JPH06152790A - Multi-media detection system - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To surely switch the media at the opposite party side by identifying the types of media by making the use of the carrier frequency and at the same time detecting the set intermittent time of the carrier frequency at the receiver side. CONSTITUTION:The outgoing call is applied to a network 4 from a line control part 3 to call a multi-media center 5. A multi-media detecting part 7 of the center 5 detects the frequency by a carrier frequency detecting means 8 and also detects the intermittent time by a timer 9. Based on the detection outputs of the frequency and the timer, a deciding means 10 identifies whether the medium to be communicated is a facsimile, data communication or the continuous communication of the multi-medium. Then the relevant line is connected to the communication equipment of the corresponding medium. In a voice mode, no carrier frequency is transmitted from the outgoing call side and therefore the data communication is switched to the voice communication through the decision of the means 10.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a multimedia detecting method in communication via a network.

In recent years, in communication via various networks such as a telephone network, data communication has become common in addition to image communication such as voice communication and facsimile, and services of various media have increased for communication. With the availability of terminals capable of handling such multimedia, it is desired that communication by a plurality of media be continuously performed by switching by one communication.

[0003]

2. Description of the Related Art FIG. 8 is an explanatory view of a conventional example. FIG. 8 a. Shows an example in which communication is performed via an independent communication path corresponding to each medium. That is, in the case of a facsimile (FAX), two facsimiles (FA
X) terminals are connected via a telephone network or a facsimile network,
Image information is sent and received. b. Shows an example in which two telephones talk with each other via a telephone network, c. Two data terminals send and receive data to and from each other via a telephone network or a data network. As described above, conventionally, communication is performed via individual communication lines corresponding to each medium.

As described above, when each medium is connected via the network, there is a problem that a procedure for connecting each time and a communication charge are newly charged each time. In order to deal with this, a protocol for switching between facsimile communication and telephone communication with one connection is known. The protocol is shown in FIG. The outline is shown in.

Before the first facsimile is performed, a reservation is made to make a telephone call from the terminal X on the transmitting side to the terminal Y on the receiving side after the facsimile transmission. Then, in the sending side terminal X and the receiving side terminal Y, the reservation is stored in the control section, the telephone reservation lamp (not shown) is turned on, and when the facsimile communication is completed, both the sending side and the receiving side are controlled by the control section. The line is switched to a telephone terminal, and a ringer rings to call the person in charge. When the person in charge of both transmission and reception raises the handset after listening to this ringer, the telephone call can be continued through the communication line used for facsimile.

[0006]

However, this example of the communication reservation is realized only when the facsimile communication is switched to the telephone communication, and not only the facsimile communication and the telephone communication but also the data communication as in recent years. Even if multimedia terminals such as those described above have come to be used, if terminals with existing functions are also mixed, when switching among multiple media, it is not possible to first determine which media communication is received. When switching, it was not possible to determine which media to switch to.

The present invention provides a multimedia detecting method in communication via a network, which enables reliable switching of media even when switching media between multimedia terminals for continuous communication. With the goal.

[0008]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the principle of the present invention. In FIG. 1, 1 is a multimedia terminal, 2
-1 is a telephone device, 2-2 is a facsimile device, 2-3 is a respective data communication device of a data device, 2-M is a multimedia signal generating means, 3 is a line controller, 4 is a network such as a public network, 5 Is a multimedia center, 6 is a line control unit, 7 is a multimedia detecting unit, 8 is a carrier frequency detecting unit, 9 is a timer, and 10 is a judging unit. The multimedia terminal 1 shows only devices corresponding to three media 2-1 to 2-3, but other devices corresponding to various media such as an image device can be provided.

This principle configuration shows a configuration in which a multimedia terminal communicates with a multimedia center. However, in the case of performing communication in the opposite direction or when multimedia terminals are connected to each other via a network. Works on the same principle.

According to the present invention, the type of a medium is identified by utilizing the carrier frequency used for communication of data, facsimile, etc. from a multimedia transmitting side terminal, and the carrier frequency intermittent time is set when the medium is switched. By detecting this at the receiving side, it switches to the communication of the following media after the end of the first communication.

