JP2020004253A - Conference system, terminal device, method for controlling conference system, and method for controlling terminal device - Google Patents

Abstract

To reduce the possibility that a shared image is updated on a display screen which is not intended by a user in a conference system which shares the image among a plurality of terminal devices.SOLUTION: A conference system comprises a plurality of terminal devices. One terminal device included in the plurality of terminal devices includes: a management unit that manages information on other terminal devices participating in a conference; a transmission unit that acquires a still image from a display image that may change over time and transmits the acquired still image to the other terminal devices participating in the conference as a shared image; and a determination unit that, when receiving an update request for requesting update of the shared image, determines whether the update request is an update request made due to the fact that after the conference is started, a new terminal device participates in the conference, by using the information on the other terminal devices participating in the conference. When the update request is an update request made due to the fact that after the conference is started, a new terminal device participates in the conference, the transmission unit stops the update of the shared image.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

  The present invention relates to a conference system, a terminal device, a control method for a conference system, and a control method for a terminal device.

  2. Description of the Related Art There is known a conference system in which a conference is performed by sharing an image between a plurality of terminal devices. For example, a conference system that displays a shared image displayed on an information terminal, an electronic whiteboard, or the like, together with a conference image of another participant participating in the conference on a display unit of a terminal device is known. .

  Further, in a web conference system, there is known a technique of displaying a display state of an application to be screen-shared in a preview and displaying a display state of the application to be screen-shared in another information processing apparatus in response to an instruction from the information processing apparatus. (For example, see Patent Document 1).

  According to the technology disclosed in Patent Literature 1, a participant who participates in a conference can check a preview display of a shared image before sharing the shared image, so that an unintended shared image is distributed to another terminal device. Can be reduced.

  On the other hand, in a conference system in which a display screen displayed on a shared source such as an information terminal or an electronic whiteboard is shared as a shared image, a real-time moving image can be shared, and a still image obtained by capturing the moving image can be shared. There is a demand to switch.

  Thus, when a participant who participates in the conference always wants to share the display screen displayed on the shared source with other participants, the operation of the display screen can be performed in real time by sharing the moving image. Can be reflected in In addition, participants participating in the conference can share the conference materials to be explained by sharing a still image that captures the display screen to be explained, for example, when explaining the meeting materials. It is possible to freely change the display screen of the information terminal or the like while keeping the state.

  However, in such a conference system, for example, even if the first terminal device and the second terminal device share a still image and hold a conference, the third terminal that participates in the conference from the middle The device does not know whether the video is being shared or the still image is being shared in the meeting. Then, when the third terminal device participates in the conference between the first terminal device and the second terminal device in the middle, the moving image is shared in the conference between the first terminal device and the second terminal device. If a shared image acquisition request is issued, the shared image is unintentionally updated in the first terminal device that distributes the shared image in response to the shared image acquisition request.

  Embodiments of the present invention have been made in view of the above problems, and in a conference system in which images are shared among a plurality of terminal devices, a shared image is displayed on a display screen not intended by a user. Reduce the possibility of being updated.

  In order to solve the above problems, a conference system according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a plurality of terminal devices, a conference system for performing a conference between the plurality of terminal devices, included in the plurality of terminal devices One terminal device is a management unit that manages information of other terminal devices participating in the conference, obtains a still image from a display image that can change over time, and uses the obtained still image as a shared image. A transmitting unit that transmits to the other terminal devices participating in the conference, and when receiving an update request requesting an update of the shared image, using information on the other terminal devices participating in the conference, A determination unit that determines whether or not the update request is an update request due to a new terminal device participating in the conference after starting the conference; and After starting the meeting If the update request is not due to the new terminal device participating in the conference, the updated shared image is transmitted to the other terminal devices participating in the conference, and the update request is transmitted after the conference starts. If the update request is due to a new terminal device participating in the conference, the update of the shared image is stopped.

  According to the embodiment of the present invention, in a conference system in which an image is shared among a plurality of terminal devices, it is possible to reduce a situation in which a shared image is updated on a display screen not intended by a user.

It is a figure showing the example of the system configuration of the conference system concerning one embodiment. It is a figure showing the image of the display screen which the conference terminal concerning one embodiment displays. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a hardware configuration of a conference terminal according to an embodiment. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a hardware configuration of a computer according to an embodiment. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a functional configuration of the conference system according to the first embodiment. FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an image of information managed by the conference system according to the first embodiment. FIG. 8 is a sequence diagram illustrating an example of a conference start process according to the first embodiment. FIG. 7 is a sequence diagram illustrating an example of a sharing process of a shared image according to the first embodiment. FIG. 9 is a sequence diagram illustrating an example of a participation process of a conference terminal according to the first embodiment. 9 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a determination process of an update determination unit according to the first embodiment. FIG. 14 is a diagram illustrating an example of a functional configuration of a conference system according to a second embodiment. FIG. 14 is a sequence diagram illustrating an example of a participation process of a conference terminal according to the second embodiment. FIG. 14 is a sequence diagram illustrating an example of a sharing process of a shared image according to the third embodiment.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
<System configuration>
FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of a system configuration of a conference system according to an embodiment. The conference system 100 includes, for example, a plurality of conference terminals 110a, 110b, 110c,... Communicatively connected via a network 160 such as the Internet or a LAN (Local Area Network), a call control server 130, and image distribution. It has a server 140 and the like. In the following description, the “conference terminal 110” is used to indicate an arbitrary conference terminal among the plurality of conference terminals 110a, 110b, 110c,.

  The conference terminal 110 is a terminal device having a configuration of a computer, and may be a dedicated terminal for the conference system 100 or a general-purpose information terminal that executes an application program (hereinafter, referred to as an application) of the conference system 100. There may be. Here, the following description is given assuming that the conference terminal 110 is a dedicated terminal for the conference system 100.

  The conference terminal 110 can communicate with another conference terminal 110 via the image distribution server 140 under the control of the call control server 130, for example, to transmit and receive a video (moving image, audio, etc.) of the conference. Thereby, for example, the user of the conference terminal 110a can hold a video conference with the users of the other conference terminals 110b and 110c via images and sounds of the conference transmitted and received in real time. Note that the video conference may be called a video conference, a remote conference, or the like.

  The call control server 130 is an information processing device having a configuration of a computer or a system including a plurality of information processing devices, and controls communication of a conference performed between the plurality of conference terminals 110.

  The image distribution server 140 is an information processing device having a computer configuration or a system including a plurality of information processing devices, and distributes (relays) content data such as audio and images between conference terminals 110 participating in a conference. I do.

  For example, when the conference terminals 110a, 110b, and 110c participate in the same conference, the image distribution server 140 receives the content data transmitted from the conference terminal 110a and distributes the received content data to the conference terminals 110b and 110c. I do. Further, the image distribution server 140 receives the content data transmitted from the conference terminal 110b, and distributes the received content data to the conference terminals 110a and 110c. Similarly, image distribution server 140 receives the content data transmitted from conference terminal 110c, and distributes the received content data to conference terminals 110a and 110b.

