• 专利附录
  • 专利说明
  • 权利要求
  • 类似技术
  • 同族专利
  • 引用文献
  • 法律状态
  • 优先权
    • 专利摘要:

    公开号:BE1020568A3
    申请号:E201000629
    申请日:2010-10-22
    公开日:2014-01-07
    发明作者:Patrick; Zwanenstraat Talloen；Zwanenstraat；Carl Lylon；Davy Vantomme
    申请人:Televic Group Nv；Televic Conference Nv；
    IPC主号:
    专利说明:

    DEVICE FOR USE IN A DIGITAL CONFERENCE SYSTEM Field of the invention
    The present invention relates generally to the field of digital conference systems that comprise a central unit and a number of delegation units connectable to the central unit.
    BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
    A conference system includes a central unit in connection with various delegation units for the participating delegates. The central unit serves to combine audio channels from various delegation units and to distribute the received audio and data channel and combinations of these channels. In the solutions according to the state of the art, these delegation units are connected in series with the processing means of the central unit. Each central unit has a number of ports to which branches of delegation units can be connected. Optionally, one or more expansion units are provided to expand the number of branches of delegation units in the conference system. FIG. 1 illustrates a typical arrangement as known in the art. Each delegation unit in the system has two ports, an OUT port and an IN port, typically implemented with differential lines. The OUT port can be represented as an external send pair and an internal receive pair (see Fig. 2A) and the IN port as an external receive pair and an external send pair (see Fig. 2B). However, it should be noted that the external or internal pair is only a possible representation. Each IN port must be connected to an OUT port.
    With this given conventional arrangement, the following problems may occur. An incorrect connection can be made during system installation by connecting two IN ports or two OUT ports. The cabling from left to right or right to left is different or the cables can cross each other.
    Since delay-sensitive information signals such as audio and video signals must be transported over the network, the interconnected units of the conference system must be synchronized. Establishing a synchronized network minimizes data processing at each subsystem, avoiding, for example, the need to resample the data.
    OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION
    The present invention has for its object to provide a device for use in a digital conference system, wherein the above-mentioned problems of the prior art are avoided or obviated.
    Summary
    The present invention relates to a device for use in a digital conference system, the device having a first and a second interconnected port. The device comprises configuration means for configuring, upon receipt of a trigger signal, the one of the first or the second port as the input port and the other port as the output port of the device.
    The proposed solution allows the selection of an active connection on one port. The port selection occurs in an "automatic" manner. Upon receipt of the trigger signal, the configuration of one of the ports of the delegating unit is triggered. Cabling errors between IN and OUT ports can thus be avoided.
    In a preferred embodiment, the trigger signal is a synchronization signal. Advantageously, it is a bit synchronization signal.
    In a preferred embodiment, the device is a delegation unit. In an alternative embodiment, the device is an expansion unit to which additional delegation units can be connected.
    In another aspect, the invention also relates to a digital conference system that includes a number of devices as previously described and at least one central unit.
    Advantageously, the digital conference system further comprises a network controlling module adapted to interrogate the number of devices.
    In a preferred embodiment, the at least one central unit of the digital conference system is adapted to interrogate the network controlling module.
    The digital conference system preferably also includes memory means for storing configuration information.
    In a second aspect, the invention relates to a method for obtaining redundancy in a digital conference system comprising the steps of: - providing a digital conference system as previously described, - creating an active network branch that comprises a series connects devices, optionally all devices, of the digital conference system, - causing an output port of the device to act as an input port at one end of the active branch by transmitting a trigger signal.
    In another aspect, the invention relates to a method for replacing a device (e.g., a delegation unit or extension unit) of a digital conference system, said digital conference system being configured as a network comprising a plurality of devices and a central unit. The method comprises the steps of: - detecting loss of a device of the digital conference system, - replacing the device with a replacement device, - detecting the replacement device in the digital conference system, - configuring via the central unit of the detected replacement device with configuration parameters of the lost device.
    Loss of a device can occur, for example, due to a cable failure or a network distribution failure.
