Communication terminal andcommunication system

• US 20020006804A1
• Filed: 07/10/2001
• Published: 01/17/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 07/12/2000
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Minolta Corporation Limited (Konica Minolta Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Minolta Corporation Limited (Konica Minolta Inc.)
• Inventors: Honda, Tsutomu, Nagata, Hideki, Ishimaru, Kazuhiko, Hagimori, Hitoshi, Mukai, Hiromu, Kuwana, Minoru
• Application Number:
  US09/901,008
• Publication Number:
  US 20020006804A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/518
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/57 Arrangements for indicating or recording the number of the calling subscriber at the called subscriber's set at the operator set in a manual exchange H04M5/20
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/724 User interfaces specially adapted for cordless or mobile telephones
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/56 Arrangements for connecting several subscribers to a common circuit, i.e. affording conference facilities video conference systems H04N7/15
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/564 whereby the feature is a sub-conference
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2007/145 Handheld terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/142 Constructional details of the terminal equipment, e.g. arrangements of the camera and the display

Abstract

A communication terminal is provided with a line establishing means which establishes lines to a plurality of different terminals on the other side in parallel with each other. Moreover, the communication terminal is provided with a microphone through which voice is inputted, and a communication control means for transmitting voice inputted through the microphone to a plurality of different terminals on the other side. Thus, it is possible to simultaneously transmit the voice to a plurality of partners. Furthermore, the communication control means can receive voices transmitted from a plurality of difference terminals on the other side, and since the voices received by the communication control means are outputted from a speaker, it is possible to carry out conversations among a plurality of users at the same time.

Claims

1. A communication terminal, which enables telephone conversations by voice, comprising:

a microphone through which voice is inputted;

a line establishing element that establishes lines to a plurality of terminals on the other side in parallel with each other;

a communication control element for transmitting the voice inputted through said microphone to said plurality of terminals on the other side, and for receiving voice transmitted from said plurality of terminals on the other side; and

a speaker for outputting the voice received by said communication control element.

2. A conversation system, which enables telephone conversations by voice among a plurality of communication terminals, at least one of said communication terminals comprising:

a microphone through which voice is inputted;

a line establishing element that establishes lines to a plurality of terminals on the other side in parallel with each other;

a communication control element for transmitting the voice inputted through said microphone to said plurality of terminals on the other side, and for receiving the voice transmitted from said plurality of terminals on the other side; and

a speaker for outputting voice received by said communication control element.

3. A conversation system, which enables telephone conversations by voice among a plurality of communication terminals, each of said communication terminals comprising:

a microphone through which voice is inputted;

a line establishing element that establishes lines to a plurality of terminals on the other side in parallel with each other;

a communication control element for transmitting the voice inputted through said microphone to said plurality of terminals on the other side, and for receiving said voice transmitted from said plurality of terminals on the other side; and

a speaker for outputting voice received by said communication control element.

4. The conversation system according to claim 3, wherein a first communication terminal of said plurality of communication terminals comprises:

an origination information generating element for generating origination information data related to a second communication terminal whose line has not been established to a third communication terminal; and

an origination information transmitting element for transmitting the origination information data, generated by said origination information generating element to said third communication terminal whose line has been established to said first communication terminal,

said third communication terminal comprises;

an origination information receiving element for receiving the origination information data transmitted by said first communication terminal, and

the line establishing element of said third communication terminal comprises;

a line automatic establishing element which, based upon the origination information data received by said origination information receiving element, establishes a line to said second communication terminal without terminating the line to said first communication terminal.

5. A line establishing method used in a conversation system, which enables telephone conversations by voice among a plurality of communication terminals, wherein each of said communication terminals comprises:

a microphone through which voice is inputted;

a line establishing element that establishes lines to a plurality of terminals on the other side in parallel with each other;

a communication control element for transmitting the voice inputted through said microphone to said plurality of terminals on the other side, and for receiving said voice transmitted from said plurality of terminals on the other side; and

a speaker for outputting voice received by said communication control element,

a first communication terminal of said plurality of communication terminals comprises;

an origination information generating element for generating origination information data related to a second communication terminal whose line has not been established to a third communication terminal; and

an origination information transmitting element for transmitting the origination information data, generated by said origination information generating element to said third communication terminal whose line has been established to said first communication terminal,

said third communication terminal comprises;

an origination information receiving element for receiving the origination information data transmitted by said first communication terminal, and

the line establishing element of said third communication terminal comprises;

a line automatic establishing element which, based upon the origination information data received by said origination information receiving element, establishes a line to said second communication terminal without terminating the line to said first communication terminal, and

said line establishing method comprising first to fourth steps, wherein

1) said first communication terminal establishes a line to said third communication terminal in said first step;

2) said first communication terminal establishes a line to said second communication terminal in said second step;

3) said first communication terminal transmits said origination information data to said third communication terminal in said third step; and

4) said third communication terminal establishes a line to said second communication terminal by using said line automatic establishing element, thereby allowing the lines to be mutually established among said first, second, and third communication terminals in said fourth step.

6. A communication terminal, which enables telephone conversations by voice, comprising:

an origination information receiving element for receiving origination information data related to another communication terminal A that is not having conversations with said terminal in question from still another communication terminal B that is currently having conversations with said terminal in question; and

a line automatic establishing element which, in response to receipt of said origination information data, establishes a line to said communication terminal A without terminating the line to said receiving terminal B.

