JP3032602B2 - Communications system - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a communication system capable of mutually transmitting information such as voice.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, in addition to a conventional analog telephone network, ISDN (Integrated Service) has been added.
Digital communication networks typified by e Digital Network (commercial service digital networks) are being developed. In such ISDN, it is possible to simultaneously transmit a plurality of media such as images and data as well as voice by telephone, and it is possible to use an image communication service such as a videophone. Also,
In ISDN, in addition to the transmission of voice information in the telephone service, new additional services that cannot be used in the conventional analog telephone network, such as caller ID notification, subaddress, and information transfer between users, can be used.

[0003] The image communication service is a service in which an image communication function is added to a normal telephone voice service.
By simultaneously transmitting the voice information and the image information, it is possible to have a conversation while watching the expression of the other party, or to make a meeting while watching the same material. For this reason, there is a great expectation for the development of a service that can increase the sense of presence and unity as compared with a conventional telephone service and can realize better communication.

FIG. 4 shows a conventional example of an image communication system using a videophone, and FIG. 5 shows a configuration example of the videophone terminal of FIG.

In FIG. 4, reference numerals 10 and 11 denote video telephone terminals,
Reference numeral 12 denotes a communication network. As shown in FIG. 5, these video telephone terminals 10 and 11 have an audio input / output unit 20, an audio information transmission unit 21,
It comprises an image input / output unit 22, an image information transmission unit 23, a multiplexing unit 24, and a line control unit 25.

That is, audio information is input to and output from the audio input / output unit 20. The audio information transmission unit 21 encodes the audio signal input to the audio input / output unit 20 into a form suitable for communication, or decodes the audio signal coded and transmitted from the other party, and Give to. The image input / output unit 22 inputs / outputs image information such as a face image or a material. Image information transmission section
The reference numeral 23 encodes the image information input to the image input / output unit 22 into a form suitable for communication, or decodes the image information encoded and transmitted from the other party and provides the image information to the image input / output unit 22. The information coded by the audio information transmission unit 21 and the image information transmission unit 23 are multiplexed by the multiplexing unit 24, and then the line connection is controlled by the line control unit 25. Communication is performed.

FIG. 6 shows another conventional communication system.
FIG. 7 shows a configuration example of a communication terminal.

In FIG. 6, reference numerals 30 and 31 denote communication terminals, and reference numeral 32 denotes a communication network. As shown in FIG. 7, these communication terminals 30 and 31 include a voice input / output unit 40, a voice information transmission unit 41, a line control unit 42, a partner recognition unit 43, a database search unit 44, an information output unit 45, and a database unit 46. In order to reduce the amount of image information, the terminal is provided with a database unit 46 that stores information on a communication partner in advance.

[0009] This is based on a caller ID notification other than the transmission of voice information in a telephone service, a subaddress, and additional information of a communication service such as information transfer between users. The information is specified, the information is retrieved from the database 46 at any time from the result and displayed on the information output unit 45, and the partial information newly sent from the other party is added to the read information. The amount of information that is actually transmitted is reduced by, for example, additionally displaying the information. According to this method, a service equivalent to a videophone can be used on a transmission line in a conventional telephone service.

[0010]

In a terminal utilizing an image communication service such as a videophone, FIGS.
As in the prior art, a transmission coding means for image information is required to transmit the image information. In order to realize this image encoding means, it is necessary to execute complicated processing at high speed, and it is necessary to prepare large-scale hardware and software as compared with a conventional telephone device. This means
This will increase the cost of the terminal device. Also, even if the image information is subjected to complicated processing by the transmission encoding means,
Since the amount of information is much larger than that of voice information, it is necessary to secure a transmission path with a sufficient capacity corresponding to the amount of information.
There is also a problem that transmission costs increase.

On the other hand, in the method of providing a means for storing information of a communication partner such as a database on the terminal side in order to reduce the amount of information and reduce the communication cost as in the conventional example of FIGS. When the number of communicating parties increases, the amount of information becomes enormous and the information cost increases. In addition, when there is no information of the communicating party, there is a problem that the above-mentioned service cannot be received.

