Receiving and sending method of mobile TV phone and mobile TV phone terminal

• US 20050221771A1
• Filed: 04/05/2005
• Published: 10/06/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 04/06/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Inventors: Himeno, Yasuhiro
• Granted Patent: US 7,493,139 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/90.300
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72436 for text messaging, e.g. short messaging services [SMS] or e-mails
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72439 for image or video messaging
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41407 embedded in a portable device, e.g. video client on a mobile phone, PDA, laptop constructional details of equipment or arrangements specially adapted for portable computer application G06F1/1626; arrangements specially adapted for mobile receivers in broadcast systems H04H20/57
• 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

Abstract

A unit for realizing a TV phone by using an image and a character message by a relatively simple method in a manner mode is provided. In the manner mode of one mobile TV phone terminal, a control unit for controlling the operation of the one mobile TV phone terminal prohibits the sound input via a microphone of the one mobile TV phone terminal and the sound output via a speaker and operates an SMS function with a TV phone function. A line between the one mobile TV phone terminal and another one is connected, an SMS message is created by operating a key input unit of the one mobile TV phone terminal, and a send key is pressed. Then, the message data is sent to the other mobile TV phone terminal via one base station, an SMS server, and another base station. A display unit of the other mobile TV phone terminal displays the message together with the image sent via a TV phone exchange.

Claims

1. A receiving and sending method of a mobile TV phone having a TV phone function, an SMS (Short Message Service) function, together with a function for setting and resetting a manner mode, comprising the steps of:

prohibiting the sound input via a microphone and the sound output via a speaker of the mobile TV phone and starting the SMS function together with the TV phone function, upon executing the communication by the TV phone function in the manner mode;

sending, via an SMS server by the SMS function, character data inputted from a key input unit of the mobile TV phone; and

displaying, on a display unit of the mobile TV phone, a message from sender'"'"'s terminal received by the SMS function and an image from the sender'"'"'s terminal received by the TV phone function.

2. A receiving and sending method of a mobile TV phone according to claim 1, further comprising the step of:

prohibiting the display operation of the SMS message from a third party until ending the communication by the TV phone function, upon receiving the SMS message from the third party in the communication by the TV phone function.

3. A receiving and sending method of a mobile TV phone according to claim 2, further comprising:

overlaying the message to the image from the sender'"'"'s terminal received by the TV phone function and displaying the overlaid message in a speech balloon format.

4. A receiving and sending method of a mobile TV phone having a TV phone function, a phone book function, and an email function, together with a function for setting and resetting a manner mode, comprising the steps of:

prohibiting the sound input via a microphone and the sound output via a speaker of the mobile TV phone and starting the phone book function and the email function together with the TV phone function, upon executing the communication by the TV phone function in the manner mode;

sending, via an email server by the email function, character data inputted from a key input unit of the mobile TV phone to an email address searched by the phone book function; and

displaying, on a display unit of the mobile TV phone, a message from sender'"'"'s terminal received by the email function and an image from the sender'"'"'s terminal received by the TV phone function.

5. A receiving and sending method of a mobile TV phone having a TV phone function, a function for converting character data into a voice signal and sending the voice signal, and a function for converting the received voice signal into character data, together with a function for setting and resetting a manner mode, comprising the steps of:

prohibiting the sound input via a microphone and the sound output via a speaker of the mobile TV phone and starting the function for converting the character data into the voice data and sending the converted sound data and the function for converting the received voice data into the character data together with the TV phone function, upon executing the communication by the TV phone function in the manner mode;

converting the character data inputted from a key input unit of the mobile TV phone and sending the converted voice signal; and

displaying, on a display unit of the mobile TV phone, an image from sender'"'"'s terminal received by the TV phone function and a message obtained by converting the received voice signal from the sender'"'"'s terminal into the character data.

6. A mobile radio terminal having manner-mode setting/resetting means with a TV phone function and an SMS (Short Message Service) function, comprising:

means for prohibiting the sound input via a microphone and the sound output via a speaker of the mobile radio terminal and starting the SMS function together with the TV phone function, upon executing the communication by the TV phone function in the manner mode set by the manner-mode setting/resetting means;

means for sending, via an SMS server by the SMS function, character data inputted from a key input unit of the mobile radio terminal; and

means for displaying, on a display unit of the mobile radio terminal, a message from sender'"'"'s terminal received by the SMS function and an image from the sender'"'"'s terminal received by the TV phone function.

7. A mobile radio terminal according to claim 6, further comprising:

means for prohibiting the display operation of the SMS message from a third party until ending the communication by the TV phone function, upon receiving the SMS message from the third party in the communication by the TV phone function.

8. A mobile radio terminal according to claim 6, further comprising:

means for overlaying the message to the image from the sender'"'"'s terminal received by the TV phone function and displaying the overlaid image in a speech balloon format.

9. A mobile radio terminal according to claim 6, further comprising:

an ear phone terminal,

wherein the sound from the sender'"'"'s terminal can be received by an ear phone connected to the ear phone terminal in the manner mode.

10. A mobile radio terminal according to claim 6, wherein the manner-mode setting/resetting means comprises means for automatically setting the mobile radio terminal to the manner mode on receipt of a predetermined signal indicating a specific area and resetting the manner mode when the mobile radio terminal shifts out of the specific area.

11. A mobile radio terminal having manner-mode setting/resetting means with a TV phone function, a phone book function, and an email function, comprising:

means for prohibiting the sound input via a microphone and the sound output via a speaker of the mobile radio terminal and starting the phone book function and the email function together with the TV phone function, upon executing the communication by the TV phone function in the manner mode set by the manner-mode setting/resetting means;

means for sending, via an email server by the email function, character data inputted from a key input unit of the mobile radio terminal to an email address searched by the phone book function; and

means for displaying, on a display unit of the mobile radio terminal, a message from sender'"'"'s terminal received by the email function and an image from the sender'"'"'s terminal received by the TV phone function.

12. A mobile radio terminal having manner-mode setting/resetting means with a TV phone function, a character data/voice converting function for converting character data into a voice signal, and a voice/character data converting function for converting the voice signal into the character data, comprising:

means for prohibiting the sound input via a microphone and the sound output via a speaker of the mobile radio terminal and starting the character data/voice converting function and the voice/character data converting function together with the TV phone function, upon executing the communication by the TV phone function in the manner mode set by the manner-mode setting/resetting means;

means for converting character data inputted from a key input unit of the mobile radio terminal into a voice signal by the character data/voice converting function and sending the converted voice signal; and

means for displaying, on a display unit of the mobile radio terminal, an image from sender'"'"'s terminal received by the TV phone function and a message obtained by converting the received voice signal from the sender'"'"'s terminal into the character data by the voice/character data converting function.