JPH07297821A - Multi-spot communication terminal equipment - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To abandon data transmitted from one multi-spot communication terminal equipment at the time when this data is completely repeated and transferred to all of communication terminal equipments as a transmission destination objects. CONSTITUTION:A transmission destination terminal setting means 2 which sets transmission destination terminal information for discrimination of one or plural communication terminal equipments, a user information processing means 7 which processes user information set in the data part of multi-spot data in the case that the local terminal equipment is designated as the transmission destination terminal equipment, a transmission destination terminal deleting means 6 which deletes information of the local terminal and communication terminal equipments which are not connected, a data repeating processing means 8 which repeats and transfers multi-spot data to the adjacent communication terminal equipment in the case that communication terminal equipments other than the local communication terminal equipment is set in transmission destination terminal information of received multi-spot data, and a data abandoning means 9 which abandons multi-spot data in the case that they are not set in transmission destination terminal information of received multi-spot data are provided to prevent unefficient data transfer.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a multipoint communication terminal device used in a multipoint communication system, and more particularly to ISDN.
A multipoint communication terminal for use in a multipoint communication system in which a plurality of multipoint communication terminal devices are connected in a ring or chain to a digital line such as (service integrated digital network) to perform multipoint communication Regarding the device.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, the development of image compression coding technology and I
With the spread of high-speed, high-quality digital lines represented by SDN, recommendations for AV (audio-visual) services are provided by ITU-T Recommendation H.264. 320, H.M. 242, H.H.
221 etc. and various multipoint communication systems according to those recommendations have been developed, and these multipoint communication systems are capable of communicating between three or more multipoints. There is a video conference system.

FIG. 3 shows a multipoint conference control unit MCU (Multipoint Contr) for controlling a multipoint conference as one of multipoint connection configurations of a multipoint video conference system.
ol Unit) is used.

In FIG. 3, reference numeral 200 denotes an ISDN basic interface, which is one of digital lines and has two information channels (hereinafter, referred to as B channel) for transferring user information and a control information transfer. It is composed of one control channel (hereinafter referred to as D channel).

Reference numeral 201 denotes a multipoint conference control unit MCU for controlling the multipoint video conference. Reference numerals 202 to 205 denote first to fourth video conference terminals that participate in the multi-point video conference.

In the case of multipoint connection using the multipoint conference control unit MCU as shown in FIG. 3, the video conference terminal does not need to have a special function for multipoint communication, but the following is shown. There is such a problem.

That is, when the multipoint conference control unit MCU is in an inoperable state or when the multipoint conference control unit MCU is used for another multipoint conference, a multipoint conference can be held. Can not.

Since the multipoint conference control unit MCU requires the same number of communication control circuits and image coding / decoding circuits as connectable video conference terminals, the multipoint conference control unit MCU. It itself becomes very expensive.

Further, the capacity of the multipoint conference control unit MCU limits the number of video conference terminals that can participate. Therefore, a multipoint connection form in which a plurality of video conference terminals are connected in a ring or chain without using the multipoint conference control unit MCU has been considered.

Thus, the multipoint conference control unit MCU
FIG. 4 shows an example of a ring-shaped connection form, and FIG. 5 shows an example of a chain-shaped connection form as an example of multipoint connection without using the. 4 and 5, reference numerals 300 and 400 denote multipoint videoconference terminals having a multipoint communication function including a function of a pseudo multipoint conference control unit MCU for controlling a multipoint video conference.

Further, 301 to 303 and 401 to 40
Reference numeral 3 is a multipoint video conference terminal having a multipoint communication function that participates in the multipoint video conference.

As shown in these figures, in the case of the multipoint connection form without the multipoint conference control unit MCU,
Each multipoint video conference terminal is connected to a ring-shaped or chain-shaped communication path, and video, audio, graphic data, etc. are multiplexed and relayed and transferred to the communication path.

