with the public telephone line network 11 or the client apparatuses 22, 23, and 24 in the multimedia answering system 10. have.

  Next, functions and operations of the gateway server 20, the call management server 21, and devices connected thereto will be described in detail with reference to FIGS.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the gateway server 20 receives calls from media communication devices 14A to 14D (hereinafter collectively referred to as customer media devices 14) which are customers via a public telephone line network 11 or an IP network 12. Accept.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the gateway server 20 is provided with a media type discriminator 31. The media type discriminator 31 discriminates the call media type of the call when there is an incoming call from the customer media device 14. .

  As described above, the gateway server 20 and the call management server 21 cooperate to function as the multimedia server device 30 (shown by a broken line in FIG. 2) for using the call media type information.

  More specifically, the media type discriminator 31 handles calls using analog signals and digital signals, and discriminates the media type of the incoming call. Further, the media type discriminator 31 is used as a media type of an incoming call, for example, a call by a fixed telephone via the public telephone line network 11 or the IP network 12, a video call, a call from an IP phone or a mobile phone. It is determined whether or not there is audio media or audio / video media.

  Furthermore, as will be described in detail later, the media type discriminator 31 is also configured to discriminate a coding method such as a data compression method of media used for a call.

  That is, a call is performed between the gateway server 20 and the caller using the various signal forms and signal formats as described above, and the gateway server 20 determines these signal formats. Here, these signal formats are referred to as media types.

  For example, when the call signal received via the IP network 12 is a packet data signal based on a real-time data transfer protocol (RTP), the media type discriminator 31 uses the payload type (PT) in the RTP header. The data coding (encoding) method is determined with reference to FIG. Note that even if the protocol is other than RTP, the media type discriminator 31 may be configured to discriminate the coding method according to the protocol.

  3, 4, and 5 represent a call history table provided in the database 25, and various types of information that will be described later are stored in association with each other as a call history.

  For example, as shown in FIG. 3 or FIG. 4, the media type discriminator 31 discriminates that the media type (signal format) of the incoming call is a video phone, IP phone, etc., and the media type calls the database 25. Stored as a history table.

  Alternatively, the media type discriminator 31 determines whether the media type of the incoming call is audio media, audio / video media (or simple video media not including audio), video phone, IP phone, or the like. And the coding (encoding) system of the medium is further determined.

  More specifically, as shown in FIG. 5, as the media type 1 (signal format 1), it is determined that the media type of the call is video phone, IP phone or the like, and further, the media type 2 (signal format 2). ), The coding method of the media may be determined, and the media type may be further classified. Here, in the coding method of FIG. 5, CODE-1, CODE-2, CODE-3, etc. represent, for example, MPEG, JPEG, PCMA, and the like.

  The media type discriminator 31 supplies the discriminated media type (or media type 1 and media type 2) to the database 25 and writes it on the call history table. The gateway server 20 notifies the call management server (CM server) 21 of the media type of the other party that is determined together with the incoming call notification. The call management server 21 that performs call control receives an incoming call notification, notifies the operator terminal device 23 of the call, and also sends it to the front application (FA) 27 provided in the operator terminal device 23 as one of the information of the caller. Pass the media type.

  The front application (FA) 27 can determine or change the content displayed on the screen of the operator terminal device 23 according to the received media type of the other party.

  At the same time, as shown in FIG. 3, the call management server 21 stores the media types currently supported by the operators (OP-1, OP-2,...) In the call history table of the database 25. Write in association with.

  The call history table in the database 25 is referred to by the gateway server 20 and the content is acquired. The gateway server 20 notifies the manager monitor device 22 of the acquired call history information. The administrator monitor device 22 has a function of processing call history information and displaying it for each operator terminal device 23. Therefore, the administrator determines whether or not the operator is in a call based on the display of the call history information made on the administrator monitor device 22, and in which media type for each operator terminal device 23 if the call is in progress. You can monitor whether you are responding to.

  As described above, the media type discriminator 31 discriminates the type of the call media, and stores the information as call information in the database 25. Then, the front application 27 provided in the operator terminal device 23 can acquire the call media information, and an optimum display can be performed depending on the type of the call media.

  In addition, by associating the call media information with the corresponding operator, it becomes possible for the call center manager to monitor what type of media call is supported by the operator who is making a call. Management can be performed.

