Communication method and system for same

• US 5,818,733 A
• Filed: 06/16/1995
• Issued: 10/06/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 07/01/1994
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Makoto Hyuga
• Original Assignee: Makoto Hyuga
• Inventors: Hyuga, Makoto
• Primary Examiner(s): Ramirez, Ellis B.
• Application Number:
  US08/454,285
• Time in Patent Office: 1,208 Days
• Field of Search: 364/514 R, 364/705.07, 364/550, 340/825.45, 340/825.19, 340/825.36, 340/531, 340/536, 340/574, 348/77, 348/159
• US Class Current: 702/188
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/181 for receiving images from a plurality of remote sources

Abstract

When emergency button (11) of mobile unit (1) of a person who has suddenly fallen ill or other emergency, locational signals representing its own location and ID data are transmitted to receiver (21) of management unit (2) installed in the caddie master'"'"'s office or at other locations. Based on the locational signals from receiver (21), camera controller component (26) selects camera (27₁)˜(27_n), (27_c) and controls panning and tilting of the selected camera, thereby adjusting its angle. Signals representing pictures taken by camera (27₁)˜(27_n), (27_c) are received by visual image receiver component (28) and, together with vocal signals received from voice communication device (16) through voice communication device (24), transmitted from relay device (25) through a public circuit to visual image receiver component (32) and voice communication device (31) of remote unit (3). By operating the dial or push buttons of voice communication device (31), panning and tilting of camera (27₁)˜(27_n), (27_c) are controlled in order to adjust its angle, and vocal signals are transmitted from voice communication device (31) to mobile unit (1).

Claims

1. A communication method comprising the steps of:

transmitting signals from a sender by means of a mobile unit carried by said sender, said signals having a vocal and an informational component;

receiving said signals from said sender at a relay station;

selecting a selected imaging device from a plurality of imaging devices located at various positions of an area;

obtaining a visual image of said sender, said obtaining a visual image including controlling a plurality of imaging functions of said selected imaging device;

transmitting further signals from said sender together with said visual image from said relay station to a receiving party; and

transmitting vocal signals of said receiving party through said relay station to said sender responsively to at least one of said further signals and said visual image.

2. The communication method of claim 1, wherein:

said informational component includes locational data for said sender'"'"'s location;

said selecting a selected imaging device is responsive to said locational data; and

said controlling said plurality of imaging functions of said imaging device is responsive to said locational data.

3. The communication method of claim 2, wherein:

said selecting a selected imaging device includes one of automatically selecting at said relay station and manually selecting by said receiving party; and

said controlling said plurality of imaging functions includes one of automatically controlling at said relay station and manually controlling by said receiving party.

4. The communication method of claim 3, wherein said transmitting said informational component of said signals from said sender includes transmitting a physical condition datum of a subject.

5. The communication method of claim 4, wherein said transmitting a physical condition datum includes the steps of:

monitoring a physical condition of said subject to produce a present physical condition datum;

providing a stored normal physical condition datum of said subject; and

correlatively transmitting said stored normal physical condition datum and said present physical condition datum.

6. A communication system comprising:

at least one imaging device;

at least one mobile unit having means for transmitting and receiving vocal and informational signals;

at least one remote unit having means for transmitting and receiving said vocal and informational signals;

said at least one remote unit having means for receiving visual signals

said at least one remote unit having means for displaying visual images responsively to said visual signals;

a management unit having means for individually controlling imaging functions of each of said at least one imaging device;

said management unit having a means for relaying said vocal, said visual, and said informational signals between each said at least one mobile unit means for transmitting and receiving and each said at least one remote unit means for transmitting and receiving; and

said management unit having means for concurrently receiving said visual signals from said at least one imaging device with said signals from said at least one mobile unit, and concurrently transmitting said visual signals from said at least one imaging device with said signals from said at least one mobile unit to said at least one remote unit.

7. The communication system of claim 6, wherein said at least one remote unit has an override means for individually controlling imaging functions of each of said at least one imaging device.

8. The communication system of claim 7, further comprising:

means for monitoring a physical condition of a subject, said means for monitoring having physical condition output data;

means for sending said physical condition output data to said mobile unit; and

said informational signals including said physical condition output data.

9. The communication system of claim 8, further comprising:

means for storing data of a normal physical condition of said subject; and

means for combining said normal physical condition data of said subject and said physical condition output data of said subject to form composite physical condition data;

said informational signals including said composite physical condition data.

10. The communication system of claim 9, further comprising:

means for combining visual images of said subject taken by said at least one imaging device with said output data of said subject'"'"'s means for monitoring physical condition.

11. The communication system of claim 6, further comprising:

means for locating said at least one mobile unit;

means for extracting locational data from said means for locating;

means for sending said locational data extracted by said means for extracting to said management unit;

said management unit having means for selecting said at least one imaging device responsive to said locational information received from said means for locating; and

said means for individually controlling controls said at least one imaging device selected by said means for selecting responsively to said locational information received from said means for locating.

12. The communication system of claim 7, further comprising:

means for locating said at least one mobile unit;

means for extracting locational data from said means for locating;

means for sending said locational data extracted by said means for extracting to said management unit;

said management unit having means for selecting said at least one imaging device responsive to said locational information received from said means for locating; and

said means for individually controlling controls said at least one imaging device selected by said means for selecting responsively to said locational information received from said means for locating.

13. The communication system of claim 8, further comprising:

means for locating said at least one mobile unit;

means for extracting locational data from said means for locating;

means for sending said locational data extracted by said means for extracting to said management unit;

said management unit having means for selecting said at least one imaging device responsive to said locational information received from said means for locating; and

said means for individually controlling controls said at least one imaging device selected by said means for selecting responsively to said locational information received from said means for locating.

14. The communication system of claim 9, further comprising:

means for locating said at least one mobile unit;

means for extracting locational data from said means for locating;

means for sending said locational data extracted by said means for extracting to said management unit;

said management unit having means for selecting said at least one imaging device responsive to said locational information received from said means for locating; and

said means for individually controlling controls said at least one imaging device selected by said means for selecting responsively to said locational information received from said means for locating.

15. The communication system of claim 10, further comprising:

means for locating said at least one mobile unit;

means for extracting locational data from said means for locating;

means for sending said locational data extracted by said means for extracting to said management unit;

said management unit having means for selecting said at least one imaging device responsive to said locational information received from said means for locating; and

said means for individually controlling controls said at least one imaging device selected by said means for selecting responsively to said locational information received from said means for locating.