JP2003333198A - Intercom system - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To prevent a visitor from knowing that a resident is absent. <P>SOLUTION: When the visitor comes, an image of the visitor is picked up by an intercom handset 1. Image data representing the image of the visitor are transmitted to a server 40 via an intercom base unit 20. The server 40 stores video signals representing images of visitors to come together with a list showing whether or not responses are to be performed to the visitors to come. When there is an image corresponding to the visitor in the images represented by the stored video signals, whether or not it is a visitor to accept is confirmed. When the visitor is to be accepted, the server 40 and a mobile telephone 50 are connected. The resident stands in front of the intercom handset 1 and responds to the visitor by using the mobile telephone 50. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2004,JPO

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to an interphone slave unit operated by a visitor, an interphone master unit capable of communicating with the interphone slave unit, and an interphone system including a mobile phone capable of communicating with the interphone master unit. .

[0002]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION An interphone is generally composed of an intercom slave set near the outside of a house entrance and an interphone master set indoors. Some intercom slaves are equipped with a camera, and this camera captures visitors. The captured image is displayed on the display screen provided in the intercom master unit. The resident in the room talks to the visitor while checking the visitor by looking at the image displayed on the display screen of the intercom base unit. If the resident is out, there is an intercom that can record the voice of the visitor and the image of the visitor. In addition, in some cases, the voice thus recorded and the recorded image can be transmitted to a mobile phone so that the resident can hear the voice of the visitor and see the image of the visitor on the go.

However, any intercom must respond when there is a resident, and when the resident is out, the visitor will know that he / she is out.

[0004]

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to enable a visitor to set whether to respond or not to respond.

The present invention is an interphone system comprising an intercom slave operated by a visitor, an intercom master capable of communicating with the intercom slave, and a mobile phone capable of communicating with the intercom master. Is about.

The interphone slave unit picks up an image of a visitor and outputs image data representing an image of the visitor, and image data output from the image pickup unit to the interphone master unit. It is equipped with one transmission means.

At least one of the intercom base unit and the mobile phone stores an image database storing image data representing images of a large number of prospective visitors, and an image represented by the image data stored in the image database. Sent from the storage means for storing a list of prospective visitors, which indicates the setting of whether to respond or not to respond to prospective visitors, and the first transmission means of the intercom slave. Whether the visitor of the image represented by the image data is set to respond to the corresponding visitor based on the visitor list stored in the storage means or not to respond The determination means for determining is provided.

Further, the portable telephone is provided with an informing means for informing that the visitor has arrived in response to the determination means determining that the response is set.

The intercom slave unit, the intercom master unit, and the mobile phone which compose the above intercom system may be independently configured. Mobile phone
In the case of including the image database, the storage means, and the determination means, the interphone base unit transfers the image data transmitted from the first transmission unit of the interphone handset to the mobile phone. It will be a thing.

According to the present invention, a visitor is imaged by the intercom slave. Image data representing the image of the visitor is transmitted to the intercom base unit.

At least one of the intercom base unit and the mobile phone stores an image database storing image data representing images of a large number of prospective visitors, and corresponds to the prospective visitors, and for each prospective visitor, The storage means includes a prospective visitor list in which whether to respond or not to respond is set. It is determined whether the prospective visitor corresponding to the visitor of the image represented by the image data transmitted from the base unit of the intercom device is set to respond or not respond. If it is set to respond, the mobile phone will notify that a visitor has arrived.

In response to the notification from the mobile phone, the user of the mobile phone can respond to the visitor. Since the resident can respond even when he / she is out, the visitor does not need to know that he / she is out. In the case of a visitor who may know that he / she is out, it is not necessary to respond with a mobile phone by setting non-response. Depending on the visitor, it is possible to freely set whether to respond or not to respond.

The communication between the interphone base unit and the mobile phone is
It may be performed directly or via a server or the like. If you do it via a server,
A server will be included in the concept of the intercom base unit.

The visitor list may indicate, for each prospective visitor, whether to respond or not to respond, and in addition to the setting to respond or not respond. In this case, the interphone base unit synthesizes the voice signal transmitted from the mobile phone with a signal representing a trick sound (a sound indicating as if the user is inside the room), and the synthesizer. A second transmitting means for transmitting the generated signal to the intercom slave will be further provided.

The trick sound reduces the possibility that the visitor will know that he is out.

It is preferable that the mobile phone further includes a display device for displaying an image. In this case, the intercom base unit converts the image data transmitted from the first transmitting unit of the intercom slave unit into image data representing an image displayable on the display device of the mobile phone. , And third transmitting means for transmitting the image data converted by the converting means to the mobile phone.

