Conference System

Abstract

To provide a conference system for restricting voice of a conversation from being leaked in the periphery.SOLUTION: A conference system includes: a plurality of personal calling devices 2 each of which has a microphone 4 and a speaker 5; a hub device 3 which is arranged in a conference space S and to which the personal calling devices 2 can be simultaneously connected via a local network. The hub device 3 provides a group calling network for enabling mutual and simultaneous calling only with respect to the connected personal calling devices 2.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a conference system used when a plurality of people are having a conversation. [Background technology]

[0002] In various facilities such as offices, exhibition halls, hospitals, stores, factories, etc., meetings are held between employees and staff belonging to the facility. In recent years, remote work has increased and individual work is done at home, so when people come to the office, which is a precious opportunity to meet face-to-face, meetings are often held exclusively within the company, and the number of small meetings tends to be much higher than before.

[0003] Therefore, in addition to conventional conference rooms that are completely partitioned as rooms, there are cases where spaces partitioned using simple partition devices are used as conference spaces (see, for example, Patent Document 1), and there are also cases where ordinary office table sets are used as conference spaces. The partition device in Patent Document 1 has a chair with a rectangular seat in a plan view, and screen panels are attached to two intersecting sides. By combining four of these chairs, a conference space surrounded by screen panels can be created. This allows the chairs to be used individually in normal situations, while also being used to partition the conference space as needed. Furthermore, because of their compact size, the height of the screen panels is lower than a typical ceiling, resulting in a structure that reduces the feeling of oppression in the internal conference space. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] JP 2017-64292 A (page 7, Figure 2) Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, in the partition device of Patent Document 1, because the partition panel has a height dimension lower than a typical ceiling, the gap between the ceiling and the partition panel is open, sound insulation is poor, and there is a risk that the contents of the meeting may leak outside the partition device. Also, in recent years, as a countermeasure against infectious diseases, droplet prevention screens are sometimes installed to separate seats, and in order to reach voices beyond the screens, the volume of voices is necessarily loud, which has caused the problem that the sounds of conversations are likely to leak outside the partition device.

[0006] The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems, and has as its object to provide a conference system in which the sounds of conversation are less likely to leak out to the surroundings. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In order to solve the above problems, the conference system of the present invention comprises: a hub device installed in a conference space and capable of simultaneously connecting the plurality of personal communication devices via a local network; The hub device is characterized by providing a group call network that enables simultaneous mutual calls only to the connected personal call devices. According to this feature, the voice input into the microphone of one personal communication device is output from the speaker of the other personal communication devices through a group communication network with other personal communication devices connected to the same hub device via a local network. Therefore, even if the speaker lowers their voice, the listeners can hear it through the speakers of their own personal communication devices. This allows the overall volume of the conversations of the participants in the conference to be lowered, making it less likely that the voices of the conversation will leak outside the conference space.

[0008] The hub device is characterized by having an announcing means for announcing the number of personal communication devices currently connected in a recognizable manner. According to this feature, participants who join a conference using a group call network can check whether there are any personal call devices connected to the hub device outside the conference space by comparing the number of personal call devices connected to the hub device with the number of personal call devices within the conference space using the hub device's notification means, such as display or sound, thereby ensuring the confidentiality of the conference content.

[0009] The personal communication device and the hub device are connected by short-range wireless communication. This feature eliminates the need for wires to get in the way, and allows the conference system to be used regardless of the configuration of the conference space.

[0010] The personal communication devices that are permitted to be connected can be selected and managed in a unified manner on a setting screen of an operation terminal connected to the hub device. According to this feature, personal communication devices carried by persons other than the participants in a conference using a group call network can be prevented from being connected to the hub device, thereby ensuring the confidentiality of the contents of the conference.

[0011] The setting screen of the operating terminal connected to the hub device is characterized by having a lock function that restricts the selection operation of the personal communication device that is permitted to be connected. According to this feature, personal calling devices carried by persons other than the participants in a conference using a group calling network can be reliably prevented from being connected to the hub device, thereby ensuring the confidentiality of the contents of the conference.

[0012] The hub device is characterized by being able to perform processing to reproduce a sound indicating that the personal communication device is connected to the hub device from the speaker of the personal communication device that is currently connected. This feature allows participants to confirm, by listening to the audio output from the speaker of their personal telephone device, whether or not they are properly connected to the hub device in the conference space where they are located.

