Communication conference method and communication conference terminal

• US 5,917,470 A
• Filed: 12/04/1995
• Issued: 06/29/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/1994
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Inventors: Fujioka, Susumu
• Primary Examiner(s): Luu, Matthew
• Application Number:
  US08/566,997
• Time in Patent Office: 1,303 Days
• Field of Search: 345/1, 345/2, 345/3, 345/127, 345/129, 345/130, 345/132, 345/330, 345/333, 348/13, 348/15, 348/16, 348/17, 348/18, 379/96
• US Class Current: 345/660
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1454 involving copying of the display data of a local workstation or window to a remote workstation or window so that an actual copy of the data is displayed simultaneously on two or more displays, e.g. teledisplay
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00204 with a digital computer or a digital computer system, e.g. an internet server programmed control between transmitter and receiver or between image input and image output device H04N1/32561
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/33315 reading or reproducing mode only, e.g. sheet size, resolution
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/42 Systems for two-way working , e.g. conference systems H04N1/32 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/33321 Image or page size, e.g. A3, A4

Abstract

In a communication conference method which uses display units in order to display handwritten inputs, handwritten input signals are transmitted between first and second terminals to perform a communication conference session. Information concerning numbers of pixels of the display units are exchanged between the first and second terminals. The next step is to set a common display area used in the communication conference session. The common display area has the smaller of the number of pixels of the first terminal and the number of pixels of the second terminal.

Claims

1. A communication conference method which uses display units in order to display handwritten inputs, wherein handwritten input signals are transmitted between first and second terminals to perform a communication conference session, said communication conference method comprising the steps of:

exchanging information through a communication line concerning numbers of pixels of the display units between the first and second terminals;

determining coordinates of display data corresponding to the handwritten input signals transmitted between the first and second terminals based on the exchanged information of the number of pixels of the display units exchanged between the first and second terminals; and

setting a common display area used in said communication conference session, said common display area having the smaller of the number of pixels of the first terminal and the number of pixels of the second terminal.

2. A communication conference method which uses display units in order to display handwritten inputs, wherein handwritten input signals are transmitted between first and second terminals to perform a communication conference session, said communication conference method comprising the steps of:

exchanging information concerning numbers of pixels of the display units between the first and second terminals;

setting a common display area used in said communication conference session, said common display area having the smaller of the number of pixels of the first terminal and the number of pixels of the second terminal;

enlarging, at the first terminal when the number of pixels of the display unit of the first terminal is larger than the number of pixels of the common display area, coordinates of the handwritten input signal received from the second terminal at a ratio of the number of pixels of the common display area and the number of pixels of the display unit of the first terminal; and

reducing coordinates of the handwritten input signal to be transmitted to the second terminal from the first terminal at an inverse number of said ratio.

3. A communication conference method which uses display units in order to display handwritten inputs, wherein handwritten input signals are transmitted between first and second terminals to perform a communication conference session, said communication conference method comprising the steps of:

exchanging information concerning numbers of pixels of the display units between the first and second terminals;

setting a common display area used in said communication conference session, said common display area having the larger of the number of pixels of the first terminal and the number of pixels of the second terminal;

reducing, at the first terminal when the number of pixels of the display unit of the first terminal is smaller than the number of pixels of the common display area, coordinates of the handwritten input signal received from the second terminal at a ratio of the number of pixels of the common display area and the number of pixels of the display unit of the first terminal; and

enlarging coordinates of the handwritten input signal to be transmitted to the second terminal from the first terminal at an inverse number of said ratio.

4. A communication conference method which uses display units in order to display handwritten inputs, wherein handwritten input signals are transmitted between first and second terminals to perform a communication conference session, said communication conference method comprising the steps of:

exchanging information through a communication line concerning numbers of pixels of the display between the first and second terminals;

setting, at the first and second terminals, a common display area having a predetermined number of pixels;

determining coordinates of display data corresponding to the handwritten input signals transmitted between the first and second terminals through a communication between the first and second terminals through the communication line; and

performing a display of the display data on common display areas of the display units of the first and second terminals based on the determined coordinates.

5. A communication conference terminal which uses a display unit in order to display handwritten inputs, wherein handwritten input signals are transmitted between the communication conference terminal and a remote terminal to perform a communication conference session, said communication conference terminal comprising:

first means for exchanging information through a communication line concerning numbers of pixels of the display units between the communication conference terminal and the remote terminal;

determining means for determining coordinates of display data corresponding to the handwritten input signals transmitted between the communication conference terminal and the remote terminal based on the exchanged information of the number of pixels of the display units exchanged between the communication conference terminal and the remote terminal; and

second means for setting a common display area used in said communication conference session, said common display area having the smaller of the number of pixels of the communication conference terminal and the number of pixels of the remote terminal.

