Management device, terminal device

Abstract

To provide a technique for easily grasping a transfer situation of information to other members.SOLUTION: A system management apparatus 100 manages a group talk which is performed among a plurality of terminal devices. A storage unit 130 stores a reproduction management information database 134 indicating a reproduction situation of record data recording the group talk for each terminal device relating to the group talk. In response to a reproduction request acquired from a terminal device, a control unit 120 causes terminal devices 200 to reproduce the record data and updates the reproduction management information database 134 in the storage unit 130. A communication unit 110 transmits the read-out reproduction management information database 134 from the control unit 120 to the terminal device.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to communication technology, and more particularly to a management device and a terminal device for executing a group call. [Background technology]

[0002] A group call is being conducted between multiple parties. In a group call, for example, when a send button on a terminal device is pressed, the terminal device is given the right to speak and can transmit audio to other terminal devices. There is also technology that displays the participation status of target members of the group call on the terminal device. There is also technology that records a group call on a terminal device (see, for example, Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2014-72535 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, with conventional technology, other members cannot know who listened to the recording of the group call and when, making it difficult to confirm whether the information about the group call has been conveyed to other members of the group call. As a result, in the next group call, the speaker may not be able to choose an appropriate topic, and may have to repeat the same story, or may have to confirm whether the information has been conveyed to each member, resulting in wasteful conversation. This makes the group call less efficient.

[0005] The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and its purpose is to provide a technique for easily grasping the status of information transmission to other members. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to solve the above problem, a management device of one embodiment of the present invention is a management device that manages group calls made between multiple terminal devices, and includes a memory unit that stores playback management information indicating the playback status of recorded data of the group call for each terminal device involved in the group call, a control unit that controls the playback of the recorded data in response to a playback request obtained from the terminal device and updates the playback management information in the memory unit, and a transmission unit that transmits the playback management information read from the memory unit to the terminal device. At the start of the group call, the control unit acquires participation form information indicating a participation form for the group call from the terminal devices involved in the group call, and includes the participation form information in the playback management information of the storage unit. Another aspect of the present invention is a management device that manages a group call between multiple terminal devices, and includes: a storage unit that stores playback management information indicating the playback status of recorded data from the group call for each terminal device involved in the group call; a control unit that controls playback of the recorded data in response to playback requests received from the terminal devices and updates the playback management information in the storage unit; and a transmission unit that transmits the playback management information read from the storage unit to the terminal devices. The playback management information includes information on a playback deadline for the recorded data, and the control unit references the playback management information to identify terminal devices that have not played back the recorded data by the playback deadline and restricts the identified terminal devices from participating in group calls made after the playback deadline.

[0007] The present invention moreover Another aspect is a terminal device, which receives, from a management device that manages a group call, information on whether each of a plurality of terminal devices involved in the group call has played back recorded data in which the group call has been recorded. and participation form information indicating a form of participation in the group call. a receiving unit for receiving playback management information indicating at least the of Whether the recorded data has been played back or not and participation status information indicating the participation form of the group call. and a display unit that displays the Yet another aspect of the present invention is a terminal device including: a receiving unit that receives, from a management device that manages the group call, playback management information indicating at least whether each of multiple terminal devices involved in the group call has played back recorded data in which the group call was recorded; and a display unit that displays, for each of the multiple terminal devices involved in the group call, a playback status indicating whether the recorded data has been played back and information about the playback deadline for the recorded data, based on the playback management information including information about the playback deadline for the recorded data received by the receiving unit.

[0008] Any combination of the above components, and any transformation of the present invention into a method, device, system, recording medium, computer program, etc., are also valid aspects of the present invention. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] According to the present invention, it is possible to easily grasp the status of information transmission to other members. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a wireless communication system according to a first embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a system management device. [Figure 3] FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating a data structure of a terminal device database of the system management device. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the data structure of a playback management information database of the system management device. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing another data structure of the playback management information database of the system management device. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a terminal device. [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing the data structure of a playback management information database of a terminal device. [Figure 8] FIG. 1 is a sequence diagram showing a procedure for a group call in a wireless communication system. [Figure 9] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a group participation request screen displayed on a display unit of the terminal device. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a sequence diagram showing a procedure for updating playback management information in a wireless communication system. [Figure 11] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a group participation information screen displayed on a display unit of the terminal device. [Figure 12] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing another screen of group participation information displayed on the display unit of the terminal device. [Figure 13] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing yet another screen of group participation information displayed on the display unit of the terminal device. [Figure 14] FIG. 10 is a sequence diagram showing a playback procedure in a wireless communication system. [Figure 15] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a recording / playback screen displayed on the display unit of the terminal device. [Figure 16] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing another screen for recording and playback displayed on the display unit of the terminal device. [Figure 17] FIG. 10 is a sequence diagram showing a procedure for changing a playback authority in a wireless communication system. [Figure 18] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an authority change screen displayed on a display unit of the terminal device. [Figure 19] FIG. 10 is a sequence diagram illustrating a procedure of a group call in the wireless communication system according to the second embodiment. [Figure 20] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an incoming call screen displayed on the display unit of the terminal device. [Figure 21] FIG. 10 is a sequence diagram illustrating a notification procedure in the wireless communication system according to the second embodiment. [Figure 22] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a playback prompt screen displayed on the display unit of the terminal device. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0011] Example 1 The present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. The present invention is not limited to these embodiments, and when there are multiple embodiments, the present invention also includes a configuration in which each embodiment is combined. The present invention relates to a wireless communication system including a system management device and multiple terminal devices connected to a network.

[0012] FIG. 1 shows the configuration of a wireless communication system 1000. The wireless communication system 1000 includes a system management device 100, a first terminal device 200a, a second terminal device 200b, a third terminal device 200c, a network 300, a first wireless access point 310a, and a second wireless access point 310b. The wireless communication system 1000 shown in FIG. 1 is an example and does not limit the number of terminal devices 200 or the number of wireless access points 310. In the following description, the first terminal device 200a, the second terminal device 200b, and the third terminal device 200c may be collectively referred to as terminal devices 200 when there is no need to distinguish between them. For simplicity, FIG. 1 shows three terminal devices 200, but the following description may use more terminal devices 200 as needed. In addition, the first wireless access point 310a and the second wireless access point 310b may be collectively referred to as wireless access points 310.

[0013] Network 300 is, for example, an IP (Internet Protocol) network including the Internet, but is not limited to this. Wireless access point 310 is connected to network 300 and connected to system management device 100 via network 300. Wireless access point 310 is, for example, a base station device for mobile phones, a base station device for a commercial wireless communication system, or an access point for a wireless LAN (Local Area Network). Wireless access point 310 may also be called a base station device.

[0014] The terminal device 200 is a wireless device capable of communicating with other terminal devices 200 via a wireless access point 310 and the system management device 100. Communication between the terminal device 200 and the wireless access point 310 is performed, for example, via a mobile phone line such as 4G or 5G or a wireless LAN, but other wireless communication methods are also possible. The terminal device 200 has a function for performing group communication among three or more terminal devices 200. To perform group communication, for example, an application program is executed in the terminal device 200. The group communication is performed via the wireless access point 310, the network 300, and the system management device 100. The system management device 100 manages group communication that can be performed among multiple terminal devices 200. In this embodiment, a group call that transmits audio will be described as an example of group communication, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, group communication that transmits video, text, or other data may also be performed among the terminal devices 200.

[0015] The wireless communication system 1000 will be described below in the following order: (1) basic configuration, (2) group call processing, (3) playback management information update processing, (4) audio data playback processing, and (5) authority change processing.

[0016] (1) Basic configuration 2 shows the configuration of system management device 100. System management device 100 includes a communication unit 110, a control unit 120, and a storage unit 130. Communication unit 110 includes a transmission unit 112 and a reception unit 114, and control unit 120 includes an acquisition unit 122. System management device 100 is also called a management device.

[0017] The communication unit 110 is connected to the network 300 and communicates with the terminal device 200 via the network 300 and the wireless access point 310. In communication with the terminal device 200, the transmission unit 112 transmits a signal (data) to the terminal device 200, and the reception unit 114 receives the signal (data) from the terminal device 200. For example, the reception unit 114 receives a group communication start request, a group join response, a voice signal, an end notification, etc. from the terminal device 200, and outputs the received signal to the control unit 120. The group communication start request includes information (hereinafter referred to as a "group ID") for identifying the group that will perform group communication (a group call in this embodiment).

[0018] The control unit 120 controls each unit of the system management device 100. The control unit 120 may be configured using a processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit), and the processor may execute programs (software) stored in the storage unit 130 to realize the functions of the control unit 120. Furthermore, each unit of the system management device 100 may be configured with a processor, not just the control unit 120. The system management device 100 may be configured as a computer including one or more processors and memory. The storage unit 130 is configured with a semiconductor memory, a solid-state drive (SSD), a hard disk drive (HDD), or the like, and stores various data and programs. At least a portion of the storage unit 130 is configured as a non-volatile storage medium so that the data and programs are retained even when the system management device 100 is powered off. When the control unit 120 receives a group communication start request from the receiving unit 114, it generates identification information (hereinafter referred to as a "call ID") for uniquely identifying the call. The control unit 120 extracts the group ID from the group communication start request and searches the terminal device database 132 in the storage unit 130 based on the group ID to obtain data related to the group that is the target of the group call, for example, information about the terminal devices 200 that belong to the group.

