VIDEO/AUDIO COMMUNICATION SYSTEM WITH CONFIRMATION CAPABILITY

• US 20020057347A1
• Filed: 03/11/1997
• Published: 05/16/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 03/13/1996
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Ayutthaya Limited (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Ayutthaya Limited (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: URISAKA, SHINYA, KAWAI, TOMOAKI
• Granted Patent: US 6,714,238 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/211.4
• 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

Abstract

There is disclosed a system in which, in order to vary the audio input/output characteristics in linkage with the camera operation and to thereby improve the realistic feeling, the camera control server of the CPU transfers the camera control command, received through the network, to the camera control device to control the camera. In more details, the camera control server also sends control commands to the audio input control device, the audio output device and the video display control device according to the camera control thereby controlling the input characteristics (spreading, direction and sensitivity) of the microphone and the output characteristics (spreading, direction and depth) of the speaker and varying the image displayed on the monitor. There is also disclosed technology for displaying, on the monitor, the information on the operator of the camera and on the receiver of the image, and for varying the direction of the monitor according to the panning or tilting operation of the camera.

Claims

1. An image communication system comprising:

image input means of which input state is remote controllable;

a transmission terminal including transmission means for transmitting the image, entered by said image input means, through a network;

a reception terminal including reception means for receiving the image, transmitted by said transmission means through said network, and control means for remote control of the input state of said image input means; and

providing means for providing, at said transmission terminal, information on the control state of said image input means.

2. An image communication system according to claim 1, wherein said image input means is a video camera.

3. An image communication system according to claim 1, wherein the control state of said image input means is the zoom ratio of said video camera.

4. A transmission terminal adapted to connected with a reception terminal including reception means for receiving an image transmitted through a network and control means for controlling the input state of image input means of a partner terminal through the network, comprising:

image input means of which input state is remote controllable;

transmission means for transmitting the image, entered by said image input means, through the network; and

providing means for providing information on the control state of said providing means for providing information on the control state of said image input means.

5. An image communication system according to claim 4, wherein said image input means is a video camera.

6. An image communication system according to claim 4, wherein the control state of said image input means is the zoom ratio of said video camera.

7. A reception terminal adapted to be connected with a transmission terminal including image input means of which input state is remote controllable and transmission means for transmitting the image, entered by said image input means, through the network, comprising:

reception means for receiving the image transmitted by said transmission means through said network; and

control means for remote controlling the input state of said image input means.

8. A reception terminal according to claim 7, wherein said image input means is a video camera.

9. A reception terminal according to claim 7, wherein the control state of said image input means is the zoom ratio of said video camera.

10. An image/sound communication system comprising:

image input means of which zoom ratio is remote controllable;

sound input means;

delivery means for delivering the image and the sound captured by said image input means and said sound input means onto a network;

image display means for displaying the images of plural sites delivered by said delivery means; and

means adapted to provide the person to be observed at the image transmitting side with information and to vary the displayed information according to the zooming operation of said image input means.

11. An image/sound communication system according to claim 10, wherein said information providing means is adapted to display at least either of the still icons and the names of the observer of the transmitted image and the operator of said image input means.

12. An image/sound communication system according to claim 10 or 11, wherein said information providing means is adapted to provide information relating to the zooming magnification of said image input means.

13. An image/sound communication system according to claim 10, wherein said information providing means is a monitor mounted at the side of said image input means.

14. An image/sound communication system according to claim 11, wherein said information providing means is a monitor mounted at the side of said image input means.

15. An image/sound communication system according to claim 12, wherein said information providing means is a monitor mounted at the side of said image input means.

17. An image/sound communication system according to claim 16, wherein said information providing means is a monitor mounted at the side of said image input means and adapted to vary the direction according to the image taking direction of said image input means.

16. An image/sound communication system comprising:

image input means of which at least one of the panning, tilting and zooming operations is remote controllable;

sound input means;

delivery means for delivering the image and the sound captured by said image input means and said sound input means onto a network;

image display means for displaying images transmitted from plural sites by said delivery means; and

means adapted to provide the person to be observed at the image transmitting side with information and to vary the directionality of the sound input means and the sound field of sound output means according to at least one of the panning, tilting and zooming operations of said image input means.