7. The communication terminal according to claim 6, further comprising:

an origination information generating element for generating origination information data related to another communication terminal C; and

an origination information transmitting element for transmitting the origination information data related to said communication terminal C, generated by said origination information generating element, to still another communication terminal B that is having conversations with said terminal in question, but is not having conversations with said communication terminal C.

9. The communication terminal according to claim 7, further comprising:

a temporary terminating element for temporarily terminating a voice transmission and receipt to and from a specified terminal on the other side among a plurality of terminals on the other side whose lines have been established.

10. The communication terminal according to claim 7, further comprising:

a temporary terminating element for temporarily terminating a voice transmission to a specified terminal on the other side among a plurality of terminals on the other side whose lines have been established.

11. The communication terminal according to claim 9, wherein said temporary terminating element further comprises:

an element for allowing the user to visually recognize the terminal on the other side that has been specified so as to be temporarily terminated among the plurality of terminals on the other side.

12. The communication terminal according to claim 9, wherein said temporary terminating element further comprises:

an element which, when temporarily terminated as the specified terminal on the other side, allows the user thereof to recognize the temporary terminated state.

13. The communication terminal according to claim 7, further comprising:

a voice relaying element which relays and transmits voice received from a specified terminal on the other side among the plurality of terminals on the other side whose lines have been established, as it is, to another specified terminal on the other side.

8. A conversation system, which enables telephone conversations by voice among a plurality of communication terminals, each of said communication terminals comprising:

an origination information receiving element for receiving origination information data related to another communication terminal A that is not having conversations with the terminal in question from still another communication terminal B that is currently having conversations with the terminal in question;

a line automatic establishing element which, in response to receipt of said origination information data, establishes a line to said communication terminal A without terminating the line to said receiving terminal B;

an origination information generating element for generating origination information data related to still another communication terminal C; and

an origination information transmitting element for transmitting the origination information data related to said communication terminal C, generated by said origination information generating element, to still another communication terminal B that is having conversations with the terminal in question, but is not having conversations with said communication terminal C.

14. A communication terminal comprising:

a communication control element which establishes lines to a plurality of different terminals on the other side in parallel with each other; and

a transmission end identifying element which allows an operator of said communication terminal to visually recognize the current transmission end to said communication terminal by reflecting the result of discrimination as to which terminal of said plurality different terminals on the other side is currently transmitting communication information to said communication terminal to a display state of a visual displaying element installed on said communication terminal.

15. The communication terminal according to claim 14, wherein said communication information comprises a voice signal, and said communication control element comprises:

a transmission end discrimination element for discriminating which terminal of said plurality of different terminals on the other side has transmitted said received voice signal, and

said transmission end identifying element includes;

an element for allowing said visual displaying element to provide said visually discriminating display of said current transmission end, based upon discrimination information of said transmission end discrimination element.

16. The communication terminal according to claim 15, further comprising:

an element for displaying a list of dial numbers of said plurality of different terminals on the other side on said visual displaying element,

wherein said transmission end identifying element includes;

an element for displaying a dial number of said current transmission end in an emphasized manner from the dial numbers of said plurality of different terminals on the other side displayed on said visual displaying element.

17. The communication terminal according to claim 15, further comprising:

an element for dividing a display area of said visual displaying element into a plurality of division areas and for displaying guide information on each of said division areas for each of said plurality of different terminals on the other side,

wherein said transmission end identifying element includes;

an element for displaying said division area corresponding to said current transmission end in a display mode different from the rest of said division areas with respect to said plurality of division areas,

18. The communication terminal according to claim 17, wherein said transmission end identifying element includes:

an element for displaying a frame of said division area corresponding to said current transmission end in an emphasized manner from the rest of said division areas with respect to said plurality of division areas.

19. The communication terminal according to claim 17, wherein said transmission end identifying element includes:

an element for displaying said division area corresponding to said current transmission end with an increase in luminance from the rest of said division areas with respect to said plurality of division areas.

20. The communication terminal according to claim 17, wherein said transmission end identifying element includes:

an element for displaying said division area corresponding to said current transmission end in an enlarged manner from the rest of said division areas with respect to said plurality of division areas.

21. The communication terminal according to claim 17, wherein said communication control element further comprises:

an image receiving element for receiving an image transmitted from each of said plurality of different terminals on the other side, and

said visual displaying element is allowed to display the image that is currently being received, by said communication control element.

22. The communication terminal according to claim 21, wherein said guide information is an image received from each of said plurality of different terminals on the other side.

23. The communication terminal according to claim 21, wherein, among said plurality of different terminals on the other side, with respect to those terminals on the other side that have transmitted images, received images from the terminals on the other side are displayed as said guide information, while among said plurality of different terminals on the other side, with respect to those terminals on the other side that transmit no images, substituting information for identifying the terminals on the other side are displayed as said guide information.

24. A communication terminal comprising:

a communication control element which establishes lines to a plurality of different terminals on the other side in parallel with each other,

wherein said communication control element comprises;

a transmission end discriminating element for discriminating which terminal of said plurality of different terminals on the other side is currently transmitting voice information to said communication terminal,

said communication terminal further comprising;

a transmission end identifying element which, based upon discrimination information of said transmission end discriminating element, selects a different voice output element for each terminal on the other side from a plurality of voice output elements installed in said communication terminal, and which outputs said voice information from the selected voice output element so that the operator of said communication terminal is allowed to clearly recognize the current transmission end to said communication terminal.