[0019] FIG. 3 shows the data structure of the terminal device database 132 stored in the storage unit 130 of the system management device 100. In the terminal device database 132, a "group ID," a "terminal device ID," and a "user name" are associated with each other. That is, the terminal device database 132 includes information on the terminal devices 200 belonging to each group. Only one of the "terminal device ID" and the "user name" may be stored. Furthermore, the "user name" may be a "user ID" for identifying the user. One terminal device 200 may belong to multiple groups. Although not shown in this figure, the terminal device database 132 may also store the type of terminal device 200. The terminal device database 132 is also called a group database. Returning to FIG. 2, the control unit 120 transmits, via the transmission unit 112, to the terminal devices 200 involved in the group call, "group participation request" information requesting participation in the group call.

[0020] In response to the "group join request," the control unit 120 acquires information indicating whether the terminal device 200 will join the group call and the mode of participation in the group call (hereinafter referred to as a "group join response" or "response information") from each terminal device 200 involved in the group call via the receiving unit 114. The control unit 120 generates group join information based on the group join response. The group join information is information obtained by extracting a portion of the specific call to be processed from the playback management information database 134 (described later). The control unit 120 transmits the group join information to the terminal devices 200 belonging to the group via the transmitting unit 112. The group join information is also called communication result information. The control unit 120 may have a function of performing voice recognition on the call voice and converting it into text. The acquiring unit 122 acquires data necessary for the control unit 120 to generate the group join information, as described later.

[0021] The storage unit 130 stores various information (described later) in association with a call ID in the playback management information database 134 shown in FIG. 4. The playback management information database 134 contains various information related to the recording and playback of audio in a group call. FIG. 4 shows the data structure of the playback management information database 134 of the system management device 100, illustrating an example of data at the time when a group call with call ID "1-A" is being made. This corresponds to the playback management information database 134 before the recording of the group call with call ID "1-A" is played back. The playback management information database 134 associates a "call ID," a "group ID," a "call start date and time," a "call duration," a "terminal device ID," a "user name," a "participation type," a "playback authority," "playback information," a "playback method," a "playback expiration date and time," and an "audio data URL."

[0022] "Call ID" is an ID assigned by the system management device 100 when the call starts, for uniquely identifying the call. In the example shown in this figure, it is "1-A", "1-B", and "2-A", but any numbers or characters may be used. "Group ID" is an ID for identifying the group to which the terminal device 200 belongs. It is not limited to the group to which the terminal device 200 belongs, but the group ID of the group to which the user belongs may also be stored. "Call start date and time" is the date and time when the call started. In the example shown in this figure, it is stored in the format of "year / month / day hour:minute:second", but any storage format may be used.

[0023] The "call duration" is the time taken from the start of a call to its end. In the example shown in this figure, the call duration is recorded in seconds, but this is not limited to this and may be in milliseconds, for example. Instead of or in addition to the call duration, the call end date and time may be stored in a format similar to the call start date and time. The "terminal device ID" is an ID for uniquely identifying the terminal device 200 belonging to a group. The terminal device 200 with the "terminal device ID" of "200-1" is the first terminal device 200a. The terminal device 200 with the "terminal device ID" of "200-2" is the second terminal device 200b, and so on. The "terminal device ID" may also be referred to as the "terminal ID." The "user name" is information for identifying the user who uses the terminal device 200. The username may be represented as a user ID. Note that the relationship between the "terminal device ID" and the "user name" can be easily obtained by referring to the terminal device database 132 in FIG. 3, so it is possible to omit storing either the "terminal device ID" or the "user name."

[0024] The "Participation Type" field stores information indicating the participation status of each terminal device 200 (each user) participating in the group call. Examples of participation types (types) stored include "Call," "Participation," "Participation Rejection," "No Response," and "Recording." "Call" indicates that the terminal device 200 initiated (called) the group call. The call ID "1-A" indicates that the first terminal device 200a (terminal ID "200-1") initiated the group call. Participation types other than "Call" are determined based on the group participation response received from the terminal device 200 and are recorded in the playback management information database 134. "Participation" indicates that the group participation request was received and the user participated in the group call in real time. In other words, when the system management device 100 receives a group participation response indicating participation from the terminal device 200, "Participation" is recorded in the participation type field. The call ID "1-A" indicates that the third terminal device 200c (terminal ID "200-3") has joined the group call.

[0025] As will be described later, when a terminal device 200 receives a group join request and transmits a group join response indicating that it accepts the participation, it can join the group call in real time, so "joining" is sometimes called "participation acceptance." Furthermore, a terminal device 200 that is participating in a group call in real time in a broad sense is a terminal device 200 whose participation type is "calling" or "participating." Therefore, in the example of call ID "1-A," the first terminal device 200a and the third terminal device 200c are terminal devices 200 that have participated in a broad sense. The distinction between "calling" and "participating" may be eliminated, and the type of the terminal device 200 that made the call may be considered to be "participating."

[0026] "Participation Rejected" indicates that the user of the terminal device 200 explicitly rejected participation in the group call through an operation by the user. In other words, when the system management device 100 receives a group participation response indicating participation rejection from the terminal device 200, "Participation Rejected" is recorded in the participation type field. For call ID "1-A," it is indicated that the second terminal device 200b (terminal ID "200-2") rejected participation in the group call. "No Response" indicates that the terminal device 200 did not transmit a group participation response within a predetermined time due to reasons such as being out of communication range or the user not noticing an incoming group call. In other words, when the system management device 100 does not receive a group participation response from the terminal device 200, "No Response" is recorded in the participation type field. For call ID "1-A," it is indicated that the fourth terminal device 200d (terminal ID "200-4") did not respond. "Recording" indicates that the user of the terminal device 200 has requested the system management device 100 to play back the recording later, rather than participating in the group call in real time, through an operation by the user. In other words, when the system management device 100 receives a group participation response indicating recording from the terminal device 200, "Recording" is recorded in the participation type column. For call ID "1-A," it is indicated that the fifth terminal device 200e (terminal ID "200-5"), the sixth terminal device 200f (terminal ID "200-6"), and the seventh terminal device 200g (terminal ID "200-7") have requested recording of the group call.

[0027] In this way, at the start of the group call, the control unit 120 acquires a group participation response indicating the participation mode in the group call, i.e., participation mode information, from the terminal devices 200 involved in the group call, and stores the participation mode information in the playback management information database 134 of the storage unit 130. The participation mode information is information that distinguishes at least between a mode of participating in the group call in real time, a mode of playing back a recording (recorded audio data) after the group call ends, and a mode of not participating in the group call.

[0028] The "Playback Authorization" field stores information such as "Yes" or "No." "Yes" indicates that the terminal device 200 has the authority to play back the recording. "No" indicates that the terminal device 200 does not have the authority to play back the recording. "Yes" may be stored as "1" or "Yes," and "No" may be stored as "0" or "No." It is also possible to grant the authority to play back only a portion of the call (a specific section). In the call with call ID "1-A," the first terminal device 200a, the second terminal device 200b, the third terminal device 200c, and the fourth terminal device 200d are shown to not have the authority to play back the recording. The "Playback Information," "Playback Method," and "Playback Date and Time" fields are registered when the recording is played back after the call ends. Since FIG. 4 shows data from a time during a call, the recording with call ID "1-A" has not been played back at all. For this reason, "Not played" is recorded in the "Playback Information" of a terminal device 200 that has playback authority, and "-" indicating the initial value (not registered) is recorded in the "Playback Information" of a terminal device 200 that does not have playback authority. Also, "-" indicating the initial value (not registered) is recorded in the "Playback Method" and "Playback Date and Time" items. Of course, the initial value is not limited to "-", and blanks or "NULL" may also be used.

[0029] The "Playback Expiry Date" field stores information indicating the expiration date and time for playback of the recording. In the example shown in FIG. 1, the information is stored in the format of "year / month / day hour:minute:second," but any storage format may be used. For terminal devices 200 that do not have playback authority, a "-" is stored to indicate that the device does not apply. The playback expiration date may be automatically set to a date and time a predetermined time has elapsed since the call start date and time or the call end date and time. For example, "1 hour" or "24 hours" may be used as the predetermined time. For a group that periodically holds group calls, such as once a day or once a week, the playback expiration date may be set to a predetermined time (e.g., one hour) before the scheduled start date and time of the next group call. In such cases, the playback expiration date may be set using a schedule (schedule data or a schedule application) managed by the terminal device 200 or the system management device 100. The playback expiration date may also be set by a user of a specific terminal device 200 (e.g., the user who made the call). The playback expiration date may be the same for all terminal devices 200, or a different date and time may be set for each terminal device 200. For example, for a terminal device 200 (user) that selected "recording" in a past group call but did not play back the call recording by the playback deadline, a playback deadline that is shorter (shorter) than usual may be set for the new call. Also, for a terminal device 200 that selected "recording" as the participation type and has a large number of calls to be played back, or a terminal device 200 whose calls to be played back have long call durations (playback times), a playback deadline that is longer (longer) than usual may be set.

