JP3874638B2 - Specific partner non-operation notification method in VoIP system and communication exchange management apparatus for VoIP system - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) system, a method for notifying that a communication apparatus of a specific destination set in advance is in a non-operating state, and a communication exchange management apparatus for a VoIP system used for this notification method About.
[0002]
[Prior art]
When communicating between a plurality of private branch exchanges (hereinafter referred to as PBX (Private Branch Exchange)) without going through a public network, conventionally, each PBX is generally connected by a dedicated line. I have to.
[0003]
FIG. 7 shows a configuration example of this type of communication system. In this example, communication between three PBX 1, PBX 2, and PBX 3 is possible, and these three PBX 1, PBX 2, and PBX 3 are connected by dedicated lines 4, 5, and 6, respectively. . A public network 7 is connected to each of PBX1, PBX2, and PBX3, and a plurality of extension terminals TE1, TE2, and TE3 as a plurality of communication terminals are connected.
[0004]
In the system of FIG. 7, for example, when the extension terminal TE2 of PBX1 calls the extension terminal TE2 of PBX2 to make a call, the user of the extension terminal TE1 inputs the number specifying PBX2 or Then, after pressing the line key corresponding to PBX2, the extension number of the extension terminal TE2 is dialed. Then, a communication path of extension terminals TE1-PBX1-PBX2-TE2 is generated, and TE1 and TE2 are connected through the dedicated line 4 to enable a call.
[0005]
In the case of a system configuration in which PBXs are connected using dedicated lines as shown in FIG. 7, there is a problem that if the number of PBXs to be connected to each other increases, the number of dedicated lines must be increased accordingly. is there.
[0006]
Therefore, a VoIP system is provided that enables communication between a plurality of PBXs as described above using VoIP, which is a technology for sending voice signals using an IP (Internet Protocol) network such as the Internet or an intranet. Has been. This VoIP system is, for example, an ITU-T recommendation H.264, which is a standard for a general LAN (local area network). 323 is used.
[0007]
FIG. 8 is a block diagram showing an outline of this type of VoIP system. That is, in the VoIP system of this example, each PBX 1, 2, 3 is connected to the IP network 14 constituted by a LAN via the VoIP adapters 11, 12, 13. In this case, communication through the IP network 14 is performed according to ITU-T recommendation H.264. It is configured to comply with the H.323 standard.
[0008]
The IP network 14 further includes a gatekeeper 15 and an ITU-T recommendation H.264. The communication terminal 16 compatible with the H.323 standard and the gateway 17 are connected.
[0009]
Each of the VoIP adapters 11, 12, and 13 serves as a relay management apparatus having a function for connecting the IP network 14 and each of the PBXs 1, 2, and 3. Conversion, exchange of IP voice packets with other VoIP adapters and gatekeepers 15, and mutual conversion between telephone numbers and IP addresses are performed.
[0010]
The gatekeeper 15 manages the PBXs 1, 2, 3 and the communication terminals TE 1, TE 2, TE 3, the communication terminal 16, the gateway 17, and associates telephone numbers with IP addresses in the system. It plays the role of an in-system communication management device having a function of managing communication.
[0011]
When communication is performed from any one of the PBXs 1, 2, and 3 to any one of the other PBXs, there are a case where communication is connected via the gatekeeper 15 and a case where the communication is not performed via the gatekeeper 15.
[0012]
For example, similarly to the above-described example, a case where communication is performed by calling the extension terminal TE2 of the PBX2 as the partner from the extension terminal TE1 of the PBX1 is as follows.
[0013]
That is, when a call is made by inputting the number of the PBX 2 and the number of the partner extension terminal TE2, the VoIP adapter 11 inquires the gatekeeper 15 about the IP addresses of the partner PBX 2 and the partner extension terminal TE2, and responds to the inquiry. A packet for designating a destination is generated using the IP address information sent from the gatekeeper 15 and sent to the partner PBX and the extension terminal.
[0014]
In addition, the VoIP adapter 11 receives a packet sent from the other party through the IP network 14, converts the IP address and number information, decomposes the packet to generate voice information and control information, and sends it to the PBX 1. Make it forward.
[0015]
Similarly, the VoIP adapter 12 also performs conversion between the IP address and number information and conversion between continuous voice information, control information, and packets on the partner PBX 2 side.
