JP2014087026A - Relay device and communication system - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a relay device and a communication system, capable of maintaining selective calling even in the case of relaying radio equipment communication of the selective calling using a network.SOLUTION: The relay device includes: a radio equipment interface for receiving a voice signal, including calling information to designate an opposite communication party, from a subunit communicating with relay radio equipment; a network interface for transmitting and receiving packets between with network equipment connected to the network; and a control unit for generating a packet including the voice signal and the calling information when the voice signal is input from the radio equipment interface, to input to the network interface, and for converting the packet to the voice signal including the calling information when the packet is input from the network interface including a voice signal and the calling information, to input to the radio equipment interface.

Description

  The present invention relates to a relay apparatus and a communication system for relaying communication between a radio and a telephone via a network.

  Some transceivers have a designated call function such as an individual call for individually specifying a communication partner or a group call for specifying a group (for example, see Patent Document 1). When transceivers having this designated call function communicate with each other, the transceiver on the transmission side embeds the call information for designating the communication partner in the voice signal and transmits it, and when the transceiver on the reception side receives the voice signal, the call information is displayed. Based on this, it is determined whether or not to reproduce the audio signal.

  On the other hand, a relay device has also been proposed that relays communication over a network such as a LAN so that transceivers in areas where radio waves do not reach each other can communicate with each other (see, for example, Patent Document 2).

JP 2006-129204 A

JP 2011-135291 A

  However, since the conventional relay device does not consider the call information when the voice signal received from the transceiver is relayed over the network, even if the voice signal is demodulated by the receiving relay device and wirelessly transmitted again, the designated call However, there is a problem that only communication that anyone can listen to and respond to is possible.

  It is an object of the present invention to provide a relay device and a communication system that can maintain a designated call even when the designated call communication of a radio is relayed using a network.

  The relay apparatus of the present invention is connected to a relay radio, and receives a voice signal including call information for designating a communication partner from a slave unit communicating with the relay radio via the relay radio. When a radio interface is connected to a network that is a data communication network and a packet is transmitted / received between network devices connected to the network and an audio signal is input from the radio interface, A packet including the voice signal and the call information is created and input to the network interface, and when the packet including the voice signal and the call information is input from the network interface, the packet includes the voice including the call information. A control unit that converts the signal into a signal input to the radio interface; And said that there were pictures.

  In the present invention, when a voice signal including call information is sent from the slave unit, a packet (for example, an RTP packet) including the call information together with the voice signal is created and transmitted to the network device on the receiving side. The voice signal and the call information are read from the packet on the receiving side and transmitted as the voice signal of the designated call, so that the designated call can be communicated even if the communication is relayed through the network.

  In the above invention, the radio interface may transmit and receive the audio signal by packet communication with the relay radio.

  In the above invention, when the voice signal is input from the radio interface, the control unit determines an address of a network device that relays communication with the communication partner specified by the call information included in the voice signal. The determined address may be the destination of the packet.

The communication system according to the present invention includes, in a first communication area, the first relay device according to any one of claims 1 to 3 and a first relay radio device connected to the first relay device. And a second slave device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, comprising a first slave unit that communicates wirelessly with the first relay radio unit; A second relay radio device connected to the second relay device, and one or a plurality of second slave devices that perform radio communication with the second relay radio device; The area relay devices are connected to each other via a network, the first slave unit transmits a voice signal including call information designating the second slave unit, and the first relay radio unit is A voice signal including call information that specifies any second slave unit received from the first slave unit is the first signal. The first relay device creates a packet including a voice signal and call information input from the first relay radio and sends the packet to the network. The second relay device When the packet is received from the network, the packet is converted into a voice signal including the call information and input to the second relay radio, and the second relay radio is connected to the relay device. The voice signal input from the radio terminal is wirelessly transmitted, and only the slave unit specified by the call information embedded in the wirelessly transmitted voice signal among the one or a plurality of second slave units is the voice signal. It is characterized by playing back.
Communications system.

  According to the present invention, when creating a packet for transmitting a voice signal, the call information is also written together, so that the voice signal including the call information can be reproduced even on the device that receives the packet. Even when wireless communication is relayed over a network, it is possible to maintain designated call communication.

It is a block diagram of the communication system which is embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows the memory content of the radio | wireless machine which is a subunit | mobile_unit. It is a block diagram of the relay apparatus of a communication system. It is a figure which shows the memory content of the memory | storage part of a relay apparatus. It is a figure which shows the structure of a RTP packet. It is a flowchart which shows operation | movement of a relay apparatus.

A relay device and a communication system of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of a communication system according to an embodiment of the present invention. This communication system is a system that enables communication between transceivers 4 (4A, 4B, 4C) existing in different communication areas A to C using a plurality of relay apparatuses 2 connected to each other via a network 1. .

