Communication System

Abstract

To provide an IP telephone call system that improves the quality of a call by acquiring background noise of a call destination and adjusting the volume or sound quality of speech.SOLUTION: A communication system includes: an IP call system that includes a plurality of call terminals each connected to an IP network and each having a microphone and a speaker, and performs transmission and reception of voice data using a call protocol between the call terminals via an IP network; and a system manager that is connected to the IP network separately from the call terminals and controls the transmission and reception of voice data using the call protocol between the call terminals. When a call is made from one call terminal 11a belonging to the IP call system to another call terminal 11b belonging to the IP call system, the one call terminal 11a or the system manager collects sound from the microphone of the other call terminal 11b to obtain background noise, and adjusts at least one of volume and sound quality of the call.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 8

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a communication system having an IP call system including a call terminal, or a communication system having an IP call system and a loudspeaker system including an IP speaker. [Background technology]

[0002] An intercom system (IP call system) is a system that mainly performs internal calls. Typically, an intercom system includes one or more call terminals. The intercom system also works in conjunction with a public address system that includes one or more loudspeakers. Each call terminal is equipped with a microphone and a speaker, and is interconnected via a network. Each call terminal performs internal calls by transmitting input audio to another call terminal of the other party in accordance with a predetermined protocol such as the SIP protocol. Each call terminal also performs a method of amplifying audio from the loudspeaker by transmitting the input audio to the loudspeaker. An example of an intercom system is disclosed in Patent Document 1. [Patent Document 1] JP 2006-114951 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0003] An object of the present disclosure is to provide an IP call system that enables calls to be made according to the environment (noise) of the call destination. [Means for solving the problem]

[0004] A communication system according to a first aspect of the present disclosure includes an IP call system including a plurality of call terminals, each connected to an IP network and each having a microphone and a speaker, and transmitting and receiving audio data between the call terminals via the IP network using a call protocol; a system manager that is connected to the IP network separately from the call terminals and controls transmission and reception processing of voice data between the call terminals using the call protocol; When a call is made from one call terminal belonging to the IP call system to another call terminal belonging to the IP call system, the one call terminal or the system manager collects sound from a microphone of the other call terminal to obtain background noise, and adjusts at least one of the volume and sound quality of the call.

[0005] Here, background noise refers to the sound picked up by the microphone of a call terminal when the caller is not speaking.

[0006] A communication system according to a second aspect of the present disclosure includes an IP call system including a plurality of call terminals each having a microphone and a speaker, and a system manager that controls transmission and reception processing of audio data using a call protocol between the call terminals; an IP speaker capable of receiving and amplifying voice data using a call protocol common to the IP call system; Equipped with When a call is made from one call terminal belonging to the IP call system to the IP speaker and the call is amplified, the system manager identifies other call terminals located around the IP speaker, and the one call terminal or the system manager collects sound from the microphone of the identified other call terminal to obtain background noise, and adjusts at least one of the volume and sound quality of the sound amplified by the IP speaker based on the background noise. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] The IP call system of the present disclosure acquires background noise at the other end of the call and adjusts the volume or tone of the speech, thereby improving the quality of the call. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a communication system 1 according to the first embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of a network N including a LAN and a WAN. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of the call terminal 11. As shown in FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the appearance of the call terminal 11. As shown in FIG. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing a basic call flow using the IP call system 10. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is an example of a management information table for each terminal managed by the system manager 20 of the first embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of a display on the display 113 of the call terminal 11. As shown in FIG. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing an example of a call method by the IP call system 10 in which background noise is reduced in the first embodiment. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing an example of a call method using the IP call system 10 in which background noise is reduced in the modified embodiment 1A. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing an example of a communication method using the IP communication system 10 in which background noise is reduced in the modified embodiment 1B. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a communication system 1a according to the second embodiment. [Figure 12A] FIG. 12A is an example of a management information table for each terminal managed by the system manager 20 of the second embodiment. [Figure 12B] FIG. 12B is another example of a management information table for each terminal managed by the system manager 20 of the second embodiment. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is a flowchart showing an example of a loudspeaker broadcasting method using the IP communication system 10 and the loudspeaker system 50 in which background noise is reduced in the second embodiment. [Figure 14]FIG. 14 is a flowchart showing an example of a loudspeaker broadcasting method using the IP communication system 10 and the loudspeaker system 50 in which background noise is reduced in the modified embodiment 2A. [Figure 15] FIG. 15 is a part of a flowchart showing an example of a loudspeaker broadcasting method using the IP communication system 10 and the loudspeaker system 50 in which background noise is reduced in the modified embodiment 2B. [Figure 16] FIG. 16 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a communication system 1b according to the third embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] 1. First embodiment (1) Configuration of the communication system 1 of the first embodiment 1, the communication system 1 of this embodiment includes an IP call system 10 and a system manager 20. The IP call system 10 and the system manager 20 are connected to each other via a network N.

