FR2960115A1 - METHOD FOR NON-INTRUSIVE SIGNALING OF EVENTS - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a communication method comprising: - a step of restoring a sound flow (Fdr) to a user, and - a step of transmitting a sound signal (Avs1 or Avs2) said warning to destination said user. According to the invention, a sound included in the warning signal (Avs1 or Avs2) has a frequency included in a first frequency band ((F1l; F2l) (F2h; F1h)) which is distinct from a second band of frequency (F2l; F2h) delimiting the frequencies of the sounds included in the sound stream (Fdr) being played back. The invention ensures that the warning signal (Avs1 or Avs2) will not be rendered inaudible due to recovery by the sound stream (Fdr) being restored.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION The invention relates to a communication method comprising a step of restoring a sound flow to a user, and a step of transmitting a sound signal. warning to said user. Such methods are commonly used in the telecommunications field, particularly in telephony applications. Many telecommunications operators offer their customers signaling services, for example to let a user who is already in communication know that a new call is intended for him or that he has received a voice message or written. The user thus notified can thus choose to ignore this new call or message, or, on the contrary, try to shorten the current call or put the remote party on hold in order to answer the new call or to take note of said message . 2. Prior art In the current state of the art, a signaling of an event, for example the occurrence of an incoming call, is made by issuing a specific warning sound signal previously associated with the event to report. In a conventional telephone terminal, this warning sound signal is usually emitted by a loudspeaker which also already renders a sound flow corresponding to the current communication, whether in the earphone or in handsfree mode. However, in practice the warning signal has a frequency, for example that of the note "La" equal to 440 Hz, which covers that of the content of the sound stream being restored at the moment when the warning signal is issued, which can produce two types of adverse effects. On the one hand, the warning signal is covered by the sound stream being restored, in which case the user will perceive less clearly the information of the occurrence of the event that was to be reported to him, on the other hand , the appearance of a warning signal whose frequency covers those of the useful signal, may disturb the perception of the user of the sound stream being restored. 3. Objectives of the invention The invention provides a solution that does not have the drawbacks described above, by proposing a method by which the risks of confusion and overlap between the sound stream being restored and the warning signal. are considerably reduced compared to the state of the art. According to a functional aspect, the invention relates to a method according to the introductory paragraph in which at least one sound included in the warning signal has a frequency included in a first frequency band which is distinct from a second frequency band delimiting the frequencies of the sounds included in the sound stream being played back.

The invention ensures that the warning signal will always have at least one frequency distinct from that of the sounds heard by the user as part of the ongoing conversation, and therefore ensures that the warning signal will not be rendered inaudible from the made of a recovery by the sound stream being restored, as may occur in the state of the art.

According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, each sound included in the warning signal has a frequency included in a first frequency band which is distinct from a second frequency band delimiting the frequencies of the sounds included in the signal. sound stream being restored. This embodiment excludes any frequency overlap between the warning signal and the sounds heard by the user as part of the ongoing conversation, which will lead the user to naturally consider these stimuli as separate and to distinguish them immediately from each other. This is to warn a user that a particular event has occurred without disturbing the user's perception of the sound stream being played back.

Various embodiments of the invention are conceivable. According to an advantageous embodiment because of its simplicity, a method as described above includes a step of storing at least one set of data representative of a warning sound signal, a detection step of an occurrence of a predetermined event and a step of inserting said set of data into a stream of data representative of the sound stream to be rendered. This mode of implementation is particularly suitable for situations in which the frequency band comprising the sounds included in the sound stream being restored has predetermined limits. For example, in the case where a HD type of telephone, capable of reproducing sounds in a band of 50 to 7000 Hz, communicates with a conventional telephone which has reduced capacity at a frequency band ranging from 300 to 3400 Hz, the first A frequency band intended to include the sounds forming a warning signal may be situated between 50 and 300 HZ, or between 3400 and 7000 Hz. This latter possibility is more interesting since it offers, on the one hand, a larger range of sounds and therefore more flexibility, and on the other hand, the possibility of using frequencies far further from the second frequency band used for the sound flow, which reduces the risk of confusion between the signal of warning and the contents of the sound stream. Thus, when the limits of the frequency band used for the sound flow are predetermined, the mode of implementation of the invention described above makes it possible to avoid having to generate warning signals on a case-by-case basis. , and allows on the contrary to create a base including multiple warning signals composed of sounds included between 50 and 300 Hz, or between 3400 and 7000 Hz. The user can associate with these different signals as many separate events, each warning signal being intended to be returned to him as soon as an occurrence of his associated event has been detected. The invention can be advantageously implemented in situations where the sound flow and the warning signal are emitted by separate loudspeakers, belonging for example to two different equipment such as a television and a telephone, respectively. However, the implementation of the invention is more particularly advantageous when the steps of restitution of the sound flow and emission of the warning signal are executed by means of the same loudspeaker, a situation in which the risks of recovery and confusion between the sound flow and the warning signal are made even higher by the uniqueness of their source. In such an embodiment, the invention will be particularly useful for signaling an arrival of a communication request with a terminal including said speaker while a communication is already in progress with said terminal.

