JP2000244665A - Interphone device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To enable satisfactory bi-directional talking between a visitor such as an aged person or a physically handicapped person hard of hearing and a called resident in a residence. SOLUTION: A front door salve device 1 having a call operating function and a speech function for a visitor is provided with a sound volume display lamp 13 and sound volume switch functions 14, 17, 18 and 20 as means allowing the visitor to visually confirm the sound volume level of a received voice from a resident in a residence in a calling state in which an indoor master device 2 to be used by the resident is called and a speech state. Thus, satisfactory bi-directional speech between a visitor such as an aged person or a physically handicapped person hard hearing and a called resident can be established.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an intercom apparatus, and more particularly to an intercom apparatus capable of excellent two-way communication between a visitor such as an elderly person or a hearing-impaired physically handicapped person and a called resident in a dwelling unit. About.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, as this kind of intercom apparatus, an intercom apparatus shown in a configuration diagram of FIG. 3 has been proposed. The intercom apparatus shown in the figure is configured such that an entrance slave unit 51 installed at the entrance of a dwelling unit and an indoor parent device 52 installed inside the dwelling unit are connected via a transmission line L51.

A call button 60, which is pressed when a visitor calls a resident in a dwelling unit in a standby state, and a call between the resident in the dwelling unit, which is called by the visitor, are provided to the entrance slave unit 51. Handset microphone 6 used to establish
1 and a slave unit speaker 62, and an energization indicator 63 illuminated when the entrance slave unit is shifted from a standby state to a talking state.

An indoor speaker 52 has a loudspeaker 70 that emits a ringing tone for notifying a call from a visitor.
And the base unit microphone 71a and the receiver 71 used by the called resident in the dwelling unit to establish a call with the visitor.
b, and a call indicator light 72 which is turned on and off when the indoor master unit is shifted from the standby state to the calling state, and is shifted from the calling state to the talking state. .

In the intercom apparatus configured as described above, when a visitor presses the call button 60 of the entrance slave unit 51 to call a resident in the dwelling unit, the indoor master unit 52
A ringing tone is emitted from the loudspeaker 70 and the call indicator 7
2 flashes, and the handset speaker 6 of the
A ringing confirmation sound for notifying that the indoor master unit 52 is normally called from 2 is emitted, and the entrance slave unit 51 and the indoor master unit 52 are each shifted from the standby state to the calling state.

The resident in the dwelling unit confirming the presence of the visitor by the ringing tone emitted from the loudspeaker 70 and the blinking of the call indicator lamp 72 is used by the handset 7 of the indoor master unit 52.
1 and picks up the call, the master unit microphone 71a and the receiver 71 of the handset 71 via the transmission line L51.
b, a communication path is formed between the slave unit microphone 61 and the slave unit speaker 62 of the entrance slave unit 51, and the entrance slave unit 51 and the indoor master unit 52 are each shifted from the calling state to the talking state. As a result, the energization indicator 63 of the entrance slave 51 and the call indicator 72 of the indoor master 52 are turned on.

When the occupant returns the handset 71 (hook-on), the energization indicator 63 of the entrance handset 51 and the call indicator 72 of the indoor master 52 are turned off.
The entrance slave unit 51 and the indoor master unit 52 are each restored from the talking state to the standby state.

[0008]

However, since the conventional intercom apparatus is configured as described above,
When a visitor calls a resident in the dwelling unit, the means for confirming the call state is visual only with an auditory confirmation means of a call confirmation sound emitted from the slave unit speaker 62 of the entrance slave unit 51. The confirmation means is not used, especially when the visitor is the elderly, the hearing-impaired, etc. There was a difficulty in listening to the received voice.

The present invention has been made in order to solve the above-mentioned drawbacks, and calls an indoor master unit used by a resident in a dwelling unit to an entrance slave unit provided with a call operation function and a call function by a visitor. A volume indicator and a volume switching function as means for visually confirming the volume level of a received voice from a resident in a dwelling unit in a call state and a call state, particularly for the elderly and persons with hearing impairment, etc. It is an object of the present invention to provide an intercom apparatus that enables good two-way communication between a visitor and a called resident in a dwelling unit.

