Recording/playback apparatus with telephone and its control method, video camera with telephone and its control method, image communication apparatus, and storage medium

• US 6,775,361 B1
• Filed: 04/28/1999
• Issued: 08/10/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 05/01/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Takahashi, Kazuhiro, Arai, Hideyuki
• Primary Examiner(s): WOO, STELLA L
• Application Number:
  US09/301,145
• Time in Patent Office: 1,931 Days
• Field of Search: 379/93.17, 379/93.23, 379/110.01, 379/102.01, 379/102.02, 379/102.03, 348/14.02, 348/14.05, 348/552, 455/556.1, 455/557, 455/566, 455/567
• US Class Current: 379/93.17
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/233 including a pointing device, e.g. roller key, track ball, rocker switch or joystick constructional details of pointing devices per se G06F3/033
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/236 including keys on side or rear faces
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/56 Arrangements for indicating or recording the called number at the calling subscriber's set
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/57 Arrangements for indicating or recording the number of the calling subscriber at the called subscriber's set at the operator set in a manual exchange H04M5/20
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/656 for recording conversations
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72403 with means for local support of applications that increase the functionality
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 19/04 the ringing-current being generated at the substations
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/52 including functional features of a camera constructional features concerning the integration of cameras in portable phones H04M1/0264
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00307 with a mobile telephone apparatus constructional features of portable telephone sets H04M1/0202; mobile radio systems H04W84/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00408 Display of information to the user, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/0049 providing a visual indication to the user, e.g. using a lamp H04N1/00408 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/2112 using still video cameras
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/3276 Ring suppression
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2007/145 Handheld terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41407 embedded in a portable device, e.g. video client on a mobile phone, PDA, laptop constructional details of equipment or arrangements specially adapted for portable computer application G06F1/1626; arrangements specially adapted for mobile receivers in broadcast systems H04H20/57
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2101/00 Still video cameras
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0084 Digital still camera
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/00 Cameras or camera modules comprising electronic image sensors; Control thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/50 Constructional details
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/631 Graphical user interfaces [GUI] specially adapted for controlling image capture or setting capture parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/142 : Constructional details of the terminal equipment, e.g. arrangements of the camera and the display
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/147 : Communication arrangements, e.g. identifying the communication as a video-communication, intermediate storage of the signals selecting H04Q

Abstract

This invention has as its object to appropriately inform the user of reception of an incoming call in accordance with the operation mode of a video camera upon arrival of call. To achieve this object, an apparatus has a telephone and video camera in a single housing, and comprises a device for muting a ringing tone during image sensing by the video camera.

Claims

1. A video camera with telephone, which has a telephone and video camera in a single housing, comprising means for pausing image sensing of the video camera upon reception of a call during image sensing by the video camera.

2. The video camera with telephone according to claim 1, wherein said means for pausing automatically pauses image sensing of the video camera upon reception of a call during image sensing by the video camera.

3. A video camera with telephone, which has a telephone and video camera in a single housing, comprising means for stopping various call reception informing functions that disturb image sensing, and displaying a call reception message on a display, upon reception of a call during image sensing by the video camera.

4. A video camera with telephone, which has a telephone and video camera in a single housing, comprising selection means for selecting a function of stopping various call reception informing functions that disturb image sensing, and displaying a call reception message on a display, upon reception of a call during image sensing by the video camera.

5. A method of controlling a video camera with telephone, comprising the step of pausing image sensing of the video camera upon reception of a call during image sensing by the video camera.

6. A storage medium storing a program for implementing a method of controlling a video camera with telephone of claim 5.

7. The method according to claim 5, wherein said step of pausing automatically pauses image sensing of the video camera upon reception of a call during image sensing by the video camera.

8. A method of controlling a video camera with telephone, comprising the step of stopping various call reception informing functions that disturb image sensing, and displaying a call reception message on a display, upon reception of a call during image sensing by the video camera.

9. A storage medium storing a program for implementing a method of controlling a video camera with telephone of claim 8.

10. A method of controlling a video camera with telephone, comprising the step of selecting a function of stopping various call reception informing functions that disturb image sensing, and displaying a call reception message on a display, upon reception of a call during image sensing by the video camera.

11. A storage medium storing a program for implementing a method of controlling a video camera with telephone of claim 10.

12. A video camera with telephone having a video camera and a vibrator for informing reception of a call, comprising:

control means for activating the vibrator in the case that the video camera receives a call during the video camera is not carrying out image sensing operation, and for prohibiting an operation of the vibrator in the case that the video camera receives a call during the video camera is carrying out image sensing operation.

13. A method of controlling a video camera with telephone having a video camera and a vibrator for informing reception of a call, comprising the steps of:

activating the vibrator in the case that the video camera receives a call during the video camera is not carrying out image sensing operation; and

prohibiting an operation of the vibrator in the case that the video camera receives a call during the video camera is carrying out image sensing operation.

14. A storage medium storing a program for carrying out the method according to claim 13.