JPH0349386A - Interrupting attendance allowing multi-point television conference system - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To extend the object range of information exchange and to improve the immediateness of information exchange by providing a conference type discriminating means, an attention request discriminating means, and a speaking request discriminating means and designating the conference type and television conference terminals to be participated through the chairman's television conference terminal at the time of opening a conference. CONSTITUTION:A controller 6-1 of a station having a chairman's terminal receives a service discrimination code through a signal reception equipment to store information indicating that the conference is open. When a person who is not designated as the participant wants to watch and listen to the open conference, he dials the terminal number of a chairman's television conference terminal 1-1 together with the service discrimination code. A signal reception equipment 5-2 in the station of this terminal reports the received chairman's terminal number to a controller 6-2. When a person who watches and listens to a television conference terminal 1-5 wants offer his opinion, he sends the service discrimination code. Upon receiving the speaking request through the signal reception equipment 5-2, the controller 6-2 reports it to the controller 6-1.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to a multipoint video conference system, and more particularly to a multipoint video conference system that allows unspecified people to participate in a conference.

[Conventional technology]

Conventionally, this type of multipoint video conference system has either fixedly connected the video conference terminals of the number of participants that can be divided by dividing the screen, or disconnected participants who are no longer needed through the operation of the chairperson. A service is being implemented in which new video conferencing terminals are added to the meeting by creating new video conferencing terminals.

[Problem to be solved by the invention]

The conventional multipoint video conferencing method described above is limited in the number of terminals that can be connected, so information can only be interactive between a limited number of participants, and it is necessary to make information available to the public as in an open forum. It cannot be used in meetings where

For example, even if a task force is set up in the event of an emergency disaster using video conferencing to ascertain the damage situation in each region, it can only be switched based on instructions from the chairperson, so it is difficult to respond flexibly from the perspective of notifying the situation. Also, even if you can view the conference status as a broadcast on another terminal, the information is generally one-way, and it is impossible for people outside the conference participants to ask questions or express their opinions. There is a drawback.

The purpose of the present invention is to allow video conference terminals other than those designated to participate in the conference to publish the conference contents and participate in the conference;
It is an object of the present invention to provide a multipoint video conference system that allows interruption participation, which can expand the scope of information exchange and bring about immediacy.

[Means to solve the problem]

The interrupt participation-permitting multipoint video conference system of the present invention includes a plurality of video conference terminals that transmit and receive information such as video, audio, and data, and video and audio synthesis means that synthesizes conference information from the information. In a multipoint video conference system of an exchange system, a conference format identification means for identifying whether the conference format is public or private; a viewing request identification means for identifying and displaying a viewing request for the conference; When holding a meeting, the format of the meeting and the video conference terminals to participate are specified from the chairperson's video conference terminal, and if a private format is specified, Only the specified video conference terminals will be allowed to participate in the conference, and if the public format is specified, the specified video conference terminals will be allowed to participate in the conference, and if there is a viewing request from a video conference terminal that was not specified, Displays a message to that effect on the chairman's video conference terminal, causes the viewing request video conference terminal to view the conference information according to permission instructions from the chairman, and if there is a request to speak from the viewing request video conference terminal that is currently viewing, the chairman The present invention is characterized in that a message to that effect is displayed on the television conference terminal, and the voice requesting television conference terminal is allowed to participate in the conference upon permission instruction from the chairperson.

〔Example〕

Next, the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of one embodiment of the present invention.

The interrupt participation-permitting multipoint video conference system of this embodiment is as follows:
A plurality of video conference terminals 1 (1-1 to 1-7) that transmit and receive information such as video, audio, and data of a video conference, a video and audio synthesis device 2 that synthesizes conference information, and a video conference terminal 1. A communication path device 3 (3-1゜3-2) that connects the video-audio synthesizer 2 and a signal receiving device 5 (5-2) that receives the service identification code from the video conference terminal 1.
1゜5-2), and a control device 6 that controls the exchange operation of the video and audio synthesizer 21, the communication path device 3, and the signal receiving device 5.
(6-1, 6-2) are provided.

Next, the operation when holding a public conference will be explained.

The conference organizer (chairman) uses his own video conference terminal 1-1.
, the video conference terminal 1 of each person designated to participate in the conference along with the service identification code indicating the public format video conference service.
Dial the terminal number -2.1-3.1-4 and hold a conference.

The control device 6-1 of the chair terminal accommodation station is connected to the signal receiving device 5-
1, and stores the fact that this conference is a public conference.

It is assumed that even those who are not designated to participate in the conference are informed in advance when the open format conference will be held and which video conference terminal 1 will be the chairperson.