[0010] The IP call system 10 includes a plurality of call terminals 11. Each call terminal 11 is a terminal that performs voice calls, and has the function of performing voice calls by transmitting and receiving voice data to and from other call terminals 11 via a network N. Each call terminal 11 is assigned an identifier (e.g., an IP address) that uniquely identifies it on the network N. During a voice call, the call terminal 11 transmits and receives audio data and video data in accordance with a protocol for IP calls. One example of a protocol for IP calls is the Session Initiation Protocol (SIP), which is standardized by the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) and specified in RFC3261.

[0011] The system manager 20 is a control device that allows the call terminal 11 to perform transmission and reception processing of audio data and video data in accordance with an IP call protocol. The transmission and reception processing includes call control such as making calls. For example, the system manager 20 is a SIP server that performs call control in accordance with SIP. The system manager 20 is assigned an identifier (for example, an IP address) that uniquely identifies itself on the network.

[0012] As shown in FIG. 2, the network N may be configured via a plurality of local area networks (LANs) and a wide area network (WAN) such as the Internet that interconnects these networks. The IP call system 10 and the system manager 20 are configured on the LANs and interconnected. In such a configuration, various communications can be performed across the plurality of LANs, such as voice calls between call terminals 11 in different IP call systems 10. When the IP call system 10 is configured on a LAN, the call terminal 11 is preferably connected to a router that configures the LAN via an Ethernet cable, and transmits voice data via the Ethernet cable and is supplied with power via PoE (Power over Ethernet) via the Ethernet cable.

[0013] The following description will be given using an example in which SIP is used as the IP call protocol.

[0014] As shown in Fig. 3, the communication terminal 11 includes a microphone 110, a speaker 111, a camera 112, a display 113, an input unit 114, a processing unit 116, and a memory 117. The microphone 110 is an electro-acoustic transducer whose sound collection direction faces outward from the housing of the communication terminal 11, and collects the voice of a speaker speaking to the communication terminal 11 and outputs an audio signal. The speaker 111 is an electro-acoustic transducer whose sound emission direction faces outward from the housing of the communication terminal 11, and outputs audio obtained by playing back audio data. The camera 112 is an imaging device including an imaging element such as a CCD image sensor or a CMOS image sensor, and its imaging direction faces outward from the housing of the communication terminal 11 in a direction that captures the image of the speaker speaking to the communication terminal 11. The camera 112 generates and outputs still or moving image data from the captured video signal. The display 113 is a display including a display element such as an LCD or an organic EL, and displays images captured by the camera 112 of the call terminal 11 or other call terminals 11, as well as other images related to GUIs and the like. The input unit 114 is an input device that accepts user operations, such as buttons or switches. The input unit 114 and the display 113 may be integrated to form a touch panel. The call terminal 11 can take various forms, such as a desk-top type, a wall-mounted type, or a wall-embedded type. The call terminal 11 is a call device that can be called a speakerphone, an interphone, or an intercom.

[0015] Fig. 4 is an external view showing one configuration of communication terminal 11. Communication terminal 11 has camera 112, display 113, input unit 114, and handset 115. Handset 115 includes microphone 110 and speaker 111. Communication terminal 11 in Fig. 4 includes microphone 110 and speaker 111 in addition to handset 115, and is capable of collecting and emitting sound even when handset 115 is placed on the main body, and is used, for example, for hands-free communication without using handset 115.

[0016] In the call terminal 11, the processing unit 116 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit), an MPU (Micro Processing Unit), etc. The memory 117 stores computer programs that can be executed by the processing unit 116. The various functions of the call terminal 11 are realized by the processing unit 116 executing the computer programs stored in the memory 117. The computer programs stored in the memory 117 include program instructions that execute the various functions described above, such as a call function, a recording function, an event detection function, an AI-based determination function, a loudspeaker function, a real-time broadcast function, a recorded broadcast function, a download broadcast function, and a simultaneous broadcast function.

