Communication apparatus for transmitting and receiving digital information to and from another communication apparatus

• US 10,389,978 B2
• Filed: 08/23/2018
• Issued: 08/20/2019
• 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:
  US16/110,331
• Publication Number:
  US 20180367760A1
• Time in Patent Office: 362 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 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;

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

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

2. 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 deactivates the storing of the video signal and the audio signal; and

wherein the processor outputs the third digital information to the another communication apparatus and displays the second digital information on the display.

3. The communication apparatus according to claim 2,

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

4. The communication apparatus according to claim 3,

wherein when the processor receives the input for stopping the videophone call, the processor restarts the storing of the video signal and the audio signal.

5. The communication apparatus according to claim 3,

wherein when the processor receives the input for stopping the videophone call, the processor keeps a state of the camera operative.

6. The communication apparatus according to claim 2,

wherein when the processor receives the inbound videophone call notice while storing the audio signal and the video signal, the processor keeps a state of the camera operative.

7. The communication apparatus according to claim 2,

wherein when the processor receives the inbound videophone call notice while storing the audio signal and the video signal, the processor switches a function of storing the audio signal and the video signal to a function of processing video information of the second digital information of the videophone call.

8. The communication apparatus according to claim 2, 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.

9. The communication apparatus according to claim 2,

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