  As described above, the image distribution server 140 receives the content data transmitted from one conference terminal 110 participating in the conference, and distributes the received content data to the other conference terminals 110 participating in the conference. . Thus, even when the number of conference terminals 110 participating in the conference increases, the conference terminal 110 only needs to transmit the content data to the image distribution server 140, and thus the load on the conference terminal 110 can be reduced.

  Further, in the conference system 100 according to the present embodiment, for example, the display screen displayed on the information terminal 120 or the like connected to the external I / F (Interface) 111 of the conference terminal 110a is used as another conference terminal as a shared screen. 110b and 110c can be shared. Note that the information terminal 120 is an example of an external device connected to the external I / F 111. The external device connected to the external I / F 111 may be, for example, an electronic device such as an electronic whiteboard.

  FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an image of a display screen displayed by the conference terminal according to the embodiment. In the conference system 100 shown in FIG. 1, when a conference is being held between the conference terminal 110a and the conference terminal 110b, for example, a display screen 200 as shown in FIG. Is done.

  In the example of FIG. 2, the display screen 200 displays a conference image 210 captured by the conference terminal 110a, a conference image 220 captured by the conference terminal 110b, and a shared image 230. The shared image 230 is, for example, a display screen displayed on the information terminal 120 or the electronic whiteboard or the like connected to the external I / F 111 of the conference terminal 110a, or a still image obtained by capturing the display screen.

  For example, when the user of the conference terminal 110a wants to share the display screen displayed on the information terminal 120 with the user of the conference terminal 110b, the display screen displayed on the information terminal 120 is shared as a moving image. In this case, the image displayed on shared image 230 in FIG. 2 changes with time according to the operation on information terminal 120. For example, when the user of the conference terminal 110a changes the size of the window displayed on the information terminal 120, the size of the window 231 displayed on the shared image 230 also changes.

  On the other hand, the user of the conference terminal 110a can, for example, capture a display screen to be explained and explain it as a still image when explaining the meeting materials and the like. Thus, the user of the conference terminal 110a can freely use the display screen of the information terminal 120 while the display screen to be explained is displayed on the shared image 230.

  However, when a still image is shared as the shared image 230, when a new conference terminal 110c participates in the conference, the conference terminal 110c cannot display the shared image 230 because the shared image 230 is not distributed. . Even when the shared image 230 is a moving image, if only a difference between frames is distributed and a new conference terminal 110c participates in the conference, the conference terminal 110c distributes the original image. Therefore, a moving image cannot be displayed based on the difference between frames.

  In this way, when the conference terminal 110c newly participating in the conference cannot display the shared image 230, the conference terminal 110c requests the distribution source conference terminal 110a to update the shared image via the image distribution server 140, for example. To send an update request.

  However, when a still image is shared as the shared image 230, if the conference terminal 110a updates the shared image, the display screen displayed by the information terminal 120 is captured as the shared image. May share an unintended display screen.

  Therefore, in the conference system 100 according to the present embodiment, when the conference terminal 110a sharing the still image as the shared image receives the update request for the shared image, the conference terminal 110a receives the update request and the new conference terminal 110 participates in the conference. It is determined whether the request is an update request.

  If the received update request of the shared image is not an update request due to the participation of the new conference terminal 110 in the conference, the conference terminal 110a updates the shared image and transmits the updated shared image to the other conference terminals 110. To deliver.

  As a case where the conference terminal 110b already participating in the conference requests an update of the shared image, a case where the shared image cannot be displayed correctly due to a communication error or the like due to the network 160, for example, can be considered. However, such a case has a low frequency of occurrence and is often performed immediately after the shared image is transmitted (for example, within a few seconds), so that updating the shared image does not often cause a problem.

  On the other hand, if the received shared image update request is an update request due to the participation of the new conference terminal 110c in the conference, the conference terminal 110a stops updating the shared image. This is because when a new conference terminal 110 participates in a conference, it has often been a long time since the shared image was transmitted, and if the shared image is updated, the display that the user does not intend is not displayed. This is because the shared image is updated depending on the screen.

  As described above, the conference terminal 110 according to the present embodiment updates the shared image when the shared image update request is an update request due to the participation of the new conference terminal 110c in the conference after starting the conference. Abort. Thereby, the conference terminal 110 can reduce the update of the shared image 230 by an unintended display screen.

  As described above, according to the present embodiment, in the conference system 100 in which an image is shared among a plurality of conference terminals 110, it is possible to reduce an update of a shared image to a display screen that is not intended by a user. .

<Hardware configuration>
(Hardware configuration of conference terminal)
FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an example of a hardware configuration of the conference terminal according to the embodiment. The conference terminal 110 includes, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 301, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 302, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 303, a storage 304, an input device 305, a network I / F 306, a camera 307, an image sensor I / F F308, speaker 309, microphone 310, audio I / F 311, display 312, display I / F 313, external I / F 111, system bus 314, and the like. At least a part of the input device 305, the camera 307, the speaker 309, the microphone 310, and the display 312 may be connected to the outside of the conference terminal 110.

  The CPU 301 is an arithmetic device that controls the overall operation of the conference terminal 110 by executing programs stored in the storage 304, the ROM 302, and the like. The ROM 302 is, for example, a non-volatile memory that stores a program such as an IPL (Initial Program Loader) used for activating the CPU 301. The RAM 303 is a volatile memory used as a work area or the like of the CPU 301. The storage 304 is a large-capacity storage device that stores an OS (Operating System), applications, data, and the like, and is realized by, for example, a HDD (Hard Disk Drive), an SSD (Solid State Drive), or the like.

  The input device 305 is an input device that receives an operation by a user, and is realized by, for example, an operation button, a keyboard, a touch panel, and the like. The network I / F 306 is a communication interface for connecting the conference terminal 110 to the network 160 and performing communication with another device.

  The camera 307 is an imaging device that captures an image of a subject and acquires image data. An image sensor I / F 308 is an interface for connecting the camera 307 to the conference terminal 110. The speaker 309 converts an audio signal output from the audio I / F 311 into audio and outputs the audio. The microphone 310 acquires the surrounding sound, converts the sound into a sound signal, and outputs the sound signal to the sound I / F 311. The audio I / F 311 is an interface for connecting the speaker 309 and the microphone 310 to the conference terminal 110, and includes, for example, an amplification circuit, a volume adjustment circuit, and the like.

  The display 312 is a display device that displays a display screen of the conference terminal 110. The display I / F 313 is an interface for connecting the display 312 to the conference terminal 110.

  The external I / F 111 is an interface for connecting an external device such as the information terminal 120 to the conference terminal 110, for example. Note that the external I / F 111 is not limited to a wired connection, and may be a device that connects an external device to the conference terminal 110 using wireless communication.

  The system bus 314 connects the above-described components, for example, as shown in FIG. 2, and transmits an address signal, a data signal, and various control signals.

