JP2611620B2 - Terminal notification type reservation connection method - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

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

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, it has been a prerequisite for a video conference apparatus to have a calling or incoming call control function for connection between the apparatuses. Also, when connecting them, the amount of communication information is enormous,
In order to connect immediately, a line carrying a large amount of information had to be permanently installed, which was extremely uneconomical. For this reason, a reservation-type connection method has been devised and put into practical use for the purpose of effectively and efficiently using a limited and small number of information paths sufficient for the video conference traffic.

For example, in an automatic private branch exchange with a conference call function disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 63-268356, a conference call reservation is made from an extension telephone, and a reservation is made automatically from the exchange at the reserved time. Call an extension subscriber,
By connecting to the conference trunk, the burden on attendant operators or secretaries 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, and as a result it is intended to make efficient use of the minimum conference trunk. That is, when reserving a conference call, when the subscriber picks up the receiver, it is connected to the transmission register. Next, after inputting the conference call reservation access code, the user inputs the date, start and end times of the reservation. This input is identified as a conference call reservation by the central control unit. The reservation state of the conference call trunk reservation is checked. If there is a reservation, the subscriber number is detected, and the reservation extension is entered at the entered date and time. The subscriber number and the conference trunk number to be used are added, stored in the main storage device, and a reservationable SST (service set tone) is transmitted to the subscriber. Reservation subscriber calls
This is performed based on the conference call reservation information in the main storage device. When the subscriber answers, the subscriber is connected to the announcement trunk via the conference trunk and receives a conference call start message. In the automatic exchange disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 58-070672, a conference call organizer uses a telephone to store in advance the date and time of the scheduled conference and the number information of the telephone set to be called for the conference. On the other hand, when the registered time and the current time match, the exchange determines the use state of the conference call trunk, and when it is empty, reserves the use of this conference call trunk, In this case, a call is automatically made to prompt a conference to be held, and the conference call organizer receiving the call can invite participants to hold a conference.

[0004]

However, in the above-mentioned conventional reservation connection method, since the main purpose is to connect an image line that carries a huge amount of information for transmitting an image, the connection according to each other's call is established. Even if there is a defect, or there is a meeting organizer, but the meeting participant misses or is 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 image line Many dissatisfactions have to be paid to pay for the line and other things to get the meeting started smoothly.

[0005] It is an object of the present invention to provide a video conference reservation system for canceling the above-mentioned expensive communication line fee payment and smoothly starting a conference.

[0006]

In the terminal notification type reservation connection system of the present invention, the presence / absence of a conference reservation and the reservation date and time are registered for each video conference terminal. When the exchange has received, if there is no reservation at the connection destination terminal, the exchange responds to the effect that there is no reservation and registers the applied reservation date and time. Sign up for reservation, connecting the other party to register the reservation date and time and the connection destination information when it receives a response to the effect without reservation, of its own television conference terminals around the TV conference participants when it becomes a reservation start time standing detecting the presence or absence of seat, the seating to initiate a connection with the image line by the destination information registered when they check, or when the incoming call the call connection from the other video conference terminals, likewise tangent Has a counterpart television control terminal to start to connect the image lines in response to the conference terminal near the telephoto <br/> bi conferee該着call if confirmed presence, O and application with this reservation The response is made via a dedicated control line connecting the exchange and the control terminal of each video conference terminal.

[0007]

Next, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

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

A plurality of video conference terminals 7a to 7n are accommodated in the exchange 10 via image lines 8a to 8n, and a conference participant mutually exchanges images and voices via the exchange 10 during a conference. The control terminals 1a to 1n are always attached to the video conference terminals 7a to 7n, respectively, and are accommodated in the exchange 10 via control lines 9a to 9n, respectively. The control lines 9a to 9n are required for connection control of the video conference.
It is set as a limited and small number of lines just enough to meet the traffic. Under the control of the control unit 2, the control terminal 1a transmits and receives information to and from the exchange 10 via the control line 9a. a storage unit 3, a clock 4 for counting the current time, including a presence detection unit 5 for detecting the presence or absence of the presence of the conference participants in the vicinity of the own television conference terminal.
The control unit 2 turns on and off the power of the video conference terminal 7a by the operation of the organizer. Other control terminals 1b ~
1n has the same configuration as the control terminal 1a. The reservation device 11 is attached to the exchange 10 and has a video conference terminal 7a.
When the reservation partner application is received and the time period of the connection partner is vacant, a conference holding permission is given to the control terminal of the application video conference terminal by managing the vacant state of the image lines 8a to 8n. And, the reservation date and time of the connection partner are 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
a is the host of the video conference and the video conference terminal 7b ~
7n is described as the participant side of the connection partner.

