Speech communication system and talker right reservation method

• US 20060171528A1
• Filed: 12/16/2005
• Published: 08/03/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lenovo Innovations Ltd Hong Kong (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Inventors: Kaida, Sou
• Granted Patent: US 7,599,683 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/406.80
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/08 Trunked mobile radio systems

Abstract

A speech communication system includes a plurality of portable terminals and a server device. The sever device manages the talker right specifying a terminal which transmits speech when speech communication is performed between the portable terminals. The portable terminal includes a registration request notification unit. The registration request notification unit transmits, to the server device in response to predetermined external operation, a registration request notification for requesting registration of a reservation for the talker right. The server device includes a management table and a reservation registration unit. The management table stores management information containing the reservation status of the talker right. The reservation registration unit registers a reservation for the talker right in the management table in accordance with a registration request notification from the portable terminal. A talker right reservation method is also disclosed.

Claims

1. A speech communication system comprising:

a plurality of portable terminals; and

a sever device which manages a talker right specifying a terminal which transmits speech when speech communication is performed between said portable terminals,

said portable terminal comprising a registration request notification unit which transmits, to said server device in response to predetermined external operation, a registration request notification for requesting registration of a reservation for the talker right, and

said server device comprising a management table which stores management information containing a reservation status of the talker right, and a reservation registration unit which registers a reservation for the talker right in said management table in accordance with a registration request notification from said portable terminal.

2. A system according to claim 1, further comprising a cancel request notification unit which transmits a cancel request notification for requesting cancellation of a reservation for the talker right, to said server device in response to another predetermined operation different from the predetermined operation in registration of the reservation for the talker right,

wherein said server device further comprises a reservation cancellation unit which cancels a reservation for the talker right in said management table in accordance with a cancel request notification from said portable terminal.

3. A system according to claim 1, wherein said reservation registration unit registers a reservation if the talker right is given to another terminal when a registration request notification is received from said portable terminal.

4. A system according to claim 1, wherein said server device further comprises a talker right giving unit which gives the talker right to any of terminals whose reservations for the talker right have been registered in said management table when the talker right given to another terminal is released.

5. A system according to claim 1, wherein said server device further comprises a reservation status notification unit which notifies each of said portable terminals of a reservation status stored in said management table, and

said portable terminal further comprises a display unit which displays the reservation status notified from said server device.

6. A system according to claim 4, wherein said talker right giving unit gives the talker right in the registration order of reservations in said management table.

7. A system according to claim 1, wherein said portable terminal further comprises a first notification unit which exteriorly notifies that a reservation has been registered, when the talker right is held by a self terminal, in response to a reservation addition notification indicating that the reservation for the talker right made by another terminal has been registered.

8. A system according to claim 7, wherein said portable terminal further comprises:

a second notification unit which exteriorly notifies acquisition of the talker right for a predetermined period of time when the talker right is acquired by the registration of the reservation for the talker right; and

a talker right releasing unit which releases the acquired talker right when predetermined operation is not executed before notification by said second notification unit is complete.

9. A system according to claim 8, wherein at least one of said first notification unit and said second notification unit comprises one of a vibration generating unit which vibrates the self terminal, a light-emitting unit which emits light, a sounding unit which generates preset notification sound, a text display unit which displays text information indicating a notification content, and an image display unit which displays image information indicating the notification content.

10. A system according to claim 2, wherein the predetermined operation is pressing of a preset key.

11. A system according to claim 10, wherein

said registration request notification unit transmits a registration request notification while the key is kept pressed, and

said cancel request notification unit transmits a cancel request notification when the key is released.

12. A system according to claim 2, wherein the predetermined operation is at least one of inputting of an utterance of a preset sentence and inputting of sound with a sound volume not less than a predetermined sound volume.

13. A system according to claim 2, wherein

said registration request notification unit transmits a registration request notification when first predetermined operation is executed, and

said cancel request notification unit transmits a cancel request notification when second predetermined operation is executed after the first predetermined operation before acquisition of the talker right.

