Computer program product for TV telephone system

• US 20030070177A1
• Filed: 10/08/2002
• Published: 04/10/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 10/10/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Minolta Corporation Limited (Konica Minolta Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Minolta Corporation Limited (Konica Minolta Inc.)
• Inventors: Kondo, Takashi, Huang, Yong Xin
• Application Number:
  US10/266,974
• Publication Number:
  US 20030070177A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/106
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2007/145 Handheld terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41265 having a remote control device for bidirectional communication between the remote control device and client device unidirectional remote control device H04N21/42204
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4223 Cameras H04N23/00 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4312 involving specific graphical features, e.g. screen layout, special fonts or colors, blinking icons, highlights or animations
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4314 for fitting data in a restricted space on the screen, e.g. EPG data in a rectangular grid
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43615 Interfacing a Home Network, e.g. for connecting the client to a plurality of peripherals home Audio Video Interoperability [HAVI] data switching networks H04L12/2805
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43637 involving a wireless protocol, e.g. Bluetooth, RF or wireless LAN [IEEE 802.11] arrangements for wireless networking or broadcasting of information in indoor or near-field type systems H04B10/114
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44008 involving operations for analysing video streams, e.g. detecting features or characteristics in the video stream arrangements characterised by components specially adapted for monitoring, identification or recognition of video in broadcast systems H04H60/59
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44227 Monitoring of local network, e.g. connection or bandwidth variations; Detecting new devices in the local network configuring of peripheral devices in general G06F9/4411; monitoring connectivity in data switched networks H04L43/0811
• 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 5/45 Picture in picture , e.g. displaying simultaneously another television channel in a region of the screen
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/106 for domestic distribution
• 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

Abstract

There is provided a controller capable of effectively using a camera in a TV telephone system and a technique related to the same.

A server controls a TV telephone system including stationary cameras and a portable telephone having a built-in camera. The server can perform a short-range radio communication with the portable telephone and can perform a communication with the stationary cameras and the like via a household network. The server can receive a video signal from the built-in camera and a video signal from the stationary cameras. The server selects one of the video signals as a video signal to be transmitted to the other party of the portable telephone, and transmits the selected video signal to the other party of the portable telephone during a call of the portable telephone. The stationary cameras also function as a monitor camera.

Claims

1. A program product which can be read by a computer provided in a controller of a television telephone system including a telephone having a first camera, and a second camera, the program product comprising the instructions of:

selecting, as a video signal to be transmitted to the other party of the telephone, one of a video signal from the first camera and a video signal from the second camera; and

transmitting the selected video signal to the other party of the telephone during a call of the telephone.

2. The program product according to claim 1, wherein

resolution of the second camera is higher than that of the first camera.

3. The program product according to claim 1, wherein

the video signal is selected in accordance with a signal generated from the telephone.

4. The program product according to claim 1, wherein

the video signal is selected in accordance with the position of the telephone.

5. The program product according to claim 1, wherein

the television telephone system has a first display device provided for the telephone and a second display device provided separately from the telephone,

each of the first and second display devices can display a reception video image transmitted from the other party, and

the program product further comprises an instruction of switching a display target of the reception video image transmitted from the other party between the first and second display devices during a call by the telephone.

6. The program product according to claim 5, further comprising an instruction of:

displaying the reception video image transmitted from the other party on the second display device when the video signal from the second camera is selected as a video signal to be transmitted to the other party of the telephone.

7. A program product which can be read by a computer provided in a controller of a television telephone system including a telephone and a camera provided separately from the telephone, the program product comprising the instructions of:

determining whether radio communication can be performed between the controller and the telephone; and

switching an operation mode of the camera to a monitoring mode in which the camera is used as a monitor camera when the radio communication cannot be performed between the telephone and the controller.

8. The program product according to claim 7, wherein

the telephone has a display device for displaying a video signal transmitted from the other party, and

the program product further comprises an instruction of transmitting captured image data to the telephone when an abnormal condition is detected by the camera executing a monitoring mode.

9. The program product according to claim 7, further comprising the instruction of:

executing automatic sound communication which generates sound notifying an occurrence of the abnormal condition when the abnormal condition is detected by the camera executing the monitoring mode.

10. A program product which can be read by a computer provided in a controller of a television telephone system having a camera, the program product comprising the instructions of:

determining whether the operator requests setting of a monitor mode in which the camera is used as a monitor camera or not; and

switching an operation mode of the camera to the monitor mode when the operator requests setting of the monitoring mode.