[0030] The "Audio Data URL" field stores the URL (Uniform Resource Locator) of the audio data file, i.e., information indicating the location where the audio data file is stored. Call 1-A indicates that the audio data file is stored in the location "Url-1." Call 1-B indicates that the audio data file is stored in the location "Url-2." For calls without an audio data file, "-" is stored. Furthermore, the audio data URL is not limited to audio data, and may be information indicating the location of recorded data, such as video data, in which the call is recorded. In this embodiment, for calls in which no terminal device 200 with a participation type of "recording" is present, the call is not recorded, and therefore some calls do not have an audio data file. For example, for call ID "2-A," since all terminal devices 200 participating in the group call are participating in real time, no audio data file exists, and "-" is stored in the audio data URL. However, this is not limited to this, and audio data files may be generated by recording all calls. The audio data file may be stored in a device (such as a file server) different from the management device. That is, the audio data URL is not limited to a location in storage unit 130 of system management device 100, and may be information indicating another device.

[0031] FIG. 5 shows an example of data stored in the playback management information database 134 of the system management device 100 at a different time point. FIG. 5 shows the playback management information database 134 at the time when at least a portion of the recording was played back by at least one terminal device 200 after the group call with call ID "1-A" ended. Explanations of the same parts as in FIG. 4 are omitted. The "Playback Information" column stores information such as "Not Played," "Partially Played," and "Played." As explained in FIG. 4, "Not Played" is the default value for terminal devices 200 with playback authority, and indicates that the recording has not been played back at all. "Partially Played" indicates that only a portion of the recorded call (a portion of the call section) has been played back. In the case of "Partially Played," the length of the played section or the remaining playback section is recorded so that it can be determined. For call ID "1-A," the playback information for terminal device ID "200-6" is "Partially Played: 30 seconds," which indicates that "30 seconds of the entire call remain unplayed." In other words, this indicates that "30 seconds of the entire 60-second call have been played, and the remaining 30 seconds have not been played." Note that the recording format of playback information is not limited to this. For example, the time of the played portion of the entire call (e.g., "played for 20 seconds") may be recorded. Also, for a 60-second call, information on the played section (playback start point and playback end point) may be recorded, such as "playback of the section from 0 seconds after the start of the call to 20 seconds after the start." Information on multiple playback sections may also be recorded. For example, information such as "playback of the section from 0 seconds after the start to 10 seconds after the start and the section from 30 seconds after the start" may be recorded. "Playback completed" indicates that the entire recorded call (all call sections) has been played. In the example shown in FIG. 5, it is indicated that the fifth terminal device 200e (terminal ID "200-5") has played back all call sections. By referring to the playback management information database 134, the control unit 120 can determine that the terminal devices 200 whose "playback information" is "played" or "partially played" have played back at least a portion of the call recording, and that at least a portion of the call content has been transmitted to the users of those terminal devices 200.Furthermore, the control unit 120 can determine that the contents of the call have not been transmitted to the user of a terminal device 200 whose "playback information" is "not played" because the terminal device 200 has not played back the call recording. Furthermore, the control unit 120 can determine that the contents of the call have not been transmitted to the user of a terminal device 200 whose "participation type" is "refused to participate" or "no response."

[0032] In this embodiment, a terminal device 200 for which the user did not select "record" when receiving a group join request does not have the authority to play back the recording later, but this is not limited to this. For example, a terminal device 200 that has joined a group call in real time and whose participation type is "call" and "join" may be granted the authority to play back the recording. Also, for example, a terminal device 200 whose participation type is other than "reject participation" may be granted the authority to play back the recording. Note that when there is no playback authority, "-" is used for the playback information, but "NULL" or a blank may also be stored.

[0033] The "Playback Method" field stores information such as "Normal Playback" (normal), "Double Speed," and "Text." "Normal Playback" indicates that the recording was played back at the normal playback speed. "Double Speed" indicates that the recording was played back at twice the normal playback speed. In this case, the user can quickly and efficiently understand the content of the call; however, if the call voice is unclear or the call content is complex, the user may not accurately understand the content of the call (the user may mishear the content). "Text" indicates that the terminal device 200 displayed text data obtained by converting the call voice into text using the voice recognition function of the control unit 120. In other words, it indicates that the terminal device 200 played back text data (recorded data) that recorded the call. In this case, the user can quickly and efficiently understand the content of the call compared to double speed playback; however, if there is an error in the voice recognition, the user may not accurately understand the content of the call. Note that the playback methods are not limited to these, and playback methods such as "3x Speed ​​Playback," "1 / 2x Speed ​​Playback," and "Audio Playback with Text (Subtitles)" may also be provided. In the example of Figure 5, for call ID "1-A", the fifth terminal device 200e indicates that the recording was played back at double speed. Also, the sixth terminal device 200f indicates that the recording was played back normally (at normal speed). Furthermore, the seventh terminal device 200g has not played back the recording, so the playback method remains the default value of "-".

[0034] The "Playback Date and Time" field stores the date and time when playback of the recording is completed. In the example shown in the figure, the data is stored in the format of "year / month / day hour:minute:second," but any storage format may be used. For terminal devices 200 that do not have authorization to record and play back, "-" is stored. In the example shown in the figure, if only a portion of the call recording is played back, the playback date and time remains "-." However, this is not limited to this, and the playback date and time may be set when only a portion of the call recording is played back. In the example shown in the figure, there is one "Playback Date and Time" field for each terminal device 200. Therefore, if playback is performed multiple times, the final (most recent) playback date and time is recorded. However, this is not limited to this, and all playback information for multiple times may be recorded. For example, each time playback is performed, the playback method, playback section, and playback date and time may be associated and recorded (additionally recorded) in the playback management information database 134. In other words, the playback history for each terminal device 200 involved in the call may be recorded in the playback management information database 134. Of course, if only a portion of a call is played back each time and the entire call is played back multiple times, the playback information can be changed from "Partially Played" to "Played." For example, if the entire call is played back three times, the playback information can be set to "Partially Played" for the first and second playbacks, and to "Played" when the third playback is complete.

[0035] In this way, the playback management information database 134 records the playback status of the audio data recorded during a group call for each terminal device 200 involved in the group call. Furthermore, the playback management information database 134 includes at least information indicating whether audio data has been played back for each terminal device 200 involved in the group call. Furthermore, the playback management information database 134 includes at least information on the playback date and time of audio data for each terminal device 200 involved in the group call. In other words, the playback management information database 134 contains data indicating the playback status of the recorded data of a group call for each terminal device 200 involved in the group call. Return to FIG. 2.

[0036] If the group join response includes "recording," the control unit 120 records the voice call, generates a voice data file (voice file), and registers the URL of the voice data file in the playback management information database 134 of the storage unit 130. The control unit 120 may store the voice data file in the storage unit 130, or may store it in another device. The control unit 120 may also record all calls regardless of the content of the group join response and register the recorded voice data in the playback management information database 134. The voice data (recorded data) of a call is a type of recorded data that records a call.

[0037] Storage unit 130 stores various data and programs, such as audio files that record telephone conversation audio, in addition to terminal device database 132 and playback management information database 134. The audio files may be stored in a storage device (such as a file server) separate from system management device 100 and communicable with it via network 300.

[0038] 6 shows the configuration of the terminal device 200. The terminal device 200 includes an antenna 202, a communication unit 210, a control unit 220, a storage unit 230, a microphone 240, a speaker 250, an operation unit 260, and a display unit 270. The communication unit 210 includes a transmission unit 212 and a reception unit 214.

[0039] The microphone 240 (audio input unit) receives voice from the user during a call and converts the voice into an audio signal. The microphone 240 outputs the audio signal to the control unit 220. The speaker 250 (audio output unit) receives an audio signal from the control unit 220 during a call and outputs the audio signal as sound. The speaker 250 may also output a ringtone, a warning sound, etc.

[0040] The operation unit 260 is configured with buttons, a touch panel, etc., and accepts input from a user. The operation unit 260 outputs the accepted input to the control unit 220. The display unit 270 accepts images and messages from the control unit 220 and displays them. The operation unit 260 and the display unit 270 may be integrated using a touch panel or the like. The display unit 270 does not have to be included in the terminal device 200. For example, it is also possible to connect an external display device (not shown) to the terminal device 200 and configure the terminal device 200 to display information on the connected display device. Similarly, the operation unit 260 does not have to be included in the terminal device 200. For example, it is also possible to connect an input device (not shown) such as external buttons or a keyboard to the terminal device 200 and configure the terminal device 200 to accept user operations via the connected input device.

[0041] The control unit 220 controls each unit of the terminal device 200. The control unit 220 may be configured using a processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit), and the processor may execute a program (software) stored in the storage unit 230 to realize the functions of the control unit 220. Furthermore, each unit of the terminal device 200 may be configured by a processor, not limited to the control unit 220. The terminal device 200 may be configured by a computer including one or more processors and a memory. Furthermore, when the terminal device 200 is powered on, the control unit 220 causes the transmission unit 212 to transmit a registration request including terminal information (such as a terminal device ID) in order to use the wireless communication system 1000.