    Brief description of the drawings
    FIG. 1 illustrates a typical arrangement of a digital conference system according to the prior art.
    FIG. 2 illustrates a representation of an OUT port (Fig. 2A) and of an IN port (Fig. 2B).
    FIG. 3 explains the operation of the automatic gate type detection.
    FIG. 4 illustrates an arrangement with an expansion unit.
    FIG. 5 illustrates an arrangement of a digital conference system according to the present invention.
    FIG. 6 illustrates an arrangement of a digital conference system with cable redundancy according to the present invention.
    FIG. 7 illustrates an embodiment of the digital conference system according to the invention equipped with extension units with cable redundancy between delegating units and extension units.
    FIG. 8 illustrates an embodiment of a digital conference system according to the invention equipped with extension units with cable redundancy between delegating units and extension units and extension unit redundancy.
    FIG. 9 illustrates an embodiment of a digital conference system according to the invention equipped with extension units with cable redundancy between delegating units and extension units, extension unit redundancy and central unit redundancy.
    FIG. 10 illustrates an embodiment of the digital conference system according to the invention equipped with extension units with cable redundancy between delegating units and extension units and other devices that can be connected to the network for additional peripheral functionality (e.g. audio input & output, ...).
    DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
    In one aspect, the present invention relates to a device for use in a conference system provided with an automatic port selection mechanism that makes it possible to select an active connection on one of the ports of the device. The device can be, for example, a delegation unit or an expansion unit. As this mechanism can be used not only at start-up but also during transit time, it contributes to the addition of increased network redundancy in the interconnection between the multiple slaves (ie conference system units such as the delegation units and / or expansion units) and a central unit of the conference system. Consequently, an increased network redundancy is achieved. By utilizing the solution according to the present invention, a cable failure in the network leads to a redistribution of the active connections in the network without losing the connection of any device of the system to the central unit. In addition, the failures that can be tolerated are not limited to cable failures. Unit faults, network distribution faults or central unit device faults can also be tolerated with intelligent cabling.
    By introducing into the device (e.g., delegating unit) the automatic gate type detection and configuration means as in this invention, the unit first checks which port is an input port. The other port is then configured as an output port. Detecting which port is the input port and which is the output port is performed by synchronizing on the network.
    A gate has two pairs of differential lines. The input port is represented as an external differential pair and an internal differential pair (external or internal pair is only one possible representation). The exit port has just the opposite pairs.
    Network synchronization implies that the unit sees the correct data at the correct time. The synchronization minimizes the processing in the units (no audio re-sampling, audio-video synchronization, ...). In the digital conference system under consideration, bit synchronization is preferably applied, wherein each synchronized device has the same clock, which makes data processing extremely easy. Bit synchronization means that every device has almost the same clock, if clock distortion is not taken into account.
    At power-up, the central unit activates its output port. At network startup or loss, the delegation units configure all their network ports in receive mode (SCAN). During this time, all delegation units try to find the network on the external pair. This can be done sequentially (first left port, then right port, then left port, ...) or simultaneously (both ports simultaneously) until one port on the network is synchronized. From this moment on, the delegating unit knows which port is the input and which is the output and configures the ports accordingly. FIG. 3 illustrates the automatic gate type detection with the scanning phase and the subsequent configuration as input and output ports respectively. In this way the network is gradually built up. First, the closest delegating units configure their ports, then the next closest delegating units, ... until the last delegating unit has configured its ports.
    Optionally, an expansion unit can be integrated, as illustrated in FIG. 4. As long as the network is not detected, all dedicated output ports of the expansion unit are in receive mode.
    This automatic gate type detection allows the schematic diagram of the current situation, as shown in FIG. 1 in the schematic diagram of FIG. 5 to change. The latter scheme offers the advantage that, during installation, no cabling errors can be made between input or output ports and that there are no longer cable crossings. The problems mentioned in the background section are thus overcome.