If a person other than the designated participant wishes to view the open format conference, he/she will enter the service identification code indicating the open format conference viewing service from any video conference terminal 1 (from 1-5>) and the chairperson's video conference terminal 1-1. Dial the terminal number (chairperson terminal number).

The signal receiving device 5-2 of the station accommodating this terminal notifies the control device 6-2 of the received chairman terminal number. Control device 6-
2 transmits the chair terminal number to the control device 6-1 of the chair terminal accommodating station via the control signal relay line 7, and confirms that the video conference terminal 1 specified by the chair terminal number is currently in the open format. Request a rationality check to see if the meeting is being held.

If the test result is normal, the spring control device 6-1゜6-2,
Resources are secured from the viewing terminal 2a of the video/audio synthesizer 2 to the video conference terminal 1-5 via the call path device 3-1, 3-2 and the call signal relay line 4, and the connection is established.

At this point, video and audio conference information flows in one direction from the video and audio synthesizer 2 to the video conference terminals 1-5, and conference information from the same point can be distributed and connected to a plurality of terminals.

In the same manner as described above, the teleconference terminals 1-6 and 1-7 are also connected to the viewing terminal 2a of the video/audio synthesizer 2, so that the conference information can be viewed.

Next, suppose that a person watching the video conference terminal 1-5 wants to listen to the contents of the conference and express his or her opinion. At this time,
Sends a service identification code indicating a request to speak. When the control device 6-2 receives the request to speak via the signal receiving device 5-2, the control device 6-2 notifies the control device 6-1, secures resources in the reverse direction to the chair terminal accommodating station, and transmits the request to the video conference terminal 1. -1 is notified that there is a request to speak from a terminal other than the designated participating terminal.

The chairperson refers to the speech request display and, if permission to speak is possible, sends a service identification code indicating permission. The control device 6-1.6-2 connects the secured resources and switches the screen of the designated terminal to display the person requesting the speech. An example of a connection route at this time is shown by a dotted line in FIG.

This function allows a person who has not been designated to participate but who requests to speak to the meeting to temporarily participate in the meeting.

When the statement requester completes the statement and the question and answer session, the chairperson, at his or her discretion, sends out a service identification code indicating the completion of the statement. When the control device 6-1 receives the termination request, it restores the connection state of the connected speaker to the state before speaking.

Note that if the chairperson dials a service identification code indicating a private format video conference service when a conference is held, the conference becomes a private format, and those who have not been designated to participate will not be able to participate in the conference.

〔Effect of the invention〕

As explained above, the interrupt participation-permitting multipoint video conference system of the present invention can make conference content public to an unspecified number of video conference terminals other than the conference participants, and can immediately transmit opinions from viewers to the conference. Therefore, it can be used for a wide range of purposes, such as discussions and lectures, beyond the current use of closed-door meetings, and it is possible to reduce the cost and time spent going to the venue.

In addition, in the event that a wide-area disaster occurs within this network, and when setting up a disaster response headquarters connecting each affected point, video and audio from other areas can be notified, allowing emergency countermeasures to be taken. It has the effect of being immediate and providing a large amount of information when needed.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of one embodiment of the present invention. 1 (1-1 to 1-7)...TV conference terminal, 2...
・Video-audio synthesis device, 3 (3-1, 3-2>... Communication channel device, 5 (5-1, 5-2)... Signal receiving device, 6 (6-1゜6-2) ···Control device.

Claims (1)

[Claims] In a multipoint video conference system of an exchange system equipped with a plurality of video conference terminals that transmit and receive information such as video, audio, and data, and video and audio synthesis means that synthesizes conference information from the information, the format of the conference is determined. A meeting format identifying means for identifying whether to make the meeting public or private; a viewing request identifying means for identifying and displaying a viewing request for the meeting; and a speaking request identifying means for identifying and displaying a speaking request for the meeting. When holding a meeting, the chairperson's video conference terminal specifies the format of the meeting and the video conference terminals that should participate, and if a private format is specified, only the specified video conference terminals can participate in the meeting, and the meeting can be made public. If the format is specified, the specified video conference terminal will be allowed to participate in the conference, and if there is a viewing request from a video conference terminal that is not specified, this will be displayed on the chairperson video conference terminal, and the chairperson will A permission instruction causes the viewing requesting video conference terminal to view the conference information, and if there is a speaking request from the viewing requesting video conference terminal that is currently being viewed, a request to that effect is displayed on the chairperson video conference terminal, and the chairman gives permission instructions. An interruption participation-permitting multipoint video conference system, characterized in that the voice requesting video conference terminal is allowed to participate in the conference.