[0017] (2) Basic calling method using IP calling system 10 The basic method of SIP calling will be explained using the flowchart in FIG.

[0018] The system manager 20 has a SIP server function and performs call control. As shown in Fig. 6, the system manager 20 manages information about each terminal (call terminal 11) in the communication system 1 in a table. Here, the information about each terminal is the "IP address" and the "name" of the location where each terminal is located.

[0019] The name of each terminal may be arbitrarily input by the user from the input unit 114 of each call terminal 11.

[0020] Hereinafter, an example will be described in which a call originates from a call terminal (first call terminal 11a) named "2nd Floor North" and a call destination is a call terminal (second call terminal 11b) named "1st Floor Lobby."

[0021] A user first attempts to make a call from the first call terminal 11a located on the "second floor north" to the second call terminal 11b located in the "first floor lobby," and selects "first floor lobby" on the display screen (see FIG. 7) of the display 113 of the first call terminal 11a. In response to the user's selection, the first call terminal 11a places a call to the system manager 20 (S101). In response to the call to the first call terminal 11a, the system manager 20 relays the call to the second call terminal 11b located in the "first floor lobby" (S102). When the second call terminal 11b answers the call, a call session is initiated between the first call terminal 11a and the second call terminal 11b (S103). A call session refers to a state of the IP call system 10 that enables a call between the user of the first call terminal 11a and the user of the second call terminal 11b.

[0022] The system manager 20 manages the status of the call terminals to determine whether they are busy or not. When a call is made based on S102 to S103 and a call session starts, the status of the first call terminal that is the call originator and the second call terminal that is the call destination are each set to "busy." When the call ends and the call session ends, the status of the first call terminal and the second call terminal are each set to "not busy."

[0023] (3) A method of communication using the IP communication system 10 with reduced background noise A communication method using the IP communication system 10 with reduced background noise in the communication system 1 of this embodiment will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

[0024] The call terminals 11 of the communication system 1 are placed in multiple locations in the building. Here, the locations where the call terminals 11 are installed are assumed to be "1st floor lobby" and "2nd floor north." Hereinafter, an example will be described in which the call terminal (first call terminal 11a) named "2nd floor north" is the call source and the call terminal (second call terminal 11b) named "1st floor lobby" is the call destination.

[0025] The user first attempts to make a call from the first call terminal 11a located on the "second floor north" to the second call terminal 11b located on the "first floor lobby," and selects "first floor lobby" on the display screen (see FIG. 7) of the display 113 of the first call terminal 11a. In response to the user's input, the first call terminal 11a makes an inquiry to the system manager 20 (S201). The system manager 20, upon receiving the notification, calls the second call terminal 11b located on the "first floor lobby" (S202) and notifies the first call terminal 11a of the address of the second call terminal 11b (S203). The first call terminal 11a, upon receiving the notification, requests the second call terminal 11b located on the "first floor lobby" to collect sound (S204). The second call terminal 11b, upon receiving the request to collect sound from the first call terminal 11a, sends the sound collected by the microphone 110 to the first call terminal 11a (S205). Here, the time for which the microphone 110 collects sound is, for example, 1 to 2 seconds. The sound that is collected is so-called background noise. Here, background noise refers to the sound that is collected by the microphone of a communication terminal when the caller is not speaking. The volume or quality of the sound transmitted from the first communication terminal 11a to the second communication terminal 11b is adjusted appropriately based on the sound (background noise) collected by the microphone 110 of the second communication terminal 11b.

[0026] When a call session is initiated between the first call terminal 11a on the "second floor north" and the second call terminal 11b on the "first floor lobby," the audio collected by the microphone 110 of the second call terminal 11b is adjusted by the first call terminal 11a and output from the speaker 111 of the second call terminal 11b with the volume or sound quality adjusted. For example, the audio is adjusted to a low volume when the volume of background noise is low, and to a high volume when the volume of background noise is high. Alternatively, the audio is adjusted to a relatively high volume when the sound quality of background noise is low, and to a relatively low volume when the sound quality of background noise is high. The acquisition of background noise and the adjustment of the volume and sound quality of the first call terminal may be performed by the system manager 20.

[0027] In the above description of the flow, if the second call terminal 11b is busy in S202, the system manager 20 does not execute the steps after S202.

