JP2717636B2 - Teleconferencing equipment - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a telephone conference apparatus for connecting a plurality of telephones via a communication line to conduct a telephone conference between multiple points.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art When a conference call is made between multiple points by connecting a communication line, a method of adding an input signal from another line except its own line to each conference participant and sending it back (so-called (N)).
-1) The addition method is generally used. FIG. 3 shows a block diagram of a conference call circuit using the (N-1) addition method. In FIG. 3, reference numeral 1 denotes a voice input / output terminal connected to a line connected to a conference participant, 2 denotes a 2-wire to 4-wire conversion circuit, 3 denotes a subtraction circuit, 4 denotes an input communication path, 5 denotes an output communication path, Reference numeral 6 denotes a full signal addition circuit. The input signal input from the communication line is added through an audio input / output terminal 1, a 2-wire to 4-wire conversion circuit 2 and an input communication line 4 by an all-signal addition circuit 6, and is added by a subtraction circuit 3 to its own line (hereinafter, own line). ) Is subtracted from the input voice signal and output to the communication line via the output communication path 5, the 2-wire to 4-wire conversion circuit 2 and the voice input / output terminal 1.

[0003]

In such a conference call circuit, the input signal is output to all the lines other than the line to which the input signal is input. Therefore, the voice spoken by the participants of the conference can be heard by all the participants. Conventionally, a telephone conference device configured as described above can individually talk to a specific conference participant during a conference call, or can prevent specific participants from hearing the contents of the conference. Did not.

The present invention makes it possible to individually talk to a specific conference participant during a conference, to prevent the specific participant from listening to the contents of the conference, and to forcibly prohibit speech and control thereof. It is an object of the present invention to provide a telephone conference device displaying a result.

[0005]

In order to achieve this object,
In a telephone conference apparatus according to the present invention, a two-wire to four-wire conversion circuit is connected to a plurality of connected two-wire communication lines for each communication line, and a subscriber's voice input from the plurality of two-wire communication lines is provided. An audio signal addition / distribution means for adding a signal and distributing the signal to the plurality of two-wire communication lines again;
Individual communication means configured to perform a conference call between multiple points by being connected to a line side, and to be able to individually communicate with the plurality of two-wire communication lines in addition to the conference call between the multipoints An off-hook detecting means for detecting an off-hook of the individual communication means; a switch circuit for switching between the individual communication means and the conference call between the multiple points on the plurality of two-wire communication lines; A key operation unit for designating any one of the line communication lines, and a communication between the individual communication means and the multipoint conference call when the key operation is performed and the off-hook detection means detects the off-hook. And a means for displaying a result of the control by the switch circuit.

[0006]

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. FIG. 1 is an embodiment according to the present invention. In FIG. 1, reference numeral 1 denotes a voice input / output terminal connected to a plurality of lines for contacting each participant in the conference, 2 denotes a 2-wire to 4-wire conversion circuit, 12 denotes an addition / distribution circuit for voice signals, and 4 denotes an input call. , 5 is an output communication path, 56 is an input communication path mute circuit, 57 is an output communication path mute circuit, 58 is a status indicator, 59 is a control circuit, 60 is a key operation section, and 61-1 is a conference call connection terminal. , 61-2 is a connection terminal for an individual call, 62-1 is a conference call telephone for connecting to the apparatus for making a conference call, 62-2 is an individual call telephone for connecting to this apparatus for making an individual call, 63 Is a capacitor, 64 is a current source for supplying a call current to the individual telephone 62-2, 65 is a current detection circuit for detecting the call current supplied to the individual telephone, and 66 is an individual for each voice input terminal 1. Telephone for calling
This switch is used to switch between the 62-2 side (b side) and the conference call circuit (configured by the 2-wire to 4-wire conversion circuit 2 and subsequent circuits) side (a side).

In FIG. 1, a control circuit 59 switches a switch 66 to a side during a conference call to switch an input communication path mute circuit 56
The output communication path mute circuit 57 is set to a non-mute state (communication state) as shown. When a voice signal is input from the voice input / output terminal 1 during a conference call, the input voice signal passes through the switch 66 (a side), the two-wire to four-wire conversion circuit 2 and the input communication path 4 and is added to the addition / distribution circuit 12. Leads to. Addition distribution circuit
12 outputs the voice signal to the output communication path 5 of all the lines except the line to which the voice signal is input.
The output voice signal is output to the line via the output communication path 5, the 2-wire to 4-wire conversion circuit 2, the switch 66 (a side) and the voice input / output terminal 1. At this time, the conference call connection terminal 61-
If the telephone 62-1 is connected to the telephone 1, the telephone 62-1 can receive the audio signal.

