JPH077558A - Terminal informing type reservation connecting system - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To eliminate the payment of an expensive communication line charge by performing application and response for reservation through a dedicated control line connecting between an exchange and the control terminals of respective video terminals in the case of the reservation connection of a video conference. CONSTITUTION:The promotor intended to reserve the video conference inquires the presence/absence of reservation of the other connection party destination on the scheduled conference date by connecting through a data transmission/reception part 6 with a little information quantity and a control circuit 9a with an inexpensive call tariff to a reserving device 11. The device 11 manages the idle states of these image lines 8a-8n and when the time zone desired for the other connection party destination is idle, the time to originate a call for a promotor side control terminal 1a and the telephone number of the other destination party are stored in a reserved date and time storage part 3. On the other hand, the control terminal 1a is provided with a clock 4, or the reserved time, information is exchanged with a presence detection part 5 without using expensive lines 8a-8n but by using inexpensive lines 9a-9n and when the presence is confirmed, conference terminal 7a, line 8a, exchange 10, line 8n and participant terminal 7n are connected through a control part 2.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a video conference reservation connection method, and more particularly to a video reservation reservation connection method from a reservation device to a video conference terminal.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, it is an essential condition for a video conference apparatus to have a call origination or call termination control function for connection between the apparatuses. Also, when connecting them, the amount of communication information is large,
It was very uneconomical to have a permanent line to carry a huge amount of information in order to connect immediately. Therefore, a reservation-type connection method has been devised and put into practical use for the purpose of effectively and efficiently using a limited number of information paths that are commensurate with video conference traffic.

For example, in the automatic private branch exchange with a conference call function disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 63-268356, a conference call reservation is made from an extension telephone and the exchange automatically makes a reservation at the reserved time. Call extension subscribers,
By connecting to the conference trunk, the load on the attendant or secretary is greatly reduced compared to the conventional manual method, and by managing all conference call reservations,
The traffic that joins the conference trunk is distributed so that the goal is to efficiently use the minimal conference trunk. That is, when reserving a conference call, when the subscriber picks up the handset, he is connected to the outgoing register. Next, after inputting the conference call reservation access code, the reservation date and start and end times are input. This input is identified by the central controller as a conference call reservation, the reservation availability of the conference call trunk is checked, the subscriber number is detected if available, and the reservation extension is entered at the entered date and time. A subscriber number and a conference trunk number to be used are added and stored in the main storage device, and a reservable SST (service set tone) is sent to the subscriber. To call a reserved subscriber,
It is performed based on the conference call reservation information in the main storage device. When the subscriber answers, it is connected to the announcement trunk through the conference trunk and receives the message to start the conference call. Further, in the automatic exchange disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 58-070672, the conference call organizer uses the telephone to store the date and time of the scheduled conference date and the number information of the subscriber telephone to be called at the conference in advance. On the other hand, in the exchange, when the registered date and time and the current time match, the usage status of the conference call trunk is determined, and when it is empty, it is reserved for use in this conference call trunk and The conference call organizer can call the participants automatically to call the conference and invite the participants to hold the conference.

[0004]

However, in the above-mentioned conventional reserved connection method, since the main purpose is to connect the image line which carries a huge amount of information for transmitting the image, the connection associated with the calling of each other. Even if there is a defect or the conference organizer but the conference participant is absent or late for some reason, the communication line is already connected from the reservation start time, and in the case of the public telephone network expensive communication of the image line I have to pay the line fee, and there are still many complaints about how to get the conference started smoothly.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a video conference reservation system which eliminates the above-mentioned payment of expensive communication line charges and smoothly starts a conference.

[0006]

According to the terminal notification type reservation connection method of the present invention, the presence / absence of each conference reservation and the reservation date and time are registered for each video conference terminal, and the application for the conference reservation is made from the video conference terminal. When receiving the request, if there is no reservation at the connection destination terminal, the exchange side has a reservation means for responding to that effect and for registering the reservation date and time that was applied. When applying for a reservation and receiving a response that there is no reservation at the connection partner, register the reservation date and time and the connection partner information, and when the reservation start time comes, the presence or absence of the video conference participant is detected. , When the presence is confirmed, the connection of the image line is started according to the registered other party information, or when a call for connection is received from another video conference terminal, the presence of the video conference participant is similarly present. To If it accepts, it has a control terminal that starts the connection of the image line in response to the incoming call, and the application and response accompanying this reservation are the dedicated control that connects the exchange and the control terminal of each TV terminal. It is supposed to be done via the line.

[0007]

Embodiments of the present invention will now be described with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of an embodiment of the terminal notification type reserved connection system of the present invention.