  A modification of the above-described first embodiment will be described below. In the first embodiment described above, the case has been described in which the call media type is stored, referenced and monitored in association with the operator.

  In the present embodiment, various information is notified to the call management server 21 from the front application 27 provided in the operator terminal device 23, and the call management server 21 stores the information in the database 25.

  More specifically, the operator terminal device 23 that responds to an incoming call notifies the call management server 21 of various information related to the other party (customer) in addition to the media type information of the first embodiment. The various customer information is executed by the front application 27 of the operator terminal device 23.

  Examples of the customer information include, but are not limited to, call contents and call purposes. As shown in FIG. 4 or FIG. 5, for example, notification is made that the content of the call is a product order, support, or the like.

  The call management server 21 stores the received customer information (call contents) in the call history table of the database 25 in association with the corresponding operator. Since the call media type information is also stored in the call history table, it is possible to monitor the call media type information and the call contents in association with the operator, so that more efficient management can be performed.

  Furthermore, a modified example of the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. As shown in FIG. 6, in this embodiment, the gateway server 20 is provided with a statistical processing unit 32.

  As shown in FIG. 7, the call management server 21 stores the date / time information for each call in the call history table of the database 25 in association with the client terminal device. The date and time information includes the date and / or day of the call (YY year MM month DD day (day)), time (hh hour mm minute ss second), and the like.

  The statistical processing unit 32 performs statistical processing on the signal format and date / time information stored in the call history table of the database 25. That is, based on the stored information, for example, by time zone, day of the week, date, etc., and by performing statistical processing, which media (signal format) is used in what case Can be statistically grasped.

  Accordingly, not only real-time information grasping but also telephone call grasping after the end of work can be realized. Furthermore, it is possible to grasp and predict a call tendency based on a statistical processing result after a certain period of time has elapsed.

  The above-described embodiments are merely examples. In addition, the above-described embodiments can be applied with appropriate modifications and combinations.

1 is a block diagram schematically showing a configuration of a multimedia response system having a multimedia server that is Embodiment 1 of the present invention. FIG. It is a block diagram for demonstrating a structure and operation | movement of a multimedia reception system. In Example 1 of this invention, it is a figure which shows an example of the telephone call history table provided in a database. In Example 2 of this invention, it is a figure which shows an example of the telephone call history table provided in a database. In Example 2 of this invention, it is a figure which shows an example of the telephone call history table provided in a database. It is a block diagram for demonstrating the structure and operation | movement of a multimedia reception system in the modification of a present Example. It is a figure which shows an example of the telephone call history table provided in a database in the modification of a present Example.

Explanation of symbols

10 Multimedia Response System 20 Gateway (GW) Server Device 21 Call Management Server 22 Administrator Monitor Device 23 Operator Terminal Device 25 Database 27 Front Application 30 Multimedia Server 31 Media Type Discriminator 32 Statistical Processing Unit

Claims (8)

A multimedia response device having a server device for interconnecting call signals between a client terminal device, a management terminal device, a database, and a network including a public telephone line network and / or an IP network and the client terminal device,
The server device
A signal format identifying unit for identifying a signal format of the call signal;
A call control unit for storing the signal format for each client terminal device in the database in association with the client terminal device;
A multimedia response device, comprising: a signal format notification unit that reads the signal format for each of the client terminal devices from the database and notifies the corresponding client terminal device of each of the signal formats.   The multimedia response device according to claim 1, wherein the client terminal device includes a display control unit that performs display based on the notified signal format.   2. The multimedia response device according to claim 1, wherein the management terminal device has a display unit that acquires and displays a signal format for each client terminal device stored in the database.   The multimedia reception device according to claim 1, wherein the signal format notification unit notifies the management terminal device of a signal format for each of the client terminal devices.   The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the signal format includes an encoding method of the call signal.   The multimedia response device according to claim 1, wherein the call control unit stores customer information for each client terminal device in the database in association with the client terminal device.   The multimedia answering apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the call control unit stores date / time information for each client terminal apparatus in the database in association with the client terminal apparatus.   8. The multimedia reception apparatus according to claim 7, further comprising a statistical processing unit that performs statistical processing of the signal format and date / time information stored in the database.

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