JP2011193134A - Information distribution system and interphone apparatus used therein - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an information distribution system which improves immediacy and convenience of information distribution. <P>SOLUTION: A processing unit (control unit 15) is suspended (made into a standby state) until a frame is received by a reception unit (communication I/F unit 18) of an interphone apparatus (master unit) 1 equivalent to an information terminal and the processing unit is started up when a frame is received by the reception unit. Therefore, the immediacy of the information distribution is improved by immediately displaying information distributed from the information distribution server 3 on a display unit 12 of the master unit 1 which is the information terminal. Moreover, since the interphone apparatus (master unit) 1 constituting an interphone system is used for the information terminal of the information distribution system, there is an advantage that the convenience is improved in comparison with the case of separately preparing an information terminal exclusive for the information distribution system. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2011,JPO&amp;INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an information distribution system and an intercom apparatus used therefor.

  In recent years, with the widespread use of mobile phones equipped with packet communication functions as well as telephone functions, services for distributing various information (for example, news and weather forecasts) to mobile phones have been provided (for example, , See Patent Document 1).

  However, when distributing information to a communication device owned by an individual such as a mobile phone, viewing (knowing) the information is limited to only the owner (individual). Therefore, it may not be appropriate to distribute information that should be distributed in units of each unit, for example, notification of changes in garbage collection date by local governments or notification of power outages accompanying electrical work to mobile phones.

  On the other hand, recently, with the spread of home networks, it is also possible to receive information distribution through a home network using a personal computer equipped with a network connection function or a television receiver equipped with a packet communication function. In particular, a television receiver is often installed in a room where residents (family members) gather, such as the living room (living room) of a dwelling unit. Therefore, as described above, the information to be distributed for each dwelling unit is received by the television receiver. It is desirable to display it.

JP 2009-171388 A

  However, since personal computers and television receivers are not always activated unlike mobile phones, there is a possibility that information distributed irregularly cannot be immediately seen (known).

  The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide an information distribution system and an intercom apparatus used therefor that can improve the immediateness and convenience of information distribution.

  The information distribution system of the present invention has a plurality of information terminals respectively installed in a plurality of dwelling units, and an information distribution server that distributes information to the plurality of information terminals via a network, A frame including various information related to the dwelling unit is transmitted via the network, and the information terminal receives the frame distributed via the network and the frame received by the reception unit. A processing unit that processes and acquires the information included in the frame, a display unit that displays the information acquired by the processing unit, a microphone and a speaker, and an interphone installed outside the dwelling unit A call unit for making a call with the slave unit using the microphone and speaker, and an imaging device mounted on the interphone slave unit The display unit displays the video imaged on the display unit and stops the call unit and the display unit until receiving the call signal transmitted from the intercom handset. When the call signal is received, the call unit and A control unit that activates the display unit, and the control unit stops the processing unit until the receiving unit receives the frame, and activates the processing unit when the receiving unit receives the frame. It is characterized by that.

  The interphone apparatus of the present invention is used in the information distribution system, and includes a receiving unit that receives the frame distributed via the network, and processes the frame received by the receiving unit to be included in the frame. Between the processing unit for acquiring the information, a display unit for displaying the information acquired by the processing unit, a microphone and a speaker, and an interphone handset installed outside the dwelling unit. Until a call unit for making a call using a speaker and an image captured by a camera mounted on the interphone slave unit are displayed on the display unit and a call signal transmitted from the interphone slave unit is received The call unit and the display unit are stopped, and when the call signal is received, the call unit and the display unit are activated. And a section, the control unit until it receives the frame by the reception unit is characterized by activating the processing unit upon receiving the frame at the receiving unit stops the said processing unit.

  The information distribution system and intercom apparatus of the present invention have the effect of improving the immediacy and convenience of information distribution.

It is a system configuration figure showing an embodiment of the present invention. It is a sequence diagram for operation | movement description same as the above.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of an information distribution system and an intercom apparatus according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

  First, an interphone system including an interphone device (hereinafter referred to as “master unit”) 1 and an interphone slave unit (hereinafter referred to as “slave unit”) 2 will be described. The base unit 1 is installed in a dwelling unit (for example, a wall in the living room), and is connected to a child unit 2 installed outside the dwelling unit (outside entrance) by a signal line Ls (see FIG. 1).