[0028] (4) Modified embodiment 1A In the above (3), as shown in FIG. 8, in step S201, the system manager 20, upon receiving an inquiry from the first call terminal 11a, notifies the first call terminal 11a of the address of the call terminal in the "first floor lobby," and the first call terminal 11a requests the call terminal in the "first floor lobby" to collect sound using a microphone.

[0029] In the modified embodiment 1A, as shown in Fig. 9, in step S201, the system manager 20, upon receiving an inquiry from the first communication terminal 11a, requests the communication terminal (second communication terminal 11b) in the "first floor lobby" to collect sound with a microphone. The rest of the communication method is exactly the same as the communication method (3) above.

[0030] (5) Modified embodiment 1B In the above (3), the second communication terminal 11b itself that makes the call collects sound with a microphone. In this modified embodiment, however, another communication terminal is used.

[0031] The communication method of the modified embodiment 1B is shown in the flowchart of FIG.

[0032] The communication method of modified embodiment 1B differs from the communication method of (3) in that, upon receiving an inquiry from the first communication terminal 11a, the system manager 20 notifies the first communication terminal 11a of the addresses of the third communication terminal 11c in addition to the second communication terminal 11b located in the "first floor lobby." The first communication terminal 11a, upon receiving the inquiry, requests the second communication terminal 11b and the third communication terminal 11c located in the "first floor lobby" to collect sound (S204). The second communication terminal 11b and the third communication terminal 11c, which have received a request for sound from the first communication terminal 11a, send the sound collected by the microphone 110 to the first communication terminal 11a (S205). Here, the time for which the microphone 110 collects sound is, for example, 1 to 2 seconds. The sound collected is so-called background noise. The background noise is determined by taking into consideration both the sound collected by the microphone of the second communication terminal 11b and the sound collected by the microphone of the third communication terminal 11c. For example, an average of the background noise is used. The volume or quality of the voice transmitted from the first communication terminal 11a to the second communication terminal 11b is adjusted appropriately based on the background noise in the "first floor lobby."

[0033] When a call session is initiated between the first call terminal 11a on the "2nd floor north" and the second call terminal 11b on the "1st floor lobby," the audio collected by the microphone 110 of the first call terminal 11a is output from the speaker 111 of the second call terminal 11b with the volume or sound quality adjusted.

[0034] In the modified embodiment 1B, the case where two communication terminals 11b and 11c are used in the "first floor lobby" has been described, but the case where three or more communication terminals are used is also effective.

[0035] 2. Second embodiment (1) Configuration of the communication system 1a of the second embodiment As shown in Fig. 11, the communication system 1a of this embodiment includes a loudspeaker system 50 in addition to the communication system 1 of the first embodiment. The IP call system 10, the system manager 20, and the network N are the same as those of the first embodiment, so detailed description will be omitted. In the communication system 1a, the IP call system 10, the system manager 20, and the loudspeaker system 50 are connected to each other via the network N.

[0036] The public address system 50 is a system installed in a predetermined area (public address area) for purposes such as evacuation guidance during a disaster and playing music such as background music, and includes one or more IP speakers 51. Each IP speaker 51 is assigned unique identification information (e.g., an IP address) on the network. The IP speaker 51 has the function of receiving, playing, and amplifying audio data in accordance with the same IP call protocol as the call terminal 11. The public address system 50 also includes a paging gateway 52 connected to the same network as the IP speaker 51. The paging gateway 52 is assigned unique identification information (e.g., an IP address) on the network. The paging gateway 52 has the function of receiving audio data via the network and transferring the audio data to the IP speaker 51 in accordance with the same IP call protocol as the call terminal 11. That is, the paging gateway 52 can receive audio data intended for the IP speaker 51 and then transfer the audio data to the IP speaker 51, thereby broadcasting the audio data simultaneously. The paging gateway 52 may transfer the audio data to the IP speaker 51 by multicast or broadcast. The IP speaker 51 receives and plays back digitized audio data via a wireless communication medium such as an Ethernet cable or cellular communication.

[0037] In this way, in the communication system 1a, the IP call system 10, the system manager 20, and the loudspeaker system 50 are interconnected via a network, and voice calls can be made between the call terminals 11 of the IP call system 10, and voice broadcasts can be made from the call terminals 11 of the IP call system 10 to the IP speakers 51 of the loudspeaker system 50.