    The resulting scheme further allows double branch redundancy. The automatic port type detection indeed makes the implementation of redundancy possible. By connecting all ports, the system is even more redundant than a mere ring structure. To enlarge a ring network, the network is expanded by sub-rings. However, the start and end of the ring are always the same device. Thus, when this device fails, the entire subring fails. With the double branching concept, the network does not have to be connected in a ring. Redundancy cabling means that the data has more than one way to reach the central unit. The dual branching mechanism always uses one way to reach the control panel and does not use the other way. The redundant connections in the following figures (Fig. 6-9, further commented below) are the dashed lines.
    In the dual branching concept, not all cables are used, i.e. the delegating units select and select a branch in the network either connected to port 1 or port 2 of the delegating unit during startup. An active branch is therefore created during start-up. Consequently, the cable connected to the configured output port of the last unit in the active branch is not used during this session. A cable failure in the active branch dynamically changes the branches used without notifying the user. The following functionality can be used to notify the user of a cable failure in the dual branch network. The central unit can detect whether the delegation unit is at the end of the branch used. Thus, when the central unit sends a scanning command to a last delegating unit, this unit can force the output port to become a scanning input port. By doing this, the central unit can then ask if this last unit sees synchronization or, in other words: "Detect the redundant path if it works". The central unit then places this last unit in normal mode and goes to another last delegation unit. It should be noted that only one delegation unit can be in scanning mode at a time. The network change in the event of a failure of a branch or device results in imperceptible artifacts. The synchronization between all other devices remains.
    The conference system can have various redundancy options. First, there is cable redundancy (see Figs. 6 to 9): - If one cable fails, the system continues to work.
    - Each delegation unit in the system has two paths to go to the central unit.
    Using intelligent cabling, the expansion unit redundancy (Figs. 8 and 9) can be achieved: - If one cable fails or an expansion unit fails, the system remains operative.
    - Each delegate in the system has two paths directly or through different expansion units to go to the central unit.
    - Each expansion unit can have two paths directly or through different expansion units to go to the central unit.
    A further option is central unit redundancy, as illustrated in FIG. 9: - If one cable fails or an expansion unit fails or a central unit fails, the system continues to work.
    - Each delegate in the system has a path directly or through expansion units to both exchanges. Each expansion unit has two paths to its own central unit. The central units are coupled in N-1 mode for the delegates in FIG. 9.
    It should be noted that a digital conference system may also include delegation units, interpretation desks, and network devices (such as an audio input module and / or output module). These can all be implemented as devices according to the present invention. As an example, light Figs. 10 provides a digital conference system equipped with extension units with cable redundancy between delegating units and extension units and other devices that can be connected to the network for additional peripheral functionality (e.g. audio input & output, ...).
    To further improve the reliability of the digital conference system, additional measures may be considered regardless of the increased redundancy offered by the delegating units.
    In another aspect, the invention therefore relates to the detection of device failures in the network in almost real time. By providing the digital conference system with a network controlling module according to the present invention, errors can be detected quickly and easily. Detected design errors can be solved by automatically replacing the defective units. The proposed unit can automatically take over the configuration parameters of the defective unit. No additional configuration processing is required.
    In conventional conference systems, the scanning of delegation units is performed by polling over a common control channel. Since the bandwidth for scanning in this channel is limited, the polling units can never be questioned. A new interrogation is started every 40 seconds that is often too slow for a satisfactory return.
    To increase the polling speed, a scan channel can be used by the network (e.g., an audio channel) so that polling of the delegating units can be increased. Alternatively, a network controlling unit can be used, so that the polling function of the delegating units is unloaded from the central unit.
    The network controlling unit continuously monitors the various devices of the conference system, e.g. via their personal numbers. It counts all types of delegation units within one subfamily faster (e.g., multiple times in one second) than scanning at the central unit as used in prior art systems. Subfamily means a part of the conference system with the same or a similar function in the system, for example, the delegation units form a subfamily just like the expansion units, etc. The central unit must ask the controlling unit for changes in the network. Loss of a delegation unit can then be detected within one second (instead of the 40 seconds mentioned above). The number of delegation units within one subfamily is counted.
