JPH08221338A - Electronic conference device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: To provide an electronic conference device which displays a specific message for only a specific attendee. CONSTITUTION: This device is provided with a network interface 1 for network communication, a display means 2 to display a message, an input means 3 to input every kind of information, a recording means 4 to store a received message, a network communication means 8 connected with a network and to perform the transmission/reception of the message to an attendee of a conference, and a control means 6 to perform the whole control of the system. The network communication means 8 is provided with a specific person selecting means 8a to display selectively the specific message in the received message for only the specific attendee out of the attendees in the conference.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an electronic conferencing apparatus that sends and receives messages using network communication.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, as general-purpose computers have become widespread, these computers are connected by a network, and communication data such as documents and figures are transmitted and received as messages to and from conference participants by using network communication. The electronic conferencing equipment that has become popular has become popular. FIG. 7 is a block diagram showing the configuration of such a conventional electronic conference device.

In FIG. 7, the electronic conferencing apparatus has a network interface 1 for performing network communication.
A display means 2 composed of a CRT (cathode ray tube display) or LCD (liquid crystal display) for displaying a message, and an input means 3 composed of a keyboard or a pointing device for inputting various information. , A recording means 4 configured by a magneto-optical disk device or a hard disk device for storing the received message, a network communication means 5 for transmitting / receiving a message to / from a conference participant connected by a network, and a CPU (central processing unit). Processor), ROM (Read Only Memory), RAM
(Random access memory), an input / output control device, and the like, and a control means 6 which is responsible for overall control of the system. The received message is displayed on the display means 2 immediately, but can be stored in the recording means 4 if necessary.
The message stored in the recording means 4 can be read out as necessary and output by the output means 7 constituted by a laser printer or the like.

The above-mentioned network communication means 5 may be constituted by a ROM or a CD-ROM in the control means 6, or may be constituted by a part of a recording area in the recording means 4, and has a function. The above may be configured with either, but in the following description, for simplification,
In both the conventional example and the example, only the case of being constituted by a part of the recording area in the recording means 4 will be taken up.

With respect to the conventional electronic conference configured as described above, the message receiving process will be described with reference to the conceptual diagram showing the common display area of the conventional electronic conference device of FIG. 8 in addition to FIG.

One of the electronic conference devices as shown in FIG.
The display content of the common display area 2a displayed on the display means 2 of the table is displayed on the common display area 2a of the display means 2 of all the electronic conference devices of the participants of the meeting connected by the network. In other words, the common display area 2a of the display unit 2 in the electronic conference device plays the role of a blackboard in a general conference, and the participants of the conference operate their own electronic conference devices and input from the input unit 3 to make common. The message written in the display area 2a is transmitted through the network by the network communication means 5 and is immediately displayed in the common display area 2a of the electronic conference devices of all the participants of the conference.

[0007]

However, in the conventional electronic conferencing apparatus as described above, all the messages transmitted through the network are displayed in the common display area 2a of the electronic conferencing apparatus of all the participants of the conference. I will end up.
Therefore, when moving to a discussion of an important content that requires a secret meeting with a specific participant in the conference, a discussion with a specific participant is made by telephone in advance to communicate with each other. It had a problem that it had to be planned.

An object of the present invention is to solve the above problems and to provide an electronic conferencing apparatus for displaying a specific message only to specific participants.

[0009]

In order to solve the above problems, the electronic conference apparatus of the present invention has a network interface for performing network communication, a display unit for displaying a message, and an input for inputting various information. Means, a recording means for storing the received message, a network communication means for transmitting / receiving a message to / from a conference participant connected by a network, and a control means for carrying out overall control of the system. ,
It has a specific person selection means for selecting and displaying a specific message of the received messages only to a specific participant of the participants of the conference.

[0010]

With this configuration, the received message and the recipient can be sifted by the specific person selecting means, and the part of the specific message can be privately displayed only to the selected specific participant.

[0011]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. The same parts as those of the conventional example are designated by the same reference numerals.

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

In FIG. 1, the electronic conference device includes a network interface 1 for performing network communication.
A display means 2 composed of a CRT (cathode ray tube display) or LCD (liquid crystal display) for displaying a message, and an input means 3 composed of a keyboard or a pointing device for inputting various information. , A recording means 4 configured by a magneto-optical disk device or a hard disk device for storing a received message, a network communication means 8 for transmitting / receiving a message to / from a conference participant connected by a network, and a CPU (central processing unit). Processor), ROM (Read Only Memory), RAM
(Random access memory), an input / output control device, and the like, and a control means 6 which is responsible for overall control of the system. The received message is displayed on the display means 2 immediately, but depending on the content, it can be selected and displayed, or can be stored in the recording means 4 if necessary. The message stored in the recording means 4 can be read out as necessary and output by the output means 7 constituted by a laser printer or the like.

The above-mentioned network communication means 8 is provided with various functions for performing network communication, and one of the functions is a specific person selection function carried by the specific person selection means 8a. This specific person selecting function is a very useful function of secretly displaying a message of specific content only to the specific participants who have been screened out of the participants of the electronic conference.

Regarding the electronic conferencing apparatus of the present invention configured as described above, in addition to FIG. 1, refer to the conceptual diagrams showing the message receiving processing of the electronic conferencing apparatus in one embodiment of the present invention of FIGS. The message receiving process will be described.
In addition, for simplification of description, the participants of the electronic conference are three members A, B, and C, but the actual participants may be any number.