[0016]
As described above, by using the VoIP adapter, the PBX 1 and the PBX 2 can communicate with each other through the IP network 14.
[0017]
The above is the case of communication with the gatekeeper 15 interposed, but when making a call from an extension terminal of a certain PBX by directly specifying the IP address of the extension terminal of the partner PBX, the gatekeeper 15 is It is possible to make a call with the extension terminal of the partner PBX through the IP network 14 without going through the network.
[0018]
As described above, in a system configuration in which communication is performed between a plurality of PBXs via the IP network 14, in order to increase the number of PBXs that are to communicate with each other, a new PBX is connected to the IP via the VoIP adapter. It is only necessary to connect to the network 14, and the problem of having to increase the number of dedicated lines does not arise as in the system of FIG.
[0019]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
By the way, in the case where communication is performed between a plurality of PBXs as described above, if the other party's PBX system is down and communication is not possible, the PBX is connected via a dedicated line as in the system configuration of FIG. When connecting the PBX, the originating PBX can immediately know that the partner PBX is down (non-operating state) due to the non-response of the partner PBX. For this reason, the PBX on the caller side sends a busy tone to the extension terminal that made the call, thereby notifying the caller relatively quickly that the other terminal is inactive, so that the call cannot be made to the other terminal. Can do.
[0020]
However, in the case of the system using the VoIP network of FIG. The H.323 standard communication procedure must be performed through the LAN, and the timer time (so-called time-out timer time) when the other party's non-response is managed by considering the congestion state on the LAN is relatively It is necessary to set long. For example, the non-response non-response timeout timer time is conventionally set to 30 seconds. For this reason, it took a very long time to inform the calling terminal that it was impossible to make a call to the other terminal, which was inconvenient.
[0021]
FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing the flow of processing in the PBX when a system using a VoIP network notifies a calling terminal that a call cannot be made due to the other system being down or the like.
[0022]
First, it is determined whether or not there is a call request from the extension terminal to a specific partner through the IP network (step S101), and if not, the process proceeds to other processing (step S102).
[0023]
If it is determined in step S101 that there is a call request to a specific party through the IP network, it is determined whether or not the line state is free (step S103). At this time, the extension terminal does not hear a dial tone, so it can be seen that the call cannot be made.
[0024]
If it is determined in step S103 that the line state is empty, line acquisition processing is performed (step S104), and dial tone connection processing is performed (step S105). Then, a dial tone is sent to the extension terminal, and the caller recognizes that the call can be made.
[0025]
The caller who has listened to the dial tone next performs dial input of the other party of the call, so the PBX waits for this dial input (step S106). When PBX accepts the dial input, it executes call setup transmission processing (step S107) and waits for a call setup acceptance message from the partner system (step S108).
[0026]
When a call setup acceptance message is received from the other party, the routine exits and enters a call processing routine.
[0027]
Further, when it is detected that a preset time-out timer time, for example, 30 seconds has elapsed without receiving a call setting acceptance message, the PBX performs a line release process (step S110) and then performs a busy tone connection process. (Step S111), the extension terminal that made the call is notified that the call to the other party was impossible. The user of the extension terminal that made the call detects that the call to the other party is impossible by listening to the busy tone.
[0028]
As described above, in the conventional VoIP system, it takes 30 seconds until the user of the communication terminal that has made a call hears the busy tone and recognizes that when the partner system is inactive. It took a long time and was very inconvenient.
[0029]
Further, conventionally, there has been a drawback that it is impossible to know in advance that a specific partner system is in an inoperative state, so that unnecessary transmission is performed.
[0030]
In view of the above points, an object of the present invention is to provide a specific partner non-operation notification method in a VoIP system that can avoid the above-described problems.
[0031]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
  In order to solve the above problems, in the invention of claim 1,
  A communication exchange management device for managing communication exchange of a plurality of connected communication terminals is connected to a local area network constituting an IP network, andMultipleCommunication terminalEach ofIn a system capable of communicating with the other party by VoIP through the communication exchange management device and the IP network,
  The communication exchange management device is:As a specific partner with which the plurality of communication terminals communicate through the IP network, information for acquiring a predetermined partner's IP address in common for the plurality of communication terminals is stored,
  At the timing of communication vacancy,The predetermined information based on the stored information for acquiring the IP address of the specific partnerA predetermined command is transmitted to the IP address of a specific partner, a response from the partner receiving the command is checked, the operating state of the specific partner is grasped, and the specific partner is not operating When it is grasped, the fact is notified to the plurality of communication terminals.
