JPS61193552A - Conference telephone set - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To improve the serviceability and the rapidness of a conference by calling simultaneously called members who are registered to attend the conference according to a call request of the conference by a specific dial and making the multi-party calls possible after the response of the called to the conference. CONSTITUTION:When the subscriber's equipment 6A of a conference caller to call a conference telephone transmits a specific dial, a CPU 1 obtains #A1 as a pointer LFTLSTP by this specific dial. Based upon the #A1, and address table CFTLSTH is searched and a #Am is obtained which searches an INDEX 3 by assigning the index INDEX 3. So that the numbers of called subscribers 6B-6N are registered in the INDEX 3, the numbers are read out in order and CPU 1 selects a corresponding registered number of the called subscribers 6B-6N out of these registered numbers and transmits a call. When every called subscriber 6B-6N receives a ringing tone from RG8B-8N, normal responses are carried out if not absent. Thus, a remarkable effect in the improvement at serviceability and rapidness of the conference telephone is obtained.

Description

[Detailed description of the invention] [Field of application of the invention] The present invention relates to conference telephone equipment.

[Background of the invention]

A conference telephone method for convening a conference using a specific dial from a subscriber is disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 57-147367.
There is one mentioned in the publication. In this conventional example, a specific dial is used to directly call an attendant, an operator calls the conference attendee from the attendant, and after the answer,
The conference convenor and the invitees are connected by manually switching the invitees one by one. This resulted in a multiparty call.

This conventional example has a problem in that it takes a long time to complete the connection because the relay stand operator intervenes.

[Purpose of the invention]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide a conference telephone device that can simultaneously call and connect pre-registered conference attendees to improve serviceability and promptness.

[Summary of the invention]

The present invention simultaneously calls pre-registered conference invitees in response to a conference convocation request made by a specific dial from a subscriber (convener) involved in convening a conference.

After the conference invitee responds, by placing them in a multi-party conversation state with the subscriber involved in convening the conference, it is possible to complete the conference connection in the same operation and within the same time as a general extension connection.

[Embodiments of the invention]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an embodiment of the conference telephone device of the present invention. FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of table access.

In FIG. 1, a central processing unit (CPU) 1 is responsible for overall control and
Perform management. The main memory (MM) 2 stores operating software for the CPU 1 and various data for control and management. CPUI and MM2 communicate via bus 10. The signal transmitting/receiving device (SRD) 3 functions as an interface connecting the switch network 4 (and CFT 5) and the bus 10.

The switch network 4 performs line connections under the control of the CPUI. The trunk 5 is a trunk for multi-party conferences, and has a function of supplying and monitoring current for multi-party calls.

Subscriber telephones 6A, 6B, 6D, . . . , 6N are subscribers for multiparty calls, subscriber telephone 6A is a subscriber related to convening a conference, and subscriber telephones 6B to 6N are subscribers related to convening a conference. I am a person. Furthermore, ringback tone (RBT)
7 is the sound source of the return ring tone, a ring tone generator (R
G) 8B to 8N are ringing sound sources.

Explain the operation.

First, when the subscriber telephone 6A transmits a specific dial assigned for convening a conference, the CPUI detects this via the 5RD3, sets up a call path for the switch network 4, and calls the subscriber telephone 6A to the conference trunk 5. Connect to terminal A of the communication path.

Next, the CPU searches for subscriber telephones 6B to 6N for invitees that have a contract with subscriber telephone 6A to convene a conference. This search follows the procedure shown in FIG.

In FIG. 2, CFTLST is a registration table registered for conference calls, and includes a plurality of indexes I N D E
Consists of X 2 to I N D E X m. Each index INDEXi stores the number of a telephone subscriber for a participant registered as a telephone conference. Now, suppose that the subscriber number of the invitee registered for the subscriber telephone 6A is registered in the index INDEX3.
Numbers 6B to 6N are registered in X3. The first addresses #A2 to #Am of each index 2 to m are registered in the index address table CFTLSTH. This index address table CFT
The inter-CFTLSTP specifies the address of the LSTH. This pointer CFTLSTP is obtained from the convening data by the subscriber 6A who is the conference convenor.

Under such a configuration, as shown in FIG. 2, the subscriber 6A of the conference convener turns a specific dial (button) and sends a message in order to convene a conference call. CPU from this specific dial
I obtains #A1 as pointer LFTLSTP. Based on this #A1, address table CFTLSTH is searched to obtain #Am. This #Am is IND by specifying the first address of index INDEX3.
Search EX3. Since the numbers of invited subscribers 6B to 6N are registered in INDEX3 (DNO"DNn), these registration numbers are read out sequentially. From this registration number, CP
The UI selects the invited subscribers 6B to 6N corresponding to the registration number and sends out a ring tone.

