JP2601722B2 - Videophone connection method - Google Patents

Description

Description: TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a videophone connection system having a control channel information channel and accommodated in a digital line.

[Prior Art] In a conventional terminal accommodated in a digital public line, a calling party telephone number in a digital telephone system is known as calling party information that can be obtained by a receiver before the receiver goes off-hook. ing.

The originating telephone number is received from the network at the time of an incoming call, and is displayed on the receiving side, but is also effective for a videophone accommodated in a digital public line.

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] In the above-mentioned conventional method, the only information that can be obtained before the receiver goes off-hook is the telephone number of the calling party, and it is necessary to remember who this telephone number belongs to. There is a problem that it takes time to check and check.

Also, when a plurality of people share a videophone with the same telephone number, such as in a company or home, it is very difficult to know who is the caller using only the telephone number. There's a problem. When a public videophone is used, there is a problem that it is more difficult to identify the caller only from the telephone number.

In other words, in the above conventional method, the caller cannot quickly and reliably grasp the caller, and therefore cannot appropriately determine whether or not to respond to the incoming call. However, when a plurality of people share the same videophone, there is a problem that it is impossible to determine who should receive the videophone.

The present invention provides a video-phone connection method that allows a caller to be quickly and reliably grasped without off-hook of a video-phone, and thus to appropriately determine whether to respond to an incoming call. The purpose is to do so.

Means for Solving the Problems According to the present invention, at the time of outgoing call, image information taken by the transmitting camera is transmitted on the control channel following the control information, and when the receiving videophone arrives and the bell rings. In addition, an image corresponding to the image information from the transmission side is displayed on the image display unit.

[Operation] The present invention displays an image from the transmitting side on the image display unit when the receiving side videophone is called and the bell rings, so that the caller can be promptly and reliably connected without off-hook of the videophone. Therefore, it is possible to appropriately determine whether or not to respond to the incoming call.

Embodiment FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram of a protocol showing an embodiment of the present invention.

In this embodiment, a control channel (D-cannel) and an information channel (B-channel) of an ISDN circuit-switched call are used as digital line protocols. Also,
The off-hook of the video telephone on the transmitting side triggers transmission of a still image to the receiving side.

The calling side videophone 3 has an input / output unit 1 and a protocol correspondence unit 2, and the reception side videophone 4 also has an input / output unit 1 and a protocol correspondence unit 2.

Then, a SETUP message (a request for call setting) 11 is issued to the network, triggered by the call from the calling side videophone 3. The SETUP message 11 includes, in addition to the conventional control information, still image information obtained by the camera of the transmitting videophone 3. SETUP message 11 above
Is received by the video telephone 4 on the receiving side, and the video telephone 4 on the receiving side returns a CALL PROC message (notifying that processing for call setting is being processed) 12. When the calling side videophone 3 receives this CALL PROC message 12, the receiving side videophone 4 transmits an ALERT message (notifying that the called party is calling) 13
At the same time, a ringing operation (operation such as ringing) is performed on the receiving TV 4, and a still image from the transmitting TV 3 is displayed and output on the receiving TV telephone 4.

The recipient can decide whether to answer the videophone (go off-hook) or who will answer while watching the still image.

After answering the videophone call (after going off-hook), a CONN message 14 and a CONN ACK (response to the CONN message) 15 are exchanged, and an information channel between the calling side and the receiving side is connected. Television images and sound are transmitted and received using channels. The communication operation after the receiving-side videophone 3 goes off-hook is the same as in the related art.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of the SETUP message 11 shown in FIG.

The SETUP message 11 includes an individual unit 30 of the common unit 20, and the common unit 20 has a conventionally existing protocol identifier 21, a call number 22, and the like. The individual unit 30 includes a bearer service designation 31, a channel designation 32, a call destination number 3
3. It has functions 34 of layer 4 or more between users, and still image information 35 is added to them. That is,
The bearer service designation 31, the channel designation 32, the call destination number 33, and the layer 34 or higher function 34 between the users exist conventionally, and the still image information 35 is added to the individual part 30 of the SETUP message. This is a feature of the above embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing a specific configuration example of a videophone in the videophone connection system of the present invention.

Each of the videophones 3 and 4 has an input / output unit 1 and a protocol corresponding unit 2. The input / output unit 1 detects off-hook, accepts a push button, notifies an incoming call by sound, inputs / outputs an image / voice, and the like. Is the part that performs The protocol support unit 2 is a part that performs an interface with the DSU, distribution / assembly of B and D channels, formation of a message on the B and D channels, and the like.

The input / output unit 1 includes a transmission unit having a camera 41, a microphone 42, a transmission unit 43, a storage unit 44, an encoding unit 45, a push button 46, a reception unit 51, a speaker 52, a calling unit 53, and a sound generation unit.
54, a receiving section having a decoding section 55 and an image display section 56, a hook switch 61, a character display section 62, and an input / output control section 63.

