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Video telephone and method for changing communication mode during communication

  • US 5,909,239 A
  • Filed: 07/08/1997
  • Issued: 06/01/1999
  • Est. Priority Date: 07/08/1996
  • Status: Expired due to Term
First Claim
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1. A video telephone with functions for switching between video and voice communication modes, comprising:

  • a modem for transmitting and receiving video and voice signals so as to perform a video communication via a telephone network line connected therewith;

    a control unit for performing a control routine in response to a mode control signal and enabling the modem to be set to the video communication mode or the voice communication mode;

    a telephone handset for a voice communication via the telephone network line connected therewith;

    a switch for connecting the telephone network line to either the modem or the telephone handset under the control of the control unit; and

    a tone code codec unit connected between the control unit and the telephone network line, for decoding a tone code signal from the telephone network line, generated under the manual control of a user from another telephone connected thereto, to produce the mode control signal and for encoding the mode control signal from the control unit, in response to a signal generated under the manual control of a user from the video telephone, to generate a tone code indicative of setting and changing the communication modes during communication of the video telephone.

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