JP3752932B2 - Communication system and communication method - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a communication system and a communication method for performing group communication with a plurality of communication terminals connected to a server via a wireless communication line.
[0002]
[Prior art]
Conventionally, there is a chat server disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 10-257189, for example, which enables group communication. FIG. 8 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the conventional chat server.
[0003]
As shown in FIG. 8, the chat server 50 includes a group management unit 51 that manages chat items divided into groups, an interface control unit 52 that performs interface control with users who have accessed the group, and the same group. On the other hand, when at least two users access the chat control means 53 for controlling the voice between the users, and when a plurality of users access the same group, the voices of the users are synthesized. The voice synthesizer 54 transmits the synthesized voice to the chat controller 53.
[0004]
Next, the operation will be described. The group management means 51 manages the items with which the user chats in advance divided into groups. When a plurality of users access the same group, the speech synthesizer 54 synthesizes the speech of each user to generate synthesized speech. The voice synthesizer 54 transmits the synthesized voice to the chat controller 53, and the chat controller 53 exchanges voice messages between users. Further, the interface control means 52 performs transmission of user profiles and group lists, connection and disconnection of lines, and the like.
[0005]
In this way, the chat server synthesizes and transmits each user's voice, thereby enabling group communication.
[0006]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
[0007]
However, since this conventional chat server performs group communication by synthesizing voices from a plurality of users and transmitting the synthesized voices, there is a problem that sound quality deterioration occurs as the number of participants increases. there were.
In addition, for example, in order to prevent deterioration in sound quality, if a configuration is adopted in which a wide communication band is secured in advance, an unnecessary band is used when the number of participants is small, and the band cannot be effectively used. There was a problem.
[0008]
The present invention has been made to solve the above-described problems, is flexible in increasing or decreasing the number of participants, and can effectively use the band without causing deterioration in quality of communication data such as sound quality deterioration. An object is to obtain a communication system and a communication method.
[0009]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
A communication system according to the present invention performs group communication with a plurality of communication terminals connected to a server via a wireless communication line, and the server registers a plurality of communication terminals participating in the group communication. Registered in the participating terminal management means, the server side receiving means for receiving communication data from the plurality of communication terminals, the communication data combining means for combining the received plurality of communication data, and the participating terminal management means. Bandwidth management means for securing the bandwidth of the wireless communication line according to the number of communication terminals, and transmitting the synthesized communication data to each communication terminal registered in the participating terminal management means with the bandwidth. Server-side transmission means, wherein the communication terminal receives communication data transmitted from the server and communication terminal-side transmission means for transmitting the communication data to the server. A communication terminal side receiving unit that, in which a reproduction means for reproducing the communication data above synthesis.
[0010]
In the communication system according to the next invention, the communication data combining means is configured to combine communication data for each communication terminal excluding the communication data transmitted from the communication terminal, and the server-side transmission means For each communication terminal, the communication data synthesized excluding the communication data transmitted from the communication terminal is transmitted to the corresponding communication terminal.
[0011]
In the communication system according to the next invention, the communication terminal stores the transmission data from transmission data storage means for storing the communication data transmitted to the server, and the synthesized communication data received by the communication terminal side reception means. Communication data subtracting means for subtracting the communication data stored in the storage means, and the reproducing means is configured to reproduce the subtracted communication data.
[0012]
In the communication system according to the next invention, when the bandwidth required according to the number of communication terminals registered in the participating terminal management means exceeds a predetermined maximum value, the bandwidth management means The bandwidth allocated per communication terminal is reduced and secured.
[0013]
In the communication system according to the next invention, the server cancels the communication terminal registered in the participating terminal management means when the bandwidth allocated per one communication terminal is equal to or less than a predetermined minimum value. It is configured to prompt.
[0014]
A communication system according to the next invention performs group communication with a plurality of communication terminals connected to a server via a wireless communication line, and the server includes a plurality of communication terminals participating in the group communication. Participating terminal management means for registering and managing the server, server-side receiving means for receiving communication data from the plurality of communication terminals, and the number of communication terminals registered in the participating terminal management means Line number management means for securing the number of lines, and server side transmission means for transmitting the received plurality of communication data to each communication terminal registered in the participating terminal management means on each line, and the communication terminal A communication terminal side transmission means for transmitting the communication data to the server, a communication terminal side reception means for receiving the plurality of communication data from the server, and the received plural A communication data adding means for synthesizing the communication data, in which a reproduction means for reproducing the communication data the composite.
[0015]
In the communication system according to the next invention, the server-side transmission means is configured to transmit the received communication data except for the communication data transmitted from the communication terminal for each communication terminal. .
[0016]
In the communication system according to the next invention, the communication data adding means is configured to synthesize the received communication data except for the communication data transmitted from the communication terminal to the server.
[0017]
In the communication system according to the next invention, the participation terminal management means is configured to register and manage a subgroup consisting of members participating in the group communication, and the server-side transmission means includes the communication data Is transmitted to the communication terminal of the subgroup registered in the participating terminal management means.
[0018]
In the communication system according to the next invention, the communication data includes any one or more of voice call data, text data, and image data.
[0019]
In the communication system according to the next invention, the participation terminal management means is configured to determine, register and manage a plurality of communication terminals participating in the group communication based on members designated by the communication terminal. It is a thing.
[0020]
In the communication system according to the next invention, the participation terminal management means is configured to determine, register, and manage a plurality of communication terminals participating in the group communication based on position information of the communication terminals. It is.
[0021]
In the communication system according to the next invention, the communication terminal registers and manages a plurality of lines of wireless connection means capable of wireless communication with other communication terminals and a plurality of communication terminals participating in the group communication. Means, and communication data combining means for combining a plurality of communication data received from the other communication terminal, the communication terminal side receiving means is configured to receive communication data from the other communication terminal, The communication terminal side transmission means is configured to transmit the synthesized communication data to each communication terminal registered in the participating terminal management means.
[0022]
In the communication system according to the next invention, the communication data combining means is configured to combine the received plurality of communication data and its own communication data, and the server reproduces the combined communication data. Reproducing means is provided.
