Video conferencing system, conference terminal and image server
First Claim
1. A video conferencing system comprising:
- a plurality of conference terminals and a presence server for managing a location of a user of each of said plurality of conference terminals in a virtual space, wherein;
each of said plurality of conference terminals comprises;
an image data sending means, which sends image data of its-own-user, i.e. a user of the conference terminal in question (its-own conference terminal) to another conference terminal in response to an image sending request from said another conference terminal, i.e. a source of the request;
a location receiving means, which receives a location and a direction of said its-own-user in said virtual space;
a terminal side location information sending means, which sends its-own-user'"'"'s virtual location information that includes the location and the direction received by said location receiving means to said presence server;
a terminal side location information receiving means, which receives virtual location information of each of other-users, i.e. users of conference terminals other than its-own conference terminal from said presence server;
a forward user detection means, which detects, as a forward user or forward users, at least one other-user located forward from its-own-user in the virtual space, based on said virtual location information of its-own-user and said virtual location information of each of the other-users;
an image data receiving means, which sends an image sending request to a conference terminal of each of the forward users detected by said forward user detection means and receives image data of each of said forward users from the conference terminal of the forward user in question; and
a display control means, which displays, on a display, a conference screen that includes the image data (received by said image data receiving means) of each of said forward users; and
said presence server comprises;
a management means, which manages users′
virtual location information sent from each of said plurality of conference terminals; and
a sever side location information sending means, which sends, to each of said plurality of conference terminals, the location information of the user of each of the conference terminals other than the conference terminal in question.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
In a video conferencing system, required bandwidth is suppressed to a lower level and a key person or the like of a conference can be confirmed easily. A presence server 1 manages location information in a virtual space for a user of each conference terminal 2. Each conference terminal 2 sends image data of its own user to another conference terminal 2 in response to a request of that conference terminal 2. Further, each conference terminal 2 receives location information of its own user in the virtual space, sends the received location information to the presence server 1, and receives location information of the other users from the presence server 1. Then, based on the location information of its own user and the location information of the other users, the conference terminal 2 detects forward users located forward from its own user, and receives image data from the conference terminal 2 of each of the forward users.
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Citations
12 Claims
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1. A video conferencing system comprising:
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a plurality of conference terminals and a presence server for managing a location of a user of each of said plurality of conference terminals in a virtual space, wherein;
each of said plurality of conference terminals comprises;
an image data sending means, which sends image data of its-own-user, i.e. a user of the conference terminal in question (its-own conference terminal) to another conference terminal in response to an image sending request from said another conference terminal, i.e. a source of the request;
a location receiving means, which receives a location and a direction of said its-own-user in said virtual space;
a terminal side location information sending means, which sends its-own-user'"'"'s virtual location information that includes the location and the direction received by said location receiving means to said presence server;
a terminal side location information receiving means, which receives virtual location information of each of other-users, i.e. users of conference terminals other than its-own conference terminal from said presence server;
a forward user detection means, which detects, as a forward user or forward users, at least one other-user located forward from its-own-user in the virtual space, based on said virtual location information of its-own-user and said virtual location information of each of the other-users;
an image data receiving means, which sends an image sending request to a conference terminal of each of the forward users detected by said forward user detection means and receives image data of each of said forward users from the conference terminal of the forward user in question; and
a display control means, which displays, on a display, a conference screen that includes the image data (received by said image data receiving means) of each of said forward users; and
said presence server comprises;
a management means, which manages users′
virtual location information sent from each of said plurality of conference terminals; and
a sever side location information sending means, which sends, to each of said plurality of conference terminals, the location information of the user of each of the conference terminals other than the conference terminal in question. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4)
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5. A video conferencing system comprising:
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a plurality of conference terminals, a presence server for managing a location of a user of each of said plurality of conference terminals in a virtual space, and an image server for sending image data to each of said plurality of conference terminals, wherein;
each of said plurality of conference terminals comprises;
a terminal side image data sending means, which sends image data of its-own-user, i.e., a user of the conference terminal in question (its-own conference terminal) to said image server;
a location receiving means, which receives a location and a direction of said its-own-user in said virtual space;
a terminal side location information sending means, which sends its-own-user'"'"'s virtual location information that includes the location and the direction received by said location receiving means to said presence server;
a terminal side image data receiving means, which receives conference screen data from said image server; and
a display control means, which displays, on a display, the conference screen data received by said terminal side image data receiving means;
said image server comprises;
an image server side image data receiving means, which receives image data of a user of each of said plurality of conference terminals;
an image server side location information receiving means, which receives virtual location information of each of said plurality of conference terminals from said presence server;
a forward user detection means, which detects, as a forward user or forward users, at least one other-user (i.e. a user other than a user of a conference terminal in question) located forward from its-own-user (i.e. the user of the conference terminal in question) in the virtual space, based on the virtual location information of its-own-user and the virtual location information of each of other-users, for each of said plurality of conference terminals; and