[0012] Accordingly, the present invention provides a communication system capable of providing a user with a service equivalent to a high-performance image communication service such as a video phone easily and at low cost and reducing transmission costs. It is.

[0013]

According to the present invention, voice input / output means for outputting voice information, voice information conversion means for converting voice information from the voice input / output means into a signal suitable for communication, A first communication terminal and a second communication terminal having at least line control means for controlling connection with a communication line;
A communication system between a communication terminal communicate with each other via the communication line, the user of the communication partner terminal
Stores in advance information to be used for communication with the individual through
The communication terminal is provided with a common database means which can be freely read and written. The communication terminal has a recognition means for recognizing a communication partner, and the communication partner writes data from the database means in accordance with a recognition result from the recognition means.
And database retrieving means for retrieving elaborate information, an information output means for displaying or outputting the retrieved information is provided, the
Prior to communication with the second communication terminal, the first communication terminal
The information used for communication with the second communication terminal is stored in advance.
The second communication terminal is written in the database means.
At the end, caller ID, sub-address, etc.
Information for identification and the first information such as information between users.
Using the information received from the communication terminal,
Identify the information written in the database means
Reading out the information specified by the recognizing means from the database means together with information transmitted / received by the other party to the first communication terminal during communication with the first communication terminal, and performing communication. A communication system featuring the features is provided.

[0014]

The information to be added to the communication partner includes a face image, address, company name, profile, drawings, catalogs, and the like of the partner, and these information are arranged in advance in database means in the system. On the other hand, information about the communication partner obtained by the additional service of the communication line includes a caller number, a subaddress, information between users, and the like.
The information to be used is information on the user of the other communication terminal, and the identification means identifies the user of the other communication terminal and creates a key for searching the database from the information such as the caller ID, and the database is searched using the key. Means
The database is searched and read during communication with another terminal via the communication line . As a result, even when only voice information is communicated as in a telephone service, communication can be performed with reference to the face image, profile, drawing, and the like of the communication partner, and a sense of presence with the communication partner can be obtained. You can have a bodily sensation.

[0015]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of the present invention. In the figure, reference numerals 50 and 60 denote communication terminals, reference numeral 70 denotes a communication network connecting these communication terminals 50 and 60, and reference numeral 80 denotes a database unit accessible from the communication terminals 50 and 60 via the communication network 70 (the database means of the present invention). Corresponding).

The communication terminals 50 and 60 include a voice input / output unit (corresponding to the voice input / output unit of the present invention) 51 and 61 and a voice information transmission unit (corresponding to the voice input / output unit 51 and 61, respectively). 52 and 62 (corresponding to the voice information conversion means of the present invention)
And line control units (corresponding to the line control means of the present invention) 53 and 63 connected to the voice information transmission units 52 and 62 and to the communication network 70, respectively, and the line control units 53 and 63
And a database search unit (corresponding to the database search means of the present invention) connected to the partner recognition units (corresponding to the recognition means of the present invention) 54 and 64, respectively. ) 55 and 65, and information output units (corresponding to the information output means of the present invention) 56 and 66 connected to the database search units 55 and 65, respectively.

As described above, in the present embodiment, the database unit 80 for storing information on the communication partner is provided commonly to the system. Then, in order to access the database unit 80, the communication terminals 50 and 60 have the other party recognition units 54 and 64 for recognizing the communication partner, and the database search units 55 and 65 for searching the information of the database unit 80 based on the recognition results.
And information output units 56 and 66 for displaying or outputting the retrieved information.