[0023]
In the communication system according to the next invention, the server-side transmission means is configured to transmit the plurality of received communication data and its own communication data to each of the communication terminals, and further, the server receives the reception The communication data adding means for combining the plurality of communication data and the reproducing means for reproducing the combined communication data are provided.
[0024]
A communication system according to the next invention includes a plurality of the servers, and the plurality of servers are configured to perform wireless communication with the communication terminals existing in a predetermined area and to be able to communicate with each other between the plurality of servers. It is.
[0025]
Furthermore, a communication method according to the next invention is a method of performing group communication with a plurality of communication terminals connected to a server via a wireless communication line, and the server includes a plurality of communication participating in the group communication. Participating terminal management step for registering and managing terminals, server side receiving step for receiving communication data from the plurality of communication terminals, communication data combining step for combining the received plurality of communication data, and participation terminal management A bandwidth management step of securing a bandwidth of the wireless communication line according to the number of communication terminals registered in the means, and each communication registered in the participating terminal management means with the synthesized communication data in the bandwidth A server-side transmission step of transmitting the communication data to the server, and a communication terminal-side transmission step of transmitting the communication data to the server, and the synthesized communication data from the server. A communication terminal side receiving step of receiving the data, but that includes a reproducing step of reproducing the communication data above synthesis.
[0026]
A communication method according to the next invention is a method of performing group communication with a plurality of communication terminals connected to a server via a wireless communication line, and the server registers a plurality of communication terminals participating in the group communication. Participating terminal management manual process managed by the server, a server side receiving process for receiving communication data from the plurality of communication terminals, and the line of the wireless communication line according to the number of communication terminals registered in the participating terminal management means A line number management step for securing a number, and a server-side transmission step for transmitting the received plurality of communication data to each communication terminal registered in the participating terminal management means on each line, the communication terminal comprising: A communication terminal side transmission step of transmitting the communication data to the server, a communication terminal side reception step of receiving the plurality of communication data from the server, and the received plurality of communication data. A communication data adding step of synthesizing the data, but that includes a reproducing step of reproducing the communication data the composite.
[0027]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Embodiment 1 FIG.
FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of a communication system showing Embodiment 1 of the present invention. This communication system includes a communication terminal 10 and a server 20 capable of wireless communication. In the first embodiment, the server 20 can communicate with a plurality of communication terminals 10 and can communicate with other servers (not shown), and can receive communication from the communication terminal 10 that can communicate with the server 20. The communication is capable of transmitting data to a communication terminal (not shown) capable of wireless communication with the other server and communication data transmitted from the communication terminal capable of wireless communication with the other server. The configuration is such that transmission to the terminal 10 is possible. For example, the communication terminal 10 and the server 20 in the first embodiment are configured by a base station and a mobile phone in the mobile phone system, respectively. Further, for example, the communication network includes a router and a portable terminal.
[0028]
Reference numeral 11 denotes input means for receiving input of voice, text, images, and the like from the user as communication data, and further receives input from the user such as control information for controlling the communication terminal 10 here.
Reference numeral 12 corresponds to a reproducing unit that reproduces communication data. The audio output unit 12 reproduces audio communication data and notifies various kinds of information to the user.
Reference numeral 13 corresponds to a reproduction means for reproducing communication data, and is a display means for reproducing (displaying) communication data of text and images and displaying various kinds of information on a display here for the user.
[0029]
Reference numeral 14 denotes own terminal management means for holding user information such as a user ID of a user who uses this communication terminal as own terminal information.
15 is composed of a communication terminal side transmitting means for transmitting communication data to a server and a communication terminal side receiving means for receiving communication data from the server. The communication data is transmitted to the server 20 and communicated from the server 20. It is a transmission / reception means for receiving data.
[0030]
Reference numeral 22 denotes participation terminal management means for registering and managing a plurality of communication terminals 10 participating in group communication. In the present embodiment, the participation terminal management means 22 is configured to determine, register, and manage a plurality of communication terminals participating in the group communication based on members designated from the communication terminal 10. Yes.
[0031]
Reference numeral 23 denotes communication data combining means for combining a plurality of communication data received from the communication terminal 10.
Reference numeral 24 denotes bandwidth management means for securing the bandwidth of the wireless communication line according to the number of communication terminals registered in the participating terminal management means 22.
[0032]
21 transmits server-side receiving means for receiving communication data from the plurality of communication terminals, and communication data synthesized by the communication data synthesizing means to each communication terminal registered in the participating terminal management means with the bandwidth. And transmitting / receiving means for receiving the communication data and transmitting the synthesized communication data to each communication terminal registered in the participating terminal management means 22 with the bandwidth.
[0033]
Next, the operation will be described.
FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing the operation of the server 20. The operation will be described based on the flowchart of FIG.
[0034]
The server 20 is waiting for the group communication from the communication terminal 10 (step 101). When a group communication holding request, here a group communication holding request specifying a member and a conference name, is transmitted from the communication terminal 10 that wishes to hold group communication to the server 20, the server 20 sends the group communication holding request. Received (step 102), the participating terminal management means 22 acquires the designated member (step 103), calls the member's communication terminal 10 to encourage participation (step 104), and from the communication terminal 10 Wait for an incoming call (step 105).
[0035]
When each called communication terminal 10 makes a participation request for group communication, the communication terminal 10 uses its own terminal information such as a user ID held in advance by the own terminal information management unit 14 as a participation request. To participate in group communication.
[0036]
When the server 20 receives the participation request from the communication terminal 10, the participation terminal management unit 22 extracts and registers and saves its own terminal information of the participating communication terminal 10 (step 106), and the bandwidth management unit 24 selects each communication terminal. The bandwidth of the downlink transmitted to 10 is increased and secured in accordance with the number of registered communication members of the participating members (step 107).
[0037]
As described above, in the present embodiment, the participation terminal management means 22 urges each member to participate based on the members designated from the communication terminal 10, and assigns the communication terminals requested to participate in the group to the group. Decide as a communication terminal to participate in communication, register and manage. And the bandwidth management means 24 ensures the bandwidth of the downlink transmitted to each communication terminal 10 according to the number of communication terminals registered in the participation terminal management means 22, and performs group communication.
