Data communication apparatus

• US 5,524,194 A
• Filed: 02/10/1995
• Issued: 06/04/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 09/17/1990
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Sugiyama, Akira, Yasuda, Hitoshi, Chida, Makoto, Haba, Yoshito
• Primary Examiner(s): Herndon, Heather R.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Feild, Joseph H.
• Application Number:
  US08/386,344
• Time in Patent Office: 480 Days
• Field of Search: 395/153, 395/154, 395/275, 371/31, 371/32, 371/47.1, 345/117, 348/232, 348/500, 348/589, 348/604, 348/714, 358/319, 358/405, 358/406, 358/409, 358/448, 379/96, 379/100
• US Class Current: 715/753
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/147 Communication arrangements, e.g. identifying the communication as a video-communication, intermediate storage of the signals selecting H04Q

Abstract

A multi-media communication apparatus has functions of receiving/transmitting images, audio signals, code data and the like. A detection unit detects an error in an image signal received from a communication partner'"'"'s terminal. A transmission unit transmits a picture renewal request command to the partner'"'"'s terminal based on a detection signal from the detection unit to automatically recover a disturbance of the received image. If the received image becomes discontinuous or disturbed at time of frame synchronization error or the like, the image immediately before the occurrence of disturbance or a different image, e.g., an image for informing the operator of the apparatus condition, is displayed in place of the disturbed image. The operator can be informed of the occurrence of a communication error through the same media as those used for communication before the occurrence of the error.

Claims

1. A user-interactive system for performing communication between a first user'"'"'s data communication apparatus and a second user'"'"'s communication apparatus connected thereto via a communication line, said system comprising:

reception means for receiving images sent from the second user'"'"'s communication apparatus via the communication line;

error detection means for detecting synchronization of the received images and for detecting generation of an error;

image detection means for detecting whether or not said reception means has received the image;

an image memory in which a first control image for giving notice of an error generation and a second control image for giving notice that the image is not received have been previously stored;

display means for displaying an image; and

supply means for selectively supplying one of the images received by said reception means and the first and second control images stored in said image memory to said display means,

wherein said supply means selectively supplies the one received image and the first and second control images according to detection results output from said error detection means and said image detection means, such that said supply means supplies the one received image to said display means when said error detection means does not detect an error generation and supplies the first control image to said display means when said error detection means detects an error generation, and supplies the second control image to said display means when said image detection means detects that the image is not received.

2. A data communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said data communication apparatus comprises a multi-media communication apparatus for performing communication through voice, image and data media.

3. A data communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said data communication apparatus is connected to an integrated service digital network.

4. A data communication apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising synchronization detection means for detecting synchronization of the image used for communication by said first communication means, said supply means supplying the control image to said display means if an asynchronous state of the communication image is detected.

5. A user-interactive system for performing communication between a first user'"'"'s multi-media communication apparatus and a second user'"'"'s communication apparatus connected thereto via a communication line, said system comprising:

first communication means for communicating with the second user'"'"'s communication apparatus by using image information sent via the communication line;

second communication means for communicating with the second user'"'"'s communication apparatus by using voice and data information sent via the communication line;

an image memory in which a control image for giving notice that a communication of the image data is not being performed has been previously stored;

display means for displaying an image;

discrimination means for discriminating if communication of an image is being performed by said first communication means; and

selection means for selectively supplying said display means with the image used for communication or the control image, wherein said selection means supplies the image being communicated by said first communication means to said display means when said determination means determines that communication of the image is being performed, and supplies the control image to said display means when said determination means determines that communication of an image is not being performed,

wherein said first user'"'"'s communication apparatus and the second user'"'"'s communication apparatus perform a pre-procedure to determine a first amount of information that can be communicated therebetween, and wherein said discrimination means subtracts a second amount of information that is required for communication performed by said second communication means from the first amount of information, and said discrimination means determines that image communication is not performed if a remainder of the subtraction is zero.

6. A method of operating a user-interactive system for performing communication between a first user'"'"'s data communication apparatus and a second user'"'"'s communication apparatus connected thereto via a communication line, said method comprising:

a reception step of receiving images sent from the second user'"'"'s communication apparatus via the communication line;

an error detection step of detecting synchronization of the received images and generation of an error;

an image detection step of detecting whether or not said reception step has received the image, the system including an image memory in which a first control image for giving notice of an error generation and a second control image for giving notice that the image is not received have been previously stored; and

a supply step of selectively supplying one of the images received by said reception step and the first and second control images stored in the image memory to a display means to be displayed thereby,

wherein said supply step selectively supplies the one received image and the first and second control images according to detection results output from said error detection step and said image detection step, such that said supply step supplies the one received image to the display means when said error detection step does not detect an error generation and supplies the first control image to the display means when said error detection step detects an error generation, and supplies the second control image to the display means when said image detection step detects that the image is not received.

7. A method of operating a user-interactive system for performing communication between a first user'"'"'s multi-media communication apparatus and a second user'"'"'s communication apparatus connected thereto via a communication line, said method comprising:

a first communication step of communicating with the second user'"'"'s communication apparatus by using image information sent via the communication line, the system including an image memory in which a control image for giving notice that a communication of the image data is not being performed has been previously stored;

a second communication step of communicating with the second user'"'"'s communication apparatus by using voice and data information sent via the communication line;

a discrimination step of discriminating if communication of an image is being performed by said first communication step; and

a selection step for selectively supplying a display means with the image used for communication or the control image, wherein said selection step supplies the image being communicated by said first communication step to the display means when said determination step determines that communication of the image is being performed, and supplies the control image to the display means when said determination step determines that communication of an image is not being performed,

wherein the first user'"'"'s communication apparatus and the second user'"'"'s communication apparatus perform a pre-procedure to determine a first amount of information that can be communicated therebetween, and wherein said discrimination step subtracts a second amount of information that is required for communication performed by said second communication step from the first amount of information, and said discrimination step determines that image communication is not performed if a remainder of the subtraction is zero.