JP2023037813A - conference system - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a conference system for restricting voice of a conversation from being leaked in the periphery.SOLUTION: A conference system includes: a plurality of personal calling devices 2 each of which has a microphone 4 and a speaker 5; a hub device 3 which is arranged in a conference space S and to which the personal calling devices 2 can be simultaneously connected via a local network. The hub device 3 provides a group calling network for enabling mutual and simultaneous calling only with respect to the connected personal calling devices 2.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

The present invention relates to a conference system used when a plurality of people have a conversation.

In various facilities such as offices, exhibition halls, hospitals, stores, factories, etc., meetings are held between employees belonging to the facilities and among staff members. In recent years, remote work has increased and individual work is being done at home, so when you come to work, which is a valuable time to meet each other, meetings are often held exclusively within the company. The number of meetings tends to increase more than before.

Therefore, in addition to the conventional conference room that is completely partitioned as a room, there are cases where a space partitioned by a simple partition device or the like is used as a conference space (see, for example, Patent Document 1). The table set for is sometimes used as a meeting space. In the partitioning device of Patent Document 1, screen panels are provided on two sides of a chair having a rectangular seat surface in a plan view, and four of these chairs are combined to form a conference space surrounded by the screen panels. You can do it. According to this, it is possible to partition the conference space as needed while normally using it as a single chair. In addition, because of its small size, the height of the screen panel is lower than that of a typical ceiling, which reduces the oppressive feeling of the internal meeting space.

JP 2017-64292 A (page 7, FIG. 2)

However, in the partition device of Patent Document 1, since the screen panel has a height dimension lower than that of a general ceiling, the space between the ceiling and the screen panel is open, and the sound insulation is low. There was a risk that the contents of the meeting could be overheard by others. Also, in recent years, as a countermeasure against infectious diseases, there are cases where shields to prevent splashes are installed to separate the seats, and in order to reach the voice beyond the shields, the volume of the voice is inevitably loud, and the partition device There is a problem that the voice of the conversation tends to leak out to the outside.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide a conference system in which conversation sounds are less likely to leak out to the surroundings.

In order to solve the above problems, the conference system of the present invention includes:
A plurality of personal communication devices each having a microphone and a speaker, and a hub device installed in a conference space and capable of simultaneously connecting the plurality of personal communication devices over a local network,
The hub device is characterized by providing a group call network that enables mutual simultaneous calls only to the connected personal call devices.
According to this feature, the voice input by the microphone of one personal communication device is transmitted to the speaker of the other personal communication device through a group communication network with other personal communication devices connected to the same hub device via the local network. will be output from Therefore, even if the speaker lowers his voice, the listener can hear it through the speaker of the personal communication device owned by each person, and the overall volume of the conversation of the participants participating in this conference can be lowered. It becomes difficult for the voice of the conversation to leak out to the outside.

The hub device is characterized by comprising reporting means for reporting the number of the personal communication devices connected at that time in a recognizable manner.
According to this feature, the participants participating in the conference using the group call network are informed of the number of personal telephone devices connected to the hub device and the number of personal telephone devices connected to the hub device and the number of participants in the conference space by means of notification means such as the display and sound of the hub device. By comparing with the number of personal communication devices, it is possible to confirm whether or not there are any personal communication devices connected to the hub device outside the conference space, thereby ensuring the confidentiality of the content of the conference.

The personal communication device and the hub device are characterized by being connected by short-range wireless communication.
According to this feature, wiring does not get in the way, and the conference system can be used regardless of the configuration of the conference space.

The setting screen of the operation terminal connected to the hub device is characterized in that the personal communication device to be permitted to be connected can be selected and managed centrally.
According to this feature, it is possible to prevent personal communication devices possessed by persons other than participants participating in the conference using the group call network from being connected to the hub device, thereby ensuring confidentiality of the content of the conference.

The setting screen of the operation terminal connected to the hub device is characterized by having a lock function for restricting the selection operation of the personal communication device to be permitted to be connected.
According to this feature, it is possible to reliably prevent personal communication devices possessed by persons other than participants participating in the conference using the group call network from being connected to the hub device, thereby ensuring confidentiality of the content of the conference. .

The hub device is characterized in that it is capable of performing processing for reproducing a sound indicating that it is connected to the hub device from the speaker of the personal communication device connected at that time.
According to this feature, the participant can confirm whether or not he/she is definitely connected to the hub device in the conference space where he/she is by the sound output from the speaker of the personal communication device.