[0010]

In order to achieve the above object, an intercom apparatus according to the present invention provides a caller in a standby state, which calls a main unit by pressing a call button, and a caller in a call state. It is provided with a volume switching unit for increasing the volume of a call by pressing a button.

Further, the intercom apparatus according to the present invention comprises:
In the standby state, press the call button to call the indoor master unit, and in the call state, press the call button to increase the call volume. It is equipped with a volume indicator light that can be visually checked. According to such an intercom apparatus, the entrance state provided with the call operation function and the call function by the visitor is called in the call state in which the indoor master unit used by the resident in the house is called, and in the call state, Dwelling units called by visitors, such as the elderly and hearing-impaired, by providing a volume indicator and a volume switching function as means for visually confirming the volume level of the voice received from the resident Good two-way communication with residents in the country is established.

[0012]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS A preferred embodiment to which an intercom apparatus according to the present invention is applied will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an embodiment of an intercom apparatus according to the present invention. When a caller calls a resident in a dwelling unit in a standby state (call operation), the caller calls a resident in the dwelling unit. Call button 10 which is depressed an appropriate number of times when the received sound volume is switched so as to increase the received voice from the user, a handset microphone 11 and a handset used for establishing a call with a resident in the dwelling unit called by the visitor in a call state The speaker 12 is turned on and off in a calling state, and is lit in a different pattern depending on a difference in volume level of a received voice from a resident in a dwelling unit when a received voice volume is switched in a talking state.
An entrance cordless handset 1 provided with a volume indicator light 13 composed of third LEDs 13a, 13b, 13c and installed at the entrance of a dwelling unit;
A loudspeaker 30 that emits a ringing tone as an auditory confirmation means for notifying a resident in a dwelling unit of a call (calling state) from a visitor, a call indicator light 32 illuminated as a visual confirmation means, A main unit microphone 31a used by a resident in a living room to establish a call with a visitor, and an indoor main unit 2 provided in the living room and provided with a handset 31 including a receiver 31b. 1 and the indoor master unit 2 are connected via a transmission line L1.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a specific configuration of the intercom apparatus of FIG. 1. In the front entrance unit 1, the above-mentioned call button 10, sub unit microphone 11, sub unit speaker 12,
A volume indicator light 13, a control circuit (hereinafter referred to as a slave CPU) 14, and a call in a standby state and a call state of the entrance slave detected by the slave CPU 14, and a call state shifted from the call state. A call / volume switching relay 15 for switching between a call operation and a volume switching operation, which are usages of the button 10, and a call detection for detecting operation of the call button 10 via the call / volume switch relay 15 in a standby state (child device call Detection) circuit 16, a volume switch detection circuit 17 for detecting operation of the call button 10 via the call / volume switch relay 15 in a call state, a counter circuit 18 for counting the number of times the volume switch detection circuit 17 detects, Machine microphone 1
The microphone amplifier 19 amplifies the voice of the visitor (transmitted voice) input to 1 and the child (received voice) of the resident in the dwelling unit, which is emitted from the slave unit speaker 12, is switched to the talking state. Speaker amplifier 20 that amplifies with a gain (amplification gain) having a difference under the control of the CPU 14 and a slave microphone that is activated by the control of the slave CPU 14 that has been shifted to the talk state and that is transmitted via the microphone amplifier 19 and the speaker amplifier 20. 11 and a slave speaker 12 and a slave transmission interface (hereinafter referred to as slave transmission I) connected to the transmission line L1.
A communication circuit 21 that forms a communication path between the communication terminals 22 is provided, and a slave unit CPU 14, a volume switching detection circuit 17, a counter circuit 18, and a speaker amplifier 20 constitute a volume switching unit.

