JP6819055B2 - Communication terminals, communication systems, communication methods, and programs - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an invention in which communication is performed between a plurality of communication terminals.

Video conferencing systems for conducting video conferencing (also referred to as "video conferencing") with remote locations have become widespread in response to requests for reductions in travel expenses and travel time. In such a video conferencing system, conversation (communication) is realized by directly transmitting and receiving image data and sound data between communication terminals such as a plurality of video conferencing terminals (see Patent Document 1).

However, when the communication terminal communicates with another communication terminal, it is necessary to select the terminal identification information of the other communication terminal from the destination information, but when the terminal identification information of a large number of communication terminals is managed in the destination information. Since it takes time to make a selection, there arises a problem that it takes time to start communication.

The invention according to claim 1 is a communication terminal that communicates with another communication terminal, and the terminal identification information is acquired from the other communication terminal that stores the terminal identification information for identifying the other communication terminal. An acquisition means for acquiring the terminal identification information from a second mobile terminal that has received the terminal identification information transmitted by the first mobile terminal using the first communication session, and the acquired terminal identification. Based on the description format of the information, the activation means for activating a specific communication application among a plurality of communication applications and the other communication terminal indicated by the terminal identification information acquired by the activated specific communication application. On the other hand, it is a communication terminal characterized by having a start means for performing a process of starting communication using a second communication session.

As described above, according to the present invention, even when the terminal identification information of a large number of communication terminals is managed in the destination information, it is not necessary to select the terminal identification information, so that a plurality of communication terminals are used. It is possible to shorten the time until communication is started between the two.

It is the schematic which showed the communication part of the video conference in the communication system of this embodiment. It is a hardware block diagram of the video conferencing terminal which concerns on this embodiment. It is a hardware configuration diagram of the communication management system and the relay device which concerns on this embodiment. It is a hardware block diagram of the electronic blackboard which concerns on this embodiment. It is a hardware block diagram of the smartphone which concerns on this embodiment. (A) is a software configuration diagram of the video conferencing terminal according to the present embodiment, and (b) is a software configuration diagram of the electronic blackboard according to the present embodiment. It is an overall block diagram of the communication system which concerns on this embodiment. It is each function block diagram of the communication system which concerns on this embodiment. It is a conceptual diagram which shows the authentication management table. It is a conceptual diagram which shows the terminal management table. It is a conceptual diagram which shows the destination list management table. It is a conceptual diagram which shows the additional request management table. It is a conceptual diagram which shows the data structure in a short-range communication circuit. It is a sequence diagram which showed the process of providing terminal identification information. It is a figure which showed the provision screen at the time of providing the terminal identification information. It is a sequence diagram which showed the process of sending and receiving terminal identification information. (A) and (b) are screen examples of the mobile terminal 90d, and (c) is a diagram showing a screen example of the mobile terminal 90a. It is a sequence diagram which showed the preparation process of communication. This is an example of a screen showing a destination list. It is a sequence diagram which showed the process of providing terminal identification information. It is a flowchart which showed the identification process of a destination. It is a sequence diagram which showed the addition process to the destination list. It is a figure which showed the screen example at the time of additional approval to a destination list. It is a sequence diagram which showed the process for preparing the communication of an image / sound using a communication system.

Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

<< Overall configuration of communication system >>
First, the communication system 1 for conducting a video conference between a plurality of communication terminals 10 and 70 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 1 is a schematic view showing a communication portion of a video conference in the communication system of the present embodiment.

In addition, it may be called "video conference" instead of "video conference". Further, although the video conference will be described here as an example, it may be a simple conversation.

The communication system 1 is constructed by a plurality of communication terminals 10, 70, a relay device 30, and a communication management 50. The communication terminals 10 and 70 perform communication by transmitting and receiving image data and sound data as an example of content data. In FIG. 1, a video conferencing terminal is shown as an example of the communication terminal 10, and an electronic blackboard is shown as an example of the communication terminal 70. The image of the image data may be a moving image or a still image, and may be both a moving image and a still image.

Further, a communication terminal as a request source for requesting the start of a video conference is represented as a "request source terminal", and a communication terminal as a destination (relay destination) as a request destination is represented as a "destination terminal". In FIG. 1, the communication terminal 10 is represented as a request source terminal, and the communication terminal 70 is represented as a destination terminal. However, when the communication terminal 70 requests the start of the video conference, the communication terminal 70 becomes the request source terminal and the communication terminal 10 becomes the destination terminal. The communication terminals 10 and 70 are used not only for communication between a plurality of business establishments and communication between different rooms in the same business establishment, but also for communication within the same room, outdoors and indoors, or outdoors and outdoors. It may be used in the communication of.

The relay device 30 performs a process of relaying content data between a plurality of communication terminals 10 and 70. The communication management system 50 centrally manages login authentication from the communication terminals 10 and 70, management of the communication status of the communication terminals 10 and 70, management of the destination list, communication status of the relay device 30, and the like. The relay device 30 and the communication management system 50 may be constructed by a single computer, or may be constructed by a plurality of computers arbitrarily assigned by dividing each part (function or means). ..

Further, in the communication system 1, a management information session sei for transmitting and receiving various management information is established between the request source terminal and the destination terminal via the communication management system 50. Further, in order to transmit and receive four types of data, high resolution image data, medium resolution image data, low resolution image data, and sound data, between the request source terminal and the destination terminal via the relay device 30. 4 sessions are established. In FIG. 1, these four sessions are collectively shown as a session sed for image / sound data. The image / sound data session sed does not necessarily have to be four sessions, and the number of sessions may be less or more than the number of four sessions. Further, a communication session may be directly established between the request source terminal and the destination terminal without going through the relay device 30.

Here, the image resolution of the image data handled in the present embodiment will be described. The low-resolution image data is, for example, composed of 160 pixels in the horizontal direction and 120 pixels in the vertical direction, and serves as a base image. The medium-resolution image data consists of 320 pixels in the horizontal direction and 240 pixels in the vertical direction. The high-resolution image data includes, for example, 640 pixels in the horizontal direction and 480 pixels in the vertical direction. Of these, when passing through a narrow band path, low-quality image data consisting of only low-resolution image data as a base image is relayed. When the band is relatively wide, low-resolution image data as a base image and medium-quality image data including medium-resolution image data are relayed. When the band is very wide, high-quality image data including low-resolution image data, medium-resolution image data, and high-resolution image data, which is the base image quality, is relayed. Since the amount of sound data is smaller than that of image data, it is relayed even in a narrow band path.

<< Hardware configuration of the embodiment >>
Next, the hardware configuration of this embodiment will be described.

<Hardware configuration of video conferencing terminal>
FIG. 2 is a hardware configuration diagram of the video conferencing terminal according to the present embodiment. As shown in FIG. 2, the video conferencing terminal as an example of the communication terminal 10 of the present embodiment includes a CPU 101, a ROM 102, a RAM 103, a flash memory 104, a SSD 105, a media I / F 107, an operation button 108, and a power switch 109. , Bus line 110, network I / F111, camera 112, image pickup element I / F, microphone 114, speaker 115, sound input / output I / F116, display I / F117, external device connection I / F118, short-range communication circuit 119, The short-range communication circuit 119 includes an antenna 119a. Of these, the CPU (Central Processing Unit) 101 controls the operation of the entire communication terminal 10. The ROM (Read Only Memory) 102 stores a program used for driving the CPU 101 such as an IPL (Initial Program Loader). The RAM (Random Access Memory) 103 is used as a work area of the CPU 101. The flash memory 104 stores various data such as communication programs, image data, and sound data. The SSD (Solid State Drive) 105 controls reading or writing of various data to the flash memory 104 according to the control of the CPU 101. An HDD may be used instead of the SSD. The media I / F 107 controls reading or writing (storage) of data to a recording medium 106 such as a flash memory. The operation button 108 is a button that is operated when selecting a destination of the communication terminal 10. The power switch 109 is a switch for switching the power ON / OFF of the communication terminal 10.

Further, the network I / F (Interface) 111 is an interface for performing data communication using a communication network 2 such as the Internet. The camera 112 is a kind of built-in imaging means for capturing an image of a subject and obtaining image data under the control of the CPU 101. The image sensor I / F 113 is a circuit that controls the drive of the camera 112. The microphone 114 is a kind of built-in sound collecting means for inputting voice. The sound input / output I / F 116 is a circuit that processes sound signal input / output between the microphone 114 and the speaker 115 under the control of the CPU 101. The display I / F 117 is a circuit that transmits image data to the external display 120 under the control of the CPU 101. The external device connection I / F 118 is an interface for connecting various external devices. The short-range communication circuit 119 is a communication circuit such as NFC (Near Field Communication) (registered trademark) and Bluetooth (registered trademark).

Further, the bus line 110 is an address bus, a data bus, or the like for electrically connecting each component such as the CPU 101 shown in FIG.

The display 120 is a kind of display means composed of a liquid crystal or an organic EL for displaying an image of a subject, an operation icon, and the like. Further, the display 120 is connected to the display I / F 117 by the cable 120c. The cable 120c may be a cable for analog RGB (VGA) signals, a cable for component video, HDMI (High-Definition Multimedia Interface) (registered trademark), or DVI (Digital Video). It may be a cable for an Interactive) signal.