(Hardware configuration of call control server and image distribution server)
The call control server 130 and the image distribution server 140 have a general computer hardware configuration. Here, the hardware configuration of a general computer will be described.

  FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of a hardware configuration of a computer according to an embodiment. The computer 400 includes, for example, a CPU 401, a RAM 402, a ROM 403, a storage 404, a network I / F 405, an input device 406, a display device 407, an external connection I / F 408, a bus 409, and the like.

  The CPU 401 is an arithmetic device that realizes each function of the computer 400 by reading out programs and data stored in the ROM 403 and the storage 404 onto the RAM 402 and executing processes. The RAM 402 is a volatile memory used as a work area of the CPU 401 and the like. The ROM 403 is a non-volatile memory that retains programs and data even when the power is turned off.

  The storage 404 is a large-capacity storage device such as an HDD or an SSD, and stores an OS, an application, various data, and the like. The network I / F 405 is a communication interface for connecting the computer 400 to the network 160 or the like.

  The input device 406 is, for example, a pointing device such as a mouse or an input device such as a keyboard, and is used to input various operation signals to the computer 400. The display device 407 is a display device such as a display, and displays a processing result or the like by the computer 400.

  The external connection I / F 408 is an interface for connecting an external device to the computer 400. The external device includes, for example, a storage medium 410 and the like. The bus 409 is connected to each of the above components, and transmits an address signal, a data signal, various control signals, and the like.

[First Embodiment]
Subsequently, a functional configuration of the conference system according to the first embodiment will be described.

<Functional configuration>
FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating an example of a functional configuration of the conference system according to the first embodiment. In FIG. 5, the conference terminals 110b and 110c have the same functional configuration as the conference terminal 110a.

(Functional configuration of conference terminal)
The conference terminal (terminal device) 110 includes, for example, a transmission / reception unit 511, an operation reception unit 512, a display control unit 513, a voice input / output unit 514, an imaging unit 515, a terminal information management unit 516, a shared image transmission unit 517, an update determination unit. 518, an update request unit 519, and a storage unit 520.

  The conference terminal 110 realizes each of the above functional configurations by executing a predetermined program by the CPU 301 in FIG. 3, for example. In addition, at least a part of each of the above functional configurations may be realized by hardware.

  The transmission / reception unit 511 is realized by, for example, a program executed by the CPU 301 in FIG. 3 and a network I / F 306, and communicates with other conference terminals 110, the call control server 130, and the image distribution server 140 via the network 160. I do.

  For example, the transmission / reception unit 511 establishes a control session with the call control server 130, performs login processing to the call control server 130, and performs communication control such as starting, ending, and joining a conference. Further, under the control of the call control server 130, the transmission / reception unit 511 establishes a communication session with the image distribution server 140, and exchanges a conference video (moving image) with another conference terminal 110 participating in the same session. , Audio, etc.) and shared images.

  The operation accepting unit 512 is realized, for example, by a program executed by the CPU 301 in FIG. 3, and performs an input operation (for example, a call, a response, and a destination designation operation) by a user using the input device 305 or the like in FIG. Accept.

  The display control unit 513 is realized by, for example, a program executed by the CPU 301 in FIG. 3, and causes the display unit such as the display 312 in FIG. 3 to display the conference display screen 200. The conference display screen 200 includes, for example, one or more conference images 210 captured by another conference terminal 110, a conference image 220 captured by its own terminal, and a shared image 230, as shown in FIG. included.

  The audio input / output unit 514 is realized by, for example, a program executed by the CPU 301 in FIG. The audio input / output unit 514 acquires the audio of the conference using, for example, the microphone 310 and the audio I / F 311 in FIG. The audio input / output unit 514 outputs a conference audio transmitted from another conference terminal 110 using, for example, the speaker 309 and the audio I / F 311 in FIG.

  The imaging unit 515 is realized by, for example, a program executed by the CPU 301 in FIG. 3, and uses the camera 307 in FIG. 3, the image sensor I / F 308, and the like to include the conference image 210 included in the display screen 200 in FIG. Is imaged.

  The terminal information management unit 516 is realized by, for example, a program executed by the CPU 301 in FIG. 3, and converts the information of the other conference terminals 110 participating in the conference into the terminal information 601 as illustrated in FIG. Remember and manage.

  FIG. 6A illustrates an example of the terminal information 601 stored in the storage unit 520 of the conference terminal 110. In the example of FIG. 6A, the terminal information 601 includes information such as “terminal ID”, “communication start time”, and “communication end time”.

  The “terminal ID” stores a terminal ID which is identification information for identifying another conference terminal 110 participating in the same conference as the conference terminal 110. The “communication start time” stores the time at which another conference terminal 110 participating in the same conference as the conference terminal 110 started communication (the time at which the conference terminal 110 participated in the conference). In the “communication end time”, the time at which the other conference terminal 110 participating in the same conference as the conference terminal 110 ends the communication (the time at which the conference terminal 110 leaves the conference) is stored.

  The terminal information management unit 516, based on the control information notified from the call control server 130, for example, when starting a conference, when leaving a conference, when joining a conference, etc. It manages information such as time and communication end time.

  The shared image transmission unit 517 is realized by, for example, a program executed by the CPU 301 in FIG. The shared image transmitting unit 517 acquires a shared image from an external device connected by the external I / F 111 or the like, and transmits the acquired shared image to another conference terminal 110 participating in the conference. For example, the shared image transmission unit 517 acquires a still image that captures a display screen (display image) displayed by the information terminal 120 connected to the external I / F 111. Further, shared image transmitting section 517 transmits the obtained still image as a shared image to other conference terminals 110 participating in the conference.

  The update determination unit 518 is realized by, for example, a program executed by the CPU 301 in FIG. When receiving the update request for updating the shared image, the update determination unit 518 uses the terminal information 601 managed by the terminal information management unit 516, and transmits the update request to the terminal device after the start of the conference. It is determined whether this is an update request due to participation. An example of the update process by the update determination unit 518 will be described later with reference to FIG.

  The update request unit 519 is realized by, for example, a program executed by the CPU 301 in FIG. 3. When the display control unit 513 cannot display a shared image from the image distribution server 140 on the display unit, the image distribution server 140 Send an update request requesting an update for.

  For example, in FIG. 1, it is assumed that a conference is being held between the conference terminal 110a and the conference terminal 110b. The shared image (still image) acquired from the information terminal 120 is shared between the conference terminal 110a and the conference terminal 110b, and the shared image 230 shown in FIG. It is assumed that the display screen 200 including is displayed.

  When the conference terminal 110c participates in this conference, the conference terminal 110c cannot display the shared image (still image) distributed by the conference terminal 110a. Therefore, the conference terminal 110c sends an update request for updating the shared image to the image distribution server. 140 (or the call control server 130).

  The storage unit 520 is realized by, for example, the program executed by the CPU 301 in FIG. 3, the storage 304, the RAM 303, and the like, and stores various information such as the terminal information 601 and the terminal ID shown in FIG. .

