JPH04120936A - Communication equipment - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To easily recognize the transfer speed of each medium under transmission/reception by an operator at present by providing a data transmitting/receiving means to transmit/receive the plural kinds of media information at the plural kinds of transfer speed, and an output means to output the transfer speed for each medium to be transmitted/received by the data transmitting/receiving means. CONSTITUTION:A system control part 14 calculates the information transfer speed for each medium according to the information transfer speed and the communication mode of a communication path at present and reports the calculated result to a video interface part 9 as text information. The video interface part 9 receiving the calculated result synthesizes the text information from the system control part 14 and a received picture signal from a video code decoding part 10 and displays the result on a display part 8. Thus, since the transfer speed of picture information is calculated from the communication mode at present and displayed on the display part 8, the operator can easily recognize the transfer speed for each medium.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to a communication device that performs communication by combining a plurality of media with other communication devices connected via a communication line.

[Prior Art] Recently, communication services using 15DN lines have been started, and multimedia services such as videophone and video conference systems using digital lines are attracting attention.

Accordingly, service specifications, protocol specifications, multimedia multiplexing frame configuration regulations, etc. for multimedia services are based on H.
320, H, 242H.

It has been announced as 221st magnitude.

H.221 defines the frame structure in multimedia services on 64 Kbps to 1920 Kbps channels, and the coding assignment of BAS (bit allocation signal) used for exchanging terminal capabilities, specifying communication modes, etc.

8.242 defines protocols for capability exchange and communication mode switching between multimedia terminals using BAS, and H.320 defines system aspects of multimedia services in general.

In the above recommendation (or draft recommendation), procedures such as setting up a physical connection between terminals, exchanging terminal capabilities using BAS in-channel, and mode switching sequence by specifying the communication mode, etc. image,
Methods for performing multimedia communications such as voice and data are defined. However, it is outside the scope of regulations for each terminal to convert its own terminal capabilities depending on the situation, or which communication mode to use within the range of exchanged capabilities.

The information transfer rate of each medium in multimedia communication is determined by specifying the audio encoding method, and data information is determined by specifying whether or not to use it and the transfer rate if it is used. Then, the information transfer rate of the image information is obtained by subtracting the audio transfer rate and the data information transfer rate from the information transfer rate of the entire set communication path. Therefore, the information regarding the transfer rate specified when notifying the other party of one's own communication mode using the BAS is only the audio encoding method and the transfer rate, and the transfer rate for images is automatically set within the system.

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] However, in the conventional apparatus described above, in order for the operator to know the transfer speed of image information, the operator must have knowledge of the information transfer speed of the communication channel and the information transfer speed of each encoding method. In addition, it was necessary to calculate the image information speed by taking into account the specified information transfer speed.

In addition, when starting a communication, the operator can set the communication capability of the own terminal for that communication and the communication mode to be used in the actual communication, but the communication mode may be changed depending on the result of communication capability negotiation with the other party. The settings may not always be as set by the operator.

Therefore, it has not been easy to recognize the actual communication speed.

[Means for Solving the Problems] The present invention has been made for the purpose of solving the above problems, and includes the following configuration as one means for solving the above problems.

That is, in a communication device that performs communication using a combination of multiple media with another communication device connected via a communication line, there is provided a data transmitting/receiving means for transmitting/receiving multiple media information at multiple transfer speeds, and the data transmitting/receiving means. The apparatus includes an output means for outputting the transfer speed of each medium transmitted and received by the means.

[Operation] In the above configuration, the transfer rate output means outputs the transfer rate of each medium handled by the sending/receiving means. This allows the operator to easily recognize the transfer speed of each medium currently being transmitted and received.

[Example] An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a multimedia communication device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

In the figure, 1 is a handset which is a voice input/output means of this device, 2 is a microphone which is one of voice input means of this device, and 3 is a speaker which is one of voice output means of this device. . 4 is a switching control for switching the handset 1, microphone 2, and speaker 3 as audio input/output means according to instructions from the system control unit 15, and on/off hook detection control for detecting whether the handset 1 is in an on-hook state or an off-hook state. , echo cancellation processing to eliminate echo when using 2 and speaker 3 as audio input/output means, dial tone, ring tone,
This is an audio interface unit that performs processing for generating tones such as busy tones and ring tones. 5 is a system control unit 14
According to the instructions, 64Kbps PCM A method or
64 K bps PCM u method or 64 bps /
56 Kbps /48 Kbps SB-ADPC
M, 32Kbps ADPCM, 16Kbps (e.g.
This is an audio encoding/decoding unit that encodes a transmitted audio signal and decodes a received audio signal according to an audio signal encoding/decoding algorithm such as APCAB) or 8 Kbps. 6 is one of the image input means of this device, and is a video camera for inputting a moving image such as an operator's self-portrait. 7 is one of the image input means of this device, and is a camera for inputting a moving image such as a self-portrait of the operator. A still image camera for inputting images, 8 is an input image from the camera 6 or still image camera 7, or an image received from the other party,
This is a display unit that displays the operation screen information transfer speed, etc. 9 controls switching of image manual means such as the video camera 6 and still image camera 7 according to instructions from the system control unit 14, performs display switching processing of input images, received images, and the operation screen of the display unit 86, and displays them on the display unit 8. 10 is a video encoding/decoding unit that performs decoding of transmitted images and decoding of received image signals in accordance with CCI TT Recommendation Draft H, 261; 11 is a video interface unit that performs image signal synthesis processing for split display; Data terminal for data communication, 12
13 is a data interface unit that notifies the demultiplexing unit 15 of transmission data from the data terminal 11 and the system control unit 14, and also notifies the data terminal 11 or the system control unit 14 of received data; and 13, which controls the overall control of the device. 14 is a CPU 14a and a ROM 14;
b.

