JP2009049823A - Presence information display system - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a presence information display system capable of automatically executing the registration update work of presence to maintain up-to-date presence information continuously, and capable of reducing power consumption in a speech unit when displaying the presence information. <P>SOLUTION: The presence information display system has: a plurality of speech units 4a, 4b capable of communicating mutually via a network; presence information acquiring devices 1AP, 2AP and 3AP automatically acquiring the presence information indicating states of the speech units; a presence server 6 receiving the presence information acquired by the presence information acquiring devices from the presence information acquiring devices for management; and a display means M capable of displaying the presence information managed by the presence server. The presence server updates the presence information to be managed to the up-to-date content based on the presence information received from the presence information acquiring device, and allows the display means to display the updated most recent information. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a display system for presence information (information relating to the location and operation of a telephone device) in voice communication using an IP (Internet Protocol) network.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a technique for transmitting and receiving voice data using an IP network (IP network) such as the Internet or an intranet is known. Such a voice communication technique is, for example, a call device using VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) ( It is practically used as a so-called IP phone). In an IP phone, voice is converted into digital data by a telephone, divided into units called packets, and then sent to the other party via the IP network. Compared with a circuit switching method that occupies a circuit path, there are advantages in that the use efficiency of the circuit is high and services can be provided at low cost.

  Recently, a communication device (such as an IP phone, a video conference terminal, or an Internet phone) in which a presence function using the SIMPLE (SIP for Instant Messaging Presence Leveraging Extensions) standard is implemented as a communication function other than the voice call described above. It is rapidly spreading. The presence function is a function that makes it possible to know in advance whether or not the other party is ready to receive when making a call to the other party. For example, an office-to-office call using a fixed IP phone in a company is assumed. In such a case, according to the presence function, the other party is present and can talk, or the other party is away for various reasons such as going out, meeting, and vacation, It is possible for the caller to know in advance whether or not it is possible to make a call before making a call.

  That is, by using the presence function, the caller needs to check beforehand whether or not the other party is in a callable state before making a call, and only has to make a call when the other party is in a callable state. Transmission can be effectively suppressed. Therefore, not only can the user be able to improve the convenience but also the operational advantage that it can contribute to avoiding congestion of the line and reduce unnecessary communication costs. .

Although the presence function has such merits, further improvements are required for the function, and various functions have been expanded conventionally.
For example, in Patent Document 1, as information (presence information) provided by the presence function, not only the status information of the other party, but also information related to the type of the communication device (terminal) used by the other party (for example, the terminal is IP A server (presence server and session control server) configuration for adding a telephone, a video conference terminal, a video telephone, or a chat terminal) is disclosed as an example. By expanding the presence function, not only the other party's status but also the other party's terminal type is notified to the caller in advance before making a call, making it possible to make a smoother decision as to whether or not the call can be made. (Inter-user communication) has been improved.

Further, Patent Document 2 shows an example of an IP telephone configuration that allows a user to arbitrarily add, delete, and edit a character string (display character string and notification character string) indicating the other party's status (presence). It is disclosed as. By expanding the presence function, it is possible to arbitrarily set the other party's presence according to the IP phone usage environment and usage conditions, and to precisely set presence information to be notified to the caller in advance before making a call. Thus, the convenience of the user is improved and the degree of freedom in selecting the IP phone model is improved.
JP 2005-31001 A JP 2006-279477 A

  By the way, in the presence function, the presence information of the other party notified to the caller, specifically, the presence information displayed on the call device of the caller (for example, IP phone) is manually input by each user. It is assumed that the information is registered in advance in the server (presence server), and the registered information is transmitted from the presence server to the caller's call device (IP phone), and the call device (IP It is displayed on the display unit (liquid crystal panel, monitor, etc.) of the telephone. In other words, each user including the caller sends information about his / her current state (for example, being out of the office, going out, meeting, vacation, etc.) from the call device (IP phone etc.) he / she uses to the presence server. On the other hand, it must be registered and updated at any time by manual input operation whenever the state changes.

  Such user registration and updating of presence information must be performed by manual input operations when the presence function is expanded as disclosed in Patent Documents 1 and 2 described above. There is no change.

  Therefore, if each user does not register their presence information or fails to update (e.g., a user who has been present and is registered as `` at the seat '' presence will not be able to attend the conference) Regardless, such presence information does not necessarily accurately represent the current state of each user (for example, when the presence is not updated to “in-conference” presence). As described above, when the registered presence information and the actual user state do not match, the merit obtained by the above-described presence function is diminished and the convenience for the user is reduced.

  For example, even if the caller makes a call to the other party on the display of presence information, the other party is already away and is in the middle of a meeting in the conference room (with the original presence) There is a possibility that it is impossible to talk on the phone during the conference. In this case, the caller must make another call to the other party, which is convenient for the user. Is significantly reduced.

  On the other hand, in order to keep the presence information of each user registered in the presence server up-to-date, it is necessary for each user to perform update registration of presence when his / her state changes. In order to effectively operate the presence function, presence registration update work manually performed by the user is inevitable. However, in this case, every time the user's state changes, the user is forced to perform update registration of the presence, and it is also necessary to reduce the workload.

  The present invention has been made to solve such problems, and its purpose is to perform convenience registration and update operations automatically in order to keep presence information always up-to-date. It is an object of the present invention to provide a presence information display system that can improve and display more accurate presence information.

In order to achieve such an object, a presence information display system according to a first invention includes a plurality of communication devices capable of communicating with each other via a network, and presence information indicating a state of the communication device. Presence information acquisition device (for example, access point, RF-ID reading antenna and IP-PBX) to be automatically acquired and presence information acquired by the presence information acquisition device are received from the presence information acquisition device. A presence server managed by the presence server, and display means (for example, a monitor) capable of displaying the presence information managed by the presence server. In the presence information display system, the presence server updates the presence information to be managed to the latest content based on the presence information received from the presence information acquisition apparatus, and displays the updated latest presence information. Display on the means.
According to the first aspect of the present invention, the presence registration update operation is automatically executed, so that the load of the presence registration update operation of the user is greatly reduced, and the presence registration update operation is prevented from being leaked. Can always be kept up to date.

