JPH01314060A - Voice conference system - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To smooth the forming of a conference network and the conference itself by devising the system such that each of voice input/output means has a function designating the object of information exchange, the information exchange network is formed based on each designation of the voice input and output means so as to exchange the voice information. CONSTITUTION:At first each of a voice input/output means 111 designates the object of information exchange. Then an information exchange network forming means 113 forms an information exchange network based on the information of the information exchange object designated from each of the voice input/output means 111. An information exchange control means 115 based on the information of the information exchange network formed by the information exchange network forming means 113 controls the exchange of voice information between the plural voice input/output means 111. Thus, the conference network is formed smoothly and the conference is executed smoothly.

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Summary] In particular, with respect to an audio conference system in which conferences are held based on a pre-formed conference network, the purpose of this invention is to facilitate the formation of a conference network and conduct meetings smoothly. A plurality of audio input/output means each having an information input/output function, exchanging audio information with each other, and having a function of specifying an information exchange target; Information exchange network forming means for forming an information exchange network based on information; and information for controlling exchange of audio information between a plurality of audio input/output means based on information of the information exchange network formed by the information exchange network forming means. and an exchange control means.

[Industrial application field]

The present invention relates to an audio conference system, and particularly to an audio conference system in which a conference is held based on a pre-formed group 1m.

[Conventional technology]

2. Description of the Related Art So-called audio conference systems, which conduct conferences by voice between multiple remote locations, are beginning to become popular. In this audio conference system, an audio conference center device is installed at the central station of the conference network, and an audio mask device is installed in each remote conference room.

FIG. 4 shows the configuration of a conventional audio conference system.

In the figure, the audio conference system has a configuration in which four mask devices 4211 to 4214 are connected to a center device 410. Note that here, the mask device 42
1. is the control station that forms the conference network, that is, the host station, and the remaining stations are the participating stations.

The center device 410 has a CPU 411 that performs overall control.
, a connection information storage unit 413 that stores connection information supplied from the host station, mixing information storage units 415I to 4154 that store mixing information, and each mask device 421.
Audio mixing units 4171-417. (only the audio mixing section 4171 is shown), a data bus, and an audio bus.

In the method of forming a conference network in this conventional device, first, the host station mask device 421+ notifies the center device 410 of information (connection information) specifying participating stations with which it wishes to communicate. Next, the center device 410 sends the host station mask device 421. When the connection information is received from the connection information storage section 413, the CPU 411 performs connection control for each designated participating station based on the connection information.

As described above, conventionally, there has been a concept of a host station and a participating station, and a center device has performed connection control to designated participating stations based on connection information notified from the host station.

[Problem to be solved by the invention]

By the way, in the conventional method described above, first of all, the mask device 421. which is to be the host station. is the center device 410
It is necessary to notify the connection information to.

However, other participating stations (mask device 4
21□～421. ) accidentally tried to control the connection, the connection could become congested.

Therefore, there was a problem in that the conference network was not formed smoothly and the conferences were not conducted smoothly.

The present invention was created in view of these points, and an object of the present invention is to provide an audio conference system in which a conference network can be smoothly formed and conferences can be held smoothly.

[Means to solve the problem]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of the principle of the audio conference system according to the present invention.

In the figure, each of the audio input/output means 111 has an input/output function of audio information, and has a function of exchanging audio information with each other and specifying a target for information exchange.

The information exchange network forming means 113 forms an information exchange network based on the information to be exchanged designated by each of the voice input/output means 111.

The information exchange control means 115 is the information exchange network forming means 113
The exchange of voice information between the plurality of voice input/output means 111 is controlled based on the information of the information exchange network formed by the voice input/output means 111.

Therefore, as a whole, each of the audio input/output means 111 has a function of specifying the object of information exchange, and an information exchange network is formed based on the designation of each of the audio input/output means 111 to exchange audio information. It is configured as follows.

[For production]

First, each of the audio input/output means 111 specifies a target for information exchange.

Next, the information exchange network forming means 113
An information exchange network is formed based on the information to be exchanged designated by each of the 11.

The information exchange control means 115 is the information exchange network forming means 113
The exchange of voice information between the plurality of voice input/output means 111 is controlled based on the information of the information exchange network formed by the voice input/output means 111.

In the present invention, each of the audio input/output means 111 has a function of specifying a target for information exchange, and the information exchange network forming means 113 forms an information exchange network based on the specification of the audio input/output means 111. Furthermore, the information exchange control means 115
By controlling the exchange of audio information between the plurality of audio input/output means 111 based on this, the conference network can be smoothly formed and the conference can be held smoothly.

〔Example〕

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail based on the drawings.

FIG. 2 shows the configuration of a device to which the audio conference system of the present invention is applied.

1, -11 and '1P' Here, the correspondence between the embodiment of the present invention and FIG. 1 will be shown.

The audio input/output means 111 includes mask devices 2211 to 221.
Corresponds to 4.

The information exchange network forming means 113 includes a CPU 211 and a network information storage section 213. Corresponds to ~2134.

The information exchange control means 115 corresponds to the CPU 211 and the audio mixing sections 2301 to 23o4.

Examples of the present invention will be described below assuming that the correspondence relationship as described above exists.

In Figure 2, the audio conference system has a center device 21.
0, four mask devices 2211 to 2214 are connected.

The center device 210 is a CPO2 that performs overall control.
11, network information storage units 213, - 2134, which store network information of each mask device 221, and four audio mixing units 230, corresponding to each mask device 221. ~230. (only the audio mixing section 23o1 is shown), a data bus, and an audio bus.

In addition, each audio mixing section 230. is each mask device 2
4 switches (SW) corresponding to 21 231-+~2
31.4 and resistance 233. , ~233Y, and an amplifier 235 (* is 1 to 4).

