JPH0262070B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION (a) Technical Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an automatic switching system that provides conference communications, and particularly to a conference connection control system that allows easy configuration of large-scale conference communications.

(b) Technical background One of the services provided by automatic switchboards is
Services that allow conference calls to be made by connecting multiple communication lines have been widely adopted. In order to realize such a conference call, the communication line that convenes the conference connects the communication lines (participants) specified by the communication line in sequence, and then each communication line mixes and transmits the audio signals sent from other communication lines. The device will be attached to an automatic exchange. Note that the status of a conference call changes each time a communication line joins or leaves the conference call, and in a large-scale conference in which many communication lines participate, the number of types of status becomes enormous and the frequency of changes becomes rapid.

(c) Prior Art and Problems FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of a conventional conference connection control system in this type of automatic exchange, and FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of the trunk memory in FIG. 1. In Figure 1, each output trunk
Communication lines L1 to 10 accommodated in the automatic exchange via OGT1 to OGT10 are network NW.
is connected to the conference device VBE via , and a conference call is being made. The automatic exchange assigns trunk numbers TN=1, 3, ...19 to the accommodation positions of each communication line L1 to L10 with respect to the network NW, and also assigns the accommodation position of each communication line connection terminal of the conference device VBE with respect to the network NW. Trunk numbers = 2, 4, ...20 are assigned to each of them. In the central processing system unit CP, each outgoing trunk OGT1 to
Trunk memory M1, TM compatible with OGT10
3,...TM19 is installed, and conference equipment VBE is installed.
Trunk memory corresponding to each communication line connection terminal
TM2, TM4,...TM20 are provided.
Each trunk memory TM1 to TM20 has a trunk number TN indicating connection of a conference call,
Status number STN given to conference call connection status
is memorized. Trunk memory TM1~
The trunk number TN of TM19 is 2 to 2, respectively.
The trunk number of the trunk memory TM20 is set to 0, and the trunk number of the trunk memory TM20 is set to 1. On the other hand, the state number
STN can be any communication line L1 to L for the conference.
It is updated every time the connection status changes, such as when 10 joins or leaves. The central processing system device CP identifies the conference configuration and connection status by referring to each trunk memory TM1 to TM20.

As is clear from the above explanation, in a conventional conference connection control method, each trunk memory TM1
State numbers STN given to call processing states of conference calls are stored in each of the TMs to TMs 20,
It was updated every time the conference call connection status changed. Therefore, as the number of communication lines constituting a conference increases, the types of status numbers STN also increase, and the process of updating status numbers STN becomes complicated, making it difficult to carry out large-scale conference calls.

(d) Purpose of the Invention The purpose of the present invention is to provide a means for realizing large-scale conference communications by eliminating the drawbacks of the conventional conference call system as described above and by simplifying the control of conference communications as much as possible. There is something to be realized.

(e) Structure of the Invention This object is to provide an automatic switching system having a conference device that connects a plurality of communication lines and performs conference communications.
A means for independently storing a connection state between each communication line and the conference device is provided corresponding to each communication line, and a means for storing a connection state of the communication lines constituting the conference is common to the conference communication. This is achieved by providing

That is, in the present invention, since the connection state (state number) between each communication line and the conference device is controlled independently of each other, each communication line can join or leave the conference apparatus without regard to other communication lines. Note that the communication lines constituting the conference communication are provided in common to each communication line.