[0042] The transmitter 212 transmits various types of data under the control of the controller 220. For example, the transmitter 212 transmits voice data of a call, a registration request, a group communication start request, a group join response, and the like to the system management device 100 via the wireless access point 310. The receiver 214 receives various types of data under the control of the controller 220. For example, the receiver 214 receives voice data of a call, group join information, and the like. Furthermore, when another terminal device 200 starts a group call, the receiver 214 receives a group join request from the system management device 100 via the wireless access point 310. Upon receiving the group join request, the receiver 214 outputs the request to the controller 220. The controller 220 outputs the information included in the group join request to the display unit 270 based on the group join request.

[0043] When a group call occurs, the system management device 100 transmits group participation information indicating the participation status of the members of the group call to the terminal devices 200 that have joined the group call. The group participation information corresponds to information obtained by extracting a portion of the playback management information (playback management information database 134) that corresponds to a specific call (specific call ID). Therefore, the group participation information may also be referred to as playback management information. Also, while the terms group participation information and playback management information may be used interchangeably, the term "group participation information" may refer to information about a specific call, and a collection of group participation information may also be referred to as playback management information. Upon receiving the group participation information, the receiving unit 214 outputs the group participation information to the control unit 220. The control unit 220 stores the group participation information received from the system management device 100 in the storage unit 230.

[0044] The storage unit 230 is configured with a semiconductor memory, a solid state drive (SSD), a hard disk drive (HDD), etc., and stores various data and programs. At least a portion of the storage unit 230 is configured with a non-volatile storage medium so that the data and programs are retained even when the terminal device 200 is powered off. The storage unit 230 stores the group participation information of each terminal device 200 as a playback management information database 234. In other words, the playback management information database 234 is a database that records the group participation information that the terminal device 200 receives from the system management device 100.

[0045] FIG. 7 shows the data structure of the playback management information database 234 of the terminal device 200. The playback management information database 234 is data (history) that additionally records group participation information that the terminal device 200 has received from the system management device 100. In the example shown in FIG. 7, data on the call ID "1-B" made by the terminal device 200 in the past and data on the call ID "1-A" made this time are recorded. Since the group participation information received by the terminal device 200 relates to a specific group to which the terminal device 200 belongs, the playback management information database 234 corresponds to data extracted from the playback management information database 134 for the group to which the terminal device 200 or the user of the terminal device 200 belongs. In the example shown in this figure, since the terminal device 200 belongs to group ID "1," the playback management information database 234 corresponds to data extracted from the playback management information database 134 shown in FIG. 5 for group ID "1." Return to FIG. 6. The control unit 220 displays the information in the playback management information database 234 in the storage unit 230 on the display unit 270 .

[0046] (2) Group call processing Fig. 8 is a sequence diagram showing the procedure of a group call in the wireless communication system 1000. This corresponds to the process in which, when the terminal device 200 receives a call for a group call, the user performs a predetermined operation to answer the type of participation (participation form) in the group call, and transmits this information from the terminal device 200 to the system management device 100. Fig. 8 shows an example in which the first terminal device 200a, which is the calling terminal, and the second terminal device 200b to the seventh terminal device 200g, which are called terminals, belong to the same group (group ID "1").

[0047] In step S10, the first terminal device 200a transmits a group communication start request to the system management device 100 to start a group call. The group communication start request includes information for identifying the group that is the target of the group communication (here, group ID "1") and information for identifying the calling terminal (here, terminal ID "200-1"). In step S12, when the receiving unit 114 of the system management device 100 receives the group communication start request from the first terminal device 200a, the control unit 120 refers to the terminal device database 132 of the storage unit 130 and searches for the terminal device 200 that is the target of the call. This corresponds to searching for terminal devices 200 that belong to the group other than the calling terminal. Specifically, in the terminal device database 132 shown in FIG. 3, the search results are terminal devices 200 with terminal IDs "200-2" to "200-7" that are terminal devices 200 other than the calling terminal with terminal ID "200-1" that is the calling terminal, among the terminal devices 200 that belong to the group ID "1." Based on the search results, the control unit 120 determines the terminal device 200 (calling terminal) to be called, that is, to which the group join request should be delivered. Here, the control unit 120 determines that the group join request should be sent from the second terminal device 200b (terminal ID "200-2") to the seventh terminal device 200g (terminal ID "200-7"). Note that the calling terminal and the calling terminal are terminal devices 200 that execute a predetermined group call, and therefore may also be referred to as terminal devices 200 related to the group call.

[0048] In steps S14 to S24, the transmission unit 112 transmits group join requests to the second terminal apparatus 200b to the seventh terminal apparatus 200g. At this time, the control unit 120 starts a timer for determining whether or not to start a group call. The waiting time of this timer may be set to a predetermined time (e.g., 20 seconds) or may be set by the user of the first terminal apparatus 200a (calling terminal).

[0049] When the communication unit 210 of the second terminal device 200b to the seventh terminal device 200g receives a group join request, the control unit 220 displays an operation screen (group join request screen) on the display unit 270 for the user to specify a joining method (participation form). Fig. 9 shows the group join request screen displayed on the display unit 270 of the terminal device 200. Here, a message displayed by the second terminal device 200b is shown as an example, but similar messages are displayed in the third terminal device 200c to the seventh terminal device 200g.

[0050] The group participation request screen includes a message such as, "Terminal device 200-1 has requested participation in a group call. Five other people (200-3, 200-4, 200-5, 200-6, 200-7) have also requested participation. How would you like to participate in this group call?" In other words, the second terminal device 200b displays information about the terminal device 200 that has requested participation in the group call and the other terminal devices 200 that have been requested to participate in the group call.

[0051] The user of the second terminal device 200b answers the questions on the display screen as to whether or not to participate in the group call and the participation format. Specifically, if the user wishes to participate in the group call in real time, the user selects "1) Participate" and presses the OK button. If the user does not wish to participate in the group call in real time and wishes to listen to the recording later, the user selects "2) Listen to the recording later" and presses the OK button. If the user does not wish to participate at all, the user selects "3) Not participate" and presses the OK button. Note that "Participate" may also be expressed as "Participate in real time," and "Listen to the recording later" may also be expressed as "Participate in time shift," etc. In this embodiment, only users who select "2) Listen to the recording later" can play back the call recording. However, as described above, users who select other options may also be allowed to play back the recording. Return to FIG. 8.

[0052] In steps S26 to S34, the transmission unit 212 of the terminal device 200 transmits a group join response to the system management device 100 according to the participation method specified by the user. The group join response is also called response information or a response result. If "1) Join" is selected, the control unit 220 transmits a "group join response (join)" indicating that the participation type in the group call is "join" to the system management device 100 via the transmission unit 212. If "2) Record" is selected, the control unit 220 transmits a "group join response (record)" indicating that the participation type in the group call is "record" to the system management device 100 via the transmission unit 212. If "3) Do not participate" is selected, the control unit 220 transmits a "group join response (reject)" indicating that the second terminal device 200b will not participate in the group call to the system management device 100 via the transmission unit 212. The third terminal device 200c transmits a "group join response (join)" to the system management device 100. The fifth terminal device 200e, the sixth terminal device 200f, and the seventh terminal device 200g transmit a "group join response (recorded)" to the system management device 100. The fourth terminal device 200d does not transmit a group join response.

[0053] In step S36, the acquisition unit 122 of the system management device 100 acquires a group join response from each terminal device 200 via the communication unit 110. If the acquisition unit 122 is unable to acquire a group join response from a terminal device 200 within a predetermined time after transmitting the group join request, the acquisition unit 122 determines that the terminal device 200 has not responded (is unresponsive). For example, the fourth terminal device 200d is determined to have not responded. If the control unit 120 is unable to receive a group join response from a certain terminal device 200 within a predetermined time, the control unit 120 determines that the terminal device 200 is an unresponsive terminal device 200. After the timers started in steps S14 to S24 have elapsed for the respective timer times (predetermined times), the control unit 120 determines (determines) the participants (participating terminals) of the group call based on the group join responses (response information) from the terminal devices 200 that have been received up to that point. That is, the calling terminal and the calling terminal that returns a group participation response (participation) within a predetermined time are determined as participating terminals in the group call (terminals participating in real time).

[0054] In the example shown in FIG. 8, the first terminal device 200a (calling terminal) and the third terminal device 200c are participating terminals. The fourth terminal device 200d does not transmit a group join response within a predetermined time, so it is determined to be an unresponsive terminal device 200 and is not a participating terminal device. The fifth terminal device 200e, the sixth terminal device 200f, and the seventh terminal device 200g return a join response (recording), so they are not participating terminals (real-time participating terminals). In this embodiment, the control unit 120 determines the participating terminals to be terminal devices 200 that do not have playback authority for the recording, but it may also determine them to be terminal devices 200 that have playback authority. The control unit 120 determines the unresponsive terminal device 200 to be a terminal device 200 that does not have playback authority for the recording, but it may also determine them to be terminal devices 200 that have playback authority. The control unit 120 determines the participation-rejected terminal device 200 to be a terminal device 200 that does not have playback authority, but it may also determine them to be terminal devices 200 that have playback authority.

