JP3921412B2 - IP phone - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an IP telephone connected to a DATA network (LAN) and a private branch exchange network, and more particularly to an IP telephone that performs network switching in the event of a network failure or power failure.
[0002]
[Prior art]
Conventionally, this type of IP telephone is connected to a DATA network (LAN) and a private branch exchange network, and network malfunctions and operations during power outages are generally not considered in many cases. In recent years, high connection reliability has been demanded also for IP telephones, and connection reliability equivalent to private branch exchange networks is also required for DATA networks (LANs) that are not highly reliable.
[0003]
In order to meet this demand, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 10-271243 proposes a system that has both LAN interface control and PSTN interface control and automatically switches to the PSTN interface in the event of a network failure or power failure. As shown in FIG. 4, in the prior art disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 10-271243, the LAN interface circuit unit 120 monitors a status inquiry packet from a LAN private branch exchange (not shown) at predetermined intervals. If this state monitoring packet is not received, it is determined that a failure has occurred in the LAN, and the relay 141 is switched from the terminal A (ADPCM encoding / decoding unit 121) to the terminal B (PSTN 130) side by signal control, The relay 141 also realizes improvement in connection reliability by switching the call interface unit 142 to the PSTN 130 side at the time of a commercial power failure.
[0004]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
However, the above-described prior art has a problem in that when a power failure is restored while a PSTN call is being made immediately before the power failure, the call is forcibly switched to the DATA network side. Further, in the above-described prior art, no consideration is given to the case of connection to a hub or the like having a function of supplying power to the IP telephone. Furthermore, when a problem occurs in the DATA network during a call using the DATA network, there is no means for avoiding the call to the PSTN, and thus the call is disconnected.
[0005]
The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide an IP telephone that can maintain a call even when a failure occurs in the DATA network during a call using the DATA network. And
[0006]
Another object of the present invention is to provide an IP telephone that can maintain a call even when a DATA network malfunction that occurred during the call is recovered.
[0007]
Another object of the present invention is to provide an IP telephone that is compatible with a hub having a function of supplying power to the IP telephone.
[0008]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
The present invention includes a LAN I / F unit, which is an interface to a DATA network, and a PSTN I / F unit, which is an interface to a PSTN network, and is capable of making a call by supplying power from the DATA network or the PSTN network. The telephone is characterized by comprising switching means for switching the connection to the PSTN network and maintaining the call when a problem occurs in the DATA network during a call on the DATA network.
[0009]
Further, the switching means maintains the connection to the PSTN network even when the DATA network is recovered from a failure.
[0010]
In addition, when the LAN I / F unit is connected to a hub, the LAN I / F unit operates by supplying power from the hub.
[0011]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Next, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a network configuration to which an IP telephone according to this embodiment is connected. As shown in FIG. 1, the IP telephone 5 of this embodiment is connected to a DATA network 9 and a PSTN network 2.
[0012]
The DATA network 9 includes a router 3 connected to the Internet or intranet 1, a hub 4 connected to the router 3, an IP telephone control device 7 connected to the hub 4, and a plurality of PCs 6.
[0013]
The IP telephone 5 communicates with the IP telephone control device 7 and control DATA, and the telephone call can be made with each terminal on the DATA network 9 and a terminal on the Internet or the intranet 1. In addition, the IP telephone 5 can make a call with a terminal on the PSTN network 7 at the time of a power failure or when some trouble occurs in the DATA network 9.
[0014]
FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the IP telephone in this embodiment.
[0015]
The LAN I / F unit 51 interfaces with the DATA network 9. When the DATA network 9 is connected to a hub or the like that can send the operating power of the IP telephone 5, the communication DATA and the power supply are separated, the communication DATA is connected to the CPU 52, and the operating power is sent to the power supply unit 53.
[0016]
The CPU 52 communicates with the DATA network 9 via the LAN I / F unit 51. This communication includes control DATA and voice DATA, and the CPU 52 analyzes each of the control DATA and voice DATA to control the operation of the telephone. The CPU 52 converts the audio data into a format that can be converted by the CODEC 55 and communicates with the CODEC 55. In addition to this, the CPU 52 controls the switching SW 57 to connect the voice of the handset 58 to the PSTN I / F unit 56, inputs information of pressing the dial button 54, and controls the dial generation unit 59 to the PSTN I / F unit 56. Controls whether or not to send dial signals.
[0017]
The power supply unit 53 supplies the operating power of the IP telephone 5 by power input from the LAN I / F unit 51 or the commercial power supply 8.
[0018]
The dial button 54 is a human interface that the operator dials, and sends the obtained dial information to the dial generation unit 59 via the CPU 52.
[0019]
The CODEC 55 is a digital / analog signal converter. The digital signal is connected to the CPU 52 and the analog signal is connected to the handset 58.
[0020]
The PSTN I / F unit 56 is connected to the PSTN network 2 and supports the PSTN network 2 and basic functions of PSTN network communication such as outgoing call, incoming call, and telephone conversation.
[0021]
The switch SW 57 switches whether or not the audio from the handset 58 is connected to the PSTN I / F unit 56 according to an instruction from the CPU 52 or a power supply state.