  The subunit | mobile_unit 2 is conventionally well-known, The microphone 20a and the speaker 20b, the audio | voice signal processing part 20, the camera part 21 corresponded to an imaging device, the video signal transmission part 22, the demultiplexing part 23, and call signal transmission A unit 24, a slave unit control unit 25, an operation input receiving unit 26, and a power supply unit 27 are provided.

  The audio signal processing unit 20 includes a 2-wire to 4-wire conversion circuit, performs signal processing on the audio signal output from the microphone 20a, processes the audio signal transmitted via the signal line Ls, and outputs audio from the speaker 20b. Let it ring. The camera unit 21 has a solid-state imaging device such as a CCD or a CMOS and an optical system such as a lens, and images a visitor. The video signal transmission unit 22 frequency-modulates the video signal output from the camera unit 21 at a frequency higher than that of the audio signal, and transmits the frequency-modulated video signal via the signal line Ls. The demultiplexing unit 23 frequency-multiplexes the audio signal output from the audio signal processing unit 20 and the video signal output from the video signal transmission unit 22 and transmits the multiplexed signal to the signal line Ls, and from the base unit 1 via the signal line Ls. Separate transmitted audio signals. The call signal transmission unit 24 transmits a call signal via the signal line Ls. The subunit | mobile_unit control part 25 performs the whole operation control by making a microcomputer into a main component. The operation input receiving unit 26 receives an operation input of a call button (not shown) and outputs an operation signal to the child device control unit 25. And the subunit | mobile_unit control part 25 makes the call signal transmission part 24 transmit a call signal, if the operation signal is received from the operation input reception part 26. FIG. The power supply unit 27 creates an operating power supply for each unit using power supplied from the parent device 1 via the signal line Ls.

  The base unit 1 includes a microphone 10a and a speaker 10b, an audio signal processing unit 10 corresponding to a call unit, a demultiplexing unit 11, a display unit 12, a video signal processing unit 13, a call signal receiving unit 14, and a control. Unit 15, operation input receiving unit 16, memory unit 17, and communication interface (I / F) unit 18 corresponding to a receiving unit.

  The audio signal processing unit 10 processes an audio signal for a loudspeaking call with the handset 2. The demultiplexing unit 11 includes a 2-wire to 4-wire conversion circuit, and transmits the audio signal (transmission signal) output from the microphone 10a and processed by the audio signal processing unit 10 to the slave unit 2 via the signal line Ls. At the same time, the audio signal and the video signal multiplexed and transmitted from the slave unit 2 through the signal line Ls are separated. The display unit 12 includes a display device such as a liquid crystal display. The video signal processing unit 13 demodulates the video signal separated by the demultiplexing unit 11 and performs signal processing on the demodulated video signal to display on the display unit 12. The call signal receiving unit 14 receives a call signal transmitted from the handset 2 via the signal line Ls. The control unit 15 controls the operation of each unit using a microcomputer as a main component. However, in this embodiment, the control unit 15 also serves as a processing unit. As will be described later, the operation input receiving unit 16 receives an operation input of an operation switch such as a call switch operated when a call is started in response to a call from the handset 2. The memory unit 17 includes a rewritable nonvolatile memory such as an EEPROM, and stores a program executed by the microcomputer of the control unit 15. The communication I / F unit 18 performs information communication (network communication) via the network (Internet) with the information distribution server 3 as described later. In addition, the operating power supply of each part of the main | base station 1 is produced from a commercial power supply by the power supply circuit which is not shown in figure.

  The power supply voltage (DC voltage) from the base unit 1 to the handset 2 is set to a relatively low state in order to reduce the power consumption of the system when the handset 2 is not in a call state or a monitor state. In a call state or a monitor state, the state is relatively high. Hereinafter, a state where the power supply voltage is low is referred to as a standby power supply state, and a state where the power supply voltage is high is referred to as an operation power supply state. In the slave unit 2, when in the standby power supply state, the microcomputer of the slave unit control unit 25 is in a standby state and waits for an operation signal to be output from the operation input accepting unit 26. When the operation signal is output from the reception unit 26, the slave unit control unit 25 controls the call signal transmission unit 24 to reduce the line voltage of the signal line Ls to a voltage lower than that in the standby power supply state. A call signal is transmitted to the machine 1. And in the main | base station 1 which received the call signal in the call signal receiving part 14, the control part 15 transfers a power supply voltage from a standby power supply state to an operation | movement electric power supply state. As a result, the microcomputer of the slave unit control unit 25 returns from the standby state to the normal state, and the camera unit 21 and the video signal transmission unit 22 are activated to transmit the video signal to the master unit 1 via the signal line Ls and to perform audio. The signal processing unit 20 is activated so that voice signals can be transmitted and received, that is, a call can be made. In addition, when the operation input receiving unit 16 of the parent device 1 receives an operation input for setting the child device 2 in the monitor state, the power supply voltage shifts from the standby power supply state to the operation power supply state. As a result, the microcomputer of the slave unit control unit 25 returns from the standby state to the normal state, activates the camera unit 21 and the video signal transmission unit 22, and transmits the video signal to the master unit 1 via the signal line Ls. An image captured by the camera unit 21 of the slave unit 2 can be monitored by the master unit 1.