The normally closed contact P2 of the calling / volume switching relay 15 whose switching contact P1 is connected to the calling button 10 has a calling detection circuit 16 whose output side is connected to the input side of the handset CPU 14 and the handset transmission IF 22, respectively. Is connected, and the slave unit CPU1 is shifted from the calling state to the talking state.
The input / output side of the slave unit CPU 14 is connected via a volume change detection circuit 17 and a counter circuit 18 to the normally open contact P3 of the call / volume switching relay 15 which is closed by the control of Step 4. A volume indicator 1 is provided on the output side of the slave unit CPU 14.
3, the first, second and third LEDs 13a, 13b, 1
3c, the control input side of the speaker amplifier 20, and the control input side of the communication circuit 21 are connected to each other, and the slave unit transmission IF 22 is connected to the input side.

The indoor speaker 2 has the above-mentioned loudspeaker 3
0, a handset 31, a call indicator light 32, a control circuit (hereinafter, referred to as a master CPU) 33, and a call from a visitor is detected in a standby state of the indoor master detected by the master CPU 33. Call detection (base unit call detection) circuit 34 and base unit CPU shifted from the standby state to the calling state
33, a ring tone generation circuit 35 for generating and outputting a ring tone signal for ringing the loudspeaker 30; a speaker amplifier 36 for amplifying the ring tone signal from the ring tone generation circuit 35; Hook switch 3 that is hooked off / on depending on whether it is picked up
7 and master CPU 3 shifted from the calling state to the talking state.
3 becomes active under the control of the master amplifier 31 and the master unit microphone 31a and the receiver 31b of the handset 31 via the microphone amplifier 38 and the receiver amplifier 39, and a master unit transmission interface (hereinafter, referred to as master unit transmission IF) connected to the transmission line L1. And a communication circuit 40 for forming a communication path between the communication circuits 41.

On the output side of the base unit CPU 33, a loudspeaker 3 via a ringing tone generation circuit 35 and a speaker amplifier 36 is provided.
0, a call indicator light 32, a control input side of a communication circuit 40, and a base unit transmission I / F 41, respectively, and a base unit transmission IF 41 via a call detection circuit 34 and a hook switch 37 are connected to the input side. Each is connected. The operation of the intercom apparatus configured as described above will be described below.

When a visitor presses the call button 10 of the entrance cordless handset 1 to call a resident in the dwelling unit, the switching contact P1 of the call / volume switching relay 15 is normally closed in the standby state and the call state. The call detection circuit 16 detects this operation via the closed contact P2 and outputs a call signal S1.
The calling signal S1 is transmitted to the slave unit CPU 14 and the slave unit transmission IF2.
2. The signal is input to the call detection circuit 34 via the transmission line L1 and the parent device transmission IF 41 of the indoor parent device 2. The handset CPU 14 that has detected the input of the call signal S1 is shifted from the standby state to the call state, and the first, second, and
The third LEDs 13a, 13b, 13c are all turned on and off. Further, the call detection circuit 34 of the indoor master device 2 having received the input of the call signal S1 outputs a call detection signal S2 that has detected a call from the visitor. The base unit CPU 33, which has received the call detection signal S2, shifts from the standby state to the call state, and activates the call sound generation circuit 35 to generate and output a call sound signal S3 for sounding the loudspeaker 30. , The call indicator light 32 is flickered. Further, the ringing tone signal S3 generated and output from the ringing tone generating circuit 35
Is emitted from the loudspeaker 30 as a ring tone amplified by the speaker amplifier 36.