Since the image of the visitor is displayed on the mobile phone, it becomes possible to respond with the mobile phone while watching the image of the visitor.

[0018]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of the present invention and is a block diagram showing an outline of an intercom system.

The intercom system includes an intercom slave unit 1, an intercom master unit 20, a server 40 and a mobile phone 50. The intercom slave unit 1 and the intercom master unit 20 can communicate with each other. The intercom base unit 20 and the server 40 can communicate with each other. Also server 40 and mobile phone 50
Can communicate with.

The intercom slave unit 1 is usually arranged near the entrance outside the house. The intercom base unit is placed in the house. Although the mobile phone 50 is usually used outside, the user (the intercom slave 1 and the master 20
Needless to say, it may be used even if there is a resident of the house in which is installed.

In the intercom system of this embodiment, the visitor pushes a button on the intercom slave 1.
Then, the intercom base unit 20 is notified that the button of the intercom slave unit 1 has been pressed. Intercom base unit
In 20, it is possible to set whether to respond or not to respond. When responding, the mobile phone 40 is called via the server 40. Mobile phone 40 and intercom slave 1
A call is established with. When not responding, the call from the intercom slave 1 is ignored or an answering message is given to the intercom slave 1. More details will be made clear by the following explanation.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an electrical configuration of the intercom slave 1.

The interphone slave unit 1 includes a computer 1
Is included, and the entire operation is integrated by the computer 1.

The intercom slave unit 1 includes an intercom button 5 which is pressed by a visitor when he / she visits. A signal indicating that the intercom button 5 has been pressed is input to the computer 6. Then, the image pickup device 2 images the visitor.

A video signal (including digital image data) representing an image of a visitor is output from the image pickup device 2 and input to the signal processing circuit 4. The signal processing circuit 4 performs predetermined data processing such as color balance adjustment and gamma correction. The video signal is transmitted to the interphone master device 20 via the interface 11.

The interphone slave unit 1 includes a microphone.
10 is included, and the voice of the visitor input to the microphone 10 is output as a voice signal. The voice signal is transmitted to the interphone master device 20 via the interfaces 9 and 11.

The intercom slave 1 has a speaker 8
Is also provided. The voice signal transmitted from the interphone parent 20 is applied to the speaker 8 via the interfaces 11 and 7, and the voice is output.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing an electrical configuration of the intercom master unit 20.

The intercom base unit 20 is controlled by a computer 23.

The intercom base unit 20 includes buttons 31 for setting various modes and other settings. A signal indicating that the button 31 is pressed is input to the computer 23 through the interface 30.

The intercom base unit 20 has a memory 22
It is included. The memory 22 stores predetermined data such as a message indicating that the resident is out.

The intercom master unit 20 includes an interface 21 for communicating with the intercom slave unit 1. The video signal and the audio signal transmitted from the intercom slave unit 1 are input to the intercom master unit 20 via the interface 21.

The video signal transmitted from the intercom slave 1 is displayed on the display device 29 via the interfaces 21 and 28.
Given to. The image of the visitor is displayed on the display screen of the display device 29.

The audio signal transmitted from the intercom slave unit 1 is given to the speaker 25 via the interfaces 21 and 24. The voice of the visitor is output from the speaker 25. The voice input to the microphone 27 is output as a voice signal. The audio signal is transmitted by the interface 26 and
It is transmitted to the intercom slave 1 via 21. As described above, the voice of the resident who responds is output from the speaker 5 of the intercom slave 1.

Further, the intercom base unit 20 includes a server
A communication circuit 32 for communicating with 40 is included.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing the electrical configuration of the server 40.

The server 40 includes a communication circuit 41 for communicating with the interphone base unit 20 and a communication circuit 46 for communicating with the mobile phone 50. These communication circuits 41 and 46 may be common.

The server 40 includes an image database 42. The image database 42 stores in advance image data representing images of many visitors. The image data may be imaged by the intercom slave 1 or may be provided from a device other than the intercom slave 1. The image database 42 also stores a list of prospective visitors.

FIG. 5 is an example of a list of expected visitors.

The planned visitor list stores the set contents of the main setting mode and the sub setting mode corresponding to the planned visitor.

The main setting mode includes a response mode and a non-response mode. The response mode is a mode in which the mobile phone 50 is used to respond even when the user is absent, and the non-response mode is a mode in which the mobile phone 50 is not used when the user is absent.

The sub setting mode determines the mode that can be set according to the response mode or non-response mode of the main setting mode. Normal mode or trick mode can be set when the main setting mode is set to response mode. The normal mode is set when the user responds using the mobile phone 50 when the user does not respond using the interphone master device 20 as described above. The trick mode is to use the mobile phone 50 to answer when the user does not answer using the intercom base unit 20, but tricks such as TV sound are used so that the visitor does not know that he / she is out. The user responds to the visitor while synthesizing the sound with the user's voice.