[0055] The control unit 120 generates group participation information when the participating terminals are determined in step S36. At this time, the acquisition unit 122 references the playback management information database 134 in the storage unit 130 and acquires data related to the call (call ID) to be processed. Specifically, the acquisition unit 122 acquires the call start date and time, call duration, terminal device ID, participation mode, playback information, playback method, playback time limit, and playback date and time corresponding to the specific call ID from the playback management information database 134 (storage unit 130) and generates the group participation information. The group participation information includes information similar to that in the playback management information database 234. The control unit 120 then transmits the group participation information to the terminal device 200 via the communication unit 110. In FIG. 8, the group participation information is transmitted to the first terminal device 200a in step S38, and the group participation information is transmitted to the third terminal device 200c in step S40.

[0056] The control unit 120 may generate group participation information (communication result information) at any timing, such as after the start or end of the group call, not limited to step S36. The control unit 120 may also generate group participation information when a request for group participation information is received from the terminal device 200. The control unit 120 may transmit group participation information to participating terminals at the start of the call or during the call. The control unit 120 may also transmit group participation information to terminal devices 200 that have the authority to play back recordings at any timing, including when the terminal device 200 processes a recording / playback request. The control unit 120 may also transmit group participation information to any terminal device 200 involved in the group call at any timing. The control unit 120 may transmit updated group participation information when it receives a request to update group participation information from a terminal device 200. For example, when the control unit 120 receives a request to update group participation information from terminal devices 200 whose participation type in the group call is "rejected" or "no response," it may transmit group participation information to those terminal devices 200. That is, the system management device 100 may transmit group participation information to terminal devices 200 involved in the group call, including terminal devices 200 that did not participate in the group call and terminal devices 200 that do not have permission to play back recordings. The system management device 100 may also transmit group participation information to terminal devices 200 (management terminals) of an operator or manager of the wireless communication system 1000. That is, the system management device 100 may transmit group participation information to terminal devices 200 that are not involved in a specific call. The group participation information update process will be described later.

[0057] The receiving unit 214 of the terminal device 200 receives the group participation information from the system management device 100. The control unit 220 displays the group participation information on the display unit 270.

[0058] After determining the participating terminals, the control unit 120 of the system management device 100 determines whether to start a group call based on the group join responses received from each terminal device 200. For example, if the control unit 120 receives a predetermined number or more of group join responses (joins), it determines that the group call is permitted (group call start), and if the number of group join responses (joins) is less than the predetermined number, it determines that the group call is not permitted (group call termination). This predetermined number may be any value, for example, 1. That is, in a group call, although there are two or more calling terminals, the number of calling terminals actually participating in the group call may be one, and the group call may be conducted between two terminal devices 200, the calling terminal and the called terminal. In addition, this predetermined number may be set by the user of the first terminal device 200a. Note that "group call permission" is sometimes called "group communication permission," and "group call not permitted" is sometimes called "group communication not permitted." The control unit 120 notifies the participating terminals (the first terminal apparatus 200a and the third terminal apparatus 200c) of the determination result of whether to start the group call via the transmission unit 112. In Fig. 8, the determination result is "group communication permitted," and the determination result of "group communication permitted" is transmitted to the first terminal apparatus 200a and the third terminal apparatus 200c in steps S42 and S44.

[0059] When the first terminal device 200a and the third terminal device 200c receive the "group communication permission," they start a group call. For example, the ringtone that had been output by the first terminal device 200a is stopped. This allows the user of the first terminal device 200a to recognize that communication is possible (that they can speak). When the first terminal device 200a and the third terminal device 200c receive the "group communication not permitted," they display the information on the display unit 270 and output a sound from the speaker 250 (audio output unit) notifying the cancellation. For example, the ringtone that had been output by the first terminal device 200a is stopped and an error sound is output. In this case, for example, a message such as "The number of users participating in the group call is less than the predetermined number '3,' so the group call will be canceled" is displayed on the display unit 270 of the first terminal device 200a. This allows the user to recognize that the group call has been canceled.

[0060] In step S48, control unit 120 of system management device 100 starts recording after transmitting the result of the determination of whether to start the group call. If a notification of "group communication not permitted" is sent instead of a notification of "group communication permitted," recording does not start. Specifically, control unit 120 starts generating an audio data file of the call and stores it in storage unit 130. Alternatively, control unit 120 may send the audio data of the call to another device (such as a recording server or a file server) and have the other device generate and store the audio data file.

[0061] In steps S50 to S56, when the first terminal device 200a and the third terminal device 200c are ready to start communication, the first terminal device 200a and the third terminal device 200c transmit audio signals to the system management device 100. The system management device 100 transmits the audio signal received from the first terminal device 200a to the third terminal device 200c. The system management device 100 also transmits the audio signal received from the third terminal device 200c to the first terminal device 200a. In this manner, audio signals are distributed to the joining terminals that transmitted group join responses (join) to the system management device 100. On the other hand, audio signals are not distributed to the second terminal device 200b that transmitted a group join response (rejection), the fourth terminal device 200d that did not transmit a group join response within a predetermined time, and the fifth terminal device 200e, the sixth terminal device 200f, and the seventh terminal device 200g that transmitted a group join response (recorded).

[0062] In step S58, the first terminal device 200a transmits an end notification to end the group call. The end notification may be transmitted from the third terminal device 200c. In step S60, upon receiving the end notification from the first terminal device 200a, the system management device 100 transmits an end notification to the third terminal device 200c, thereby terminating the group call. In step S62, the system management device 100 stops recording upon ending the group call.

[0063] (3) Updating playback management information (group participation information) 10 is a sequence diagram showing the procedure for updating playback management information (group participation information) in the wireless communication system 1000. Here, the terminal device 200 involved in a group call requests the latest playback management information from the system management device 100, and the system management device 100 responds by executing a process of transmitting the latest playback management information to the terminal device 200.

[0064] The user performs an operation on the terminal device 200 to request an update of the playback management information (group participation information). FIG. 11 shows an operation screen for updating the playback management information, which is displayed on the display unit 270 of the terminal device 200. This shows an example of a screen displayed by the terminal device 200 making a request to update the playback management information of call 1-A. The display unit 270 displays information about the call ID "1-A" stored in the playback management information database 234. This corresponds to displaying, based on the playback management information, a playback status indicating at least whether or not audio data has been played back for each of the multiple terminal devices 200 involved in the group call. Return to FIG. 10. In step S100, when the user presses the "Update" button, the control unit 220 transmits a playback management information update request for call ID "1-A" to the system management device 100 via the communication unit 210. The playback management information update request is also called a group participation information update request.

[0065] In step S102, when the receiving unit 114 of the system management device 100 receives the playback management information update request for call ID "1-A", the acquiring unit 122 (control unit 120) refers to the playback management information database 134, acquires the data of the specified call ID "1-A", and generates group participation information. In step S104, the transmitting unit 112 transmits the "group participation information (call 1-A)" generated by the acquiring unit 122 to the terminal device 200.

[0066] The receiving unit 214 of the terminal device 200 receives the updated (latest) group participation information for call ID "1-A" from the system management device 100, and the control unit 220 stores the group participation information in the playback management information database 234 of the storage unit 230. This corresponds to receiving, from the system management device 100 that manages the group call, playback management information indicating at least whether each of the multiple terminal devices 200 involved in the group call has played back the audio data recorded in the group call. The old data for call ID "1-A" stored in the playback management information database 234 is overwritten (updated) with the new data. The control unit 220 reads out the latest playback management information from the playback management information database 234 and displays it on the screen of the display unit 270.

[0067] FIG. 12 shows another screen displayed on the display unit 270 of the terminal device 200. This is an example of a screen displayed by the terminal device 200 that has received the latest group participation information for call 1-A. This corresponds to displaying a playback status indicating at least whether or not audio data has been played for each of the multiple terminal devices 200 involved in the group call based on the playback management information. The control unit 220 changes the display format of the updated parts of the received group participation information and displays them on the display unit 270. For example, the background color of the "Playback Information" for the sixth terminal device 200f and the seventh terminal device 200g is dark, indicating that the information has been updated to "played." Furthermore, the background color of the "Playback Method" for the seventh terminal device 200g is dark, indicating that the information has been changed to normal playback. Furthermore, the background color of the "Playback Date and Time" for the recordings of the sixth terminal device 200f and the seventh terminal device 200g is dark, indicating that the information has been updated. That is, the display format of the group participation information may be changed, such as by changing the background color or text color of the updated parts (playback information, playback date and time, etc.) on the screen redisplayed after receiving the group participation information, so that the user can easily see the difference from the operation screen (FIG. 11) before sending the playback management information update request. Of course, the change in display format is not limited to a change in background color or text color, and may be a change in text size, text decoration, font, icon, or the like. Furthermore, the display format of parts necessary to attract the user's attention may also be changed, not limited to the updated parts. For example, if the playback information is "not played" or "partially played," the display format of such parts may be highlighted more than usual (using a conspicuous color, larger text, blinking, etc.) to clearly inform the user that further playback is required.

[0068] The update method shown in FIG. 10 is merely an example and is not limited thereto. For example, even if the user does not make a playback management information update request, the terminal device 200 may periodically transmit a playback management information update request. Furthermore, the system management device 100 may periodically transmit the latest group participation information to the terminal device 200. In particular, the latest group participation information may be transmitted from the system management device 100 to the terminal device 200 even during a group call. FIG. 13 shows yet another screen showing group participation information (playback management information) displayed on the display unit 270 of the terminal device 200. This corresponds to the screen displayed during a group call. Compared to FIG. 11, the group call has not ended, so the playback information, playback method, and playback date and time are set to their initial values.