The ringing tone emitted from the loudspeaker 30 and the blinking of the call indicator light 32 allow the resident in the dwelling unit confirming the presence of the visitor to use the handset 31 of the indoor master unit 2.
Is picked up, the hook switch 40 is hooked off, and the main unit CPU 33 that detects the hook switch is shifted from the calling state to the talking state. The main unit CPU 33 shifted to the call state turns on the call indicator light 32, activates the call circuit 37, and connects the main unit microphone 31 of the handset 31 connected to the microphone amplifier 38 and the receiver amplifier 39.
a and the receiver 31b and the master unit transmission IF 41 to form a communication path between the transmission lines L1 and the indoor master unit 2
Outputs a call response signal S4 indicating that the state has been changed from the calling state to the talking state. The call response signal S4 is transmitted to the parent device transmission IF 41, the transmission path L1, and the child device transmission IF
2 to the slave unit CPU 14. The slave unit CPU 14, which has received the call response signal S4, detects a call response by a resident in the dwelling unit and shifts from the calling state to the talking state. Slave device CPU 14 shifted to the call state
Activate the communication circuit 19 to form a communication path between the slave microphone 11 and the slave speaker 12 connected to the microphone amplifier 19 and the speaker amplifier 20 and the transmission line L1 via the slave transmission I / F 22. As a result, the base unit microphone 31a and the receiver 31b of the handset 31 forming the indoor base unit 2 from the sub unit microphone 11 and the sub unit speaker 12 together with the communication path formed by the communication circuit 37 of the indoor main unit 2 described above. A communication path between them is formed. Further, the handset CPU 14 shifted to the call state controls the call / volume switching relay 15 to open the normally closed contact P2 which is closed in the standby state and the call state, and is connected to the volume change detection circuit 17. The normally open contact P3
Only the first LED 13a constituting the volume indicator light 13 is turned on, and the other second and third LEDs 13b and 13c are turned off. At this time, it is assumed that the count value of the counter circuit 18 is set to “0” initialized by the control of the slave unit CPU 14 that has been shifted to the talking state.

Here, in order for the called resident of the dwelling unit to establish a call with the visitor, a voice (transmitted voice) is input via the base unit microphone 31a of the handset 31 constituting the indoor base unit 2. Then, the transmission voice is amplified as a voice signal S11 by the microphone amplifier 38, and the communication circuit 40, the master unit transmission IF 41, the transmission line L1, and the slave unit transmission IF of the entrance slave unit 1 are transmitted.
22. The slave unit CPU 1 caused by the count value “0” of the counter circuit 18 in the speaker amplifier 20 via the communication path 22
Under the control of No. 4, sound is emitted from the slave unit speaker 12 as the received voice S11a amplified with the gain of the “standard” level.

In addition, the "standard" sound emitted from the slave speaker 12 such as the elderly or the physically handicapped with hearing loss
If it is not possible to confirm the voice from the resident in the dwelling unit in the received voice S11a at the level volume, the call button 10 whose usage is switched for the volume switching operation is appropriately pressed to control the volume of the received voice. I do. That is, when a visitor such as an elderly person or a physically handicapped person who presses down the call button 10 once, the switching contact P of the call / volume switching relay 15 is pressed.
1. Volume switching detection circuit 1 via closed normally open contact P3
7 detects this operation, and the counter circuit 18 counts the count value “1”. This count value is the slave unit CP
When detected at U14, the slave unit CPU 14 controls the speaker amplifier 20 to a gain of the "large" level which is a larger ratio than the "standard" level which is a gain at the time of detecting the count value "0". Received voice S obtained by amplifying voice signal S11, which is a transmitted voice of a resident in a dwelling unit, with a "high" level gain
As 11b, sound is emitted from the slave unit speaker 12, and
A volume indicator light 13 is provided to allow the visitor to confirm as a visual means that the volume level of the voice (received voice) from the resident in the dwelling unit has shifted from the "standard" level to the "high" level. The second and third LEDs 13b, 13 which are kept off while maintaining the lighting of the first LED 13a
The second LED 13b of c is turned on. In addition, a visitor such as an elderly person or a hearing-impaired person with a disability can use the call button 1
When "0" is depressed twice, the volume switching detection circuit 17 detects this operation via the switching contact P1 of the call / volume switching relay 15 and the normally open contact P3 which has been closed. Is counted. When this count value is detected by the slave unit CPU 14, the slave unit CPU 14 sets the speaker amplifier 20 at a rate greater than the "large" level which is the gain when the above-described count value "1" is detected. The audio signal S11, which is the transmission voice of the resident in the dwelling unit, is amplified by the “extra large” level gain by controlling the gain to the “extra large” level where no feedback occurs.
A sound is emitted from the slave speaker 12 as 11c,
A volume indicator light 13 is provided to allow the visitor to confirm as a visual means that the volume level of the voice (received voice) from the resident in the dwelling unit has been shifted from the "high" level to the "extra large" level. First, second, and third LEDs 13a, 13
b, 13c are all turned on. Thus, even a visitor such as an elderly person or a hearing-impaired physically handicapped person can use the voice from the resident in the dwelling unit (received voice) as the received voice S11a, S11b, and S11c at an appropriate volume level.
, And a difference in the volume level can be confirmed from the volume indicator 13 which is lit in a different pattern.