One of the electronic conference devices as shown in FIG.
The display content of the common display area 2a displayed on the display means 2 of the table is displayed on the common display area 2a of the display means 2 of all the electronic conference devices of the participants of the meeting connected by the network. That is, the common display area 2a of the display means 2 in the electronic conference device plays the role of a blackboard in a general conference, and one of the participants of the conference, "A", operates his own electronic conference device. The message input from the input means 3 and written in the common display area 2a is transmitted through the network by the network communication means 8, and the message shown in FIG.
All the participants "B" and "C" of the conference shown in FIG. 4 are instantly displayed in the common display area 2a of the electronic conference device.

By the way, in the display area of the display means 2, a selection display area 2b is provided in addition to the common display area 2a described above. As shown in FIG. 2, a specific message written by the participant “A” of the conference by operating the electronic conference device of the conference and inputting it from the input means 3 to the selective display area 2 b is performed by the network communication means 8. Through the conference participants "B" and "C". However, for the specific message written in the selection display area 2b, the recipient is selected by the identification person selection means 8a of the receiving-side electronic conferencing apparatus, and the participants "B" and "C" of the receiving-side conference are transmitted. Only when the specific participant belonging to the same group as the participant "A" of the side conference is determined by the specific person selection means 8a,
It is displayed in the selection display area 2b of the display means 2 on the side of the participants "B" and "C" of the conference.

As shown in FIG. 3, since the participant "B" of the conference has the specific participant belonging to the same group as the participant "A" of the conference determined by the specific person selecting means 8a, A specific message from the participant "A" of the conference is displayed in the selection display area 2b of the display unit 2 on the participant "B" side. However, as shown in FIG. 4, the conference participant "C"
Since the specific person selection means 8a has determined that the member does not belong to the same group as the participant "A" of the conference, the participant of the conference is displayed in the selected display area 2b of the display means 2 on the side of the participant "C" of the conference. The specific message from person "A" is not displayed.

Below, the group information of the electronic conferencing apparatus in one embodiment of the present invention shown in FIG. 5 will be used for the method of determining by the specific person selecting means 8a which of the participants of the conference belongs to the same group. This will be described with reference to the schematic diagram shown.

In FIG. 5, the group information 9 formed in a part of the recording area of the recording means 4 is formed by associating a group ID with each participant of the electronic conference. If the group IDs are the same, it indicates that they belong to the same group. According to FIG. 5, since the participant “A” and the participant “B” have the same group ID, they belong to the same group, but the participant “A”, “B” and the participant “C” have the group IDs. It can be seen that they belong to different groups because they are different.

Specified person selecting means 8 of the electronic conference device on the receiving side
a refers to the group IDs of the participants of the conference on the receiving side and the participants of the conference on the transmitting side with reference to the group information 9, and determines that they belong to the same group if the group IDs match, If they differ, it is determined that they belong to another group. In the case of FIG. 3, since the group IDs match, it is determined that they belong to the same group, and the selection display area 2
Display a specific message from participant "A" of the conference in b. In the case of FIG. 4, since the group IDs are different, it is determined that they belong to another group, and a specific message from the conference participant "A" is not displayed in the selection display area 2b.

The series of flow described above is summarized in FIG.
This will be described with reference to the flowchart showing the reception processing of the electronic conference device according to the embodiment of the present invention.

When a message from a conference participant is received (step 1), the specific person selection means 8a of the receiving side electronic conference device determines whether the message is from a specific participant, that is, a participant belonging to the same group. It is judged (step 2).

If the message is from a specific participant,
Common display area 2 for all received messages depending on their contents
a and the sorted display area 2b are displayed separately (step 3). If it is not a message from a specific participant, it is determined whether or not there is a specific message written in the selection display area 2b (step 4).

If there is a specific message, the specific message is excluded and only the other common messages are displayed in the common display area 2a (step 5). If there is no specific message, all the received messages are displayed in the common display area 2a (step 6).

As described above, the electronic conferencing apparatus of the present invention automatically selects a specific participant and displays the specific message portion of the received message only to the specific participant.

[0027]

The electronic conferencing apparatus of the present invention includes a network interface for performing network communication, display means for displaying a message, input means for inputting various information, and recording means for storing a received message.
A network communication means for sending and receiving a message to and from a conference participant connected by a network, and a control means for controlling the overall system are provided, and the network communication means transmits a specific message among the received messages.
It has a specific person selection means for selectively displaying only a specific participant of the conference participants.

With this configuration, the received message and the recipient can be sifted by the specific person selecting means, and the part of the specific message can be secretly displayed only to the selected specific participant.

[Brief description of drawings]

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

FIG. 2 is a conceptual diagram showing a message receiving process of the electronic conference device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a conceptual diagram showing a message receiving process of the electronic conferencing apparatus in one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a conceptual diagram showing a message reception process of the electronic conferencing apparatus in one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram showing group information of an electronic conference device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing a reception process of the electronic conference device according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a conventional electronic conference device.

FIG. 8 is a conceptual diagram showing a common display area of a conventional electronic conference device.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Network Interface 2 Display Means 2a Common Display Area 2b Selection Display Area 3 Input Means 4 Recording Means 5 Network Communication Means 6 Control Means 7 Output Means 8 Network Communication Means 8a Specified Person Selection Means 9 Group Information

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A network interface for performing network communication, a display unit for displaying a message, an input unit for inputting various information, a recording unit for storing a received message, and participation in a conference connected by a network. An electronic conferencing apparatus comprising network communication means for sending and receiving messages to and from a person and control means for overall control of the system, wherein the network communication means includes specific person selecting means, and the recording means includes group information. And the display means includes a common display area and a selection display area, and the network communication means sends the information input to the common display area and the selection display area by the input means to the network. Group information included in the information received from the network. For same-loop information, the electronic conference system and displaying the received information on the selection display area.