The camera 112 includes a lens and a solid-state image sensor that converts light into electric charges to digitize an image (video) of the subject. As the solid-state image sensor, CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor) or CCD (Charge Coupled) Device) etc. are used. External devices such as an external camera, an external microphone, and an external speaker can be connected to the external device connection I / F 118 by a USB (Universal Serial Bus) cable or the like. When an external camera is connected, the external camera is driven in preference to the built-in camera 112 according to the control of the CPU 101. Similarly, when an external microphone is connected or an external speaker is connected, the external microphone and the external speaker are given priority over the built-in microphone 114 and the built-in speaker 115 according to the control of the CPU 101. The external speaker is driven.

Further, the recording medium 106 has a structure that is detachable from the communication terminal 10. Further, as long as it is a non-volatile memory that reads or writes data under the control of the CPU 101, not only the flash memory 104 but also an EEPROM (Electrically Erasable and Programmable ROM) or the like may be used.

<Hardware configuration of communication management system and relay device>
FIG. 3 is a hardware configuration diagram of the communication management system 50 and the relay device 30 according to the present embodiment. The server computer as an example of the communication management system 50 includes CPU 501, ROM 502, RAM 503, HD 504, HDD (Hard Disk Drive) 505, recording media 506, media I / F 507, display 508, network I / F 509, keyboard 511, and mouse 512. , CD-ROM drive 514, and bus line 510.

Of these, the CPU 501 controls the operation of the entire communication management system 50. The ROM 502 stores a program used to drive the CPU 501 such as an IPL. The RAM 503 is used as a work area of the CPU 501. The HD504 stores various data such as a communication management program. The HDD (Hard Disk Drive) 505 controls reading or writing of various data to the HD 504 according to the control of the CPU 501. The media I / F 507 controls reading or writing (storage) of data to a recording medium 506 such as a flash memory. The display 508 displays various information such as cursors, menus, windows, characters, or images. The network I / F 509 is an interface for data communication using a communication network 2 such as the Internet. The keyboard 511 is a kind of input means including a plurality of keys for inputting characters, numerical values, various instructions, and the like. The mouse 512 is a kind of input means for selecting and executing various instructions, selecting a processing target, moving a cursor, and the like. The CD-ROM drive 514 controls reading or writing of various data to a CD-ROM (Compact Disc Read Only Memory) 513 as an example of a removable recording medium.

Further, the bus line 510 is an address bus, a data bus, or the like for electrically connecting each component such as the CPU 501 shown in FIG.

Further, since the hardware configuration of the relay device 30 shown in FIG. 1 is the same as the hardware configuration of the communication management system 50, the description thereof will be omitted. However, in the case of the relay device 30, the relay program is stored in the HD504.

<Hardware configuration diagram of electronic blackboard>
FIG. 4 is a hardware configuration diagram of the electronic blackboard according to the present embodiment. As shown in FIG. 4, an electronic blackboard as an example of the communication terminal 70 includes a CPU 701, a ROM 702, a RAM 703, an SSD 704, a network controller 705, and an external storage controller I / F 706.

Of these, the CPU 701 controls the operation of the entire electronic blackboard. The ROM 702 stores a program used to drive the CPU 701 such as the CPU 701 and the IPL. The RAM 703 is used as a work area for the CPU 701. The SSD 704 stores various data such as a program for an electronic blackboard. The network controller 705 controls communication with the communication network 2. The external storage controller 706 controls communication with the USB memory 755 and external devices (camera 762, speaker 765, microphone 764).

Further, the electronic blackboard includes a capture device 711, a GPU 712, a display controller 713, a sensor controller 714, a contact sensor 715, an electronic pen controller 716, a short-range communication circuit 719, and an antenna 719a of the short-range communication circuit 719.

Of these, the capture device 711 causes the display of the notebook PC 756 to display video information as a still image or a moving image. The GPU (Graphics Processing Unit) 712 is a semiconductor chip that specializes in graphics. The display controller 713 controls and manages the screen display in order to output the output image from the GPU 712 to the display 753 or the like. The contact sensor 715 detects that the electronic pen 754, the user's hand H, or the like has come into contact with the display 753. The sensor controller 714 controls the processing of the contact sensor 715. The contact sensor 715 inputs and detects the coordinates by the infrared blocking method. In this method of inputting coordinates and detecting coordinates, two light receiving and emitting devices (not shown) installed at both upper ends of the display 753 emit a plurality of infrared rays in parallel with the display 753 and surround the display 753. This is a method of receiving light that is reflected by a reflecting member provided in the light receiving element and returns on the same optical path as the light path emitted by the light receiving element. The contact sensor 715 outputs an infrared ID (Identification) emitted by two light emitting / receiving devices blocked by the object to the sensor controller 714, and the sensor controller 714 identifies a coordinate position which is a contact position of the object. The electronic pen controller 716 determines whether or not there is a touch of the pen tip or a touch of the pen tail on the display 753 by communicating with the electronic pen 754. The short-range communication circuit 719 is a communication circuit such as NFC (registered trademark) and Bluetooth (registered trademark).

Further, the bus line 710 is an address bus, a data bus, or the like for electrically connecting each component such as the CPU 701 shown in FIG.

The contact sensor 715 is not limited to the infrared blocking method, but is a capacitive touch panel that specifies a contact position by detecting a change in capacitance, and a contact position is specified by a voltage change between two opposing resistance films. Various detection means such as a resistance film type touch panel and an electromagnetic induction type touch panel that detects the electromagnetic induction generated when a contact object comes into contact with the display unit and specifies the contact position may be used. Further, the electronic pen controller 716 may determine whether or not there is a touch not only on the pen tip and pen end of the electronic pen 754 but also on the portion gripped by the user of the electronic pen 754 and other electronic pen portions.

<Smartphone hardware configuration>
FIG. 5 is a hardware configuration diagram of the mobile terminal according to the present embodiment. The mobile terminal 90 indicates any of the mobile terminals 90a and 90b shown in FIG. 7 described later. As shown in FIG. 5, a smartphone as an example of the mobile terminal 90 includes a CPU 901, a ROM 902, a RAM 903, an EEPROM 904, a CMOS sensor 905, an acceleration / orientation sensor 906, a media I / F908, and a GPS receiver 909. ing.

Of these, the CPU 901 controls the operation of the entire mobile terminal 90. The ROM 902 stores a program used for driving the CPU 901 such as the CPU 901 and the IPL. The RAM 903 is used as a work area for the CPU 901. The EEPROM (Electrically Erasable and Programmable ROM) 904 reads or writes various data such as a program for a mobile terminal under the control of the CPU 901. The CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor) sensor 905 images a subject under the control of the CPU 901 to obtain image data. The acceleration / orientation sensor 906 is a variety of sensors such as an electronic magnetic compass, a gyro compass, and an acceleration sensor that detect the geomagnetism. The media I / F908 controls reading or writing (storage) of data to a recording medium 907 such as a flash memory. The GPS receiving unit 909 receives GPS signals from GPS satellites.

Further, the mobile terminal 90 includes a long-range communication circuit 911, a camera 912, an image pickup element I / F 913, a microphone 914, a speaker 915, a sound input / output I / F 916, a display 917, an external device connection I / F 918, and a short-range communication circuit. It includes a 919, an antenna 919a for a short-range communication circuit, and a touch panel 921.

Of these, the telecommunications circuit 911 is a circuit that communicates with other devices via a communication network 3 such as a mobile communication network. The camera 912 is a kind of built-in imaging means for capturing an image of a subject and obtaining image data under the control of the CPU 901. The image sensor I / F 913 is a circuit that controls the drive of the camera 912. The microphone 914 is a kind of built-in sound collecting means for inputting voice. The sound input / output I / F 916 is a circuit that processes sound signal input / output between the microphone 914 and the speaker 915 under the control of the CPU 901. The display 917 is a kind of display means such as a liquid crystal or an organic EL for displaying an image of a subject, various icons, and the like. The external device connection I / F 918 is an interface for connecting various external devices. The short-range communication circuit 919 is a communication circuit such as NFC (registered trademark) and Bluetooth (registered trademark). The touch panel 921 is a kind of input means for operating a smartphone by the user pressing the display 917.

Further, the bus line 910 is an address bus, a data bus, or the like for electrically connecting each component such as the CPU 901 shown in FIG.

The mobile terminal 90 may be not only a smartphone but also a smart watch, a mobile phone, a portable game machine, or the like.

In addition, each of the above programs may be a file in an installable format or an executable format, and may be recorded and distributed on a computer-readable recording medium. Examples of recording media include CD-R (Compact Disc Recordable), DVD (Digital Versatile Disk), Blu-ray Disc, SD card and the like.

<Software configuration of communication terminal>
FIG. 6A is a software configuration diagram of the video conferencing terminal. As shown in FIG. 6A, the OS (Operating System) 1020, the communication application A1, the communication application A2, and the communication application A3 operate on the work area 1010 of the RAM 103. Hereinafter, the application will be referred to as an "application".

OS1020 is basic software that provides basic functions and manages the entire video conferencing terminal. The communication apps A1, A2, and A3 are apps for communicating with other terminals, and each has a different communication protocol. The communication protocol includes a call control method, a video coding method, and the like. Examples of this call control method include SIP (Session Initiation Protocol), H.323, SIP extended protocol, instant messenger protocol, SIP MESSAGE method protocol, and Internet relay chat protocol (IRC (Internet Relay Chat). )), An extension of the instant messenger protocol, etc. Of these, the instant messenger protocol is, for example, (4-1) XMPP (Extensible Messaging and Presence Protocol), or (4-2) ICQ (registered trademark), AIM (registered trademark), or Skype (registered trademark). It is a protocol used in. A protocol that extends the instant messenger protocol is, for example, Jingle. Further, examples of the video coding method include H.264 / SVC, H.264 / AVC, H.265 / HEVC, and the like.