[0011]

In FIG. 1, when only the facsimile is communicated from the multimedia terminal 1 side, the line control unit 3 transmits to the network 4 to call the multimedia center 5. When the line control unit 6 of the multimedia center 5 responds to the call, the facsimile machine 2-2 transmits the training carrier frequency, which is predetermined for facsimile communication, intermittently at a fixed fixed time period. . In the multimedia detecting section 7 of the multimedia center 5, the carrier frequency detecting means 8 detects this frequency and the timer 9 detects the interruption time.

When the determination means 10 identifies that the medium to be communicated is a facsimile by the detection output of the frequency and the detection output of the timer, it connects the line to the communication device of the corresponding medium (facsimile). In the case of communication by the data device 2-3 of the multimedia terminal 1, after the multimedia center 5 responds, a specific carrier frequency for data (different from the carrier frequency for facsimile) is sent out, and the multimedia center 5 transmits the multimedia. By detecting the frequency by the carrier frequency detecting means 8 of the media detecting portion 7, the judging means 10 judges that the communication is data communication and notifies the line control portion 6, and the line control portion 6 determines the media (data ) Is connected to the device that handles it. In the case of voice, since the carrier frequency is not transmitted from the transmitting side, the determination means 10 determines and switches to voice communication.

When the multimedia terminal 1 continuously requests communication by a plurality of media, when the multimedia signal generating means 2-M is driven, a carrier frequency for multimedia ( Carriers are transmitted that are continuous or have a predetermined interruption time) or the same frequency as for fax or data, but with a different interruption time than other media. A multimedia detection unit 7 of the multimedia center 5 detects a multimedia request by detecting a carrier frequency (when different from other carrier frequencies) or by detecting a carrier frequency (same as other carrier frequencies) and an interruption time. You can When this is detected, the multimedia center 5 determines that the communication is multimedia communication, and determines which media of the plurality of media is used for data communication (for example, data communication with the multimedia terminal 1). The center transmits the menu and receives the menu selection result from the terminal), and after one communication is completed, the line is maintained and communication by other media is continued.

In the principle configuration of FIG. 1, the multimedia terminal 1 requests the multimedia center 5 for communication, but since the multimedia center 5 originates the communication and communicates with the multimedia terminal 1. Can be provided. In that case, the multimedia terminal 1 is provided with the same configuration as the multimedia detection unit 7, and the multimedia center 5 is provided with the multimedia signal generating means 2-M.

[0015]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS FIG. 2 is a block diagram of an embodiment of a multimedia detecting circuit, and FIGS. 3 and 4 are timing charts (1) and (2) of a signal indicating a medium and a detecting operation.

The multimedia detection circuit shown in FIG. 2 is provided in the multimedia terminal 1 or the multimedia center 5 shown in FIG. 1 and is connected to a public network (telephone line) as a network.

In FIG. 2, reference numeral 20 is a multimedia detecting unit, 21 is a data carrier detector for detecting 2100HZ, 22 is a FAX carrier detector for detecting 1100HZ, 23 is a timer and determination circuit, and 24 is a loop detecting unit. .

The operation of FIG. 2 will be described with reference to FIGS. 3 and 4. A. of FIG. Is an example of designating data communication, and when a direct current loop is formed by responding through a telephone line, the loop detection unit 24 generates a detection output (in FIG. 3) and supplies it to the timer and determination circuit 23. . After this loop is detected, the frequency 2 that represents the data communication on the sending side
A continuous data carrier signal of 100HZ is sent (in FIG. 3). This frequency signal is 2100HZ detector 2
1 and is supplied to the timer and determination circuit 23. In this case, a determination output indicating that the data communication is performed is generated by detecting that the output from the data carrier detector 21 continues for a certain period of time by the timer (in FIG. 3).

Referring to FIG. Is an example of designating facsimile (FAX) communication. In this case, the FAX carrier is sent after the loop detection (A.). This F
The AX carrier has a frequency of 1100 HZ, and the intermittent pattern in which it continues for 3 seconds (S) and then stops for 1 second (S) is repeated (in FIG. 3). This fax carrier is FA
The output detected by the X carrier detector 22 and its on / off detection is supplied to the timer and determination circuit 23, where FA
FAX monitoring in about 4 seconds at the shortest by timer monitoring of X carrier duration (3 seconds) and stop period (1 second)
Generates a decision output for communication (of FIG. 3).