The hub device is connected to a room sound adjustment system having a speaker installed in the conference space, and the room sound adjustment system is in reverse phase with the voice input from the microphone of the personal communication device connected to the hub device. is output from the speaker.
According to this feature, the room sound adjustment system, based on the voice of the participant picked up by the microphone of the personal communication device connected to the hub device, outputs from the speaker the sound of the opposite phase that reliably makes this voice inaudible. can ensure that conference audio is inaudible outside the conference space.

The room sound control system is characterized by being attached to furniture defining the conference space.
According to this feature, it is possible to conduct a conference using a group call network without installing a room sound control system each time.

It is a figure which shows the conference space in which the conference system in Example 1 of this invention is utilized. 1 is a perspective view showing a personal communication device; FIG. It is a perspective view showing a hub device. 1 is an image diagram of a conference system including a block diagram of a hub device; FIG. It is a figure which shows the setting screen displayed on an operating terminal. It is a figure which shows the conference space in which the conference system in Example 2 of this invention is utilized.

A mode for carrying out the conference system according to the present invention will be described below based on an embodiment.

A conference system according to a first embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 5. FIG.

A conference system is used for holding conferences in various facilities such as offices, exhibition halls, hospitals, stores, factories, etc. For example, as shown in FIG. It is used in a conference space S that is partitioned by seating surfaces C (here, seating surfaces of sofas) arranged on both sides of the .

The conference system 1 includes a plurality of personal communication devices 2 (here, six personal communication devices 2A to 2F) and a hub device 3 to which the individual communication devices 2 are connected by a local network. As shown in FIG. 2, the personal communication device 2 is a so-called neck-mounted headset, which has a microphone 4 and a speaker 5, and uses Bluetooth (registered trademark), which is a short-range wireless standard, as communication means. there is As will be described in detail later, the personal communication device 2 and the hub device 3 are not connected over the Internet, but are connected through a closed network over a local network according to the short-range wireless standard. The speaker 5 is positioned below the ear when worn around the neck, and the microphone 4 is positioned below the chin.

As shown in FIG. 3, the hub device 3 is constructed by housing various electronic components in a box-shaped case 30 . A plurality of connection lamps 6A to 6F, a connection button 7, a mute button 8, and a volume button 9 are arranged on the upper surface 30a of the case 30, all of which can emit light by LEDs built in the case 30. .

A connection cable 10 such as a USB is stored in the case 30 , and the connection cable 10 can be pulled out from a hole 11 formed in the side surface of the case 30 . A loop 12 is fixed to a corner 30b of the case 30, and the hub device 3 can be suspended by hooking the loop 12 on a hook provided on a desk, a whiteboard, or the like.

As shown in FIG. 4, the hub device 3 includes an integrated circuit 13 for arithmetic processing and wireless communication modules 14A to 14F connected to the integrated circuit 13, respectively. The wireless communication modules 14A to 14F are short-range wireless communication modules such as Bluetooth, and six wireless communication modules 14A to 14F are built in the case 30 in this embodiment.

Button switches such as the connection button 7 , the mute button 8 , and the volume button 9 are also connected to the integrated circuit 13 , although they are not shown here. The electronic parts including the integrated circuit 13, wireless communication modules 14A to 14F, etc. are connected to a battery (not shown) and are powered by the battery.

When pairing, which will be described later, is completed, the personal communication devices 2A to 2F are connected in pairs to the wireless communication modules 14A to 14F built in the case 30, respectively, so that voice data can be exchanged.

The integrated circuit 13 transmits the voices received by the wireless communication modules 14A to 14F built in the case 30, that is, the voices input from the microphones of the personal communication devices 2A to 2F and received by wireless communication to the wireless communication modules 14A to 14F. A process of transmitting to all the connected personal communication devices 2A to 2F is performed.

The personal communication devices 2A to 2F output from the speaker 5 the sounds received from the wireless communication modules 14A to 14F of the hub device 3 paired with each other.

In this way, the voice input by the microphone of one personal communication device 2 is transmitted to another individual via the group communication network with other personal communication devices 2 connected to the same hub device 3 via the local network. It will be output from the speaker 5 of the communication device 2 . Therefore, even if the speaker lowers his voice, the listener can hear it through the speaker 5 of the personal communication device 2 possessed by each, and the volume of the conversation of the participants participating in the conference can be lowered as a whole. It becomes difficult for the voice of the conversation to leak out to the surroundings.