[0069] (4) Audio data playback processing FIG. 14 is a sequence diagram showing the procedure for playing back a recording in the wireless communication system 1000. This shows the process in which the terminal device 200 requests the system management device 100 to play back a call recording. The control unit 220 of the terminal device 200 displays a recording playback screen on the display unit 270 to play back the recording. FIG. 15 shows a recording playback screen displayed on the display unit 270 of the terminal device 200. This is an example of an operation screen displayed by the display unit 270 to play back the recording of Call 1-A. As shown in the figure, a playback screen is displayed for selecting a method for playing back the call recording. The playback screen displays a message such as, for example, "Please select a playback method for the call recording and press the play button." Playback method options include the above-mentioned "normal playback," "double-speed playback," and "text playback." Of course, these options are not limited to these, and other options may be displayed, such as "triple-speed playback," "half-speed playback," and "audio playback with text (subtitles)." The user can select each area on the playback screen using, for example, a touch panel provided on the display unit, i.e., the operation unit 260 integrated with the display unit 270. The user selects a desired playback method from the options and presses the play button. Although not shown in the figure, the user may also be able to specify a playback section. For example, a slider or the like may be displayed on the playback screen, allowing the user to specify a playback start point (e.g., 10 seconds after the start of the call) and a playback end point (e.g., 40 seconds after the start of the call) of the call recording, and the section between them may be played back. Furthermore, the control unit 220 may refer to the playback information in the playback management information database 234 and automatically set a call section that has not been played back by the terminal device 200 as a playback section. For example, if the playback information indicates unplayed, the control unit 220 may set the playback start point to "0 seconds after the start of the call." If the playback information indicates "partial playback," the control unit 220 may set the playback start point to "0 seconds after the start of the call." If the playback information indicates "partial playback," the control unit 220 may set the playback start point to "the beginning of the unplayed section." Returning to FIG. 14 ,

[0070] In step S150, if the user selects "normal playback" and presses the play button, the control unit 220 sends a "call recording playback request (call 1-A, normal playback)" to the system management device 100 via the transmission unit 212. The "call recording playback request" is a message from the terminal device 200 requesting playback of a recording, and is also called a "recording playback request" or a "playback request." If the user selects "double-speed playback" and presses the play button, the control unit 220 sends a "call recording playback request (call 1-A, double-speed playback)" to the system management device 100 via the transmission unit 212. If the user selects "text playback" and presses the play button, the control unit 220 sends a "call recording playback request (call 1-A, text playback)" to the system management device 100 via the transmission unit 212. The "call recording playback request" message includes the terminal device ID of the terminal device 200 requesting playback, the call ID of the call to be played back, and information indicating the playback method. The "call recording playback request" message may also include information indicating the playback section.

[0071] In step S152, when the receiving unit 114 of the system management device 100 receives the call recording playback request, the control unit 120 executes a playback determination process. That is, the control unit 120 determines whether or not to play back the call recording (recorded data recording the call) based on the playback management information database 134, and if playback is to be performed, determines the playback method. This playback determination process can be considered a type of process for controlling the playback of recorded data recording the call (playback control process). Specifically, the control unit 120 first extracts the terminal device ID and call ID included in the call recording playback request. Next, the control unit 120 obtains, from the playback management information database 134, information on the "playback authority" and "playback time limit" of the requesting terminal device 200 (terminal device ID) associated with the specified call ID.

[0072] Next, the control unit 120 determines whether or not to permit playback for the requesting terminal device 200. In other words, the control unit 120 determines whether or not the playback request satisfies a predetermined condition. Specifically, the control unit 120 determines playback permission if the requesting terminal device 200 has "playback authority" and the time when the call recording playback request was received is before the "playback deadline." On the other hand, the control unit 120 determines playback not to be permitted (playback not permitted) if the requesting terminal device 200 has "playback authority" not to be permitted or if the time when the call recording playback request was received is after the "playback deadline." If playback is permitted, in step S154, the control unit 120 references the audio data URL field in the playback management information database 134 and delivers (transmits) the recorded data of call 1-A to the terminal device 200 via the transmission unit 112. Alternatively, if the audio data URL indicates another device, the control unit 120 may instruct the other device to transmit the recorded data to the terminal device 200. In either case, if playback is permitted, the control unit 120 performs control (playback control) so that the recorded data of the call is played on the terminal device 200. Furthermore, if playback is permitted, the control unit 120 determines the delivery method based on the playback method included in the call recording playback request. If the playback method is normal playback, the recorded voice data is delivered as is from the system management device 100 to the terminal device 200. If the playback method is double-speed playback, the recorded voice data is delivered at double speed. If the playback method is text playback, the voice data is converted to text using a voice recognition function and delivered to the terminal device 200 as text data. These correspond to control (playback control) of playing back the recorded data of the call in a playback format according to the request (call recording playback request) from the terminal device 200. In other words, the control unit 120 determining that the playback request satisfies a predetermined condition, referencing the voice data URL data, and transmitting the voice data to the terminal device 200, and transmitting the text data converted from the voice data to the terminal device 200, correspond to playback control of the recorded data of the call. Furthermore, in the terminal device 200, playing back the audio data of the recorded call and displaying the text data of the recorded call correspond to playing back the recorded data of the call.The control unit 120 may convert the voice data into text data in advance and store it in the storage unit 130 or another device such as a file server.

[0073] In step S156, the control unit 120 updates the playback management information database 134 in response to the call recording playback request. Specifically, the control unit 120 stores the playback method (delivery method) included in the call recording playback request in the "Playback Method" field of the playback management information database 134. The control unit 120 also updates the playback date and time field. When the control unit 120 has finished delivering all of the recorded data of the specified call (here, call 1-A), it updates the "Playback Information" field of the playback management information database 134 to "Played." When only part of the recorded data of the call has been delivered, the "Playback Information" is set to "Partial Playback" and the range (playback range) is recorded in the "Playback Information." As described above, when the recorded data is played multiple times, the "playback method," "playback date and time," and "playback information" may be associated with each playback and recorded (additionally recorded) in the playback management information database 134. In this case, the control unit 120 may determine the playback status of the terminal device 200 using the latest "Playback Information." Furthermore, the control unit 120 may determine that the more times a terminal device 200 plays back a recording of a specific call ID (the more times the same recorded data is played back), the more adequately the content of the call is communicated to the user. Although not shown in FIG. 15, if the control unit 120 determines that playback is not permitted, the transmission unit 112 does not distribute the recorded data. Not transmitting recorded data when a specific condition is not met is a type of playback control of recorded data that records a call. In this case, the system management device 100 may notify the terminal device 200 of a message indicating playback refusal. However, this is not limited to this. The terminal device 200 may start a timer after transmitting a call recording / playback request, and end the recording / playback process if no recorded data is distributed.

[0074] FIG. 16 shows another screen related to recording and playback that is displayed on the display unit 270 of the terminal device 200. This shows an example of a screen that the terminal device 200 displays when the control unit 120 does not permit playback of the recording of Call 1-A. For example, a message such as "You are not authorized to play the recorded data" is displayed. Alternatively, the system management device 100 may send a message to the terminal device 200 indicating the reason for not permitting playback and information from the playback management information database 134, and the control unit 220 may display a corresponding message on the display unit 270. For example, a message such as "Playback is not possible because the playback deadline (10:00 AM, March 5, 2021) has passed" may be displayed.

[0075] In this way, the control unit 120 controls the playback of the recorded data of the call in response to a playback request received from the terminal device 200, and updates the playback management information database 134 in the storage unit 130. In particular, when the control unit 120 receives a playback request from the terminal device 200 and permits playback, the control unit 120 updates the playback date and time for the terminal device 200. Furthermore, when the control unit 120 receives a playback request from the terminal device 200 and permits playback, the control unit 120 updates the playback information for the terminal device 200. Furthermore, the control unit 120 transmits the playback management information read from the storage unit 130 to the terminal device 200 via the transmission unit 112 as group participation information. As described above, the control unit 120 may transmit the group participation information to the terminal device 200 at any timing. That is, the control unit 120 may transmit the group participation information to the terminal device 200 at the timing when the playback management information update request is received from the terminal device 200, as described above, or may transmit the updated group participation information at the timing when the voice data is transmitted in response to the call recording playback request. Furthermore, when the control unit 120 receives a call recording / playback request from a certain terminal device 200 (one terminal device) and transmits audio data to the one terminal device, the control unit 120 may transmit updated group participation information to the one terminal device via the transmission unit 112, or may transmit the updated group participation information to terminal devices 200 other than the one terminal device. For example, when the control unit 120 receives a call recording / playback request from a fifth terminal device 200e and transmits audio data to the fifth terminal device 200e, the control unit 120 may transmit group participation information to the fifth terminal device 200e, or may transmit group participation information to other terminal devices 200 involved in the group call (such as the first terminal device 200a or the second terminal device 200b). In other words, the control unit 120 may control the playback of recorded data of the call and the transmission (provision) of group participation information to the terminal devices 200 synchronously or asynchronously.

