Teleconferencing server and teleconferencing system

• US 20040015550A1
• Filed: 03/24/2003
• Published: 01/22/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 03/26/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fujifilm Corporation (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Fuji Photo Film Co Limited (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Nakamura, Hiroaki
• Granted Patent: US 7,225,224 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/204
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/26 Speech to text systems G10L15/08 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 21/06 Transformation of speech into a non-audible representation, e.g. speech visualisation or speech processing for tactile aids G10L15/26 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/4038 with floor control
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/2061 Language aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/567 Multimedia conference systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/234336 by media transcoding, e.g. video is transformed into a slideshow of still pictures or audio is converted into text
• 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

Disclosed herein is a teleconferencing system that enables disabled persons to conveniently participate in teleconferences. The format converting means of the server converts text or voice data inputted from a transmitting party to the receiving method corresponding to the telephone terminal of each destination terminal registered in the registration portion to obtain transmission data matched to the receiving method of each of the telephone terminals. A transmitting portion sends the transmission data to the respective telephone terminals.

Claims

1. A teleconferencing server which realizes teleconferencing utilizing a plurality of telephone terminals, comprising:

an input format and reception format registering means for registering the input format and the reception format of each of the telephone terminals,

a receiving means for receiving the input data inputted from the telephone terminals in the input format of the respective telephone terminal,

a conversion means for converting the received input data to data conforming to the reception format of each of the plurality of telephone terminals, and

a transmitting means for transmitting the converted input data converted by the conversion means to the telephone terminal having the target reception format.

2. A teleconferencing server as defined in claim 1, wherein

the input formats and reception formats include at least three of voice, text, Braille, and image.

3. A teleconferencing server as defined in claim 1, further comprising:

a language type recording means for recording the language utilized by the user of each of the telephone terminals, and

a language type conversion means for converting the input data to the language type utilized by each user, wherein

the transmitting means is a means for transmitting the converted input data converted by the language type conversion means to the target telephone terminal.

4. A teleconferencing server as defined in claim 2, further comprising:

a language type recording means for recording the language utilized by the user of each of the telephone terminals, and

a language type conversion means for converting the input data to the language type utilized by each user, wherein

the transmitting means is a means for transmitting the converted input data converted by the language type conversion means to the target telephone terminal.

6. A teleconferencing system as defined in claim 4, wherein

the reproduction format setting means is a means capable of setting a plurality of reproduction formats,

the distribution data format converting means is a means for converting each distribution data to the respective reproduction format set by the reproduction format setting means, and

the reproduction means is a means capable of reproducing distribution data corresponding to each of the formats converted to by the reproduction format converting means.

5. A teleconferencing system comprising a plurality of telephone terminals and a teleconferencing server, wherein

the telephone terminals transmit as distribution data the input data that is transmitted from each telephone terminal to the telephone terminals other than the telephone terminal that has transmitted said input data, further comprising

a communication means for performing the transmission of the input data from the telephone terminals to the teleconferencing server, and the reception of the distribution data from the teleconferencing server,

an input means for inputting the input data transmitted from the communication means to the teleconferencing server,

a reproduction format setting means for setting the reproduction format of the distribution data from the teleconferencing server which has been received by way of the communication portion,

a distribution data format converting means for converting the reproduction format of said distribution data to the format appropriate to that set by the reproduction format setting means, and

a reproduction means for reproducing the distribution data converted by the distribution data format converting means in the reproduction format set by the reproduction format setting means.