Communication system

• US 5,598,351 A
• Filed: 01/27/1995
• Issued: 01/28/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 02/26/1993
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Guy Chater, Ian Chater
• Original Assignee: Guy Chater, Ian Chater, John C. Chater
• Inventors: Chater, John C., Chater, Ian, Chater, Guy, Keywood, Martin D., Henley, Ian W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Voeltz, Emanuel T.
• Assistant Examiner(s): PEESO, THOMAS R
• Application Number:
  US08/325,421
• Time in Patent Office: 732 Days
• Field of Search: 364/514 A, 348/3, 348/5, 348/13, 348/14, 348/18, 348/7, 348/12, 348/15, 348/19, 395/200, 395/114, 395/154, 395/155, 395/909, 395/200
• US Class Current: 705/5
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/02 Reservations, e.g. for tickets, services or events
• 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: H04N 7/162 Authorising the user terminal, e.g. by paying; Registering the use of a subscription channel, e.g. billing

Abstract

A communication system for facilitating introductions comprising a plurality of terminals, recording means for recording a visual image of an individual at said terminal and for storing said image in a store together with corresponding images from other said terminals, networking means for networking images from said store amongst terminals from which the images do not originate, selecting means enabling said individual to select an image from amongst those transmitted to his/her terminal, indicating means to indicate such selection to the terminal from which the selected image originated, and communication means controlled by the individual at the selected terminal enabling the individuals at the selecting and selected terminals to communicate with each other.

Claims

1. A communication system for facilitating introductions comprising a plurality of terminals, each with a video camera directed to view an individual using said terminal, said recording means for recording a visual image of said individual, means for adding said image to a store containing corresponding images from other said terminals, networking means for networking images from said store amongst terminals from which the images do not originate, selecting means enabling said individual to select an image from amongst those transmitted to his/her terminal, indicating means to indicate such selection to the terminal from which the selected image originated, communication means controlled by the individual at the selected terminal enabling the individuals at the selecting and selected terminals to communicate with each other, and means enabling the individual at the selected terminal to review a video recording of the individual at the selecting terminal before activating the communication means.

2. A system as claimed in claim 1, wherein each terminal comprises means for displaying simultaneously a plurality of the visual images transmitted thereto.

3. A system as claimed in claim 1, comprising means for the individual at the selecting terminal to record said video recording of him/herself at said terminal, and to transmit said recording to the store.

4. A system as claimed in claims 3 or 7, wherein the visual image is still from the video recording.

5. A system as claimed in claim 1, comprising means for the individual at the selecting terminal to review a video recording of a person at a selected terminal before operating the indicating means.

6. A system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the indicting means is adapted to cause transmission of the visual image of the individual at the selecting terminal to the selected terminal together with an indication of interest.

7. A system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the visual image is a still image.

8. A system as claimed in claim 1, wherein each terminal comprises means to activate the terminal and connect it to the networking means for a limited period of time upon payment of a time-related fee.

9. A system as claimed in claim 1, wherein there is a single store in which all said images of individuals at terminals are stored.

10. A system as claimed in claim 1, wherein there are a plurality of stores, each store communicating with at least one other store to exchange images of individual at terminals.

11. A system as claimed in claim 10, wherein each said image is initially stored at a predetermined respective one of said stores.

12. A system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the networking means utilizes a public ISDN.

13. A system as claimed in claim 12, wherein the networking means is controlled by the said selected terminal to permit direct communication via the ISDN between the selected and selecting terminal.

14. A system as claimed in claim 1, having a plurality of geographically or otherwise physically separate stations each comprising a plurality of said terminals, each terminal being screened and acoustically insulated from neighboring terminals.

15. A terminal for use in a system as claimed in claim 1, comprising means for recording a visual image of an individual using said terminal;

means for transmitting said visual image to a store, means for receiving from said store a plurality of visual images originating from other terminals;

means for selecting one of said received images;

means for indicating said selection to a terminal which has transmitted the selected image;

means for controlling communication with another terminal following receipt from said other terminal of an indication that the user thereof has viewed said recorded visual image and wishes to establish communication and means visually and acoustically screening the terminal from its surrounding.

16. The system of claim 1 wherein the store comprises at least one hard disc.

35. A system as claimed in claim 4, comprising means controlling the store whereby the visual image from the activated terminal is stored during the use of the terminal by said individual and thereafter is erased or transferred to a secondary storage means.

37. A system as claimed in claim 6, wherein the networking means is adapted to network the visual image originating from said selecting terminal to other terminals in a defined geographical area.

17. A method of facilitating introductions comprising providing a plurality of audio-visual terminals, recording a visual image of an individual at a said terminal and storing said image in a store together with corresponding images of unintroduced individuals at other said terminals, networking images from said store amongst terminals from which the images do not originate, selecting at said terminal an image from amongst those transmitted to that terminal, indicating such selection to the terminal from which the selected image originated by sending thereto the image of the individual at the selecting terminal, and initiating under the control of the individual at the selected terminal live audio visual communication between the individuals at the selecting and selected terminals.

18. A method as claimed in claim 17 comprising adding the image from the first-mentioned terminal to the store when said store already contains images from other said terminals and whilst said images are being networked.

19. A method as claimed in claim 17 wherein a terminal is supplied with networked images from the store only after the image from that terminal has been added to the store.

20. A method as claimed in claim 17, wherein said selection is indicated by the individual at the selecting terminal after he/she has viewed a video recording of the individual at the selected terminal.

21. A communication system for facilitating introductions comprising a plurality of terminals, each with a video camera directed to view an individual using said terminal, recording means for recording a visual image of said individual, means for adding said image to a store containing corresponding images from other said terminals, networking means for networking images form said store amongst terminals from which the images do not originate, selecting means enabling said individual to select an image from amongst those transmitted to his/her terminal, indicating means to indicate such selection to the terminal from which the selected image originated, communication means controlled by the individual at the selected terminal enabling the individuals at the selecting and selected terminals to communicate with each other, and means for the individual at the selecting terminal to review a video recording of an individual at a selected terminal before operating the indicating means.

22. A system as claimed in claim 21, wherein there are means preventing the individual at a selecting terminal from receiving said video recording of an individual at a selected terminal unless the visual image of the individual at the selecting terminal has first been added to the store.

23. A system claimed in claim 21, wherein each terminal comprises means for displaying simultaneously a plurality of the visual images transmitted thereto.

24. A system as claimed in claim 21, comprising means for the individual at the selecting terminal to record said video recording of him/herself at said terminal, and to transmit said recording to the store.

25. A system as claimed in claim 21, wherein the visual image is a still image.

26. A system as claimed in claim 21, wherein there is a singe store in which all said images of individuals at terminals are stored.

27. A system as claimed in claim 21, wherein there are a plurality of stores, each store communicating with at least one other store to exchange images of individuals at terminals.

28. A system as claimed in claim 27, wherein each said image is initially stored at a predetermined respective one of said stores.

29. A system as claimed in claim 21, wherein the networking means utilizes a public ISDN.

30. A system as claimed in claim 29, wherein the networking means is controlled by the said selected terminal to permit direct communication via the ISDN between the selected and selecting terminals.

31. A terminal for use in a system as claimed in claim 21, comprising means for recording a visual image of an individual using said terminal;

means for transmitting said visual image to a store, means for receiving from said store a plurality of visual images originating from other terminals;

means for selecting one of said received images;

means for indicating said selection to a terminal which has transmitted the selected image;

means for controlling communication with another terminal following receipt from said other terminal of an indication that the user thereof has viewed said recorded visual image and wishes to establish communication; and

means visually and acoustically screening the terminal form its surroundings.

32. The system of claim 21, wherein the store comprises at least one hard disc.

33. A communication system for facilitating introductions comprising a plurality of terminals, each with a video camera directed to view an individual using said terminal;

recording means for recording a visual image of said individual;

means for adding said image to a store containing corresponding images from other said terminals;

networking means for networking images from said store amongst terminals from which images do not originate, selecting means enabling said individual to select an image from amongst those transmitted to his/her terminal;

indicating means to indicate such selection to the terminal from which the selected image originated; and

communication means controlled by the individual at the selected terminals to communicate with each other, wherein the indicating means is adapted to cause transmission of the visual image of the individual at the selecting terminal to the selected terminal to indicate interest.

34. A communicated system for facilitating introduction comprising a plurality of terminals, each with a video camera directed to view an individual using said terminal;

recording means for recording a visual image of said individual;

means for adding said image to a store containing corresponding images form other said terminals;

networking means for networking images from said store amongst terminals from which the images do not originate;

selecting means enabling said individual to select an image from amongst those transmitted to his/her terminal;

indicating means to indicate such selection to the terminal from which the selected image originated; and

communication means controlled by the individual at the selected terminal enabling the individuals at the selecting and selected terminals to communicate with each others wherein each terminal comprises means to connect the terminal to the networking means upon payment of a fee.

36. A communication system for formulating introductions comprising a plurality of geographically or otherwise physically separate stations each comprising at least one terminal, each terminal being visually screened and acoustically insulated from its surroundings and having a video camera directed to view an individual using said terminal;

recording means for recording a visual image of said individual;

means for adding said image to a store containing corresponding images from other said terminals;

networking means for networking images from said store amongst terminals from which the images do not originate;

selecting means enabling said individual to select an image from amongst those transmitted to his/her terminal;

indicating means to indicate such selection to the terminal from which the selected image originated; and

communication means controlled by the individual at the selected terminal enabling the individuals at the selecting and selected terminals to communicate with each other.

38. A system as claimed in claim 36, wherein each station has a plurality of terminals, each visually screened and acoustically insulated from its neighboring terminals.