JP3354620B2 - AV network - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an AV network capable of transmitting video and audio in real time.
In particular, the configuration is such that unnecessary traffic increase can be prevented.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art An AV network is known as a system for communicating video and audio in real time. In this system, a terminal connected to an existing LAN such as an Ethernet or a token ring is coaxial cable duplexed (transmission line / reception line) via an AV network node device (AVS) for modulating / demodulating video / audio. )
It is constructed by connecting to the established AV communication line.

As shown in FIG. 5, a conventional AV network includes a plurality of AV terminals (AVT) 1 and one AV communication control terminal (AVCT) which is an AV network server.
The AV communication control terminal 2 and the AV terminal 1 are connected by an AV communication line 3 for transmitting video / audio signals in real time and an existing LAN 4 such as Ethernet.

[0004] Each AV terminal 1 has an Ethernet / AVN dual-purpose terminal 13 serving as a main body and an A / A terminal for modulating and demodulating video / audio signals.
A V network node device (AVS) 11, a bidirectional AV signal line 16, and an AV network node device 11 and an Ethernet / AVN terminal 13 via the AV signal line 16.
A video board 12 for performing bidirectional conversion between an AV signal and a digital signal between the
An RS-232C line 15 for performing mutual control between the Ethernet / AVN terminal 13 and an Ethernet interface board 14 for linking the Ethernet / AVN terminal 13 and the Ethernet 4 are provided.

[0005] The AV communication control terminal 2 includes an AVN control terminal 23 for controlling the entire system.
Similarly to the V terminal 1, the AV network node device 21
, An AV signal line 16, a video board 12, and an RS-232
C line 15 and Ethernet interface board 14
And

In the AV network, video and audio can be communicated in real time by connecting an AV communication line 3 of a duplicated coaxial cable between terminals.

As a communication frequency (channel) in AV communication, a frequency in a frequency band of a television is used.
As shown in FIG. 6, when performing one-to-one bidirectional communication, two channels are used, for example, A and B and C and D.

[0008] Channels used for this AV communication are allocated in the following procedure. First, from the Ethernet / AVN combined terminal 13 of the AV terminal 1 to start communication,
An AV communication request signal (communication partner terminal name or user name) 42 is notified to the AV communication control terminal 2 via the Ethernet 4.

The AV communication control terminal 2 performs a channel management process (search for a free channel / determines a communication channel).
The AV communication request signal
The transmission channel number assigned for the AV communication is notified to the terminal 1 and its partner terminal by the communication channel control signal 41.

[0010] The Ethernet / AVN dual-purpose terminal 13 of the AV terminal 1 to which the channel has been allocated is connected to the AV communication line 3.
, And two-way communication of video / audio signals with the other party is performed on the assigned channel. When the AV communication ends, the AV terminal 1 sends an AV communication end signal 43 to the AV communication control terminal 2 to notify the end.

[0011]

However, the conventional AV network is a system in which the user is not aware of the channel, and it is necessary to confirm that the communication partner is already performing AV communication or that there is no available channel in the system. It has a configuration that cannot be known in advance. For this reason, the AV terminal 1 may send a useless communication request signal to the AV communication control terminal 2, thereby increasing the Ethernet communication traffic and controlling the AV communication control on the AV network as well as the Ethernet communication. A state that affects also derives.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention solves such a conventional problem, and provides an AV network and its communication system in which each AV terminal can grasp AV communication information such as AV terminal information and AV communication channel information. It is intended to be.

[0013]

Therefore, according to the present invention, a plurality of AV terminals for communicating video and audio signals and an AV communication control terminal for controlling the communication of the AV terminals transmit and receive video and audio signals. For transmitting a signal for setting communication of a video / audio signal between an AV communication line and an AV terminal.
In the communication method of the AV network connected by N, the communication status of the video / audio signal in each AV terminal is indicated by A from the AV communication control terminal to all the AV terminals.
It is configured to communicate through a V communication line.

In the AV communication control terminal of the AV network, storage means for converting the communication status of video / audio signals in each AV terminal into data and storing the data, and transmitting means for transmitting the stored data to an AV communication line. Is provided.

[0015]

Therefore, in each of the AV terminals, the terminal of the partner is A
It is possible to grasp whether V communication is being performed, whether there is a free channel in AV communication, and the like. Therefore, the user does not needlessly make an AV communication request, and the traffic amount on the LAN is reduced.

[0016]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS In an AV network according to an embodiment of the present invention, as shown in FIG. The physical disk device 27 is provided so as to be connected to the AVN control terminal 23 as shown in FIG. The other block configurations of the AV communication control terminal 2 and the AV terminal 1 are the same as those of the conventional network (FIG. 5).