[0013] The hub device is connected to a room acoustics control system having a speaker installed in the conference space, and the room acoustics control system outputs from the speaker a sound that is in the opposite phase to the sound input from the microphone of the personal call device connected to the hub device. According to this feature, the room acoustics control system can output from the speaker an inverse phase sound that reliably makes the voice of a participant difficult to hear, based on the voice picked up by the microphone of a personal call device connected to the hub device, thereby making the voice of the conference difficult to hear outside the conference space.

[0014] The room acoustic control system is characterized in that it is attached to furniture that divides the conference space. According to this feature, a conference using a group call network can be held without installing a room acoustic adjustment system each time. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0015] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram showing a conference space in which a conference system according to a first embodiment of the present invention is used. [Figure 2] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a personal communication device. [Figure 3] FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 1 is an image diagram of a conference system including a block diagram of a hub device. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a setting screen displayed on the operation terminal. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a conference space in which a conference system according to a second embodiment of the present invention is used. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0016] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS A conference system according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described below. [Example]

[0017] A conference system according to a first embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0018] A conference system is used for holding meetings in various facilities such as offices, exhibition halls, hospitals, stores, and factories. For example, as shown in Figure 1, it is used in a conference space S, which is partitioned by an office table T and seats C (here, sofa seats) placed on either side of the table T.

[0019] The conference system 1 includes a plurality of personal communication devices 2 (six personal communication devices 2A to 2F in this example) and a hub device 3 to which the personal communication devices 2 are connected via a local network. As shown in FIG. 2, the personal communication devices 2 are so-called neck-worn headsets, each having a microphone 4 and a speaker 5, and using Bluetooth (registered trademark), a short-range wireless standard, as a communication means. As will be described in detail later, the personal communication devices 2 and the hub device 3 are not connected over the Internet, but are connected via a closed network on a local network using the short-range wireless standard. When worn around the neck, the speaker 5 is located below the ear, and the microphone 4 is located below the chin.

[0020] 3, the hub device 3 is configured by incorporating various electronic components into a box-shaped case 30. A plurality of connection lamps 6A to 6F, a connection button 7, a mute button 8, and a volume button 9 are arranged on an upper surface 30a of the case 30, and all of these can be illuminated by LEDs incorporated within the case 30.

[0021] A connection cable 10, such as a USB cable, is stored in the case 30, and the connection cable 10 can be pulled out from a hole 11 formed in the side of the case 30. A loop 12 is fixed to a corner 30b of the case 30, and the hub device 3 can be suspended by hanging the loop 12 on a hook provided on a desk, whiteboard, or the like.

[0022] 4, the hub device 3 includes an integrated circuit 13 for arithmetic processing, and wireless communication modules 14A to 14F respectively connected to the integrated circuit 13. The wireless communication modules 14A to 14F are modules for short-range wireless communication such as Bluetooth, and in this embodiment, six wireless communication modules 14A to 14F are built into the case 30.

[0023] Although not shown here, the aforementioned button switches such as the connection button 7, mute button 8, and volume button 9 are also connected to the integrated circuit 13. These electronic components including the integrated circuit 13 and wireless communication modules 14A to 14F are connected to a battery (not shown) and are designed to operate by power supplied from the battery.

[0024] When pairing, which will be described later, is completed, the personal communication devices 2A to 2F are connected in pairs to the wireless communication modules 14A to 14F built into the case 30, respectively, and are able to exchange voice data.

[0025] The integrated circuit 13 performs processing to transmit the voice received by the wireless communication modules 14A to 14F built into the case 30, i.e., the voice input from the microphones of the personal communication devices 2A to 2F and received by wireless communication, to all the personal communication devices 2A to 2F connected to the wireless communication modules 14A to 14F.

[0026] The personal communication devices 2A to 2F output from the speaker 5 the sounds received from the wireless communication modules 14A to 14F of the hub device 3 with which they are paired.

[0027] In this way, the voice input into the microphone of one personal communication device 2 is output from the speaker 5 of the other personal communication devices 2 via a group communication network with other personal communication devices 2 connected to the same hub device 3 via a local network. Therefore, even if the speaker lowers their voice, the listeners can hear it on the speaker 5 of their own personal communication devices 2, and the overall volume of the conversations of the participants in this conference can be lowered, making it less likely that the voices of the conversation will leak out to those around them.