[0038]
During group communication, the server 20 communicates a plurality of communication data received from each communication terminal 10, for example, call data composed of voice uttered by the user of each communication terminal 10 received by each input unit 11. The data synthesizing means 23 synthesizes (step 108), and the transmission / reception means 21 transmits to each communication terminal 10 registered in the participating terminal management means 22 with the bandwidth secured by the bandwidth management means 24 (step 108). 109) is repeated.
[0039]
In each communication terminal 10, the transmission / reception means 15 receives the call data synthesized by the communication data synthesis means 23, and the voice output means 12 reproduces the synthesized call data by the voice output means 12, so that the user of the communication terminal 10 becomes a group. Listen to communication.
[0040]
In addition, when there is a participation request from another communication terminal 10 during group communication, the server 20 registers the participating terminal in the participating terminal management means 22 (step 106), and the bandwidth management means 24 increases the bandwidth ( Step 107) is performed. Conversely, when a withdrawal request is received from the participating terminal, the withdrawal terminal is deleted from the communication terminal in which the participating terminal management means 22 has been registered (step 106), and the bandwidth management means 24 decreases the bandwidth accordingly. (Step 107). In the case of withdrawal from the last participating terminal or group communication termination request due to the withdrawal request (step 110), the line is disconnected and the group communication is terminated (step 111).
[0041]
Next, increase / decrease in bandwidth will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram illustrating bandwidth control according to the first embodiment.
For example, assuming that the bandwidth usage per member (one communication terminal) is 10 Kbps, when transmitting from the communication terminal 10 to the server 20 (upstream communication data), the bandwidth of 10 Kbps is used as usual. On the other hand, when transmitting the synthesized communication data from the server 20 to each communication terminal 10 (downlink communication data), the total bandwidth of the participating members is used. When the number of participating communication terminals is one, 10 Kbps is used. For example, when the number of participating communication terminals increases to three, A, B, and C (in the case of FIG. 3), the communication data synthesizing means 23 is connected to each terminal. The bandwidth management means 24 increases the bandwidth by the number of participating communication terminals, and transmits it to each communication terminal using a wide bandwidth of a total of 30 Kbps (3 units of 10 Kbps). Become.
[0042]
As described above, according to the present embodiment, a wide bandwidth for the number of communication terminals participating in group communication is prepared for downlink communication data, so that each communication can be performed even when the number of participating communication terminals is large. Since communication data synthesized for the number of terminals can be transmitted using a wide bandwidth, communication data quality deterioration due to communication data synthesis when the number of participating communication terminals increases, for example, deterioration of sound quality is prevented. Can do. In addition, since the bandwidth is increased or decreased according to the number of participating communication terminals, it is possible to effectively use the bandwidth without using an unnecessarily wide bandwidth.
[0043]
In addition, according to the present embodiment, a plurality of servers are provided, and the plurality of servers are configured to be able to communicate with each other between the plurality of servers while performing wireless communication with the communication terminals existing in a predetermined area. Because, for example, communication is possible between servers such as base stations and routers, such as a mobile phone system and a communication network, so communication terminals such as mobile phones and mobile terminals that are located far away from each other cannot wirelessly communicate. Even if there is, group communication is possible.
[0044]
In the present embodiment, the case where the communication data is voice call data has been described, but the communication data may be text data composed of text, image data composed of images, or the like. The same effect can be obtained.
[0045]
Further, in this embodiment, when transmitting the communication data synthesized from the server to each communication terminal (downlink communication data), all the received communication data is synthesized, and the bandwidth corresponding to the number of all participating communication terminals is obtained. The example of transmitting using the total value has been described, but the communication data combining unit is configured to combine the communication data excluding the communication data transmitted from the communication terminal for each communication terminal, and the transmitting / receiving unit Is configured to transmit the communication data synthesized excluding the communication data transmitted from the communication terminal for each communication terminal to the corresponding communication terminal, so that the server synthesizes and transmits the communication data. At this time, the communication data transmitted from the own communication terminal can be excluded from the target for each communication terminal to transmit.
[0046]
As a result, it is possible to eliminate deterioration such as deterioration in sound quality due to a difference between the raw communication data at the time of transmission on the communication terminal side and the communication data at the time of reception received via the server, and a band corresponding to one communication terminal. Since the width can be narrowed, the band can be used effectively. For example, when group communication is performed with three communication terminals A, B, and C, the server transmits the combined communication data of B and C to the communication terminal A with a bandwidth of two. Similarly, the communication terminal B transmits the combined communication data of A and C with a bandwidth of two units, and the communication terminal C transmits the combined communication data of A and B with a bandwidth of two units. is there.
[0047]
Embodiment 2. FIG.
In the first embodiment described above, the communication data is synthesized by the server and the synthesized communication data is reproduced by the communication terminal. Next, an embodiment for improving the sound quality on the communication terminal side will be described.
[0048]
FIG. 4 is a configuration diagram of a communication system showing Embodiment 2 of the present invention. The same reference numerals are assigned to the same or corresponding parts as in FIG. Reference numeral 16 denotes transmission data storage means for storing communication data transmitted from the own communication terminal to the server 20. Reference numeral 17 denotes communication data adding / subtracting means including communication data subtracting means for subtracting the communication data stored in the transmission data storing means 16 from the synthesized communication data.
[0049]
Next, the operation will be described.
In the communication terminal 10, the communication data storage unit 16 stores the communication data transmitted from the own communication terminal, in this case, for example, the call data by the user's utterance in the communication terminal 10, and the transmission / reception unit 15 Call data is transmitted to the server 20. The server 20 synthesizes all call data received from each communication terminal 10 and transmits it to each communication terminal, as in the above-described embodiment.
[0050]
The communication terminal 10 receiving the synthesized call data is transmitted from the communication terminal 10 stored in the communication data storage unit 16 by the communication data addition / subtraction unit 17 from the synthesized call data received from the server 20. The voice data is subtracted and the voice output means 12 performs the subtraction process to reproduce the call data.