  It is characterized by that.
[0032]
  In the invention of claim 4,
  A communication exchange management device that performs communication exchange management of a plurality of connected communication terminals is connected to a local area network that constitutes an IP network, and the communication terminal communicates with the other party by VoIP through the communication exchange management device and the IP network. In a system that can communicate with
  The communication exchange management device is:As a specific partner with which the plurality of communication terminals communicate through the IP network, information for acquiring a predetermined partner's IP address in common for the plurality of communication terminals is stored,
  At the timing of communication vacancy,The predetermined information based on the stored information for acquiring the IP address of the specific partnerSend a predetermined command to the IP address of a specific partner, check the response from the partner that received the command, and grasp the operating state of the specific partner,
  The communication exchange management device refers to the grasped operation state of the specific partner when receiving a call request to the specific partner from the communication terminal connected to the communication exchange management device. AndIt is subject to the call requestWhen the specific partner is not operating, the communication terminal that has made the call requestIt is subject to the call requestNotify that the call to the specific partner is not possible
  It is characterized by that.
[0033]
[Action]
According to the invention of claim 1 having the above-described configuration, the communication exchange management device can address a specific partner who wants to communicate via the IP network to the IP address of the partner in the idle state. A predetermined command is transmitted, a response from the other party to the command is checked, and when there is no response, it is understood that the other party is not operating. When it is determined that the other party is not operating, the fact is notified to a plurality of communication terminals.
[0034]
For this reason, in the communication terminal that has received this notification, for example, by flashing the key in which the number or IP address of the partner is set, for example, at a predetermined time interval, the specific partner is not notified to the user. It can be notified that it is in an operating state.
[0035]
Further, in the case of the invention of claim 4, as in claim 1, it is ascertained whether or not a specific opponent is in a non-operating state. Instead of notifying a plurality of communication terminals as shown in FIG. 1, when a communication terminal sends a call specifying the other party, for example, a busy tone is sent to the communication terminal that requested the call. , Notify that the call to the other party is impossible.
[0036]
Therefore, according to the invention of claim 4 as in the prior art, it is not necessary to actually perform call setting processing on the other party and wait for a response as in the prior art. It is possible to notify that it cannot be transmitted.
[0037]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, an embodiment of a specific partner non-operation notification method in a VoIP system according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
[0038]
FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of a VoIP system to which an embodiment of the present invention is applied. In FIG. 1, the same parts as those in the above-described example of FIG.
[0039]
The PBXs 21, 22, and 23 in the embodiment of FIG. 1 have a VoIP-compatible PBX configuration that incorporates the functions of the VoIP adapter described above, and are directly connected to the IP network 14. Similarly to the example of FIG. 8, a public network 7 is connected to each of these VoIP compatible PBXs 21, 22, and 23, and a plurality of communication terminals, in this example, a plurality of telephone terminals TE21, TE22 and TE23 are connected. In the following description, when it is not necessary to distinguish the telephone terminals TE21, TE22, and TE23, they are described as telephone terminals TE.
[0040]
In the example of FIG. 1, a dial-up router 30 connected to the public network 18 is connected to the IP network 14. This router 30 is for performing data communication with a personal computer 33 connected to the counterpart router 32 through the public network 18.
[0041]
[Example of hardware configuration of PBX compatible with VoIP]
Since the hardware configurations of the VoIP compatible PBXs 21, 22, and 23 in the system of this embodiment are exactly the same, FIG. 2 shows an example of the hardware configuration of the VoIP compatible PBX 21, which is one of them. The VoIP compatible PBX is also an embodiment of the communication exchange management apparatus according to the present invention.
[0042]
That is, as shown in FIG. 2, the PBX 21 according to the embodiment has a line control unit 201, an exchange switch 202, an external line interface 203, an internal line interface 204, a LAN interface 205, and the system bus 200. A VoIP management control unit 206 and a packet processing unit 207 are connected to each other.