Next, referring to FIG. Is a timing chart when specifying multimedia (selecting a medium by switching from a plurality of media). In this example, F is used as a signal for designating this multimedia.
The AX carrier (frequency 1100HZ) is used, and the intermittent pattern is made different from the carrier pattern for instructing FAX communication (B. in FIG. 3 above), and the pattern of continuing for 1 second and then stopping for 1 second is repeated.

When a FAX carrier having such a pattern is input after the detection by the loop detector 24 (in FIG. 4), F
The AX carrier detector 22 generates a detection output and supplies it to the timer and determination circuit 23 (in FIG. 4). The timer / judgment circuit 23 judges that the communication is multimedia communication by monitoring that the detection time of the FAX carrier is 1 second and the stop time is 1 second, and outputs the judgment result (FIG. 4). of).

Next, in the case of voice communication, after the loop detection output is generated by the loop detection unit 24, only the signal in the voice band of 0.3 KHZ to 4.0 KHZ is received, and the carrier from the transmission side is used as the data carrier. Detector 21 and F
Neither of the AX carrier detectors 22 detects. Therefore, the timer / judgment circuit 23 generates a judgment output for voice communication because it is neither data, FAX nor multimedia after the loop detection.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing the detection time (timer monitoring time) of each medium. This is a summary of the detection operations of FIGS. 3 and 4 above. When detecting the data communication after detecting the loop shown in, when the data carrier is input as shown in, the signal of 2100HZ is output for 2 cycles or more. By detecting, it can be detected that it is data (communication). In the case of FAX communication, it is necessary to receive at least one pattern of 3 second transmission and 1 second stop, so 4
It takes more than a second. In addition, multimedia signals are fax
It is necessary to detect only one intermittent pattern of carriers every second, and the time required for detection is 2 seconds or more. Further, in the case of voice, the detection output of voice is generated after it is confirmed that none of the detection outputs of the signals of the respective media described above is generated after the loop detection, so that a detection time of 4 seconds or more is required. .

FIG. 6 is a block diagram of media switching by multimedia detection. FIG. 6 can be provided in either a multimedia terminal or a multimedia center. In the figure, 60a to 60c are switches, 61a is a data device, 61b is an image device such as a facsimile,
Reference numeral 61c is a voice device (telephone device), 62 is a multimedia detector (corresponding to 20 in FIG. 2), and 63 is a line controller.

After the connection with the communication partner (after detecting the loop), the multimedia detecting unit 62 identifies the media type by the carrier sent from the partner as described with reference to FIGS. When the identification result is sent to the line controller 63, the line controller 63 drives the switch corresponding to the identified medium among the switches 60a to 60c provided corresponding to each medium. In this way, one of the data device 61a, the image device 61b, and the audio device 61c connected by the switch is connected to the line to execute communication.

In the configuration of FIG. 6, a control procedure for selecting a medium when the multimedia detecting section 62 detects a signal designating the multimedia is executed. FIG. 7 is an example of an operation sequence of media switching using a multimedia signal. In this example, a multimedia signal is transmitted from a multimedia center (hereinafter referred to as a center) to a multimedia terminal (hereinafter referred to as a terminal) via a network.

After the center and the terminal are connected via the network, when the center sends a multimedia signal requesting multimedia (for example, the signal of FIG. 4) (a of FIG. 7), the terminal detects the multimedia. When the multimedia signal is received and identified by the section (62 in FIG. 6), the line is switched to the data modem. That is, FIG.
The switch 60a is turned on to connect the data modem in the data device 61a to the line. At this time, the center side can switch to connect the line to the data modem after transmitting the multimedia signal.