  As the network 1, for example, a LAN configured by Ethernet (registered trademark) or the Internet can be applied. One or a plurality (three in FIG. 1) of relay apparatuses 2 are connected to the network 1. Each relay device 2 (2A, 2B, 2C) covers different communication areas A, B, C, respectively. A stationary transceiver is connected to each relay device 2 as a relay transceiver 3 (3A, 3B, 3C). The relay transceiver 3 may be a so-called push-to-talk (PTT) half-duplex communication device or a full-duplex communication device capable of transmitting and receiving simultaneously. Within the communication range of each relay transceiver 3, one or a plurality (two in FIG. 1) of transceivers 4 (4A-1, 2, 4B-1, 2, 4C-1, 2) exist. The relay transceiver 3 and the transceiver 4 can communicate with each other. The relay transceiver 3 (master device) corresponds to the relay radio device of the present invention, and the transceiver 4 (slave device) corresponds to the slave device of the present invention.

  The transceiver 4 and the relay transceiver 3 are so-called digital transceivers. The digital transceiver can communicate audio signals and data converted into digital signals, and can simultaneously communicate control information such as destination information in parallel with audio signal communication. The relay transceiver 3 packetizes the digital signal received from the transceiver 4 and inputs the packet to the relay device 2. The relay transceiver 3 extracts the voice signal and control information from the packet input from the relay device 2. Convert to digital signal of axis and send.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the transceiver 4 stores an ID (radio device identification information) for identifying the own station and a group number to which the own station belongs, and the received digital signal includes destination information as destination information. If the ID or the group number to which the own station belongs is embedded, this signal is demodulated and an audio signal is output from a speaker or the like. If the received digital signal is not embedded with the ID of the own station or the group number to which the own station belongs, the digital signal is discarded. The ID of the own station and the group number to which the own station belongs are inserted, for example, as a squelch code in the received audio signal.

  FIG. 3 is a block diagram of the relay device 2. FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of the storage unit 24 of the relay device 2. FIG. 5 is a configuration diagram of an RTP (Real-time Transport Protocol) packet.

  The relay device 2 includes a control unit 20 and includes a radio interface 21 at the downstream (relay transceiver 3 side) end and a network interface 22 at the upstream (network 1 side) end. For example, an Ethernet (registered trademark) physical layer connector can be applied to both the radio interface 21 and the network interface 22 and is in charge of the physical layer and data link layer of digital communication.

  The radio interface 21 inputs the uplink packet input from the relay transceiver 3 to the control unit 20 and transmits the downlink packet input from the control unit 20 to the relay transceiver 3. The network interface 22 inputs a downstream packet, which is a packet from a communication partner received via the network 1, to the control unit 20 and sends an upstream packet input from the control unit 20 to the network 1.

  The control unit 20 includes a microcomputer and functionally includes a storage unit 24, an upstream signal processing unit 25, and a downstream signal processing unit 26. In the storage unit 24, a local station IP address storage area 200, a communication port number storage area 201, and a destination management table 203 shown in FIG. 4 are set.

  The destination management table 203 set in the storage unit 24 is a call information that is destination information included in a voice packet input from the relay transceiver 3, that is, a voice signal transmitted by the transceiver 4 communicating with the relay transceiver 3. Is a table for determining the IP address and port number of another relay apparatus 2 that is the destination of the voice packet. That is, in the destination management table 203, as call information for calling a predetermined transceiver 4, an ID type (type of call is a group call or an individual call) and an ID of the call are stored. Correspondingly, the IP address and port number of another relay apparatus 2 that covers the communication area to which the transceiver 4 called by this call information belongs are stored. When the CODEC of the voice signal of the voice packet is converted into the format input from the relay transceiver 3, the destination CODEC method is also stored in the destination management table 203.

  The upstream packet processing unit 25 performs upstream CODEC conversion and format conversion on the upstream voice packet input from the radio interface 21 and transfers the packet to the network interface 22. The voice signal of the voice packet input from the relay transceiver 3 is, for example, G.P. It is encoded by a method such as 711 or AMBE. Note that the upstream packet processing unit 25 is able to apply this to G.P. 726 or G.I. It may be converted into an encoding method such as 729.

  At this time, the uplink packet processing unit 25 reads the call information embedded in the uplink voice packet, searches the destination management table 203 with the call information, and reads the corresponding IP address and port number. Then, by the format conversion, the read IP address is written as the destination address in the IP header of the RTP packet configured as shown in FIG. 5, and the read port number is written as the destination port number in the UDP header. The IP address of the relay device 2 is written in the source IP address column of the IP header, and the port number used in the relay device 2 is written in the source port number column of the UDP header. . Subsequently to the RTP payload (as part of the RTP payload), the call information embedded in the voice packet and the caller ID (the ID of the transceiver 4 that transmitted the voice signal) are written.

  The downlink packet processing unit 26 performs CODEC conversion and format conversion on the RTP packet input from the network interface 22 and transfers the RTP packet to the radio interface 21. In contrast to the upstream packet processing unit 25, the CODEC conversion is performed in the G. 726, G.G. An audio signal encoded by a method such as G.729 is used for G.729. It is converted into an encoding method such as 711 or AMBE. Further, the call information (ID type and ID) written in the RTP packet is read out and written in the voice packet transmitted to and received from the relay transceiver 3.