    When a new delegation unit is inserted into the conference network, it is detected and an automatic replacement can be performed. First, the central unit detects a loss of a delegating unit by the network controlling unit. For example, the system operator receives an error message or error message. The operator enters the conference room, removes the bad unit and replaces it with a spare unit. Within one second, the control panel detects the spare unit and reinitializes it with the parameters of the bad unit. The system does not have to be switched off. The conference can be continued during the replacement.
    The above solution is clearly preferable to a solution as in a conventional conference system, where, when a loss from a delegation unit is detected, the system operator replaces the bad unit with a spare unit, but where the operator attaches it to the unit. add system. The system must be stopped, the old unit removed, the new unit added and initialized, after which the system is restarted, resulting in a system downtime of several minutes.
    Although the present invention has been explained with reference to specific embodiments, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the invention is not limited to the details of the foregoing exemplary embodiments, and that the present invention with various changes and modifications. can be implemented without deviating from its scope of protection. The present embodiments are, therefore, to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, the scope of the invention being indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description, and all changes falling within the meaning and the equivalence range of the claims. , are therefore intended to be included therein. In other words, it is expected to cover any and all modifications, variations or equivalents that fall within the scope of the underlying basic principles and whose main features are described in this patent application. Furthermore, the reader of this patent application understands that the words "comprising" or "include" do not exclude other elements or steps, that the word "one" does not exclude a number, and that a single element, such as a computer system, a processor, or a another integrated unit can fulfill the functions of various means cited in the claims, and any reference characters in the claims should not be construed as limiting the respective respective claims. b "," c "and the like, when used in the description or in the claims, are introduced to distinguish between similar elements or steps and do not necessarily describe a sequential or chronological order. Similarly, the terms" upper "," lower "," top "," bottom "and the like introduced for descriptive purposes and not necessarily o It is to be understood that the terms thus used are interchangeable under suitable conditions and that embodiments of the invention according to the present invention are in different sequences, or in orientations different from those described above (e) or explained ( e) being able to work.
    权利要求:
    Claims (11)
    [1]
    A device (2,3) for use in a digital conference system (1), wherein said device comprises a first (5) and a second (6) port in communication with each other, said device comprising configuration means for configuring, upon receipt of a trigger signal, of one of said first or said second port as an input port of the device and the other port as an output port.
    [2]
    The device of claim 1, wherein said trigger signal is a synchronization signal.
    [3]
    The device of claim 2, wherein said synchronization signal is a bit synchronization signal.
    [4]
    The device of any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein said device is a delegation unit for use in a digital conference system.
    [5]
    The device of any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein said device is an expansion unit for use in a digital conference system.
    [6]
    Digital conference system comprising a number of devices according to one of the preceding claims and at least one central unit (4).
    [7]
    The digital conference system of claim 6, further comprising a network controlling module adapted to interrogate said plurality of devices.
    [8]
    The digital conference system according to any of claims 6 or 7, wherein said central unit is arranged to interrogate said network controlling module.
    [9]
    Digital conference system according to any of claims 6 to 8, comprising memory means for storing configuration information.
    [10]
    A method for obtaining redundancy in a digital conference system comprising the steps of: - providing a digital conference system according to any of claims 6 to 9, - creating an active network branch that includes a series of devices of the digital conference system connects an output port of the device to an end of the active branch as an input port by transmitting a trigger signal.
    [11]
    A method for replacing a device comprising in a digital conferencing system, wherein said digital conferencing system is configured as a network comprising a plurality of devices and a central unit, said method comprising the steps of: - detecting loss of a device of said digital conference system, - replacing said device with a replacement device, - detecting the replacement device in the digital conference system, - configuring with the central unit of said detected replacement device with configuration parameters of the lost device.
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    法律状态:
    优先权:
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    EP10174392|2010-08-27|
    EP10174392A|EP2424237A1|2010-08-27|2010-08-27|Device for use in a digital conference system|
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