[0043]
The line control unit 201 is composed of a microcomputer and controls the entire operation of the PBX 21. Also, in this embodiment, the line control unit 201 executes, as will be described later, an operation state check of a specific partner that communicates through an IP network by software, and the check result is displayed as a VoIP management control unit. The data is stored in a memory 206 (not shown).
[0044]
The external line interface 203 is an interface for connecting the PBX 21 to the public network 7, and the extension interface 204 is an interface for connecting a plurality of extension telephone terminals TE 21 to the PBX 21, and each is connected to the exchange switch 202. And is controlled by the line control unit 201.
[0045]
Although omitted in FIG. 1 for simplicity of explanation, the external line interfaces 203 are provided in the number corresponding to the number of external telephone lines to be accommodated. Further, the extension interfaces 204 are provided by the number of telephone terminals TE21 connected to the PBX 21.
[0046]
The LAN interface 205 is an interface for connecting the VoIP compatible PBX 21 to the IP network 14, and is connected to the exchange switch 202 and controlled by the line control unit 201. The LAN interface 205 exchanges voice information and control information in the form of packetized data.
[0047]
The packet processing unit 207 has a function of packetizing voice information and control information transmitted through the LAN interface 205 and decomposing packetized data acquired through the LAN interface 205 to extract voice information and control information.
[0048]
Based on the control of the line control unit 201, the exchange switch 202 controls the connection relationship between the external line interface 203, the internal line interface 204, and the LAN interface 205, so that each of the external line transmission, external line reception, internal line transmission, and internal line reception is controlled. The exchange control according to is executed.
[0049]
In the VoIP PBX 21, when the packet processing unit 207 is connected to the exchange switch 202 and performs VoIP communication through the LAN interface 205 and the IP network 14, the packet processing unit 207 generates or disassembles a packet. Thus, packet communication is performed between the telephone terminal TE and the other party through the IP network 14.
[0050]
In addition, the VoIP management control unit 206 manages the correspondence between each extension number of the telephone terminal TE21 and the IP address, and sets a predetermined partner number or IP address as a specific partner to communicate through the IP network 14. to manage. It also has a function of inquiring the other party's IP address to the gatekeeper 15.
[0051]
Furthermore, in this embodiment, as described above, the VoIP management control unit 206 acquires the operation state check result for the specific partner from the line control unit 201, and the number or IP address of the specific partner. The check result of the operation state is managed in association with
[0052]
In this embodiment, the specific partner of the VoIP compatible PBX is another VoIP compatible PBX connected via the IP network 14. In this embodiment, the VoIP management control unit 206 also sets the router 32 connected via the dial-up router 30 and the personal computer 33 connected to the router 32 as specific partners. be able to.
[0053]
As described above, in this embodiment, the operation state check target whether it is a normal operation state or a non-operation state due to a failure or the like is a specific partner as described above that performs communication via the IP network 14. is there.
[0054]
[Description of telephone terminal TE as an example of a communication terminal]
FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an operation unit of a telephone terminal TE as an example of a communication terminal connected to each VoIP compatible PBX. In the case of this embodiment, as described above, each telephone terminal TE calls a communication partner through the IP network 14 without going through the gatekeeper 15, and therefore, in the example of FIG. Line keys 41, 42, 43, and 44 are provided.
[0055]
In this embodiment, these line keys 41 to 44 are keys to which the other party's IP address specified in advance as communicating through the IP network 14 is assigned. When one of the line keys 41 to 44 is pressed, the IP address of another VoIP compatible PBX assigned to the line key or the IP address of the other router connected via the dial-up router 30 is changed to a telephone terminal. It is sent from the TE to the VoIP compatible PBX.
[0056]
For example, in the example of FIG. 3, the VoIP compatible PBX of “Osaka branch” is assigned to the line key 41, and the IP address of the VoIP compatible PBX of “Nagoya branch” is assigned to the line key 42. The line key setting information for the specific partner and the operation status check information indicating whether the specific partner is operating or non-operating are stored in a memory (not shown) provided in the VoIP management control unit 206. .
[0057]
In this embodiment, each of these line keys 41 to 44 is provided with light emitting elements such as LEDs (light emitting diodes) and lamps, and these light emitting elements are turned on when pressed. To indicate that it has been pressed.