[0051]
As described above, according to the present embodiment, by subtracting the call data transmitted from the own communication terminal from the synthesized call data, the call data received by the user is received via the server. Since the reproduced call data does not overlap, it is possible to eliminate deterioration such as sound quality deterioration due to deviation.
[0052]
Embodiment 3 FIG.
In the above embodiment, the communication data synthesized by the server is transmitted by increasing (decreasing) the downlink bandwidth according to the number of communication terminals participating in the group communication. In the embodiment, the communication data from each communication terminal is synthesized without combining the plurality of communication data received from the server.
[0053]
FIG. 5 is a block diagram of a communication system showing Embodiment 3 of the present invention. The same or corresponding parts as those in FIGS.
The communication data addition / subtraction means 17 includes communication data addition means for combining a plurality of communication data received from the server 20. The line number management means 25 is configured to secure the number of wireless communication lines according to the number of communication terminals registered in the participating terminal management means 22.
[0054]
Next, the operation will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram for explaining bandwidth control in the third embodiment.
[0055]
When the participating terminal management unit 22 registers and stores the communication terminal 10 participating in the group communication, the server 20 registers the number of downlink lines (wireless communication lines) to be transmitted to each communication terminal 10. The number is increased according to the number of communication terminals of the participating members. When the communication data is received from the communication terminal 10, the transmission / reception means 21 uses the line secured by the line number management means 25 without combining the communication data with the communication terminals of the participating members. Send on separate lines.
[0056]
For example, assuming that the bandwidth usage per member (one communication terminal) is 10 Kbps, when the number of participating communication terminals is one, transmission is performed using one line of 10 Kbps. , B, and C (in the case of FIG. 5), three bands corresponding to the number of communication terminals of 10 Kbps are prepared without combining the communication data of A, B, and C, respectively. Send on separate lines. As a result, the communication data received from the communication terminal can be transmitted as it is through the individual line as it is using the same bandwidth (10 Kbps) as that at the time of reception. Eliminates the need for data composition processing.
[0057]
In the communication terminal 10, the communication data of each communication terminal sent by the communication data addition / subtraction means 17 is synthesized, and the synthesized communication data is reproduced by, for example, the voice output means 12. At this time, the data transmitted from the own communication terminal is not set as a synthesis target, so that it is possible to eliminate deterioration such as sound quality deterioration due to a shift between raw data at the time of transmission and data received via the server at the time of reception.
[0058]
As described above, according to the present embodiment, the communication data received from the communication terminal is transmitted at the time of transmission by preparing a plurality of lines corresponding to the number of communication terminals participating in the group communication in the downlink communication data. Since it can be transmitted as it is on an individual line using the same bandwidth as at the time of reception, it is possible to prevent deterioration of communication data such as sound quality deterioration due to synthesis of communication data when the number of participating communication terminals increases. In addition, the server does not synthesize communication data, and each communication terminal performs communication data synthesis processing from other communication terminals, thereby reducing the load on the server.
[0059]
In this embodiment, when the server transmits a plurality of communication data received to each communication terminal (downlink communication data), an example in which all the lines are transmitted using the number of lines corresponding to the number of participating communication terminals. When the server transmits the communication data by configuring the server transmission / reception means to transmit the received communication data excluding the communication data transmitted from the communication terminal for each communication terminal. In addition, the communication data transmitted from the own communication terminal can be excluded from the transmission targets for each communication terminal to be transmitted.
[0060]
As a result, it is possible to eliminate deterioration due to a difference between the raw communication data at the time of transmission on the communication terminal side and the communication data at the time of reception received via the server, and the number of lines can be reduced by one communication terminal. Therefore, the bandwidth can be used effectively. For example, when group communication is performed with three communication terminals A, B, and C, the server transmits communication data of B and C to the communication terminal A through two lines, respectively. Similarly, the communication data of A and C are transmitted to the communication terminal B through two lines, respectively, and the communication data of A and B are transmitted to the communication terminal C through two lines, respectively.
[0061]
Embodiment 4 FIG.
In the first embodiment described above, the bandwidth to be used is amplified as the number of communication terminals participating in group communication increases. Next, the number of participating communication terminals increases, and the total bandwidth is reduced. An embodiment in which the bandwidth is dynamically reduced when amplification becomes impossible will be described.
[0062]
The configuration diagram of the communication system showing the fourth embodiment of the present invention is the same as FIG. However, the bandwidth management unit 24 allocates a bandwidth per communication terminal when the bandwidth required according to the number of communication terminals registered in the participating terminal management unit 22 exceeds a predetermined maximum value. The width is reduced and secured.
[0063]
Next, the operation will be described.
The server 20 is set with a predetermined maximum value of the bandwidth that can be used for group communication. The server 20 increases the bandwidth used for downlink transmission as the number of participating communication terminals increases, but when the maximum value is reached and cannot be increased any more, one communication terminal Dynamically reduce per-bandwidth allocation. For example, when the basic bandwidth per communication terminal is set to 10 Kbps and amplification is possible up to a maximum of 50 Kbps, the number of participating communication terminals is increased by allocation of 10 Kbps per communication terminal up to five (the total maximum is 50 Kbps). Become). When the number exceeds 6, the allocation per communication terminal is reduced to 50 Kbps / 6 = 8.33 Kbps, and when the number is further increased, the bandwidth used per communication terminal is reduced to 50 Kbps / 7 = 7.14 Kbps. Reduce dynamically.
[0064]
As described above, according to the present embodiment, when the bandwidth required in accordance with the number of communication terminals registered in the participating terminal management means exceeds a predetermined maximum value, it is allocated per communication terminal. The bandwidth is reduced and secured, and the usage bandwidth per communication terminal is dynamically increased / decreased to flexibly cope with the increase / decrease in the number of communication terminals participating in group communication.
[0065]
Embodiment 5. FIG.
Embodiment 4 above can flexibly cope with an increase in the number of participating communication terminals by reducing the bandwidth used per communication terminal when the required bandwidth exceeds a predetermined maximum value. Next, an embodiment in which the member is invited to withdraw from group communication when the number of participants becomes enormous and bandwidth usage per communication terminal decreases excessively will be described.