[0013]

However, in the case of the multipoint connection without using the multipoint conference control unit MCU, the line speed of the communication line is limited (about 64 kbps in the case of ISDN basic interface). There is a problem that the data transmitted from a certain multipoint video conference terminal is relayed and transferred infinitely, which hinders smooth operation of the conference.

Further, in the case of the ring-shaped multipoint connection configuration, the source multipoint videoconferencing terminal itself goes around all the multipoint videoconferencing terminals participating in the multipoint videoconference by itself. Inefficient data transfer such as discarding transmitted data was performed. When such inefficient data transfer is performed, there is a serious influence such as a decrease in speed on the transfer of video and audio, and there is a problem that a smooth video conference cannot be held.

The present invention has been made in view of the above problems.
It is an object of the present invention to allow data transmitted by one multipoint communication terminal device to be discarded when all the multipoint communication terminal devices to which the data is transmitted are relay-transferred.

[0016]

A multipoint communication terminal device used in a multipoint video conference system according to the present invention is configured such that a plurality of multipoint communication terminal devices are connected to a digital line in a ring shape or a chain shape and controlled. A multipoint communication terminal device configured to transfer multipoint data composed of a data section and a data section between the plurality of multipoint communication terminal devices to perform multipoint communication. Transmission destination terminal setting means for setting transmission destination terminal information for identifying at least one multipoint communication terminal device as a transmission destination of the multipoint data at the time of data transmission in the multipoint data control unit; When receiving the multipoint data, check the destination terminal information set in the control unit of the received multipoint data, and if the own terminal device is designated as the destination terminal device, the multipoint Information processing means for processing the information set in the data part of the inter-point data, terminal information deleting means for deleting the information of the own terminal device from the destination terminal information of the received multipoint data, and the above-mentioned received information Data for relay transfer of the multipoint data to an adjacent multipoint communication terminal device when a multipoint communication terminal device other than the own terminal device is set in the destination terminal information of the multipoint data Providing a relay means and a data discarding means for discarding the multipoint data when no multipoint communication terminal device other than the own terminal device is set in the destination terminal information of the received multipoint data. It is a thing.

Another feature of the present invention is that
In addition to providing a source terminal setting means for setting source terminal information for identifying the source multipoint communication terminal device at the time of transmitting the multipoint data, in the control unit of the multipoint data, When receiving multipoint data,
Check the destination terminal information set in the control unit of the received multipoint data, set in the data section of the multipoint data for each multipoint communication terminal device identified by the source terminal information. The information changing means for changing the existing information is provided.

Another feature of the present invention is a connection position identifying means for identifying whether or not the connection position of the multipoint communication terminal device is the end of a chained multipoint connection. When the connection position of the multipoint communication terminal device is at the end of the chained multipoint connection, the multipoint data is relayed and transferred to the multipoint communication terminal device that is the transmission source of the multipoint data. At the same time, when the connection position is other than the end of the chained multipoint connection, a relay direction identification means for relaying and transferring to a multipoint communication terminal device different from the transfer source of the multipoint data is provided. There is.

Further, another feature of the present invention is that the destination terminal information of the received multipoint data is set with information about the multipoint communication terminal device not connected to the multipoint communication. In this case, the non-connection terminal information deleting means for deleting the information regarding the multipoint communication terminal device is provided.

[0020]

Since the present invention has the above-mentioned technical means, the multipoint data is discarded when all the multipoint communication terminal devices as the transmission destinations are relay-transferred, and the multipoint data is infinite. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the inconvenience of inefficient data transfer due to being relayed to.

[0021]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of a multipoint communication terminal device used in a multipoint video conference system of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram showing an example of a functional configuration of a multipoint communication terminal device used in the multipoint communication system of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 1, the multipoint communication terminal device of this embodiment includes a data transmission processing means, a transmission destination terminal setting means, a transmission source terminal setting means, a data reception processing means, a transmission destination terminal deletion processing means, and a user. It is composed of an information processing means, a data relay processing means, a received data discarding means, an input / output interface 20, and the like.