In the second invention, the display means is provided in the call device, and the latest presence information updated by the presence server is transmitted from the presence server to the call device at least when the call device is used. Displayed on the display means.
According to the second invention, by adjusting and controlling the display timing of the presence information for the call device used by the user, for example, by minimizing it to the necessary minimum when using the call device, the battery (battery) of the call device Consumption is suppressed, and low power consumption can be achieved. Thereby, it becomes possible to continue using the telephone apparatus continuously for a long time.

In a third aspect, the presence server manages, as presence information, a result comprehensively determined based on presence information received from a plurality of presence information acquisition devices.
According to the third invention, the accuracy of presence information can be improved and more accurate presence information can be displayed.

In a fourth aspect, the operation mode of the call device is switched based on an instruction from the presence server.
According to the fourth invention, on the basis of the presence information, for example, the telephone device is automatically switched from a normal state (normal mode) to a state in which power consumption is reduced (power saving mode), and vice versa. Switching can be performed automatically, and consumption of the battery (battery) of the communication device can be more effectively suppressed.

  According to the presence information display system according to the present invention, the presence registration and update work is automatically executed, thereby greatly reducing the load of the user's presence registration update work and keeping the presence information always up-to-date. This can be maintained, and the convenience of the user can be improved.

A presence information display system according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described below.
The presence information display system according to the present embodiment is a communication device using Internet communication technology, or a server having a function of communicating (wireless communication) between communication devices according to a predetermined communication protocol (protocol). It is constructed as a communication system connected to each other via a network. The IP network is a general term for the Internet or a network having the same mechanism as the Internet, and the call device can be connected to a wireless LAN (Local Area Network) or a wired LAN laid in the IP network.

  Further, the server has a function of realizing call setting of the telephone device in conformity with a communication form such as SIP (Session Initiation Protocol) or P2P (Peer to Peer). In this case, for example, an IP phone, an income that functions as an IP phone, a fixed personal computer, a mobile PC (Personal Computer), a PDA (Personal Digital Assistants), or the like can be applied as a call device.

  FIG. 1 shows a configuration example in which the presence information display system as described above is constructed in a game hall (for example, pachinko hall). In this configuration example, only the system constructed on the first floor 1F of the game hall is shown in order to clarify the basic configuration of the presence information display system. In addition, a plurality of gaming islands 1PL and 2PL on which a plurality of types of gaming machines (pachinko machines) PM are installed are arranged in the floor 1F, and each gaming machine 1PL and 2PL has one gaming machine. One call lamp unit 2 is provided corresponding to each.

  In this case, the presence information display system constructed in the first floor 1F is a communication device (for example, intercom) 4a carried by a plurality of (two persons in the drawing) store clerks A and B who circulate in the floor 1F. , 4b and a plurality of (three as an example in the drawing) access points 1AP, 2AP for wirelessly communicating with each of the communication devices 4a, 4b and connecting the communication devices 4a, 4b to an IP network (not shown) , 3AP and a server 6 (for example, installed in a management room or the like) connected to each access point 1AP, 2AP, 3AP via an IP network. The server 6 is connected to a call lamp unit 2 provided for each gaming machine 1PL, 2PL.

  Here, in order to ensure the mobility, the communication devices 4a and 4b wirelessly communicate with the access points 1AP, 2AP, and 3AP at regular intervals (for example, once every few seconds and once every minute). It is set to repeat communication and register the location of its own terminal. In wireless communication between each of the communication devices 4a and 4b and each of the access points 1AP, 2AP, and 3AP, various signals are transmitted / received according to standards such as IEEE802.11a, IEEE802.11b, and IEEE802.11g. At this time, when each access point 1AP, 2AP, 3AP receives a radio signal from each communication device 4a, 4b, it measures the radio field intensity for each access point 1AP, 2AP, 3AP, and the measurement result is sent to each access point. The server 6 is notified via 1AP, 2AP, 3AP.

  FIG. 2 shows an example of the internal configuration of such communication devices 4a and 4b. The communication devices 4a and 4b convert a sound into an electric signal and a microphone 8 that converts the electric signal into sound. The analog signal output from the speaker 10 and the microphone 8 is converted into a digital signal, the digital signal is converted into an analog signal, and the voice processing circuit 12 that drives the speaker 10 with the analog signal is generated and transmitted. Wireless communication between the user agent client unit 14 that receives the response, the user agent server unit 16 that receives and processes the SIP request and generates a response, and the access points 1AP, 2AP, and 3AP. In addition, a wireless LAN interface 18 for transmitting and receiving various data and a wireless chip 19 having an RF-ID are provided.

  In this case, each of the communication devices 4a and 4b can communicate (wireless communication) with each other via the server 6 having a function as an SIP server via the access points 1AP, 2AP, and 3AP within the communicable range. At the same time, each clerk A and B can talk with each other as an extension telephone terminal. In addition, by providing the telephone devices 4a and 4b with the SIP phone function, one-to-many calls (for example, simultaneous reports from managers to all store clerk) and many-to-many calls (for example, multipoints where all store employees participate) It is also possible to execute (conference). Further, by connecting the server 6 having a function as a SIP server to a server (not shown) of another game hall, it is possible to communicate between the call devices assigned to a plurality of game halls.

  FIG. 3 shows an example of the internal configuration of each access point 1AP, 2AP, 3AP. The access point 1AP, 2AP, 3AP is a server for the communication devices 4a, 4b, which are wireless LAN terminals as described above. 6 has a function of relaying radio waves for connection to the radio. Thereby, all the communication devices 4a, 4b within the communicable range of each access point 1AP, 2AP, 3AP, and the communication devices 4a, 4b and the server 6 are connected to each other in the communication system (network) of the present embodiment. Can be connected to each other via

As shown in FIG. 3, the access points 1AP, 2AP, 3AP automatically measure the intensity of radio waves received from the wireless chip 19 having the RF-ID provided in each communication device 4a, 4b, and the measurement results Is acquired and stored as radio wave intensity measurement data corresponding to information indicating the states of the communication devices 4a and 4b, and the radio wave intensity measurement unit 20 that transmits the stored radio wave intensity measurement data to the server 6 and each call device 4a. , 4b, a wireless communication unit 22 for performing wireless communication, a calculation unit 24 connected to the wireless communication unit 22, and a network communication control unit 26 connected to the calculation unit 24.
Here, the wireless communication unit 22 transmits / receives data (wireless communication) according to a modulation / demodulation function for transmitting / receiving data (wireless communication) to / from each of the communication devices 4a and 4b, and a predetermined communication protocol (protocol). For example, an RF (Radio Frequency) unit.