[0066]
The configuration diagram of the communication system showing the fifth embodiment of the present invention is the same as FIG. However, the bandwidth management means 24, when the bandwidth required according to the number of communication terminals registered in the participating terminal management means 22 exceeds a predetermined maximum value, as in the fourth embodiment. In addition to reducing the bandwidth allocated per communication terminal, and when the bandwidth allocated per communication terminal falls below a predetermined minimum value, the participating terminal management means 22 The communication terminal registered in is configured to prompt withdrawal.
[0067]
Next, the operation will be described.
The server 20 is set with a predetermined maximum value of the bandwidth that can be used for group communication, and with a predetermined minimum value of the bandwidth that is allocated per communication terminal. As shown in the fourth embodiment, the server 20 can flexibly cope with an increase in the number of participants by reducing the bandwidth per communication terminal when the number of participating communication terminals increases.
[0068]
However, when the number of participating communication terminals increases and the bandwidth used per communication terminal decreases and the bandwidth allocated per communication terminal falls below a predetermined minimum value, for example, the lowest call sound quality is maintained. When it becomes impossible to do so, the server 20 urges the communication terminal registered in the participating terminal management means 22, for example, a specific participating member to withdraw, reduces the number of participating communication terminals, and reduces the minimum bandwidth. As a result, the quality of communication data such as call sound quality is maintained.
[0069]
The communication terminal 10 for which the server 20 prompts withdrawal is, for example, a communication terminal for which a usage fee discount is set, a communication terminal that is the slowest to participate in group communication, a group communication leader (hosted communication terminal), Make decisions by assigning specific priorities, such as a majority decision by all participants.
[0070]
Further, when the usage exceeds the maximum bandwidth set in the server 20, it is possible to increase the bandwidth by paying an additional fee by the communication terminal.
[0071]
As described above, according to the present embodiment, when the bandwidth used per communication terminal is equal to or less than a predetermined minimum value, the specific number of members can be withdrawn, and the number of participants can be flexibly handled. It is possible to maintain the quality of communication data such as the minimum call sound quality.
[0072]
Embodiment 6 FIG.
In the above embodiment, communication data is transmitted to all communication terminals participating in the group communication. Next, in the group communication, an arbitrary subgroup is provided, and the communication terminal on the transmission side An embodiment in which a specific conversation in a subgroup is enabled by designating a communication terminal to which communication data is to be transmitted at any time will be described.
[0073]
The configuration diagram of the communication system showing the sixth embodiment is the same as FIG. However, the participation terminal management means 22 is configured to register and manage a subgroup consisting of members participating in group communication, and the transmission / reception means 21 on the server 20 side transmits communication data to the participation terminal management means 22. Are transmitted to the communication terminals of one or more subgroups registered in.
[0074]
Next, the operation will be described.
In the server 20, after the participation terminal management means 22 determines and registers a communication terminal that participates in group communication, it further determines, registers, and manages a subgroup consisting of these members. For example, numbers are assigned to participating members of the group communication in the order of participation as one subgroup for each communication terminal. Then, the transmission / reception means 21 transmits the participation number of each participating member and terminal information such as a user ID to each communication terminal 10.
[0075]
Each communication terminal 10 receives and holds the information, displays it, and makes it visible to the user. In addition, the communication terminal 10 assigns each subgroup in the group communication to a certain key of the input unit 11, and during the group communication, a specific subgroup (in this case, the communication terminal) among the participants. When it is desired to send communication data only, it is possible to specify a destination to which communication data is sent by pressing a key corresponding to a participation number.
[0076]
When receiving / designating the destination by pressing the key of the user, the transmission / reception means 15 of the communication terminal 10 adds the destination information (number) designated to the communication data and transmits it to the server. The server 20 combines and combines the destination communication data to be sent based on the destination information of the communication data received from the communication terminal 10, determines the subgroup to be transmitted, and sends the communication data to the communication terminal of the subgroup. Send.
[0077]
For example, in group communication that participates in the order of communication terminals A, B, C, D, and E, the communication terminal presses and designates key 1 during group communication to transmit only to communication terminal A, key 2 It is possible to specify transmission only to the communication terminal B by pressing and specifying. The designation of sending to a specific destination continues until a certain cancel key is pressed. In addition, even when it is desired to transmit to a subgroup consisting of a plurality of communication terminals, it is possible by sequentially pressing and pressing a plurality of keys.
[0078]
As described above, according to the present embodiment, the participating terminal management means is configured to register and manage a subgroup consisting of members participating in group communication, and the server-side transmitting / receiving means is configured as a communication terminal. The communication data is transmitted to the communication terminal of the subgroup designated by the user, and the subgroup communication can be easily performed during the group communication by enabling the user to designate the communication subgroup by the input means of the communication terminal. be able to.
[0079]
In the present embodiment, a case has been described in which numbers are assigned in order of participation as one subgroup for each communication terminal, but a plurality of communication terminals may be assigned as one subgroup.
[0080]
Further, in the present embodiment, a case has been described where the participating terminal management means assigns numbers to subgroups and the communication terminal assigns each subgroup to a certain key of the input means. It is also possible to designate the subgroup by registering the key in the communication terminal in advance.
[0081]
In the present embodiment, the case where the communication terminal designates the destination subgroup has been described. However, for example, the server designates (determines) the destination subgroup according to time, data amount, and the like. Also good.
[0082]
Embodiment 7 FIG.
In the above embodiment, the case where the communication data is any one of voice call data, text data, image data, and the like has been described. Next, the communication data is call data, text data, and the like. An embodiment that includes at least one of data and image data and enables notification of information and status of users participating in group communication together with call data will be described.
[0083]
In the present embodiment, the communication data includes one or more data of voice call data, text data, and image data.
[0084]
In addition to the user ID, the communication terminal 10 also transmits, as user information, text data such as name, age, self-introduction, and image data such as a portrait in real time together with call data during group communication. For example, the caller sends, along with the call data, a profile, a text inputted in real time, or image data such as a facial expression expressing his / her emotion during the current call. Automatically sent during conversation or sent in real time when specified by the user.
[0085]
Upon receiving the communication data of the user information, each other communication terminal 10 immediately displays the user information and the state of the conversation person (such as a text or a facial expression based on a portrait) on the display together with the call data transmission / reception process.