A connection cable 10 is connected to the integrated circuit 13 of the hub device 3. The connection cable 10 connects the hub device 3 and a PC so that data can be exchanged. The PC is connected when setting the hub device 3 such as pairing, and when conducting a WEB conference.

When a WEB conference is to be held, the personal communication devices 2A to 2F on the downstream side of the hub device 3 share the user logged in on the PC side. The integrated circuit 13 receives voices from the other party of the WEB conference from the PC through the connection cable 10, and performs processing of transmitting the voices to all the personal communication devices 2A to 2F connected to the wireless communication modules 14A to 14F. Also, the voice received by the integrated circuit 13 from one personal communication device 2A to 2F is transmitted to the other personal communication devices 2A to 2F and to the PC through the connection cable 10. FIG.

Next, setting using the hub device 3 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a setting screen 20 displayed on the display D (see FIG. 4) of the PC, which is the operation terminal connected to the hub device 3 via the connection cable 10. As shown in FIG. On the setting screen 20, the module name display 21 of the wireless communication modules 14A to 14F of the hub device 3 and the module name display 21 are displayed next to each module name display 21, and the selection for selecting the terminal to be paired with the wireless communication module 14 is performed. A display 22 and a status display 23 displayed next to the selection display 22 and indicating the pairing state are displayed.

When pairing the personal communication devices 2A to 2F with the hub device 3, the participant first presses the connection button 7 (see FIG. 3) of the hub device 3. FIG. As a result, the wireless communication modules 14A to 14F of the hub device 3 enter the pairing standby mode. Also, each participant of the personal communication devices 2A-2F sets the wireless communication function of the personal communication devices 2A-2F to the pairing mode.

Next, a representative of a plurality of participants participating in the conference uses the setting screen 20 to pair the wireless communication modules 14A to 14F with the individual communication devices 2A to 2F one by one. More specifically, the selection display 22 next to each module name display 21 is a pull-down display, and in this state, the personal communication device 2 waiting for pairing (here, the device name is displayed as "headset2", etc.) can be selected. It has become. The participant appropriately selects the personal communication device 2 to be paired, and presses the status display 23 next to the selection display 22 . It should be noted that not only the representative but also the participants participating in the conference may perform the pairing of the personal communication devices.

When the status display 23 is pressed, the wireless communication module 14 corresponding to the module name display 21 and the personal communication device 2 each start pairing. Before the pairing is started, the status display 23 is "connected", and the status display 23 changes to "connected" while the pairing is in progress. Further, one of the connection lamps 6A to 6F, which had been turned off, flashes while the pairing is in progress. In this embodiment, the connection lamps 6A to 6F are configured to light up in order from the connection lamp 6A, and the numbers 1 to 6 shown above the connection lamps 6A to 6F can be checked to see how many are lit at that time. can be done.

When the pairing is completed, the status display 23 changes to "completed". Also, when the pairing is completed, one of the blinking connection lamps 6A to 6F turns on.

Further, in the hub device 3, information indicating the hub device, such as a name set so as to distinguish the place where the hub device is installed, such as "the hub device in the conference space 5", and identification information of the hub device. etc. are stored in a recording medium as a voice message, and processing is performed to reproduce the voice message indicating the information indicating the hub device from the speaker 5 of the personal communication device 2 with which the pairing is completed. According to this, the participant can confirm whether or not the personal communication device 2 owned by the participant is correctly connected to the hub device 3 in the conference space S where the participant is, by the sound output from the speaker 5 of the personal communication device 2. You can check whether In addition, since the information indicating the hub device is a voice message, there is no restriction on whether or not it can be handled by the specifications of the personal communication device.

It should be noted that the hub device 3 is not limited to the configuration in which the speaker 5 of the personal communication device 2 with which the pairing is completed reproduces the voice message of the information indicating the hub device each time the pairing is completed. A physical confirmation button may be provided, and when the confirmation button is pressed, a voice message may be reproduced from the speaker 5 of the personal communication device 2 with which the pairing has been completed at that time.

