RELAYING DEVICE, VOICE COMMUNICATION SYSTEM, AND VOICE COMMUNICATION METHOD

• US 20170019758A1
• Filed: 12/25/2014
• Published: 01/19/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/07/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ICOM Incorporated
• Original Assignee: ICOM Incorporated
• Inventors: TAWARA, Kenji
• Granted Patent: US 9,973,888 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/15507 Relay station based processing for cell extension or control of coverage area, network planning with network coordinated processing with regard to cell extension H04W16/26; network topologies using dedicated repeater stations H04W84/047; terminal devices adapted for relaying to or from an other terminal H04W88/04
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/4061 Push-to services, e.g. push-to-talk or push-to-video
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/021 Services related to particular areas, e.g. point of interest [POI] services, venue services or geofences
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/023 using mutual or relative location information between multiple location based services [LBS] targets or of distance thresholds
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/08 User group management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/10 Push-to-Talk [PTT] or Push-On-Call services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/33 for indoor environments, e.g. buildings
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/003 locating network equipment
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]

Abstract

[Problem] To provide a voice communication system which causes a relaying device to manage communication between terminal devices based on the affiliations of the terminal devices, and manage the current positions of the respective terminal devices.

[Solution] In a voice communication system, a relaying device relays voice communication of a plurality of section systems. The relaying device stores, with respect to each of the section systems, a plurality of pieces of area information divided on the basis of the communication range of a wireless access point. A terminal device transmits a voice signal to which the identification code thereof is added. When receiving the voice signal from the terminal device, the relaying device identifies a section system to which this terminal device belongs from the identification code added to the voice signal, and identifies an area in which the terminal device is present on the basis of positional information relating to the terminal device. The relaying device transfers the voice signal to another terminal device which belongs to the identified section system and is present in the identified area.

Claims

1. A relaying device comprising a network communication unit, a storage unit, and a control unit and relaying voice communication of a plurality of section systems, wherein

the network communication unit is connected to a communication network and communicates with a plurality of terminal devices connected to the communication network,

the storage unit:

stores area information for each of the section systems, which is obtained by dividing a region of the system into a plurality of areas; and

stores an identification code, a belonging section system, and position information of each of the terminal devices, and

the control unit;

deduces, when receiving a voice signal from a certain terminal device, the section system to which the certain terminal device belongs from information of a transmission source terminal device added to the voice signal;

determines a specified area which is an area specified for transferring the voice signal thereto; and

transfers the voice signal to the terminal device belonging to the same section system as that of the certain terminal device and located in the specified area.

2. The relaying device according to claim 1, wherein

the communication network has a plurality of wireless access points,

the storage unit stores the wireless access points to which the terminal devices are connected as the position information of the terminal devices, and

the control unit specifies an area including a communication range of the wireless access point to which the certain terminal devices is connected as the specified area.

3. The relaying device according to claim 2, wherein

the control unit makes a transmission request of a belonging area of each of the section systems to the plurality of wireless access points, and

the storage unit stores the belonging area of each of the section systems received from the wireless access point as the area information of the each of the section systems.

4. The relaying device according to claim 1, wherein

the identification code of the terminal device is uniquely given to each of the terminal devices in each of the section systems, and

the information of the transmission source terminal device added to the voice signal is the belonging section system and the identification code.

5. The relaying device according to claim 1, wherein

the identification code of the terminal device is uniquely given to all the plurality of terminal devices, and

the information of the transmission source terminal device added to the voice signal is the identification code.

6. (canceled)

7. A voice communication system comprising a relaying device and a terminal device communicating via a network and a wireless access point communicating with the terminal device as an apparatus constituting a part of the network, the relaying device relaying voice communication of a plurality of section systems, wherein

the relaying device stores a plurality of pieces of area information divided on the basis of a communication range of the wireless access point for each of the section systems, and furthermore stores an identification code of each of the terminal devices, a belonging section system, and position information based on the wireless access point being connected,

the terminal device transmits a voice signal to which the identification code of the terminal device is added, and

the relaying device deduces, when receiving the voice signal from the terminal device, the section system to which the terminal device belongs from the identification code added to the voice signal as well as an area in the section system in which the terminal device is located on the basis of the position information, and then, transfers the voice signal to the terminal device belonging to the deduced section system and located in the deduced area.

8. The voice communication system according to claim 7, wherein,

the relaying device makes a transmission request of a belonging area for each of the belonging section systems to the wireless access point,

the wireless access point transmits, when receiving the transmission request from the relaying device, information including the belonging section system, the belonging area, and an identification code of the wireless access point to the relaying device, and

the relaying device stores the belonging area for each of the section systems received from the wireless access point as the area information of each of the section systems.

9. A voice communication method, wherein

on a voice communication system comprising a relaying device and a terminal device communicating via a network and a wireless access point communicating with the terminal device as an apparatus constituting a part of the network, the relaying device relaying voice communication of a plurality of section systems, the method executes following procedures:

on the relaying device, storing, for each of the section systems, a plurality of pieces of area information divided on the basis of a communication range of the wireless point as well as an identification code of each of the terminal devices, the belonging section system, and position information based on the wireless access point being connected;

by the terminal device, transmitting a voice signal to which the identification code of the terminal device is added, and

by the relaying device, deducing, when receiving the voice signal from the terminal device, the section system to which the terminal device belongs from the identification code added to the voice signal as well as an area in the section system in which the terminal device is located on the basis of the position information, and then, transferring the voice signal to the terminal device belonging to the deduced section system and located in the deduced area.