A main setting mode and a sub setting mode are predetermined for each prospective visitor and stored in the prospective visitor list. Further, it goes without saying that the image data of the planned visitor stored in the image database 42 is associated with the planned visitor stored in the planned visitor list. For example, the file name of the image data of the planned visitor is set as the planned visitor name.

Returning to FIG. 4, the video signal transmitted from the intercom master unit 20 is input to the collation / response detection circuit 43 via the communication circuit 41. In the matching / response detection circuit 43, the image of the visitor represented by the video signal transmitted from the intercom base unit 20 is in the image of the visitor represented by the image data stored in the image database 42. You can check whether or not. If there is, the video signal transmitted from the intercom base unit 20 is input to the portable image generation circuit 44.

The portable image generation circuit 44 converts the image represented by the input video signal so that it can be displayed on the display screen of the display device of the mobile phone 50. The converted video signal is given to the communication circuit 46 and transmitted to the mobile phone 50.

Further, the voice signal transmitted from the intercom master unit 20 simply passes through the voice synthesis circuit 45 via the communication circuit 41. The voice signal is transmitted from the communication circuit 46 to the mobile phone 50.

Further, the voice signal transmitted from the mobile phone 50 is input to the communication circuit 46. The voice signal is input to the voice synthesis circuit 45.

In the verification / response detection circuit 43,
When a video signal representing an image of a visitor is stored in the image database 42, the mode of the visitor is read out from the modes stored in the above-mentioned planned visitor list. The contents of the read mode are given to the voice synthesis circuit 45.

When the sub-setting mode corresponding to the visitor is set to the trick mode, the voice synthesizing circuit 45 gives the voice signal representing the voice of the user transmitted from the mobile phone 50 to the user as if the user were inside the house. A signal is synthesized that gives a trick sound that makes you feel like you are at. It goes without saying that the voice synthesis processing is not performed unless the sub setting mode is the trick mode. The voice synthesizing circuit 45 includes a memory for storing a signal representing the trick sound, and the signal representing the trick sound will be read from the memory.

The voice signal output from the voice synthesis circuit 45 is transmitted from the communication circuit 41 to the interphone base unit 20.

FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing an electrical configuration of the mobile phone 50.

The mobile phone 50 includes a computer 53, and the computer 53 supervises the operation. The mobile phone 50 also includes a memory 52 for storing predetermined data.

The mobile phone 50 includes a switch 58 such as a numeric keypad. The signal from the switch 58 is input to the computer 53 via the interface 57.

The mobile phone 50 includes a communication circuit 54 for communicating with the server 40. The audio signal transmitted from the server 40 is given to the speaker 62 via the communication circuit 54 and the interface 61. The voice of the visitor comes to be output from the speaker 62. Further, the voice of the user is given to the microphone 60 and converted into a voice signal. The audio signal is given to the communication circuit 54 via the interface 59. A voice signal is transmitted from the communication circuit 54 to the server 40.

Further, the mobile phone 50 has a GPS (global
Positioning system) 51 is also provided.

7 to 10 are flowcharts showing the processing procedure of the intercom system. FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure of the intercom slave unit 1, FIG.
9 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure of the intercom master device 20, FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure of the server 40, and FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure of the mobile phone 50.

A visitor stands in front of the intercom slave 1.
Button 5 is pressed by the visitor (step 7 in FIG. 7).
1). Then, as described above, the image of the visitor is picked up by the image pickup device 20 of the intercom slave 1 (step 7 in FIG. 7).
2). A video signal representing the image of the visitor is transmitted from the intercom slave 1 to the interphone master 20 (step in FIG. 7).
73).

When the intercom master unit 20 receives the video signal transmitted from the intercom slave unit 1, the received video signal is transmitted to the server 40 (step 81 in FIG. 8).

When the server 40 receives the video signal representing the image of the visitor, the video signal representing the image of the planned visitor corresponding to the visitor is sent to the image database of the server 40.
It can be found from 42 (step 91 in FIG. 9). If there is no corresponding image, the same processing as the processing according to the processing shown in steps 95 to 99 of FIG. 9 is performed according to the setting of the user (step 100 of FIG. 9).

.. If there is a corresponding image (step 92 in FIG. 9).
YES), it is detected what the main setting mode of the corresponding planned visitor is set as described above (step 94 in FIG. 9).

When the main setting mode is set to the response mode, the mobile phone 50 is accessed (step 9 in FIG. 9).
Five).