The protocol support unit 2 includes a control information control unit 71, an image information control unit 72, a control information / image information distribution unit 74, and a DSU interface unit 75.

 Next, the operation of the embodiment shown in FIG. 3 will be described.

First, when the caller off-hooks the calling-side telephone 3, the off-hook switch 61 is activated, and this is switched to the input / output control unit.
The signal is detected by 63, transmitted to the transmission unit 43, and the camera 41 captures a still image in accordance with an instruction from the transmission unit 43, and information from the camera 41 is stored in the storage unit 44 as still image information.

Then, the push button 46 is pressed by the caller,
The result of this pressing is displayed on the character display unit 62. When the pressing of the push button 46 is completed, the still image information stored in the storage unit 44 is read out under the control of the input / output control unit 63, and is encoded by the encoding unit 45 via the transmission unit 43. The encoded still image information is sent to the control information control unit 71 of the protocol support unit 2 via the input / output control unit 63.

In the control information control section 71, the encoded still image information and the conventional SETUP message are combined to form a "SETUP message with a still image added" shown in FIG. Then, in the control information / image information distribution unit 74, D
Channel information (information in which still image information is added to control information) and B channel information are combined and transmitted to the receiving videophone 4 via the DSU interface unit 75. The B channel information is image information + audio information after off-hook, but the information is empty at the time.

On the other hand, the receiving videophone 4 receives the information of the transmitting videophone 3 via the DSU interface unit 75, and the control information / image information distribution unit 74 receives the D channel information (control information) and the B channel information (image information). ). The D channel information is interpreted by the control information control unit 71,
The channel information is interpreted by the image information control unit 72.

After the transmitted SETUP message 11 is interpreted as a protocol by the control information control unit 71, the calling unit 53 is operated by the input / output control unit 63, and the sound generating unit 54 sounds a ringing tone. Along with this, the SETUP message 11
Are transmitted to the decoding unit 55, and after decoding, the still image is displayed on the image display unit 56. Input / output control unit
63 simultaneously instructs the character display section 62 to display the caller telephone number.

When the receiving-side videophone 4 goes off-hook and the CONN message 14 is returned from the receiving side, and the off-hook is detected by the control information control unit 71 on the calling side, the control information / image information distribution unit 74 operates and thereafter. Transmits and receives B channel information (image information and audio information). The B channel information is input by the camera 41 and the microphone 42 on both the transmitting side and the receiving side, and the transmitting section 43, the encoding section 45, the image information control section 72, the control information / image information distribution section 74, the DSU interface section 75 To be sent out. Further, the B channel information is received on the path of the DSU interface unit 75, the control information / image information distribution unit 74, and the image information control unit 72, the sound is output from the speaker 52 via the receiving unit 51, and the image information is decoded. The image is decoded by 55 and output by the image display unit 56.

According to the above-described embodiment, the receiver can obtain the still image information captured by the camera of the calling telephone 3 before the receiver goes off-hook, thereby providing a richer information for identifying the calling party. Information can be obtained. Therefore, the receiver can make a more appropriate determination as to whether or not to off-hook an incoming call, which is effective for a prank call, a harassment call, and the like. Further, even if there is an incoming call from a videophone shared by a plurality of people, such as in a home or a company, it is possible to more appropriately determine who should answer the call because the caller is clear.

In the above embodiment, the transmitting videophone transmits a still image when off-hook is triggered.
Instead of the above-mentioned off-hook, an event corresponding to the off-hook such as dialing and calling may be adopted.

[Effects of the Invention] According to the present invention, in a videophone system accommodated in a digital line, a caller can be quickly and reliably grasped without off-hook, and therefore, an incoming call should be answered. This has the effect that it is possible to appropriately judge whether or not it is possible.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a protocol in one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a configuration example of a SETUP message in the above embodiment. FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing a configuration example of a videophone when the present invention is realized. 1 ... input / output unit, 2 ... protocol compatible unit, 3 ... originating videophone, 4 ... receiving videophone, 61 ... hook switch, 41 ... camera, 44 ... memory, 56 ... image Display, 46 ... Push button.

 ──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continuation of the front page (56) References JP-A-2-246688 (JP, A) JP-A-2-228161 (JP, A) JP-A-1-202968 (JP, A) JP-A-63-1988 206062 (JP, A)

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] 1. A video telephone system having a control channel information channel and accommodated in a digital line, wherein a video camera is taken by a transmission side camera at an off-hook or an event corresponding to the off-hook. The received image information is stored in a frame memory, and at the time of transmission, the image information is transmitted following the control information on the control channel. A videophone connection method characterized in that an image corresponding to image information from a user is displayed on an image display unit.