[0038] As shown in FIG. 2, the network N may be configured via multiple local area networks (LANs) and a wide area network (WAN) such as the Internet that interconnects these networks. The IP call system 10, the system manager 20, and the public address system 50 are each configured on a LAN and interconnected. In this configuration, various communications can be performed across the multiple LANs, such as voice calls between call terminals 11 in different IP call systems 10, or voice broadcasts from a call terminal 11 in an IP call system 10 in one LAN to an IP speaker in a public address system 50 in another LAN. When the IP call system 10 is configured on a LAN, the call terminal 11 may be connected to a router constituting the LAN via an Ethernet cable, and may transmit voice data via the Ethernet cable and be supplied with power via Power over Ethernet (PoE) via the Ethernet cable. When the public address system 50 is configured on a LAN, the IP speaker 51 and the paging gateway 52 may be connected to a router constituting the LAN via an Ethernet cable, and may receive voice data via the Ethernet cable and be supplied with power via PoE via the Ethernet cable.

[0039] Also in the second embodiment, as in the first embodiment, the system manager 20 has a SIP server function and performs call control. As shown in Figures 12A and 12B, the system manager 20 manages information on each terminal (call terminal 11, IP speaker 51, etc.) in the communication system 1 in a table. Here, the information on each terminal is the "IP address" and the "name" of the location where each terminal is located.

[0040] The name of each terminal may be arbitrarily input by the user from the input unit 114 of each call terminal 11.

[0041] The names of the respective terminals may be the same for the call terminal 11 and the IP speaker 51 as shown in FIG. 12A, or may be different for the call terminal 11 and the IP speaker 51 as shown in FIG. 12B.

[0042] Furthermore, in the communication system 1a of the second embodiment, the operation, manipulation, or method without using the loudspeaker system 50 is the same as that of the communication system 1 of the first embodiment. In other words, it is the same as "(2) Basic communication method using the IP communication system 10," "(3) Communication method using the IP communication system 10 with reduced background noise," "(4) Modified embodiment 1A," and "(5) Modified embodiment 1B" in "1. First embodiment" above, and therefore description thereof will be omitted.

[0043] (2) A method for loudspeaker broadcasting using the IP communication system 10 and the loudspeaker broadcasting system 50 with reduced background noise A method for loudspeaker broadcasting using the IP communication system 10 and the loudspeaker system 50 in which background noise is reduced in the communication system 1 of this embodiment will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

[0044] Hereinafter, an example will be described in which the call originates from a call terminal (first call terminal 11a) named "2nd Floor North" and the call destination is an IP speaker (IP speaker 51a) named "1st Floor Lobby."

[0045] The communication terminals 11 and IP speakers 51 of the communication system 1 are installed in multiple locations in the building. Here, it is assumed that the locations where the communication terminals 11 and IP speakers 51 are installed are the "first floor lobby" and the "second floor north."

[0046] First, the user attempts to make a loudspeaker broadcast from the first communication terminal 11a located on the "second floor north," which is the call source, to the IP speaker 51 located in the "first floor lobby." For example, the user selects "first floor lobby" on the display screen (see FIG. 7) of the display 113 of the first communication terminal 11a. In response to the user's input, the first communication terminal 11a makes an inquiry to the system manager 20 (S301). Upon receiving the notification, the system manager 20 calls the IP speaker 51a located in the "first floor lobby" (S302) and searches the management table (FIG. 12A) for communication terminals located around the IP speaker 51b. The system manager 20 then notifies the first communication terminal 11a of the address of the found second communication terminal 11b (S303). Upon receiving the notification, the first communication terminal 11a requests the second communication terminal 11b located in the "first floor lobby" to collect sound (S304). The second call terminal 11b, which has been requested by the first call terminal 11a to collect sound, sends the sound collected by the microphone 110 to the first call terminal 11a (S305). Here, the time for collecting sound by the microphone 110 is, for example, 1 to 2 seconds. The sound collected is so-called background noise. Here, background noise refers to sound collected by the microphone of a call terminal when the caller is not speaking. The sound transmitted from the first call terminal 11a to the IP speaker 51a is adjusted by the first call terminal 11a, and the volume or sound quality is adjusted appropriately based on the sound collected by the microphone 110 of the second call terminal 11b. The acquisition of background noise and adjustment of the volume and sound quality of the first call terminal may be performed by the system manager 20.

[0047] Next, when the first communication terminal 11a on the "second floor north" broadcasts a message to the IP speaker 51a in the "first floor lobby," the voice collected by the microphone 110 of the first communication terminal 11a is output from the speaker 111 of the second communication terminal 11b with the volume or sound quality adjusted (S306). For example, the voice is adjusted to a low volume when the volume of the background noise is low, and to a high volume when the volume of the background noise is high. Alternatively, the voice is adjusted to a relatively high volume when the sound quality of the background noise is low, and to a relatively low volume when the sound quality of the background noise is high.

