Television receiver with a TV phone function

• US 20100073455A1
• Filed: 06/04/2009
• Published: 03/25/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/25/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Maxell, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Shimoda, Mutsumi, Bondan, Setiawan, Iwabuchi, Kazunori, Mizosoe, Hiroki, Sasamoto, Manabu
• Granted Patent: US 8,363,087 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/14.40
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1063 Application servers providing network services systems providing special services to telephonic subscribers H04M3/42
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/254 Management at additional data server, e.g. shopping server, rights management server arrangements for maintenance or administration in data networks H04L41/00; network services using third party service providers H04L67/53
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42203 sound input device, e.g. microphone
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4223 Cameras H04N23/00 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/431 Generation of visual interfaces for content selection or interaction; Content or additional data rendering
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/142 Constructional details of the terminal equipment, e.g. arrangements of the camera and the display
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

A videophone system includes a processor which selectively sets a television (TV) broadcast program viewing function mode and videophone function mode in response to manual operation of a remote control, a decoder which performs, in the TV program view mode, a TV program-use decode function for decoding a broadcast program signal received from a TV tuner to thereby display it on a display screen while producing audio sounds by loudspeakers and which performs, in the videophone function mode a videophone-use decode function for decoding a videophone signal received from a distant party to thereby display on the screen an image of the distant party using the screen and speakers, and an encoder which performs a videophone-use encode function for encoding a video signal from a camera and a voice signal from a microphone to generate a videophone signal, which is sent to the distant party via a network.

Claims

1. A television receiver with video telephone function for receiving a digital broadcast program signal and for transmitting and receiving a video telephone signal to and from another television receiver with video telephone function to thereby perform videophone communication, said television receiver comprising:

a decoder being adapted to decode the received digital broadcast program signal and the video telephone signal;

a display panel being adapted to display a video image upon receipt of a video signal decoded by said decoder and supplied therefrom;

a speaker to which an audio signal decoded by said decoder is supplied;

a camera;

a microphone; and

an encoder being adapted to encode output signals of the camera and the microphone and for generating-a video telephone signal to be transmitted for the videophone communication.

2. The television receiver with video telephone function according to claim 1, further comprising:

a unit being adapted to detect completion of a decoding operation of the video telephone signal of said decoder and for stopping an encoding operation of said encoder for generation of the video telephone signal.

3. The television receiver with video telephone function according to claim 2, wherein

said decoder includes a first decoder operative to decode the received digital broadcast program signal and a second decoder operative to decode the video telephone signal,

said display panel being adapted to perform two-window display for simultaneously displaying on one screen a video image based on the digital broadcast program signal decoded by said first decoder and a video image based on the video telephone signal decoded by said second decoder,

the television receiver further comprises an echo canceller being adapted to receive an audio signal outputted from said microphone and an input audio signal of said speaker, wherein an echo signal due to mixture of audio sounds from said speaker into the audio signal as output from said microphone is canceled by said echo canceller using the input audio signal of said speaker and is then supplied to said encoder.

4. A video telephone system using a plurality of videophone function-added television receivers which are linked together by a network for enabling video/voice-based telecommunications between the videophone function-added television receivers, wherein

each of the videophone function-added television receivers includes:

a decoder having a videophone-use decoding function for decoding a video telephone signal from another videophone function-added television receiver and a television program-use decoding function for decoding a digital broadcast program signal received;

a display panel being adapted to display a video signal decoded by said decoder;

a speaker to which is supplied an audio signal decoded by said decoder;

a camera;

a microphone;

an encoder having an encoding function for encoding a video signal from the camera and an audio signal from the microphone and for generating a video telephone signal to be sent forth toward a videophone function-added television receiver of a distant party in a videophone call session;

a unit being adapted to stop a decoding operation based on the videophone-use decoding function of the decoder in response to either a stop operation or end of a video telephone signal from the videophone function-added television receiver of the distant party; and

a unit being adapted to detect completion of the video telephone signal decoding operation of the decoder and for stopping an encoding operation of the encoder, wherein

in response to said stop operation, a decoding operation of the videophone-use decode function provided in the decoder of one of the videophone function-added television receivers which are presently in the videophone call session is stopped, and wherein

upon completion of the encoding operation of the encoder in responding thereto, a decoding operation of the videophone-use decode function provided in the decoder of the videophone function-added television receiver of the distant party is stopped, and, in response to the stop of the decoding operation, an encoding operation of the videophone-use encode function is stopped.

5. The video telephone system according to claim 4, wherein

said decoder includes a first decoder operative to decode the received digital broadcast program signal and a second decoder operative to decode the video telephone signal,

said display panel is adapted to perform two-window display for simultaneously displaying on one screen a video image based on the digital broadcast program signal decoded by said first decoder and a video image based on the video telephone signal decoded by said second decoder, the system further comprises an echo canceller being adapted to receive an audio signal as output from said microphone and an input audio signal of said speaker, wherein an echo signal due to mixture of audio sounds from said speaker into the audio signal as output from said microphone is canceled by said echo canceller using the input audio signal of said speaker and is then supplied to said encoder.

6. A television receiver-with videophone function, having a video camera detachably connected thereto, comprises:

a decoder having a television program-use decode function for decoding a digital broadcast program signal received and a videophone-use decode function for decoding a video telephone signal received in a videophone call session, and a processor for control of each function,

the video camera includes a camera for image pickup, a microphone for input of audio sounds, a storage device for storing therein a video signal from the camera and an audio signal from the microphone, and an encoder having a videophone-use encode function for encoding a video signal received from the camera and an audio signal received from the microphone into a video telephone signal to be sent forth toward a videophone function-added television receiver of a distant party in a videophone call session and a video recording-use encode function for encoding the video signal and the audio signal into a video signal to be recorded in the storage device, and

in a state that said video camera is connected to said apparatus main body, when said decoder is in a state that this decoder operates to perform the videophone-use decode function, said processor sets said encoder in a state that this encoder operates to perform the videophone-use encode function, and

when said decoder is switched from the operation state of the videophone-use decode function to an operation state of the television program-use decode function and, alternatively, when said video camera is disconnected from said television receiver, said processor sets said encoder in a state that this encoder operates to perform the video recording-use encode function.

7. The television receiver with videophone function according to claim 6, wherein said video camera is a separate equipment independent of said receiver and is detachably coupled to said receiver.

8. The television receiver with videophone function according to claim 6, wherein said video camera is internally built in said receiver.

9. The television receiver with videophone function according to claim 6, wherein

said decoder includes a first decoder operative to decode the received digital broadcast program signal and a second decoder operative to decode the video telephone signal,

said display panel is adapted to perform two-window display for simultaneously displaying on one screen a video image based on the digital broadcast program signal decoded by said first decoder and a video image based on the video telephone signal decoded by said second decoder,

the receiver further comprises an echo canceller to receive an audio signal from said microphone and an input audio signal of said speaker, wherein an echo signal due to mixture of audio sounds from said speaker into the audio signal from said microphone is canceled by said echo canceller using the input audio signal of said speaker and is then supplied to said encoder.