[0058]
In addition, these line keys 41 to 44 are used to inform the user of whether the specific partner assigned to each line key is in a normal operating state or a non-operating state, as will be described later. Is also used. In this example, when the specific party assigned to the line key is in a non-operating state, it is possible to perform a failure display by flashing the light emitting element at a predetermined time interval.
[0059]
When making a call to a VoIP compatible PBX telephone terminal of a specific partner using these line keys 41 to 44, the user first presses the line key to which the specific partner VoIP compatible PBX is assigned, The extension number of the other party's telephone terminal in the PBX is input by the ten key 45.
[0060]
Then, the line control unit 201 acquires the IP address of the other party corresponding to the pressed line key from the VoIP management control unit 206 of the VoIP compatible PBX, and uses this IP address and the input extension number. Then, the packet processing unit 207 generates a packet including the outgoing message, and sends the packet to the partner PBX through the LAN interface 205 and the IP network 14. Communication is possible when the other party PBX makes an incoming call to the telephone terminal indicated by the extension number. In this case, the gatekeeper 15 does not intervene in the communication.
[0061]
As a method for making a call from the telephone terminal TE through the IP network 14, there is a method using the VoIP key 46 in addition to a method using the line keys 41 to 44. The method using the VoIP key 46 is a case where communication is performed with the other party via the gatekeeper 15 as described above.
[0062]
When using the VoIP key 46 to make a call to the communication terminal of the partner PBX, the user first presses the VoIP key 46 and then sets a preset PBX number, for example, “10”, “20 ”,“ 30 ”or the like. Thereafter, the extension number of the partner communication terminal is input by the numeric keypad 45.
[0063]
Then, the VoIP management control unit 206 makes an inquiry about the IP address of the designated partner to the gatekeeper 15. In response to this inquiry, the gatekeeper 15 returns the designated partner's IP address. The VoIP management control unit 206 uses the IP address from the gatekeeper 15 to perform outgoing transmission through the IP network 14, and waits for the other party's response to form a communication path.
[0064]
At this time, the partner PBX makes an incoming call to the telephone terminal indicated by the extension number included in the received message. Thereby, communication through the IP network 14 becomes possible.
[0065]
[Check the movement and non-operation of specific partner]
In this embodiment, the partner assigned to the line keys 41 to 44 is checked in advance as to whether it is in a normal operating state or a non-operating state due to a failure or the like. The user is informed promptly. As described above, the partner assigned to the line keys 41 to 44 is not limited to the VoIP compatible PBX, but may be the partner router 32 or the personal computer 33 that communicates via the dial-up router 30. May be.
[0066]
FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing an operation state check process for the specific partner's operation and non-operation performed in each of the VoIP-compatible PBXs. This operation state check process is executed as a software process by the line control unit 201 of the VoIP compatible PBX. In this example, the process shown in FIG. 4 is repeated while monitoring the free state of the line at regular time intervals. Like that. Note that this operation state check process may be executed at an arbitrary time interval instead of being executed at regular intervals as in this example.
[0067]
First, in the case of this example, when there are a plurality of specific opponents, the check processing is executed for all of the opponents, so it indicates what number the specific opponent currently being checked is. The variable i is initialized (step S201).
[0068]
Next, the IP address of the i-th specific partner is acquired from the VoIP management control unit 206, and a check command is transmitted to the IP address (step S202). Then, it waits for a response command from the i-th specific partner and monitors its reception (step S203). If it is determined in step S203 that a response command from the partner has not been received, it is checked whether or not a predetermined timeout period, for example, 30 seconds has elapsed (step S204).
[0069]
When it is determined that the timeout time has passed without a response command from the partner, the partner system determines that a failure has occurred, and the i-th memory is stored in the memory built in the VoIP management control unit 206. The information indicating that the other party is inactive is written (step S205).
[0070]
In this example, the information indicating the non-operating state is reflected in the setting information of the line keys 41 to 44 stored in the memory built in the VoIP management control unit 206, for example. That is, in association with the line key setting information corresponding to the i-th partner, processing such as setting a failure flag indicating that the partner is in an inactive state is performed.
[0071]
Next, the extension telephone terminal TE connected to the VoIP compatible PBX is notified that the i-th partner is in failure (step S206).
[0072]
Then, it is determined whether or not the check has been completed for all the specific opponents (step S207). When it is determined that the check has been completed for all the specific opponents, this processing routine is ended.