This ring tone is transmitted by ring tone generators 8B to 6N.
This is done by driving. On the other hand, for the conference convenor 6A, the RBT 7 is connected to the terminal T of the CFT 5, and a ring back tone indicating that the call is in progress is sent.

Upon receiving the ringing tone of R08B to 8N, each invited subscriber 6B
~6N makes a normal response unless it is unavailable (absent, busy, etc.). This responding subscriber is connected via the switch network 4 to the attendee terminal B-N of the conference trunk 5.
It becomes connected to. At this time, the ring tone from RBT7 and the C
Meeting invitee 6B responded when the FT5 connection was disconnected.
~6N and the conference convener 6A can communicate via the CFT 5.

Next, registration, deletion, and modification of meeting invitees will be explained.

When a conference convenor registers a conference invitee, the conference convenor must use the specific dial assigned for conference registration and the conference trunk terminal number (0
1 to 99), consecutively dial the telephone numbers of the conference invitees. The CPUI detects the conference convenor's specific dial operation for conference invitee registration in the same manner as the above-described specific dial signal for conference convocation, and uses pointers CFTLSTP to CFTLSTH from the conference convocation data shown in FIG.
Find address #A1 of CFTLST, index CFTLSTH by the specific dialed number, and find address #A of CFTLST where the telephone number of the conference invitee is stored.
Find 3. Additionally, CFTLST is indexed by the dialed conference trunk terminal number and stores the telephone number of the dialed conference attendee. In this way, it was possible to register the conference attendees using the specific dial of the conference convener.

Changes can be made by re-registering the data on top of the already registered data using the method described above. Regarding deletion, by setting the conference invitee's phone number to a specific number assigned for deletion (for example, 0000), the CPUI identifies the deletion, and by initializing the conference invitee's phone number, Can be deleted.

Next, a case will be described in which a conference invitee is unable to connect due to a busy conversation, or a case where an unregistered subscriber is desired to participate in the conference.

When the conference convenor performs a hooking operation on the subscriber telephone 6A during the conference, the CPUI puts the conference convenor subscriber 6A into a dial receiving state and sends a dial tone to the conference convener subscriber 6A. Therefore, when the conference convening subscriber 6A dials the telephone number of the conference convened person he/she wishes to call, the conference convening subscriber 6A and the dialed conference convened party are connected via the switch network 4. After the conference invitee responds and receives notification of the conference from conference convening subscriber 6A,
When the conference convenor performs a hooking operation on the subscriber telephone 6A, the CPUI releases the switch network between the conference convenor's subscriber 6A and the conference invitee, and connects the conference convenor's subscriber 6A to terminal A of the CFT5. , 6 thus connecting the subscribers of the conference invitee to the respective free terminals in the B-N of the CFT 5 via the switch network.

The meeting invitee will be added to the CFT.

Note that RG8B to 8N are used as ordinary ring tone generators, but if a generator dedicated to conference calls is provided, it has the advantage of being distinguishable from ordinary telephones.

〔Effect of the invention〕

According to the present invention, it is possible to convene a conference with the same operation and the same time as with a general extension line connection, and a remarkable effect can be obtained in improving the serviceability and promptness of conference calls.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 shows an example of searching an index table. 1... Central processing unit (CPU), 2... Main memory (MM), 3... Transmitting/receiving circuit (SRD), 4... Switch network (SW), 5... Conference trunk ( CFT), 6A to 6N...Conference telephone subscribers (telephones).

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1. A switch network, a conference trunk, and a table for registering the subscriber numbers of the conference invitees to the conference convenor's subscribers, and a system for accepting conference calls from the conference convenor's subscribers. Sometimes, according to the dial, a conference convening subscriber is connected to the convenor terminal of the conference trunk via a switch network, and the conference convener is registered by automatically searching the table according to the conference convocation request from the dial. The conference telephone device reads the subscriber number of the attendee and automatically connects the subscriber who responds in the subscriber number of the attendee to the invitee terminal of the conference trunk via the switch network. 2. The conference telephone device according to claim 1, wherein deletion, registration, and change of subscriber numbers in the table are executed by dialing by a subscriber convening a conference. 3. When a telephone other than the currently invited party is called into the conference call, if the calling party obtains a response by hooking or dialing, the telephone that answered will be transferred to the above-mentioned conference trunk. The conference telephone device according to claim 1, wherein the conference telephone device is automatically connected to an unconnected attendee terminal. 4. When convening a meeting, the ring tone for the invited participants is as follows:
The conference telephone device according to claim 1, wherein the conference telephone device has a different ring tone from a general ring tone.