(Functional configuration of call control server)
The call control server 130 includes, for example, a transmitting / receiving unit 531, a communication control unit 532, a conference management unit 533, a storage unit 534, and the like.

  The call control server 130 realizes each of the above functional configurations by executing a predetermined program by the CPU 401 in FIG. 4, for example. In addition, at least a part of each of the above functional configurations may be realized by hardware.

  The transmission / reception unit 531 is realized by, for example, a program executed by the CPU 401 in FIG. 4 and the network I / F 405, and communicates with the conference terminal 110 and the image distribution server 140 via the network 160.

  The communication control unit 532 is realized by, for example, a program executed by the CPU 401 in FIG. 4, and controls communication for performing a conference between the conference terminals 110. For example, the communication control unit 532 performs control such as calling, calling, answering, joining, and disconnecting between the conference terminals 110.

  The conference management unit 533 is realized by, for example, a program executed by the CPU 401 in FIG. 4, and stores information on a conference held in the conference system 100 in, for example, conference information 602 as illustrated in FIG. 6B. And manage.

  FIG. 6B illustrates an image of an example of the conference information 602 according to the first embodiment. In the example of FIG. 6B, the conference information 602 includes “conference ID”, “start date and time”, “communication time”, “request source terminal ID”, “destination terminal ID”, “participating terminal ID”, Information such as “participation time” and “participation time” is included.

  “Conference ID” is identification information for identifying a conference, and is generated by the conference management unit 533 when a new conference is started. “Start date and time” is information indicating the date and time when the conference was started. “Communication time” is information indicating the time from the start of the conference to the present.

  The “request source terminal ID” is a terminal ID that identifies the conference terminal 110 that has requested the start of the conference (hereinafter, referred to as a request source terminal). The “destination terminal ID” is a terminal ID for identifying the conference terminal 110 (hereinafter, referred to as a destination terminal) specified as a destination by the request source terminal.

  The “participating terminal ID” is a terminal ID for identifying one or more conference terminals 110 (hereinafter, referred to as participating terminals) participating in a conference held between the request source terminal and the destination terminal. “Participation time” is information indicating the time at which each participating terminal participated in the conference.

  The storage unit 534 is realized by, for example, the program executed by the CPU 401 in FIG. 4, the storage 404, the RAM 402, and the like, and stores various information such as the conference information 602.

(Functional configuration of image distribution server)
The image distribution server 140 includes, for example, a transmission / reception unit 541, a conference video distribution unit 542, a shared image distribution unit 543, a storage unit 544, and the like.

  The image distribution server 140 realizes each of the above functional configurations by executing a predetermined program by the CPU 401 in FIG. 4, for example. In addition, at least a part of each of the above functional configurations may be realized by hardware.

  The transmission / reception unit 541 is realized by, for example, a program executed by the CPU 401 in FIG. 4 and the network I / F 405, and communicates with the conference terminal 110 and the call control server 130 via the network 160.

  The conference video distribution unit 542 is realized by, for example, a program executed by the CPU 401 in FIG. 4, and transmits and receives conference video (moving image, audio, and the like) between the conference terminals 110 participating in the same conference (session). Relay.

  For example, when the conference terminals 110a, 110b, and 110c in FIG. 5 participate in the conference with the same conference ID, the conference video distribution unit 542 receives the conference video transmitted from the conference terminal 110a, and receives the received conference video. To the conference terminals 110b and 110c. Similarly, the conference video distribution unit 542 receives the conference video transmitted from the conference terminal 110b, distributes it to the conference terminals 110a and 110c, receives the conference video transmitted from the conference terminal 110c, and Delivery to 110a, 110b.

  The shared image distribution unit 543 is realized by, for example, a program executed by the CPU 401 in FIG. 4 and transmits the shared image received from the conference terminal 110 that transmits the shared image to the other conference terminals 110 participating in the same conference. To deliver.

  For example, when the conference terminals 110a, 110b, and 110c in FIG. 1 participate in a conference with the same conference ID, the shared image distribution unit 543 distributes the shared image received from the conference terminal 110a to the conference terminals 110b and 110c. I do.

  The storage unit 534 is realized by, for example, the program executed by the CPU 401 in FIG. 4, the storage 404, the RAM 402, and the like, and stores, for example, various information such as conference information and conference participation information notified from the call control server 130. I do.

<Process flow>
Subsequently, a flow of processing of a control method in the conference system 100 and the conference terminal (terminal device) 110 according to the first embodiment will be described.

(Meeting start process)
FIG. 7 is a sequence diagram illustrating an example of a conference start process according to the first embodiment. This processing shows an example of processing for starting a conference between the conference terminal 110a as the request source terminal and the conference terminal 110b as the destination terminal. At the start of the process in FIG. 7, the conference terminals 110a and 110b are powered on, and can transmit and receive control information to and from the call control server 130 using the control session described above. .

  In step S701, when the operation reception unit 512 of the conference terminal 110a receives a user's operation of starting a conference, the processing of step S702 and thereafter is executed.

  In step S702, the transmission / reception unit 511 of the conference terminal 110a transmits a conference start request, which is control information for requesting the start of the conference, to the call control server 130. The conference start request includes, for example, the request source terminal ID which is the terminal ID of the request source terminal (here, the conference terminal 110a), and the terminal ID of the destination terminal (here, the conference terminal 110b) which is received by the operation reception unit 512. The destination terminal ID and the like are included.

  In step S703, when the communication control unit 532 of the call control server 130 receives the conference start request transmitted from the conference terminal 110a, the conference management unit 533 sets the conference ID for identifying the conference corresponding to the received conference start request. Generate.

  In step S704, the communication control unit 532 of the call control server 130 transmits a call request, which is control information indicating that there is a call request from the conference terminal 110a, which is the request source terminal, to the conference terminal 110b, which is the destination terminal. . This call request includes, for example, a request source terminal ID, a conference ID, and the like.

  In step S705, the conference terminal 110b displays a call screen on a display unit such as the display 312 in FIG. 3 by the display control unit 513, and outputs a call sound from the speaker 309 in FIG. Output. The conference terminal 110b accepts a response operation by the user.

  In step S706, the conference terminal 110b transmits a call response, which is control information in response to the call request, to the call control server 130 in response to a response operation by the user.

  Note that the processing shown in steps S705 and S706 is an example, and the conference terminal 110b may automatically return a call response to the call request received in step S704.

  In step S707, upon receiving the call response from the conference terminal 110b, which is the destination terminal, the communication control unit 532 of the call control server 130 transmits the conference information, which is control information responding to the conference start request, to the conference terminal 110a, which is the request source terminal. Send a start response. This conference start response includes, for example, the conference ID generated in step S703.

  Note that the call control server 130 may notify the conference terminal 110a of the conference ID together with the destination information of the image distribution server 140 in step S710 described below.

  In step S708, the conference management unit 533 of the call control server 130 updates, for example, the conference information 602 as illustrated in FIG. For example, the conference management unit 533 stores information such as the request source terminal ID, the destination terminal ID, and the start date and time in the conference information 602 in association with the conference ID generated in step S703.

