Communication apparatus and method for receiving an inbound videophone call notice while displaying digital information on the display

• US 10,084,991 B2
• Filed: 12/11/2017
• Issued: 09/25/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 09/25/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Maxell, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Maxell, Ltd.
• Inventors: Iwabuchi, Kazunori, Mizosoe, Hiroki, Shimoda, Mutsumi, Bondan, Setiawan, Sasamoto, Manabu
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Khai N
• Application Number:
  US15/837,402
• Publication Number:
  US 20180109761A1
• Time in Patent Office: 288 Days
• Field of Search: 348 1401, 348 1402, 348 1403, 348 1404, 348 1405, 348 1406, 348 1407, 348 1408, 348 1409, 348 141, 348 1411, 348 1412, 348 1413, 348 1414, 348 1515, 348 1416, 37926503, 4554141, 455566, 704270
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1063 Application servers providing network services systems providing special services to telephonic subscribers H04M3/42
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/254 Management at additional data server, e.g. shopping server, rights management server arrangements for maintenance or administration in data networks H04L41/00; network services using third party service providers H04L67/53
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42203 sound input device, e.g. microphone
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4223 Cameras H04N23/00 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/431 Generation of visual interfaces for content selection or interaction; Content or additional data rendering
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4788 communicating with other users, e.g. chatting arrangements for providing for computer conferences, e.g. chat rooms, to substation in data switching networks H04L12/1813; distributed application using peer-to-peer [P2P] networks H04L67/104
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/141 between two video terminals, e.g. videophone telephonic communication systems combined with television receiver for reception of entertainment or information matter H04M11/085
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/142 Constructional details of the terminal equipment, e.g. arrangements of the camera and the display
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/147 Communication arrangements, e.g. identifying the communication as a video-communication, intermediate storage of the signals selecting H04Q
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/148 Interfacing a video terminal to a particular transmission medium, e.g. ISDN
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

A videophone system includes a processor which selectively sets a television (TV) broadcast program viewing function mode and videophone function mode in response to manual operation of a remote control, a decoder which performs, in the TV program view mode, a TV program-use decode function for decoding a broadcast program signal received from a TV tuner to thereby display it on a display screen while producing audio sounds by loudspeakers and which performs, in the videophone function mode a videophone-use decode function for decoding a videophone signal received from a distant party to thereby display on the screen an image of the distant party using the screen and speakers, and an encoder which performs a videophone-use encode function for encoding a video signal from a camera and a voice signal from a microphone to generate a videophone signal, which is sent to the distant party via a network.

Claims

1. A communication apparatus for transmitting and receiving digital information to and from another communication apparatus, comprising:

a network interface configured to receive first digital information which is received from a contents server which is coupled to the communication apparatus via the network interface and second digital information from the another communication apparatus;

a camera configured to generate video information which is included in third digital information;

a display configured to display at least the first and the second digital information; and

a processor;

wherein when the processor receives an inbound videophone call notice while displaying the first digital information on the display, the processor pauses the displaying of the first digital information and renders the camera operative;

wherein the processor outputs the third digital information to the another communication apparatus and displays the second digital information of the videophone call on the display; and

wherein when the processor receives an input for stopping the videophone call, the processor stops output of the third digital information and stops the camera.

2. The communication apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein after the videophone call is finished, the processor restarts the displaying of the first digital information.

3. The communication apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising a microphone configured to generate audio information which is included in the third digital information.

4. The communication apparatus according to claim 3,

wherein when the processor receives the inbound videophone call notice while displaying the first digital information on the display, the processor switches a function of processing video information of the first digital information to a function of processing video information of the second digital information of the videophone call.

5. The communication apparatus according to claim 4,

wherein when the processor receives an input for making an outbound videophone call to the another communication apparatus, the processor renders the camera and microphone operative and displays information indicating the outbound videophone call on the display calling message.

6. The communication apparatus according to claim 5, further comprising an echo canceller which cancels an audio signal of the first digital information from an audio signal that is output from the microphone.

7. The communication apparatus according to claim 6,

wherein the processor processes the first digital information with an HTML browser.

8. A method for transmitting and receiving digital information for a communication apparatus,

wherein the communication apparatus comprises a camera, a network interface, a display and a processor;

and

wherein the method is executed by the processor,

the method comprising the steps of;

displaying first digital information which is received from a contents server which is coupled to the communication apparatus via the network interface;

upon receiving an inbound videophone call notice while playing the first digital information,

pausing the displaying of the first digital information;

rendering the camera operative;

receiving second digital information from the another communication apparatus via the network interface;

generating video information which is included in third digital information by the camera;

displaying the second digital information on the display; and

outputting the third digital information to an another communication apparatus;

upon receiving an input for stopping the videophone call,

stopping output of the third digital information; and

stopping the camera.

9. The method according to claim 8, further comprising the step of:

restarting the displaying of the first digital information after the videophone call is finished.

10. The method according to claim 9,

wherein the communication apparatus further comprises a microphone, and

the method further comprising the step of:

generating audio information which is included in the third digital information by the microphone.

11. The method according to claim 10, further comprising the step of:

upon receiving the inbound videophone call notice while displaying the first digital information,

switching a function of processing video information of the first digital information to a function of processing video information of the second digital information of the videophone call.

12. The method according to claim 11, further comprising the steps of:

upon receiving an input for making an outbound videophone call to the another communication apparatus,

rendering the camera and microphone operative; and

displaying information indicating the outbound videophone call on the display at the same time.

13. The method according to claim 12,

wherein the communication apparatus further comprising an echo canceller,

the method further comprising the step of:

cancelling an audio signal of the first digital information form an audio signal that is output from the microphone by the echo canceller.

14. The method according to claim 13, further comprising the step of:

processing the first digital information with an HTML (Hypertext Markup Language) browser.

15. A communication apparatus for transmitting and receiving digital information to and from another communication apparatus, comprising:

a network interface configured to receive first digital information which is received from a contents server which is coupled to the communication apparatus via the network interface and second digital information from the another communication apparatus;

a camera configured to generate video information which is included in a third digital information;

a display configured to display at least the first and the second digital information; and

a processor;

wherein when the processor receives an inbound videophone call notice while displaying the first digital information on the display, the processor renders the camera operative;

wherein the processor outputs the third digital information to the another communication apparatus, displays the first digital information on the display and displays the second digital information of the videophone call on the display, simultaneously; and

wherein when the processor receives an input for stopping the videophone call, the processor stops output of the third digital information and stops the camera.

16. A communication apparatus for transmitting and receiving digital information to and from another communication apparatus, comprising:

a network interface configured to receive first digital information which is received from a contents server which is coupled to the communication apparatus via the network interface and second digital information from the another communication apparatus;

a camera configured to generate video information which is included in third digital information;

a microphone configured to generate audio information which is included in the third digital information;

a display configured to display at least the first and the second digital information; and

a processor;

wherein when the processor receives an inbound videophone call notice while storing a video signal from the camera and storing an audio signal from the microphone, the processor pauses the storing of the video signal and the audio signal and renders the camera operative;

wherein the processor outputs the third digital information to the another communication apparatus and displays the second digital information of the videophone call on the display; and

wherein when the processor receives an input for stopping the videophone call, the processor stops output of the third digital information and restarts to store the video signal and the audio signal.