14. A system according to claim 4, further comprising an acquisition frequency accumulating unit which accumulates an acquisition frequency of the talker right,

wherein said talker right giving unit gives the talker right in accordance with an accumulation result obtained by said acquisition frequency accumulating unit when reservations for the talker right compete with each other.

15. A system according to claim 14, wherein said talker right giving unit gives the talker right to portable terminals in increasing order of acquisition frequencies.

16. A system according to claim 1, further comprising a talker right releasing unit which releases the talker right when the number of registered reservations for the talker right is not less than a predetermined number.

17. A system according to claim 2, wherein said reservation cancellation unit cancels a reservation for the talker right when a predetermined period of time elapses after the reservation for the talker right is registered in said management table.

18. A system according to claim 17, wherein said registration request notification unit re-transmits a registration request notification to said server device if the talker right cannot be acquired when a predetermined period of time elapses after the registration request notification is transmitted.

19. A system according to claim 1, wherein said registration request notification unit repeatedly transmits a registration request notification to said server device at predetermined time intervals.

20. A system according to claim 1, wherein said speech communication system is a PoC (Push-to-Talk over Cellular) system which manages the talker right in PoC by using said server device.

21. A portable terminal apparatus comprising:

a transmission control unit which transmits speech to another terminal when a talker right is given by a sever device which manages the talker right specifying a terminal which transmits speech when speech communication is performed between portable terminals; and

a registration request notification unit which transmits, to the server device in response to predetermined external operation, a registration request notification for requesting registration of a reservation for the talker right.

22. An apparatus according to claim 21, further comprising a cancel request notification unit which transmits a cancel request notification for requesting cancellation of a reservation for the talker right, to the server device in response to another predetermined operation different from the predetermined operation in registration of the reservation for the talker right.

23. An apparatus according to claim 21, further comprising a display unit which displays a reservation status notified from the server device.

24. An apparatus according to claim 21, further comprising a first notification unit which exteriorly notifies that a reservation for the talker right has been registered by another terminal, when a self terminal is holding the talker right, in response to a reservation addition notification indicating that the reservation has been registered.

25. An apparatus according to claim 24, further comprising:

a second notification unit which exteriorly notifies acquisition of the talker right for a predetermined period of time when the talker right is acquired by registration of a reservation for the talker right; and

a talker right releasing unit which releases the acquired talker right when predetermined operation is not executed before notification by said second notification unit is complete.

26. An apparatus according to claim 25, wherein at least one of said first notification unit and said second notification unit comprises one of a vibration generating unit which vibrates the self terminal, a light-emitting unit which emits light, a sounding unit which generates preset notification sound, a text display unit which displays text information indicating a notification content, and an image display unit which displays image information indicating the notification content.

27. An apparatus according to claim 22, wherein the predetermined operation is pressing of a preset key.

28. An apparatus according to claim 27, wherein

said registration request notification unit transmits a registration request notification while the key is kept pressed, and

said cancel request notification unit transmits a cancel request notification when the key is released.

29. An apparatus according to claim 22, wherein the predetermined operation is at least one of inputting of an utterance of a preset sentence and inputting of sound with a sound volume not less than a predetermined sound volume.

30. An apparatus according to claim 22, wherein

said registration request notification unit transmits a registration request notification when first predetermined operation is executed, and

said cancel request notification unit transmits a cancel request notification when second predetermined operation is executed after the first predetermined operation before acquisition of the talker right.

31. An apparatus according to claim 21, wherein said registration request notification unit re-transmits a registration request notification to said server device if the talker right cannot be acquired when a predetermined period of time elapses after the registration request notification is transmitted.

32. An apparatus according to claim 21, wherein said registration request notification unit repeatedly transmits a registration request notification to said server device at predetermined time intervals.

33. An apparatus according to claim 21, wherein the talker right is a talker right in PoC (Push-to-Talk over Cellular).

34. A talker right reservation method comprising:

the step of causing a portable terminal to transmit a registration request notification for requesting registration of a reservation for a talker right, to the server device which manages the talker right specifying a terminal which transmits speech when speech communication is performed between a plurality of portable terminals in response to predetermined external operation; and

the step of causing the server device to register a reservation for the talker right in a management table which stores management information containing a reservation status of the talker right, in accordance with a registration request notification from the portable terminal.