Further, FIG. 6B is a software configuration diagram of the electronic blackboard. As shown in FIG. 6B, the OS 7020, the communication application A1, the communication application A2, and the communication application 3 operate on the work area 7010 of the RAM 703.

OS7020 is basic software that provides basic functions and manages the entire electronic blackboard. The communication applications A1, A2, and A3 are the same as the communication applications A1, A2, and A3 of the video conferencing terminal, respectively. For convenience of explanation, three types of communication applications have been described, but one type, two types, or four or more types may be used.

Further, the OS 1020, 7020 and the communication applications A1, A2, and A3 are installed on the video conferencing terminal and the electronic blackboard, respectively, before the factory shipment.

However, the application may be added or deleted when the software of the video conferencing terminal is updated after the factory shipment. Specifically, even after the video conferencing terminal is provided to the user, the video conferencing terminal can download new software by accessing the communication management system 50 from the video conferencing terminal. In addition, the video conferencing terminal can update its own software with the new downloaded software. When the software of the video conferencing terminal is updated in this way, the software of the video conferencing terminal itself is updated, so that the installed application can also be changed. The same is true for electronic blackboards in this regard. If the communication application corresponding to the terminal identification information is not installed on the video conferencing terminal or the electronic whiteboard, the video conferencing terminal or the electronic whiteboard displays a message indicating that the available communication application is not installed. Alternatively, a message prompting the installation of an available communication application may be displayed.

<< Overall configuration of communication system >>
Subsequently, the overall configuration of the communication system will be described with reference to FIG. 7. FIG. 7 is an overall configuration diagram of a communication system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

In FIG. 7, the communication terminal 10, the relay device 30, the communication management system 50, and the communication terminal 70 are connected to a communication network 2 including the Internet. The communication network 2 may include a wireless communication portion. The communication terminal 10 is installed at the base A, and the communication terminal 70 is installed at the base D. For example, base A is Japan and base D is the United Kingdom. At the base A, the user X of the communication terminal 10 is using the mobile terminal 90a, which is a kind of the mobile terminal 90. On the other hand, at the base D, the user Y of the communication terminal 70 is using the mobile terminal 90d, which is a kind of the mobile terminal 90. The mobile terminal 90a can communicate with the mobile terminal 90d via the base station 3a, the communication network 3 such as the mobile communication network, and the base station 3d. In FIG. 7, the communication terminal 10 is the first communication terminal, and the communication terminal 70 is the second communication terminal.

<< Functional configuration of the embodiment >>
Next, the functional configuration of the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 2 to 5 and 8. FIG. 8 is a functional block diagram of the communication system according to the present embodiment.

<Functional configuration of communication terminal 10>
The communication terminal 10 includes a transmission / reception unit 11, a reception unit 12, a communication control unit 13, a display control unit 14, a judgment unit 15, a selection unit 16, an activation unit 17, an acquisition / provision unit 18, and a storage / reading processing unit 19. doing. Each of these parts has a function realized by operating any of the components shown in FIG. 2 by an instruction from the CPU 101 according to a communication program developed on the RAM 103 from the flash memory 104, or a function realized by operating. It is a means of functioning. Further, the communication terminal 10 has a storage unit 1000 constructed by the RAM 103 shown in FIG. 2 and the flash memory 104 shown in FIG.

(Each function configuration of the communication terminal 10)
Next, each component of the communication terminal 10 will be described. The transmission / reception unit 11 is realized by the instruction from the CPU 101 shown in FIG. 2 and the network I / F111 and the external device connection I / F118, and is realized by the communication network 2 with other terminals, devices or systems and various data ( Or information) is sent and received. The transmission / reception unit 11 starts receiving state information indicating the states of the communication terminals 10 and 70 as destination candidates from the communication management system 50 before starting communication with the other communication terminals 10 and 70. It should be noted that this status information is not only the operating status of the communication terminals 10 and 70 (the status of the ON line or the OFF line), but also the ON line, whether communication is possible, communication is in progress, or separation. Indicates the detailed status such as whether or not you are seated. In the following, as an example, a case where the state information indicates an operating state will be described.

Further, the transmission / reception unit 11 also serves as a start unit, and performs a process of starting communication with another communication terminal such as the communication terminal 70.

The reception unit 12 is mainly realized by the command from the CPU 101 shown in FIG. 2, the operation button 108, and the power switch 109, and receives various inputs by the user.

The communication control unit 13 is realized by the command from the CPU 101 shown in FIG. 2 and the camera 112 and the image sensor I / F 113, images the subject, and outputs the image data obtained by the image. Further, the communication control unit 13 is realized by a command from the CPU 101 and the voice input / output I / F 116 shown in FIG. 2, and after the user's voice is converted into a voice signal by the microphone 114, this voice signal Input the sound data related to. Further, the communication control unit 13 is realized by the instruction from the CPU 101 shown in FIG. 2 and the voice input / output I / F 116 shown in FIG. 2, and outputs the voice signal related to the sound data to the speaker. Sound is output from the speaker 115.

The display control unit 14 combines the received image data having different resolutions, which is realized by the instruction from the CPU 101 shown in FIG. 2 and the display I / F 117 shown in FIG. 2, and the combined image. Control is performed for transmitting data to the display 120. The display control unit 14 can transmit the destination list information received from the communication management system 50 to the display 120 to display the destination list on the display 120.

The determination unit 15 is realized by the instruction from the CPU 101 shown in FIG. 2, and determines whether or not the proximity is close, which will be described later.

The selection unit 16 is realized by a command from the CPU 101 by the activation application 1030 shown in FIG. 6A, and selects a communication application to be activated based on the terminal identification information.

For example, when the terminal identification information is the terminal ID, the communication application A1 is selected. In the case of the terminal ID, the selection unit 16 selects by determining whether or not the description format is simply a list of characters and symbols.

When the terminal identification information is the terminal IP address, the communication application A2 is selected. In the case of an IP address (here, in the case of IPv4), the selection unit 16 selects by determining whether or not the description format represents a 32-bit numerical value divided into four by 8 bits. The combination of the terminal ID, IP address, and e-mail as the terminal identification information and the communication applications A1, A2, and A3 is an example, and any combination may be used.

Further, when the terminal identification information is an e-mail address, the communication application A3 is selected.
In the case of an e-mail address, it is a character string defined in RFC2822, and the selection unit 16 determines whether or not the description format is such that the domain name is on the left side and the mail server is on the right side with "@" in between. Select by.

In addition, the terminal identification information includes a user ID for identifying the user of each communication terminal, an IP address for accessing each communication terminal, an e-mail address to which each communication terminal is sent, and each use. The user name of the person is also included.

The activation unit 17 is realized by a command from the CPU 101 by the activation application 1030 shown in FIG. 6A, and activates the communication application selected by the selection unit 16.

The acquisition / providing unit 18 is executed by the instruction from the CPU 101 shown in FIG. 2 and the short-range communication circuit 119 and the antenna 119a, and acquires data by short-range wireless communication with the mobile terminal 90. And provide.

The storage / reading processing unit 19 is executed by the command from the CPU 101 and the SSD 105 shown in FIG. 2, and stores various data in the storage unit 1000 or the recording medium 1100, or is stored in the storage unit 1000 or the recording medium 1100. Performs processing such as reading various data. Further, the storage unit 1000 overwrites and stores the image data and the sound data received when communicating with another communication terminal each time it is received. Of these, the image is displayed on the display 120 by the image data before being overwritten, and the sound is output from the speaker 115 by the sound data before being overwritten. The recording medium 1100 is realized by the recording medium 106 shown in FIG.

The terminal identification information of the present embodiment shows an example of identification information such as a language, characters, symbols, or various marks used to uniquely identify the communication terminals 10 and 70. Further, the terminal identification information may be identification information in which at least two of the above languages, characters, symbols, and various signs are combined. Further, instead of the terminal ID, a user ID for identifying the user of the terminal 10 may be used. In this case, the terminal identification information may be not only the terminal ID but also the serial number of the terminal or the user ID for identifying the user. The user ID also includes the user's name, my number based on the Japanese national identification number system, and the like.

<Functional configuration of relay device>
The relay device 30 has a transmission / reception unit 31 that also serves as a transfer unit, a determination unit 32, and a storage / reading processing unit 39. Each of these parts has a function or a functioning means realized by operating any of the components shown in FIG. 3 by an instruction from the CPU 501 according to a relay program developed on the RAM 503 from the HD 504. Is. Further, the relay device 30 has a storage unit 3000 constructed by the RAM 503 and the HD 504 shown in FIG.

(Each function configuration of the relay device)
Next, each functional configuration of the relay device 30 will be described in detail. In the following description, in explaining each functional configuration of the relay device 30, among the constituent elements shown in FIG. 3, the relationship with the main constituent elements for realizing each functional configuration of the relay device 30 is also included. explain.

The transmission / reception unit 31 of the relay device 30 shown in FIG. 8 is realized by the instruction from the CPU 501 shown in FIG. 3 and the network I / F 509 shown in FIG. 3, and is realized via the communication network 2. Sends and receives various data (or information) to and from other terminals, devices, or systems. The transmission / reception unit 31 also serves as a transfer unit, and transfers the image data and sound data transmitted from the communication terminal 10 (70) to the communication terminal 70 (10).