6. A communication conference terminal which uses a display unit in order to display handwritten inputs, wherein handwritten input signals are transmitted between the communication conference terminal and a remote terminal to perform a communication conference session, said communication conference terminal comprising:

first means for exchanging information concerning numbers of pixels of the display units between the communication conference terminal and the remote terminal;

second means for setting a common display area used in said communication conference session, said common display area having the smaller of the number of pixels of the communication conference terminal and the number of pixels of the remote terminal;

third means for enlarging, at the communication conference terminal when the number of pixels of the display unit of the communication conference terminal is larger than the number of pixels of the common display area, coordinates of the handwritten input signal received from the remote terminal at a ratio of the number of pixels of the common display area and the number of pixels of the display unit of the communication conference terminal; and

fourth means for reducing coordinates of the handwritten input signal to be transmitted to the remote terminal from the communication conference terminal at an inverse number of said ratio.

7. A communication conference terminal which uses a display unit in order to display handwritten inputs, wherein handwritten input signals are transmitted between the communication conference terminal and a remote terminal to perform a communication conference session, said communication conference terminal comprising:

first means for exchanging information concerning numbers of pixels of the display units between the communication conference terminal and the remote terminal;

second means for setting a common display area used in said communication conference session, said common display area having the larger of the number of pixels of the communication conference terminal and the number of pixels of the remote terminal;

third means for reducing, at the communication conference terminal when the number of pixels of the display unit of the communication conference terminal is smaller than the number of pixels of the common display area, coordinates of the handwritten input signal received from the remote terminal at a ratio of the number of pixels of the common display area and the number of pixels of the display unit of the communication conference terminal; and

fourth means for enlarging coordinates of the handwritten input signal to be transmitted to the remote terminal from the communication conference terminal at an inverse number of said ratio.

8. A communication conference terminal which uses a display unit in order to display handwritten inputs, wherein handwritten input signals are transmitted between the communication conference terminal and a remote terminal to perform a communication conference session, said communication conference terminal comprising:

first means for exchanging information through a communication line concerning numbers of pixels of the display units between the first and second terminals;

second means for setting a common display area having a predetermined number of pixels, said common display area being common to the communication conference terminal and the remote terminal;

determining means for determining coordinates of display data corresponding to the handwritten input signals transmitted between the communication conference terminal and the remote terminal through a communication between the communication conference terminal and the remote terminal through the communication line; and

third means for performing a display of the display data on the common display area of the display unit of the communication conference terminal based on the determined coordinates.

9. A communication conference method between first and second terminals which use display units in order to display handwritten inputs, comprising the steps of:

exchanging information through a communication line concerning members of pixels of the display units between the first and second terminals;

determining coordinates of display data corresponding to the handwritten input signals transmitted between the first and second terminals based on the exchanged information of the number of pixels of the display units exchanged between the first and second terminals; and

transmitting the display data between the first and second terminals based on the determined coordinates.

10. A communication conference method which uses display units in order to display handwritten inputs, wherein handwritten input signals are transmitted between first and second terminals to perform a communication conference session, said communication conference method comprising the steps of:

exchanging information concerning numbers of pixels of the display units between the first and second terminals; and

setting a common display area used in said communication conference session, said common display area having the smaller of the number of pixels of the first terminal and the number of pixels of the second terminal.

11. A communication conference method which uses display units in order to display handwritten inputs, wherein handwritten input signals are transmitted between first and second terminals to perform a communication conference session, said communication conference method comprising the steps of:

exchanging information through a communication line concerning numbers of pixels of the display units between the first and second terminals;

setting, at the first and second terminals, a common display area having a predetermined number of pixels; and

performing a display of handwritten inputs on common display areas of the display units of the first and second terminals.

12. A communication conference terminal which uses a display unit in order to display handwritten inputs, wherein handwritten input signals are transmitted between the communication conference terminal and a remote terminal to perform a communication conference session, said communication conference terminal comprising:

first means for exchanging information concerning numbers of pixels of the display units between the communication conference terminal and the remote terminal; and

second means for setting a common display area used in said communication conference session, said common display area having the smaller of the number of pixels of the communication conference terminal and the number of pixels of the remote terminal.

13. A communication conference terminal which uses a display unit in order to display handwritten inputs, wherein handwritten input signals are transmitted between the communication conference terminal and a remote terminal to perform a communication conference session, said communication conference terminal comprising:

first mean for exchanging information through a communication line concerning numbers of pixels of the display units between the first and second terminals;

second means for setting a common display area having a predetermined number of pixels, said common display area being common to the communication conference terminal and the remote terminal; and

third means for performing a display of handwritten inputs on the common display area of the display unit of the communication conference terminal.

14. A communication conference method between first and second terminals which use display units in order to display handwritten inputs, comprising the steps of:

exchanging information concerning members of pixels of the display units between the first and second terminals; and

transmitting handwritten inputs between the first and second terminals based on the exchanged information.