[0076] (5) Permission change processing In the above description, members with playback authority for recordings are limited to those who selected "recording" as the participation type. However, it is also possible to allow the user of the calling terminal to specify members with playback authority. FIG. 17 is a sequence diagram showing the procedure for changing playback authority in the wireless communication system 1000. This shows an example of a processing flow in which the first terminal device 200a requests the system management device 100 to change the authorization to play back a recording of a call. The control unit 220 of the first terminal device 200a displays an operation screen on the display unit 270 to change the authorization to play back a recording. FIG. 18 shows an authorization change screen displayed on the display unit 270 of the terminal device 200. This is an example of an operation screen displayed by the first terminal device 200a to change the playback authorization for call 1-A. The control unit 220 references the playback management information database 234 and displays information regarding playback authority on the display unit 270. In FIG. 18, a message is displayed saying, "Please select members who can play back the recording of call 1-A." A "Playback Authorization" checkbox, a terminal device ID, a participation type, and playback authority are displayed.

[0077] When the "Playback Authority" checkbox is checked (black in this figure), it indicates that playback of the recording is permitted, and when it is unchecked (white in this figure), it indicates that playback of the recording is not permitted. FIG. 18 shows a state in which playback authority for the recording has already been granted to the fifth terminal device 200e, the sixth terminal device 200f, and the seventh terminal device 200g, and playback authority has been newly granted (added) to the first terminal device 200a and the third terminal device 200c. By operating the screen, the user can grant playback authority to any member or revoke playback authority from any member. A playback deadline is set for the terminal device 200 to which playback authority has been granted. For example, new playback deadlines are set for the first terminal device 200a and the third terminal device 200c. The playback deadline may be the same as that set for the other terminal device 200 during a call, may be set automatically according to a predetermined rule, or may be set by the user on the operation screen. Examples of the predetermined rule include a predetermined time (e.g., 24 hours) after the end of the group call, a predetermined time (e.g., 12 hours) after the granting of playback authority, or a predetermined time (e.g., 1 hour) before the start of the next group call. The playback time limit may be the same for all terminal devices 200, or a different playback time limit may be set for each terminal device 200. The playback time limit for a member who has already been granted playback authority may be changed (edited) on the operation screen. Return to FIG. 17.

[0078] In step S200, the first terminal device 200a transmits a "playback authority change request" to the system management device 100 to change the playback authority for the call recording. This is done by pressing the "OK" button in FIG. 18. The playback authority change request includes information specified on the operation screen in FIG. 18. Specifically, the request includes the call ID, the terminal device IDs of the terminal devices 200 involved in the call, and the playback authority of each terminal device 200. The playback authority change request may also include playback expiration information. In step S202, when the receiving unit 114 of the system management device 100 receives the playback authority change request for call 1-A, the control unit 120 references the playback management information database 134 and detects differences from the playback authority change request. In step S204, the control unit 120 updates the playback authority information for the specified call ID. Specifically, the control unit 120 updates the data for the portion where the difference was detected in step S202, based on the playback authority change request. When the control unit 120 completes updating the playback authority, in step S206, the transmission unit 112 transmits information indicating "change complete" to the first terminal apparatus 200a.

[0079] In the above description, the first terminal device 200a, which is the calling terminal, is assumed to be able to change the playback authority, but this is not limited to this. For example, a group administrator or the like may be able to change the playback authority. Alternatively, any member participating in the group call may be able to change the playback authority.

[0080] According to this embodiment, playback management information for a group call is centrally managed and transmitted to a terminal device, thereby enabling detailed and accurate information regarding the transmission of information during the group call to be notified to the user. In particular, the user can accurately grasp the playback status of other members regarding the recorded data of the call, for example, who listened to the recording of the group call, when and how, or who has not listened to the recording. Furthermore, since the user can grasp the playback status of other members regarding the recorded data, the user can easily grasp the transmission status of information to other members. Furthermore, since the transmission status of information to other members is grasped, the user (speaker) can appropriately select a topic (content of remarks) for the next group call. Furthermore, since the user (speaker) can appropriately select a topic, the group call can be carried out efficiently. For example, if the user understands that "all members who did not participate in the previous group call in real time have already played back the recording by the time of this group call," the user does not need to repeat the same story or check whether information has been transmitted to each member.

[0081] Furthermore, the playback management information includes at least information on the playback date and time of the recorded data (audio data) for each terminal device, and when a playback request is received from a terminal device, the playback date and time for that terminal device is updated, so the playback management information can be updated to the latest state. Furthermore, because the playback management information is updated to the latest state, the playback status of other members can be accurately communicated to the user. Furthermore, when a group call starts, participation mode information indicating the participation mode of the group call is obtained from each terminal device, so the management device can accurately record the participation mode of each terminal device in the playback management information. Furthermore, when a terminal device receives part of the playback management information as group participation information, it displays the playback status for each of the multiple terminal devices, so the user can be informed of the playback status of other members in an easy-to-understand and detailed manner.

[0082] Furthermore, because the participation pattern of each member is determined before the group call begins, the group call can be carried out efficiently. For example, if a member joins the group call midway, the content of the call up to that point must be explained to that member, which tends to result in unnecessary repetition of the same information. Furthermore, when it is unclear which member will join and when, it can be difficult for the speaker to decide what to say appropriately. According to this embodiment, members cannot join the group call midway, which reduces unnecessary call time and allows the call to be carried out efficiently. Furthermore, since it is known during the group call which members will listen to the recording later, the speaker can recognize this and appropriately decide what to say. For example, the speaker can appropriately decide what to say during the group call, such as leaving a message (such as an instruction or request) for members who will listen to the recording later, but not leaving a message for members who will not listen to the recording later.

[0083] Example 2 Next, a description will be given of a second embodiment. In the second embodiment, a terminal device 200 that has not played back a recording by the playback time limit is controlled so that it cannot participate in the next group call in real time.

[0084] 19 is a sequence diagram showing the procedure for a group call in the wireless communication system 1000. This is a process for controlling a terminal device 200 that has not played back a recording by the playback time limit so that it cannot participate in the next group call in real time. In this example, the first terminal device 200a, which is the calling terminal, and the second terminal device 200b, third terminal device 200c, and fifth terminal device 200e, which are called terminals, belong to the same group. For simplicity of explanation, the other terminal devices 200 are omitted.

[0085] In step S250, the transmitter 212 of the first terminal device 200a transmits a group communication start request. In step S252, when the receiver 114 of the system management device 100 receives the group communication start request from the first terminal device 200a, the controller 120 references the terminal device database 132 in the storage unit 130 and searches for the terminal device 200 to be called, i.e., the terminal device 200 other than the calling terminal that belongs to the group specified in the group communication start request. In FIG. 19, the second terminal device 200b, the third terminal device 200c, and the fifth terminal device 200e are searched. In the following, it is assumed that the second terminal device 200b and the third terminal device 200c are playing back the recording by the playback time limit or do not need to play back the recording, and that the fifth terminal device 200e has not played back the recording by the playback time limit. Based on the search results, the controller 120 determines the terminal device 200 to which the group join request should be sent.

[0086] Next, the control unit 120 refers to the playback management information database 134 in the storage unit 130 and searches for (extracts) terminal devices 200 that have not played back the recording by the playback time limit. Any terminal devices 200 that have not played back the recording by the playback time limit are excluded from real-time participation. A group participation request is sent to terminal devices 200 that can participate in the group call in real time. In FIG. 19, a group participation request is sent to the second terminal device 200b in step S254 and to the third terminal device 200c in step S256. A call recording playback instruction is sent to terminal devices 200 that cannot participate in the group call in real time. A call recording playback instruction is also called a playback instruction or a participation mode instruction. In FIG. 19, since the fifth terminal device 200e has not played back the recording by the playback time limit, a call recording playback instruction is sent to the fifth terminal device 200e in step S258. The call recording playback instruction message includes the call ID of the call whose recording is to be played back (here, call ID "1-A").

[0087] The receiving units 214 of the second terminal device 200b and the third terminal device 200c receive the group join request. When the receiving unit 214 of the fifth terminal device 200e receives the call recording / playback instruction, the control unit 220 displays a message on the display unit 270. FIG. 20 shows an incoming call screen displayed on the display unit 270 of the fifth terminal device 200e. This is an example of a screen (incoming call screen) displayed by the terminal device 200 that has received the call recording / playback instruction. The incoming call screen may include a message such as, "You have requested to join a call in Group 1, but you cannot participate in real time because you have not played back the recording of the previous group call. Please play back the recording of the previous call, and then play back the recording of this call." In step S260, the second terminal device 200b sends a group join response to the system management device 100. The subsequent processing is similar to that described in FIG. 8, and therefore will not be described again. The fifth terminal device 200e does not send a group join response to the system management device 100, but the system management device 100 sets the participation mode of the fifth terminal device 200e to "recorded" and records this in the playback management information database 134. That is, for the terminal device 200 that sent the call recording playback instruction, the control unit 120 records the participation mode of the new call ID in the playback management information database 134 as "recorded" and the playback information as "unplayed," and also records the playback expiration date.