  In step S709, the communication control unit 532 of the call control server 130 transmits conference information, which is control information for notifying the information of the conference, to the image distribution server 140. The conference information includes, for example, the conference ID generated in step S703, the request source terminal ID, the destination terminal ID, and the like.

  In steps S710 and S711, the communication control unit 532 of the call control server 130 transmits a conference start instruction, which is control information for instructing the start of the conference, to the conference terminals 110a and 110b. The meeting start instruction includes, for example, destination information (for example, an IP address or the like) of the image distribution server. The meeting start information may include a meeting ID.

  In step S712, when receiving the conference start instruction from the call control server 130, the terminal information management unit 516 of the conference terminal 110a updates, for example, the terminal information 601 as illustrated in FIG. Here, the terminal information management unit 516 of the conference terminal 110a stores the terminal ID of the conference terminal 110b, the communication start time, and the like in the terminal information 601 stored in the storage unit 520.

  In step S713, the transmission / reception unit 511 of the conference terminal 110a establishes a communication session with the image distribution server 140 using the destination information of the image distribution server 140 notified from the call control server 130 and the conference ID.

  In addition, in parallel with the processing of steps S712 and S713, the conference terminal 110b performs the processing of steps S714 and S715.

  In step S714, when receiving the conference start instruction from the call control server 130, the terminal information management unit 516 of the conference terminal 110b updates the terminal information 601. Here, the terminal information management unit 516 of the conference terminal 110b stores the terminal ID of the conference terminal 110a, the communication start time, and the like in the terminal information 601 stored in the storage unit 520.

  In step S715, the transmission / reception unit 511 of the conference terminal 110b establishes a communication session with the image distribution server 140 using the destination information of the image distribution server 140 notified from the call control server 130 and the conference ID.

  By the above processing, in step S716, the conference video (image and audio) can be transmitted and received via the image distribution server 140 between the conference terminal 110a and the conference terminal 110b that have established the communication session with the same conference ID. become.

(Sharing of shared images)
FIG. 8 is a sequence diagram illustrating an example of a sharing process of a shared image according to the first embodiment. In this process, for example, in FIG. 1, during a conference between the conference terminal 110a and the conference terminal 110b, a user of the conference terminal 110a captures a still image obtained by capturing a display screen displayed on the information terminal 120, The example of the process at the time of sharing with the conference terminal 110b is shown.

  In step S716 in FIG. 8, it is assumed that a conference for transmitting and receiving conference video has been performed between the conference terminal 110a and the conference terminal 110b by the conference start process shown in FIG.

  In step S801, when the operation receiving unit 512 of the conference terminal 110a receives a user's image sharing operation, the processing of step S802 and thereafter is executed.

  In step S802, the shared image transmission unit 517 of the conference terminal 110a acquires a still image from the display image displayed by the information terminal 120. For example, the shared image transmission unit 517 acquires data of a display image displayed on the information terminal 120 from the information terminal 120 connected to the external I / F 111, and acquires a shared image (still image) from the acquired display image data. ) To get.

  In steps S803 and S804, shared image transmitting section 517 of conference terminal 110a transmits the acquired shared image to conference terminal 110b via image distribution server 140.

  In step S805, the display control unit 513 of the conference terminal 110b displays the shared image 230 on, for example, the display screen 200 as illustrated in FIG. 2 using the shared image received from the conference terminal 110a.

  In step S805, when the display control unit 513 of the conference terminal 110b fails to display the shared image due to, for example, deterioration of communication quality, the processing illustrated in steps S811 to S819 is performed.

  For example, in step S811, it is assumed that the display control unit 513 of the conference terminal 110b fails to display the shared image within a predetermined time.

  In steps S812 and S813, when the display of the shared image fails, the update request unit 519 transmits an update request, which is control information for requesting an update of the shared image, to the conference terminal 110a via the image distribution server 140. This update request includes the terminal ID (destination terminal ID) of the conference terminal 110b and the like.

  In step S814, the update determination unit 518 of the conference terminal 110a determines whether the update request is an update request due to the participation of a new participating terminal in the conference after the start of the conference, for example, as illustrated in FIG. Is determined using the terminal information 601 as shown in FIG.

  If the update request is not an update request due to the participation of a new participating terminal in the conference after starting the conference, the conference terminal 110a updates the shared image and transmits the updated shared image to the conference terminal 110b.

  On the other hand, if the update request is an update request due to the participation of a new participating terminal in the conference after starting the conference, the conference terminal 110a stops updating the shared image.

  Here, after the conference is started between the conference terminal 110a and the conference terminal 110b, since the new participating terminal has not participated in the conference, the processing after step S815 is executed.

  In step S815, the shared image transmission unit 517 of the conference terminal 110a acquires the data of the display image displayed by the information terminal 120, and updates the shared image (still image) using the acquired data of the display image. .

  In steps S816 and S817, shared image transmitting section 517 of conference terminal 110a transmits the updated shared image to conference terminal 110b via image distribution server 140.

  In step S818, the display control unit 513 of the conference terminal 110b displays, for example, the shared image 230 on the display screen 200 as illustrated in FIG. 2 using the shared image received from the conference terminal 110a.

  Here, if the display of the shared image also fails, for example, the processing after step S811 is executed again.

(Conference terminal participation processing)
FIG. 9 is a sequence diagram illustrating an example of the participation process of the conference terminal according to the first embodiment. This process shows an example of a joining process in which a new conference terminal 110c (participating terminal) joins the conference after the conference has started.

  In step S716 in FIG. 9, it is assumed that a conference for transmitting and receiving conference video has been performed between the conference terminal 110a and the conference terminal 110b by the conference start process shown in FIG.

  In step S901, when the operation reception unit 512 of the conference terminal 110c receives a user's operation to participate in a conference, the processing of step S902 and thereafter is executed.

  In step S902, the transmission / reception unit 511 of the conference terminal 110a transmits a conference participation request, which is control information for requesting participation in the conference, to the call control server 130. The conference participation request includes, for example, the terminal ID of the conference terminal 110a or the conference terminal 110b participating in the conference and the participation terminal ID that is the terminal ID of the participating terminal (conference terminal 110c).

  In steps S903 and S904, upon receiving the conference participation request, the communication control unit 532 of the call control server 130 controls the conference terminals 110a and 110b participating in the conference to indicate that the new participating terminal has participated in the conference. Send a meeting notification that is information. The conference participation information includes a participation terminal ID which is a terminal ID of the participating terminal (conference terminal 110c).

  In steps S905 and S906, upon receiving the conference participation notification, the terminal information management unit 516 of the conference terminals 110a and 110b updates the terminal information 601 as shown in FIG. 6A, for example. For example, the terminal information management unit 516 of the conference terminal 110a stores the terminal ID “10ac” of the conference terminal 110c and the communication start time in the terminal information 601 as illustrated in FIG.

  Here, the processing after step S907 may be automatically executed, or may be executed in response to a response operation to the conference terminal 110a or the conference terminal 110b already participating in the conference. It may be. Here, the following description is made assuming that the processing after step S907 is automatically executed.