[0073]
When it is determined that there is a specific partner that has not yet completed the operation state check, the variable i is incremented by 1 (step S208), and the process returns to step S202 to check the operation state for the new specific partner. To do so.
[0074]
If it is determined in step S203 that a response command from the specific partner system has been received, the operation status check information of the specific partner stored in the memory of the VoIP management control unit 206 (whether or not a failure flag is set). Is confirmed to determine whether or not the specific partner has been in trouble so far (step S209). If not, the process proceeds to step S207, and the processing from step S207 onward is executed.
[0075]
If it is determined in step S209 that the specific partner has been in trouble, the specific partner stored in the memory of the VoIP management control unit 206 is checked as the failure of the specific partner is canceled. The information failure flag is reset to indicate that the specific partner has recovered to a normal operating state (step S210).
[0076]
Then, the extension telephone terminal TE connected to the VoIP compatible PBX is notified that the failure of the i-th specific partner has been canceled and the normal state has been restored (step S211). After that, it progresses to step S207 and the process after step S207 mentioned above is performed.
[0077]
Next, the processing operation in each extension telephone terminal TE when receiving the notification from the VoIP-compatible PBX in step S206 or step S211 will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.
[0078]
First, it is determined whether or not a notification from the VoIP compatible PBX has been received (step S301). When it is determined that the notification from the VoIP compatible PBX has been received, it is determined whether or not the notification is a notification indicating that the i-th specific partner is in failure (step S302).
[0079]
When the notification indicates that the i-th specific partner is faulty, the line key display element to which the faulty specific partner is assigned is displayed at predetermined time intervals. The flashing is performed to indicate that a failure has occurred (step S303).
[0080]
If the notification received in step S302 is not a failure notification, it is determined whether or not the received notification is a failure cancellation notification of the i-th specific partner (step S304). If it is a failure release notification, the in-failure display by the flash of the line key to which the i-th specific partner is assigned is released (step S305).
[0081]
If the result of determination in step S304 is not the failure release notification of the i-th specific partner, processing corresponding to the notification is performed (step S306).
[0082]
As described above, in this embodiment, in each extension terminal TE, when the specific partner assigned to each of the line keys is in an inactive state, it is indicated to the user by the flash display of the line key. Can be notified.
[0083]
Since the user knows from the flash display of the line key that the corresponding specific partner is inactive, the user refrains from making a call using the line key.
[0084]
Further, even if the line key displaying the failure is pressed, the VoIP-compatible PBX stores the operation status check information of the corresponding specific partner in the management control unit 206 for VoIP. By using the check information, it is possible to notify the user of the extension telephone terminal that has made a call by pressing the line key that the specific party to be sent is inactive, for example, by a busy tone. FIG. 6 is a flowchart of processing in the VoIP compatible PBX in that case. This process is executed as a software process in the line control unit 201.
[0085]
That is, first, it is determined whether or not the line key is pressed at any of the extension telephone terminals (step S401). If it is an event other than the pressing of the line key, the routine proceeds to a processing routine corresponding to the event (step S402).
[0086]
If it is determined in step S401 that the line key has been pressed, the failure status of the specific party assigned to the pressed line key is stored in the memory of the VoIP management control unit 206 as the operation status check information. Is checked by referring to (step S403). Then, based on the result of the check, it is determined whether or not the specific party assigned to the line key is in an inactive state (step S404).
[0087]
When it is determined that the specific party assigned to the line key is in an inactive state, release processing for line capture by the extension telephone terminal in which the line key pressing operation has occurred is performed (step S405). A busy tone is sent (step S406) to notify the user that transmission to the specific partner assigned to the pressed line key is impossible.
[0088]
If it is determined in step S404 that the specific party assigned to the line key is in a normal operation state, the routine proceeds to a normal call routine using the line key (step S407).
[0089]
Thus, when the extension telephone terminal performs a call operation for a specific partner who is inactive due to a failure or the like, the VoIP compatible PBX checks whether the specific partner is inactive, When it is confirmed that it is in an operating state, release processing is performed without sending a call setup message to the other party as in the past, and a busy tone is sent to the extension telephone terminal so that the user can be promptly sent to the calling party. Notify that the call cannot be made. Therefore, the user can know that the transmission to the other party is impossible without waiting for a long time as in the prior art, which is convenient.