[0028] A connection cable 10 is connected to the integrated circuit 13 of the hub device 3, and this connection cable 10 connects the hub device 3 to a PC, enabling data exchange. The connection to the PC is used when configuring the hub device 3, such as for pairing, and when holding a web conference.

[0029] When a web conference is held, the user logged in on the PC side is shared by the personal communication devices 2A-2F downstream of the hub device 3. The integrated circuit 13 receives audio from the other party in the web conference from the PC via the connection cable 10 and transmits the audio to all the personal communication devices 2A-2F connected to the wireless communication modules 14A-14F. The audio received by the integrated circuit 13 from one personal communication device 2A-2F is transmitted to the other personal communication devices 2A-2F and also transmitted to the PC via the connection cable 10.

[0030] Next, settings using the hub device 3 will be described with reference to Fig. 5. Fig. 5 is a diagram showing a setting screen 20 displayed on a display D (see Fig. 4) of a PC, which is an operation terminal connected to the hub device 3 by the connection cable 10. The setting screen 20 displays module name displays 21 of the wireless communication modules 14A to 14F of the hub device 3, selection displays 22 displayed next to each module name display 21 for selecting a partner terminal to pair with the wireless communication module 14, and a status display 23 displayed next to the selection displays 22 and indicating the status of pairing.

[0031] When pairing the personal communication devices 2A to 2F with the hub device 3, the participant first presses the connection button 7 (see FIG. 3) of the hub device 3. This puts the wireless communication modules 14A to 14F of the hub device 3 into a pairing standby mode. In addition, each participant of the personal communication devices 2A to 2F sets the wireless communication function of the personal communication device 2A to 2F into a pairing mode.

[0032] Next, a representative of the multiple participants in the conference uses the setting screen 20 to pair each of the wireless communication modules 14A to 14F with one of the personal communication devices 2A to 2F. Specifically, a selection display 22 next to each module name display 21 is displayed as a pull-down menu, and in this state, a personal communication device 2 (displayed here as a device name such as "headset2") that is waiting for pairing can be selected. The participant appropriately selects the personal communication device 2 to be paired and presses the status display 23 next to the selection display 22. Note that not only the representative, but each participant participating in the conference may pair their personal communication device.

[0033] When the status indicator 23 is pressed, pairing begins between the wireless communication module 14 corresponding to the module name indicator 21 and the personal communication device 2. Before pairing begins, the status indicator 23 indicates "connection," and while pairing is in progress, the status indicator 23 changes to "connecting." Also, while pairing is in progress, one of the connection lamps 6A to 6F that was previously off begins to flash. In this embodiment, the connection lamps 6A to 6F are configured to light up in order, starting with the connection lamp 6A, and the numbers 1 to 6 displayed above the connection lamps 6A to 6F allow the number of lamps currently lit to be confirmed.

[0034] When pairing is complete, the status display 23 changes to "Complete." Also, when pairing is complete, one of the connection lamps 6A to 6F that has been flashing changes to a lit light.

[0035] Furthermore, the hub device 3 stores information identifying the hub device, such as a name set to distinguish the location where the hub device is installed, such as "hub device in conference space 5," and identification information for the hub device, as a voice message on a recording medium, and processes the voice message indicating the information identifying the hub device from the speaker 5 of the personal communication device 2 with which pairing has been completed. This allows participants to confirm, by the voice output from the speaker 5 of the personal communication device 2, whether or not their own personal communication device 2 is properly connected to the hub device 3 in the conference space S where they are located. In addition, because the information identifying the hub device is a voice message, there are no restrictions on compatibility due to the specifications of the personal communication device.

[0036] The hub device 3 is not limited to a configuration in which an audio message indicating the hub device is played from the speaker 5 of the personal communication device 2 with which pairing has been completed each time pairing is completed, but may also be configured, for example, to have a physical confirmation button on the hub device 3, and when this confirmation button is pressed, an audio message is played from the speaker 5 of the personal communication device 2 with which pairing has been completed at that time.

[0037] The setting screen 20 also displays a password input box 24 and a lock button 25. Participants set a password in advance, enter the password in the input box 24, and select the lock button 25. If the entered password is correct, the hub device 3 disables changes to the current pairing status (lock function). To unlock the lock when it is necessary to change the pairing status, the correct password is entered again in the input box 24 and the lock button 25 is selected. In the locked state, even if the connection button 7 of the hub device 3 is pressed, the wireless communication modules 14A to 14F of the hub device 3 will not enter pairing standby mode.