  On the other hand, the network communication device 4 is connected to the communication I / F unit 18 of the base unit 1 via a LAN cable Lx made of a twisted pair cable. The network communication device 4 performs network communication with other communication devices connected to the Internet via a communication medium such as a telephone line, an optical fiber, or a coaxial cable. An ADSL modem using an optical fiber as a communication medium, an ONU (optical line terminal unit) using an optical fiber as a communication medium, or a cable modem using a coaxial cable as a communication medium. The communication I / F unit 18 demodulates the electrical signal received via the LAN cable Lx, decodes it to the original frame, passes it to the control unit 15, encodes the frame generated by the control unit 15, and It is converted into an electrical signal and transmitted via the LAN cable Lx.

  And the control part 15 of the main | base station 1 processes the flame | frame received by the communication I / F part 18, acquires the information contained in the said flame | frame, and displays the acquired information on the display part 12. FIG. Note that the process executed on the frame is a process of reproducing original information from data divided into a plurality of frames.

  Here, when the microcomputer constituting the control unit 15 of the parent device 1 is in a standby state, the call signal receiving unit 14 receives the call signal or monitors the child device 2 with the operation input receiving unit 16. When an operation input for setting a state is accepted or when the communication I / F unit 18 receives a frame, the state is returned from the standby state to the normal state, and each process is executed.

  Next, an operation when a visitor operates the call button of the child device 2 will be briefly described.

  First, when the call button of the child device 2 is operated by a visitor, a call signal is transmitted from the call signal transmission unit 24 of the child device 2 to the parent device 1 via the signal line Ls as described above. When the call signal receiving unit 14 receives the call signal and detects the call by the visitor, the control unit 15 of the base unit 1 causes the speaker 10b to ring the call sound through the voice signal processing unit 10. Further, the control unit 15 causes the slave unit 2 to transmit a video signal by shifting the power supply voltage from the standby power supply state to the operation power supply state, and displays the video received from the slave unit 2 on the display unit 12 by the video signal processing unit 13. Let Then, if the resident (user) of the dwelling unit who heard the ringing tone presses a call switch (not shown) of the operation input receiving unit 16, the control unit 15 activates the voice signal processing unit 10 and the slave unit 2 Audio signals can be sent and received (calls) between them.

  The control unit 15 of the parent device 1 supplies power to the child device 2 when a certain time (for example, several minutes) elapses after the call switch is operated or when the call switch is operated again within the certain time. The state is returned from the operation power supply state to the standby power supply state, and the operation of the voice signal processing unit 10 is stopped to terminate the call.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the information distribution system according to the present embodiment includes an interphone device (master unit) 1 of the interphone system corresponding to an information terminal and an information distribution server 3. In addition, although illustration is abbreviate | omitted in FIG. 1, the intercom system which consists of the main | base station 1 and the subunit | mobile_unit 2 is installed in the some dwelling unit, respectively.

  The information distribution server 3 includes a general-purpose computer device having a network communication function, and includes a control unit 30 having a CPU as a main component and a communication interface (I / F) unit 31 for performing network communication via the Internet. And a storage unit 32 composed of a large-capacity storage device such as a hard disk device.

  The storage unit 32 of the information distribution server 3 stores various information (data) distributed to a plurality of master units 1 installed in a plurality of dwelling units. Here, the information distributed from the information distribution server 3 is information related to each dwelling unit. For example, a dwelling unit in a region where power is supplied from the same power company is requested to reduce power consumption. Information related to power, such as messages to increase power sales price to promote power sales, or messages to encourage power consumption in the time zone (midnight) when electricity charges are low for leveling power demand is there. However, the information distributed from the information distribution server 3 is not limited to the information regarding the power.