[0090]
Further, when the other party is a personal computer 33 connected via a public network and the router 32, even if the personal computer 33 is in a non-operating state, a transmission to the personal computer is temporarily received by the router 32. However, according to this embodiment, after the personal computer 33 enters the non-operating state, no outgoing calls are made to the non-operating personal computer. Can do.
[0091]
[Other embodiments]
In the description of the above embodiment, the specific partner is the partner assigned to the line key, but as described above, whether the specific partner is in a normal operating state or a non-operating state due to a failure or the like is determined in advance. Since the partner to be checked is the specific partner, the specific partner is not the only partner assigned to the line key.
[0092]
For example, when the extension telephone terminal TE does not have a line key as shown in FIG. 3, each extension telephone terminal TE operates the VoIP key 46 and then makes a call by designating a VoIP compatible PBX number. Although it is performed, even if it is the other party specified as such, it can be similarly applied.
[0093]
That is, in this case, the specific partner is registered in the VoIP management control unit 206 of the VoIP compatible PBX in correspondence with the partner number. When checking the operation state of the other party, the VoIP management control unit 206 inquires and obtains the IP address from the gatekeeper 15 and sends a check command to the obtained IP address. As in the case of the specific partner, the operation status of the registered specific partner can be checked and notified to each extension telephone terminal or stored in the memory.
[0094]
Then, when the extension operation is performed from the extension telephone terminal for the registered specific party, the VoIP compatible PBX immediately sends a busy tone to the extension telephone terminal without performing call setting transmission in the same manner as in FIG. Thus, it is possible to notify that the other party is inactive and cannot make a call. In this case, the memory of the VoIP management control unit 206 stores the correspondence between these specific partner numbers and flag information indicating the operating / non-operating state.
[0095]
In the above description, a busy tone is used to notify that a call cannot be made. However, it is also possible to notify an extension telephone terminal of a non-operating state by a voice message.
[0096]
In addition, each extension telephone terminal has a memory similar to the memory of the VoIP management control unit, and receives and stores the operation status check information from the VoIP compatible PBX so that the extension telephone terminal itself can It is also possible to notify the failure state by a voice message or the like when there is an operation with the specific partner as the caller.
[0097]
In the above-described embodiment, the user is informed that the other party is not operating by flashing the line key at predetermined time intervals. Not only the display method but also, for example, when a line key is pressed, the failure may be notified by a voice message.
[0098]
Further, in the above-described embodiment, the VoIP compatible PBX, as a communication exchange management device, performs an operation status check of a specific partner, notifies the result to the telephone terminal, and performs processing at the time of outgoing from the telephone terminal. However, the communication exchange management device to which the present invention is applied is not limited to the PBX.
[0099]
For example, the VoIP adapter shown in FIG. 8 may be provided with an operation state check processing function for a specific partner, and the result may be notified to the PBX.
[0100]
In addition, the gatekeeper 15 can be caused to function as a communication exchange management device having the function of checking the operation state of the specific partner as described above. For example, the gatekeeper 15 may check the operation state of the VoIP compatible PBX connected to the IP network 14 and notify the result of the operation state check to each VoIP compatible PBX.
[0101]
Further, when the gatekeeper 15 holds the check result and the counterpart system that has inquired about the IP address is in an inactive state, it may be returned that there is no corresponding IP address or the like as a response to the inquiry.
[0102]
In the above embodiment, the ITU-T recommendation H.264 is used. Although described as the case of the H.323 standard, the standard for packet communication is H.323. Needless to say, it is not limited to the H.323 standard.
[0103]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, according to the present invention, when a specific partner is in a non-operating state, the user can be notified in advance. In addition, it is possible to notify the user of the communication terminal that it is impossible to make a call in a short time to a specific partner who is in a non-operating state without waiting for a long time as in the past.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a functional block diagram of a main part of an embodiment of a VoIP system according to the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a hardware configuration example of a VoIP compatible PBX according to an embodiment;
FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating an external configuration example of a telephone terminal as an example of a communication terminal in the embodiment.
FIG. 4 is a flowchart for explaining an operation of a main part of the embodiment.
FIG. 5 is a flowchart for explaining an operation of a main part of the embodiment.
FIG. 6 is a flowchart for explaining an operation of a main part of the embodiment.