[0038] As described above, the hub device 3 provides only to the connected personal communication device 2 a group communication network consisting of a local network that enables simultaneous communication between all personal communication devices 2 connected to the hub device 3. In other words, the group communication network is not provided to personal communication devices 2 that are not connected to the same local network, thereby ensuring the confidentiality of conference contents.

[0039] Furthermore, the hub device 3 can confirm the number of personal communication devices 2 currently connected to the hub device 3 by using the connection lamps 6A to 6F (notification means). This allows participants participating in a conference using the group call network to confirm whether or not there are any personal communication devices 2 connected to the hub device 3 outside the conference space S by comparing the number of personal communication devices 2 connected to the hub device 3 with the actual number of personal communication devices 2 within the conference space S, thereby ensuring the confidentiality of the conference contents.

[0040] Furthermore, since the personal communication device 2 and the hub device 3 are connected by short-range wireless communication, wiring does not get in the way and the conference system 1 can be used regardless of the configuration of the conference space S.

[0041] Furthermore, the setting screen 20 of the PC connected to the hub device 3 allows for the centralized selection and management of personal calling devices 2 that are permitted to be connected, which prevents personal calling devices 2 owned by people other than participants in a conference using a group calling network from connecting to the hub device, thereby ensuring the confidentiality of the contents of the conference.

[0042] The setting screen 20 of the PC connected to the hub device 3 has a lock function configured with a password input box 24 and a lock button 25, which disables changes to the pairing status at that time, in other words, restricts the selection operation of the personal calling device 2 that is allowed to be connected. This reliably prevents personal calling devices 2 owned by people other than participants in a conference using a group calling network from connecting to the hub device 3, ensuring the confidentiality of the conference contents.

[0043] Furthermore, by operating the volume button 9 of the hub device 3, it is possible to simultaneously control the volume output from the speakers 5 of all personal communication devices 2 connected to the hub device 3. For example, if one of the participants in a conference using a group call network feels that the volume of the group call network is too loud, he or she can operate the volume button 9 to suppress sound leakage from the conference space S.

[0044] Furthermore, by operating the mute button 8 of the hub device 3, the audio input from the microphones 4 of all personal calling devices 2 connected to the hub device 3 is not output from the speakers 5, and in the case of a web conference, it is not sent to a remote location. This allows the microphones 4 to be temporarily disabled if the audio of the group calling network is unpleasant due to feedback or if the volume of the group calling network is too high. [Example]

[0045] Next, a conference system as a sliding part according to a second embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 6. Note that a description of the same configuration as in the first embodiment will be omitted.

[0046] In the conference space S of FIG. 6, the room is divided by a partition 34 that is lower than the ceiling, and a room acoustic control system 35 is installed at the upper end of the partition 34.

[0047] Although not shown in detail here, the room acoustics control system 35 includes an integrated circuit, a speaker, and wireless communication means, and is connected by wireless communication to the hub device 3. The integrated circuit of the room acoustics control system 35 receives audio input from the microphone 4 (see FIG. 2) of the personal communication device 2 connected to the hub device 3, generates a sound that is in the opposite phase to this audio, and outputs it from the speaker.

[0048] The room acoustic control system 35 outputs the above-mentioned anti-phase sound widely from the speaker around the device. This muffles the conference sound leaking from the conference space S to the outside, in this case from between the top edge of the partition 34 and the ceiling, by superimposing the anti-phase sound, making it difficult to hear the sound inside the conference space S from outside the conference space S. Note that the room acoustic control system 35 may be configured to include a microphone that collects sound around the device and generate sound that is anti-phase to the collected sound, but a configuration that generates anti-phase sound based on sound from the microphone 4 of the personal communication device 2, as in this embodiment, makes it possible to accurately generate sound that is anti-phase to the sound input to the microphone 4 without being disturbed by unnecessary noise.

[0049] Furthermore, since the room acoustic control system 35 is attached to the furniture that divides the conference space S, conferences can be held using a group call network without having to perform the installation work every time.

[0050] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above with reference to the drawings, the specific configuration is not limited to these embodiments, and the present invention also includes modifications and additions that do not deviate from the gist of the present invention.

