Call system

• US 20040209656A1
• Filed: 04/14/2004
• Published: 10/21/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 04/16/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NEC Platforms, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: NEC Infrontia Corporation (NEC Corporation)
• Inventors: Kobayashi, Yoshikazu, Kitami, Hideo
• Granted Patent: US 7,206,406 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/569.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2535 adapted for voice communication over an Internet Protocol [IP] network Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) network equipment and services H04M7/006; implementation or adaptation of Internet protocol [IP], of transmission control protocol [TCP] or of user datagram protocol [UDP] H04L69/16
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6033 for providing handsfree use or a loudspeaker mode in telephone sets arrangements for preventing acoustic echo H04M9/08

Abstract

This invention enables freely changing over a handsfree call and a handset call using an information terminal. A call system of this invention includes: a handsfree call microphone and a handsfree call loudspeaker; a first sound device that inputs and outputs a sound to the handsfree call microphone and the handsfree call loudspeaker, and that is included in an information terminal; a handset call microphone and a handset call loudspeaker; a second sound device that inputs and outputs the sound to the handset call microphone and the handset call loudspeaker; a handset connected to the information terminal; and a selection unit for selecting, as each of connection destinations on a transmitting end and a receiving end of a telephone line, at least one of the first sound device and the second device in accordance with a call state and an event, so as to set at least one of the handsfree call microphone and the handset call microphone as an input destination of the sound, and to set at least one of the handsfree call loudspeaker and the handset call loudspeaker as an output destination of the sound.

Claims

1. A call system comprising:

a handsfree call microphone and a handsfree call loudspeaker;

a first sound device that inputs and outputs a sound to the handsfree call microphone and the handsfree call loudspeaker, and that is included in an information terminal;

a handset call microphone and a handset call loudspeaker;

a second sound device that inputs and outputs the sound to the handset call microphone and the handset call loudspeaker;

a handset connected to the information terminal; and

selection means for selecting, as a connection destination on a transmitting end of a telephone line, at least one of the first sound device and the second device, and for selecting, as a connection destination on a receiving end the telephone line, at least one of the first sound device and the second sound device in accordance with a call state and an event, so as to set at least one of the handsfree call microphone and the handset call microphone as an input destination of the sound, and so as to set at least one of the handsfree call loudspeaker and the handset call loudspeaker as an output destination of the sound.

2. The call system according to claim 1, wherein

when the call state is a call arrival state, the handsfree loudspeaker is set as the output destination of a ringer tone.

3. The call system according to claim 1, wherein

if a call button on the information terminal is depressed while the call state is a call arrival state, then the selection means selects the first sound device as the telephone line connection destination, and changes the call state to a handsfree call state.

4. The call system according to claim 1, wherein

if the handset is off hook while the call state is a call arrival state, then the selection means selects the second sound device as the telephone line connection destination, and changes the call state to a handset call state.

5. The call system according to claim 1, wherein

if a disconnection button on the information terminal is depressed while the call state is a handsfree call state, then the selection means selects neither the first nor second sound devices as the telephone line connection destination, and changes the call state to a waiting state.

6. The call system according to claim 1, wherein

if the handset is on hook while the call state is a handset call state, then the selection means selects neither the first nor second sound devices as the telephone line connection destination, and charges the call state to a waiting state.

7. The call system according to claim 1, wherein

if the information terminal performs a calling operation while the call state is a waiting state, and a telephone set of a person on the other end of the telephone line is off hook, then the selection means selects the first sound device as the telephone line connection destination, and changes the call state to a handsfree call state.

8. The call system according to claim 1, wherein

if the handset performs a calling operation while the call state is a waiting state, and a telephone set of a person on the other end of the telephone line is off hook, then the selection means selects the second sound device as the telephone line connection destination, and changes the call state to a handset call state.

9. The call system according to claim 1, wherein

if the handset is off hook while the call state is a handsfree call state, then the selection means selects the second sound device as the telephone line connection destination, and changes the call state to a handset call state.

10. The call system according to claim 1, wherein

if a call button on the information terminal is depressed while the call state is a handset call state, then the selection means selects the first sound device as the telephone line connection destination, and changes the call state to a handsfree state.

11. The call system according to claim 1, wherein

the selection means selects both the first sound device and the second sound device as the connection destination on the receiving end of the telephone line so as to set, as the output destination of the sound, both the handsfree call loudspeaker and the handset call loudspeaker.

12. The call system according to claim 1, wherein

the selection means selects both the first sound device and the second sound device as the connection destination on the transmitting end of the telephone line so as to set, as the input destination of the sound, both the handsfree call microphone and the handset call microphone.

13. The call system according to claim 1, further comprising:

addition means for adding up the sound input from the handset call microphone through the second sound device and the sound input from the connection destination on the receiving end of the telephone line, and for outputting an addition value to the handsfree call loudspeaker through the first sound device.

14. The call system according to claim 1, further comprising:

recording means for recording a call; and

addition means for adding up the sound input from the handset call microphone through the second sound device and the sound input from the connection destination on the receiving end of the telephone line, and for outputting an addition value to the recording means.

15. The call system according to claim 1, further comprising:

recording means for recording a call; and

addition means for adding up the sound input from the handsfree call microphone through the first sound device and the sound input from the connection destination on the receiving end of the telephone line, and for outputting an addition value to the recording means.

16. The call system according to claim 1, further comprising:

gain control means for adjusting a level of the sound to be transmitted to the connection destination on the transmitting end of the telephone line.

17. The call system according to claim 1, further comprising:

gain control means for adjusting a level of the sound transmitted from the connection destination on the receiving end of the telephone line.

18. The call system according to claim 1, further comprising:

gain control means for adjusting a level of the sound transmitted from the connection destination on the receiving end of the telephone line, in accordance with the level of the sound to be transmitted to the connection destination on the transmitting end of the telephone line in a voiceless sound period.

19. The call system according to claim 1, further comprising:

semi-duplex communication means for permitting outputting the sound to be transmitted to the connection destination on the transmitting end of the telephone line and prohibiting outputting the sound transmitted from the connection destination on the receiving end of the telephone line when the sound to be transmitted is present at the connection destination on the transmitting end of the telephone line, and for prohibiting outputting a voiceless sound to the connection destination on the transmitting end of the telephone line and permitting outputting the sound transmitted from the connection destination on the receiving end of the telephone line when no sound to be transmitted is present at the connection destination on the transmitting end of the telephone line.

20. The call system according to claim 1, further comprising:

gain control means for increasing a gain of the sound to be transmitted to the connection destination on the transmitting end of the telephone line and reducing a gain of the sound transmitted from the connection destination on the receiving end of the telephone line when the sound to be transmitted is present at the connection destination on the transmitting end of the telephone line, and for reducing the gain of the sound to be transmitted to the connection destination on the transmitting end of the telephone line and increasing the gain of the sound transmitted from the connection destination on the receiving end of the telephone line when no sound to be transmitted is present at the connection destination on the transmitting end of the telephone line.

21. The call system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a plurality of the handsets; and

connection means for connecting the plurality of handsets to different connection destinations, using a table that holds a correspondence between identification information on each of the plurality of handsets and the identification information on each of the different connection destinations.