[0086]
As described above, according to the present embodiment, the communication data includes at least one of voice call data, text data, and image data, and user data includes text data and images. By making it possible to transmit the communication data of the data together with the call data at any time, it becomes possible to transmit the user information and state during the conversation in real time to the group communication participants.
[0087]
Embodiment 8 FIG.
In the above embodiment, the members participating in the group communication are determined based on the members designated by the communication terminal that wishes to hold the group communication. Next, the members participating in the group communication are dynamically determined based on the position information. An embodiment to be determined is shown below.
[0088]
In this embodiment, the participating terminal management means 22 is configured to determine, register and manage a plurality of communication terminals participating in the group communication based on the position information of the communication terminals.
[0089]
Next, the operation will be described.
The server 20 knows the position information of the communication terminal and the dynamic progress information, and a certain communication terminal 10 requests the server 20 to hold group communication on the condition that the communication terminal is proceeding in the same direction. . The server 20 determines from the progress information of the communication terminal 10 and makes a participation call for group communication to the communication terminals traveling in the same direction. Then, the communication terminal requested to participate is determined as a communication terminal participating in the group communication, registered and managed.
[0090]
For example, while a communication terminal is moving in a car, etc., it is possible to call for other cars traveling in the same direction to participate in group communication, including not only mobile phones but also car navigation systems. It is effective for obtaining information, accidents, construction information, etc.
[0091]
As described above, according to the present embodiment, a participant who participates in group communication can be determined according to the arrangement status (existence status) of each communication terminal by dynamically determining the participating members in group communication based on position information. Can be determined dynamically and optimally.
[0092]
Embodiment 9 FIG.
In the above embodiment, the server is capable of wireless communication with a plurality of communication terminals and can communicate with other servers. For example, the server functions as a base station in a mobile phone system, and has a different number of people between a plurality of areas. An embodiment in which communication is provided but a dedicated server for group communication that is not a base station is provided next to provide group communication only within a specific area will be described.
[0093]
In the present embodiment, the server 20 is a group communication server, and does not need to have a function as a base station, and is installed at an arbitrary location (for example, a premises) and an individual communication terminal located in the vicinity thereof. Make a wireless connection between. The group communication server receives and combines communication data from a plurality of communication terminals wirelessly connected to the server, and transmits the combined data to each communication terminal. This enables simple group communication within the server area.
[0094]
As described above, according to the present embodiment, a server for a specific group communication is provided as a server instead of a base station such as a mobile phone system, and data is synthesized and transmitted, so that it is simple and inexpensive (free). Group communication is possible. In addition, when performing group communication within an area that can be covered by the group communication server, communication with another server (base station) is not necessary, and the load on the server (base station) can be reduced. .
[0095]
Embodiment 10 FIG.
In the ninth embodiment, a server for group communication is installed, and the server synthesizes and transmits communication data. Next, one of the participating communication terminals becomes a server, and synthesizes voice data. The embodiment which performs transmission is shown.
[0096]
The communication terminal 10 serving as a server further includes a plurality of lines of wireless connection means capable of wireless communication with other communication terminals, a participation terminal management means for registering and managing a plurality of communication terminals participating in group communication, and the other Communication data synthesizing means for synthesizing a plurality of communication data received from the other communication terminal, and the transmission / reception means 15 on the communication terminal side is configured to receive communication data from the other communication terminal. The synthesized communication data is transmitted to each communication terminal registered in the participating terminal management means.
[0097]
Next, the operation will be described with reference to FIG.
FIG. 7 is a diagram when group communication is performed using three communication terminals A, B, and C, with the communication terminal A as a server. Each of the member communication terminals B and C participating in the group communication performs an individual wireless connection with the communication terminal A serving as a server. Any wireless connection means may be used. The member communication terminals B and C send their own terminal information when connecting to the server communication terminal A, and the server communication terminal A sends the own terminal information (such as user IDs) of a plurality of communication terminals by the participating terminal management means. Keep as a list. Server communication terminal A combines communication data received from a plurality of member communication terminals B and C and communication data input from its own terminal A by communication data combining means, and combines the combined communication data (A + B + C). It transmits to each member communication terminal by line connection.
[0098]
In this example, the communication terminal A is a server, but it is also possible to operate the communication terminal B and the communication terminal C as a server in the same manner, and a group communication configuration can be taken flexibly. Further, when the number of communication terminals increases, group communication is possible by increasing the number of connections between the server and member terminals, and similarly combining and transmitting data.
[0099]
As described above, according to the present embodiment, without providing a base station or a specific server, the communication terminal is provided with a server function, thereby reducing the load on the server and performing group communication at an arbitrary place. be able to.
[0100]
In the present embodiment, a case has been described in which one of the participating communication terminals functions as a server, but the server may function as a communication terminal. For example, in the server of the first embodiment described above, the communication data synthesizing unit is configured to synthesize the received plurality of communication data and its own communication data, and further includes a reproducing unit that reproduces the synthesized communication data. Prepare. In this case, since the server functions as a communication terminal, for example, it is possible to perform group communication with all mobile phones, and group communication can be performed at an arbitrary place as in the present embodiment.
[0101]
Further, for example, in the server of the above-described third embodiment, the server-side transmitting / receiving means is configured to transmit the received plurality of communication data and its own communication data to each communication terminal, and further, the received plurality of received data Communication data adding means for synthesizing the communication data, and reproducing means for reproducing the synthesized communication data. In this case, since the server functions as a communication terminal, for example, it is possible to perform group communication with all mobile phones, and group communication can be performed at an arbitrary place as in the present embodiment.