According to a material aspect, the invention relates to a communication system comprising: means for restoring a sound flow to a user, and means for transmitting a warning sound signal to said user, characterized in that it includes warning signal configuration means adapted to ensure that each sound included in the warning signal has a frequency included in a first frequency band which is distinct from a second frequency band delimiting the frequencies of the sounds included in the sound stream being played back. According to an advantageous embodiment of the invention because of its simplicity, a system as described above also includes means for storing at least one set of data representative of a warning sound signal. , means for detecting an occurrence of a predetermined event and means for inserting said set of data into a stream of data representative of the sound stream to be rendered. According to another of its material aspects, the invention also relates to a terminal comprising: means for restoring a sound flow to a user, and means for transmitting a warning sound signal to said user. user, terminal characterized in that it includes warning signal configuration means adapted to ensure that each sound included in the warning signal has a frequency included in a first frequency band which is distinct from a second band frequency delimiting the frequencies of the sounds included in the sound stream being played back. According to yet another of its material aspects, the invention relates to a communication device comprising means for transmitting a signal representative of a sound flow to be restored to a user, on the one hand, and a representative signal a warning sound signal for said user, characterized in that it includes means for configuring the warning signal capable of ensuring that each sound included in the warning signal has a frequency included in a first a frequency band which is distinct from a second frequency band delimiting the frequencies of the sounds included in the sound stream being played back.

In a first embodiment, such a device could for example be constituted by a terminal capable of being connected to a communication network, for example a network conforming to the Internet protocol allowing the transmission of data packets representative of voice signals, known from the skilled person under the generic name "voice over IP". In a second embodiment, such a device could for example be constituted by a home gateway providing a link between a communication network and the user's terminal, which will make it possible to provide said terminal with specific means to implement the invention.

