JP2001217942A - Two-way communication system - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a novel system that utilizes a conventional video conference system to attain 2-way communication at multi-points including a hall where many people are present. SOLUTION: A mixer 10 is interposed between a terminal 3 and a speaker 12 installed in a hall, a voice signal at a remote place sent to the terminal in the hall and outputted from the terminal from a server 1 via a telephone line 3 is inputted to the mixer and a hall voice signal outputted from a microphone 11 in the hall is inputted to the mixer. The mixer outputs the hall voice signal and its level is adjusted and the resulting signal is inputted to the terminal of the hall, the terminal sends the signal to the server via the telephone line and the mixer mixes the remote place voice signal and the hall voice signal and outputs a mixed voice signal to input it to the speaker.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a two-way communication system in which a plurality of points, which are located at a distance from each other, are connected by a telephone line network, and two-way communication is performed between the points.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In a videoconferencing system which enables a person in a remote place to hold a meeting or a discussion in an atmosphere where they are in the same place, as shown in FIG. Equipment) and videoconferencing terminals installed at multiple locations (hereinafter “terminals”).
2) are connected by a telephone line 3 such as ISDN. As shown in FIG. 3, an imaging device (hereinafter, referred to as “camera”) 4, a receiver (hereinafter, referred to as “monitor”) 5, a microphone 6, and a speaker 7 are connected to each terminal 2, respectively. In this video conference system, when a person at a certain place where the terminal 2 is installed speaks, both signals of the video captured by the camera 4 and the sound input to the microphone 6 are transmitted from the terminal 2 to the telephone line 3. Sent to server 1 through server 1
A plurality of terminals 2 other than the place through a telephone line network
Sent to Then, the video signal output from the terminal 2 is input to the monitor 5 and the audio signal is input to the speaker 7,
It is possible to listen to the voice while watching the state of the speaker at multiple places at the same time. When a person in another place speaks, similarly, people in a plurality of places other than the place can hear the voice while watching the state of the speaker at the same time.

[0003]

The use of the above-described video conference system enables two-way communication of video and audio, so that even if a plurality of people do not gather at the same place, each person is far from each other. Hold meetings and discussions while away from home. This video conferencing system
This is an effective system when only two-way communication is performed between multiple points such as a conference. However, at one or more venues among a plurality of locations where the terminal is installed, a speaker or a speaker speaks while facing a large number of people, and the video and audio are in a remote place. It can be sent to people in real time, and when a person outside the venue speaks, both the video and audio signals are sent to the terminals at each point including the venue, and a large number of In the case of allowing a person to listen to a sound flowing from a speaker, a conventional video conference system cannot be used as it is.

That is, in a microphone or a speaker used in a conventional video conference system, only a person within a reach of a real voice can hear a speaker at a venue where the speaker is present. However, the sound cannot be amplified throughout the venue through the speakers, and the audio signal output from the microphone installed in the venue and the signal transmitted from the server to the venue terminal and output from the other terminal Since the level and the sound quality are different from those of the audio signal, it is difficult to output both sounds from the speakers in the hall with the same sound quality and the same sound. Furthermore, if audio signals output from microphones installed in the venue were directly input to the venue's terminals and transmitted to the server, there would be a problem with the server's communication control due to differences in signal levels and other factors. In addition, at each point other than the venue, a difference in sound quality, volume, and the like may occur between the voice transmitted from the venue and the voice transmitted from another location.

[0005] The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and uses a conventional video conference system to enable a two-way communication at multiple points including a venue where many people are present. The purpose is to provide a system.

[0006]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a terminal installed at a plurality of points, a camera, a monitor, a microphone and a speaker respectively connected to the terminal, and a terminal and a telephone at each of the points. In a two-way communication system including a server connected by a line, a mixer is interposed between the terminal and the speaker in at least one venue among a plurality of points where the terminal is installed, In addition to having the mixer input a remote location audio signal that is sent from the server to the terminal of the venue through the telephone line and output from the terminal, the venue audio signal output from the microphone in the venue is input, and the venue audio signal is input. Output from the mixer, adjust the level, input to the terminal at the venue, send it from the terminal to the server via the telephone line, , Characterized in that by mixing a remote audio signal and the venue audio signal and outputs the mixed sound signals from the mixer was set to be input to the speaker.