The determination unit 32 is realized by the instruction from the CPU 501 shown in FIG. 3, and determines the data delay state and the like.

The storage / reading processing unit 39 is realized by the instruction from the CPU 501 shown in FIG. 3 and the HDD 505 shown in FIG. 3, and various data is stored in the storage unit 3000 or stored in the storage unit 3000. Performs processing such as reading various data.

<Functional configuration of communication management system>
The communication management system 50 includes a transmission / reception unit 51, a determination unit 52, and a storage / reading processing unit 59. Each of these parts functions or functions as any of the components shown in FIG. 8 operates by an instruction from the CPU 501 according to a communication management program developed on the RAM 503 from the HD 504. It is a means. Further, the communication management system 50 has a storage unit 5000 constructed by the HD 504 shown in FIG.

(Authentication management table)
FIG. 9 is a conceptual diagram showing an authentication management table. In the storage unit 5000, an authentication management DB 5001 configured by an authentication management table as shown in FIG. 9 is constructed. In this authentication management table, each password is associated and managed for each terminal ID of all the communication terminals 10 and 70 managed by the communication management system 50. For example, in the authentication management table shown in FIG. 9, it is shown that the terminal ID of the communication terminal 10aa, which is a kind of the communication terminal 10, is "01aa" and the password is "aaaa".

(Terminal management table)
FIG. 10 is a conceptual diagram showing a terminal management table. In the storage unit 5000, a terminal management DB 5002 configured by a terminal management table as shown in FIG. 10 is constructed. In this terminal management table, for each terminal ID of each communication terminal 10, 70, the destination name when each communication terminal 10, 70 is set as the destination, the operating status of each communication terminal 10, 70, and the login request information described later are communicated. The reception date and time received by the management system 50 and the communication terminal 10, 70 IP addresses are associated and managed. For example, in the terminal management table shown in FIG. 10, the terminal 10aa having the terminal ID "01aa" has the terminal name "Japan Tokyo Office AA terminal" and the operating state is "ON line (communication possible)". , The date and time when the login request information was received by the communication management system 50 is "13:40 on April 10, 2015", and the IP address of this terminal 10aa is "1.2.1.3". It is shown. The terminal ID, destination name, and IP address of the terminal are stored when the communication terminals 10 and 70 are pre-registered to receive the service provided by the communication management system 50.

(Destination list management table)
FIG. 11 is a conceptual diagram showing a destination list management table. In the storage unit 5000, a destination list management DB 5003 configured by a destination list management table as shown in FIG. 11 is constructed. In this destination list management table, all terminal IDs of destination terminals registered as candidates for destination terminals are managed in association with the terminal ID of the requesting terminal that requests the start of communication. For example, in the destination list management table shown in FIG. 11, the candidate of the destination terminal (terminal 10db) that can request the start of communication from the requesting terminal (terminal 10aa) whose terminal ID is "01aa" is It is shown that the terminal 10ab has a terminal ID of "01ab", the terminal 10ba has a terminal ID of "01ba", the terminal 10bb has a terminal ID of "01bb", and the like. The candidate of the destination terminal is updated by being added or deleted by a request for addition or deletion to the management system 50 from an arbitrary requesting terminal.

The destination list is an example of destination information, and the destination information may not be in a list format and may include information related to the destination such as a terminal ID.

(Additional requirements management table)
FIG. 12 is a conceptual diagram showing an additional request management table. In the storage unit 5000, an additional request management DB 5004 configured by an additional request management table as shown in FIG. 12 is constructed. In this additional request management table, the terminal ID of the requesting call terminal (hereinafter referred to as "request source terminal") for which the additional request of the destination candidate is requested, and the call terminal of the request destination for which the additional destination candidate is requested (hereinafter, "" The terminal ID of (represented as "request destination terminal") is associated and managed. This makes it possible to manage which communication terminal is requested as a destination candidate from which communication terminal.

(Each function configuration of communication management system)
Next, each functional configuration of the communication management system 50 will be described in detail. In the following description, in explaining each functional configuration of the communication management system 50, among the constituent elements shown in FIG. 3, the main constituent elements for realizing each functional configuration of the communication management system 50 are used. The relationship is also explained.

The transmission / reception unit 31 of the communication management system 50 shown in FIG. 8 is realized by the command from the CPU 501 shown in FIG. 3 and the network I / F 509 shown in FIG. 8, and is realized via the communication network 2. Sends and receives various data (or information) to and from other terminals, devices, or systems.

The determination unit 52 is realized by an instruction from the CPU 501 shown in FIG. 3 and makes various determinations.

The storage / reading processing unit 59 is realized by the instruction from the CPU 501 shown in FIG. 3 and the HDD 505 shown in FIG. 3, and various data is stored in the storage unit 5000 or stored in the storage unit 5000. Performs processing such as reading various data.

<Functional configuration of communication terminal 70>
The communication terminal 70 includes a transmission / reception unit 71, a reception unit 72, a communication control unit 73, a display control unit 74, a judgment unit 75, a selection unit 76, an activation unit 77, an acquisition / provision unit 78, and a storage / read processing unit 79. doing. Each of these parts functions or functions when any of the components shown in FIG. 4 operates by an instruction from the CPU 701 according to a communication program developed from the SSD 704 on the RAM 703. It is a means. Further, the communication terminal 70 has a storage unit 7000 constructed by the RAM 703 shown in FIG. 4 and the SSD 704 shown in FIG.

(Each function configuration of the communication terminal 70)
Next, each component of the communication terminal 70 will be described. The transmission / reception unit 71 is realized by the instruction from the CPU 701 shown in FIG. 4 and the network I / F705 and the external device connection I / F706, and is realized by the communication network 2 with other terminals, devices or systems, and various data ( Or information) is sent and received. The transmission / reception unit 71 starts receiving state information indicating the states of the communication terminals 10 and 70 as destination candidates from the communication management system 50 even before starting communication with the other communication terminals 10 and 70. It should be noted that this status information is not only the operating status of the communication terminals 10 and 70 (the status of the ON line or the OFF line), but also the ON line, whether communication is possible, communication is in progress, or separation. Indicates the detailed status such as whether or not you are seated. Further, this state information includes not only the operating state of each communication terminal 10 and 70, but also that the cable 120c of the communication terminal 10 is disconnected from the communication terminal 10, that sound is output but no image is output, or sound is output. Indicates various states such as not to (MUTE). In the following, as an example, a case where the state information indicates an operating state will be described.

Further, the transmission / reception unit 71 also serves as a start unit, and performs a process of starting communication with another communication terminal such as the communication terminal 10.
The reception unit 72 is mainly realized by the command from the CPU 701 shown in FIG. 4 and the contact sensor 715 and the electronic pen controller 716, and receives various inputs by the user.

The communication control unit 73 is realized by a command from the CPU 701 shown in FIG. 4, and performs image processing on the image data obtained by the camera 762 taking an image of the subject. Further, the communication control unit 73 is realized by a command from the CPU 701, and after the user's voice is converted into a voice signal by the microphone 764, voice processing is performed on the sound data related to the voice signal. Further, the communication control unit 73 is realized by a command from the CPU 701 shown in FIG. 4, outputs a voice signal related to the sound data to the speaker 765, and outputs the voice from the speaker 765.

Further, the communication control unit 73 performs a process of converting the drawing data drawn on the display 753 by the user with the electronic pen 754 or the hand H into coordinate data. When the communication terminal 70 transmits the coordinate data to the other communication terminal 70, the other electronic blackboard displays the same drawing on the display 753 on the other electronic blackboard side based on the coordinate data.

The display control unit 74 combines the commands from the CPU 701 shown in FIG. 4 and the received image data having different resolutions realized by the display controller 713 shown in FIG. 4, and the combined image data. Is controlled to be transmitted to the display 753. The display control unit 74 can transmit the destination list information received from the communication management system 50 to the display 753 and display the destination list on the display 753.

The determination unit 75 is realized by an instruction from the CPU 701 shown in FIG. 4, and determines whether or not they are close to each other, which will be described later.

The selection unit 76 is realized by a command from the CPU 701 by the activation application 7030 shown in FIG. 6B, and selects a communication application to be activated based on the terminal identification information. The determination of the description format when the selection unit 76 selects is the same as the processing of the selection unit 16 described above.

The activation unit 77 is realized by a command from the CPU 701 by the activation application 7030 shown in FIG. 6B, and activates the communication application selected by the selection unit 76.

The acquisition / providing unit 78 is executed by the instruction from the CPU 701 shown in FIG. 4 and the short-range communication circuit 119 and the antenna 119a, and acquires data by short-range wireless communication with the mobile terminal 90. And provide.

The acquisition / provision unit 78 is executed by the instruction from the CPU 701 shown in FIG. 2 and the short-range communication circuit 719 and the antenna 719a, and acquires data by short-range wireless communication with the mobile terminal 90. And provide.

The storage / reading processing unit 79 is executed by a command from the CPU 701 and SSD 704 shown in FIG. 4, and various data are stored in the storage unit 7000 or the recording medium 7100, or stored in the storage unit 7000 or the recording medium 7100. Performs processing such as reading various data. Further, the storage unit 7000 overwrites and stores the image data and the sound data received when communicating with another communication terminal each time it is received. Of these, the image is displayed on the display 753 by the image data before being overwritten, and the sound is output from the speaker 765 by the sound data before being overwritten. The recording medium 7100 is realized by the USB memory 755 shown in FIG.

