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Videocommunication network between videophone terminals and a picture bank

  • US 4,533,943 A
  • Filed: 07/06/1983
  • Issued: 08/06/1985
  • Est. Priority Date: 07/30/1982
  • Status: Expired due to Fees
First Claim
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1. A videocommunication network comprising plural (N) videophone terminals and a picture bank,videophone terminal K comprising:

  • first switching means, audiofrequency means for transmitting and receiving audiofrequency signals of a telephone communication, said audiofrequency means being connected through said first switching means to a bidirectional telephone channel videofrequency means connected to a wide-band transmitting channel for transmitting videofrequency signals and connected to a wide-band receiving channel for receiving videofrequency signals, and data means for transmitting and receiving first data signals through said first switching means and said telephone channel while a videocommunication is established between terminal k and said picture bank, where k is selectively each of 1 . . . N;

    said picture bank comprising;

    second and third switching means, data means for transmitting and receiving said first data signals from said terminals, said data means being connected through said second switching means to several bidirectional telephone channels serving said picture bank, and means for transmitting vision representing signals to said terminals, said vision representing signal transmitting means being connected through said third switching means to several wide-band channels serving said picture bank, several multiplexing means connected to be responsive to signals from said second and third switching means and to supply signals to said several wide-band transmitting channels for sequentially transmitting a second data signal peculiar to releasing said telephone channels carrying said first data signals as derived from said second switching means and third data signals multiplexed with a vision signal as derived from said third switching means, the transmission of the multiplexing means occurring after said videocommunication between one of said videophone terminals and said picture bank has been established, said picture bank data means being connected through said second switching means to one of said several wide-band channels for receiving third data signals from said terminal after said telephone channels have been released;

    videophone terminal k further comprising;

    means connected to said wide-band receiving channel of terminal k for detecting said second and third data signals transmitted from said picture bank multiplexing means and for delivering the detected second and third data signals to said terminal data receiving means, fourth switching means for selectively connecting said terminal wide-band transmitting channel to said videofrequency transmitting means for a videophone communication with another videophone terminal and to said terminal data transmitting means in response to said second data signal being detected,said first switching means of said videophone terminal being selectively connected to said audiofrequency transmitting and receiving means and to said terminal telephone channel in response to said second data signal being detected.

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