  The arithmetic unit 24 has a function of causing the CPU 28 to execute predetermined processing according to a program stored in the ROM 32 using the RAM 30 as a work area. Here, the ROM 32 is provided with, for example, two banks B1 and B2, and at least one bank (for example, B1) stores a program for functioning as the access points 1AP, 2AP, and 3AP. It has become. Program data is exchanged among the CPU 28, RAM 30 and ROM 32 via the bus 34, and the bus 34 is connected to the server 6 via the network communication control unit 26. In this case, the access point 1AP, 2AP, 3AP is realized by the CPU 28 executing the program stored in the bank B1 of the ROM 32 using the RAM 30 as a work area. Further, for example, when trouble occurs in the bank B1 or when the program is updated, the CPU 28 may be operated by switching to the spare bank B2 so as not to stop the communication.

  At this time, the server 6 receives the radio field intensity measurement data transmitted from the radio field intensity measurement unit 20 of each access point 1AP, 2AP, 3AP, and based on the radio field intensity measurement data, the position of each communication device 4a, 4b. A position specifying process for specifying is executed. In this case, when the call lamp unit 2 of a certain gaming machine PM (FIG. 1) is operated by a player, a store clerk, or the like and a call signal is transmitted to the server 6, the server 6 receives each result obtained as a result of the position specifying process. Based on the positions of the communication devices 4a and 4b, a specific communication device (for example, 4a) is selected, and a message is reported to the communication device 4a. Thereby, for example, it becomes possible to dispatch the clerk A (FIG. 1) carrying the call device 4a to the corresponding gaming machine PM.

  The server 6 is a SIP entity having a function as a SIP server (a function for processing a SIP request), and resolves the next transfer destination of the SIP request from the communication devices 4a and 4b operating as a user agent. , The proxy server that forwards the request, the next forwarding destination of the SIP request, the redirect server that sends the request in response, the REGISTER request is received, and the contact addresses of the communication devices 4a and 4b that are user agents are It not only functions as a user agent server including the server to be registered, but also functions as a user agent client.

FIG. 4 shows an example of the internal configuration of such a server 6. The server 6 includes a communication device position specifying unit 36, a communication device position storage unit 38, a communication device selection unit 40, and a selection. And a communication device reporting unit 42.
The call device position specifying unit 36 specifies the positions of the call devices 4a and 4b based on the radio field intensity measurement data received from the call devices 4a and 4b via the access points 1AP, 2AP and 3AP. At this time, since the positions of the communication devices 4a and 4b change according to the movement of the store clerks A and B (FIG. 1) carrying the communication devices, the communication device position specifying unit 36 receives the radio field intensity measurement data every time it receives the radio field intensity measurement data. The positions of the communication devices 4a and 4b are updated to the latest one. Note that the positions of the communication devices 4a and 4b do not necessarily have to be set to one point as in the coordinates. For example, the first floor 1F (FIG. 1) of the game arcade is divided into a plurality of small areas and corresponds to each area. The positions of the communication devices 4a and 4b may be specified.

  Here, as a method of specifying the position of the communication device 4a, 4b, for example, based on the radio field strength of the received radio field strength measurement data, between the communication device 4a, 4b and each access point 1AP, 2AP, 3AP The distance may be calculated, and the intersection of virtual circles around each access point 1AP, 2AP, 3AP with the distance as the radius may be obtained. As another method, for example, a position detection method of a wireless mobile terminal disclosed in JP-A-2002-159041 may be used.

  The call device position storage unit 38 stores the positions of the call devices 4a and 4b specified by the call device position specifying unit 36, and is updated to the latest one each time the radio field intensity measurement data is received. Memorize the position of 4b.

  When the calling lamp unit 2 of a certain gaming machine PM (FIG. 1) is operated and a calling signal is transmitted, the calling device selection unit 40 is connected to the gaming machine PM corresponding to the calling signal (hereinafter referred to as a calling gaming machine PM). ) Position. Subsequently, the position of the call gaming machine PM is compared with the position of each of the call devices 4a and 4b stored in the call device position storage unit 38, and is located at a position suitable for dispatching to the call gaming machine PM. The communication devices 4a and 4b to be selected are selected. In this case, as a method for selecting the communication devices 4a and 4b, for example, the communication devices 4a and 4b located at the position closest to the call gaming machine PM may be selected, or the call gaming machines PM of the clerk A and B The telephone devices 4a and 4b carried by the most appropriate store clerks A and B may be selected according to the experience and knowledge of the user.

  The selected call device notification unit 42 notifies the call devices 4a and 4b (hereinafter referred to as the selected call devices 4a and 4b) selected by the call device selection unit 40 that the call signal has been received from the call gaming machine PM. . In this case, as a notification method, for example, a voice message may be transmitted to the speaker 10 (FIG. 2) of the selected call device 4a, 4b, or a simple sound may be generated from the speaker 10. good. In short, there is no particular limitation as long as it is a method capable of notifying the store clerk A, B carrying the selected call device 4a, 4b that the call signal has been received.

  As an example, the selected call device reporting unit 42 has a function as a caller terminal (user / agent / client) of a SIP phone (IP phone), and the selected call device reporting unit 42 and the selected call devices 4a, 4b. Assume that session management is performed between In this case, the destination information (for example, URI (Uniform Resource Identifier), telephone number) of each communication device 4a, 4b is recorded in the selected communication device notification unit 42 in advance, based on the corresponding destination information. The session is executed. Then, when a session is established between the two parties, for example, a voice message such as “There was a call from the game machine of the XX series. Please respond.” Is sent to the selected call device (for example, 4a), and the speaker 10 Play from and report. As a result, it becomes possible to dispatch the clerk A carrying the selected call device 4a to the calling gaming machine PM.