  In step S907, the conference management unit 533 of the call control server 130 updates, for example, the conference information 602 as illustrated in FIG. For example, the conference management unit 533 stores information such as the participation terminal ID and the participation time in the conference information 602 in association with the conference ID of the conference in which the conference terminals 110a and 110b participate.

  In step S908, the communication control unit 532 of the call control server 130 transmits, to the image distribution server 140, conference participation information that is control information for notifying information of the conference terminal 110c that is a participating terminal. The conference participation information includes a conference ID, a participating terminal ID that is a terminal ID of the participating terminal (the conference terminal 110c), and the like.

  In step S909, the communication control unit of the call control server 130 transmits a conference participation instruction, which is control information for instructing participation in the conference, to the conference terminal 110c. The conference participation instruction includes a conference ID, destination information of the image distribution server 140, terminal IDs of the other conference terminals 110a and 110b participating in the conference, and the like.

  In step S910, when receiving the conference participation instruction from the call control server 130, the terminal information management unit 516 of the conference terminal 110c updates, for example, the terminal information 601 as illustrated in FIG. Here, the terminal information management unit 516 of the conference terminal 110a stores the terminal IDs of the conference terminals 110a and 110b in the terminal information 601 stored in the storage unit 520.

  In step S911, the transmission / reception unit 511 of the conference terminal 110a establishes a communication session with the image distribution server 140 using the destination information of the image distribution server 140 notified from the call control server 130 and the conference ID.

  In steps S912 and S913, the conference terminal 110c participates in the same conference as the conference terminals 110a and 110b, and can transmit and receive conference video to and from the conference terminals 110a and 110b via the image distribution server 140.

  In step S914, the display control unit 513 of the conference terminal 110c newly participating in the conference fails to display the shared image. This is because, for example, in step S804 in FIG. 8, the shared image transmitted by the conference terminal 110a is not received by the conference terminal 110c.

  In steps S915 and S916, when the display control unit 513 fails to display the shared image, the update request unit 519 of the conference terminal 110c issues an update request for updating the shared image via the image distribution server 140 to the conference terminal 110a. Send to This update request includes the terminal ID (participating terminal ID) of the conference terminal 110c and the like.

  In step S917, the update determination unit 518 of the conference terminal 110a determines whether the update request is an update request due to the participation of a new participating terminal in the conference after the start of the conference, for example, as shown in FIG. Is determined using the terminal information 601 as shown in FIG.

  If the update request is not an update request due to the participation of a new participating terminal in the conference after starting the conference, the conference terminal 110a updates the shared image and transmits the updated shared image to the conference terminal 110b.

  On the other hand, if the update request is an update request due to the participation of a new participating terminal in the conference after starting the conference, the conference terminal 110a stops updating the shared image.

  Here, the update request is an update request due to the participation of the new conference terminal 110c in the conference after the start of the conference. Therefore, in step S918, the shared image transmission unit 517 of the conference terminal 110a stops updating the shared image. .

  According to the above processing, in the conference system 100 according to the present embodiment, when a new participating terminal joins the conference after the conference is started, the shared image is updated by a display screen not intended by the user. Can be reduced.

  In the present embodiment, the shared image of the conference terminal 110c, which is a participating terminal, is not displayed until the shared image is shared or updated by the conference terminal 110a. However, since the user of the conference terminal 110c can interact with the user of the conference terminal 110a using, for example, a conference video, the user of the conference terminal 110a can easily request the user of the conference terminal 110a to update the shared image.

(Judgment processing of the update judgment unit)
FIG. 10 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a determination process of the update determination unit according to the first embodiment. This processing is performed, for example, in step S814 in FIG. 8 or in step S917 in FIG. 9, when the update determination unit 518 of the conference terminal 110 determines that the update request indicates that a new participating terminal has joined the conference after starting the conference. The example of the process which determines whether it is an update request is shown.

  In step S1001, upon receiving the update request for the shared image, the conference terminal 110 executes the processing of step S1002 and thereafter.

  In step S1002, the update determination unit 518 of the conference terminal 110 reads, for example, the terminal information 601 as illustrated in FIG.

  In step S1003, the update determination unit 518 determines whether there is any participating terminal that has participated in the conference after starting the conference, using the read terminal information 601. In the example of FIG. 6A, since the conference terminal 110a starts communicating with the conference terminal 110c with the terminal ID "10ac" about 30 minutes after starting communication with the conference terminal 110b with the terminal ID "10ab". It can be determined that there is a participating terminal that has joined the conference after starting the conference.

  If there is no participating terminal that has joined the conference after the start of the conference, the update determination unit 518 determines that the update request is not an update request due to the participation of a new participating terminal in the conference after the start of the conference. Is shifted to step S1105.

  On the other hand, when there is a participating terminal that has participated in the conference after starting the conference, the update determination unit 518 shifts the processing to step S1104.

  In step S1104, it is determined whether or not a predetermined time (for example, about 1 to 5 minutes) has elapsed from the communication start time of the participating terminals that have joined the conference after starting the conference. If there are a plurality of participating terminals participating in the conference after starting the conference, it is determined whether a predetermined time has elapsed from the communication start time of the last participating terminal.

  If the predetermined time has elapsed, the update determination unit 518 determines that the update request is not an update request due to a new participating terminal participating in the conference after starting the conference, and shifts the processing to step S1105. Let it.

  On the other hand, if the predetermined time has not elapsed, the update determination unit 518 determines that the update request is an update request due to the participation of a new participating terminal in the conference after starting the conference, and in step S1007, The shared image transmission unit 517 stops updating the shared image.

  In step S1005, the shared image transmission unit 517 of the conference terminal 110 acquires the data of the display image displayed by the information terminal 120, and converts the shared image (still image) using the acquired data of the display image. Update.

  In step S1006, shared image transmitting section 517 transmits the updated shared image to other conference terminals 110 participating in the conference via image distribution server 140.

  Through the above-described processes, when a conference is held between the conference terminal 110a and the conference terminal 110b and the shared image is shared, and the conference terminal 110c newly joins the conference, the shared terminal transmitted by the conference terminal 110c is transmitted. The shared image is not updated by the image update request.

  Therefore, according to the present embodiment, in the conference system 100 that shares a still image among a plurality of conference terminals 110, it is possible to effectively prevent a shared image from being updated by a display screen not intended by a user. Can be reduced.

[Second embodiment]
The functional configuration of the conference system 100 according to the first embodiment illustrated in FIG. 5 is an example. For example, in the first embodiment, the update determination unit 518 included in the conference terminal 110 may be included in the call control server 130.

  In the second embodiment, an example in which the call control server 130 includes the update determination unit 518 will be described.

<Functional configuration>
FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating an example of a functional configuration of the conference system according to the second embodiment. As illustrated in FIG. 11, in the second embodiment, the call control server 130 includes the update determination unit 518 that the conference terminal 110 has in the first embodiment.