A password input box 24 and a lock button 25 are also displayed on the setting screen 20 . The participant sets a password in advance, enters the password in the input box 24, and selects the lock button 25. - 特許庁If the entered password is correct, the hub device 3 disables changing the current pairing status (lock function). To unlock the lock when the pairing status needs to be changed, enter the correct password again in the input box 24 and select the lock button 25 . In the locked state, even if the connection button 7 of the hub device 3 is pressed, the wireless communication modules 14A to 14F of the hub device 3 do not enter the pairing standby mode.

As explained above, the hub device 3 is composed of a local network that enables mutual simultaneous communication only with the connected personal communication devices 2 by all the personal communication devices 2 connected to the hub device 3. It is designed to provide a group calling network. In other words, since the group communication network is not provided to the personal communication devices 2 that are not connected to the same local network, the confidentiality of the content of the conference can be ensured.

Also, the hub device 3 can confirm the number of the personal communication devices 2 connected to the hub device 3 at that time by means of the connection lamps 6A to 6F (informing means). According to this, the participants who participate in the conference using the group call network can confirm the number of personal communication devices 2 connected to the hub device 3 and the actual number of personal communication devices 2 in the conference space S. By comparing, the presence or absence of the personal communication device 2 connected to the hub device 3 outside the conference space S can be confirmed, and the confidentiality of the content of the conference can be ensured.

Further, since the personal communication device 2 and the hub device 3 are connected by short-range wireless communication, wiring does not become an obstacle, and the conference system 1 can be used regardless of the configuration of the conference space S.

In addition, on the setting screen 20 of the PC connected to the hub device 3, it is possible to centrally select and manage the personal communication devices 2 to be permitted to connect. can be prevented from being connected to the hub device, and the confidentiality of the content of the conference can be ensured.

On the setting screen 20 of the PC connected to the hub device 3, a personal communication device configured by a password input box 24 and a lock button 25 that disables the change of the pairing status at that time, that is, permits the connection. 2 has a lock function that restricts the selection operation. According to this, it is possible to reliably prevent the personal communication device 2 possessed by a person other than the participants participating in the conference using the group communication network from being connected to the hub device 3, thereby ensuring the confidentiality of the content of the conference. can.

Further, by operating the volume button 9 of the hub device 3, the volume output from the speakers 5 of all the personal communication devices 2 connected to the hub device 3 can be operated all at once. For example, when one of the participants participating in the conference using the group call network feels that the volume of the group call network is too loud, he/she operates the volume button 9 to reduce sound leakage from the conference space S. can be suppressed.

Further, by operating the mute button 8 of the hub device 3, the sound input from the microphones 4 of all the personal communication devices 2 connected to the hub device 3 is not output from the speaker 5, and in the case of the WEB conference, It will not be sent to remote areas. According to this, the microphone 4 can be temporarily disabled when the voice of the group call network is felt uncomfortable due to howling or the like, or when the volume of the group call network is too loud.

Next, a conference system as a sliding component according to Example 2 will be described with reference to FIG. It should be noted that descriptions of configurations that are the same as those of the first embodiment will be omitted.

In the conference space S of FIG. 6, rooms are partitioned by partitions 34 of a type lower than the ceiling, and a room acoustic control system 35 is installed at the upper end of the partitions 34 .

The room sound adjustment system 35 includes an integrated circuit, a speaker, and wireless communication means, and is connected to the hub device 3 by wireless communication, though not shown in detail here. The integrated circuit of the room sound adjustment system 35 receives the voice input from the microphone 4 (see FIG. 2) of the personal communication device 2 connected to the hub device 3, generates a sound of opposite phase to this voice, and outputs the sound to the speaker. It is designed to output from

The room sound adjustment system 35 outputs the above-described anti-phase sounds widely around the equipment from the speakers. According to this, the sound of the conference leaked from the conference space S to the outside, here, from between the upper end of the partition 34 and the ceiling, is muted by superimposing the sound of the opposite phase. Outside, it is possible to make it difficult to hear the voice inside the conference space S. The room acoustic adjustment system 35 may be provided with a microphone that collects the ambient sound of the device, and may be configured to generate a sound in the opposite phase of the collected sound. The configuration for generating the sound of the opposite phase based on the sound of the microphone 4 can accurately generate the sound of the opposite phase to the sound input to the microphone 4 without being disturbed by unnecessary noise.