<Functional configuration of mobile terminals>
Since the mobile terminals 90a and 90d basically have the same functional configuration, the mechanical configuration of the mobile terminal 90d will be described, and the description of the functional configuration of the mobile terminal 90a will be omitted. If the code indicating the functional configuration of the mobile terminal 90d and the code indicating the functional configuration of the mobile terminal 90a are the same except for "d" and "a", they have the same function.

The mobile terminal 90d has a transmission / reception unit 91d, a reception unit 92d, a communication control unit 93d, a display control unit 94d, a determination unit 95d, an acquisition / provision unit 98d, and a storage / reading processing unit 99d. Each of these parts has a function or functions realized by operating any of the components shown in FIG. 5 by an instruction from the CPU 901 according to a communication program developed from the EEPROM 904 to the RAM 903. It is a means. Further, the mobile terminal 90 has a storage unit 9000d constructed by the RAM 903 shown in FIG. 5 and the EEPROM 904 shown in FIG.

(Each function configuration of mobile terminal)
Next, each component of the mobile terminal 90d will be described. The transmission / reception unit 91d is realized by the instruction from the CPU 901 shown in FIG. 5, the telecommunications circuit 911 and the antenna 911a, and various data (call data, etc.) with other terminals, devices, or systems via the communication network 3. ) Is sent and received.

The reception unit 92d is mainly realized by the command from the CPU 901 shown in FIG. 5 and the touch panel 921, and receives various inputs by the user.

The communication control unit 93d is realized by the command from the CPU 901 and the image sensor I / F 913 shown in FIG. 5, and performs image processing on the image data obtained by the camera 912 capturing the subject. Further, the communication control unit 93d is realized by a command from the CPU 901 and a sound input / output I / F 916, and after the user's voice is converted into a voice signal by the microphone 914, the sound data related to the voice signal is obtained. Perform voice processing. Further, the communication control unit 93d is realized by the instruction from the CPU 901 and the sound input / output I / F 916 shown in FIG. 5, outputs the voice signal related to the sound data to the speaker 915, and outputs the voice from the speaker 915. Let me.

The display control unit 94d is realized by a command from the CPU 901 shown in FIG. 5, and controls for displaying image data on the display 917.

The determination unit 95d is realized by the instruction from the CPU 901 shown in FIG. 5, and determines the response content described later.

The acquisition / provision unit 98d is executed by the instruction from the CPU 901 shown in FIG. 5 and the short-range communication circuit 919 and the antenna 919a, and the data is transmitted by the short-range wireless communication with the communication terminals 10 and 70. Acquire and provide.

The storage / reading processing unit 99d is executed by the instruction from the CPU 901 and the EEPROM 904 shown in FIG. 5, and is a process of storing various data in the storage unit 9000d and reading various data stored in the storage unit 9000d. I do. A process of storing various data in the storage unit 9000d or the recording medium 9100d and reading out various data stored in the storage unit 9000 or the recording medium 9100d is performed.

(Data structure in short-range communication circuit)
FIG. 13 is a conceptual diagram showing a data structure in a short-range communication circuit. A data structure as shown in FIG. 13 is constructed in the short-range communication circuit 919. In this data structure, data is managed for each block number. The block NO1 manages the unique number of the short-range communication circuit 919, and the block 2 manages the user name of the mobile terminal 90 including the short-range communication circuit 919.

Further, the blocks NO3 to NO5 manage (acquired) terminal identification information which is the terminal identification information of the communication terminals 10 and 70 acquired by the mobile terminal 90 from the communication terminals 10 and 70 by short-range wireless communication. (Acquisition) The terminal identification information (1), (2), and (3) indicate the terminal ID, IP address, and e-mail address, respectively. Blocks NO6 to NO8 are terminal identification information in which the mobile terminal 90 receives the terminal identification information of the communication terminals 10 and 70 sent from the other mobile terminal 90 via the communication network 3 (reception). ) Terminal identification information (1), (2), and (3) are managed.

<< Processing or operation of the embodiment >>
Next, processing or operation in the communication system 1 according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 14 to 24. First, the situation in this embodiment will be briefly described. When the user X (Kato) of the base A holds a video conference with the user Y (James) of the base D, the user X calls the user Y and uses the mobile terminal 90d via the communication network 3. The mobile terminal 90a is asked to send the terminal ID of the communication terminal 70. Then, the user X holds the user terminal 90a that has received the terminal ID over the communication terminal 10, and the communication terminal 10 acquires the terminal ID of the communication terminal 70. As a result, the communication terminal 10 starts a video conference with the communication terminal 70 via the communication network 2 by using the terminal ID. Hereinafter, a more specific description will be given.

First, a case where the mobile terminal 90d acquires terminal identification information for identifying the communication terminal 70db from the communication terminal 70db, which is a kind of the communication terminal 70, will be described with reference to FIG. Note that FIG. 14 is a sequence diagram showing a process of providing terminal identification information. FIG. 15 is a diagram showing a providing screen when providing terminal identification information. Here, a case where a terminal ID is acquired as a kind of terminal identification information will be described.

The user Y of the base D operates the communication terminal 70db using the electronic pen 754 or the hand H, and the reception unit 72 of the communication terminal 70db receives the display of the terminal identification information providing screen (step S21). Then, the display control unit 74 causes the display 753 to display the provided screen as shown in FIG. 15 (step S22).

Next, the determination unit 75 determines whether or not the mobile terminal 90d is in close proximity (step S23). Hereinafter, a case where the user Y brings the mobile terminal 90d close to the communication terminal 70db will be described.

The storage / reading processing unit 79 of the communication terminal 70db reads the terminal ID of the communication terminal 70db from the storage unit 7000 (step S24).

Next, the acquisition / providing unit 78 transmits a storage request to the mobile terminal 90d by short-range wireless communication (step S25). The storage request includes the terminal ID read in step S24 and the storage location information indicating the storage location in the mobile terminal 90d. On the other hand, the acquisition / providing unit 98 of the mobile terminal 90d receives the storage request. This will
The acquisition / providing unit 98 acquires the terminal ID and the storage location information. Then, the storage / reading processing unit 99d stores the terminal ID in the storage unit 9000d based on the storage location information (step S27). Here, the terminal ID is stored in the block NO3 shown in FIG.

Subsequently, the process of transmitting and receiving the terminal identification information will be described with reference to FIGS. 16 and 17. FIG. 16 is a sequence diagram showing a process of transmitting and receiving terminal identification information. 17 (a) and 17 (b) are screen examples of the mobile terminal 90d, and FIG. 17 (c) is a diagram showing a screen example of the mobile terminal 90a.

First, the transmission / reception unit 91a of the mobile terminal 90a and the transmission / reception unit 91d of the mobile terminal 90d establish a communication session (first communication session) via the communication network 3 (step S41).

Next, the display control unit 94d of the mobile terminal 90d confirms when transmitting the identification information of the communication terminal 70db on the display 917 of the mobile terminal 90d, as shown in FIG. 17A. The transmission confirmation button 9010 for the purpose is displayed (step S42). Then, when the user Y presses the transmission confirmation button 9010, whether or not the display control unit 94d transmits the identification information of the communication terminal 70db on the display 917 as shown in FIG. 17B. A selection screen prompting the selection is displayed (step S43). Hereinafter, a case where the user Y selects to send will be described.

When the user Y presses the YES button on the selection screen shown in FIG. 17B, the reception unit 92d accepts the transmission (step S44). Then, the transmission / reception unit 91d of the mobile terminal 90d confirms transmission to the transmission / reception unit 91a of the mobile terminal 90a via the communication network 3 (step S45). This confirmation of transmission indicates confirmation that the terminal identification information of the communication terminal 70db is transmitted from the mobile terminal 90d to the mobile terminal 90a, but can be received by the mobile terminal 90d.

Next, the display control unit 94a of the mobile terminal 90a selects whether or not to receive the identification information of the communication terminal on the display 917 of the mobile terminal 90a, as shown in FIG. 17 (c). A selection screen prompting is displayed (step S46). Hereinafter, the case where the user X selects to receive will be described.

When the user X presses the YES button on the selection screen shown in FIG. 17 (c), the reception unit 92a accepts a response to the effect of receiving (step S47). Then, the transmission / reception unit 91a of the mobile terminal 90ad makes a response to the transmission / reception unit 91d of the mobile terminal 90d via the communication network 3 (step S48). This response indicates that if the mobile terminal 90a transmits the terminal identification information of the communication terminal 70db to the mobile terminal 90d, the mobile terminal 90a can receive the response.

Next, the determination unit 95d of the mobile terminal 90d determines the response content (step S49). This determination is a determination as to whether or not to transmit the terminal identification information of the communication terminal 70db.

Next, the transmission / reception unit 91d transmits the terminal ID acquired by the acquisition / provision unit 98d in step S25 to the mobile terminal 90a via the communication network 3 (step S50). At this time, the storage location information indicating the storage location on the mobile terminal 90a side is also transmitted. As a result, the transmission / reception unit 11 of the mobile terminal 90a receives the terminal ID and the storage location information.

