COMMUNICATION SYSTEM, COMMUNICATION APPARATUS, COMMUNICATION PROGRAM, AND COMPUTER-READABLE STORAGE MEDIUM STORED WITH THE COMMUNICATION PROGRAM

• US 20090222572A1
• Filed: 04/27/2007
• Published: 09/03/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 05/02/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Interactive Entertainment Inc. (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Computer Entertainment Incorporated (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Fujihara, Masahiro
• Granted Patent: US 8,621,088 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/232
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/185 with management of multicast group membership
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/00 User-to-user messaging in packet-switching networks, transmitted according to store-and-forward or real-time protocols, e.g. e-mail
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/10 Multimedia information
• 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

Multiple client apparatus 1 belonging to a predetermined communication group connected to the Internet 30 transmit and receive with each other video data corresponding to an image videotaped by a video camera 11 and audio data corresponding to voice input from a microphone 12. One of the multiple client apparatus 1 determines the number of client apparatus 1 belonging to the communication group, and decides transmission quality of the video data according to the determined number. The multiple client apparatus 1 belonging to the communication group transmits the video data according to the transmission quality.

Claims

1. A communication system in which a communication apparatus, which belongs to a predetermined communication group formed by a plurality of communication apparatus connected to a network, transmits to another communication apparatus belonging to the communication group, video data according to an image shot by an image shooting means and audio data according to voice input from a sound input means, receives video data and audio data transmitted from the other communication apparatus, displays on a display means a video image represented by the video data, and outputs voice represented by audio data to an audio output means;

said communication system comprising;

determination means for determining the number of communication apparatus belonging to the communication group; and

decision means for deciding transmission quality of the video data according to the number determined by the determination means, wherein

the plurality of communication apparatus transmits the video data according to the transmission quality decided by the decision means.

2. The communication system according to claim 1, wherein the transmission quality is at least either resolution or transmission frequency of the video data.

3. The communication system according to claim 1, wherein the decision means decides the transmission quality of the video data according to at least one of processing environment and connection environment of the communication apparatus.

4. The communication system according to claim 1, wherein the communication apparatus displays the video image represented by the video data and the image shot by the image shooting means.

5. The communication system according to claim 1, wherein the communication apparatus comprises:

reproducing means for reproducing contents; and

display control means for controlling display size for displaying on the display means at least either the image shot by the image shooting means or the image corresponding to the video data transmitted from the other communication apparatus according to whether the reproducing means is reproducing contents.

6. The communication system according to claim 1, wherein the communication apparatus comprises:

reproducing means for reproducing contents including display position specifying information specifying image display position; and

display control means for displaying the video image, in the case of displaying on the display means at least either the image shot by the image shooting means or the image corresponding to the video data transmitted from the other communication apparatus while contents are being reproduced by the reproducing means, at a display position specified by the display position specifying information read out by the reproducing means in accordance with reproduction of the contents.

7. A communication apparatus, which belongs to a predetermined communication group formed by a plurality of communication apparatus connected to a network, comprising:

communication means for transmitting to another communication apparatus belonging to the communication group, video data corresponding to an image shot by an image shooting means and audio data corresponding to voice input from a sound input means, and receiving video data and audio data transmitted from the other communication apparatus;

determination means for determining the number of communication apparatus belonging to the communication group;

decision means for deciding transmission quality of the video data according to the number determined by the determination means; and

quality notification means for transmitting to the other communication apparatus belonging to the predetermined communication group, quality request data requesting transmission of the video data according to the transmission quality decided by the decision means.

8. A communication program, which is executed by a computer included in a communication apparatus belonging to a predetermined communication group formed by a plurality of communication apparatus connected to a network, comprising the steps of:

transmitting to another communication apparatus belonging to the communication group, video data according to an image shot by an image shooting means and audio data according to voice input from a sound input means;

receiving video data and audio data transmitted from the other communication apparatus;

determining the number of communication apparatus belonging to the communication group;

deciding transmission quality of the video data according to the number determined by the determination means; and

transmitting to the other communication apparatus belonging to the predetermined communication group, quality request data requesting transmission of the video data according to the transmission quality decided by the decision means.

9. A computer-readable storage medium stored with the communication program according to claim 8.