JP2698347B2 - Voice mail system and control method of computer constituting voice mail system - Google Patents

Description

Description: TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a voice mail system and a voice mail system which connect a workstation such as a personal computer as a terminal of a local area network (LAN) and transmit voice within the LAN. The present invention relates to a method for controlling a computer constituting a system. [Prior art] Conventionally, the exchange of messages on a LAN has generally been targeted at images and data.
Has been proposed. However, such a system generally has a large-scale center station for storing audio signals. Therefore, there has been a problem that an apparatus for configuring such a system must be increased in size. Also, voice transfer between a public line and a local network has not been realized. The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and has been made capable of transmitting sound to a public line and a local area network connected to a computer without using a large-scale center station. An object of the present invention is to provide a voice mail system capable of transferring voice to and from a network and a control method of a computer constituting the voice mail. In order to achieve the above object, a first invention of the present application connects a plurality of computers each having voice input means to a local area network, and connects at least one of the plurality of computers to a public line network. A voice mail system having control means, wherein the computer having control means for connecting to the public line network is inputted by the input means into a public line network connected to the computer and in the local area network, respectively. In addition to transmitting voice, the voice data received via the public line network is converted into a form suitable for a local area network and transmitted to another computer connected to the local area network. Further, a second invention of the present application is a method for controlling a computer which comprises a voice mail system including a local area network and has control means for connecting to a public line network among a plurality of computers each having voice input means. Transmitting the voice input by the input means to the public network and the local area network, and converting the voice data received via the public network into a form suitable for the local area network. And transmitting the data to another computer connected to the local area network. Embodiment FIG. 1 is an external view of a voice mail system in a LAN by a personal computer employing the present invention. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing a configuration of a main part of the present system, and FIG.
FIG. 4 and FIG. 4 are flowcharts showing the operation procedure of the present system. In FIG. 1, 1 is a CRT, 2 is a keyboard, and C
The RT1 and the keyboard 2 constitute a well-known personal computer. 3 is an external storage device having a built-in storage medium such as a hard disk, 4 is a terminal device for executing data transmission with the LAN 8, and 5 is an analog / digital (A /
D) A converter incorporating a converter and a digital / analog (D / A) converter, 6 is a microphone for voice input, and 7 is a speaker for voice output. Reference numeral 9 denotes a control unit (NCU) for exchanging signals with the public line, and reference numeral 10 denotes a public line. Also, in FIG. 2, the elements denoted by the same reference numerals as those in FIG. 1 are the same as those in FIG. Reference numeral 11 denotes a control unit (CPU) provided in the terminal device for controlling the operation of the station. Reference numeral 13 denotes a memory ROM, 14 denotes a memory RAM, and 12 denotes a system bus. Reference numeral 15 denotes another station having the same configuration as the present station connected to the LAN. Hereinafter, the operation of voice transmission in the LAN will be described in detail with reference to FIG. 2 and FIG. On the transmitting side that outputs voice, a message to be transmitted from the microphone 6 is input by voice in step S1 in FIG. In the next step S2, the input voice is digitally converted by the converter 5 and then is sent to the external storage device 3 of the own station. After this firing, next, at step S3, the presence of the message is notified to the other station 15 in the same LAN. The receiving side receiving this message in step S6 outputs a signal indicating that the voice can be transmitted in step 7 if the voice can be received. The transmitting side performs a waiting process until a signal indicating that transmission is possible from the partner station 15 is received in step S4. When a signal indicating that transmission is allowed is received from the other party, in the next step S5, the external storage device 3 is determined in step S2.
To send the message data of the voiced voice to the other party via LAN8. When the voice is transferred through the LAN, the received message data is temporarily stored in the RAM 14 in step S8 on the receiving side. Then, in step S9, the analog message is output from the speaker 7 while performing digital / analog conversion by the converter 5. Next, the operation of the voice mail system to which a public line is added will be described. In step S11 in FIG. 4, a command to call the outside is input from the keyboard 2 in FIG. In the next step S12, the input line of sound from the microphone 6 and the output line of sound to the speaker 7 are connected to the public line from the CPU 11 of the personal computer to the NCU 9.
Instruct to switch to 10. Next, in step S13, a dialing number is input from the keyboard 2 by using the calling signal and dialing number transmission function in the NCU 9 to talk with the other party through the public line. Next, in step S14, after talking with the other party, a command to disconnect the command is input from the keyboard by using the disconnection signal transmission function of the NCU 9, and the public network is input.
In addition to notifying the user of the disconnection, the voice input / output line is switched to the converter 5. In this way, voice transmission can be performed not only within a LAN but also through a public line. In addition, an audio signal is stored in the external storage device 5 in advance, and the stored audio signal is read out and output to the outside via the NCU 9 and the public line 10. Conversely, the audio data received through the public line 10 is converted into a digital audio signal by a converter, and further transmitted to another station 15 via the LAN 8. Therefore, the voice mail system is not only in the LAN,
It can be used as a system including a public line. In the voice mail system described above, a terminal which can be used as a work station of the voice mail system is limited because the analog-to-digital conversion device for voice and the NCU are provided in the personal computer in advance. Further, when the audio-to-digital inter-digital conversion device fails, there is a possibility that the device cannot be used as a personal computer because there is no freedom to remove the device. Therefore, it is conceivable that the converter and the NCU incorporating the audio A / D converter and the D / A converter are made into an option board of a personal computer. FIG. 5 is an external view of the voice mail system in the case where the converter and the NCU are formed as option boards. Elements denoted by the same reference numerals as those in FIG. 1 are the same as those in FIG. The difference from FIG. 1 lies in that the converter 5 and the NCU 9 shown in FIG. 1 are eliminated and an option board 20 incorporating the converter and the NCU is provided. As shown in FIG. 5, by converting the converter into an option board, the voice mail function can be restored by replacing the converter in the event of a converter failure. By attaching an option board to a workstation such as a computer, a voice mail function using a LAN can be achieved. [Effects] According to the first invention of the present application, each of a plurality of computers connected to a local area network or a public line network can be used without using a large-scale device such as a dedicated center station for managing voice mail. This makes it possible to transmit voice to a directly connected public line network and a local area network and to transfer voice between a public line and a local area network, thereby reducing the size of the apparatus. Further, according to the second invention of the present application, it is possible to provide a control method of a terminal device constituting a voice mail system having the above-described effects.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is an external view of a voice mail system adopting the present invention, FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing a main part configuration of the present system, and FIG. 3 and FIG. FIG. 5 is another external view of the voice mail system. 1 is a CRT, 2 is a keyboard, 6 is a microphone, 7 is a speaker, and 8 is a LAN.

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] A plurality of computers each having voice input means are connected to a local area network, and at least one of the plurality of computers is a voice mail system having control means for connecting to a public line network. The computer having the control means for connecting transmits the voice input by the input means to the public line network connected to the computer and to the inside of the local area network, and receives the voice via the public line network. A voice mail system for converting voice data into a form suitable for a local area network and transmitting the converted data to another computer connected to the local area network. 2. A method of controlling a computer comprising a voice mail system including a local area network and having control means for connecting to a public line network among a plurality of computers each having voice input means, wherein the public line network and the local area While transmitting voice input by the input means to and from a network, converting voice data received via the public line network into a form suitable for a local area network, and connecting to the local area network. A method for controlling a computer, wherein the method is transmitted to a computer.