  Note that the server 6 (FIG. 4) having such various functions is configured as an information processing apparatus such as a computer or a workstation, and a program for causing the ROM 44, which is an internal memory thereof, to execute the above various functions. This is stored and executed by the CPU 48 using the RAM 46 as a work area, whereby the positions of the communication devices 4a and 4b can be specified. In this case, the program is not necessarily stored in the ROM 44, and may be provided from an external device such as an ASP (Application Service Provider).

  Hereinafter, an operation example of the presence information display system according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. In the explanation of the operation, two store clerks A and B (FIG. 1) circulate in the first floor 1F of the amusement hall, and each call device (income) 4a, 4b carried by each store clerk A, B. Are all turned on. Then, each communication device (income) 4a, 4b performs wireless communication with each access point 1AP, 2AP, 3AP at regular intervals, and repeats location registration of its own terminal.

  In this state, the access points 1AP, 2AP, 3AP transmit radio waves to the communication devices 4a, 4b in the area (S1). The radio wave at this time may be a beacon periodically transmitted by each access point 1AP, 2AP, 3AP, or may be a radio wave transmitted for other purposes.

  The radio waves transmitted from the access points 1AP, 2AP, 3AP to the communication devices 4a, 4b are received by the radio field intensity measuring unit 20 (FIG. 3) of the access points 1AP, 2AP, 3AP via the wireless LAN interface 18. The At this time, the radio wave intensity measuring unit 20 of the access point measures the radio wave intensity for each of the communication devices 4a and 4b (S2), stores the measurement result as radio wave intensity measurement data, and stores the stored measurement data as a server. 6 (S3).

  Each radio wave intensity measurement data transmitted from each access point 1AP, 2AP, 3AP to the server 6 is received by the communication device position specifying unit 36 (FIG. 4). At this time, the communication device position specifying unit 36 calculates the distance between the communication devices 4a and 4b that transmitted the radio field intensity measurement data and the access points 1AP, 2AP, and 3AP based on the radio field intensity measurement data. (S4). This distance calculation is executed for each of the communication devices 4a and 4b.

  Further, the call device position specifying unit 36 calculates the position of the call device 4a, 4b based on the calculated distance (the distance between each call device 4a, 4b and each access point 1AP, 2AP, 3AP) (S5). ). This position calculation is executed for each of the communication devices 4a and 4b. As described above, by performing the distance calculation (S4) and the position calculation (S5), the positions of the communication devices 4a and 4b are specified.

  Subsequently, the call device position storage unit 38 (FIG. 4) stores the positions of the call devices 4a and 4b specified by the distance calculation (S4) and the position calculation (S5) (S6). In this case, the processes from the distance calculation (S4) and the position calculation (S5) to the position storage (S6) described above are executed every time radio wave intensity measurement data is received, and the positions of the communication devices 4a and 4b are always updated. It is preferable to update to a new one. Note that the processes from (S1) to (S6) described above are repeated at regular intervals. Furthermore, considering the communication traffic, the measurement data is transmitted from the access point 1AP, 2AP, 3AP to the server 6 only when the radio field intensity measurement data measured by each access point 1AP, 2AP, 3AP is changed. The server 6 may perform the processes from (S1) to (S6) described above.

  In this state, when a certain player operates the calling lamp unit 2 (FIG. 1) of the gaming machine PM (S7), a calling signal is transmitted from the calling gaming machine PM to the server 6 (S8). Then, the call signal transmitted from the call gaming machine PM to the server 6 is received by the communication device selection unit 40 (FIG. 4). At this time, the call device selection unit 40 determines the positions of the call devices 4a and 4b stored in the call device position storage unit 38 in the process (S6) and the position of the call gaming machine PM that is the transmission source of the call signal. In comparison, the communication devices 4a and 4b located at a position suitable for dispatching to the calling game machine PM are selected (S9). Subsequently, the call device selection unit 40 transmits information specifying the selected call device (for example, 4a) to the selected call device notification unit 42.

  Based on the information specifying the selected call device (for example, 4a), the selected call device reporting unit 42 performs a connection start process for calling the selected call device (for example, 4a) and attempting a call connection (S10). ). In the connection start process, a SIP request transmission / reception process (signaling process) according to a predetermined communication protocol (protocol) is executed between the selected call device reporting unit 42 and the selected call device (for example, 4a) (S11). . Specifically, according to the procedure of the SIP message, first, “INVITE (invite)” is transmitted from the selected call device notification unit 42 to the selected call device (for example, 4a). When “100 Trying (provisional response)”, “180 Ringing (calling)”, “200 ok (success response)” is received, “ACK (confirmation) is subsequently sent from the selected communication device notification unit 42 to the selected communication device (eg, 4a). Response) "is sent. Thereby, the call connection is established (S12).

  When the call connection is established, the selected call device notification unit 42 notifies the selected call device (for example, 4a) that the call signal has been received from the call gaming machine PM. For example, a voice message such as “There was a call from the game machine in the XX series. Please respond.” Is transmitted to the selected call device (for example, 4a) (S13), and it is reproduced from the speaker 10 and notified (S14). ). As a result, it becomes possible to dispatch the clerk A carrying the selected call device 4a to the calling gaming machine PM. The voice message is transmitted based on an arbitrary communication protocol such as RTP (Real-time Transport Protocol) for each voice packet.

  In the above-described embodiment, each access point 1AP, 2AP, 3AP is configured to perform measurement of radio wave intensity for calculating the distance between each communication device 4a, 4b and each access point 1AP, 2AP, 3AP. However, a configuration may be adopted in which each of the communication devices 4a and 4b performs measurement of radio field intensity for calculating the distance. In this case, each communication device 4a, 4b measures the radio field strength for each of the access points 1AP, 2AP, 3AP located in the receivable area, and transmits the radio field strength measurement data to the server 6. At this time, the server 6 calculates the distance between each communication device 4a, 4b and each access point 1AP, 2AP, 3AP based on the received radio field intensity measurement data.