[0048] Also, in step S301, when the system manager 20 receives an instruction from the first call terminal 11a to make a loudspeaker broadcast to the IP speaker in the "1st floor lobby," if there are multiple call terminals with the same name "1st floor lobby," the system manager 20 may identify these multiple call terminals. Since the system manager 20 manages the status of call terminals to determine whether they are busy or not, it may be configured so that only call terminals in the "1st floor lobby" that are not busy receive the instruction to collect sound.

[0049] Alternatively, if multiple communication terminals in the "first floor lobby" are identified as described above, a request for sound collection may be sent to the multiple communication terminals. The first communication terminal may adjust the volume or sound quality based on background noise collected from multiple second communication terminals. For example, an average of the sounds collected by the microphones of the multiple communication terminals may be used.

[0050] Furthermore, in this embodiment, when the first communication terminal 11a requests the second communication terminal 11b to collect sound in step S304, it is difficult to collect sound if the second communication terminal 11b is busy. When the first communication terminal 11a calls the second communication terminal 11b, if the second communication terminal 11b is busy, the second communication terminal 11b may not collect sound using a microphone.

[0051] Furthermore, since the system manager 20 performs SIP call control, it knows whether or not each call terminal 11 is busy and manages it. Therefore, when the system manager 20 receives a broadcast instruction from the first call terminal 11a to the IP speaker 51a in the "first floor lobby" in step S301, it identifies whether or not any of the multiple call terminals in the "first floor lobby" is busy, notifies the first call terminal 11a of the address of a call terminal that is not busy (assumed to be the second call terminal 11b) (S303), and may send a sound collection request from the first call terminal 11a to the second call terminal 11b (S304).

[0052] (3) Modified embodiment 2A In the above (2), as shown in FIG. 13, in step S301, the system manager 20 receives an inquiry from the first call terminal 11a and notifies the first call terminal 11a of the address of the call terminal in the "first floor lobby," and the first call terminal 11a requests the call terminal in the "first floor lobby" (second call terminal 11b) to collect sound using a microphone.

[0053] 14, in the modified embodiment 2A, the system manager 20, upon receiving an inquiry from the first communication terminal 11a in step S311, calls the IP speaker 51a in the "first floor lobby" (S312), and requests the communication terminal in the "first floor lobby" (the second communication terminal 11b) to collect sound with a microphone (S313). The rest is exactly the same as the communication method (2) above.

[0054] (4) Modified embodiment 2B When a user calls the "first floor lobby," if both a call terminal and an IP speaker are present in the "first floor lobby," the system manager 20 may select which one to call. Figure 15 shows the flow for selecting such a call.

[0055] In FIG. 15, in step S401, a user located on the "second floor north" selects "first floor lobby" as the call destination on the first call terminal 11a. The first call terminal 11a notifies the system manager 20 that the user has selected "first floor lobby." The system manager 20 then decides whether to call a call terminal located in the "first floor lobby" or to an IP speaker. If a call terminal is selected, the process proceeds to the flow in FIG. 8; if an IP speaker is selected, the process proceeds to the flow in FIG. 13.

[0056] (5) Modified embodiment 2C In the above (2), when the user selects the IP speaker 51a of "1st floor lobby," in step S302, the system manager 20 identifies the second communication terminal 11b, whose name is "1st floor lobby." This is done when the table in which the system manager 20 manages the information of each terminal is as shown in FIG. 12A. On the other hand, when the table in which the system manager 20 manages the information of each terminal is as shown in FIG. 12B, there is no communication terminal 11 whose name exactly matches "1st floor lobby," so the system manager 20 selects the communication terminal 11 of "1st floor lobby reception" and / or the communication terminal 11 of "1st floor lobby west," which are registered with similar names (partially matching names).

[0057] In the above example, when the user selects the IP speaker 51a in the "1st Floor Lobby," the system manager 20 identifies the call terminal 11 named "1st Floor Lobby" in step S302. If the table managing the information of each terminal is as shown in FIG. 12A, it is easy to search for the terminal using the "name" in the table managing the information of each terminal. The system manager 20 may use an identifier other than the "name" to identify the target call terminal.