FIG. 7 is a diagram for explaining the outline of a conventional communication system.
FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of an example of a VoIP system.
FIG. 9 is a flowchart for explaining a call origination process when a partner system is not operating in a conventional VoIP system.
[Explanation of symbols]
14 IP network
15 Gatekeeper
21,22,23 VoIP compatible PBX
30 Dial-up router
41-44 line key
46 VoIP key
TE21, TE22, TE23 Communication terminal (telephone terminal)

Claims (6)

A communication exchange management device that performs communication exchange management of a plurality of connected communication terminals is connected to a local area network that constitutes an IP network, and each of the plurality of communication terminals includes the communication exchange management device and the IP In a system that can communicate with a partner via VoIP over a network,
The communication exchange management device is configured to acquire a predetermined partner IP address commonly set for the plurality of communication terminals as a specific partner with which the plurality of communication terminals communicate via the IP network. Memorize information,
A predetermined command is transmitted to the IP address of the specific partner determined based on the stored information for acquiring the IP address of the specific partner at a communication idle timing. The response from the partner that received the message is checked, the operating state of the specific partner is grasped, and when the specific partner grasps the non-operating state, the fact is notified to the plurality of communication terminals. A specific partner non-operation notification method in a VoIP system. In claim 1,
Each of the communication terminals that has received a notification from the communication exchange management device that the specific partner is in an inactive state has means for notifying a user that the specific partner is in an inactive state. A specific partner non-operation notification method in a VoIP system. In claim 2,
Each of the communication terminals is provided with a key for making a call to the specific partner, and a notification to the user that the specific partner is in a non-operating state is displayed related to the key. A specific partner non-operation notification method in a VoIP system. A communication exchange management device that performs communication exchange management of a plurality of connected communication terminals is connected to a local area network that constitutes an IP network, and the communication terminal communicates with the other party by VoIP through the communication exchange management device and the IP network. In a system that can communicate with
The communication exchange management device is configured to acquire a predetermined partner IP address commonly set for the plurality of communication terminals as a specific partner with which the plurality of communication terminals communicate via the IP network. Memorize information,
A predetermined command is transmitted to the IP address of the specific partner determined based on the stored information for acquiring the IP address of the specific partner at a communication idle timing. Check the response from the other party that received the, know the operating state of the specific partner,
The communication exchange management device refers to the grasped operation state of the specific partner when receiving a call request to the specific partner from the communication terminal connected to the communication exchange management device. When the specific partner that is the target of the call request is in an inoperative state, the communication terminal that has made the call request cannot be transmitted to the specific partner that is the target of the call request. A specific partner non-operation notification method in a VoIP system, characterized by notifying that there is. A communication exchange management apparatus that is connected to a local area network that constitutes an IP network and that is connected to a plurality of communication terminals and that manages communication exchange of the plurality of communication terminals,
Storage means for storing information for acquiring a predetermined IP address of a predetermined partner in common with the plurality of communication terminals as a specific partner with which the plurality of communication terminals communicate through the IP network ; ,
A predetermined command is transmitted to the IP address of the specific partner determined based on the information for acquiring the IP address of the specific partner stored in the storage means at a communication idle timing. Means,
When a response from the specific partner that received the transmitted command is checked, an operation state of the specific partner is grasped, and when the specific partner grasps an inactive state, the plurality of communication Means for notifying the terminal to that effect,
A communication exchange management device for a VoIP system, comprising: A communication exchange management apparatus that is connected to a local area network that constitutes an IP network and that is connected to a plurality of communication terminals and that manages communication exchange of the plurality of communication terminals,
Storage means for storing information for acquiring a predetermined IP address of a predetermined partner in common with the plurality of communication terminals as a specific partner with which the plurality of communication terminals communicate through the IP network; ,
A predetermined command is transmitted to the IP address of the specific partner determined based on the information for acquiring the IP address of the specific partner stored in the storage means at a communication idle timing. Means,
Means for checking a response from the specific partner who has received the transmitted command and grasping an operating state of the specific partner;
When a call request to the specific partner is received from the communication terminal, the operation status of the specific partner that has been grasped is taken into account, and when the specific partner is in a non-operating state, the call request is A notification means for notifying the communication terminal that the call cannot be made,
A communication exchange management device for a VoIP system, comprising:

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