In order to establish a two-way call with the resident in the dwelling unit called by the visitor, the voice (transmitted voice) input via the handset microphone 11 of the entrance handset 1 is a voice. The signal S12 is amplified by the microphone amplifier 19, and the communication circuit 21, the slave unit transmission IF 22, the transmission line L1, the indoor master unit 2
Via the communication path of the base unit transmission IF 41 and the communication circuit 40,
Sound is emitted from the receiver 31b of the handset 31 as the reception voice amplified by the receiver amplifier 39. As a result, a good two-way call is established between the visitor, such as the elderly or the physically handicapped, and the called resident in the dwelling unit.

When the resident in the dwelling unit returns the handset 31 to end the call, the hook switch 37 is hooked on, and upon detecting this, the master CPU 33 is restored from the talk state to the standby state. The base unit CPU 33 restored to the standby state turns off the call indicator light 32 and outputs a call end signal S5 indicating that the indoor base unit 2 has been restored from the call state to the standby state. This call end signal S5 is input to the slave CPU 14 of the entrance slave 1 via the same route as the above-described call response signal S4. This call end signal S
The slave unit CPU 14 having detected the input of 5 detects the end of the call by the resident in the dwelling unit and is restored from the call state to the standby state. The slave unit CPU 14 restored to the standby state includes the first, second, and third LEDs 13 a and 13
3b and 13c are all turned off, and the call / volume switching relay 15 is controlled to open the closed normally open contact P3 and close the normally closed contact P2, thereby calling the button 1
The usage of 0 is switched to the calling operation.

[0023]

As is apparent from the above description, according to the intercom apparatus of the present invention, the entrance slave unit provided with the call operation function and the call function by the visitor is provided in the room used by the resident in the dwelling unit. By providing a volume indicator and a volume switching function as means for visually confirming the volume level of a received voice from a resident in the dwelling unit in a calling state in which the base unit is called, and a call state, particularly for the elderly and hearing impaired. A good two-way call is established between the visitor, such as a physically handicapped person, and the called resident in the dwelling unit.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram showing one embodiment of an intercom apparatus according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a specific configuration of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a configuration diagram showing a conventional intercom device.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 ················································································································· 17 ... Volume switching detection circuit (volume switching unit) 18 ... Counter circuit (volume switching unit) 20 ... Speaker amplifier (volume switching unit)

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A call volume is increased by pressing the call button in a standby state to an entrance slave unit (1) calling a room master unit (2) by pressing a call button (10) in a standby state. Volume switching unit (14, 1
7. An intercom device comprising: 7, 18, 20). 2. A volume switching section (14, 14) for calling the indoor master unit (2) by pressing a call button (10) in a standby state, and increasing the call volume by pressing the call button in a call state. An intercom apparatus comprising: a front-end handset (17) provided with (17, 18, 20); and a volume indicator (13) for visually confirming a calling state and a call volume.