  The update determining unit 518 according to the present embodiment is realized by, for example, a program executed by the CPU 401 in FIG. The update determination unit 518 uses the conference information 602 as shown in FIG. 6B, for example, and the received update request is an update request due to the participation of a new participating terminal in the conference after the start of the conference. It is determined whether or not.

  For example, the update determination unit 518 performs a determination process as illustrated in FIG. 10 using the information of “conference ID”, “participating terminal ID”, and “participation time” of the conference information 602.

  Further, in the present embodiment, the participating terminal that participates in the conference during the conference transmits a shared image update request to the call control server 130 instead of the image distribution server 140.

  The functional configuration of the conference system 100 other than the above may be the same as that of the first embodiment.

<Process flow>
FIG. 12 is a sequence diagram illustrating an example of the participation process of the conference terminal according to the second embodiment. Note that among the processing shown in FIG. 12, the processing shown in step S716 and steps S901 to S913 are the same as the processing according to the first embodiment shown in FIG. The following description focuses on the differences from the above.

  In step S1201, the display control unit 513 of the conference terminal 110c newly participating in the conference fails to display the shared image as in the first embodiment.

  In step S1202, when the display control unit 513 fails to display the shared image, the update request unit 519 of the conference terminal 110c uses control information to request the call control server 130 to update the shared image using the control session. Send an update request.

  In step S1203, the update determination unit 518 of the call control server 130 determines whether or not the update request is an update request due to the participation of a new participating terminal in the conference after the start of the conference, for example, as shown in FIG. The determination is made using the conference information 602 as shown in FIG.

  For example, the update determination unit 518 determines whether the “participation terminal ID” corresponding to the “conference ID” of the conference is stored in the conference information 602 as illustrated in FIG. The determination in S1003 can be made. Further, the update determination unit 518 can make the determination in step S1004 in FIG. 10 based on the “participation time” corresponding to the “conference ID” of the conference in the conference information 602 as illustrated in FIG. 6B. .

  Therefore, the update determination unit 518 of the call control server 130 can execute the determination process of the update determination unit illustrated in FIG. 10 using the conference information 602 as illustrated in FIG. The conference information 602 is an example of information of the conference terminal 110 participating in the conference, which is managed by the conference management unit (another example of the management unit) 533.

  If the update request is not an update request due to a new participating terminal joining the conference after starting the conference, the communication control unit 532 of the call control server 130 transmits a shared image update request to the conference terminals 110a, 110b and the like. I do. Thereby, the shared image transmission unit 517 of the conference terminal 110a that has distributed the shared image can update the shared image and transmit the updated shared image to the conference terminals 110b and 110c.

  On the other hand, when the update request is an update request due to the participation of a new participating terminal in the conference after the start of the conference, the communication control unit 532 of the call control server 130 sends the shared image update request to the conference terminal 110a, The processing to be transmitted to 110b or the like is stopped. Thereby, the update of the shared image by the shared image transmitting unit 517 of the conference terminal a to which the shared image has been distributed can be stopped.

  Here, since the update request is an update request due to the participation of the new conference terminal 110c in the conference after the conference has started, in step S1204, the communication control unit 532 of the call control server 130 transmits the shared image update request. To stop.

  With the above processing, also in the conference system 100 according to the second embodiment, when a new participating terminal joins the conference after starting the conference, the shared image is updated by a display screen that is not intended by the user. Can be reduced.

[Third Embodiment]
In the first embodiment, the conference terminal 110 stops updating the shared image when the received shared image update request is an update request due to the participation of a new participating terminal in the conference after starting the conference. The example of the case where it does is explained.

  In the third embodiment, the conference terminal 110 stops updating the shared image when the received shared image update request is an update request due to the participation of a new participating terminal in the conference after starting the conference. Then, an example in the case of distributing the shared image stored in the storage unit 520 will be described.

  The functional configuration of the conference system 100 according to the third embodiment may be the same as the functional configuration of the conference system 100 according to the first embodiment illustrated in FIG.

<Process flow>
FIG. 13 is a sequence diagram illustrating an example of an image sharing process according to the third embodiment. In step S716 in FIG. 13, it is assumed that a conference for transmitting and receiving conference video has been performed between the conference terminal 110a and the conference terminal 110b by the conference start process shown in FIG. In addition, since the basic processing content of the processing illustrated in FIG. 13 is the same as that of the first embodiment, a detailed description of the same processing as that of the first embodiment will be omitted.

  In step S1301, when the operation receiving unit 512 of the conference terminal 110a receives a user's image sharing operation, the processing from step S1302 is executed.

  In step S1302, shared image transmitting section 517 of conference terminal 110a acquires a shared image (still image) from the display image displayed by information terminal 120.

  In steps S1303 and S1304, shared image transmitting section 517 of conference terminal 110a transmits the acquired shared image to conference terminal 110b via image distribution server 140.

  In step S1305, shared image transmitting section 517 of conference terminal 110a stores the transmitted shared image in storage section 520. Note that the shared image transmitting unit 517 may store the shared image in the storage unit 520 before transmitting the shared image.

  In step S1306, the display control unit 513 of the conference terminal 110b displays the shared image 230 on, for example, the display screen 200 as illustrated in FIG. 2 using the shared image received from the conference terminal 110a.

  In step S1307, it is assumed that the conference terminal 110c participates in the same conference as the conference terminals 110a and 110b in steps S1308 and S1309, for example, by the participation processing of the conference terminal 110c shown in steps S901 to S911 in FIG.

  In step S1311, the conference terminal 110c newly participating in the conference has failed to display the shared image because the conference terminal 110a has not received the shared image transmitted by the conference terminal 110a. Accordingly, the processes in and after step S1312 are executed. .

  In steps S1312 and S1313, the update request unit 519 of the conference terminal 110c transmits an update request for requesting an update of the shared image to the conference terminal 110a via the image distribution server 140.

  In step S1314, the update determination unit 518 of the conference terminal 110a determines whether the update request is an update request due to the participation of a new participating terminal in the conference after the start of the conference, for example, as shown in FIG. Is determined using the terminal information 601 as shown in FIG.

  When the update request is not an update request due to the participation of a new participating terminal in the conference after the start of the conference, the shared image transmitting unit 517 of the conference terminal 110a performs, for example, the process illustrated in steps S815 to 816 in FIG. The shared image is updated and transmitted to another conference terminal 110.

  On the other hand, if the update request is an update request due to a new participating terminal participating in the conference after starting the conference, the shared image transmission unit 517 of the conference terminal 110a performs the processing of steps S1315 and S1316.

  In step S1315, shared image transmission section 517 of conference terminal 110a stops updating the shared image and reads the shared image stored in storage section 520 in step S1305.

  In step S1316, shared image transmitting section 517 of conference terminal 110a transmits the shared image read from storage section 520 to image distribution server 140.

  In steps S1317 and S1318, shared image distribution unit 543 of image distribution server 140 distributes the shared image received from conference terminal 110a to conference terminals 110b and 110c participating in the same conference as conference terminal 110a.