After this, the connection procedure (existing procedure) is executed by the data modem between the terminal and the center (b in FIG. 7). When the connection procedure is completed, the text data including the multimedia menu selection screen is transmitted from the center to the terminal (c in FIG. 7). The terminal receives this menu data, displays it on a display device (a display (not shown) included in the data device 61a of FIG. 6), and selects a desired medium from the menu (assuming that FAX is selected). The data (command data) instructing the switching to the selected medium is transmitted from the data modem of the terminal to the center (d in FIG. 7). At this time, in the terminal, an instruction to switch to FAX is sent from the data device 61a to the line control unit 63 via the multimedia detection unit 62, and the line control unit 63 turns on the switch 60b and turns off 60a and the image device 61b. To the line.

Upon receiving the switching data (command data) from the terminal, the center analyzes the communication device of the instructed media (in this example, a FAX including a FAX modem).
Device) to connect to the line. Subsequently, a signal including training according to the existing FAX procedure is transmitted and received by the facsimile of the center and the terminal (e in FIG. 7), and the FAX data (image) is transmitted from the center to the terminal (f in FIG. 7).

When the transmission of the FAX data is completed, the image device 61b of the terminal detects the disconnection of the FAX carrier and notifies the multimedia detecting section 62 of it. Since the FAX communication is executed (stored) on the basis of the multimedia signal, the multimedia detecting unit 62 determines that the FA
Even if the X communication is completed, the line controller 63 is instructed to switch to the data modem without disconnecting the line.

After that, when each communication for the menu is performed and the menu data is transmitted from the center to the terminal (g in FIG. 7), if the terminal selects "End" in the menu, the end command is issued. It is transmitted from the data modem to the center (h in FIG. 7). When the center receives this command data, it sends a line disconnection command (i in FIG. 7). When the terminal receives this line disconnection command, it issues a line disconnection request to the line controller 63 of FIG. 6 to disconnect the line.

The sequence shown in FIG. 7 is for the case where the multimedia signal is transmitted / received. If the multimedia signal is not transmitted / received, the data shown in FIG.
When a signal for instructing each medium of X or a voice medium is received, the line is switched corresponding to each medium, and the line is disconnected when the communication is completed.

[0033]

According to the present invention, in the communication between multimedia devices, the type can be detected in the case of communication by one of a plurality of media, and an arbitrary plurality of media can be connected in one line connection. It is possible to detect multimedia communication in which continuous communication is performed by the media. In addition, it is possible to reliably determine the media when an incoming call is made between existing devices equipped with a plurality of media, and it is possible to continuously perform communication using a plurality of media through the connected line, thus eliminating unnecessary transmission. You can use the line effectively.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a principle configuration diagram of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of an embodiment of a multimedia detection circuit.

FIG. 3 is a timing chart (part 1) of a signal indicating a medium and a detection operation.

FIG. 4 is a timing chart (part 2) of a signal indicating a medium and a detection operation.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a detection time (timer monitoring time) of each medium.

FIG. 6 is a configuration diagram of media switching by multimedia detection.

FIG. 7 is an example of an operation sequence of media switching using a multimedia signal.

FIG. 8 is an explanatory diagram of a conventional example.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 multimedia terminal 2-1 telephone device 2-2 facsimile device 2-3 data device 2-M multimedia signal generating means 3 line control unit 4 network 5 multimedia center 6 line control unit 7 multimedia detection unit 8 carrier frequency detection Means 9 Timer 10 Judging Means

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A multimedia detection method in a system in which two multimedia communication devices having telephone, facsimile, and data communication functions communicate with each other via a network, wherein the multimedia communication device is a communication device from a partner communication device. It is equipped with a means for detecting the carrier frequency and a timer for monitoring the duration of each carrier. Depending on whether the partner device requests communication with a single medium or continuously switches a plurality of media. , Carrier frequency, transmission of intermittent pattern of carrier frequency, or no transmission of carrier frequency, and the partner device communicates by any one medium by the carrier frequency detection means and the monitoring output of the timer. Requesting or switching communication by multiple media A multimedia detection method characterized by determining whether a request is made. 2. The multimedia communication device according to claim 1, further comprising a line control unit controlled by a multimedia detection result, wherein the line control unit is a single medium specified by a partner device. If it is determined that the communication device is connected to the line, and if it is determined that the media requested by the partner device is performed by switching a plurality of media, the data communication device is connected and data for media selection is sent. A multimedia detection method characterized by transmitting and receiving.