an image server side image data sending means, which sends, to each of said plurality of conference terminals, conference screen data including the image data of each of the forward users detected in relation to the conference terminal in question by said forward user detection means, out of image data (received by said image sever side image data receiving means) of respective users of said plurality of conference terminals;
said presence server comprises;
a presence server side location information receiving means, which receives user'"'"'s virtual location information sent from each of said plurality of conference terminals;
a management means, which manages user'"'"'s virtual location information sent from each of said plurality of conference terminals; and
a presence server side location information sending means, which sends the virtual location information of each of said plurality of conference terminals to said image server, with said virtual location information being managed by said management means. - View Dependent Claims (6, 7, 8)
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9. A conference terminal, comprising:
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an image data sending means, which sends image data of its-own-user, i.e. a user of the conference terminal in question (its-own conference terminal) to another conference terminal in response to an image sending request from said another conference terminal, i.e. a source of the request;
a location receiving means, which receives a location and a direction of said its-own-user in said virtual space;
a terminal side location information sending means, which sends its-own-user'"'"'s virtual location information that includes the location and the direction received by a location receiving means to a presence server that manages a location, in said virtual space, of a user of each of a plurality of conference terminals participating in a video conference;
a terminal side location information receiving means, which receives virtual location information of each of other-users, i.e. users of conference terminals other than its-own conference terminal from said presence server;
a forward user detection means, which detects, as a forward user or forward users, at least one other-user located forward from its-own-user in the virtual space, based on said virtual location information of its-own-user and said virtual location information of each of the other-users;
an image data receiving means, which sends an image sending request to a conference terminal of each of the forward users detected by said forward user detection means and receives image data of each of said forward users from the conference terminal of the forward user in question; and
a display control means, which displays, on a display, a conference screen that includes the image data (received by said image data receiving means) of each of said forward users.
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10. A computer-readable program whichmakes a computer function as a conference terminalsaid conference terminal comprising:
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an image data sending means, which sends image data of its-own-user, i.e. a user of the conference terminal in question (its-own conference terminal) to another conference terminal in response to an image sending request from said another conference terminal, i.e. a source of the request;
a location receiving means, which receives a location and a direction of said its-own-user in said virtual space;
a terminal side location information sending means, which sends its-own-user'"'"'s virtual location information that includes the location and the direction received by a location receiving means to a presence server that manages a location, in said virtual space, of a user of each of a plurality of conference terminals;
that manages a location, in said virtual space, of a user of each of a plurality of conference terminals;
a terminal side location information receiving means, which receives virtual location information of each of other-users, i.e. users of conference terminals other than its-own conference terminal from said presence server;
a forward user detection means, which detects, as a forward user or forward users, at least one other-user located forward from its-own-user in the virtual space, based on said virtual location information of its-own-user and said virtual location information of each of the other-users;
an image data receiving means, which sends an image sending request to a conference terminal of each of the forward users detected by said forward user detection means and receives image data of each of said forward users from the conference terminal of the forward user in question; and
a display control means, which displays, on a display, a conference screen that includes the image data (received by said image data receiving means) of each of said forward users.
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11. An image server, which sends image data to each of plurality of conference terminals, comprising:
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an image server side image data receiving means, which receives image data of a user of each of said plurality of conference terminals;
an image server side location information receiving means, which receives virtual location information of each of said plurality of conference terminals from a presence server that manages a location, in a virtual space, of a user of each of a plurality of conference terminals;
a forward user detection means, which detects, as a forward user or forward users, at least one other-user (i.e. a user other than a user of a conference terminal in question) located forward from its-own-user (i.e. the user of the conference terminal in question) in the virtual space, based on the virtual location information of its-own-user and the virtual location information of each of other-users, for each of said plurality of conference terminals; and
an image server side image data sending means, which sends, to each of said plurality of conference terminals, conference screen data including the image data of each of the forward users detected in relation to the conference terminal in question by said forward user detection means, out of image data (received by said image sever side image data receiving means) of respective users of said plurality of conference terminals.
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12. A computer-readable program, which makes a computer function as an image server, said image server comprising:
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an image server side image data receiving means, which receives image data of a user of each of a plurality of conference terminals;
an image server side location information receiving means, which receives virtual location information of each of said plurality of conference terminals from a presence server that manages a location, in a virtual space, of a user of each of a plurality of conference terminals;
a forward user detection means, which detects, as a forward user or forward users, at least one other-user (i.e. a user other than a user of a conference terminal in question) located forward from its-own-user (i.e. the user of the conference terminal in question) in the virtual space, based on the virtual location information of its-own-user and the virtual location information of each of other-users, for each of said plurality of conference terminals; and
an image server side image data sending means, which sends, to each of said plurality of conference terminals, conference screen data including the image data of each of the forward users detected in relation to the conference terminal in question by said forward user detection means, out of image data (received by said image sever side image data receiving means) of respective users of said plurality of conference terminals.
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Specification