Next, the storage / reading processing unit 99a of the mobile terminal 90a stores the terminal ID in the storage unit 9000a based on the storage location information (step S51). In this case, the terminal ID is stored in the storage location of the block NO6 shown in FIG. As a result, the terminal ID of the communication terminal 70db of the base D is transferred to the mobile terminal 90a of the base A. The storage / reading processing unit 99a may store the terminal ID without using the storage location information. In this case, the storage location (block NO) is determined by performing the same processing as the selection unit 16 on the mobile terminal 90a side and determining the description format of the terminal ID.

Subsequently, with reference to FIGS. 18 and 19, a process for preparing communication for a video conference between the communication terminals 10aa and 10ab will be described. FIG. 18 is a sequence diagram showing a communication preparation process. FIG. 19 is an example of a screen showing a destination list.

Here, the communication terminal 10 shown in FIG. 7 is represented as the communication terminal 10aa, and communication with the same type of communication terminal 10ab will also be described. Further, in FIG. 18, for the sake of simplicity, only the communication terminal 10aa and the communication terminal 10ab are shown via the communication management system 50.

First, when the user X operates the operation button 108 shown in FIG. 2 to request the start-up application 1030 to be started, the reception unit 12 receives the start-up request and starts the start-up application 1030 (step S61). ). Then, the transmission / reception unit 11 transmits the login request information indicating the login request to the communication management system 50 via the communication network 2 (step S62). The login request information includes a terminal ID and a password for identifying the communication terminal 10 which is the own terminal. These terminal IDs and passwords are data read from the storage unit 1000 via the storage / reading processing unit 19 and sent to the transmission / reception unit 11.

Next, the storage / reading processing unit 59 of the communication management system 50 uses the terminal ID and password included in the login request information received via the transmission / reception unit 51 as search keys to use the authentication management table (see FIG. 9). Terminal authentication is performed by searching and determining whether the same terminal ID and the same password are managed (step S63). Since the same terminal ID and the same password are managed by the storage / reading processing unit 59, it is determined that the login request is from the communication terminal 10 in which the activation application having the proper usage authority is installed. In the terminal management table (see FIG. 10), the storage / reading processing unit 59 changes the field portion of the operating state of the terminal ID record received in step S62 to "ON line (communicable)". At the same time, the reception date and time when the login request information is received in step S63 is stored in the field portion of the reception date and time (step S64). As a result, in the terminal management table, the terminal ID "01aa", the operating status "online (communication possible)", the reception date and time "2015.4.1.13: 40", and the IP address "1.2.1.3" are displayed. Will be associated and managed. The IP address of the terminal is not registered in advance, but may be transmitted from the communication terminal 10aa in step S62.

Then, the transmission / reception unit 51 of the communication management system 50 sends the authentication result information showing the authentication result obtained by the storage / reading processing unit 59 to the requesting terminal (communication) that has requested the login via the communication network 2. It is transmitted to the terminal 10aa) (step S65). In the present embodiment, the case where the storage / reading processing unit 59 determines that the communication terminal has a legitimate usage authority will be continuously described below.

When the transmission / reception unit 11 of the requesting terminal (communication terminal 10aa) receives the authentication result information indicating the result of being determined to be the communication terminal having the proper usage authority, the transmission / reception unit 11 receives the authentication result information via the communication network 2. The destination list request information indicating that the destination list is requested is transmitted to the communication management system 50 (step S66). As a result, the transmission / reception unit 51 of the communication management system 50 receives the destination list request information.

Next, the storage / reading processing unit 59 searches the destination list management table (see FIG. 11) using the terminal ID "01aa" of the requesting terminal (communication terminal 10aa) that requested the login as a search key, and searches the destination list management table (see FIG. A terminal ID of a destination candidate capable of communicating with the terminal 10aa) is read, and a terminal name corresponding to this terminal ID is read from the terminal management table (see FIG. 10) (step S67). Here, the terminal IDs (“01ab”, ...) Of the destination candidates (10ab, ...) Corresponding to the terminal ID “01aa” of the requesting terminal (communication terminal 10aa) and the destinations corresponding to these. The name ("Japan Tokyo Office AB terminal", ...) is extracted.

Next, the transmission / reception unit 51 of the communication management system 50 reads the data of the destination list frame and the data of the icon indicating the operating state from the storage unit 5000 via the storage / reading processing unit 59 (step S68), and this destination list. Request source terminal (communication terminal) for "destination list information (destination list frame, icon, terminal ID, terminal name)" including the frame and icon and the terminal ID and terminal name read by the storage / reading processing unit 59. 10aa) is transmitted (step S69). As a result, in the requesting terminal (communication terminal 10aa), the transmission / reception unit 11 receives the destination list information, and the storage / reading processing unit 19 stores the destination list information in the storage unit 1000 (step S70).

As described above, in the present embodiment, the communication management system 50 centrally manages the destination list information of all the communication terminals, instead of managing the destination list information in each communication terminal. Therefore, a new communication terminal is included in the communication system 1, a new model communication terminal is included in place of the already included communication terminal, and the appearance of the destination list frame is changed. Even if this happens, the communication management system 50 handles all of them, so it is possible to save the trouble of changing the destination list information on each communication terminal side.

Further, the storage / reading processing unit 59 of the communication management system 50 searches the terminal management table (see FIG. 10) using the terminal ID (“01ab”, ...) Of the read destination candidate as the search key. By reading out the corresponding operating state for each terminal ID, each operating state of the communication terminal (10ab, ...) As a destination candidate is acquired (step S71).

Next, the transmission / reception unit 51 provides the communication network 2 with "terminal operating status information" including each terminal ID as a search key used in step S67 and the operating status of each corresponding destination terminal. It is transmitted to the requesting terminal (communication terminal 10aa) via (step S72).

Next, the storage / reading processing unit 19 of the requesting terminal (communication terminal 10aa) sequentially stores the state information of the terminal received from the communication management system 50 in the storage unit 1000 (step S73). Therefore, the requesting terminal (communication terminal 10aa) can communicate with the requesting terminal (communication terminal 10aa) by receiving the status information of each of the above communication terminals, such as the communication terminal 10ab which is a destination candidate at the present time. Each operating status can be acquired.

Next, the display control unit 14 of the requesting terminal (communication terminal 10aa) reflects the state of the communication terminal as a destination candidate based on the destination list information stored in the storage unit 1000 and the state information of the terminal. Along with creating the destination list, the display control unit 14 displays the destination list shown in FIG. 19 on the display 120 shown in FIG. 2 (step S74). An icon indicating the operating state is shown at the left end of each destination. In FIG. 19, the icons indicating the operating status of each communication terminal are "online (communication possible)", "offline", "online (communication possible)", and "online (communication possible)" from the top. Shown.

On the other hand, the storage / reading processing unit 59 of the communication management system 50 searches the destination list management table (see FIG. 11) based on the terminal ID "01aa" of the requesting terminal (communication terminal 10aa) that has requested the login. , The terminal ID "01aa" of the request source terminal (communication terminal 10aa) is registered as a destination candidate, and the terminal IDs of other request source terminals are extracted (step S75). In the destination list management table shown in FIG. 11, the terminal IDs of the other start request source terminals to be read are "01ab", "07db", and the like.

Next, the storage / reading processing unit 59 of the communication management system 50 searches the terminal management table (see FIG. 10) based on the terminal ID "01aa" of the requesting terminal (communication terminal 10aa) that has made the login request. Then, the operating state of the requesting terminal (communication terminal 10aa) that has requested the login is acquired (step S76).

Then, the transmission / reception unit 51 operates on the terminal management table (see FIG. 10) among the communication terminals (10ab, 70db, ...) Related to the terminal IDs (“01ab”, “07db”, etc.) extracted in step S75. The communication terminal (10ab, ...) whose status is "online" includes the terminal ID "01aa" of the requesting terminal (communication terminal 10aa) acquired in step S76 and the operating status "online". State information ”is transmitted (step S77). When the transmission / reception unit 51 transmits the terminal status information to the communication terminals (10ab, ...), It is managed by the terminal management table (see FIG. 10) based on each terminal ID ("01ab", ...). Refer to the IP address of the communication terminal. As a result, the terminal of the requesting source terminal (communication terminal 10aa) that requested the login to each of the other destination terminals (10ab, ...) That can communicate with the requesting terminal (communication terminal 10aa) that requested login as a destination candidate. The ID "01aa" and the operating status "online" can be transmitted. As a result, even in the destination candidate (communication terminal 10ab), the state of the destination candidate as shown in FIG. 18 can be displayed (step S78).

Subsequently, the case where the communication terminal 10 acquires the terminal identification information for identifying the communication terminal 70db from the mobile terminal 90a will be described with reference to FIGS. 20 and 21. Note that FIG. 20 is a sequence diagram showing the acquisition process of the terminal identification information. FIG. 21 is a flowchart showing a destination identification process.

First, in a state where the destination list shown in FIG. 19 is displayed on the display 120, the user X of the base A brings the mobile terminal 90a closer to the communication terminal 10. On the other hand, in the communication terminal 10aa, the determination unit 15 determines whether or not the mobile terminal 90a is in close proximity (step S81). Hereinafter, a case where the user X brings the mobile terminal 90a close to the communication terminal 10 will be described.

The acquisition / providing unit 98a of the communication terminal 10aa transmits a request for reading the terminal identification information to the mobile terminal 90a by short-range wireless communication (step S82). On the other hand, the storage / reading processing unit 99a of the mobile terminal 90a reads the terminal identification information (here, the terminal ID) of the communication terminal 70db from the storage unit 9000a (step S83).

