Button telephone apparatus and voice communication channel control method

1. A button telephone apparatus comprising:

an IP trunk for simultaneously making voice communication and data transmission using the same communication line connected to an external IP network, and monitoring traffic of data-based packets in data communication; and

a controller supplied with the result of monitoring from said IP trunk for increasing or decreasing the number of voice channels for making voice communication in accordance with a change in the traffic of data-based packets,

wherein:

said IP trunk comprises a router for relaying the data-based packets between an external data-based network for making data communication and the external IP network;

said router measures the traffic of data-based packets in data communication for a given time; and

said controller calculates a data communication rate currently used for data communication based on the traffic for the given time measured by said IP trunk, calculates the number of voice channels available for voice communication from the calculated data communication rate, the rate of the communication line, and a rate required for one channel of the communication line, and increases the number of enabled voice channels when the calculated number of available voice channels is larger than the number of currently enabled voice channels.

2. A button telephone apparatus comprising:

an IP trunk for simultaneously making voice communication and data transmission using the same communication line connected to an external IP network, and monitoring traffic of data-based packets in data communication; and

a controller supplied with the result of monitoring from said IP trunk for increasing or decreasing the number of voice channels for making voice communication in accordance with a change in the traffic of data-based packets,

wherein:

said IP trunk comprises a router for relaying the data-based packets between an external data-based network for making data communication and the external IP network;

said router measures the traffic of data-based packets in data communication for a given time; and

said controller calculates a data communication rate currently used for data communication based on the traffic for the given time measured by said IP trunk, calculates the number of voice channels available for voice communication from the calculated data communication rate, the rate of the communication line, and a rate required for one channel of the communication line, and decreases the number of enabled voice channels when the calculated number of available voice channels is smaller than the number of currently enabled voice channels.

3. A voice communication channel control method comprising:

a first step of simultaneously making voice communication and data communication using the same communication line connected to an external IP network;

a second step of monitoring traffic of data-based packets in data communication; and

a third step of increasing or decreasing the number of voice channels for making voice communications in accordance with a change in the traffic of data-based packets,

wherein:

said second step includes the step of measuring the traffic of data-based packets in data communication for a given time; and

said third step includes the steps of;

calculating a data communication rate currently used for data communication based on the measured traffic for the given time; and

calculating the number of voice channels available for voice communication from the data communication rate, the rate of the communication line, and a rate required for one channel of the communication line; and

increasing the number of currently enabled voice channels when the number of available voice channels is larger than the number of currently enabled voice channels.

4. A voice communication channel control method comprising:

a first step of simultaneously making voice communication and data communication using the same communication line connected to an external IP network;

a second step of monitoring traffic of data-based packets in data communication; and

a third step of increasing or decreasing the number of voice channels for making voice communications in accordance with a change in the traffic of data-based packets,

wherein:

said second step includes the step of measuring the traffic of data-based packets in data communication for a given time; and

said third step includes the steps of:

calculating a data communication rate currently used for data communication based on the measured traffic for the given time; and

calculating the number of voice channels available for voice communication from the data communication rate, the rate of the communication line, and a rate required for one channel of the communication line; and

decreasing the number of currently enabled voice channels when the number of available voice channels is smaller than the number of currently enabled voice channels.

5. The button telephone apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein said button telephone apparatus is unable to make a new voice communication if the number of enabled voice channels is decreased.

6. The voice communication channel control method according to claim 4 , wherein a new voice communication cannot be made if the number of currently enabled voice channels is decreased.

7. The button telephone apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein said button telephone apparatus is inhibited from making a new voice communication if the number of enabled voice channels is decreased.

8. The voice communication channel control method according to claim 4 , wherein a making of a new voice communication is inhibited if the number of currently enabled voice channels is decreased.