[0102]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, according to the communication system of the present invention, in a communication system that performs group communication with a plurality of communication terminals connected to a server via a wireless communication line, the server includes a plurality of members participating in the group communication. Participating terminal management means for registering and managing communication terminals, server-side receiving means for receiving communication data from the plurality of communication terminals, communication data combining means for combining the received plurality of communication data, and the participating terminals Bandwidth management means for securing the bandwidth of the wireless communication line according to the number of communication terminals registered in the management means, and each of the combined communication data registered in the participating terminal management means with the bandwidth Server-side transmission means for transmitting to the communication terminal, wherein the communication terminal transmits communication data to the server from the communication terminal-side transmission means; Since the communication terminal side receiving means for receiving the communication data formed and the reproducing means for reproducing the combined communication data, the number of communication terminals is combined even when the number of participating communication terminals is large. Since communication data can be transmitted using a wide bandwidth, it is possible to prevent quality deterioration of communication data due to compositing of communication data when the number of participating communication terminals increases. In addition, since the bandwidth is increased or decreased according to the number of participating communication terminals, there is an effect that it is possible to effectively use the bandwidth without using an unnecessarily wide bandwidth.
[0103]
According to the communication system of the next invention, the communication data synthesizing unit is configured to synthesize communication data excluding communication data transmitted from the communication terminal for each communication terminal, and the server-side transmission unit includes: When the communication data is synthesized for each communication terminal except for the communication data transmitted from the communication terminal and transmitted to the corresponding communication terminal, when the server synthesizes and transmits the communication data. In addition, since it is possible to exclude the communication data transmitted from the own communication terminal from the target for each communication terminal to transmit, the raw communication data at the time of transmission on the communication terminal side and the reception time received via the server In addition, it is possible to eliminate the deterioration due to the deviation from the communication data, and it is possible to effectively use the band because the bandwidth can be narrowed.
[0104]
According to the communication system of the next invention, the communication terminal transmits the transmission data from the synthesized communication data received by the communication terminal-side reception means and transmission data storage means for storing the communication data transmitted to the server. Communication data subtracting means for subtracting the communication data stored in the data storage means, and the reproducing means is configured to reproduce the communication data subjected to the subtraction processing, so that the communication terminal side can Since there is no overlap between the raw communication data and the communication data received and reproduced via the server, there is an effect that it is possible to eliminate deterioration due to deviation.
[0105]
According to the communication system of the next invention, the bandwidth management means, when the bandwidth required according to the number of communication terminals registered in the participation terminal management means is a predetermined maximum value or more, By being configured to reduce and secure the bandwidth allocated per communication terminal, there is an effect that it is possible to flexibly cope with an increase or decrease in the number of communication terminals participating in group communication.
[0106]
According to the communication system of the next invention, the server withdraws from the communication terminal registered in the participating terminal management means when the bandwidth allocated per one communication terminal becomes a predetermined minimum value or less. This is advantageous in that the minimum quality of communication data can be maintained while flexibly supporting the number of participants.
[0107]
According to the communication system of the next invention, in the communication system for performing group communication with a plurality of communication terminals connected to the server via a wireless communication line, the server includes a plurality of communication terminals participating in the group communication. Participating terminal management means for registering and managing the server, server-side receiving means for receiving communication data from the plurality of communication terminals, and the number of communication terminals registered in the participating terminal management means Line number management means for securing the number of lines, and server side transmission means for transmitting the received plurality of communication data to each communication terminal registered in the participating terminal management means on each line, and the communication terminal A communication terminal side transmission means for transmitting the communication data to the server, a communication terminal side reception means for receiving the plurality of communication data from the server, and the reception Communication data adding means for combining a plurality of communication data and a reproducing means for reproducing the combined communication data, so that the communication data received from the communication terminal can be transmitted at the same bandwidth as at the time of reception. Can be transmitted from the server to the communication terminal as it is using an individual line, it is possible to prevent the deterioration of the communication data due to the synthesis of the communication data when the number of participating communication terminals increases. In addition, since the server does not synthesize communication data and each communication terminal performs communication data synthesis processing from other communication terminals, there is an effect that the load on the server can be reduced.
[0108]
According to the communication system of the next invention, the server-side transmission means is configured to transmit the received communication data excluding the communication data transmitted from the communication terminal for each communication terminal. The communication terminal has an effect that the communication data can be prevented from being deteriorated due to the difference between the raw communication data at the time of transmission and the communication data received through the server at the time of reception.
[0109]
According to the communication system of the next invention, the communication data adding means is configured to synthesize the received communication data except for the communication data transmitted from the communication terminal to the server. When transmitting communication data, it is possible to exclude the communication data transmitted from the own communication terminal from the transmission target for each communication terminal to transmit, so the raw communication data at the time of transmission on the communication terminal side and the server In addition, it is possible to eliminate deterioration due to deviation from the communication data at the time of reception received via the network, and to reduce the number of lines, so that the band can be used more effectively.
[0110]
According to the communication system of the next invention, the participation terminal management means is configured to register and manage a subgroup consisting of members participating in the group communication, and the server-side transmission means includes the communication By being configured to transmit data to the communication terminals of the subgroup registered in the participating terminal management means, there is an effect that the subgroup communication can be easily performed during the group communication.
[0111]
According to the communication system of the next invention, the communication data includes at least one of voice call data, text data, and image data. There is an effect that it is possible to transmit not only the voice but also the user information and state during the conversation made up of text and images in real time.
[0112]
According to the communication system of the next invention, the participation terminal management means is configured to determine, register and manage a plurality of communication terminals participating in the group communication based on members designated by the communication terminal As a result, there is an effect that it is possible to determine the participants in the group communication according to the request of the user of the communication terminal.
[0113]
According to the communication system of the next invention, the participation terminal management means is configured to determine, register and manage a plurality of communication terminals participating in the group communication based on the location information of the communication terminal. Thus, there is an effect that it is possible to dynamically and optimally determine the participants in the group communication according to the arrangement status (existence status) of each communication terminal.
[0114]
According to the communication system of the next invention, the communication terminal registers and manages a plurality of lines of wireless connection means capable of wireless communication with other communication terminals and a plurality of communication terminals participating in the group communication. And a communication data combining unit configured to combine a plurality of communication data received from the other communication terminal, and the communication terminal side receiving unit is configured to receive the communication data from the other communication terminal. The communication terminal-side transmission means is configured to transmit the synthesized communication data to each communication terminal registered in the participating terminal management means, thereby reducing the load on the server, and any location With this, group communication can be performed.
