Video telephone

• US 4,979,028 A
• Filed: 05/22/1989
• Issued: 12/18/1990
• Est. Priority Date: 05/30/1988
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Nagayama, Haruki, Minematsu, Toru
• Primary Examiner(s): Ng, Jin F.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Chan, Wing F.
• Application Number:
  US07/354,821
• Time in Patent Office: 575 Days
• Field of Search: 358/85, 358/133, 358/134, 358/261.4, 358/431, 379/53, 379/54
• US Class Current: 348/14.14
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/391 Resolution modifying circuits, e.g. variable screen formats
• 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

Abstract

A video telephone displays a still picture in a first picture mode and a still picture in a second picture mode, which is smaller than that of the first picture mode, using image data transmitted over an audio signal transmission line and includes a memory having an address capacity corresponding to the size of the still picture in the first picture mode. In this video telephone, when image data of the still picture in the first picture mode is received, the image data is written in all addresses of the memory and, when image data of the still picture in the second picture mode is received, the image data is written only in predetermined addresses of the memory. This permits the same display read-out for all addresses of the memory to display the still picture whether in the first or second picture mode.

Claims

1. A video telephone in which image data of a still picture in a first picture mode and image data of a still picture in a second picture mode are transmitted through an audio signal transmission line and a still picture in the first or second mode is displayed, with the second mode picture being smaller than the first mode picture, comprising;

a memory having an address capacity determined by the size of the still picture in the first picture mode; and

memory control means for controlling the writing of data so that when image data of a still picture in the first picture mode is received said image data is written in all addresses of said memory, for controlling the writing of data so that when image data of a still picture in said second picture mode is received said image data is written into a predetermined area that includes less than all of said addresses of said memory, and for controlling the reading out of data from said memory so that data in all addresses of said memory is read out for display of a still picture in said first picture mode and said second picture mode.

2. A video telephone according to claim 1, wherein said image data includes mode identification data and said memory control means is responsive to said mode identification for controlling the writing in of image data in said first and second picture modes.

3. A video telephone according to claim 1, further comprising a tape recorder connected to said memory for recording image data read out therefrom.

4. A video telephone according to claim 1, wherein said image data is digital data and further comprising:

a digital-to-analog convertor for producing an analog image data signal; and

a printer receiving said analog image data signal for producing a printed picture therefrom.

5. A video telephone according to claim 1, further comprising a mask circuit connected to receive the image data read out from said memory and being responsive to a mode signal from said memory controller means for causing image data read out from addresses in said memory outside of said predetermined area in said second picture mode to be displayed at a constant gray level.

6. A video telephone according to claim 1, wherein said memory comprises first and second video random access memories each connected to receive said image data through said memory control means.

7. A video telephone in which image data of a still picture in a first picture mode and image data of a still picture in a second picture mode are transmitted through a transmission line having an audio frequency bandwidth and in which the second picture mode provides a picture smaller than in the first picture mode, comprising:

a memory for storing said image data;

means for controlling writing in and reading out of image data from said memory

display means for displaying a respective picture of said first and second picture modes; and

a mask circuit receiving image data from said memory and connected to said display means, whereby read-out image data is supplied through said mask circuit to said display means, said mask circuit being responsive to said means for controlling so that when said image data represents said second still picture, a picture portion outside said second still picture is masked by predetermined data.

8. A video telephone according to claim 7, wherein said display comprises a video monitor and said mask circuit provides said predetermined data to said video monitor so that said still picture in said second mode is in a central area from top to bottom of said screen and areas of said screen on either side thereof are rendered gray.

9. A video telephone according to claim 7, wherein said memory has an address capacity to accommodate all image data of the still picture in the first picture mode.

10. A video telephone according to claim 9, wherein said means for controlling controls writing in of image data in said second picture mode into said memory in addresses therein corresponding to an area that is less than the address capacity of said memory.

11. A video telephone according to claim 7, further comprising a tape recorder for recording image data read out from said memory.

12. A video telephone according to claim 7, wherein said image data is digital data and further comprising;

a digital-to-analog convertor for converting a digital image signal read out from said memory to an analog signal; and

a printer receiving said analog image signal and producing a printed picture therefrom.