[0051] For example, in the above embodiment, the hub device 3 and the personal calling device 2 are connected using a short-range wireless standard communication means, but this is not limited to this, and the hub device 3 and the personal calling device 2 may also be connected by a wired connection such as a LAN cable or a USB cable.

[0052] Furthermore, the short-range wireless communication standard is not limited to Bluetooth, but may be, for example, Wi-Fi or ZigBee (registered trademark).

[0053] The setting screen 20 may also be provided with an additional connection button that allows the user to start pairing with an incomplete wireless communication module 14 alone, while leaving already paired modules as they are. Note that the hub device 3 may also be provided with a physical additional connection button with a similar function.

[0054] Furthermore, the hub device 3 is not limited to being portable, but may be configured to be built into furniture such as tables, chairs, whiteboards, and partitions, allowing participants to hold a conference using a group calling network simply by bringing their personal calling device 2 to the conference space S.

[0055] Furthermore, the personal communication device is not limited to a neck-worn headset, but may be any device that is equipped with wireless communication means, a microphone, and a speaker, such as a smartphone.

[0056] Furthermore, the operation terminal connected to the hub device 3 and displaying the setting screen 20 is not limited to a PC, but may be a smartphone or the like.

[0057] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the connection lamps 6A to 6F are configured to light up in order starting from the connection lamp 6A, and the numbers 1 to 6 displayed above the connection lamps 6A to 6F allow the number currently lit to be checked, but this is not limited to this. The wireless communication modules 14A to 14F and the connection lamps 6A to 6F may each be paired, and the connection lamp 6A to 6F corresponding to the wireless communication module 14A to 14F for which pairing has been completed may light up.

[0058] Furthermore, the notification means for confirmably notifying the number of personal communication devices 2 currently connected to the hub device 3 is not limited to lamps such as the connection lamps 6A to 6F, but may be configured to notify by voice, for example.

[0059] The hub device 3 may also have an ambient sound capture function that collects sounds around the connected personal communication device 2 and outputs them from the speaker of the personal communication device 2, and this function may be turned on and off with a physical button. By using this function, when using a personal communication device that is worn in the ears, such as an inner-ear type or an in-ear type, it is possible to eliminate the problem of one's own voice sounding muffled due to ear blockage, thereby enabling comfortable conversation.

[0060] The hub device 3 may also have a function to pick up the voice of a speaker near the microphone of a connected personal communication device 2 while cutting out noise below a certain volume, and to recognize the speaker's speaking state and automatically mute or unmute the microphones of other personal communication devices 2, thereby cutting out noise while maintaining the quality of the speaker's voice; this function may be turned on and off using a physical button. [Explanation of symbols]

[0061] 1. Conference System 2 Personal communication device 3 Hub Device 4. Microphone 5 speakers 6A~6F Connection lamp (notification means) 7 Connect button 10 Connection cable 13 Integrated Circuits 14 Wireless communication module 20 Settings screen 34 partitions 35 Room Acoustic Adjustment System S Meeting Space

Claims

1. a hub device installed in a conference space and capable of simultaneously connecting the plurality of personal communication devices via a local network; The hub device comprises an integrated circuit for arithmetic processing and a plurality of wireless communication modules each connected to the integrated circuit, and each of the wireless communication modules is connected to a pair of the personal calling device, and a conference system is provided which provides a group calling network that enables simultaneous mutual calls only for the personal calling devices already connected to the hub device, up to the number of wireless communication modules.

2. A conference system comprising: a plurality of personal communication devices each having a microphone and a speaker; and a hub device installed in a conference space to which the plurality of personal communication devices can be simultaneously connected via a local network; the hub device provides a group call network that enables simultaneous calls between only the connected personal call devices; A conference system characterized in that the setting screen of the operation terminal connected to the hub device has a lock function that restricts the selection operation of the personal communication device that is permitted to be connected.

3. A conference system comprising: a plurality of personal communication devices each having a microphone and a speaker; and a hub device installed in a conference space to which the plurality of personal communication devices can be simultaneously connected via a local network; The hub device provides a group call network that enables simultaneous mutual calls only to the connected personal call devices, and the hub device is connected to a room acoustic control system having speakers installed in the conference space, and the room acoustic control system outputs from the speaker a sound that is in opposite phase to the sound input from the microphone of the personal call device connected to the hub device.

4. A conference system as described in Claim 3, characterized in that the indoor acoustic adjustment system is attached to furniture that divides the conference space.

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