[0022]
The handset 58 is an audio human interface with an operator who performs analog / audio signal conversion.
[0023]
Dial generation unit 59 is connected to PSTN I / F unit 56 and generates a dial signal to PSTN network 2.
[0024]
A PSTN I / F unit 56, a changeover switch 57, a handset 58, a dial button 54, and a dial generation unit 59, which are general analog telephone blocks, can operate with the power supplied from the PSTN network 2.
[0025]
Next, the operation of this embodiment will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.
As shown in FIG. 3, the IP telephone 5 according to the present embodiment is roughly divided into five operation states. Hereinafter, each state will be described.
[0026]
The state 1 is a state in which power is not supplied to the IP telephone 5 from the DATA network 9 or the commercial power supply 8, and the operable block is a block of a general analog telephone supplied with power from the PSTN network 2. An I / F unit 56, a changeover switch 57, a handset 58, a dial button 54, and a dial generation unit 59. When the power is not turned on, the switch SW 57 has a logic for connecting the handset 58 and the PSTN I / F unit 56. Accordingly, the IP telephone 5 makes a call with the PSTN network 2.
[0027]
State 2 is a state in which power is supplied to the IP telephone 5 from the DATA network 9 or the commercial power supply 8, the state of the DATA network 9 is good, and a call is made with a terminal in the DATA network 9 at the start of the call. . Therefore, the IP telephone 5 makes a call with a terminal on the DATA network 9.
[0028]
The voice path flows through the route of the handset 58, the CODEC 55, the CPU 52, the LAN I / F unit 51, and the DATA network 9. The CPU 52 performs control to stop the operations of the switch SW 57 and the dial generation unit 59.
[0029]
Regarding the control system (particularly call control), the dial signal recognized by the dial button 54 is sent to the CPU 52 and analyzed by the CPU 52 to determine the operation of the IP telephone 5.
[0030]
State 3 is a state in which power is supplied from the DATA network 9 or the commercial power supply 8 to the IP telephone 5, the state of the DATA network 9 is good, and a call is made with a terminal in the PSTN network 2 at the start of the call. . In order to maintain the call, the CPU 52 enables the switch SW 57 and maintains the call. After the call is over, the operation state of state 2 is entered.
[0031]
The state 4 is a state in which power is supplied from the DATA network 9 or the commercial power supply 8 to the IP telephone 5, and the state of the DATA network 9 is bad, and when talking is started with a terminal in the PSTN network 2 is there. In this case, the IP telephone 5 makes a call using the PSTN network 2. The audio path flows through the route of the handset 58, the changeover switch 57, and the PSTN I / F unit 56. The CPU 52 performs control to validate the operations of the switch SW 57 and the dial generation unit 59.
[0032]
Regarding the control system (call control), the dial signal recognized by the dial button 54 is sent to the dial generation unit 59 and sent to the PSTN network 2 via the PSTN I / F unit 56.
[0033]
The state 5 is a state in which power is supplied to the IP telephone 5 from the DATA network 9 or the commercial power supply 8, the state of the DATA network 9 is bad, and a call is made with a terminal on the DATA network 9 at the start of the call. . In this case, the call is disconnected once and connected to the PSTN network 2 again to make a call.
[0034]
If the CPU 52 detects a defect in the DATA network 9, the CPU 52 disconnects the call with the terminal on the DATA network 9, but immediately performs a call operation to the same call partner from the PSTN network 2 and maintains the call. . The voice path is interrupted from the path of the handset 58, the CODEC 55, the CPU 52, the LAN I / F unit 51, and the DATA network 9, and is switched to the path of the handset 58, the changeover switch 57, and the PSTN I / F unit 56.
[0035]
The CPU 52 performs control to validate the operations of the switch SW 57 and the dial generation unit 59. Then, the CPU 52 instructs the dial generation unit 59 to make a call to the other party that has been talking, and connects to the PSTN network 2 via the PSTN I / F unit 56.
[0036]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, according to the present invention, when a problem occurs in the DATA network during a call using the DATA network, the call to the PSTN can be avoided.
[0037]
Further, according to the present invention, when a call is restored by a PSTN call during a power failure, the call can be maintained as a PSTN call when the power failure is restored.
[0038]
Further, according to the present invention, it is possible to cope with a hub having a function of supplying power to the IP telephone.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a network configuration to which an IP telephone according to an embodiment is connected.
FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a configuration of an IP telephone in the present embodiment.
FIG. 3 is a state diagram showing an operation state of the IP telephone 5 of the present embodiment.
FIG. 4 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a configuration of a conventional technique.
[Explanation of symbols]
1 Internet or Intranet 2 PSTN network 3 Router 4 Hub 5 IP phone 6 PC
7 IP telephone control device 8 Commercial power supply 9 DATA network 51 LAN I / F unit 52 CPU
53 Power Supply 54 Dial Button 55 CODEC
56 PSTN I / F 57 switching SW
58 Handset 59 Dial generator

Claims (2)

In an IP telephone having a LAN I / F unit that is an interface to a DATA network and a PSTN I / F unit that is an interface to a PSTN network, and capable of making a call by power supply from the DATA network or the PSTN network,
A switching means for switching the connection to the PSTN network to maintain the call when a failure occurs in the DATA network during a call on the DATA network ;
The IP telephone is characterized in that the switching means maintains a connection to the PSTN network even when the DATA network is recovered from a malfunction. 2. The IP telephone according to claim 1, wherein when the LAN I / F unit is connected to a hub, the IP telephone operates by power supply from the hub.

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