  By the way, in the presence information display system of the present embodiment, the server 6 further has an automatic presence function for automatically updating and displaying the presence information of each of the communication devices (for example, income) 4a and 4b. In this way, instead of configuring the server 6 as a presence server, a presence server may be newly constructed separately from the server 6. Here, the presence information is, for example, the location (for example, in the case of office: × floor × room, in the case of store: × floor × sale) where each communication device 4a, 4b is located, and each communication device 4a at that time. , 4b (for example, power ON / OFF, talking, waiting, moving) and the like. In this case, the presence information (position / operation information) is received by the server 6 at a predetermined timing, and automatically is displayed on the monitor M (FIG. 1) of the server 6 or each of the communication devices 4a and 4b by the automatic presence function of the server 6. Can be updated and displayed automatically.

  In the present embodiment described above, it is assumed that the presence information display system is constructed on the first floor 1F (FIG. 1) of the game hall (pachinko hall) and the server 6 is constructed in a management room or the like. For this reason, presence information (position / operation information) is defined as the location of each communication device 4a, 4b on the first floor 1F and the operation of each communication device 4a, 4b at that time. In this case, the location of each communication device 4a, 4b can be displayed as position information of each communication device 4a, 4b corresponding to the distance from each access point 1AP, 2AP, 3AP, for example. Further, the operation of each of the communication devices 4a and 4b at that time can be displayed as operation information of each of the communication devices 4a and 4b such as power ON / OFF, during a call, during patrol, and during standby.

  Further, as a method for displaying such presence information (position / operation information), for example, the call device 4a is synchronized with the position registration of the call devices 4a and 4b repeated at a predetermined timing (ie, every predetermined time). , 4b position information and operation information may be automatically updated and displayed. More specifically, each communication device 4a, 4b performs wireless communication with each access point 1AP, 2AP, 3AP at regular intervals, and repeats location registration of its own terminal. In this location registration, the location of each communication device 4a, 4b corresponding to the distance from each access point 1AP, 2AP, 3AP is specified and stored by the processing from (S1) to (S6) shown in FIG. The

  At this time, the server 6 executes the automatic presence function in synchronization with the location registration at regular intervals, and automatically updates and displays the location information and operation information of each of the communication devices 4a and 4b. Here, the update refers to a processing procedure in which the immediately preceding information is newly rewritten and displayed as current information.

  First, in the display processing of the location information of each communication device 4a, 4b, for example, the server 6 stores each of the communication devices 4a, 4b and each access point stored (identified) by the above processes (S1) to (S6). Calculate the distance from 1AP, 2AP, 3AP. Next, the intersection of virtual circles around each access point 1AP, 2AP, 3AP with the calculated distance as the radius is obtained. Subsequently, the positions of the communication devices 4a and 4b are specified based on the obtained intersection. Then, the specified position is converted into visually recognizable position information, and is automatically updated and displayed on the server 6 and the monitor M (FIG. 1) of each of the communication devices 4a and 4b.

  On the other hand, in the display processing of the operation information of each communication device 4a, 4b, the server 6 stores each of the communication devices 4a, 4b and each access point 1AP stored (specified) by the above processes (S1) to (S6). Based on changes in communication status with 2AP, 3AP, changes in distance, etc., what operating state each telephone 4a, 4b is currently in (for example, power ON / OFF, talking, patrol, waiting) The result of the determination is converted into visible operation information, and is automatically updated and displayed on the monitor M (FIG. 1) of the server 6 and each of the communication devices 4a and 4b.

  In the determination of power ON / OFF, for example, if the communication devices 4a and 4b are not turned on, the location registration cannot be performed with respect to the server 6. Therefore, when the location registration is performed, It may be determined that the communication devices 4a and 4b are in the power-on state, and the operation information as the determination result may be automatically displayed on the server 6 and the monitor M (FIG. 1) of each of the communication devices 4a and 4b.

  In determining whether or not a call is in progress, session management (establishment / change / disconnection) is executed by the SIP server function of the server 6 when, for example, communication is performed between the communication devices 4a and 4b. It may be determined that 4a and 4b are in a call and the operation information as a result of the determination may be automatically displayed on the monitor 6 (FIG. 1) of the server 6 or each of the communication devices 4a and 4b.

  In determining whether or not the patrol is in progress, for example, while the processes from the above (S1) to (S6) are repeated at the time of location registration of each communication device 4a, 4b, each access point 1AP, 2AP, 3AP Changes in the location information of the communication devices 4a and 4b over time are monitored, and when the location information changes, the store clerks A and B carrying the communication devices 4a and 4b are traveling. What is necessary is just to display automatically on the monitor M (FIG. 1) of the server 6 or each telephone apparatus 4a, 4b about the operation information as a determination result.

  Further, in the determination of whether or not it is in standby, for example, while the processes from the above (S1) to (S6) are repeated at the time of location registration of each communication device 4a, 4b, each access point 1AP, 2AP, 3AP Changes in the location information of the communication devices 4a and 4b over time are monitored, and when the location information has not changed, the store clerks A and B carrying the communication devices 4a and 4b are waiting. What is necessary is just to display automatically on the monitor M (FIG. 1) of the server 6 or each telephone apparatus 4a, 4b about the operation information as a determination result.

  In the server 6 (FIG. 4), the processing procedure for automatically updating and displaying the location information and the operation information of each communication device 4a, 4b by the automatic presence function is, for example, a program ( In other words, the location information display processing program of each communication device 4a, 4b and the operation information display processing program of each communication device 4a, 4b) are stored in the ROM 44, and the stored program is executed by the CPU 48 using the RAM 46 as a work area. The In this case, instead of installing the program in the server 6, for example, a circuit system for executing a similar processing procedure may be newly added to the server 6.

  FIGS. 6A to 6C show an example of the automatic update display of the position information and operation information of each of the communication devices 4a and 4b as described above. In FIGS. 4A to 4C, in the first floor 1F of the amusement hall, the telephone device 4a (FIG. 1) carried by the store clerk A is located closest to the access point 1AP. Location information display mode when it is specified that the communication device 4b (FIG. 1) carried by B is located closest to the access point 2AP, and display of operation information of each communication device 4a, 4b at this time Embodiments are shown.

  In FIG. 6A, as an example of the display mode of the position information, the call device 4a of the store clerk A is currently located near the access point 1AP on the first floor 1F, and the call device 4b of the store clerk B is currently 1 The fact that it is located near the access point 2AP of the floor 1F is displayed on the monitor M so as to be visible. In addition, as an example of the display mode of the operation information of each of the communication devices 4a and 4b at this time, the communication devices 4a and 4b of the clerks A and B are currently in the power-on state, and the clerk A who carries the communication device 4a accesses. It is displayed on the monitor M so that the vicinity of the point 1AP and the store clerk B carrying the call device 4b are traveling around the access point 2AP are visible.