[0115]
According to the communication system of the next invention, the communication data combining means is configured to combine the received plurality of communication data and its own communication data, and the server reproduces the combined communication data. By providing the reproducing means, the server functions as a communication terminal. For example, it is possible to perform group communication using a mobile phone, and group communication can be performed at an arbitrary place.
[0116]
According to the communication system of the next invention, the server side transmission means is configured to transmit the received plurality of communication data and its own communication data to the communication terminals, and the server further includes the server Since the server functions as a communication terminal by including a communication data adding means for combining a plurality of received communication data and a reproducing means for reproducing the combined communication data, for example, group communication with all mobile phones This makes it possible to perform group communication at an arbitrary place.
[0117]
According to the communication system of the next invention, a plurality of the servers are provided, and the plurality of servers are configured to be able to communicate with the communication terminals existing in a predetermined area and communicate with each other between the plurality of servers. As a result, since communication is possible between servers, there is an effect that group communication is possible even between communication terminals that are located far enough so that wireless communication is not possible.
[0118]
Furthermore, according to the communication method of the next invention, in the communication method for performing group communication with a plurality of communication terminals connected to the server via a wireless communication line, the server includes a plurality of communication participating in the group communication. Participating terminal management step for registering and managing terminals, server side receiving step for receiving communication data from the plurality of communication terminals, communication data combining step for combining the received plurality of communication data, and participation terminal management A bandwidth management step of securing a bandwidth of the wireless communication line according to the number of communication terminals registered in the means, and each communication registered in the participating terminal management means with the synthesized communication data in the bandwidth Including a server-side transmission step for transmitting to the terminal, wherein the communication terminal transmits the communication data to the server, and a communication terminal-side transmission step for transmitting the communication data to the server. By including a communication terminal-side reception process for receiving communication data and a reproduction process for reproducing the combined communication data, even when the number of participating communication terminals is large, combined communication data for each communication terminal Since transmission can be performed using a wide bandwidth, it is possible to prevent deterioration in quality of communication data due to synthesis of communication data when the number of participating communication terminals increases. In addition, since the bandwidth is increased or decreased according to the number of participating communication terminals, there is an effect that it is possible to effectively use the bandwidth without using an unnecessarily wide bandwidth.
[0119]
According to the communication method of the next invention, in the communication method for performing group communication with a plurality of communication terminals connected to a server via a wireless communication line, the server registers a plurality of communication terminals participating in the group communication. Participating terminal management manual process to manage, server side receiving process to receive communication data from the plurality of communication terminals, and the line of the wireless communication line according to the number of communication terminals registered in the participating terminal management means A line number management step for securing a number, and a server-side transmission step for transmitting the received plurality of communication data to each communication terminal registered in the participating terminal management means on each line, A communication terminal side transmission step of transmitting the communication data to the server; a communication terminal side reception step of receiving the plurality of communication data from the server; By including a communication data adding step for synthesizing the communication data and a reproduction step for reproducing the synthesized communication data, the communication data received from the communication terminal can be transmitted using the same bandwidth as at the time of reception. Since the data can be transmitted from the server to the communication terminal as it is through an individual line, it is possible to prevent deterioration of communication data due to the synthesis of communication data when the number of participating communication terminals increases. In addition, since the server does not synthesize communication data and each communication terminal performs communication data synthesis processing from other communication terminals, there is an effect that the load on the server can be reduced.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of a communication system according to a first embodiment.
FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing the operation of the server according to the first embodiment.
FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram for explaining bandwidth control in the first embodiment;
FIG. 4 is a configuration diagram of a communication system showing a second embodiment.
FIG. 5 is a configuration diagram of a communication system according to a third embodiment.
6 is an explanatory diagram illustrating bandwidth control in Embodiment 3. FIG.
FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram when group communication is performed using a communication terminal as a server.
FIG. 8 is a configuration diagram of a conventional chat server.
[Explanation of symbols]
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Communication terminal 11 Input means 12 Audio | voice output means 13 Display means
14 Self-terminal information management means 15 Transmission / reception means 16 Transmission data storage means
17 Communication data addition / subtraction means 20 Server 21 Transmission / reception means
22 Participating terminal management means 23 Communication data composition means
24 Bandwidth management means 25 Line number management means

Claims (2)

In a communication system that performs group communication with a plurality of communication terminals connected to a server via a wireless communication line,
The server
Participation terminal management means for registering and managing a plurality of communication terminals participating in the group communication;
Server-side receiving means for receiving communication data from the plurality of communication terminals;
Communication data combining means for combining the received plurality of communication data;
Bandwidth management means for securing the bandwidth of the wireless communication line according to the number of communication terminals registered in the participating terminal management means;
Server side transmission means for transmitting the synthesized communication data to each communication terminal registered in the participating terminal management means with the bandwidth,
The communication terminal
A communication terminal side transmission means for transmitting the communication data to the server;
A communication terminal side receiving means for receiving the synthesized communication data from the server;
Playback means for playing back the synthesized communication data ,
The bandwidth management means allocates the bandwidth allocated per communication terminal when a bandwidth required according to the number of communication terminals registered in the participating terminal management means exceeds a predetermined maximum value. A communication system characterized by being configured to be reduced and secured. In a communication method for performing group communication with a plurality of communication terminals connected to a server via a wireless communication line,
The server
Participating terminal management process for registering and managing a plurality of communication terminals participating in the group communication,
A server-side receiving process for receiving communication data from the plurality of communication terminals;
A communication data synthesis step for synthesizing the received plurality of communication data;
A bandwidth management step of ensuring the bandwidth of the wireless communication line according to the number of communication terminals registered in the participating terminal management means;
A server-side transmission step of transmitting the synthesized communication data to each communication terminal registered in the participating terminal management means with the bandwidth,
The communication terminal
A communication terminal side transmission step of transmitting the communication data to the server;
A communication terminal side receiving step for receiving the synthesized communication data from the server;
A reproduction step of reproducing the synthesized communication data,
In the bandwidth management process, when the bandwidth required according to the number of communication terminals registered in the participating terminal management process exceeds a predetermined maximum value, the bandwidth allocated per communication terminal is A communication method characterized by being reduced and secured.

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