The plurality of video conference terminals 7a to 7n are accommodated in the exchange 10 via the image lines 8a to 8n, and the conference participants exchange images and voices with each other via the exchange 10 during the conference. The control terminals 1a to 1n are always attached to the video conference terminals 7a to 7n, and are accommodated in the exchange 10 via the control lines 9a to 9n, respectively. The control lines 9a to 9n are set as a limited number of lines which are commensurate with the video conference traffic. Under the control of the control unit 2, the control terminal 1 a
A data transmission / reception unit 6 for transmitting / receiving information to / from 0 via the control line 9a, a reservation date / time storage unit 3 for storing the input reservation date and time of the input video conference, a clock 4 for measuring the current time, and a conference Attendance detection unit 5 that detects whether or not a participant is present
And an external seating center 12 is connected to the seating detection unit 5. In addition, the control unit 2 is operated by the organizer,
The power of the television terminal 7a is turned on / off. The other control terminals 1b to 1n have the same configuration as the control terminal 1a. The reservation device 11 is attached to the exchange 10 and manages the vacant state of the image lines 8a to 8n of each of the television terminals 7a to 7n, and when the reservation partner receives the reservation application, when the time zone of the connection partner is vacant, The conference holding permission is given to the control terminal of the application video conference terminal, and the reservation date and time of the connection partner is registered.

Next, the operation of this embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings.

First, for convenience of explanation, the video conference terminal 7 is used.
a is the videoconference organizer side, and the videoconference terminal 7b-
7n is described as the participant side of the connection destination.

First, an organizer who wants to reserve a video conference has a small amount of information to carry with the data transmission / reception unit 6 from the call detection unit of the operation unit (not shown), and the control line 9a has a low call charge. Connect to the reservation device 11 via
Inquire whether or not there is a reservation at the scheduled meeting date and time of the other party.

In the reservation device 11, these image lines 8a-8
Although the empty state of n is managed, in the connection operation up to the connection of a large number of TV terminals, it is difficult to distinguish between an outgoing call and an incoming call, and the control becomes complicated. If it is free in the desired time zone, the time and date at which the caller should make a call to the control terminal 1a on the sponsor side and the telephone number of the connection destination are stored in the reserved date and time storage unit 3. On the other hand, the control terminal 1a is provided with the clock 4 and collates with the stored contents of the reserved date and time storage unit 3. Therefore, when the reserved time comes, the communication charges for the image lines 8a to 8n are high until the presence / absence is confirmed as described above.
Information is exchanged with the presence detection unit 5 in order to know the presence status of the connection partner through the control lines 9a to 9n which are low in normal charge.
If the seats are confirmed to each other, the host video conference terminal 7a-line 8 via the control unit 2 that controls all of these operations.
The connection operation between the a-switch 10-line 8n-participant's television terminal 7n is performed, and thereafter, the conference state is entered.

As the presence detecting section 5, two types of embodiments are shown. The first example is a method of detecting a conference participant (human) by a sensor linked to a control terminal, for example, a method of detecting whether a person is present in the conference room and confirming that the person is present. It is possible with existing technology. The second example is a start trigger method, which is a method of confirming the presence of a person by a physical change such as sitting on a chair, opening a door, and turning on a light switch. In the above two embodiments as well, when the presence confirmation cannot be detected within a certain time after the reservation start time, the reservation conference is not called and the response is sent to the absence message switch 10.

[0015]

As described above, according to the present invention, a video conference is reserved by using a low-priced control line, and the connection of each video conference terminal just before the start of the conference is made possible only by the control line. Can be completed, so line charges can be made low, and as a workaround from the situation where the conference cannot be held even after completing the acquisition of all the lines like a multipoint conference. There is an effect that an effective means can be provided.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of an embodiment of a terminal notification type reserved connection system of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1a to 1n Control terminal 2 Control unit 3 Reservation date and time storage unit 4 Clock 5 Attendance detection unit 6 Data transmission / reception unit 7a to 7n Video conference terminal 8a to 8n Image line 9a to 9n Control line 10 Switchboard 11 Reservation device

 ─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continued Front Page (72) Inventor Atsuko Suzuki 5-7-1, Shiba, Minato-ku, Tokyo NEC Corporation

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A terminal notification type reservation connection method in a video conference apparatus comprising a plurality of video conference terminals and an exchange for connecting these video conference terminals to each other, wherein each conference reservation is made for each video conference terminal. Presence and reservation date and time are registered, and when a conference reservation application is received from the video conference terminal, if there is no reservation at the connection destination terminal, it will respond to that effect and register the reserved reservation date and time On the other hand, each of the video conference terminals applies to the exchange for reservation of the video conference and registers the reservation date and time and the connection destination information when the connection destination receives a response that there is no reservation. Detects when a video conference participant is present at the reservation start time,
When you confirm your presence, when you start the connection of the image line according to the registered information of the other party, or when you receive a call for connection from another video conference terminal, you will see the presence of the video conference participant as well. If it confirms, it has a control terminal that starts the connection of the image line in response to the incoming call, and the application and response accompanying the reservation are dedicated control connecting the exchange and the control terminal of each TV terminal. A terminal notification type reservation connection method that is performed via a line. 2. The terminal notification type reservation connection system according to claim 1, wherein the dedicated control line is composed of a small-capacity line that is suitable for the video conference traffic. 3. The control terminal includes a data transmission / reception unit for exchanging data with an exchange, a reservation date / time storage unit for entering a reserved reservation date / time and connection partner information, and a clock for clocking time. The terminal notification type reservation connection system according to claim 1, further comprising an presence detection unit that enables connection of the image line when the presence situation of the video conference participant is detected, and the control unit performs these controls. .