Video telephone

• US 4,485,400 A
• Filed: 05/19/1982
• Issued: 11/27/1984
• Est. Priority Date: 01/13/1981
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Lemelson Jerome H
• Original Assignee: Lemelson Jerome H
• Inventors: Grund, Christian, Lemelson, Jerome H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Britton, Howard W.
• Application Number:
  US06/379,963
• Time in Patent Office: 923 Days
• Field of Search: 358/85, 358/229, 358/254, 358/140, 360/9.1, 360/33.1, 179/2 C, 179/2 TV, 179/2 DP, 179/1 C, 179/1 HF, 179/6.2, D14/54, D14/57, D14/78, D14/79
• US Class Current: 348/14.01
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/12 Systems in which the television signal is transmitted via one channel or a plurality of parallel channels, the bandwidth of each channel being less than the bandwidth of the television signal H04N7/24 takes precedence
• 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: Y10S 379/908 Multimedia

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.

Claims

1. A method of generating, transmitting and receiving picture and speech information comprising:

effecting a telephone circuit connection between first and second telephone terminal circuits of a telephone switching system,

generating a first video signal,

storing said first video signal in a first memory located at said first telephone terminal circuit,

reproducing a first part of said first video signal from said first memory,

converting said first portion of said video signal to a form whereby it may be transmitted on the telephone circuit connecting said first and second terminal circuits and transmitting information defining said first portion of said video signal between said first and second terminal circuits,

receiving the transmitted signal at said second terminal circuit and converting same to digital form and recording such digital signals in a first portion of a second memory,

initiating speech communication between said telephone terminal circuits by speaking a first word into a microphone at said first telephone terminal circuit and converting the sound thereof to a first speech signal,

detecting said first speech signal and generating a first control signal and utilizing said first control signal to interrupt the reproduction of said video signal from said first memory,

electrically detecting when said first speech signal terminates and generating a second control signal and employing said second control signal to reinstitute reproduction of said video signal from said first memory, and

repeating said aforesaid procedure each time a speech signal is generated and detected on the output of said microphone until the complete video signal has been reproduced from said first memory to permit the entire video signal to be reproduced therefrom and recorded in said second memory, and

when said video signal is recorded in its entirety in said second memory, controlling the reproduction of said video signal and applying same in a manner to generate a full frame of visual video information on the viewing screen of a video monitor.

2. A communication system comprising in combination:

an automatic telephone switching and connection system,

first electrical circuit means at a first terminal circuit of said telephone system including a first television camera, a first video monitor, a first erasable signal recording memory, a first analog-to-digital conversion means, a microphone and speaker for two-way voice communication with a second terminal circuit of said system,

means for transmitting information generated on the output of said first television camera on the line connection between said first terminal circuit and said automatic telephone system,

first control means for causing said first television camera to scan its field and to generate a video signal, said first analog-to-digital conversion means connected to receive said video signal and to pass digitized video signals derived therefrom to said first memory for temporary storage therein,

second control means for controlling the reproduction of digital video signal information recorded in said first memory,

means for detecting speech signals generated on the output of said first microphone when a person speaks into said first microphone,

control means connected to said detection means for controlling said second control means to temporarily terminate reproduction of the video signals recorded in said memory when speech signals are detected and are being transmitted on the connected line whereby portions of the video information stored in said memory may be generated and transmitted through said telephone system to a receiving terminal circuit of said system between speech signals generated on said line to prevent interference between said video signals and speech signals generated,

second electronic circuit means similar in construction and function to said first electronic circuit means at a second terminal circuit of said telephone switching system and including a second television camera,

second analog-to-digital conversion means connected to the output of said television camera, a second erasable memory, a microphone, speaker means and means for effecting two-way video and audio communication with said first electrical circuit means of said first terminal circuit when said first and second terminal circuits are connected together through said automatic telephone switching system,

third control means forming part of said second electrical circuit means for controlling the recording of video information in said second memory until a full frame of video information has been recorded,

fourth control means for effecting reproduction of a full frame of video information from said second memory after a full-frame recording has been effected of video signals received from said first terminal circuit and applying said full frame of video information to cause said second monitor to display a full frame of video information as a still image.

3. A system in accordance with claim 2 including a second television camera located at a second terminal circuit of said system and control means as described at said second terminal circuit for effecting two way audio and video communication between said first and said second terminal circuits including means detecting speech signals transmitted in both directions on the connected circuit and controlling the transmission of video signals in two directions between said two terminal circuits to occur between bursts of audio signals to grant priority to speech information transmitted on the connected circuit.

4. Video-audio communication apparatus comprising in combination:

a housing,

first means supported by said housing for receiving and predeterminately positioning a telephone mouth-earpiece containing a microphone and speaker, and a telephone therefore connected to a telephone switching and connection system,

microphone and speaker means supported adjacent said first means and located to be respectively acoustically coupled to the speaker and microphone of the telephone when said telephone is predeterminately located and supported by said first means,

a television camera having an output connected to said speaker means 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 video signals generated by said television camera to scan its field to said speaker means supported adjacent said first means whereby said speaker means is modulated with video picture signal information and generates sounds in the vicinity of the microphone defining the mouthpiece of the telephone mouth-earpiece supported by said first means, which sounds are converted by the microphone of the telephone to electrical signals capable of being transmitted from said telephone to a terminal circuit of the telephone system, to which terminal circuit the telephone is connected, and the television receiver supported by said housing and having an input connected to said microphone means supported adjacent to said first means for receiving signals generated when the speaker defining the earpiece of the telephone mouth-earpiece is modulated with a video picture signal transmitted thereto on a telephone circuit extending from another terminal circuit of the telephone system and which other terminal circuit such video picture signal is generated.