In this AV network, when the Ethernet / AVN terminal 13 of the AV terminal 1 sends an AV communication request signal 42 at the start of the AV communication, the signal is transmitted via the Ethernet 4 and the Ethernet interface board 24. A of the received AV communication control terminal 2
The VN control terminal 23 searches for a vacant channel in the system, and, based on the search result, transmits a transmission channel number for AV communication (each assigned terminal of the other party communicating with the terminal that transmitted the AV communication request signal 42). decide. The transmission channel number is notified to the terminal that has transmitted the AV communication request signal 42 and the terminal of the other party using the communication channel control signal 41.

At this time, the AVN control terminal 23 of the AV communication control terminal 2 creates a database in which the channel number of the system is associated with the name of the user using the AV communication and the name of the terminal used, and stores the database in the physical disk device 27. .

The AV stored in the physical disk device 27
The communication operation status information is simultaneously converted into an AV signal by the video board 22 and then transmitted to the AV network node device 21 via the AV signal line 26. The AV network node device 21 transmits this information to the AV communication information. Channel (hereinafter C
It is called ICH. ) And sends it out to the AV communication line 3. As the CICH, the F channel shown in FIG. 3 is used. This channel is a channel that can be transmitted only from the AV communication control terminal 2 and is distinguished from a general AV communication channel.

In this way, a path 31 for transmitting the AV communication operation status notification signal from the AV communication control terminal 2 to each AV terminal 1 is established, and each AV terminal 1 sets the reception channel to CICH.
, Information on the AV communication operating status can be obtained. The information on the AV communication operation status is displayed on the display device of the AV terminal 1 as needed. In FIG.
AV communication operation status notification signal 31 provided to each AV terminal 1
2 shows a display format example.

When the AV communication is completed, the AV terminal 1 sends an AV communication end signal 43 via the Ethernet 4 to the A terminal.
V communication control terminal 2. AV that received this signal
The AVN control terminal 23 of the communication control terminal 2 is the AV terminal 1
The database stored in the physical disk device 27 is updated so that the used channel is displayed as unused.

As described above, in the AV network of the embodiment, the AV communication control terminal 2 always operates the AV communication information storing means and the AV communication information transmitting means in the background, so that each AV terminal 1 A
The status of the AV communication performed by the V terminal can be grasped.

Therefore, the system user can determine in advance whether or not AV communication with the other party is possible, and the transmission of the unnecessary AV communication request signal 42 is reduced.

[0024]

As is clear from the above description of the embodiment, in the AV network of the present invention, whether or not AV communication is possible can be determined in advance by the system user side.
Unnecessary transmission of the AV communication request signal can be reduced, and an increase in communication traffic on the Ethernet used for the control path of the AV communication can be suppressed.

As a result, the AV in the control system of the system
Inconveniences such as an increase in the time or stoppage of the communication connection processing are reduced, and at the same time, adverse effects on other Ethernet users caused by an increase in communication traffic can be eliminated.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a system configuration of an AV network according to the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a configuration of an AV communication control terminal according to the embodiment;

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing assigned channels in the AV network according to the embodiment;

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a display format of communication information in the AV network according to the embodiment;

FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing a system configuration of a conventional AV network.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing assigned channels in a conventional AV network.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 AV terminal 11, 21 AV network node apparatus 12, 22 Video board 13 Ethernet / AVN combined terminal 14, 24 Ethernet interface board 15, 25 RS-232C line 16, 26 AV signal line 2 AV communication control terminal 23 AVN control Terminal 27 Physical disk device 3 AV communication line 31 AV communication information output path 4 Ethernet 41 AV communication control signal path 42 AV communication request path 43 AV communication end signal path 44 AV communication information storage path

Continuation of the front page (56) References JP-A-4-200193 (JP, A) JP-A-2-226837 (JP, A) JP-A-63-23438 (JP, A) JP-A-61-137443 (JP, A) JP-A-58-63264 (JP, A) JP-A-59-75734 (JP, A) JP-A-62-15952 (JP, A) JP-A-62-128637 (JP, A) 64-29039 (JP, A) (58) Field surveyed (Int. Cl. ⁷ , DB name) H04L 12/40

Claims (2)

(57) [Claims] A plurality of AV terminals for communicating video / audio signals; an AV communication control terminal for controlling communication of the AV terminals; an AV communication line for transmitting video / audio signals; AV connected by a LAN for transmitting a signal for setting communication of video / audio signals between
In the network communication system, the AV communication control terminal sends all AV terminals the communication status of video / audio signals in
A communication method of an AV network, which is transmitted through a V communication line. A plurality of AV terminals for communicating video / audio signals, an AV communication control terminal controlling communication of the AV terminals, an AV communication line for transmitting video / audio signals, AV connected by a LAN for transmitting a signal for setting communication of video / audio signals between
In the network, the AV communication control terminal is provided with storage means for converting the communication status of video / audio signals in each AV terminal into data and storing the data, and transmitting means for transmitting the stored data to the AV communication line. An AV network, characterized in that: