Video conference system automatically started at reserved time

• US 5,541,639 A
• Filed: 10/22/1993
• Issued: 07/30/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 10/23/1992
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Konishi, Tatsuya, Toyoda, Seiji, Komatsu, Toru, Endo, Satoshi, Hoshino, Takeshi, Ishida, Kiyoshi, Shibata, Yoji, Takatsuki, Hiroaki, Ishinabe, Iwao
• Primary Examiner(s): Chan, Jason
• Application Number:
  US08/139,701
• Time in Patent Office: 1,012 Days
• Field of Search: 379/53, 379/54, 379/202, 348/13, 348/14, 348/15, 348/445, 348/913, 348/564
• US Class Current: 348/14.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/45 Picture in picture , e.g. displaying simultaneously another television channel in a region of the screen
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/0122 the input and the output signals having different aspect ratios
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/15 Conference systems
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 348/913 Letterbox, e.g. display 16:9 aspect ratio image on 4:3 screen

Abstract

A video conference system control section accepts reservation of a party with which a video conference is the to be held and a video conference date and time entered through a keying section, and stores the reservation contents in an information storage section and also sends them through a communication network transmitting-receiving section to an information center for registration. In response to the stored registration contents, the video conference system control section 109 controls a power unit and the communication network transmitting-receiving section to start up at least a part of the video conference system for calling the party with which the video conference is to be held and setting up a call between them before the video conference date and time.

Claims

1. A video conference system comprising:

first video input means for outputting a first video signal;

second video input means for outputting a second video signal;

means for coding the first video signal outputted by said first video input means into a coded first video signal;

speech input means for outputting an aural signal;

means for coding the aural signal outputted by said speech input means into a coded aural signal;

means for multiplexing the coded aural signal and the coded first video signal into a multiplexed coded aural and first video signal for transmission to a communication network;

means for receiving the multiplexed coded aural and first video signal through the communication network and demultiplexing the multiplexed coded aural and first video signal into a demultiplexed coded aural signal and a demultiplexed coded first video signal;

means for decoding the demultiplexed coded first video signal and the coded first video signal coded by said means for coding;

means for decoding the demultiplexed coded aural signal into a decoded aural signal;

means for outputting speech represented by the decoded aural signal;

display means having a display screen with an aspect ratio of 16 to 9 for displaying an image;

operation reception means for receiving operations from an operator; and

split display means including;

means for selectively, depending upon the operation received by said operation reception means, setting a wide screen mode in which an image with an aspect ratio of 16 to 9 is displayed on said display screen, or setting a split screens mode in which at least two images with an aspect ratio of 4 to 3 are displayed on said display screen in a predetermined size or sizes;

first scan converters to which said decoded video signals and the second video signal outputted by said second video input means are assigned as assigned video signals of the first scan converters, respectively, each of said first scan converters converting the assigned video signals assigned thereto with a conversion ratio of 4/16;

3/9 (horizontal;

vertical), and a size of the image represented by the assigned video signals is reduced accordingly to a rate of said predetermined size or sizes to a size of said display screen;

selecting means for selecting, depending upon the operation received by said operation reception means, and outputting, one of the decoded video signals as an output video signal when said wide screen mode is set, wherein said selecting means selects, depending upon the operation received by said operation reception means, and combines at least two of the assigned video signals which are converted by said first scan converters and outputs, as the output video signal, the video signal in which the assigned video signals selected are combined when said split screens mode is set; and

a second scan converter for converting in a manner of converting an aspect ratio of 4 to 3 into an aspect ratio of 16 to 9 said output video signal outputted by said selecting means so that the image represented by said output video signal changes into an image having an aspect ratio of 16 to 9, and displays an image represented by the output video signal converted by said second scan converter on said display screen of said display means, each of said decoded video signals and the output video signal outputted by said selecting means representing an image having an aspect ratio of 4 to 3.