The data transmission processing means to the received data discarding means are composed of a program stored in a ROM 2 described later and a CPU 1.
The input / output interface 20 is used to connect the multipoint communication terminal device to a digital line or an external device.
SDN basic interface, operation unit 4 such as keyboard
Are connected.

Next, FIG. 2 shows a concrete hardware structure of the multipoint communication terminal device of this embodiment. In FIG. 2, reference numeral 1 is a CPU, which is for executing a program stored in the ROM 2. The ROM 2 is for storing programs for realizing various functions such as the data transmission processing unit to the received data discarding unit as described above.

A RAM 3 is used as a storage area for various data and a work area for the CPU 1. An operation unit 4 has input devices such as a keyboard, a tablet, and a mouse used for inputting control information for controlling the multipoint communication terminal device of this embodiment.

Reference numeral 5 is a voice input / output means, which has a handset, a microphone, a speaker, etc.
It is for performing digital conversion and digital / analog conversion processing. Reference numeral 6 denotes a voice encoding / decoding unit, which is an IT
It is provided to perform a coding process of a transmission voice signal and a decoding process of a reception voice signal in accordance with a voice coding / decoding algorithm defined by the U-T recommendation G series.

Reference numeral 7 denotes an image input / output unit having a CRT monitor, a person camera, a document camera, etc., for performing analog / digital conversion and digital / analog conversion processing of image signals.

An image editing unit 8 is for performing processing such as windowing, filtering, combining character data and / or graphic data. An image encoding / decoding unit 9 is an ITU-T recommendation H.264. It is provided for performing the encoding process of the transmission image and the decoding process of the reception image according to the image encoding / decoding algorithm defined by H.261.

Numeral 10 is a demultiplexing unit, which is recommended by ITU-T Recommendation H.264. 221, an audio signal from the audio encoding / decoding unit 6 and an image signal from the image encoding / decoding unit 9;
In addition, various data signals input via the channel interface 12 are subjected to multiplexing processing for multiplexing in transmission frame units according to the current communication capability and communication mode, or a reception frame is separated into each medium of a constituent unit, and voice code This is for performing a separation process of notifying the decoding / decoding unit 6, the image coding / decoding unit 9, and the channel interface 12.

Reference numeral 11 is a line interface, which is an ISD.
It is connected to N lines and controls the lines according to the ISDN user / network interface. 12 is
The above-mentioned channel interface is for connecting an external device such as a personal computer.

In this embodiment, the ITU-T Recommendation H.264 processed by the demultiplexing unit 10 is used. H.221. Two
It is assumed that a 21-frame LSD (low-speed data) slot is used and LAPB (balanced link access procedure) is applied to the LSD slot to perform data transfer between adjacent multipoint video conference terminals.

FIG. 6 shows an example of the data structure of the HDLC frame transferred by the balanced link access procedure LAPB in the multipoint video conference terminal according to the embodiment of the present invention.

In FIG. 6, 500 is an HDLC frame transferred between the multipoint video conference terminals, 501 is a start flag for identifying the start of the HDLC frame 500, and 502 is the HDLC frame 500. It is an address part for identifying a command / response.

Reference numeral 503 denotes the HDLC frame 5 mentioned above.
A control unit for identifying a frame type of 00, 504
Is a part of the data part of the HDLC frame 500, is transmission source terminal information for identifying the transmission source terminal of the multipoint data, and 505 is the HDLC frame 50.
It is a part of the data part of 0 and is destination terminal information for identifying the destination terminal of the multipoint data.

Reference numeral 506 is a part of the data portion of the HDLC frame 500, user information transferred by the multipoint data, 507 is a frame transmission error detection sequence (FCS), and 508 is the HDLC frame 500. Is a termination flag for identifying the termination of.

