Method for the recording and reproduction of acoustic signals

The invention relates to a method for recording and reproducing acoustic signals in a system with two or more computers which are connected in a private, local or regional connection network (LAN, WAN) to at least one central computer which has various central input and output units managed and made available to the individual computers, the at least one central computer being connected to a digital private branch exchange via an interface each, which private branch exchange mediates calls for several subscriber terminals, one of the computers, preferably the one located in close proximity, via one of the computers. Subscriber terminal is selected and a connection is established between the computer and the subscriber terminal via the private branch exchange, and acoustic signals are converted into electrical signals or electrical signals into acoustic signals via the microphone and / or the loudspeaker of the subscriber terminal and passed on or in digital form to the computer. be taken over by this.

Systems with several computers are widespread in medium-sized and larger companies, whereby the various peripheral units such as printers, memories, scanners, etc. can be better used via the central computer (server). Furthermore, the connection of the central computer to the private branch exchange enables the digital storage of personal messages in voice form (voice mails), which can be stored for other extension participants or queried by them.

For computer applications, voice input and output will become more and more important in the future. A personal computer can be controlled using voice commands, for example, or the sound of videos shown on the computer can be played back. The disadvantage of known methods for recording and reproducing acoustic signals of the type mentioned above is that conventional computers have to be equipped with their own sound card, the appropriate software, a loudspeaker and a microphone for this purpose. In addition to the often insufficient space available for this, the relatively high acquisition costs that would be incurred on each computer in a network are an obstacle for many users to use such language units.

EP-A2-0 367 455 describes a method for providing telephony services for several computers (personal computers) which are combined in a LAN (Local Area Network). This is done through the logical assignment of subscriber terminals that are in a separate voice and data network, e.g. B. in a private branch exchange (PBX) are interconnected. Subscriber terminals of a private branch exchange and computers of a LAN can thus be logically linked to one another in order to B. display the identification signals from the private branch exchange via a caller or called party on the computer screen, make calls via a terminal assigned to the private branch exchange from a computer-controlled address book and send messages from the private branch exchange and the messages on the computer screen using a telephone management server - View the log. Essentially, the respective computer at the user's workstation takes on the function of a unit controlling the telephony services. The LAN network is connected to the private branch exchange (PBX) via a server and a suitable interface that enables transfers between the protocol of the PC network and the protocol of the private branch exchange. The use of the terminal receiver as an audio recording and playback unit for playing and recording audio signals in parallel with data processing or data display currently running on a network computer cannot be found in this document. There is also no mention of bidirectional transmission between two users.

W0-A1-97 / 18662 describes a method for generating the virtual presence of a user who is not present in a company or company by establishing a telephone connection with his office and thereby acting as if he were actually in this office would be present, with the user's telephone being assigned the effect of a terminal of a private branch exchange via which faxes, e-mails, etc. can be received or sent and the LAN connectivity can be implemented. For this purpose, the user who is not present is connected to his computer via a telephone line with a virtual server in his company, which in turn is connected to the company's private branch exchange via an interface. However, the integration of a user outside the company building into the private branch exchange and into the local LAN network, as described in this document, provides for a connection between the user and the private branch exchange via an external telephone line. Furthermore, the end devices can be used as audio2

AT 406 314 B

Playback and receiving units in parallel with a computer application currently in progress are not mentioned in this document.

In WO-A1-97 / 32427 a method for easy access to the Internet is specified, in which the information content of a web page is converted from writing into speech, the further connection options are converted into audible signals and the selection of these connection options via the Keypad of the respective telephone set happens with the corresponding DTMF signals are generated. This offers the possibility of being able to call up information from the Internet with the aid of a telephone alone. When the corresponding DTMF signals are received, the selected web page is transmitted to the user via the available transmission types, such as voice transmission, fax, e-mail or normal mail. The caller uses a telephone to dial into a server with a telephone interface, which offers a number of selection options via audible signals, which can be selected by corresponding key combinations on the keypad. For example, a voice browser can also be used to find a specific Internet page, the various possible connections to other web pages being communicated to the caller verbally in the form of an audio menu. The method described in W0-A1-97 / 32427 enables a computer to be replaced by a telephone for Internet queries, while the method according to the invention is directed to the possibilities of an existing computer for the transmission of audio signals by the listener of an extension terminal to expand.

Finally, US Pat. No. 5,557,659 specifies a computer network with a large number of interconnected terminals and a shared memory in which text messages can be sent to the connected subscribers. There is also the possibility of transmitting voice messages via the terminals or external telephone terminals. The voice messages are digitized and the information is stored in the shared mailbox memory. The text message can be viewed on a screen and the voice message can be listened to over the telephone. An already recorded message is retrieved, but no bidirectional communication according to the invention between two users in word and image is possible.