Next, the acquisition / providing unit 98a transmits the terminal ID to the communication terminal 10aa by short-range wireless communication (step S84). As a result, the acquisition / providing unit 18 of the communication terminal 10aa acquires the terminal ID. Then, the storage / reading processing unit 19 stores the terminal ID in the storage unit 1000 (step S85).

Next, the communication terminal 10aa performs a process of identifying the destination using the terminal identification information (here, the terminal ID) received in step S85 (step S86). Here, the process of step S86 will be described in detail with reference to FIG.

As shown in FIG. 21, the selection unit 16 selects the communication application to be started from now on based on the terminal identification information (step S86-1). Here, since the terminal identification information is the terminal ID, the communication application A1 that requires the terminal ID to start communication is selected. Then, the activation unit 17 activates the communication application A1 (step S86-2).

Next, the storage / reading processing unit 99a searches for the destination list information stored in the storage unit 1000 in step S70 using the terminal ID received in step S84 as a search key (step S86-3). Then, if it is determined in step S86-3 that the information is included in the destination list information (YES), the process proceeds to step S121 described later. On the other hand, if it is determined in step S86-4 that the information is not included in the destination list information (NO), the process proceeds to step S101.

Subsequently, the process of adding the destination list will be described with reference to FIGS. 22 and 23. FIG. 22 is a sequence diagram showing addition processing to the destination list. FIG. 23 is a diagram showing an example of a screen when additional approval is given to the destination list.

Here, a case will be described in which the communication terminal 10aa makes an approval request to the communication terminal 70db for adding the communication terminal 70db to the destination list of the communication terminal 10aa. Here, the communication terminal 10aa is a "request source terminal", and the communication terminal 70db is a "request destination terminal".

First, the transmission / reception unit 11 of the request source terminal (communication terminal 10aa) transmits additional request information indicating an additional request for a destination candidate to the communication management system 50 via the communication network 2 (step S101). The additional request information includes a terminal ID for identifying the request source terminal (communication terminal 10aa) and a terminal ID "07db" for identifying the request destination terminal (communication terminal 70db). As a result, the transmission / reception unit 51 of the communication management system 50 receives the additional request information.

Next, in the communication management system 50, the storage / reading processing unit 59 sets the terminal ID of the received requesting terminal in the terminal ID field of the requesting terminal of the new record in the additional request management table (see FIG. 12). In addition to storing and managing "01aa", the terminal ID "07db" of the requesting destination terminal is additionally stored and managed in the terminal ID field of the requesting destination terminal of the new record (step S102).

Next, the determination unit 52 determines the corresponding operating state by searching the terminal management table (see FIG. 10) based on the terminal ID "07db" of the request destination terminal (step S103). Then, when the determination unit 52 determines that the operating state is online but communication has not started, the transmission / reception unit 51 continues to make the additional request to the request destination terminal (communication terminal 70db). Additional approval request information indicating a request for whether or not to approve is transmitted (step S104). The additional approval request information includes the terminal ID "01aa" of the requesting terminal. As a result, the transmission / reception unit 71 of the request destination terminal (communication terminal 10db) receives the additional approval request information.

Next, in the request destination terminal (communication terminal 70db), the display control unit 74 displays an additional request response screen as shown in FIG. 23 on the display 753 (step S105).

Next, the transmission / reception unit 71 of the request destination terminal (communication terminal 70db) transmits additional request response information indicating an approval, rejection, or hold additional request response to the communication management system 50 (step S106). If the user D approves, the "YES" button on the additional request response screen is pressed. If the user D rejects the request, the "NO" button on the additional request response screen is pressed. When the user D holds the hold, the "CANCEL" button on the additional request response screen is pressed. As a result, the transmission / reception unit 51 of the communication management system 50 receives the additional request / response information. Here, the case where the additional request response indicates "approval" will be described subsequently.

In the additional request management table (see FIG. 12), the storage / reading processing unit 59 requests the terminal ID “07db” of the request destination terminal associated with the terminal ID “01aa” of the request source terminal in the additional request management table. It is additionally managed in association with the terminal ID "01aa" of the requesting source terminal in the same destination list management table as the terminal ID "01aa" of the original terminal (step S107).

If the additional request response indicates "rejection", in step S107, the storage / reading processing unit 59 tells the terminal ID "rejected" of the request destination terminal in the additional request management table (see FIG. 12). Delete the record of "01aa". Further, when the additional request response indicates "hold", in step S107, the storage / reading processing unit 59 does not perform additional management, and the record in the additional request management table (see FIG. 12). Leave without deleting.

Next, the storage / reading processing unit 59 searches the terminal management table (see FIG. 10) based on the terminal ID “01aa” of the requesting terminal and the terminal ID “07db” of the requesting terminal, respectively. Each information (destination name, operating state) of is read (step S108). Then, the transmission / reception unit 51 transmits additional completion information to the request source terminal (communication terminal 10aa) and the request destination terminal (communication terminal 70db), respectively (steps S109-1 and 2). Among them, the addition completion information transmitted to the request source terminal (communication terminal 10aa) includes a message indicating that the addition is completed and each information (terminal ID, destination name, and operation) of the request destination terminal (communication terminal 70db). State) is included. That is, only each information (terminal ID, destination name, and operating state) of the request destination terminal (communication terminal 70db) portion in the destination list is transmitted to the request source terminal (communication terminal 10aa), and the entire destination list is renewed. It is not sent. On the other hand, the addition completion information transmitted to the request destination terminal (communication terminal 70db) includes a message indicating that the addition is completed, and each information (terminal ID, destination name, and operation) of the request source terminal (communication terminal 10aa). State) is included.

Then, at the requesting terminal (communication terminal 10aa), the display control unit 14 displays a screen indicating completion on the display 120 (step S110-1). On the other hand, at the request destination terminal (communication terminal 70db), the display control unit 74 displays a screen indicating completion on the display 753 (step S110-2). Further, on the communication management system 50 side, when the processing of steps S110-1 and 2 is completed, the storage / reading processing unit 59 receives the terminal ID of the approved request destination terminal in the additional request management table (see FIG. 12). By deleting the record of "07db", all the processing of the request for adding the destination candidate is completed (step S111). After that, the process of step 121 described later is automatically started.

Subsequently, with reference to FIG. 24, a process for preparing for image / sound communication using the communication system will be described. FIG. 24 is a sequence diagram showing a process for preparing for image / sound communication using a communication system.

If it is determined in step 86-4 in FIG. 21 that the destination list information includes the terminal ID (YES), the user X needs to bother to select the communication terminal 70db from the destination list in FIG. The request source terminal (communication terminal 10aa) automatically transmits start request information indicating a communication start request to the communication management system 50. Specifically, the transmission / reception unit 11 transmits communication start request information to the communication management system 50 via the communication network 2 (step S121). The start request includes the terminal ID "01aa" of the request source terminal (communication terminal 10aa) and the terminal ID "07db" of the destination terminal (communication terminal 70db). As a result, the transmission / reception unit 51 of the communication management system 50 receives the communication start request.

Next, the storage / reading processing unit 59 of the communication management system 50 sets the terminal ID "01aa" of the request source terminal (communication terminal 10aa) and the terminal ID "07db" of the destination terminal (communication terminal 70db) included in the start request. Based on this, in the terminal management table (see FIG. 10), the field portion of the operating state of the record including the terminal ID "01aa" and the terminal ID "07db" is changed to "in a call" (step S122). .. In this state, the request source terminal (communication terminal 10aa) and the destination terminal (communication terminal 70db) have not started the video conference, but are in the communication state, and the other communication terminals are in the request source terminal (communication terminal). When it is attempted to start communication with 10aa) or the destination terminal (communication terminal 70db), a notification sound or display indicating a so-called communication in progress state is output.

Next, the storage / reading processing unit 59 of the communication management system 50 uses each terminal ID of the requesting terminal (communication terminal 10aa) and the destination terminal (communication terminal 70db) received by the process of step S121 as a search key. By searching the terminal management table (see FIG. 10), each corresponding IP address is read out (step S123).

Then, the transmission / reception unit 51 of the communication management system 50 transmits the communication start request information to the IP address of the destination terminal (communication terminal 70db) read in step S123 (step S124). The start request information includes the terminal IDs "01aa" and "07db" received by the process of step S121. As a result, the transmission / reception unit 71 of the destination terminal (communication terminal 70db) receives the start request information.

On the other hand, the transmission / reception unit 71 of the destination terminal (communication terminal 70db) transmits the response availability information indicating the response availability to the communication management system 50 (step S125). As a result, the transmission / reception unit 51 of the communication management system 50 receives the response availability information. The response availability information indicates that communication is possible or not possible, but here, a case indicating that communication is possible will be described below.

The transmission / reception unit 51 of the communication management system 50 transmits relay start request information to the relay device 30 (step S126). The start request information includes each IP address read by the process of step S123. As a result, the transmission / reception unit 31 of the relay device 30 receives the relay start request information.

Further, the transmission / reception unit 51 of the communication management system 50 transmits the response availability information received in the process of step S125 to the requesting terminal (communication terminal 10aa) (step S127). As a result, the transmission / reception unit 11 of the requesting terminal (communication terminal 10aa) receives the response availability information (here, communication is possible).