  In FIG. 6B, as an example of the display mode of the operation information of each of the communication devices 4a and 4b, the communication devices 4a and 4b of the clerk A and B are currently in the power ON state, and the clerk A and the clerk B It is displayed on the monitor M so as to be visible through the communication devices 4a and 4b. The display mode of the position information is the same as that shown in FIG.

  In FIG. 6C, as an example of the display mode of the operation information of each of the communication devices 4a and 4b, the communication device 4b of the clerk B is currently in the power-on state, while the communication device 4a of the clerk A is in the current power-off state. It is displayed on the monitor M that the store clerk B carrying the call device 4b is traveling around the access point 2AP so as to be visible. At this time, the display mode of the location information of the communication device 4b is executed in the same manner as in FIG. 6A. However, since the power supply of the communication device 4a is in the OFF state, the location registration is currently performed with respect to the server 6. I can't do it.

  In this case, the server 6 can visually recognize the positions of the communication devices 4a and 4b with respect to the access points 1AP, 2AP, and 3AP at the time of the last location registration on the monitor M as the position information of the communication devices 4a and 4b. Auto update display. In the automatic update display process, for example, a program for executing the process (that is, a program for automatically updating and displaying the positions of the call devices 4a and 4b that have performed the last position registration) is stored in the ROM 44. The program is executed by the CPU 48 using the RAM 46 as a work area. In this case, instead of installing the program in the server 6, for example, a circuit system for executing the same processing may be newly added to the server 6.

  Thereafter, when the power of the communication device 4a is turned on again (power ON state), when the location registration of the communication device 4a is performed in synchronization therewith, the server 6 performs the above (S1) to (S6). Through the above processes, the position of each communication device 4a with respect to the nearest access point 1AP, 2AP, 3AP is automatically updated and displayed on the monitor M as visible position information. As a result, for example, as shown in FIG. 6A, on the monitor M, the call device 4a is currently in the power-on state and the store clerk A carrying the call device 4b is traveling around the access point 1AP. Is displayed.

  6 (a) to 6 (c) show an example of the display mode using characters, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, each call device 4a, Arbitrary display modes can be set according to the usage purpose and usage environment of the game hall side that manages the position information and operation information of 4b.

  As described above, according to the present embodiment, the owner (sales clerk A, B) of each communication device 4a, 4b automatically updates the presence information without manually performing the presence information input process. Can be displayed. In this case, the current presence information (position / operation information) of each of the communication devices 4a and 4b can be grasped and managed in real time. As a result, for example, when the call lamp unit 2 of a certain game machine (calling game machine) PM is operated and a call signal is transmitted, the communication device 4a located at a position suitable for dispatching to the call game machine PM. 4b can be selected and specified in a short time. As a result, the store clerk A carrying the specified communication device (for example, 4a) can be quickly dispatched to the calling game machine PM.

  In this case, the presence information has been registered / updated manually in the past.Therefore, there was a case where the presence information was not reliable due to registration / update mistake or registration / update forgotten. According to the embodiment, presence information of each communication device 4a, 4b is automatically acquired, so that highly reliable presence information can be displayed on the monitor M. As a result, it is possible to accurately and accurately manage the communication devices 4a and 4b and grasp the situation.

  Further, according to the present embodiment, the presence information is automatically updated and displayed, so that the clerk A and B who circulates the amusement hall (first floor 1F) can manually input the presence information. Since it is free from annoyance, it is possible to concentrate on, for example, patrol of the game hall and other duties according to the person in charge. Thereby, it is possible to improve the service for the player who has visited the game hall.

  Furthermore, according to the present embodiment, the presence information is automatically updated and displayed, so that the store clerk patrols the game hall (first floor 1F) on the game hall side (ie, server 6). It is possible to collectively manage the current presence information of all the communication devices 4a and 4b of A and B. As a result, the current presence information (position / operation information) of each of the call devices 4a and 4b can be displayed on the call devices 4a and 4b and the monitor M of the server 6 without omission and accurately.

  In the present embodiment, for example, a wireless chip (not shown) having RF-ID (Radio Frequency Identification) is installed in each of the communication devices 4a and 4b, so that more detailed presence information (position / operation information) is provided. Can be obtained. In this case, for example, an RF-ID that can be read over a long distance such as UHF (Ultra-High Frequency: 300 MHz to 3000 MHz) is used, and an antenna for reading the RF-ID (not shown) is used. Are installed on each of the game islands 1PL and 2PL (FIG. 1). As a result, not only the location information of each communication device 4a, 4b corresponding to the distance from each access point 1AP, 2AP, 3AP, but also the location information of RF-ID via each antenna, It is possible to obtain detailed presence information such as “where each gaming device 4a, 4b is located near which gaming machine PM on the gaming islands 1PL, 2PL”.

As a result, the current detailed and detailed presence information (position / operation information) of each communication device 4a, 4b can be displayed on the communication device 4a, 4b and the monitor M of the server 6 without omission and accurately.
For example, in FIG. 7, as an example of the display mode of the normal position information, the call device 4a of the clerk A is currently located near the access point 1AP on the first floor 1F, and the call device 4b of the clerk B is currently 1 The fact that it is located near the access point 2AP of the floor 1F is displayed on the monitor M so as to be visible.

  Furthermore, as an example of the display mode of the detailed location information at this time, the call device 4a of the store clerk A is located in the vicinity of the No. XX series game machine of the CRxxx model currently installed on the game island 1PL. It is displayed on the monitor M that the caller 4b of the store clerk B is located in the vicinity of the CRxxx model game machine currently installed on the amusement island 2PL.

  As an example of the display mode of the operation information of each of the communication devices 4a and 4b at this time, the communication devices 4a and 4b of the clerks A and B are currently in the power-on state, and the clerk A who carries the communication device 4a accesses. Near the point 1AP (in detail, the vicinity of the CRXXX model No. XX series game machine), and the clerk B carrying the communication device 4b near the access point 2AP (in detail, the model of the CRxxx model) It is displayed on the monitor M so as to be visible that each of the passengers in the vicinity of the No. XX machine).

