# US 2018/0027124 A1 · Intercom system for collective housing

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- Number: US 2018/0027124 A1
- Document ID: US20180027124A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 15/547,163
- Filed: 2015-02-26
- Published: 2018-01-25
- Earliest claimed: 2015-01-30
- Assignees: Aiphone Co., Ltd.
- Applicants: Aiphone Co., Ltd.
- Inventors: Norio MARUYAMA
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20180027124A1

## CPC

- H04M 9/003: {Transmission of control signals from or to the key telephone set; signalling equipment at key telephone set, e.g. keyboard or display equipment (keyboard equipment in semi-automatic systems H04M3/62)}
- H04M 9/00: Arrangements for interconnection not involving centralised switching
- H04M 11/025: {Door telephones (adapted for television H04N7/186)}
- H04M: TELEPHONIC COMMUNICATION (circuits for controlling other apparatus via a telephone cable and not involving telephone switching apparatus G08)

## Abstract

An intercom system for an apartment house according to the invention includes room units (10A, 10B) which are installed in respective rooms of the apartment house, and a control unit (20) which is connected to the room units (10A, 10B) of the respective rooms via an intercom line (L1) so as to be capable of communicating therewith, and is capable of communicating with an external server (S) via an external communication network. The control unit (2) acquires, based on a request signal transmitted from the room unit (10) via the intercom line (L1), predetermined information corresponding to the request signal from the external server (S) via the external communication network, and transmits the acquired predetermined information via the intercom line (L1) to the room unit (10) which transmitted the request signal.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An intercom system for an apartment house, comprising:
room units which are installed in respective rooms of the apartment house; and
a control unit which is connected to the room units of the respective rooms via an intercom line so as to be capable of communicating therewith, and is capable of communicating with an external server via an external communication network, wherein
the control unit acquires, based on a request signal transmitted from the room unit via the intercom line, predetermined information corresponding to the request signal from the external server via the external communication network, and transmits the acquired predetermined information via the intercom line to the room unit which transmitted the request signal.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The intercom system for an apartment house according to claim 1, wherein
the intercom line includes at least two communication channels, and
the control unit checks a use state of the intercom line when receiving the request signal, and acquires the predetermined information from the external server when the intercom line has a vacant channel.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The intercom system for an apartment house according to claim 2, wherein
the control unit checks a use state of the intercom line when receiving the request signal, and acquires the predetermined information from the external server when the intercom line has two or more vacant channels.

### Claim 4 (depends on 2)

The intercom system for an apartment house according to claim 2, wherein
the control unit transmits to the room unit a message representing that the predetermined information can be transmitted when the intercom line has a vacant channel, while transmits to the room unit a message representing that the predetermined information cannot be transmitted when the intercom line has not any vacant channel for transmitting the predetermined information.

### Claim 5 (depends on 2)

The intercom system for an apartment house according to claim 2, wherein
priority order is assigned to plural functions using the intercom line,
the plural functions includes an information acquiring function in which the room unit acquires the predetermined information from the external server via the control unit, and
when a function having a higher priority than the information acquiring function is required to be used while the predetermined information is transmitted to the room unit via the intercom line, the control unit interrupts the information acquiring function and releases the channel of the intercom line having been used for the information acquiring function.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The intercom system for an apartment house according to claim 1, wherein
the control unit acquires the predetermined information from the external server in a preset time zone.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The intercom system for an apartment house according to claim 1, wherein
the time zone is a time zone during which a use-frequency of the intercom line is relatively low in one day.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The intercom system for an apartment house according to claim 7, wherein
the control unit performs, in the time zone, periodic diagnosis of the intercom line simultaneous with an operation of acquiring the predetermined information from the external server and transmitting to the room unit.