In the present invention, the above-mentioned multipoint data means source terminal information 504, destination terminal information 505 and user information 506. Further, the control unit of the multipoint data is the source terminal information 504 and the destination terminal information 505, and the data unit of the multipoint data is the user information 506.

FIG. 7 is a flow chart showing an example of data transmission processing in the multipoint video conference terminal according to the embodiment of the present invention. In step S600, the user information transmitted by the multipoint video conference terminal is set in the data section of the multipoint data.

In step S601, the identification information of the own terminal is set in the control unit of the multipoint data as the source terminal information of the multipoint data. In step S602, as the destination terminal information of the multipoint data, one or a plurality of multipoint video conference terminals participating in the multipoint video conference as the destination of the user information set in step S600. Identification information is set in the control unit of the multipoint data.

The data transmission process shown in FIG. 7 is activated in the multipoint video conference terminal each time user information to be transmitted to another multipoint video conference terminal is generated.

FIG. 8 is a flow chart showing an example of data reception processing in the multipoint video conference terminal according to the embodiment of the present invention. In step S700, the destination terminal information is acquired from the control unit of the received multipoint data.

In step S701, the above step S7 is performed.
The destination terminal information acquired in step 00 is checked. If the destination terminal information contains information indicating its own terminal, the process proceeds to step S702. If not stored, the process proceeds to step S703.

In step S702, user information processing is activated to process the user information stored in the data part of the multipoint data. Next, in step S703, in the destination terminal information of the multipoint data, the multipoint videoconference terminal not connected to the multipoint video conference, or the multipoint video conference that is disconnected from the multipoint video conference on the way. Check whether the information about the point-to-point video conference terminal is set. Then, when the information regarding the non-connected multipoint video conference terminal is set, the information is deleted. Therefore, even if incorrect transmission source terminal information is set, it is possible to prevent a decrease in communication efficiency due to endless circulation of multipoint data between terminals.

Next, in step S704, it is checked whether or not the information about the multipoint videoconference terminal other than the self terminal is stored in the destination terminal information of the multipoint data, and another multipoint video conference is checked. If the information about the terminal is stored, the process proceeds to step S705. If the above information is not stored, the process proceeds to step S706.

In step S705, a data relay process is started to transfer the multipoint data to a multipoint video conference terminal other than the own terminal set by the destination terminal information of the multipoint data. To do.

In step S706, since the multipoint data is transferred to all the multipoint video conference terminals designated by the destination terminal information, the multipoint data is discarded. The data reception process shown in FIG. 8 is activated each time the multipoint video conference terminal receives multipoint data. With the above configuration, inefficient data transfer due to endless relay transfer of multipoint data can be prevented.

FIG. 9 is a flow chart showing an example of user information processing in the multipoint video conference terminal according to the embodiment of the present invention. In step S800, the source terminal information set in the control unit for the multipoint data is acquired.

Next, in step S801, the user information set in the data part of the multipoint data is acquired. In step S802, the user information acquired in step S801 is transferred together with the source terminal information acquired in step S800 to a higher-level processing unit that processes the user information.

FIG. 10 is a diagram showing the concept of the process of assembling the user information transferred in step S802 of FIG. In FIG. 10, A to D are inter-multipoint television terminals that participate in the multipoint multipoint videoconference, and include a first multipoint multipoint videoconference terminal A, a second multipoint multipoint video conference terminal B, and a third multipoint multipoint video conference terminal A. The user information is transferred from the multipoint video conference terminal C to the fourth multipoint video conference terminal D.

Reference numeral 904 denotes H for data transfer shown in FIG.
The multipoint data transferred between the multipoint video conference terminals by the DLC frame 500 is shown. 905
Indicates source terminal information indicating a multipoint video conference terminal that is a transfer source of the multipoint data set in the control unit of the multipoint data 904, and 906 indicates a data portion of the multipoint data 904. It shows the user information set in.