  Next, the operation of the information distribution system of this embodiment will be described in detail with reference to the sequence diagram of FIG. In the following, it is assumed that a plurality of dwelling units to which information about power is distributed from an electric power company are located in the same area (for example, administrative units such as municipalities and prefectures, or apartment houses such as apartments). . However, the dwelling unit to which information is distributed does not necessarily have to be in the same area.

  For example, when the control unit 30 of the information distribution server 3 acquires new information from an electric power company via the Internet, the control unit 30 creates a frame including the acquired information and sends the frame from the communication I / F unit 31 to the same region via the Internet. Broadcast to the parent device 1 (multicast). The transmitted information is stored (saved) in the storage unit 32.

  In base unit 1, when communication I / F unit 18 receives a frame transmitted via the Internet via network communication device 4, control unit 15 returns from the standby state to the normal state. Then, the control unit 15 that has returned to the normal state processes the frame received by the communication I / F unit 18 to acquire information, and causes the display unit 12 to display the acquired information. At this time, if the control unit 15 controls the audio signal processing unit 10 to sound a ringing tone from the speaker 10b, the resident is notified that the information has been distributed, and the information displayed on the display unit 12 is immediately viewed. You can encourage them to know.

  When the operation input corresponding to the response from the resident to the distributed information (for example, “Yes” or “No” intention display) is received by the operation input receiving unit 16, A frame including information (response) corresponding to the input is created. Then, the frame created by the control unit 15 is converted into an electrical signal by the communication I / F unit 18 and transmitted to the information distribution server 3. The control unit 15 creates a frame to be sent back to the information distribution server 3 and transmits it from the communication I / F unit 18, and then shifts to the standby state. In addition, if the control part 30 of the information delivery server 3 acquires the information contained in the flame | frame returned from the main | base station 1, it will notify the information to an electric power company.

  As described above, in the information distribution system and interphone device (master unit) 1 according to the present embodiment, the processing unit (control unit 15) is stopped until the reception unit (communication I / F unit 18) receives a frame (standby). When the frame is received by the receiving unit, the processing unit is activated, so that the information distributed from the information distribution server 3 is immediately displayed on the display unit 12 of the base unit 1 serving as the information terminal, thereby prompting the information distribution. Can be improved. Moreover, since the interphone device (master unit) 1 constituting the interphone system is used as the information terminal of the information distribution system, the convenience can be improved as compared with the case where an information terminal dedicated to the information distribution system is separately prepared. There are advantages.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Intercom apparatus 3 Information distribution server 10 Audio | voice signal processing part 10a Microphone 10b Speaker 12 Display part 15 Control part 18 Communication I / F part

Claims (2)

A plurality of information terminals respectively installed in a plurality of dwelling units, and an information distribution server that distributes information to the plurality of information terminals via a network;
The information distribution server transmits a frame including various information related to the dwelling unit via the network,
The information terminal includes a receiving unit that receives the frame distributed via the network, a processing unit that processes the frame received by the receiving unit and acquires the information included in the frame, and A display unit for displaying the information acquired by the processing unit, a microphone and a speaker, and a communication unit for making a call using the microphone and the speaker between the interphone slave unit installed outside the dwelling unit; The video captured by the imaging device mounted on the intercom handset is displayed on the display unit, and the call unit and the display unit are stopped until a call signal transmitted from the interphone handset is received. And a control unit that activates the calling unit and the display unit when the call signal is received,
The control unit stops the processing unit until the receiving unit receives the frame, and activates the processing unit when the receiving unit receives the frame. 2. The information distribution system according to claim 1, wherein the reception unit receives the frame distributed via the network, and processes the frame received by the reception unit to obtain the information included in the frame. Using the microphone and the speaker between the processing unit that performs the processing, the display unit that displays the information acquired by the processing unit, the microphone and the speaker, and the intercom slave installed outside the dwelling unit. A communication unit for displaying the image captured by an imaging device mounted on the intercom handset and displaying the video image on the display unit and receiving a call signal transmitted from the intercom handset. A control unit that stops the display unit and activates the calling unit and the display unit when the call signal is received;
The control unit stops the processing unit until the receiving unit receives the frame, and activates the processing unit when the receiving unit receives the frame.

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