[0058] An identifier other than a "name" can be an IP address. It is also possible to identify an IP speaker 51 and a call terminal 11 that share a common network section, or an IP speaker 51 and a call terminal 11 that are connected to the same router. When multiple routers are used to separate LANs, or when switches (L2 switches, L3 switches) are used to virtually separate LANs, it is also possible to identify call terminals that are connected to the same LAN as the IP speaker 51 (i.e., call terminals that appear to be close) based on the degree of commonality between the device identifiers of the IP speaker 51 and the call terminals. For example, when the identifier of each device is an IP address, the installation location of each device can be estimated by looking at the network section of each device's IP address. In other words, devices with the same network section can be determined to belong to the same network N1. For example, it is possible to determine that IP addresses 192.168.1.1 and 192.168.1.8 are in the same network, and 192.168.2.2 and 192.168.2.4 are in the same network.

[0059] Furthermore, as another example, the system manager 20 may use a combination of multiple identifiers to identify the target telephone terminal 11. For example, a "name" and an "IP address" may be used in combination. By doing so, for example, if the same name "first floor lobby" is registered but refers to a different lobby in a different building, the telephone terminal 11 can be more appropriately identified by using the IP address in combination.

[0060] 3. Features of the first and second embodiments (1) The communication system 1 includes an IP call system 10 and a system manager 20. The IP call system 10 includes a plurality of call terminals 11. The call terminals 11 are connected to an IP network N. The call terminals 11 have a microphone 110 and a speaker 111. The system manager 20 is connected to the IP network N separately from the call terminals 11, and controls the sending and receiving of audio data and video data between the call terminals 11 using a call protocol.

[0061] The call protocol of the communication system 1 may be the SIP protocol.

[0062] When a first call terminal 11a selects and calls a second call terminal 11b located in another location (S201), background noise is acquired by collecting sound from a microphone of the second call terminal 11b (S204, S205), and the first call terminal 11a or the system manager 20 adjusts at least one of the volume and sound quality of the speech from the first call terminal 11a to the second call terminal 11b (S206).

[0063] The IP call system of the present disclosure acquires background noise at the other end of the call and adjusts the volume or tone of the speech, thereby improving the quality of the call.

[0064] (2) The communication system 1a includes an IP call system 10, a system manager 20, and an IP speaker 51. The IP call system 10 includes a plurality of call terminals 11. The call terminals 11 are connected to an IP network N. The call terminals 11 have a microphone 110 and a speaker 111. The system manager 20 is connected to the IP network N separately from the call terminals 11, and controls the sending and receiving of audio data and video data using a call protocol between the call terminals 11. The IP speaker 51 is connected to the IP network N, and is capable of receiving and amplifying audio data using a call protocol common to the IP call system 10.

[0065] The call protocol of the communication system 1a may be the SIP protocol.

[0066] When a call is made from the first call terminal 11a to an IP speaker 51a located in another location and the call is amplified (S301), the system manager 20 identifies other call terminals 11b located near the IP speaker 51a, collects sound from the microphone 110 of the identified other call terminal 11b, and acquires background noise (S305), and the first call terminal 11a or the system manager 20 adjusts at least one of the volume and sound quality of the speech from the first call terminal 11a to the IP speaker 51a (S306).

[0067] The IP call system of the present disclosure acquires background noise at the other end of the call and adjusts the volume or tone of the speech, thereby improving the quality of the call.

[0068] 4. Other embodiments Another embodiment is the third embodiment. As shown in FIG. 16, the communication system 1b of the third embodiment includes a surveillance camera system 40 in addition to the communication system 1 of the second embodiment. The IP call system 10, the system manager 20, the loudspeaker system 50, and the network N are the same as those of the first embodiment. In the communication system 1b, the IP call system 10, the system manager 20, the surveillance camera system 40, and the loudspeaker system 50 are connected to each other via the network N.