Here, consider a case where the communication terminal 50 uses, for example, a telephone service. As for the voice information, the voice input / output unit 51 to the voice information transmission unit 52
In addition, bidirectional communication is performed via the line control unit 53.
At this time, the name of the other party or the name of the other party is specified by the other party recognition unit 54 from the caller number, the subaddress, the information between the users, and the like, so the database search unit 55 searches the database unit 80 for the specified information. . The information stored and searched in the database includes a face image and address of a communication partner, and materials necessary for a meeting or the like. It is assumed that the user registers his / her own information in the database unit 80 in advance. As a result, it is possible to avoid a situation where there is no information on the communication partner. The transmission of the retrieved information may be multiplexed on a communication line and sent to the terminal side, or may be sent using a line different from the communication line (see FIG. One embodiment is the former example).

[0019] Of these pieces of information, other than moving images, there is no need for real-time properties, and even if it takes a certain amount of time for transmission, there is no problem. is there. In addition, a face image mainly used in a videophone among the moving images is transmitted first by sending a model of the other person's face image, and thereafter, only the characteristic change information of the face is bidirectionally communicated. Information to be performed can be reduced. The transmitted information is decoded as necessary and displayed on the information output unit 56.

FIGS. 2 and 3 show examples of information output. FIG.
Is a case where there is only one display unit and displays the data of the partner's face image and the address of the partner on the same screen P. FIG. 3 shows the screen P1 of the partner's face image and the data of the meeting material and the partner address. Are individually displayed on the screen P2.

By doing so, the user of the communication terminal prepares a complicated device for encoding and decoding images and a database for storing an enormous amount of data on the terminal side as compared with the conventional example. It is not necessary, and even on a transmission path with a small communication capacity, it is possible to have a conversation while watching the face image of the other party, or to make a meeting while watching the same material. Also,
Compared with the conventional example in which the database is prepared on the terminal side as in the conventional example of FIGS. 6 and 7, it is possible to avoid a situation in which the service cannot be received because the information of the communication partner is not in the database.

[0022]

As described in detail above, according to the present invention, a face image, a profile, or a material of a communication partner is stored in advance in the system as a common database,
It has to be transferred to the other terminal in addition to two-way communication data such as voice when communicating, with the terminal of the communication partner
Along with the information to be sent and received, the database means
Since communication with the other party is performed using the information read out from the terminal, there is no need to prepare a complicated device for encoding and decoding images or a database for storing a huge amount of data on the terminal side, Even on a transmission path with a small communication capacity, you can talk while looking at the other person's face image or hold a meeting while looking at the same material, realizing communication with the communication partner with a sense of presence and unity. It becomes possible.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram for explaining a display example of information in the embodiment of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram for explaining another display example of information in the embodiment of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of a conventional communication system.

FIG. 5 is a block diagram illustrating an example of the videophone terminal of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram showing another example of a conventional communication system.

FIG. 7 is a block diagram illustrating an example of the communication terminal in FIG. 6;

[Explanation of symbols]

 50, 60 Communication terminal 70 Communication network 80 Database unit 51, 61 Voice input / output unit 52, 62 Voice information transmission unit 53, 63 Line control unit 54, 64 Recognition unit 55, 65 Database search unit 56, 66 Information output unit

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] A voice input / output means for outputting voice information;
A voice information converting means for converting the voice information from the voice input / output means into a signal suitable for communication, and a line control means for controlling connection with a communication line, at least respectively .
A communication system for mutually communicating between a first communication terminal and a second communication terminal via the communication line, wherein information used by a communication user for communication with a partner terminal is stored in advance. A common database means that can be freely read and written from each communication terminal , and the communication terminal has a recognition means for recognizing a communication partner;
A database search means for searching information written by a communication partner from the database means in accordance with a recognition result from the recognition means, and an information output means for displaying or outputting the searched information , wherein the first communication terminal comprises: 2 communication terminals
Used for communication with the second communication terminal prior to communication with
Information to be written into the database means in advance.
And the second communication terminal has a caller ID, a subaddress
Information for identifying the partner communication terminal, such as
And information received from the first communication terminal such as information.
And written in the database means by the recognition means.
Communication with the first communication terminal by specifying
A communication system that reads out the information specified by the recognizing unit from the database unit together with information transmitted and received by the other party to the first communication terminal and performs communication.