First, an organizer who intends to make a reservation for a video conference does not carry a large amount of information with the data transmission / reception unit 6 from the call detection unit of the operation unit (not shown), and the control line 9a is inexpensive for call charges. Connected to the reservation device 11 via
Inquires whether or not there is a reservation at the scheduled date and time of the connection destination.

In the reservation device 11, these image lines 8a to 8
n is managed, but in the connection operation up to the connection of a large number of TV terminals, the connection is difficult to distinguish between outgoing and incoming calls, and the control becomes complicated. If it is available during the desired time zone, the time and the telephone number of the connection partner to be called to the control terminal 1a on the organizer side are stored in the reservation date and time storage unit 3. On the other hand, the control terminal 1 a has a clock 4, and checks the contents stored in the reservation date and time storage unit 3. Therefore, when the reservation time comes, the communication charges for the image lines 8a to 8n are expensive until the presence or absence of the presence is confirmed as described above.
Information is exchanged with the presence detection unit 5 to know the presence status of the connection partner via the inexpensive control lines 9a to 9n at normal rates.
If the presence is confirmed with each other, the host video conference terminal 7a and the line 8 via the control unit 2 which controls all of these operations.
A connection operation is performed between a-switch 10-line 8n-participant's television terminal 7n, and thereafter, a transition is made to a conference state.

As the presence detector 5, two types of embodiments are shown. A 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 in a conference room and confirming that the person is present, such as a body temperature sensor and infrared reflection. And the like are possible with existing technologies. The second example is a start trigger method, in which presence confirmation is triggered by a physical change such as sitting on a chair, opening a door, or turning on a light. Also in the above two embodiments, if the presence confirmation cannot be detected within a certain period of time after the elapse of the reservation start time, the reservation conference is not called or answered, and the absence message exchange 10 is notified.

[0015]

According to the present invention, a video conference is reserved by using a low-cost control line, and the connection of each video conference terminal immediately before the start of the conference can be almost completely communicated by the control line alone. Can be completed, so the line fee can be reduced, and as a workaround from a situation where a 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 the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of an embodiment of a terminal notification type reservation 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 presence detection unit 6 data transmission and reception unit 7a to 7n video conference terminal 8a to 8n image line 9a to 9n control line 10 exchange 11 reservation device

 ────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of the front page (72) Inventor Atsuko Suzuki 5-7-1 Shiba, Minato-ku, Tokyo Within NEC Corporation (56) References JP-A-58-70672 (JP, A) JP-A-63 -268356 (JP, A) JP-A-3-283983 (JP, A) JP-A-4-280153 (JP, A)

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] 1. A plurality of video conference terminals connected to an exchange via an image line, and each of the plurality of video conference terminals
And is connected to the exchange via a control line.
A control terminal for controlling the corresponding video conference terminal
And the number of the video conference terminals provided in the exchange.
The presence / absence of each conference reservation and the reservation date and time are registered, and the control terminal
When a video conference reservation application is received from the end,
If there is no other reservation at hand, respond to that effect and
A terminal notification type reservation connection method in a video conference device comprising a reservation means for registering the application reservation date and time , wherein the control terminal is connected via the control line under the control of a control unit.
To send and receive data to and from the exchange
The teleconference to the communication unit and the reservation means provided in the exchange.
Apply for a reservation, and there is no other reservation at the connection destination
Of the reserved communication and the reserved connection partner
Reservation date and time storage unit to store destination information and time to measure time
And the location that detects the presence of a person around the videoconference terminal.
A seat detection unit, and when the reserved communication start time comes, the presence detection unit
After confirming the presence of people around your video conference terminal,
Call the exchange via the control line to make a reservation.
Connected to the control terminal of the other
Check the presence of people around the other party's video conference terminal from your terminal
Receiving the information to
Controlling the connection with the terminal via the image line.
Characteristic terminal notification type reservation connection method.