  When the relay transceiver 3 performs half-duplex communication, when a voice packet is input from the relay device 2, the PTT switch is turned on on the condition that the transmission radio wave from the transceiver 4 is stopped, and the voice packet is transmitted. The contained voice signal and call information are converted into a continuous digital signal, and the carrier signal is digitally modulated with this digital signal and transmitted.

The operation of the relay device 2 when receiving a packet will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.
FIG. 6A is a flowchart showing an operation when an uplink voice packet is input from the radio interface 21 (relay transceiver 3). When a voice packet is input (S10), it is determined whether or not call information is included in this packet (S11). If the call information is not included (NO in S11), the voice packet is converted into a multicast RTP packet and sent to the network interface 22 as a whole call.

  If the call information is included in the voice packet (YES in S11), the call information is read (S12), the destination management table 203 is searched with the read call information, and the destination IP address and port number are read. (S13). Then, an RTP packet as shown in FIG. 5 is created with this IP address and port number as the destination IP address and destination port number (S14). As described above, call information is also written in this RTP packet. The created RTP packet is sent to the network interface 22 (S15). The network interface 22 transmits this RTP packet. Since a specific destination IP address is written in this RTP packet, the RTP packet is transmitted to the relay device 2 of the destination IP address by unicast.

  Thus, the IP address (including the port number) corresponding to the call information embedded in the voice signal is stored in the destination management table 203, and when the voice signal (voice packet) is input, the destination management table 203 is stored. By using this and determining the destination IP address of the audio signal, the packet can be transferred to the correct relay destination even when there are a plurality of relay destinations (relay apparatuses 2) via the network 1.

  Further, by writing call information in an IP packet (RTP packet) and transmitting it, even if communication of the transceiver 4 is relayed through the network 1, a selective call (individual call or group call) is made to the relay destination transceiver 4. It becomes possible.

  FIG. 6B is a flowchart showing the operation when a downstream RTP packet is input from the other relay apparatus 2 via the network interface 22, that is, the network 1. When an RTP packet is input (S20), it is determined whether or not call information is included in this packet (S21). If the call information is not included (NO in S21), the RTP packet is converted into a voice packet for the entire call and transmitted to the radio interface 21 as a whole call.

  If the received RTP packet includes call information (YES in S21), this call information is read (S22), and the RTP packet is converted into a voice packet embedded with the read call information (S23). The data is sent to the radio interface 21 (S24). The radio interface 21 inputs this voice packet to the relay transceiver 3.

  When performing full-duplex communication, the relay transceiver 3 converts a voice signal and call information included in the voice packet into a continuous digital signal, and digitally modulates the carrier signal with the digital signal and transmits the digital signal. When the relay transceiver 3 performs half-duplex half-duplex communication, transmission is performed by turning on the PTT switch on condition that the transmission radio wave from the transceiver 4 is stopped.

  In the above embodiment, the address information of the destination of the packet is determined using the call information, and the packet is transmitted to this address by unicast. However, the packet for transmitting the voice signal and the call information may be transmitted by multicast. Good. Even in this case, the selective call is possible if the call information is restored on the receiving side.

1 Network 2 Relay Device 3 Relay Transceiver (Master Unit)
4 Transceiver (slave unit)

Claims (4)

A radio interface for receiving a voice signal including call information for designating a communication partner from a slave unit connected to the relay radio unit and communicating with the relay radio unit via the relay radio unit;
A network interface that is connected to a network that is a data communication network, and that transmits and receives packets to and from network devices connected to the network;
When a voice signal is input from the radio interface, a packet including the voice signal and the call information is created and input to the network interface, and a packet including the voice signal and the call information is input from the network interface. A control unit that converts the packet into a voice signal including the call information and inputs the packet to the radio interface;
A relay device comprising:   The relay apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the radio interface transmits and receives the audio signal by packet communication with the relay radio.   When a voice signal is input from the radio interface, the control unit calculates an address of a network device that relays communication with a communication partner specified by call information included in the voice signal, and determines the calculated address. The relay apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, which is a destination of the packet. The first relay device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, a first relay radio device connected to the first relay device, and the first communication area in the first communication area A first slave unit that communicates wirelessly with a relay radio unit;
The second relay device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, a second relay radio device connected to the second relay device, and the second relay device in a second communication area Including one or a plurality of second slave units that wirelessly communicate with the relay radio unit;
The relay devices in the first and second communication areas are connected to each other by a network,
The first slave unit transmits a voice signal including call information designating the second slave unit,
The first relay radio inputs a voice signal including call information specifying one of the second slave units received from the first slave unit to the first relay unit;
The first relay device creates a packet including a voice signal and call information input from the first relay radio, and sends the packet to the network.
When the second relay device receives the packet from the network, the second relay device converts the packet into a voice signal including the call information and inputs the voice signal to the second relay radio,
The second relay radio wirelessly transmits the voice signal input from the relay device;
A communication system in which only the handset specified by the call information embedded in the wirelessly transmitted voice signal among the one or a plurality of second handset reproduces the voice signal.

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