  Further, in the present embodiment, in addition to the location information of the communication devices 4a and 4b and the location information of the RF-ID for each access point 1AP, 2AP, 3AP, each communication device obtained from IP-PBX (Private Branch eXchange) By combining the position information of 4a and 4b with each other, extremely accurate presence information (position / motion information) can be acquired. As a result, the current extremely fine and detailed presence information (position / operation information) of each of the communication devices 4a and 4b can be accurately and accurately displayed on the communication devices 4a and 4b and the monitor M of the server 6. .

  The IP-PBX is a device and software for performing circuit exchange between terminals (calling devices 4a and 4b) as IP phones in the IP network, and an extension network between IP phones (calling devices 4a and 4b). And a function of realizing relay between a normal public line network and an IP network. There are two types, one that performs circuit switching with dedicated hardware and the other that operates as software on a general-purpose server. Both of them use IP-PBXs to construct dedicated lines by using the IP network. You can build without having to.

  Further, in the above-described embodiment, as the timing for displaying the presence information (position / operation information) on the monitor M of each communication device 4a, 4b, the location registration of each communication device 4a, 4b is repeated at regular intervals. Although the description has been made on the assumption that the operations are performed synchronously, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, presence information is displayed on the monitor M of each communication device 4a, 4b in synchronization with timing other than location registration. It may be set so that

  Here, as a timing other than the location registration, for example, when calling each of the communication devices 4a and 4b (at the start of a session), the calling lamp unit 2 of a certain gaming machine PM is operated, and a calling signal is transmitted to the server 6. When this is done, a relatively long time interval can be assumed, such as when a simultaneous report is sent from the server 6 to each of the communication devices 4a and 4b. In short, the presence information may be set to be displayed on the monitor M when using at least each of the communication devices 4a and 4b.

  Such a display operation is performed by, for example, a program for executing the operation in the server 6 (for example, a program for displaying presence information on the monitor M when using each of the communication devices 4a and 4b) in the ROM 44. The stored program is executed by the CPU 48 using the RAM 46 as a work area. In this case, instead of installing the program in the server 6, for example, a circuit system for executing a similar procedure may be newly added to the server 6.

  As described above, the server 6 is provided with a plurality of access points 1AP, 2AP, and 3AP, a plurality of RF-ID reading antennas, and the position and position of each communication device 4a and 4b obtained (received) from the IP-PBX. The result comprehensively determined from the motion information can be managed as presence information (position / motion information). As a result, the server 6 always retains the current extremely detailed and detailed presence information (position / operation information) of each of the communication devices 4a and 4b, and the presence information can be stored at any timing with the communication devices 4a and 4b. It can be displayed on the monitor M of the server 6 without omission and provided to the user.

  By the way, when displaying presence for each location registration, wireless communication with each call device 4a, 4b is repeated according to the number of registrations, and the battery of the call device 4a, 4b is consumed correspondingly. . Therefore, in order to maintain the call environment by the call devices 4a and 4b well over a long period of time, it is necessary to consider reducing the power consumption of the call devices 4a and 4b when displaying the presence information. For example, it is necessary to take measures such as charging frequently or carrying a spare battery. This is not only troublesome and troublesome, but also increases the cost of maintaining and constructing the presence information display system by the number of spare batteries.

  In the presence information display system according to the present embodiment, IP addresses are assigned to the communication devices 4a and 4b by the DHCP server 50 (FIG. 9) described later. At that time, there is an upper limit to the number of IP addresses assigned, and the DHCP server 50 issues an echo request to the assigned IP address at an arbitrarily set time interval (ICMP (Internet Control Message Protocol) echo request packet). (E.g. sending), whether or not the IP address is being used is checked depending on whether or not there is a response to the echo request, and when not in use, the IP address is released to secure the assigned IP address Yes. That is, every time such use confirmation of the IP address is performed, the batteries of the communication devices 4a and 4b are consumed. Furthermore, as the number of communication devices on the system increases, the number of presence information to be managed increases, and the number of cases where the presence information is updated increases. Accordingly, if the presence information is displayed every time the presence information is updated, the battery of the telephone device becomes more exhausted.

  Therefore, in the present embodiment, the presence information display timing for the communication devices 4a and 4b used by the store clerks A and B is adjusted and controlled, and the presence is displayed for each position registration by minimizing this. Compared to the case, the number of times of wireless communication with each of the communication devices 4a and 4b is greatly reduced. As a result, the battery consumption of each of the communication devices 4a and 4b can be reduced accordingly, and for example, it is not necessary to frequently charge or carry a spare battery. As a result, it is possible to reduce the maintenance and construction costs of the presence information display system without much time and to maintain the call environment well over a long period of time.

  In this case, the display timing of the presence information is, for example, when the store clerk A, B takes some operation to pick up the call devices 4a, 4b and starts a call (for example, when a folding call device is opened) Etc.). Even when the display timing of the presence information for the call devices 4a and 4b is limited in this way, as described above, the server 6 always has the current extremely fine and detailed presence of each call device 4a and 4b. Since the information (position / motion information) is maintained, the latest presence information can be displayed on the monitor M. As a result, the floor manager or the like monitors the monitor M of the server 6, and the salesclerks A and B can be appropriately and quickly arranged based on the displayed presence information (position / operation information).

  Further, the server 6 gives instructions (commands) to the call devices 4a and 4b according to the presence information of the call devices 4a and 4b, and based on the contents of the instructions, the operation modes of these call devices 4a and 4b It is good also as a structure which switches. For example, when the store clerk A, B carrying each communication device 4a, 4b enters the conference room, the communication device 4a, 4b is automatically switched to silent mode (silence, turn off, etc.) and left. A configuration that automatically switches to the normal mode (returns), or when the store clerk A or B is in a playground where the surrounding noise is high, the volume of the communication devices 4a and 4b is automatically increased, and a quiet conference room When in a car or an elevator, the volume can be automatically reduced.