Mask device 221. The information output from ~2214 is
Network information storage units 2131 to 2 correspond to each other.
134 and is supplied to the audio bus (information to the audio bus is shown only for mask device 221.).

Information from each network information storage section 213 is supplied to the data bus.

Also, on the audio bus, corresponding to each mask device 221,
Audio mixing units 2301 to 23o4 are connected (only the audio mixing unit 23o1 is shown). Audio signals from each mask device 221 are input to each audio mixing section 230 . For example, in the audio mixing section 2301, the input signals from each mask device 221 are connected to the switches 231 and 231, respectively. , ~23114, and is further input to resistor 233. , ~233. ．． via amplifier 23
51.

Audio mixing section 230. Amplifier 235 in ~23o4
The audio signals output from devices 1 to 2354 are transmitted to corresponding mask devices 2211 to 2214, respectively. Further, the control signal from the CPU 211 is transmitted to the audio mixing section 2.
30. ~23o4 (switch 231 in audio mixing section 230.
．． (only shown).

l-Actual ship±slight movement FIG. 3 shows the procedure for configuring the conference network.

Hereinafter, the operation in the embodiment will be explained based on FIGS. 2 and 3.

First, each mask device 221 specifies the person with whom it wants to hold a conference (network information), and the center device 21
0 receives the information (step 311).

The network information notified from each mask device 221 is stored in the corresponding network information storage unit 213 in the center device 210 (step 312).

Next, the CPU 211 controls the network information storage unit 213
From the information stored in , it is determined whether there are two or more pieces of the same network information (step 313).

If the same network information does not yet exist (negative determination in step 313), the process returns to step 313 and further network information data is received.

On the other hand, if two or more pieces of the same network information exist in step 313 (affirmative determination), a conference network is formed (step 314).

By the above procedure, for example, the mask devices 221, - 22
14 designates all other mask devices as information exchange partners, as shown in FIG. Network information storage unit 2 corresponding to
13. The mask mounting W221□, 2213.22in.
The network information storage unit 213□ corresponding to the mask device 221□ stores information about the mask device 221.
.

2213.221. information of the mask device 22 is stored.
The network information storage unit 213 corresponding to 13 has the following information:
Information on the mask devices 221+, 221□, and 221□ is stored, and the network information storage unit 2134 corresponding to the mask device 2214 stores information on the mask devices 221. ．． 221□,
2213 information is stored.

J setting Φ in j Δ word ■ As described above, a case will be described in which each of the mask devices 2211 to 2214 specifies all of them as targets for a conference. In other words, the network information storage units 213 and 2134 corresponding to the mask devices 221° to 2214 respectively store information on all devices other than the mask device itself.

Mask device 221. The audio signals inputted from each of the units 230I to 2214 at any time are input to the audio mixing units 230I to 2304 via the audio path.

Therefore, for example, in the audio mixing section 2301 corresponding to the mask device 2211, the mask device W221. ~
The audio signals from 2214 are respectively switched to switch 231=
t~231z, but the own device, that is, the mask device 2
21. It is controlled by the CPU 211 to block audio signals from other devices and to pass audio signals from other devices.

This allows amplifier 235. The signal output from the mask device 2211 is a signal in which audio signals from other mask devices 221 other than the own device, that is, the mask device 2211, are synthesized. Ru.

Similarly, for the other mask devices 221, the center device 2
Based on the conference network formed and controlled by the conference network 10, the corresponding audio mixing section 230 outputs audio from sources other than its own device.

■Summary of the following: First, the mask device 221. ~2214 each specifies the target of information exchange.

Information specified by the mask devices 2211-2214 is stored in the mask devices 2211-2214, and the CPU 211 forms a conference network based on this information. CPU211
and the mask devices 2211 to 2211 based on the information of the conference network formed by the audio mixing units 230 to 2304.
2214 is controlled.

Therefore, since each mask device 221 can specify a conference partner, the conference network can be smoothly formed and the conference can be held smoothly.

V, JL! 3FA of I, In addition, in "■, Correspondence between Examples and Figure 1",
Although the correspondence between the present invention and the embodiments has been described, those skilled in the art can easily imagine that the present invention is not limited to this and that there are various modifications.

〔Effect of the invention〕

As described above, according to the present invention, each of the audio input/output means has a function of specifying a target for information exchange, and the information exchange network forming means creates an information exchange network based on the specification of the audio input/output means. The information exchange control means controls the exchange of audio information between the plurality of audio input/output means based on the information exchange control means, so that the conference network can be formed smoothly and the conference can be held smoothly. is extremely useful.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a principle block diagram of the audio conference system of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a block diagram of the configuration of the audio conference system according to an embodiment of the invention, FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram of the configuration procedure of the conference network, and FIG. 4 1 is a configuration block diagram of a conventional audio conference system. In the figure, 111 is an audio input/output means, 113 is an information exchange network forming means, 115 is an information exchange control means, 210.410 is a center device, and 211.411 is a CPU. 213 is a network information storage unit, 221.421 is a mask device, 230.417 is an audio mixing unit, 231 is a switch, 233 is a resistor, 235 is an amplifier, 413 is a connection information storage unit, and 415 is a mixing information storage unit. Unreleased FifJ, 7) and ('L 7”o, / 7
(Zl Diagram 1 Explanatory diagram of Council/Net play < Hands... Diagram 3

Claims (1)

[Claims] (1) A plurality of voice input/output means (111) having voice information input/output functions, exchanging voice information with each other, and having a function of specifying a target of information exchange; and the voice input/output means (111). ), an information exchange network forming means (113) that forms an information exchange network based on information to be exchanged specified by each of the information exchange network forming means (113);
113) for controlling the exchange of audio information between the plurality of audio input/output means (111);
An audio conference system characterized in that it is configured to include.