35. A method according to claim 34, further comprising:

the step of causing the portable terminal to transmit a cancel request notification for requesting cancellation of a reservation for the talker right, to the server device in response to another predetermined operation different from the predetermined operation in registration of the reservation for the talker right; and

the step of causing the server device to cancel a reservation for the talker right in the management table in accordance with a cancel request notification from the portable terminal.

36. A method according to claim 34, wherein in the step of registering, a reservation is registered if the talker right is given to another terminal when a registration request notification is received from the portable terminal.

37. A method according to claim 34, further comprising the step of giving the talker right to any of terminals whose reservations for the talker right have been registered in the management table when the talker right given to another terminal is released.

38. A method according to claim 34, further comprising:

the step of causing the server device to notify each of the portable terminals of a reservation status stored in the management table; and

the step of causing the portable terminal to display the reservation status notified from the server device.

39. A method according to claim 37, wherein in the step of giving, the talker right is given in the registration order of reservations in the management table.

40. A method according to claim 34, further comprising the step of causing the portable terminal to exteriorly notify, by using a first notification unit, that a reservation has been registered, when the talker right is held by a self terminal, in response to a reservation addition notification indicating that the reservation for the talker right made by another terminal has been registered.

41. A method according to claim 40, further comprising:

the step of causing the portable terminal to exteriorly notify acquisition of the talker right for a predetermined period of time by using a second notification unit when the talker right is acquired by the registration of the reservation for the talker right; and

the step of releasing the acquired talker right when predetermined operation is not executed before notification by the second notification unit is complete.

42. A method according to claim 41, wherein at least one of the first notification unit and the second notification unit comprises one of a vibration generating unit which vibrates the self terminal, a light-emitting unit which emits light, a sounding unit which generates preset notification sound, a text display unit which displays text information indicating a notification content, and an image display unit which displays image information indicating the notification content.

43. A method according to claim 35, wherein the predetermined operation is pressing of a preset key.

44. A method according to claim 43, wherein

in the step of transmitting the registration request notification, the registration request notification is transmitted while the key is kept pressed, and

in the step of transmitting the cancel request notification, the cancel request notification is transmitted when the key is released.

45. A method according to claim 35, wherein the predetermined operation is at least one of inputting of an utterance of a preset sentence and inputting of sound with a sound volume not less than a predetermined sound volume.

46. A method according to claim 35, wherein

in the step of transmitting the registration request notification, the registration request notification is transmitted when first predetermined operation is executed, and

in the step of transmitting the cancel request notification, the cancel request notification is transmitted when second predetermined operation is executed after the first predetermined operation before acquisition of the talker right.

47. A method according to claim 37, further comprising the step of accumulating an acquisition frequency of the talker right,

wherein in the step of giving the talker right, the talker right is given in accordance with an accumulation frequency of the talker right when reservations for the talker right compete with each other.

48. A method according to claim 47, wherein in the step of giving, the talker right is given to portable terminals in increasing order of acquisition frequencies.

49. A method according to claim 34, further comprising the step of causing the server device to release the talker right when the number of registered reservations for the talker right is not less than a predetermined number.

50. A method according to claim 35, wherein in the step of canceling the reservation, the reservation for the talker right is canceled when a predetermined period of time elapses after the reservation for the talker right is registered in the management table.

51. A method according to claim 50, further comprising the step of causing the portable terminal to re-transmit a registration request notification to the server device if the talker right cannot be acquired when a predetermined period of time elapses after the registration request notification is transmitted.

52. A method according to claim 34, wherein in the step of transmitting the registration request notification, the registration request notification is repeatedly transmitted to the server device at predetermined time intervals.

53. A method according to claim 34, wherein the talker right is a talker right in PoC (Push-to-Talk over Cellular).

54. A recording medium which records a program for causing a computer to execute

the step of giving one of portable terminals a talker right for specifying a terminal which transmits speech when speech communication is performed between the portable terminals;

and

the step of registering a reservation for the talker right in a management table storing management information containing a reservation status of the talker right in accordance with a notification transmitted from a portable terminal to which the talker right is not given.