Reference numeral 907 denotes a receiving unit for processing the multipoint data 904 received by the fourth multipoint video conference terminal D according to the data receiving process shown in FIG. Reference numeral 908 denotes source terminal information 905 and user information 9 of the multipoint data identified by the receiving unit 907 as being addressed to the fourth multipoint video conference terminal D.
06 is an assembly unit (user information processing means) to which the data is transferred.

Reference numeral 909 denotes a separating unit in the assembling unit 908 that separates the received user information 906 for each of the multipoint video conference terminals A to C by the accompanying transmission source terminal information 905. In 910 to 912, the user information for each of the separated multi-point video conference terminals is stored.
It is a user information storage area (RAM) to be reassembled.

As shown in FIG. 10, from the multipoint video conference terminals A to C to the fourth multipoint video conference terminal D.
The multipoint data 904 transmitted to the
In the receiving unit 907 of the multipoint video conference terminal D of No. 4, it is checked whether it is addressed to the fourth multipoint video conference terminal D. Then, the source terminal information 905 and the user information 906 of the multipoint data 904 addressed to the fourth multipoint video conference terminal D are transferred to the assembling unit 908.

The assembling unit 908 separates the user information 906 transferred together with the transmission source terminal information 905 by the transmission source terminal information 905 transferred by the separation unit 909 for each of the multipoint video conference terminals A to C. Then, the user information 906 is stored and reassembled in the user information storage areas 910 to 912 prepared for the multipoint video conference terminals A to C, respectively.

FIG. 11 is a flow chart showing an example of data relay processing in a multipoint video conference terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention. In step S1000, the information about the own terminal is deleted from the destination terminal information set in the control unit of the multipoint data.

In step S1001, the multipoint video conference terminal is the multipoint video conference terminal 400 of FIG.
Or, as shown in the multipoint video conference terminal 403, it is identified whether or not it is located at the end of the chained multipoint connection,
If it is located at the end, the process proceeds to step S1002, and if it is not located, the process proceeds to step S1003.

In step S1002, the received multipoint data is converted to a multipoint video conference terminal which is a relay source of the multipoint data (for example, the multipoint video conference terminal is the multipoint television of FIG. 5). If it is the conference terminal 400, it is sent back to the multipoint video conference terminal 401).

In step S1003, the received multipoint data is converted from the multipoint videoconference terminal different from the relay point of the multipoint data (for example, the multipoint video conference terminal is the multipoint video conference terminal of FIG. 5). The video conference terminal 401, and the multipoint data is the multipoint video conference terminal 40.
If it is multipoint data relayed from 0, it is transmitted to the multipoint video conference terminal 402). With the above configuration, efficient data transfer becomes possible regardless of the connection format of the terminal.

In the above embodiment, an example in which the ISDN basic interface is used has been described, but the multipoint communication terminal device of the present invention is also applicable to the ISDN primary group interface.

[0058]

As described above, according to the present invention, the multipoint-to-point communication terminal device according to the invention of claim 1 relays and transfers to all the multipoint-to-point communication terminal devices designated as the transmission destinations of the multipoint-to-point data. Since the multipoint data can be discarded at the point of time, the multipoint data will endlessly orbit all the multipoint communication terminals participating in the multipoint communication,
It is possible to reliably prevent the inconvenience of having to be discarded by the own terminal device after the circulation, and to prevent inefficient data transmission. Further, by storing the information of the own terminal device as the destination terminal information, it becomes possible to transmit the multipoint data returning to the own terminal device via all the multipoint communication terminal devices. The effect of becoming

According to the multipoint communication terminal device of the second aspect of the invention, it is possible to further efficiently and reliably receive multipoint data from a plurality of multipoint communication terminal devices in parallel. The effect is obtained.