A system control unit includes a RAM 14c, an auxiliary storage unit 14d, etc., and monitors the status of each unit, controls the entire device, creates operation/display screens according to the status, executes application programs, etc. 15 is a CCI TT recommendation H, 221
Accordingly, the audio signal from the audio encoding/decoding section 5, the image signal from the video encoding/decoding section 1O, the data from the data interface section 12, and the RAS from the system control section 14 are multiplexed in units of transmission frames. , a demultiplexing unit that separates the received frame into constituent media and notifies each unit, and 16 a line interface unit that controls the line according to the I5DN user/network interface.

FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating the screen state of the display unit 8, and the second
In the figure, 81 is a received image of the other party, and 82 is a window for displaying the information transfer rate for each medium being sent and received. Displayed compositely.

Figure 3 shows the information transfer speed display window 8 for each medium.
2 is a diagram showing a detailed display example of No. 2, and in FIG.
2 is a section indicating the information transfer speed of the receiving media, and the current transfer speeds of audio, image, and data are displayed in specific numerical values. Therefore, the operator can immediately recognize the communication speed of all transmitted and received information just by looking at this display.

The operation of this embodiment having the above configuration will be described below with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

In order to start multimedia communication, the operator sets the capability information of his/her own terminal using the operation unit 13 in step 5401, and inputs and sets the communication mode in step 5402.

Next, in step 5403, the other party's number and sub-address are input from the operation unit 13, and in step 5404, an instruction to start communication is given from the operation unit.

In step 3405, the system control unit 14 requests the line interface unit 16 to start call setup using the input party number and party subaddress as parameters. The line interface section 16 executes the I5DN call setup procedure, and when the procedure is completed and the call is set up, it notifies the system control section 14 that the call setup is complete. When the call setup is completed, the system control section 14 requests the demultiplexing section 15 to establish in-channel synchronization in step 5406.

The demultiplexer 15 executes the in-channel period establishment procedure in accordance with CCI TT Recommendation H.221. Demultiplexer 1
5 notifies the system control unit 14 of completion of synchronization establishment upon completion of in-channel synchronization establishment.

When in-channel synchronization establishment is completed, system control unit 1
4, the BAS performs a capability exchange sequence with the other terminal based on the various capability information set in step 5407, and negotiates capabilities that can be used for communication.

When the capability exchange is completed, the terminal notifies the other party of the communication mode to be used for communication within the scope of the capabilities negotiated in step 3408. At this time, the other party's terminal also notifies you of the communication mode it will use for communication.

In the subsequent step 5409, the system control unit 14 calculates the information transfer rate of each medium from the current communication channel information transfer rate and communication mode, and notifies the video interface unit 9 of the calculated results as text information. The video interface section 9 that has received the calculation result performs step 5.
At 410, the text information from the system control unit 14 and the received image signal from the video code/decoder 10 are combined and displayed on the display unit 8.

The display unit 8 includes a transfer speed display window 8 along with a received image 81.
2, the transfer rate 821 of each medium for transmission and the transfer rate 822 of each medium for reception are displayed.

Furthermore, if the communication capability or communication mode is changed during communication in step 5411, steps 8407 to 54
10 is repeated, and the transfer speed of each medium at that point is displayed.

If the communication mode is not changed, the process waits until the communication ends or the communication mode is changed in step 5412.

As described above, in this embodiment, the image information transfer rate is calculated from the current communication mode and displayed on the display unit 8, so that the operator can know the transfer rate for each medium.

[Other Embodiments] In the above embodiments, the information transfer rate for each medium is displayed numerically, but this may be expressed graphically such as a graph. This improves visibility compared to displaying numerical values.

Furthermore, although the information transfer speed for each medium is displayed in combination with the image received from the other party, this may be displayed on a separate screen.

This improves the separability between the received image and the information transfer rate.

Furthermore, a switch or the like is provided to determine whether or not to display the information transfer rate for each medium, and display/non-display can be switched according to an operator's instruction.

This allows effective use of space on the screen.

As explained above, according to these embodiments, the transfer speed of image information is calculated from the current communication mode and displayed together with the transfer speed of other media, so that the operator can know the transfer speed of each media. obtain.

Further, in the above description, the transfer speed is displayed on the display unit as an example, but it may also be printed out from a printer or the like, or output as audio information from a speaker or the like.

[Effects of the Invention] As explained above, according to the present invention, the transfer speed of each medium currently being sent and received can be output, and the operator can easily recognize the transfer speed of each medium and determine the appropriate You can take action.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a communication device according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the screen state of the display section 8 of this embodiment, and FIG. 3 is a diagram showing the display section of this embodiment. FIG. 4 is a communication control flowchart in this embodiment, showing a detailed display example of the information transfer rate display window for each medium. In the diagram, 1... handset, 2... microphone, 3...
・Speaker, 4...Audio interface section, 5...
- Audio encoding/decoding section, 6... Camera, 7... Document camera, 8... Display section, 9... Video interface section, 10... Video encoding/decoding section, 11...・
Operation unit, 12... Data interface unit, 13.
...Operation unit, 14...System control unit, 15...Demultiplexing unit, 16...Line interface unit. Top J] Hey! -E

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] In a communication device that performs communication by combining a plurality of media with another communication device connected via a communication line, there is provided a data transmitting/receiving means for transmitting and receiving a plurality of media information at a plurality of transfer speeds; , a communication device comprising an output means for outputting a transfer rate for each medium transmitted and received by the data transmission and reception means.