In addition, since the room sound control system 35 is attached to the furniture that partitions the conference space S, the conference can be held using the group call network without having to perform the installation work each time.

Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above with reference to the drawings, the specific configuration is not limited to these embodiments, and any changes or additions within the scope of the present invention are included in the present invention. be

For example, in the above-described embodiment, the hub device 3 and the personal communication device 2 are connected using a short-range wireless standard communication means. or a wired connection such as a USB cable may be used.

Also, the short-range wireless communication standard is not limited to Bluetooth, and may be Wi-Fi, ZigBee (registered trademark), or the like.

Further, the setting screen 20 may be provided with an additional connection button that allows the wireless communication module 14 for which pairing has not been completed to start pairing alone, while the modules for which pairing has already been completed remain as they are. Incidentally, the hub device 3 may be provided with a physical additional connection button having a similar function.

Further, the hub device 3 is not limited to a portable type, and may be built in furniture such as a table, a chair, a whiteboard, and a partition. A conference using a group call network can be held just by bringing the

Also, the personal communication device is not limited to a neck-mounted headset, and may be a smart phone as long as it is equipped with wireless communication means, a microphone, and a speaker.

Further, the operation terminal connected to the hub device 3 and displaying the setting screen 20 is not limited to a PC, and may be a smart phone or the like.

Further, in the above embodiment, the connection lamps 6A to 6F are configured to light up in order from the connection lamp 6A, and the numbers 1 to 6 shown above the connection lamps 6A to 6F confirm the number of lights on at that time. However, the configuration is not limited to this, and the wireless communication modules 14A to 14F and the connection lamps 6A to 6F are paired, respectively, and the connection corresponding to the wireless communication modules 14A to 14F for which pairing has been completed. The configuration may be such that the lamps 6A to 6F are lit.

Further, the notification means for recognizably notifying the number of personal communication devices 2 connected to the hub device 3 at that time is not limited to the lamps such as the connection lamps 6A to 6F, and may be configured to notify by voice, for example. There may be.

Further, the hub device 3 may have an external sound capturing function of collecting sounds around the connected personal communication device 2 and outputting them from the speaker of the personal communication device 2. The on/off operation may be performed by a similar button. By using this function, when using a personal communication device that is worn on the ear such as an inner ear type or in-ear type, it is possible to eliminate the phenomenon that the ear is blocked and one's own voice sounds muffled, making it more comfortable. can have a conversation.

In addition, the hub device 3 cuts noise below a certain volume while collecting the voice of the speaker near the microphone of the connected personal communication device 2, recognizes the speaking state of the speaker, and automatically It may have a function that can cut noise while maintaining the quality of the speaker's voice by muting/unmuting the microphone of the personal communication device 2, and this function can be turned on/off by a physical button. You may make it possible.

1 conference system 2 personal communication device 3 hub device 4 microphone 5 speakers 6A to 6F connection lamp (informing means)
7 connection button 10 connection cable 13 integrated circuit 14 wireless communication module 20 setting screen 34 partition 35 room sound adjustment system S meeting space

Claims (8)

A plurality of personal communication devices each having a microphone and a speaker, and a hub device installed in a conference space and capable of simultaneously connecting the plurality of personal communication devices over a local network,
A conference system according to claim 1, wherein said hub device provides a group call network enabling mutual simultaneous calls only to said connected personal communication devices. 2. The conference system according to claim 1, wherein said hub device comprises reporting means for recognizably reporting the number of said personal communication devices connected at that time. 3. The conference system according to claim 1, wherein said personal communication device and said hub device are connected by short-range wireless communication. 4. The conference system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the personal communication device permitted to be connected can be selected and managed centrally on the setting screen of the operation terminal connected to the hub device. 2. The conference system according to claim 1, wherein the setting screen of the operation terminal connected to the hub device has a lock function for restricting the operation of selecting the personal communication device to which connection is permitted. 6. The hub device is capable of performing a process of reproducing a sound indicating that it is connected to the hub device from the speaker of the personal communication device connected at that time. The conference system according to any one of The hub device is connected to a room sound adjustment system having a speaker installed in the conference space, and the room sound adjustment system is in reverse phase with the voice input from the microphone of the personal communication device connected to the hub device. 7. The conference system according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the sound of is output from a speaker. 8. The conferencing system of claim 7, wherein the room sound control system is attached to furniture defining the conference space.

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