The object of the invention is to provide a method of the type mentioned above, with the acoustic signals via an ordinary computer, for. B. a PC, can be recorded and played back without an audio card and a bidirectional voice and possibly image transmission between users is made possible.

According to the invention, this is achieved in that a real-time connection is established between at least two computers connected to the connection network (LAN, WAN), that the assigned subscriber terminals are selected via the computer, the screen information for the computer screens and the audio information for the Subscriber terminals can be transmitted bidirectionally during the real-time connection.

In this way, each subscriber terminal of the digital private branch exchange can be used as an acoustic recording and playback unit. This means that no separate sound card is required for each computer and the digital telephone system can be used for additional purposes.

In a further development of the invention it can be provided that data arriving from the Internet or representing acoustic signals transmitted into the Internet are converted in the selected subscriber terminal via Internet access, which is preferably established via the central computer.

In this way, two or more participants can conduct calls over very large distances, for example over the Internet, without the participants noticing a difference from a call switched via telephone lines. The advantage of this form of call connection is the much lower costs, since the connection to a provider is only made at the local rate. The recording or transmission of other acoustic signals from or into the Internet can also be carried out in this way without the need for devices such as a sound card or the like.

According to a further feature of the invention it can be provided that the transmission or reception of audio signals, in particular audio signals from video conferences, preferably via the Internet access, is carried out via the selected subscriber terminal.

AT 406 314 Β

This means that a video conference can only be held with a personal computer and the subscriber terminal as well as a video camera at the workplace. This lowers the cost of such communication options.

The invention is explained in detail below with reference to the exemplary embodiment shown in the drawing.

In Fig. 1, three computers 1, T, 1 are combined with a central computer 2 in a private, local connection network (LAN), there being no restrictions with regard to the distances between the individual computers, so regional networks (WAN) or combined networks can be used LAN and WAN networks are used within the scope of the invention.

The central computer 2 manages various central input and output units (not shown), such as printers, memories or the like, and makes them available to the individual computers 1, 1 ', 1 connected to it. The central computer 2 is in turn via a serial or parallel interface, for example a V.24 interface, connected to a digital private branch exchange 3, which mediates incoming calls to individual subscriber terminals 4 via a telephone line (not shown) or transfers outgoing calls from them. The digital private branch exchange 3 can also be composed of several private branch exchanges linked via a network. The private branch exchange can also be connected directly to a local area network (LAN) using a LAN interface card.

The inventive method for recording and reproducing acoustic signals in such a system consists in that via one of the computers 1, T, 1, for example via the computer 1, the subscriber terminal 4 located in the vicinity is selected and via the private branch exchange 3 a connection between the computer 1 and the terminal 4 is produced, and that via the microphone and / or the loudspeaker of the subscriber terminal 4 acoustic signals or electrical signals or electrical signals are converted into acoustic signals and passed on in digital form to the computer 1 or taken over by it.

The subscriber terminal can, however, also be present at locations other than that of the computer, which enables further possibilities for acoustic transmission and control.

In practice, several subscriber terminals are connected to the private branch exchange 3, but not all of them are shown. It is essential in the invention that many workplaces in a company usually each have a telephone set and a computer and these can be used together for the purpose of recording and reproducing acoustic signals such as speech, music or other noises, the computer 1 for the acoustic concerns do not require their own sound card, but can use the voice recording and playback capabilities of the digital telephone private branch exchange 3 and its subscriber terminals.

The method according to the invention can be used for a wide variety of purposes. Voice inputs can thus be used to control the computer 1; this can enable the physically handicapped to operate a computer, for example. Furthermore, voice output can also be generated in the computer as a result of a specific process and output via the loudspeaker of the subscriber terminal.

Further applications are interactive learning, playing and recording pieces of music and finally the possibility of recording, storing or calling up messages in linguistic form via the computer.

In the exemplary embodiment according to FIG. 1, the central computer 2 is also equipped with an Internet access 6, which enables it to receive data from the Internet 7 or to send it to it. However, it is also possible for only one or more network computers 1, T, 1 to have separate Internet access.

Data arriving from the Internet or representing acoustic signals transmitted to it can be converted in the selected subscriber terminal 4. In this way, 4 calls at the local rate can be conducted over very long distances with the subscriber terminal.

Furthermore, audio signals, in particular audio signals from video conferences, voice signal storage (voice mail), can be transmitted or received, preferably via Internet access 6, but also from other data sources accessible in the computer network via the selected subscriber terminal 4. This means that all existing as well as future options for the acoustic representation of information on the Internet or in a local network can be exploited.

AT 406 314 B

Furthermore, texts stored in written form, e.g. fax texts, word processing texts, e-mail texts, SMS (short message service) texts or similar, can be converted into a voice signal that converts the text into voice, whereby the transmission or the converted voice signal is received via the selected subscriber terminal 4 WinWord) written text can be converted into acoustic signals and listened to via a subscriber terminal.