Next, the operation of the individual call will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. First, the telephone 62-2 is connected to the individual call connection terminal 61-2. Next, the key operation section
Select the line you want to call individually with the key operation of 60,
Off-hook the connected telephone 62-2. Telephone 62-2
Off-hook, the call current is
-2. At this time, the call current is detected by the current detection circuit (off-hook detection means) 65 (S ₁₁ ), and the call current presence information is read into the control circuit 59. Control circuit 59
Switches the switch 66 of the selected line to the b-side according to the key information by the key operation and (S ₁₂ ) the call current presence information, and enables an individual call between the other party of the selected line and the telephone 62-2. consisting of (S _13).

At this time, the status display 58 displays the individual call state and the line number of the individual call.
(S _14). When on-hook phones 62-2 If the individual call has ended, the supply current to the telephone set 62-2 is cut off, from the current detection circuit 65 without speech current information is outputted (S _11). If not separate busy (S _15), the control circuit 59 switches the switch 66 has been switched to side b in order to perform an individual call by call current without information on a side (S _16). After switching the switch 66 to the a side is enabled again conference call, and displays the conference call state by the state indicator 58 (S _17).

Next, the functions of the input channel mute circuit 56 and the output channel mute circuit 57 will be described. If the user does not want to hear the contents of the conference to a specific conference participant, the key operation of the key operation unit 60 sets the output communication path mute circuit 57 of the line corresponding to the participant to a mute state (output communication path disconnected state). In the mute state of the output communication path 5, the audio signals from the respective lines added and distributed by the addition / distribution circuit 12 cannot pass through the output communication path in the mute state. The contents of the conference will not be transmitted to the muted line. At this time, it is possible to mute the output communication path 5 for a plurality of lines at the same time.

If the input call path mute circuit 56 is muted by a key operation, the audio signal input from the line cannot pass through the input call path. Not communicated to all other meeting participants. By muting the receiving call path in this way, it is possible to forcibly invalidate the speech of a conference participant who is not allowed to speak. Similarly to the mute function of the output call path, the input call mute function can be set to mute the input call path for a plurality of lines at the same time. When this apparatus is used in a broadcast format, the mute function of the input communication path is enabled. In addition, when the mute state of the input communication path and the mute state of the output communication path,
Since the line in the mute state is displayed on the status display 58,
It is easy to determine which line is in the mute state. As the status display 58, a liquid crystal display, an LED, or the like is used.

[0012]

As described above, according to the present invention,
During a meeting, you can talk to specific meeting participants individually, and you can also prevent specific meeting participants from speaking or listen to the meeting,
Furthermore, since the state of the device at that time can be confirmed on the display, the convenience of the telephone conference can be greatly improved.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart for explaining the operation of the embodiment of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing an example of a conventional conference call device.

[Explanation of symbols]

 Reference Signs List 1 audio input / output terminal 2 2-4 wire conversion circuit 4 input communication path 5 output communication path 12 addition distribution circuit 56 input communication path mute circuit 57 output communication path mute circuit 58 status display 59 control circuit 60 key operation section 61 -1 Conference call control terminal 61-2 Individual call connection terminal 62-1 Conference call telephone 62-2 Individual call telephone 63 Capacitor 64 Current source 65 Current detection circuit 66 Switch

 ──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continuing on the front page (72) Inventor Hideaki Matsuzaki 1-41, Kugayama, Suginami-ku, Tokyo Inside Iwasaki Communication Equipment Co., Ltd. (72) Inventor Hiroyuki Matsui 1-6-1, Uchisaiwaicho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation (72) Inventor Toshio Hosokawa 1-1-6 Uchisaiwaicho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation (56) References JP-A-62-69765 (JP, A) JP-A-3 -26156 (JP, A) JP-A-62-276947 (JP, A)

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] 1. A two-wire to four-wire conversion circuit is connected to each of a plurality of connected two-wire communication lines for each communication line, and a subscriber's voice signal input from the plurality of two-wire communication lines is added. Then, by connecting the voice signal addition / distribution means for distributing to the plurality of two-wire communication lines again to the four-wire side of the two-wire / four-wire conversion circuit, a conference call can be established between multiple points. An individual call means capable of individually making a call with the plurality of two-wire communication lines other than the multipoint conference call; an off-hook detection means for detecting an off-hook of the individual call means; A switch circuit for switching between the multipoint conference call and the plurality of two-wire communication lines;
A key operation unit for designating any one of the plurality of two-wire communication lines; and a call by the individual communication unit and the multipoint conference when the key operation is performed and the off-hook detection unit detects the off-hook. A telephone conference device comprising: means for performing switching control by the switch circuit during a call; and means for displaying the control result.