Video telephone
First Claim
1. Video-audio communication apparatus comprising in combination:
- a housing,first means supported by said housing for receiving and predeterminately positioning a telephone mouth-ear piece containing a microphone and speaker,microphone and speaker means supported adjacent said first means and located to be respectively acoustically coupled to the speaker and microphone of the telephone mouth-earpiece when predeterminately located and supported by said first means,a television camera secured to and supported by said housing and directed to scan and generate picture signals of an area adjacent said housing.means for initiating and effecting automatic control of the read means of said television camera and generating a video picture signal on the output of said camera and means for applying said video picture signal to said speaker means supported adjacent said first means whereby said speaker means is modulated by said video picture signal and generates sounds in the vicinity of the microphone defining the mouthpiece of the telephone mouth-earpiece unit supported by said first means.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An apparatus and method are provided for transmitting video data over telephone lines. The apparatus is particularly applicable for transmitting and receiving images of persons speaking to each other. In one form, a portable self-contained unit is provided at each end of a conventional telephone circuit wherein the transducers of the mouthpiece and earpiece of each telephone are respectively acoustically coupled to respective acoustic output and input electrical-to-sound and sound-to-electrical transducers of each self-contained unit for two-way audio and video communication therebetween. Each unit, which may be contained in a single housing, has a television camera directed and operative for slow scanning the face of a person making the telephone call, a television display screen and image retaining means for displaying the image of a person having a similar unit at the other end of the line, and a speaker and microphone which may be contained within the housing or in a telephone hand set for receiving speech and generating sounds of speech transmitted from the other terminal circuits. Hard copy generating means, such as a picture printer, may also be provided to print pictures of the images on the television display screen when controlled to do so.
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Citations
14 Claims
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1. Video-audio communication apparatus comprising in combination:
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a housing, first means supported by said housing for receiving and predeterminately positioning a telephone mouth-ear piece containing a microphone and speaker, microphone and speaker means supported adjacent said first means and located to be respectively acoustically coupled to the speaker and microphone of the telephone mouth-earpiece when predeterminately located and supported by said first means, a television camera secured to and supported by said housing and directed to scan and generate picture signals of an area adjacent said housing. means for initiating and effecting automatic control of the read means of said television camera and generating a video picture signal on the output of said camera and means for applying said video picture signal to said speaker means supported adjacent said first means whereby said speaker means is modulated by said video picture signal and generates sounds in the vicinity of the microphone defining the mouthpiece of the telephone mouth-earpiece unit supported by said first means. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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Specification