As described above, an image / sound communication session (second communication session) is established between the request source terminal (communication terminal 10aa), the relay device 30, and the destination terminal (communication terminal 70db) (steps S128-1 and 2). ) As a result, the communication terminals 10aa, 70db) can start a video conference call at two bases.

<< Main effects of this embodiment >>
As described above, according to the present invention, the mobile terminal 90a of the user X acquires identification information (terminal ID, etc.) from the mobile terminal 90d of the user Y, and the identification information is used for communication on the user X side. By providing the information to the terminal 10, it is possible to shorten the time required to start communication between the communication terminals 10 and 70.

Further, conventionally, when the communication terminals 10 and 70 have a plurality of communication applications A1, A2 and A3, in order for the communication terminal 10 to communicate with the communication terminal 70 (the other party), it depends on the difference in the communication protocol. A terminal ID, IP address, e-mail address, or the like must be input or selected in the communication terminal 10 on its own side as terminal identification information for identifying the communication terminal 70. On the other hand, the communication terminal 10 of the present embodiment can be activated to activate a specific communication application based on the description format of the terminal identification information of the communication terminal 70 among the plurality of communication applications A1, A2, A3. At the same time (see S86-1 and 2), the communication terminal 70 as a communication destination on the communication network 2 can be identified (see S86-3). This makes it possible to solve the problem that it takes time to start communication.

Further, conventionally, when the communication terminal 10 communicates with the communication terminal 70, the user X selects the terminal identification information of the communication terminal 70 from the destination list. However, when the terminal identification information of a large number of communication terminals is managed in the destination list, it takes time to select the terminal, so that it takes time to start the communication. On the other hand, the communication terminal 10 of the present embodiment is the mobile terminal 90a that has received the terminal identification information transmitted by the mobile terminal 90d that has acquired the terminal identification information from the communication terminal 70 using the first communication session. Therefore, the terminal identification information is acquired, and the communication terminal 70 specified by the acquired terminal identification information is subjected to a process of starting communication by using the second communication session (see S61). As a result, the user X does not have to select the terminal identification information even when the terminal identification information of a large number of communication terminals is managed in the destination list, so that the user X communicates between the plurality of communication terminals. It is possible to shorten the time until the start of.

<< Supplement to the embodiment >>
In the above embodiment, the processing of providing and acquiring the identification information is performed by short-range wireless communication, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, a USB cable or the like may be used to perform provision and acquisition processing by priority communication.
The case of a video conferencing terminal has been described as an example of a communication terminal, but the present invention is not limited to this, and a telephone system such as an IP (Internet Protocol) telephone or an Internet telephone may be used. In addition, smartphones, smart watches, mobile phones, car navigation terminals, wearable computers, surveillance cameras, digital cameras capable of communication by WiFi, devices with communication functions (projectors, game machines, etc.), digital signage, or communication It may be an industrial device having a function. Wearable computers include wristwatches, head-mounted displays, and the like. In addition, industrial equipment includes office equipment such as MFPs (Multifunction Peripheral / Printer / Product), medical equipment such as endoscopes and CT (Computed Tomography) scans, and agricultural equipment such as cultivators.

Further, in the above embodiment, the image data and the sound data have been described as an example of the content data, but the present invention is not limited to this, and may be tactile (touch) data. In this case, the feeling of contact by the user on one terminal side is transmitted to the other terminal side. Further, the content data may be olfactory (smell) data. In this case, the odor (odor) on one terminal side is transmitted to the other terminal side. Further, the content data may be at least one of image data, sound data, tactile data, and olfactory data.

Further, in the above embodiment, the case where the video conferencing is performed by the communication system 1 has been described, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the information is not limited to this, but is limited to meetings, general conversations between family members, friends, etc. It may be used for presentation.

Further, since the communication terminal 70 as an electronic blackboard is large, the functions of the communication management system 50 and the relay device 30 may be substituted by the communication terminal 70. In this case, since the system configuration between the base A and the base D can be constructed on the intranet (on-premise type), the security can be improved.

Further, in the above embodiment, for the storage request and the read request, an example of short-range wireless communication such as NFC has been described, but ultrasonic communication may be used. Further, regarding the storage request information, the image information (two-dimensional bar code and QR code (registered trademark)) including the terminal ID displayed on the screens of the communication terminals 10 and 70 is obtained by the camera possessed by the mobile terminals 90a and 90d. The mobile terminals 90a and 90b may acquire the storage request information from the communication terminals 10 and 70 by taking an image. As for the read request information, the image information (two-dimensional bar code or QR code) including the terminal ID displayed on the screens of the mobile terminals 90a and 90b is similarly captured by the cameras of the communication terminals 10 and 70. By doing so, the communication terminals 10 and 70 may acquire the read request information from the mobile terminals 90a and 90b.

Further, each function of the embodiment described above can be realized by one or more processing circuits. Here, the processing circuit is a processor programmed to execute each function by software like a processor implemented by an electronic circuit, or an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit) designed to execute each function described above. ), DSP (Digital Signal Processor), FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array) and devices such as conventional circuit modules.

1 Communication system 2 Communication network (an example of a second communication network)
3 Communication network (an example of the first communication network)
10 Communication terminal (example of communication terminal, example of second communication terminal)
11 Transmitter / receiver (example of starting means, example of transmitting means)
15 Judgment unit 16 Selection unit (example of selection means)
17 Starter (example of starter)
18 Acquisition / Provision Department (Example of acquisition means)
30 Relay device 50 Communication management system 70 Communication terminal (an example of another communication terminal, an example of a first communication terminal)
71 Transmitter / receiver (example of starting means, example of transmitting means)
75 Judgment unit 76 Selection unit (example of selection means)
77 Starter (an example of starter)
78 Acquisition / Provision Department (Example of acquisition means)
90a mobile terminal (an example of a second mobile terminal)
90b mobile terminal (an example of the first mobile terminal)
5000 Storage 5001 Authentication management DB
5002 Terminal management DB
5003 Destination list management DB
5004 Additional requirements management DB

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2012-178135

Claims (11)

A communication terminal that communicates with other communication terminals
The terminal identification that is transmitted by the first mobile terminal that has acquired the terminal identification information from the other communication terminal that stores the terminal identification information for identifying the other communication terminal by using the first communication session. An acquisition means for acquiring the terminal identification information from a second mobile terminal that has received the information, and
Based on the acquired description format of the terminal identification information, an activation means for activating a specific communication application among a plurality of communication applications, and an activation means.
A start means for performing a process of starting communication by using the second communication session with the other communication terminal indicated by the acquired terminal identification information by the specific communication application activated.
A communication terminal characterized by having. The communication terminal according to claim 1.
It has a storage means for storing destination information that manages each predetermined terminal identification information of a predetermined communication terminal capable of communicating as a destination of the communication terminal.
When the specific terminal identification information acquired by the acquisition means is managed by the destination information, the start means communicates with the other communication terminal indicated by the specific terminal identification information. The communication terminal according to claim 1, wherein the process of starting is performed. The communication terminal according to claim 2.
It has a determination means for determining whether or not the specific terminal identification information acquired by the acquisition means is managed by the destination information.
When it is determined by the determination means that the specific terminal identification information is managed, the start means starts communication with the other communication terminal indicated by the specific terminal identification information. The communication terminal according to claim 2, wherein the communication terminal is characterized in that. The communication terminal according to any one of claims 1 to 3.
It has a selection means for selecting the specific communication application from a plurality of communication applications based on the description format of the terminal identification information acquired by the acquisition means.
The activation means is a communication terminal characterized by activating the selected specific communication application. The terminal identification information is a terminal ID for identifying the other communication terminal, an IP address for accessing the other communication terminal, or an e-mail address to which the other communication terminal is sent. The communication terminal according to any one of claims 1 to 4, which is characterized. The communication terminal according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein each of the plurality of communication applications has a different communication protocol. The first communication session is established by a first communication network, and the second communication session is established by a second communication network, according to any one of claims 1 to 6. Communication terminal. The communication terminal according to claim 2 or 3 .
When the specific terminal identification information acquired by the acquisition means is not managed by the destination information, the other communication terminal can be notified via a communication management system capable of communicating with the other communication terminal. A communication terminal characterized by having a transmission means for transmitting an approval request for managing terminal identification information of another communication terminal with destination information. The communication terminal according to claim 8 and
With the communication management system
A communication system characterized by having. A communication method executed by a communication terminal that communicates with another communication terminal.
The terminal identification that is transmitted by the first mobile terminal that has acquired the terminal identification information from the other communication terminal that stores the terminal identification information for identifying the other communication terminal by using the first communication session. The acquisition step of acquiring the terminal identification information from the second mobile terminal that has received the information, and
A start step for starting a specific communication application among a plurality of communication applications based on the acquired description format of the terminal identification information, and
A start step of performing a process of starting communication by using the second communication session with the other communication terminal indicated by the acquired terminal identification information by the activated specific communication application.
A communication method characterized by executing. For communication terminals that communicate with other communication terminals
The terminal identification information for storing the terminal identification information for identifying another communication terminal. The terminal identification information transmitted by the first mobile terminal that has acquired the terminal identification information from the other communication terminal using the first communication session. And the acquisition step of acquiring the terminal identification information from the second mobile terminal that received the above.
A start step for starting a specific communication application among a plurality of communication applications based on the acquired description format of the terminal identification information, and
A start step of performing a process of starting communication by using the second communication session with the other communication terminal indicated by the acquired terminal identification information by the activated specific communication application. A program characterized by being executed.

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