[0069] The surveillance camera system 40 is a system for monitoring a predetermined area (monitoring area) for security purposes, etc., and includes one or more surveillance cameras 41 and a recorder 42. Each surveillance camera 41 has the function of generating video data from a video signal acquired by an image sensor such as a CCD or CMOS and transmitting it to an external device. The surveillance camera 41 transmits video streaming in accordance with a transmission protocol for the surveillance camera system. An example of a transmission protocol for the surveillance camera system is a protocol compliant with the ONVIF (Open Network Video Interface Forum) standard. Each surveillance camera 41 is assigned an identifier (e.g., an IP address) that uniquely identifies it on the network. The recorder 42 is a recording device equipped with a recording medium such as an HDD or SSD, and has the function of recording video data transmitted from the connected surveillance camera 41. Like the surveillance camera 41, the recorder 42 receives and records video data in accordance with the transmission protocol for the surveillance camera system. The recorder 42 is assigned unique identification information on the network (e.g., an IP address). The recorder 42 has a function for receiving audio input via a microphone, generating audio data from the audio input from the microphone, and transmitting the audio data to an external device. The recorder 42 transmits the audio data in accordance with a transmission protocol for a surveillance camera system. The surveillance camera system 40 may be managed in an integrated manner by a VMS (Video Management System). When managed in an integrated manner by a VMS, the surveillance camera 41 and the recorder 42 are controlled and managed by VMS software installed on a PC (Personal Computer). When managed in an integrated manner by a VMS, the recorder 42 may be a PC on which VMS software is installed and which is equipped with a recording medium such as an HDD or SSD, and in this case, the audio data of the audio input from the microphone equipped on the PC is transmitted to an external device.

[0070] The surveillance camera 41 includes a processing unit including a CPU, an MPU, etc., and a memory that stores computer programs executable by the processing unit. The processing unit executes the computer programs stored in the memory to realize various functions of the surveillance camera 41. The computer programs stored in the memory include program instructions that execute the various functions described above, such as the event detection function.

[0071] The recorder 42 includes a processing unit including a CPU, an MPU, etc., and a memory that stores computer programs that can be executed by the processing unit. The processing unit executes the computer programs stored in the memory to realize various functions of the recorder 42. The computer programs stored in the memory include program instructions that execute the various functions described above, such as the recording function and the event detection function.

[0072] In the third embodiment, communication between the call terminal 11 and / or the IP speaker 51 is performed in exactly the same manner as in the first and second embodiments.

[0073] In addition, in the third embodiment, by using a surveillance camera system, it is possible to realize even smoother communication. For example, in the second embodiment, when the system manager 20 receives a broadcast instruction from the first communication terminal 11a in step S201 of Fig. 8, the system manager 20 also searches for the surveillance camera 41 in the "first floor lobby," and during a call session, displays the image from the surveillance camera 41a in the "first floor lobby" on the display 113 of the first communication terminal 11a located on the "second floor north," allowing the user to speak while checking the situation in the "first floor lobby." [Explanation of symbols]

[0074] 1, 1a, 1b Communication System 10 IP Call System 11. Call terminal 11a First call terminal 11b Second call terminal 20 System Manager 50 Public address system 51 IP Speaker 110 Mike 111 Speaker 113 (Call terminal) display

Claims

1. an IP call system including a plurality of call terminals each connected to an IP network and each having a microphone and a speaker, and transmitting and receiving voice data between the call terminals via the IP network using a call protocol; a system manager connected to the IP network separately from the call terminals and controlling transmission and reception processing of voice data between the call terminals using the call protocol; In this communication system, when a call is made from one call terminal belonging to the IP call system to another call terminal belonging to the IP call system, the one call terminal collects sound from a microphone of the other call terminal to obtain background noise, and adjusts at least one of the volume and sound quality of the call.

2. an IP call system including a plurality of call terminals each connected to an IP network and each having a microphone and a speaker, and transmitting and receiving voice data between the call terminals via the IP network using a call protocol; a system manager that is connected to the IP network separately from the call terminals and that controls the transmission and reception of voice data between the call terminals using the call protocol; an IP speaker connected to an IP network, capable of receiving and amplifying voice data using a call protocol common to the IP call system; Equipped with When a call is made from one call terminal belonging to the IP call system to the IP speaker and the voice is amplified, the system manager identifies other call terminals located around the IP speaker, and the one call terminal or the system manager collects sound from a microphone of the identified other call terminal to acquire background noise, and adjusts at least one of the volume and sound quality of the voice amplified by the IP speaker based on the background noise. Communication system.

3. The communication system according to claim 2 , wherein when the system manager identifies the other call terminal, the system manager identifies the other call terminal having a name that completely or partially matches a name of the IP speaker.

4. 3. The communication system according to claim 2, wherein when the system manager identifies another call terminal, the system manager identifies another call terminal having an IP address that has a network portion in common with the IP address of the IP speaker.

5. 3. The communication system according to claim 1, wherein the call protocol is a SIP protocol.

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