When there is an access request from the server 40 in the mobile phone 50 (step 111 in FIG. 10), the user of the mobile phone 50 responds (step 112 in FIG. 10). In this response, the voice signal representing the user's voice given to the mobile phone 50 is transmitted to the server 40 as described above.

Further, it is detected what the sub setting mode is set to (step 96 in FIG. 9). When the trick mode is set, the user may think that the visitor should not know that the user is out. For this reason, the voice signal transmitted from the mobile phone 50 is synthesized with the trick sound signal (a signal representing television voice as if the user is in the room) in the voice synthesis circuit 45 (step 98 in FIG. 9). . The synthesized voice signal is transmitted from the server 40 to the interphone master device 20 (step 99 in FIG. 9). When the normal mode is set,
It is considered that the visitor may know that the user is out. Therefore, the voice signal transmitted from the mobile phone 50 is transmitted to the interphone master unit 20 without being combined with the trick sound signal (step 97 in FIG. 9).

When the voice signal transmitted from the server 40 is received by the intercom master unit 20 (step 82 in FIG. 8).
YES), the received voice signal is the intercom slave 1
(Step 83 in FIG. 8).

When the voice signal transmitted from the intercom master unit 20 is received by the intercom slave unit 1 (see FIG. 7).
In step 74), the voice represented by the voice signal is output from the speaker 8 of the intercom slave 1 (step 75 in FIG. 7). After that, the call is continued between the visitor and the user.

When the server 40 detects that the main setting mode is set to the non-response mode (step 94 in FIG. 9), the contents of the sub-setting mode set corresponding to the non-response mode is changed to the server 40. From the intercom slave 20 (step 100 in FIG. 9).

The contents of the sub setting mode are the intercom base unit
When it is received at 20 (YES in step 84 of FIG. 8),
It is confirmed whether the sub setting mode is the absence message (step 85 in FIG. 8). Then, the absence message data stored in the memory 22 of the intercom master device 20 is transmitted to the intercom slave device 1 (step 86 in FIG. 8).

An absence message is output from the intercom slave unit 1 (step 75 in FIG. 7).

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an outline of an interphone system.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an electrical configuration of an interphone slave unit.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing an electrical configuration of an interphone base unit.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing an electrical configuration of the server 40.

FIG. 5 shows a planned visitor list.

FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing an electrical configuration of a mobile phone.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure of an intercom slave.

FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure of an intercom master unit.

FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure of a server.

FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure of the mobile phone.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 Intercom handset 2 Imaging device 6,23,53 Computer 7,9,11,21,24,26,28,30,55,57,59,61 Interface 32,41,46,54 Communication circuit 42 Image database 43 Collation / response detection circuit 44 Portable image generation circuit 45 Voice synthesis circuit

─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁷ Identification code FI theme code (reference) H04N 7/18 H04N 7/18 HF term (reference) 5C054 AA02 AA05 CD06 DA01 DA07 DA09 EA01 ED13 EE06 FA02 FC00 FF07 HA22 5C064 AA01 AB04 AC04 AC06 AC08 AC12 AC16 AC20 AD08 5K038 AA06 CC02 DD15 DD23 EE05 FF01 GG03 5K101 LL04 NN06 NN15 NN16 NN21

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. An interphone system comprising an intercom slave operated by a visitor, an intercom master capable of communicating with the intercom slave, and a mobile phone capable of communicating with the intercom master, A first transmission in which the intercom slave unit captures an image of a visitor and outputs image data representing an image of the visitor, and image data output from the image capturing unit to the interphone master unit. An image database storing image data representing images of a large number of prospective visitors, and an image represented by the image data stored in the image database. Stores a list of prospective visitors, which shows the settings for each prospective visitor and whether to respond or not to respond. The prospective visitor corresponding to the visitor of the image represented by the image data transmitted from the storage means and the first transmission means of the intercom slave is stored in the prospective visitor list stored in the storage means. The mobile phone is provided with a judging means for judging whether the setting is such that it is originally set to respond or is set to not respond.
An intercom system including an informing unit for informing that a visitor has arrived in response to the determination unit determining that the setting is to respond. 2. The visitor list indicates, for each prospective visitor, whether to respond or not to respond, and whether to respond or not to respond normally. A second step in which the interphone master unit synthesizes a voice signal transmitted from the mobile phone with a signal representing a trick sound, and a signal synthesized by the synthesizer unit to the interphone slave unit The intercom system according to claim 1, further comprising: 3. The mobile phone further comprises a display device for displaying an image, and the interphone base unit stores the image data transmitted from the first transmitting means of the interphone handset as the mobile phone. 2. A conversion means for converting into image data representing an image displayable on the display device, and a third transmission means for transmitting the image data converted by the conversion means to the mobile phone. Intercom system described.