  In this case, the server 6 is provided with a table (hereinafter, referred to as an instruction table) indicating instruction contents to the communication devices 4a and 4b, and when the presence information of each of the communication devices 4a and 4b to be managed is updated, The presence (position / operation) of the communication devices 4a and 4b is collated with the contents of the instruction table. Then, based on the collation result, an instruction (command) corresponding to the contents of the instruction table is given to the communication devices 4a and 4b, and based on the content of the instruction, the operation mode of these communication devices 4a and 4b is switched. Yes.

  FIG. 8 shows an example of the configuration of the instruction table. The location of the communication device (in the office, conference room, toilet, elevator area, shared passage, etc.) at each location (head office, branch, factory, etc.) and Correspondence relations of various conditions of type (customer, in-house meeting, normal business, etc.) and operation modes (manner and normal) and volume (large, medium, and small) of the communication device under the conditions are preset.

  In the case where such an instruction table is constructed, when the presence information of the communication devices 4a and 4b is updated, for example, the communication devices 4a and 4b arranged in the main office are connected to the server 6 at the game hall (in the office). When the presence information is updated in the waiting state (visitor) while moving to the conference room during the tour (normal business), the updated content is collated with the content of the instruction table. As a result of the collation, the communication devices 4a and 4b meet the condition that they are located in the head office and serve customers in the conference room. Under these conditions, the optimum operation mode of the communication devices 4a and 4b is the manner mode. The volume is selected to be low. Then, the server 6 gives an instruction (command) for changing the operation mode from the normal mode to the manner mode and setting the volume from medium to low for the communication devices 4a and 4b, and the operation of the communication devices 4a and 4b. Switch modes as instructed.

  As a result, the operation mode of the call devices 4a and 4b can be automatically switched according to the presence state by an instruction (command) from the server 6 based on the presence information, and the low consumption of the call devices 4a and 4b. Electricity can be easily and effectively achieved.

  In the above-described embodiment, the description has been made assuming the presence information display system built in the first floor 1F of the game hall (pachinko hall). However, the present invention is not limited to this. By constructing the presence information display system of the present invention in the game hall, it is possible to automatically update and display the presence information of the IP phone (calling device) carried by the store clerk traveling around each floor. Since other configurations and effects are the same as those of the above-described embodiment, the description thereof is omitted.

  In the embodiment described above, the presence information display system constructed in one game hall (pachinko hall) has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to this, for example, as shown in FIG. A similar system may be constructed in each of a plurality of game halls, and these systems may communicate with each other (wireless communication) via the Internet INT. FIG. 9 shows a configuration example of a communication system in which a presence information display system is constructed. However, the system is not limited to such a configuration example. It can be arbitrarily configured according to the environment.

  In the communication system of FIG. 9, the main store LAN of the game arcade is constructed so as to be able to communicate with a plurality of (three in the drawing) A, B, and C branch LANs via the Internet INT. As an example, each amusement hall is composed of third floors 1F, 2F, 3F, and three access points 1AP, 2AP, 3AP are installed on each floor 1F, 2F, 3F. Further, a store clerk (not shown) traveling around each floor 1F, 2F, 3F carries a telephone device (for example, intercom) 4 as an IP phone having the same function as the above-described embodiment. Since the main store LAN and each branch LAN have the same system configuration, the system configuration of the main store LAN will be described below, and the description of the system configuration of each branch LAN will be omitted.

  In this case, in addition to the server 6 having the same function as that of the above-described embodiment, the main store LAN further has a function of dynamically assigning an IP address when the call device 4 is activated and collecting the IP address when the call device 4 is finished. A DHCP server 50, a DNS server 52 for managing domain names and IP addresses in association with each other, and a PoC server 54 having a function for realizing a call system (Push To Talk) for switching a plurality of calls by button operation with an IP phone. And a location information management server 56 having a function of storing data acquired from the RF-ID, and these servers constitute a DMZ (DeMilitarized Zone).

Further, the head office LAN composed of such DMZ and the access points 1AP, 2AP, 3AP connected thereto can be relayed from the firewall FW to the Internet INT via the router R.
According to such a system configuration, it is possible to automatically update and display the presence information of each communication device 4 on the other side by the server 6 of the head office LAN and the branch office LAN, for example.

  In the above-described embodiment, it is assumed that the presence information display system is constructed in a game hall (for example, pachinko hall), but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, accommodation facilities (hotels), hospitals, department stores In addition, by applying the presence information display system of the present invention to other commercial and industrial facilities, presence information of a call device carried by an employee can be automatically updated and displayed.

The figure which shows the structural example by which the presence information display system which concerns on one embodiment of this invention was constructed | assembled in the game hall. The figure which shows the internal structure of a communication apparatus. The figure which shows the internal structure of an access point. The figure which shows the internal structure of a server. The flowchart which shows the operation example of a presence information display system. (a) is a diagram showing a display example of presence information of a call device, (b) is a diagram showing another display example of presence information of the call device, and (c) is another table of presence information of the call device. The figure which shows an example. The figure which shows the example of a display of the presence information of the telephone apparatus with which the radio | wireless chip which has RF-ID was installed. The figure which shows the example of an instruction | indication table to the telephone apparatus of a server. The figure which shows the structural example by which the presence information display system which concerns on one embodiment of this invention was mutually connected via the internet.

Explanation of symbols

1AP, 2AP, 3AP presence information acquisition device
4a, 4b Communication device 6 Presence server M Display means (monitor)

Claims (4)

A plurality of communication devices capable of communicating with each other via a network;
Presence information acquisition device for automatically acquiring presence information indicating the state of the telephone device;
A presence server that receives and manages presence information acquired by the presence information acquisition device from the presence information acquisition device;
Display means capable of displaying presence information managed by the presence server,
The presence server updates the presence information to be managed to the latest content based on the presence information received from the presence information acquisition device, and causes the display unit to display the updated latest presence information. Presence information display system. The display means is provided in the call device,
2. The presence according to claim 1, wherein the latest presence information updated by the presence server is transmitted from the presence server to the call device at least when the call device is used, and displayed on the display means. Information display system.   The presence information display system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the presence server manages, as presence information, a result comprehensively determined based on presence information received from a plurality of presence information acquisition apparatuses.   4. The presence information display system according to claim 1, wherein an operation mode of the call device is switched based on an instruction from the presence server.

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