[0007] In the two-way communication system according to the present invention, when a speaker or a speaker talks to a large number of people at one venue where terminals are installed,
The video signal captured by the camera is input to the terminal at the venue, transmitted from the terminal to the server via a telephone line, and transmitted from the server to a server other than the venue via a telephone network, similarly to the conventional video conference system. The images are sent to the terminals at the point, and the image of the venue is displayed in real time on a monitor connected to the terminals. On the other hand, audio signals of speakers and speakers entering the microphone are input to a mixer installed in the venue, where the level is adjusted or SN signals are sent.
The ratio is improved or output from the mixer to the terminal of the venue, sent from the terminal to the server via the telephone line, and sent from the server to the terminal at a plurality of points other than the venue by the telephone network, the terminal The sound of the venue is played from a speaker connected to the device. Also, the venue audio signal input to the mixer at the venue is output from the mixer to a speaker in the venue after the level is adjusted or the SN ratio is improved, and the sound louder from the speakers flows through the entire venue.

[0008] When a person outside of the venue speaks, both the video and audio signals are sent to terminals at each point including the venue, as in the conventional video telephone system. Then, the remote location audio signal input to the terminal at the venue is output from the terminal and input to the mixer, and the level is adjusted or the SN ratio is improved, and the signal is output from the mixer to a speaker in the venue, The sound louder from the speakers flows throughout the venue.

According to this two-way communication system, as described above, at one or more venues where the audience is present, the audio signal of the speaker or the like entering the microphone is adjusted in level through a mixer. It is input to the terminal at the venue and sent from the terminal to the server. Therefore, it is possible to equalize the level and sound quality between the audio signal sent from the terminal at the venue to the server and the audio signal sent from each terminal installed outside the venue to the server. Communication control is performed satisfactorily, and at each point other than the venue, an extreme difference such as sound quality or volume may be generated between the voice transmitted from the venue and the voice transmitted from another location. Absent. Also, the audio signal from the microphone is input to a speaker in the venue by adjusting the level through a mixer or the like, and is transmitted to a terminal of the venue via a server from each point other than the venue and relayed to a terminal in the venue. The audio signal output from the device is also input to a speaker in the venue by adjusting the level through a mixer. Therefore, from the speakers in the venue, both the voice of the speaker and the like who is speaking at the venue and the voice sent from each point other than the venue, sound equally loud and flow through the venue. become.

[0010]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS A preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIG.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an example of an embodiment of the present invention, showing a device configuration of a venue where terminals are installed in a two-way communication system using a video conference system. In this two-way communication system, a conventional video conference system as shown in FIG. 2 is used. In this two-way communication system, one or more of a plurality of points where terminals are installed are used. If necessary, the method of processing audio signals in all venues is different from the conventional video conference system.

In this two-way communication system, the mixer 10 is installed at a venue where a speaker or a speaker needs to talk to a large number of people among a plurality of locations where terminals are installed. I do. One input terminal a of the mixer 10 is connected to an output terminal A of the terminal 2 for outputting an audio signal transmitted from a remote place. Further, another input terminal b of the mixer 10 is connected to the microphone 11 installed in the venue. In the mixer 10, an audio signal from a remote place and a venue audio signal from the microphone 11 are mixed. Then, the mixed audio signal is output from an output terminal c connected to a speaker 12 installed in the venue via an amplifier 13. Also,
The venue audio signal input to the mixer 10 is
The signal is output from another output terminal d connected to the audio input terminal B of the terminal 2 via the attenuator 4 and the attenuator 15.

The video output terminal C of the terminal 2 is connected to a monitor 16 installed in the venue. Also, terminal 2
Of the camera 17 installed in the venue
Is connected. Reference numeral 8 in FIG. 1 is a line interface for connecting the telephone line 3 connected to the server 1 to the terminal 2.

In a venue having the equipment configuration as shown in FIG. 1, when a speaker or a lecturer speaks into the microphone 11 while facing a large number of people, the situation is photographed by the camera 17. The video signal transmitted from the camera 17 is input to the terminal 2 at the venue, and is transmitted from the terminal 2 to the server 1 through the telephone line 3. Also, the voice of the speaker or the speaker enters the microphone 11, and the voice signal sent from the microphone 11 is input to the input terminal b of the mixer 10 installed in the hall to adjust the level or improve the SN ratio. Output terminal d of the mixer 10
Output from The audio signal output from the mixer 10 is input to the compressor 14, and the level of the excessive audio signal is adjusted by the compressor 14 in order to prevent an excessive current from being input to the terminal 2 and causing a problem.
Further, the signal is input to the attenuator 15 and the attenuator 15
After being lowered in a stable state to an appropriate level in
Input to the audio input terminal B of the terminal device 2. Then, the venue audio signal is sent from the terminal 2 of the venue to the server 1 through the telephone line 3. The video signal and the audio signal of the venue sent to the server 1 are sent from the server 1 to terminals at a plurality of points other than the venue via a telephone network, and the video of the venue is displayed on a monitor connected to the terminal. Voices of speakers and speakers talking at the venue are projected from the speakers.