In a third embodiment, a device such as that described above may be constituted by a base of a DECT type cordless telephone handset, abbreviated to the English expression "Digital Enhanced Cordless Telephone". The fact that the configuration means are included in the base will make it possible to dispense the wireless handset from having to carry out signal processing operations that could be costly in terms of consumption and therefore of battery charge. According to another of its material aspects, the invention also relates to a computer program characterized in that it comprises program code instructions for the implementation of a method as described above when this program is executed. by a processor. 5. List of Figures Other features and advantages of the invention will appear more clearly on reading the following description of a particular embodiment, given as a simple illustrative and non-limiting example, and the accompanying drawings. among which: - Figure 1 is a functional diagram which illustrates a first embodiment of the invention; FIG. 2 is a functional diagram which illustrates a second mode of implementation of the invention; Figure 3 is a block diagram illustrating a third embodiment of the invention; and FIG. 4 is a frequency diagram illustrating two possible variants of the invention. 6. DESCRIPTION OF AN EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION 6.1 General Principle The general principle of the invention is based on a frequency separation between a sound flow during playback and all or part of a warning signal, which signal thus being clearly perceptible to the user while being as unobtrusive as possible. 6.2 Description of a First Embodiment FIG. 1 illustrates a first embodiment of the invention within a first telecommunication system SYST1 including a terminal UT, for example a telephone or a television set, and a CNW telecommunication network, for example a network compliant with the Internet protocol. Although the invention can find application in many cases, its implementation is particularly advantageous in the case shown here, where a first remote device DD1 is already in communication with the terminal UT and exchange with it flows data down and amount Fd and Fu, respectively, when a second remote device sends a request Cmrq communication with the terminal UT. Indeed, this first SYST1 system includes means for transmitting a warning sound signal to said user as well as means for configuring the warning signal capable of ensuring that each sound included in the warning signal has a frequency included in a first frequency band which is distinct from a second frequency band delimiting the frequencies of the sounds included in the sound stream being played back. In this first embodiment of the invention, the configuration means are located in the terminal UT and include: an MPR processor in which program code instructions have been stored to detect and process requests such as the request communication set Cmrq, and - an SNDB database in which have been previously stored various data sets, each being representative of a warning sound signal. This mode of implementation is particularly suitable for a situation where the terminal UT is a telephone type HD, capable of reproducing sounds in a band of 50 to 7000 Hz, while the device DD1 remote with which it communicates is a telephone This is a typical system that has reduced capacity at a frequency band of 300 to 3400 Hz. Thus, the database may include data sets representative of sounds that may be between 50 and 300 Hz, or between 3400 and 7000 Hz. In the case represented here, the request Cmrq is received by input / output means I / O included in the terminal UT and transmitted to a processor MPR for processing. After detecting the occurrence of this request Cmrq, the processor MPR sends to the database SNDB a request Srq in order to obtain a data set which represents the particular warning signal Avs which has been associated with the occurrence of a request for communication. The processor MPR then inserts the data representative of the warning signal Avs into the downstream data stream Fd in order to produce a resulting data stream Fdr which must be returned to the user of the terminal UT, this resulting stream Fdr thus containing the times the warning signal Avs and the downward sound flow Fd corresponding to the conversation in progress. The resulting stream Fdr is then converted to an analog signal Afdr by an AD / DA conversion module, which is also intended to produce the uplink flow Fu in digital form on the basis of an analog uplink flow Afu produced by a mirophone MIC. The resulting analog flow Afdr is finally returned to the user of the terminal UT via an HP loudspeaker, which will be for example a speaker-type handsfree or a speaker housed in a listener. Although restored by the same speaker, the warning sound signal and the sound stream being restored will be perceived by the user through the invention as two signals distinct from each other. 6.3 Description of a Second Embodiment FIG. 2 illustrates a second embodiment of the invention within a first telecommunication system SYST2 including a home gateway HGW which provides an interface between at least one home terminal UT, for example a DECT type cordless telephone, and a CNW telecommunication network, for example an Internet protocol compliant network. In order not to complicate the presentation unnecessarily, this figure represents a situation identical to that described above. Thus, in this second embodiment of the invention, the configuration means are located in the home gateway HGW and include an MPRH processor and an SNDBH database. are located in the DCTB base and no longer in the home gateway HGW. In the case represented here, the request Cmrq sent by the second remote device DD2 is received by input / output I / O means included in the home gateway HGW and transmitted to the processor MPRH for processing. After detecting the occurrence of this request Cmrq, the processor MPRH sends to the database SNDBH a request Srq in order to obtain a set of data which represents the particular warning signal Avs which has been associated with the occurrence of a request for communication. The processor MPRH then transfers in parallel the data representative of the warning signal Avs, on the one hand, and the downstream data flow Fd, on the other hand, to a transmission / reception stage FEH so that these two sets of information is transmitted to the terminal UT. The transmission / reception stage FEH will preferably use two separate channels for this purpose, the channel used to transmit to the terminal UT the data representative of the warning signal Avs being in principle especially adapted to the transmission of signaling data, such as an "IP over Wi-Fi" type channel. In this second embodiment of the invention, the terminal UT includes a microprocessor MPRT intended to receive, in parallel, via a reception / transmission stage TFE, the data representative of the signal. warning Avs, on the one hand, and the downstream data flow Fd, on the other hand. The processor MPRT then inserts the data representative of the warning signal Avs into the downstream data stream Fd in order to produce a resulting data stream Fdr which must be returned to the user of the terminal UT, this resulting stream Fdr thus containing the times the warning signal Avs and the downward sound flow Fd corresponding to the conversation in progress. The resulting stream Fdr is then converted into an analog signal Afdr by a digital-to-analog converter DAC, an ADC analog-to-digital converter being further provided to produce the uplink flux Fu in digital form on the basis of an analog uplink flow Afu produced by a MIC microphone. The resulting analog flow Afdr is finally returned to the user of the terminal UT via an HP loudspeaker, which will be for example a hands-free loudspeaker or a speaker housed in an earpiece. Although restored by the same speaker, the warning sound signal and the sound stream being restored will be perceived by the user through the invention as two signals distinct from each other. 6.4 Description of a Third Embodiment FIG. 3 illustrates a third mode of implementation of the invention within a third telecommunication system SYST3 including a home gateway HGW which provides an interface between a CNW telecommunications network and at least one home terminal comprising a DCTC handset and a DCTB base, the base and the handset being able to communicate with each other via a radiofrequency link. In order not to introduce unnecessary confusion in the disclosure, the references of elements fulfilling functions identical to those described in connection with the preceding figures have been left unchanged. Thus, in this second embodiment of the invention, the configuration means include an MPRB processor and an SNDBB database which are located in the DCTB database.

In the case shown here, the home gateway HGW receives from the second remote device DD2 a request Cmrq communication with the terminal (DCTB, DCTC), while the latter is already in communication with a first remote device DD1 . The home gateway HGW then transmits to the DCTB base an Asrq warning signal request requesting that a warning signal be produced to the terminal user (DCTB, DCTC). After detecting the occurrence of this Asrq request, the processor MPRB sends to the database SNDBB a request Srq in order to obtain a set of data which represents the particular warning signal Avs which has been associated with the occurrence of a request for communication. The processor MPRH then transfers in parallel the data representative of the warning signal Avs, on the one hand, and the downstream data stream Fd, on the other hand, to a transmission / reception stage FEB so that these two sets of information is transmitted to the DCTC handset. The transmission / reception stage FEB will preferably use two separate channels for this purpose, the channel used to transmit to the DCTC handset the data representative of the warning signal Avs being in principle especially adapted to the transmission of signaling data, such as a DECT CAT-iQ XX-type data channel. In this third embodiment of the invention, the DCTC handset includes an MPRC microprocessor for receiving in parallel via a TFE reception / transmission stage. data representative of the warning signal Avs, on the one hand, and the downstream data flow Fd, on the other hand.