  In steps S1319 and 1320, the display control unit 513 of the conference terminals 110b and 110c displays, for example, the shared image 230 of the display screen 200 as illustrated in FIG. 2 using the distribution image distributed from the image distribution server 140. .

  According to the above processing, in the conference system 100 according to the third embodiment, when a new participating terminal participates in the conference after starting the conference, the shared image is updated by the display screen not intended by the user. Can be effectively reduced.

  Further, in the conference system 100 according to the third embodiment, the shared image shared by the conference terminals 110a and 110b can be shared with the conference terminal 110c that has participated in the conference later without updating the shared image. .

  As described above, according to each embodiment of the present invention, in the conference system 100 that shares a still image among a plurality of conference terminals 110, the shared image is updated by a display screen not intended by the user. Can be reduced.

  In the above description, an example in which the number of conference terminals 110 is three has been described. However, even in the case where the number of conference terminals 110 is four or more, the user similarly intends. It is possible to reduce the possibility that the shared image is updated by the display screen that does not exist.

  Further, in the above description, an example in which the call control server 130 and the image distribution server 140 are different information processing apparatuses has been described. However, each functional configuration of the call control server 130 and the image distribution server 140 is as follows. One management server 150 may have it.

  Further, the image distribution server 140 may be provided separately, for example, as a conference video distribution server that distributes a conference video and a shared image distribution server that distributes a shared image.

  Furthermore, the conference system 100 does not have the call control server 130, the image distribution server 140, the management server 150, and the like, and directly performs call control, transmission and reception of conference images, and transmission of shared images among the plurality of conference terminals 110. What performs sharing etc. may be used.

100 conference system 110 conference terminal (terminal device)
150 management server 513 display control unit 516 terminal information management unit (management unit)
517 Shared image transmission unit (transmission unit)
518 Update judgment unit (judgment unit)
519 Update request section 520 Storage section 532 Communication control section 533 Conference management section (another example of the management section)
543 Shared image distribution unit (another example of transmission unit)
601 Terminal information (information of other terminal devices participating in the conference)
602 Conference information (information of terminal devices participating in the conference)

JP 2016-110486 A

Claims (10)

A conference system comprising a plurality of terminal devices, a conference between the plurality of terminal devices,
One terminal device included in the plurality of terminal devices,
A management unit that manages information of other terminal devices participating in the conference,
A transmission unit that obtains a still image from a display image that can change over time, and transmits the obtained still image to another terminal device participating in the conference as a shared image,
When an update request requesting an update of the shared image is received, using the information of the other terminal devices participating in the conference, the update request is newly added to the conference after the conference is started. A determination unit that determines whether the request is an update request due to participation of
Has,
The transmitting unit includes:
If the update request is not an update request by a new terminal device participating in the conference after starting the conference, transmit the updated shared image to other terminal devices participating in the conference,
When the update request is an update request due to a new terminal device participating in the conference after starting the conference, the update of the shared image is stopped. The terminal device is communicably connected via a network, and has a management server that manages the management,
The management server,
A communication control unit that controls communication between the terminal devices;
Among the terminal devices participating in the conference, a shared image distribution unit that distributes the shared image transmitted by one terminal device to another terminal device,
The conferencing system according to claim 1, comprising:   The conference system according to claim 2, wherein the management unit manages information on other terminal devices participating in the conference based on control information notified from the communication control unit.   The conference system according to claim 2, wherein the transmission unit transmits the shared image to another terminal device participating in the conference via the shared image distribution unit. The terminal device,
A display control unit that displays the shared image distributed from the shared image distribution unit on a display unit,
When the shared image distributed from the shared image distribution unit cannot be displayed on the display unit, an update request unit that requests the management server to update the shared image,
The conference system according to any one of claims 2 to 4, comprising: The terminal device has a storage unit that stores the shared image transmitted to another terminal device participating in the conference,
The transmitting unit transmits the shared image stored in the storage unit to another terminal device participating in the conference, when the update request is an update request due to a new terminal device participating in the conference. The conference system according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein A conference system for performing a conference between a plurality of terminal devices,
A management unit that manages information on the terminal devices participating in the conference,
Among the plurality of terminal devices participating in the conference, a shared image, which is a still image obtained from a display image in which one terminal device can change over time, is transmitted to another terminal device participating in the conference. A transmitting unit for transmitting,
When receiving an update request requesting an update of the shared image, using the information of the terminal devices participating in the conference, the update request is a new terminal device in the conference after starting the conference. A determination unit for determining whether the request is an update request due to participation;
Has,
If the update request is not an update request by a new terminal device participating in the conference after starting the conference, transmit the updated shared image to other terminal devices participating in the conference,
When the update request is an update request due to a new terminal device participating in the conference, updating of the shared image is stopped. A terminal device for conducting a conference with one or more other terminal devices,
A management unit that manages information of other terminal devices participating in the conference,
A transmission unit that obtains a still image from a display image that can change over time, and transmits the obtained still image to another terminal device participating in the conference as a shared image,
When an update request requesting an update of the shared image is received, using the information of the other terminal devices participating in the conference, the update request is newly added to the conference after the conference is started. A determination unit that determines whether the request is an update request due to participation of
Has,
The transmitting unit includes:
If the update request is not an update request by a new terminal device participating in the conference after starting the conference, transmit the updated shared image to other terminal devices participating in the conference,
If the update request is an update request due to a new terminal device participating in the conference after starting the conference, updating of the shared image is stopped. A method of controlling a conference system for performing a conference between a plurality of terminal devices,
Computer
Managing the information of the terminal device participating in the conference,
Among the plurality of terminal devices participating in the conference, a shared image, which is a still image obtained from a display image in which one terminal device can change over time, is transmitted to another terminal device participating in the conference. Sending,
When receiving an update request requesting an update of the shared image, using the information of the terminal devices participating in the conference, the update request is a new terminal device in the conference after starting the conference. Determining whether the request is an update request due to participation;
Transmitting the updated shared image to another terminal device participating in the conference, if the update request is not an update request due to a new terminal device participating in the conference after starting the conference; and ,
If the update request is an update request due to the participation of a new terminal device in the conference after starting the conference, stopping the update of the shared image,
How to control the conferencing system. A method of controlling the terminal device in a conference system for performing a conference between a plurality of terminal devices,
The terminal device,
Managing information of the other terminal devices participating in the conference,
Obtaining a still image from a display image that can change over time, transmitting the obtained still image as a shared image to other terminal devices participating in the conference,
When an update request requesting an update of the shared image is received, using the information of the other terminal devices participating in the conference, the update request is newly added to the conference after the conference is started. Determining whether the request is an update request due to participation by the user;
Transmitting the updated shared image to another terminal device participating in the conference, if the update request is not an update request due to a new terminal device participating in the conference after starting the conference; and ,
If the update request is an update request due to the participation of a new terminal device in the conference after starting the conference, stopping the update of the shared image,
A method for controlling a terminal device.

Images