[0088] In this way, by transmitting a call recording playback instruction from the system management device 100 to the terminal device 200 instead of a group participation request, control is performed so that terminal device 200 that has not played back the recording by the playback deadline cannot participate in the next group call in real time. By performing this type of communication control, group members can be made aware of the importance of playing back the call recording before the playback deadline. In particular, by setting the playback deadline before the next group call, members are encouraged to play back the recording of the previous call before the next group call, and information about the previous call is reliably transmitted to members, allowing the next group call to be conducted efficiently. Furthermore, the system management device 100 may send a message urging the terminal device 200 to play back the recording to notify them that the playback deadline is approaching.

[0089] As described above, the playback management information database 134 contains at least information indicating whether or not the audio data has been played back, and information on the playback time limit. The control unit 120 refers to the playback management information database 134, extracts the terminal devices 200 that have not played back the audio data by the playback time limit, and restricts the extracted terminal devices 200 from participating in group calls that will be made after the playback time limit.

[0090] Next, a process for notifying a terminal device 200 that has not yet played back a recording (a warning) to prompt the terminal device 200 to play back a recording when the playback deadline is approaching will be described. FIG. 21 is a sequence diagram showing a notification procedure in the wireless communication system 1000. This is an example of a process in which the system management device 100 transmits a recording playback deadline notification to the terminal device 200 when the terminal device 200 has not played back a recording even though a predetermined time before the playback deadline of the recording has arrived. Here, the predetermined time is 15 minutes, but it is not limited to this. In step S300, the control unit 120 of the system management device 100 references the playback management information database 134 15 minutes before the recording playback deadline, and searches for terminal devices 200 whose playback information is "not played" or "partially played" as notification target terminals. In step S302, the transmission unit 112 transmits a recording playback deadline notification to the notification target terminal based on the search result. The recording playback deadline notification includes the call ID (here, call ID "1-A") of the call for which the terminal device 200 should play back the recording. The recording / playback deadline notification may also include the date and time of the playback deadline. The recording / playback deadline notification may also include information about the terminal device 200 that has already completed playback of the recording for that call, as well as information about the user. The recording / playback deadline notification is also called a playback deadline notification or a playback prompt notification.

[0091] When the receiver 214 of the terminal device 200 receives the recording / playback deadline notification, the controller 220 displays a message prompting playback on the display unit 270. FIG. 22 shows a playback prompt screen displayed on the display unit 270 of the terminal device 200. This is an example of a screen (playback prompt screen) displayed by the terminal device 200 upon receiving the recording / playback deadline notification. The playback prompt screen may include a message such as, "The playback deadline for the recording is approaching. Please play the recording. 15 minutes ago." If the recording / playback deadline notification includes information about terminal devices 200 that have completed playback, a message such as, "Terminal devices 200-6 and 200-7 have already completed playback of the recording. To ensure efficient group calls, please play it within 15 minutes." To play the recording, the user presses the "OK" button in FIG. 22; otherwise, press the "Cancel" button. Return to FIG. 21.

[0092] In step S304, 10 minutes before the recording / playback deadline, the control unit 120 references the playback management information database 134 and searches for terminal devices 200 whose playback information is "unplayed" or "partially played" as notification target terminals. In the example shown in FIG. 21, the playback information remains "unplayed" or "partially played" at this point. In other words, the "OK" button in FIG. 22 has not been pressed, and the user has not played the recording. Therefore, in step S306, the control unit 120 transmits a recording / playback deadline notification to the notification target terminal. In other words, the same processes as steps S300 and S302 are performed at a predetermined interval until the terminal device 200 plays the recording. In step S308, when the user of the terminal device 200 presses the "OK" button in FIG. 22, the transmission unit 212 transmits a call recording / playback request to the system management device 100.

[0093] In step S310, when receiving unit 114 of system management device 100 receives a call recording playback request, control unit 120 references playback management information database 134 and acquires an audio data URL. In step S312, control unit 120 transmits the audio recording data to terminal device 200 based on the acquired audio data URL. When receiving unit 214 of terminal device 200 receives the audio recording data, control unit 220 plays the audio recording data and outputs it from speaker 250. In step S314, control unit 120 of system management device 100 updates playback management information database 134.

[0094] If the user of the terminal device 200 presses the "Cancel" button shown in Fig. 22, the transmission of the recording / playback deadline notice will be stopped, but the terminal device 200 will no longer be able to participate in the next group call in real time. In this way, by sending a recording / playback deadline notice from the system management device 100 to the terminal device 200, the terminal device 200 is prompted to play back the recorded data before the playback deadline. The above-described method of prompting playback is merely an example, and is not limited to this. The terminal device 200 may periodically obtain the playback deadline from the playback management information database 234, and when the playback deadline approaches, a message screen such as that shown in Fig. 22 may be output to the display unit 270.

[0095] According to this embodiment, by referencing the playback management information, terminal devices that have not played back the audio data of the call recording by the playback deadline are extracted, and the extracted terminal devices are restricted from participating in group calls made after the playback deadline, so that users who do not understand the content of the group calls made so far can be excluded from the group call.Furthermore, because users who do not understand the content of the group calls made so far are excluded from the group call, the group call can be carried out efficiently.

[0096] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the embodiments are not limited to the contents of these embodiments. Furthermore, the above-described components include those that can be easily imagined by a person skilled in the art, those that are substantially the same, and those that are within the scope of what is called equivalent. Furthermore, the above-described components can be combined as appropriate. Furthermore, various omissions, substitutions, or modifications of the components can be made without departing from the spirit of the above-described embodiments.

[0097] The wireless communication systems 1000 according to the first and second embodiments execute a group call for transmitting and receiving audio data as an example of group communication. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the wireless communication system 1000 may execute group communication for transmitting and receiving data such as images and videos. That is, the system management device 100 may record a video call and generate information indicating the playback status of the recording on each terminal device 200. In this case, the video data recording the video call becomes recorded data recording the call, and the system management device 100 manages the playback status of the terminal device 200 (user) for this recorded data. This modification improves the flexibility of the configuration.

[0098] The wireless communication system 1000 according to the first and second embodiments uses a wireless access point 310, and performs wireless communication between the terminal device 200 and the wireless access point 310. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, wired communication may be used between the terminal device 200 and the network 300 without using the wireless access point 310. That is, the communication system may be wired or wireless. The wireless communication system 1000 may use a network other than an IP network as the network 300. The terminal device 200 may be a mobile phone, a smartphone, a tablet terminal, a computer (personal computer), or the like. The terminal device 200 does not necessarily need to be portable by a user, and may not be mobile. For example, the terminal device 200 may be a desktop computer. The wireless communication system 1000 (i.e., the communication system) may be a video call system (video conference system) that uses a personal computer, a smartphone, a tablet terminal, or the like as the terminal device 200. This modification improves the flexibility of the configuration. [Explanation of symbols]

[0099] 100 System management device, 110 Communication unit, 112 Transmission unit, 114 Reception unit, 120 Control unit, 122 Acquisition unit, 130 Memory unit, 132 Terminal device database, 134 Playback management information database, 200 Terminal device, 202 Antenna, 210 Communication unit, 212 Transmission unit, 214 Reception unit, 220 Control unit, 230 Memory unit, 234 Playback management information database, 240 Microphone, 250 Speaker, 260 Operation unit, 270 Display unit, 300 Network, 310 Wireless access point, 1000 Wireless communication system.

Claims

1. A management device that manages a group call made among a plurality of terminal devices, a storage unit for storing playback management information indicating a playback status of recorded data of a group call for each terminal device involved in the group call; a control unit that controls playback of the recorded data in response to a playback request received from a terminal device and updates playback management information in the storage unit; a transmitting unit that transmits the playback management information read from the storage unit to a terminal device; Equipped with the control unit, at the start of the group call, acquires participation form information indicating a participation form for the group call from a terminal device involved in the group call, and includes the participation form information in the playback management information of the storage unit; Management device.

2. A management device that manages a group call made among a plurality of terminal devices, a storage unit for storing playback management information indicating a playback status of recorded data of a group call for each terminal device involved in the group call; a control unit that controls playback of the recorded data in response to a playback request received from a terminal device and updates playback management information in the storage unit; a transmitting unit that transmits the playback management information read from the storage unit to a terminal device; Equipped with the playback management information includes information about a playback time limit for the recorded data, the control unit refers to the playback management information, extracts terminal devices that have not played back the recorded data by the playback time limit, and restricts the extracted terminal devices from participating in a group call that will be made after the playback time limit. Management device.

3. a receiving unit that receives, from a management device that manages the group call, playback management information that indicates at least whether each of a plurality of terminal devices involved in the group call has played back recorded data in which the group call has been recorded, and participation form information that indicates a participation form in the group call; a display unit that displays, based on the playback management information received by the receiving unit, a playback status indicating whether the recorded data has been played back for each of the plurality of terminal devices involved in the group call and participation form information indicating a participation form for the group call; A terminal device comprising:

4. a receiving unit that receives, from a management device that manages the group call, playback management information that indicates at least whether each of a plurality of terminal devices involved in the group call has played back recorded data in which the group call has been recorded; a display unit that displays, for each of a plurality of terminal devices involved in the group call, a playback status indicating whether the recorded data has been played back and information about the playback deadline of the recorded data, based on playback management information including information about the playback deadline of the recorded data received by the receiving unit; A terminal device comprising:

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