The MPRC processor then inserts the data representative of the warning signal Avs in the downstream data stream Fd in order to produce a resulting data stream Fdr which must be returned to the user of the combined DCTC, this resulting stream Fdr thus containing the times the warning signal Avs and the downward sound flow Fd corresponding to the conversation in progress. The resulting stream Fdr is then converted into an analog signal Afdr by a digital-to-analog converter DAC, an ADC analog-to-digital converter being further provided to produce the uplink flux Fu in digital form on the basis of an analog uplink flow Afu produced by a MIC microphone. The resulting analog flow Afdr is finally returned to the user of the terminal UT via an HP loudspeaker, which will be for example a hands-free loudspeaker or a speaker housed in an earpiece. Although restored by the same speaker, the warning sound signal and the sound stream being restored will be perceived by the user through the invention as two signals distinct from each other. FIG. 4 is a frequency diagram which illustrates two possible variants of the invention in a situation in which the frequency band comprising the sounds included in the sound stream being restored has predetermined limits. This situation appears in particular when the terminal intended to produce the warning signal has a wider useful frequency range than that of the remote device with which it is already in communication. Such is the case, for example, when the terminal intended to produce the warning signal is an HD type telephone (abbreviation of High Definition) capable of reproducing sounds in a band from a first low frequency F11 equal to 50 Hz up to at a first high frequency Flh equal to 7000 Hz, whereas the remote device is a conventional telephone which has reduced capacity at a frequency band ranging from a second low frequency F21 equal to 300 Hz up to a second high frequency F2h equal to 3400 Hz. In this situation, the terminal HD may emit a first warning signal Avs1 composed of sounds having frequencies between F11 and F21, ie between 50 and 300 HZ, or a second warning signal Avs2. composed of sounds with frequencies between F2h and Flh, between 3400 and 7000 Hz. This last possibility is the most interesting since it offers, on the one hand, a more a wide range of sounds, and therefore more flexibility, and the possibility of using frequencies much farther from the second frequency band used for the sound flow, which reduces the risk of confusion between the signal warning and the content of the sound stream.10

Claims (10)

REVENDICATIONS1. A communication method comprising: - a step of restoring a sound flow to a user, and - a step of issuing a warning sound signal to said user, characterized in that at least one sound included in the warning signal has a frequency included in a first frequency band which is distinct from a second frequency band delimiting the frequencies of the sounds included in the sound stream being played back. 10 2. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that each sound included in the warning signal has a frequency included in a first frequency band which is distinct from a second frequency band delimiting the frequencies of the sounds included in the stream. sound being restored. The method of claim 1, including a step of storing at least a set of data representative of a warning sound signal, a step of detecting a occurrence of a predetermined event, and a step of inserting said set of data into a stream of data representative of the sound stream to be rendered. 4. The method of claim 1, wherein the steps of restitution of the sound flow and emission of the warning signal are performed by means of a same loudspeaker. 5. The method of claim 4, wherein the predetermined event is an arrival of a communication request with a terminal including said speaker while a communication is already in progress with said terminal. 6. Communication system comprising: means for rendering a sound flow to a user, and means for transmitting a warning sound signal to said user, characterized in that it includes warning signal configuration means adapted to ensure that at least one sound included in the warning signal has a frequency included in a first frequency band which is distinct from a second frequency band delimiting the frequencies of the sounds included in the sound stream being played back. 7. Communication system according to claim 6, characterized in that it further includes means for storing at least one set of data representative of a warning sound signal, means for detecting an occurrence of a predetermined event and means for inserting said set of data into a stream of data representative of the sound stream to be rendered. 8. Terminal comprising: - means for rendering a sound flow to a user, and - means for transmitting a warning sound signal to said user, terminal characterized in that it includes means for configuring the warning signal to ensure that at least one sound included in the warning signal has a frequency included in a first frequency band which is distinct from a second frequency band delimiting the frequencies of the sounds included in the sound stream being played back. 9. Communication device comprising means for transmitting a signal representative of a sound flow to be delivered to a user, on the one hand, and a signal representative of a warning sound signal intended for said user. , characterized in that it includes warning signal configuration means adapted to ensure that at least one sound included in the warning signal has a frequency included in a first frequency band which is distinct from a second frequency band delimiting the frequencies of the sounds included in the sound stream being played back. 10. Computer program characterized in that it comprises program code instructions for implementing the method according to any one of claims 1 to 5 when this program is executed by a processor.