At the same time, the mixer 10 installed at the venue
The audio signal of the speaker or speaker input to the mixer 10 is adjusted in level or the SN ratio is improved, and the
Is output from an output terminal c of the venue, amplified by an amplifier 13, and then output to a speaker 12 in the venue.
The sound louder from 2 flows throughout the venue.

On the other hand, when a person present outside the venue speaks, the video signal and the audio signal are sent to terminals at each point including the venue. And the terminal 2 at the venue
Is output from the video output terminal C of the terminal 2 and sent to the monitor 16, and the video of the remote place is displayed on the monitor 16. The remote audio signal input to the terminal 2 at the venue is output from the output terminal A of the terminal 2.
Is input to the input terminal a of the mixer 10 and the level is adjusted or the SN ratio is improved.
After being output from the output terminal c of 0 and amplified by the amplifier 13, it is output to the speaker 12 in the venue, and the sound amplified from the speaker 12 flows through the entire venue.

With this two-way communication system, when a speaker or a speaker speaks in a hall where a large number of people are present, the voice signal of the speaker or the like entering the microphone 11 is adjusted in level through the mixer 10. For example, the information is input to the terminal 2 of the venue and sent from the terminal 2 to the server 1. Therefore, the level and sound quality between the audio signal transmitted from the terminal 2 of the venue to the server 1 and the audio signal transmitted from each terminal installed outside the venue to the server 1 are equivalent, Communication control by the server 1 is performed well. Also, at each point other than the venue, there is no extreme difference in sound quality and volume between the voice transmitted from the venue and the voice transmitted from another location.

The microphone 1 installed in the venue
The audio signal from the speaker 1 is input to a speaker 12 in the venue by adjusting the level through a mixer 10, and is sent to a terminal 2 of the venue via a server 1 from each point other than the venue. The audio signal output from the terminal 2 is also input to the speaker 12 in the venue by adjusting the level through the mixer 10. Therefore, from the speaker 12 in the venue, both the voice of the speaker or the like talking at the venue and the voice sent from each point other than the venue are equally amplified with the same sound quality and flow throughout the venue. Will be.

The system shown in FIG. 1 is provided with the minimum necessary equipment in relation to the present invention. In practice, the system is installed by installing various equipment other than those described above. Be composed. For example, two terminals are installed at the venue and can be switched to be used by a selector, and one of the terminals is used as a spare, and even if some trouble occurs in the main terminal, the terminal is immediately switched to the spare terminal. To ensure that the system can continue to operate effectively, attach equipment for recording and recording, and install a monitor to view the video of the venue at the venue.
The system is configured.

[0020]

By using the two-way communication system according to the present invention, it is possible to use a conventional video conference system at a multi-point including a venue where many people exist, which is impossible with the conventional video conference system. Two-way communication becomes possible,
Hundreds or thousands of people can communicate with each other.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an example of an embodiment of the present invention and showing a device configuration of a venue where terminals are installed in a two-way communication system using a video conference system.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of the entire video conference system.

FIG. 3 shows an example of each point in a conventional video conference system.
FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a device configuration including a terminal.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 server 2 terminal 3 telephone line 8 line interface 10 mixer 11 microphone 12 speaker 13 amplifier 14 compressor 15 attenuator 16 monitor 17 camera

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Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A video conference terminal installed at each of a plurality of locations, an imaging device, a receiver, a microphone, and a speaker respectively connected to the video conference terminal, and a video conference terminal and a telephone at each of the locations. A two-way communication system comprising: a communication control device connected to each other by a line; and a mixer between the speaker and the video conference terminal in at least one of a plurality of locations where the video conference terminal is installed. In addition to allowing the mixer to input a remote location audio signal transmitted from the communication control device through the telephone line to the video conference terminal of the venue and output from the video conference terminal, the mixer is also output from the microphone in the venue. Input the audio signal of the venue, output the audio signal of the venue from the mixer, adjust the level, and send it to the video conference terminal at the venue. So that the audio signal is transmitted from the video conference terminal to the communication control device through the telephone line, and the mixed audio signal is output from the mixer and input to the speaker. A two-way communication system characterized by: