Communication apparatus and method

• US 6,271,805 B1
• Filed: 01/29/1997
• Issued: 08/07/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 01/30/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Yonezawa, Hiroki
• Primary Examiner(s): Hjerpe, Richard
• Assistant Examiner(s): Laneau, Ronald
• Application Number:
  US08/788,454
• Time in Patent Office: 1,651 Days
• Field of Search: 345/1, 345/2, 345/348, 345/349, 345/356, 345/327, 345/328, 345/329, 345/330, 345/331, 345/332, 364/449
• US Class Current: 345/1.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/181 for receiving images from a plurality of remote sources

Abstract

In order to improve the operability in selectively outputting image data from a plurality of desired terminals of a plurality of video transmission terminals, a plurality of desired terminals of the plurality of video transmission terminals are designated, and the plurality of desired terminals are formed into a group. A symbol corresponding to the group is generated. Image data received from the plurality of desired terminals are output to a monitor in accordance with access to the symbol.

Claims

1. A communication apparatus comprising:

designating means for designating a plurality of desired terminals of a plurality of video transmission terminals;

generating means for forming said plurality of desired terminals into a group and generating a symbol representing said group;

operating means for operating the symbol; and

output means for outputting image data received from said plurality of desired terminals included in said group to a monitor in accordance with the operation of the symbol.

2. An apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a map indicating installed states of said video transmission terminals, and wherein said designating means performs a designating operation on said map.

3. An apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said map comprises a plurality of maps, and said designating means performs a designating operation on said plurality of maps.

4. An apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said map indicating the installed states of said video transmission terminals is output onto the monitor, and a display form of said plurality of terminals is changed in accordance with the designating operation.

5. An apparatus according to claim 2, wherein an icon indicating said video transmission terminal is displayed on said map in accordance with an installation position.

6. An apparatus according to claim 5, wherein a shape of the icon is changed in accordance with an icon designating operation performed by said designating means.

7. An apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the installed state of said video transmission terminal is an installation position of said video transmission terminal.

8. An apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising setting means for setting a name of said group, the group name being displayed as the symbol on the monitor.

9. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said output means is multi-image display means for performing multi-image display of the image data, received from said plurality of terminals, on the monitor in accordance with access to the symbol.

10. An apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising canceling means for canceling said group.

11. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the image data received from said plurality of desired terminals are displayed on the monitor upon a designating operation by said designating means.

12. A communication method comprising the steps of:

designating a plurality of desired terminals of a plurality of video transmission terminals;

forming said plurality of desired terminals into a group and generating a symbol representing said group;

operating the symbol; and

outputting image data received from said plurality of desired terminals included in said group to a monitor in accordance with the operation of the symbol.

13. A method according to claim 12, further comprising the step of performing the designating operation on a map indicating installed states of said video transmission terminals.

14. A method according to claim 13, wherein said map comprises a plurality of maps, and the designating operation is performed on said plurality of maps.

15. A method according to claim 13, further comprising the step of outputting said map indicating the installed states of said video transmission terminals onto the monitor, and changing a display form of said plurality of terminals in accordance with the designating operation.

16. A method according to claim 13, wherein an icon indicating said video transmission terminal is displayed on said map in accordance with an installation position.

17. A method according to claim 16, wherein a shape of the icon is changed in accordance with an icon designating operation performed by said designating step.

18. A method according to claim 13, wherein the installed state of said video transmission terminal is an installation position of said video transmission terminal.

19. A method according to claim 12, further comprising the step of setting a name of said group by using setting means, the group name being displayed as the symbol on the monitor.

20. A method according to claim 12, wherein the step of outputting the image data comprises the step of displaying the image data, received from said plurality of terminals, as a multi-image on the monitor in accordance with access to the symbol.

21. A method according to claim 12, further comprising the step of canceling said group.

22. A method according to claim 12, further comprising the step of displaying the image data received from said plurality of desired terminals on the monitor upon completion of the designating operation.

23. An article of manufacture comprising:

a computer readable medium having computer usable program code embodied therein, said computer usable program code containing executable instructions that when executed, cause a computer to perform the steps of;

designating a plurality of desired terminals of a plurality of video transmission terminals;

forming said plurality of desired terminals into a group and generating a symbol representing said group;

operating the symbol; and

outputting image data received from said plurality of desired terminals included in said group to a monitor in accordance with the operation of the symbol.

24. The article of manufacture of claim 23, wherein said designating operation is performed on a map indicating installed states of said video transmission terminals.

25. The article of manufacture of claim 24, wherein said map comprises a plurality of maps, and the designating operation is performed on said plurality of maps.

26. The article of manufacture of claim 24, wherein said program code further includes instructions that, when executed, cause a computer to perform the step of outputting said map indicating the installed states of said video transmission terminals onto the monitor, and changing a display form of said plurality of terminals in accordance with the designating operation.

27. The article of manufacture of claim 24, wherein an icon indicating said video transmission terminal is displayed on said map in accordance with an installation position.

28. The article of manufacture of claim 27, wherein a shape of the icon is changed in accordance with an icon designating operation performed by said designating step.

29. The article of manufacture of claim 24, wherein the installed state of said video transmission terminals is an installation position of said video transmission terminal.

30. The article of manufacture of claim 23, wherein said program code further includes instructions that, when executed, cause a computer to perform the step of setting a name of said group by using setting means, the group name being displayed as the symbol on the monitor.

31. The article of manufacture of claim 23, wherein the step of outputting the image data comprises the step of displaying the image data, received from said plurality of terminals, as a multi-image on the monitor in accordance with access to the symbol.

32. The article of manufacture of claim 23, wherein said program code further includes instructions that, when executed, cause a computer to perform the step of canceling said group.

33. The article of manufacture of claim 23, wherein said program code further includes instructions that, when executed, cause a computer to perform the step of displaying the image data received from said plurality of desired terminals on the monitor upon completion of the designating operation.