(f) Embodiment of the invention An embodiment of the invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a conference connection control system according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of the trunk memory in FIG. 3. Note that the same reference numerals indicate the same objects throughout the figures. In FIG. 3, in addition to trunk memories TM1 to TM20, conference connection memory is included in the central processing system CP.
CFM is provided. A trunk number TN=0 is assigned to the conference connection memory CFM. Communication line L1 is now the convener of the meeting, and communication line L2
If L10 to L10 are participants, conference connection memory
For CFM, trunk number TN of communication line L1 = 1
is stored in the trunk memory TM1 corresponding to the communication line L1, the trunk number TN=2 given to the opposite connection terminal of the conference device VBE is stored, and furthermore, the trunk number TN=2 assigned to the opposite connection terminal of the conference device VBE is stored in the trunk memory TM2 corresponding to the connection terminal of the conference device VBE. The trunk number TN=0 assigned to the conference connection memory CFM is stored. On the other hand, trunk numbers TN=4 and 3 of connection partners are stored in trunk memories TM3 and TM4, respectively. Similarly, the trunk numbers TN=20 and 19 of the connection partners are stored in the trunk memories TM19 and TM20, respectively. Furthermore, each trunk memory TM1 and TM2 to
TM19 and TM20 store status numbers STN1 to STN10 that independently indicate their respective connection statuses. Therefore, for example, when the connection state of the communication line L10 changes, the trunk memory TM19
It is only necessary to update the status number STN10 of TM20, and the status numbers STN1 to TM18 of trunk memories TM1 to TM18 of other communication lines L1 to L9 are updated.
It has no effect on STN9. On the other hand, in the conference connection memory CFM, to indicate the connection of conference calls,
The address A2 of the trunk memory TM2 is stored as the first pointer PTH, the address A20 of the trunk memory TM20 is stored as the last pointer PTT, and the address A4 of the trunk memory TM4 is stored as the rear link LKF in the trunk memory TM2. Address A0 of memory CFM is stored as the previous link LKB. Similarly, the trunk memory TM4 has the rear link LKF=A6 (address of the trunk memory TM6) and the front link LKB=A2, and the trunk memory TM20 has the rear link LKE=A0 and the front link LKB=A18. (address of trunk memory TM18) are stored respectively. When joining or leaving any communication line L1 to L10,
Update the rear link LKF or front link LKB of the associated trunk memory or conference connection memory, or the start pointer PTH or end pointer PTT. The conference configuration is based on the conference connection memory.
CFM start pointer PTH or end pointer
From PTT to each trunk memory TM2, TM4...TM
It can be identified by referring to the subsequent link LKF or the preceding link LKB of 20. For example, if the communication line L1 that convened the conference is restored, each participating communication line L2 to L10 is restored and the conference is terminated. It is possible to do so.

As is clear from the above description, according to this embodiment, the connection status of each communication line L1 to L10 constituting the conference is determined by the corresponding status number STN1.
Since it is independently controlled by the STN 10 to STN 10, changes in the connection state, such as participation or withdrawal of the communication line L10, will affect the other communication lines L1 to L9 constituting the conference and the trunk memory TM of the conference device VBE.
TM1 to TM18 are not affected. Therefore, large-scale conference calls can be easily realized. However, the communication lines L1 to L10 that make up the conference are connected through a conference connection memory that is commonly provided for conference calls.
It becomes possible to identify mainly CFM.

Note that FIGS. 3 and 4 are only one embodiment of the present invention, and the number of communication lines constituting a conference call is not limited to 10 lines, for example, and many other configurations may be considered. However, in either case, the effects of the present invention remain the same. Further, the configurations of the trunk memories TM1 to TM20 and the conference connection memory CFM are not limited to those shown in the drawings, and many other modifications may be considered, but the effects of the present invention will not change in any case. Furthermore, it goes without saying that the present invention is not limited to voice calls.

(g) Effects of the Invention As described above, according to the present invention, in the automatic exchange, control of conference communication is simplified, and large-scale conference communication can also be realized.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of a conventional conference connection control method, FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of the trunk memory in FIG. 1, and FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a conference connection control method according to an embodiment of the present invention. , FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of the trunk memory in FIG. 1. In the figure, A0, A2..., A20 are addresses, CFM is conference connection memory, CP is the central processing unit, L1 to L10 are communication lines, LKB is the front link, LKF is the back link, NW is the network,
OGT1 to OGT10 are outgoing trunks, PTH is the first pointer, PTT is the final pointer, STN1 to
STN10 and STN are state numbers, TM1 to
TM20 indicates trunk memory, TN indicates trunk number, and VBE indicates conference device.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. In an automatic switching system having a conference device that connects a plurality of communication lines and performs conference communication, means for independently storing the connection state between each communication line and the conference device is provided corresponding to each communication line. . A conference connection control system, characterized in that means for storing the connection state of communication lines constituting the conference is provided in common for the conference communications.