Control Device, Mobile Communication System, and Communication Terminal

• US 20080254813A1
• Filed: 04/08/2008
• Published: 10/16/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 04/16/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: NTT Docomo Incorporated (Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation)
• Original Assignee: NTT Docomo Incorporated (Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation)
• Inventors: Onda, Yasushi, Kano, Izua, Yamada, Eiju, Yamada, Kazuhiro, Murakami, Keiichi, Kamiya, Dai
• Application Number:
  US12/099,279
• Publication Number:
  US 20080254813A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/456.6
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1083 In-session procedures
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72427 for supporting games or graphical animations
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/50 Telephonic communication in combination with video communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/1025 of avatars
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/6009 Personal information, e.g. profiles or personal directories being only provided to authorised persons
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2207/18 wireless networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/14 with services dependent on location where the service is an information service H04M2242/15; services independent of location H04M3/42229
• 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 7/15 Conference systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/157 defining a virtual conference space and using avatars or agents computer conference optimisation or adaptation H04L12/1827
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services

Abstract

A control device comprises a first memory, a second memory, and a processor. The first memory is configured to store captured image data and alternative image data. The second memory is configured to store positional data in association with a communication terminal. The processor is configured to: retrieve from the second memory first positional data associated with a first communication terminal and second positional data associated with a second communication terminal; calculate a distance between a first position indicated by the first positional data and a second position indicated by the second positional data; and select image data to be sent to the first communication terminal from among captured image data or alternative image data, on the basis of the calculated distance, to allow the first communication terminal to display an image on the basis of the selected image data.

Claims

1. A control device comprising:

a first memory configured to store captured image data and alternative image data;

a second memory configured to store positional data in association with identification data of a communication terminal; and

a processor configured to;

retrieve from the second memory first positional data associated with identification data of a first communication terminal and second positional data associated with identification data of a second communication terminal;

calculate a distance between a first position indicated by the first positional data and a second position indicated by the second positional data;

select image data to be sent to the first communication terminal from among captured image data or alternative image data, on the basis of the calculated distance; and

if captured image data is selected, send captured image data stored in the first memory to the first communication terminal to allow the first communication terminal to display an alternative image on the basis of the alternative image data; and

if alternative image data is selected, send alternative image data stored in the first memory to the first communication terminal to allow the first communication terminal to display an alternative image on the basis of the alternative image data.

2. The control device according to claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to:

if the calculated distance is above a threshold value, select alternative image data as image data to be sent to the first communication terminal; and

if the calculated distance is less than or equal to the threshold value, select captured image data as image data to be sent to the first communication terminal.

3. The control device according to claim 1, further comprising a third memory configured to store a pair of telephone numbers of communication terminals that have communicated with each other, wherein:

the processor is further configured to search the third memory for a pair of a telephone number of the first communication terminal and a telephone number of the second communication terminal; and

if the calculated distance is above a threshold value, and the pair of the telephone number of the first communication terminal and the telephone number of the second communication terminal is found in the third memory, select captured image data as image data to be sent to the first communication terminal.

4. The control device according to claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to:

if the calculated distance is above a threshold value, select captured image data as image data to be sent to the first communication terminal; and

if the calculated distance is less than or equal to the threshold value, select alternative image data as image data to be sent to the first communication terminal.

5. The control device according to claim 1, further comprising a third memory configured to store a pair of telephone numbers of communication terminals that have communicated with each other, wherein:

the processor is further configured to search the third memory for a pair of a telephone number of the first communication terminal and a telephone number of the second communication terminal; and

if the calculated distance is less than or equal to a threshold value, and the pair of the telephone number of the first communication terminal and the telephone number of the second communication terminal is found in the third memory, select captured image data as image data to be sent to the first communication terminal.

6. The control device according to claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to:

if captured image data is selected as image data to be sent to the first communication terminal, send an instruction to the second communication terminal to send captured image data stored in the second communication terminal to the control device; and

if alternative image data is selected as image data to be sent to the first communication terminal, send an instruction to the second communication terminal to send alternative image data stored in the second communication terminal to the control device.

7. The control device according to claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to:

if captured image data is selected as image data to be sent to the first communication terminal, send an instruction to the second communication terminal to send captured image data stored in the second communication terminal to the control device; and

if alternative image data is selected as image data to be sent to the first communication terminal, receive identification data of alternative image data from the second communication terminal, and send the identification data to the first communication terminal to allow the first communication terminal to display an alternative image on the basis of alternative image data stored in the first communication terminal and identified by the identification data.

8. The control device according to claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to, if captured image data is selected as image data to be sent to the first communication terminal, send an instruction to the second communication terminal to send captured image data stored in the second communication terminal to the control device.

9. The control device according to claim 1, wherein:

the first memory is configured to store captured image data and alternative image data in association with identification data of a communication terminal; and

the processor is configured to, if alternative image data is selected as image data to be sent to the first communication terminal, send alternative image data stored in the first memory in association with identification data of the second communication terminal to the first communication terminal to allow the first communication terminal to display an alternative image on the basis of the alternative image data.

10. A mobile communication system comprising:

a first device including;

a first memory configured to store positional data in association with identification data of a communication terminal; and

a processor configured to;

retrieve from the first memory first positional data associated with identification data of a first communication terminal and second positional data associated with identification data of a second communication terminal; and

calculate a distance between a first position indicated by the first positional data and a second position indicated by the second positional data; and

a second device including;

a second memory configured to store captured image data and alternative image data; and

a processor configured to;

select image data to be sent to the first communication terminal from among captured image data or alternative image data, on the basis of the distance calculated by the first device; and

if captured image data is selected, send captured image data stored in the second memory to the first communication terminal to allow the first communication terminal to display an alternative image on the basis of the alternative image data; and

if alternative image data is selected, send alternative image data stored in the second memory to the first communication terminal to allow the first communication terminal to display an alternative image on the basis of the alternative image data.

11. A communication terminal comprising:

an image capture unit configured to capture an image to generate captured image data;

a memory that stores alternative image data;

a communication unit; and

a processor configured to;

determine whether a distance between a position of the communication terminal and a position of another communication terminal is less than or equal to a predetermined distance;

select captured image data generated by the image capture unit or the alternative image data stored in the memory, on the basis of a result of the determination; and

send the selected image data via the communication unit.

12. A communication terminal comprising:

an image capture unit configured to capture an image to generate captured image data;

a memory that stores alternative image data;

a communication unit; and

a processor configured to;

determine whether a distance between a position of the communication terminal and a position of another communication terminal is less than or equal to a predetermined distance;

select captured image data generated by the image capture unit or the alternative image data stored in the memory, on the basis of a result of the determination; and

send data indicating the selected image data via the communication unit.

13. The communication terminal according to claim 12, further comprising a display wherein:

the memory stores a plurality of pieces of alternative image data; and

the processor is further configured to;

receive data indicating alternative image data via the communication unit; and

cause the display to display an alternative image on the basis of alternative image data stored in the memory and indicated by the received data.