According to the inter-multipoint communication terminal device of the invention of claim 3, whether the multipoint connection is ring-shaped or chain-shaped, it does not depend on the shape, and the multipoint is efficiently connected. The effect that it becomes possible to transfer data between them is obtained.

According to the multipoint-to-point communication terminal device of the invention of claim 4, even if wrong destination terminal information is set, the multipoint-to-point data infinitely circulates between the multipoint-to-point communication terminal devices. The effect that it becomes possible to avoid it is obtained.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a functional configuration diagram of a multipoint communication terminal device showing an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a video conference video conference terminal device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of a multipoint connection mode using a multipoint conference control device.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example (ring shape) of a multipoint connection mode without using a multipoint conference control device.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example (chain) of multi-point connection mode without using the multi-point conference control device.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of a structure of an HDLC frame relay-transferred between the multipoint communication terminals in the multipoint communication terminal apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing an example of a data transmission process in the multipoint video conference system according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing an example of data reception processing in the multipoint video conference system according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing an example of user information processing in the multipoint video conference system according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an outline of a user information assembling process in the multipoint video conference system according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing an example of a data relay process in the multipoint video conference system according to the embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of Codes] Data transmission processing means Destination terminal setting means Source terminal setting means Data reception processing means Destination terminal deletion processing means User information processing means Data relay processing means Received data discarding means 1 CPU 2 ROM 3 RAM 4 Operation section 5 voice input / output unit 6 voice encoding / decoding unit 7 image input / output unit 8 image editing unit 9 image encoding / decoding unit 10 demultiplexing unit 11 line interface 12 channel interface 20 input / output interface

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A multipoint communication terminal device is connected to a digital line in a ring or chain form, and multipoint data composed of a control unit and a data unit is transmitted between the plurality of multipoint communication terminal devices. A multipoint communication terminal device configured to perform multipoint communication by transferring the multipoint data, and at least one multipoint communication terminal device as a destination of the multipoint data when transmitting the multipoint data. Destination terminal information for identifying the destination terminal information for setting in the control unit of the multipoint data, and when receiving the multipoint data, set in the control unit of the received multipoint data. Check the destination terminal information that exists, and if the own terminal device is designated as the destination terminal device, an information processing means for processing the information set in the data part of the multipoint data, From the destination terminal information of the multipoint data, the terminal information deleting means for deleting the information of the own terminal device, and the destination terminal information of the received multipoint data includes the multipoint communication terminal device other than the own terminal device. When set, data relay means for relaying and transferring the multipoint data to an adjacent multipoint communication terminal device, and destination terminal information of the received multipoint data other than the own terminal device. A multipoint communication terminal device, comprising: data discarding means for discarding the multipoint data when the multipoint communication terminal device is not set. 2. A transmission source terminal setting means for setting transmission source terminal information for identifying a transmission source multipoint communication terminal device when transmitting the multipoint data, in a control unit of the multipoint data. With the provision of, when receiving the multipoint data, for each multipoint communication terminal device identified by the source terminal information, check the destination terminal information set in the control unit of the received multipoint data The multipoint communication terminal device according to claim 1, further comprising information changing means for changing information set in a data part of the multipoint data. 3. A connection position identification means for identifying whether or not the connection position of the multipoint communication terminal device is the end of a chained multipoint connection, and the connection position of the multipoint communication terminal device is a chain. In the case of the end of the multipoint connection between the multipoints, the multipoint data is relay-transferred to the multipoint communication terminal device that is the source of the multipoint data, and the connection position is a chain multipoint. 2. A relay direction identification means for relaying and transferring to a multipoint communication terminal device different from a transfer source of said multipoint data transfer source except at the end of the multipoint connection. Point-to-point communication terminal device. 4. The multipoint communication terminal when the information about the multipoint communication terminal device not connected to the multipoint communication is set in the destination terminal information of the received multipoint data. 2. The multipoint communication terminal device according to claim 1, further comprising non-connected terminal information deletion means for deleting information about the device.