Videoconference system, terminal equipment included therein and data delivery method

• US 6,950,119 B2
• Filed: 04/15/2003
• Issued: 09/27/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 04/15/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sumitomo Electric Industries Limited (Sumitomo Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Sumitomo Electric Industries Limited (Sumitomo Corporation)
• Inventors: Kakii, Toshiaki, Hata, Yoichi, Maki, Hisao
• Primary Examiner(s): CHAN, WING F
• Application Number:
  US10/413,588
• Publication Number:
  US 20040114032A1
• Time in Patent Office: 896 Days
• Field of Search: 348 1401- 1416, 709/204
• US Class Current: 348/14.08
• 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 7/144 camera and display on the same optical axis, e.g. optically multiplexing the camera and display for eye to eye contact
• 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

The invention relates to a videoconference system and others of structure enabling smooth progress of interlocution even in distance interlocution among many people through a plurality of terminal devices. The videoconference system is a network system enabling transmission and reception of data by several types of media through a plurality of terminal devices connected by a transmission means, and is provided with a management table for managing users of the respective terminal devices in a state in which the users are sorted in an interlocutor mode for interlocutors mainly engaged in progress of a specific subject and in an observer mode for observers other than the interlocutors, and a communication control means for editing interlocution information by media selected from interlocution information among users sorted in the interlocutor mode and delivering the edited information to the terminal devices of the respective users sorted in the observer mode.

Claims

1. A videoconference system configured to implement transmission and reception of data by several types of media through a plurality of terminal devices connected by predetermined transmission means, said videoconference system comprising:

a management table for managing users of the respective terminal devices in a state in which the users are sorted in an interlocutor mode for interlocutors mainly engaged in progress of a specific subject and in an observer mode for observers except for the interlocutors; and

communication control means for delivering information necessary for two-way interlocution in real time to the terminal devices of the respective users sorted in the interlocutor mode and for separately editing as delivered information, information by media selected from information associated with the interlocution between the interlocutors sorted in the interlocutor mode, and delivering the edited information to the terminal devices of the respective users sorted in the observer mode.

2. A videoconference system according to claim 1, wherein, in accordance with a mode switch instruction or request from a user sorted in the interlocutor mode or in the observer mode, said communication control means rearranges mode information managed by said management table so as to re-sort one of the users sorted in the interlocutor mode, into the observer mode and re-sort a user sorted in the observer mode, into the interlocutor mode.

3. A videoconference system according to claim 1, wherein said communication control means makes up the edited information to be delivered to the terminals of the users sorted in the observer mode, from interlocution-associated information by media selected by each user sorted in the interlocutor mode or in the observer mode.

4. A videoconference system according to claim 1, wherein said communication control means receives comment information including at least one of a signal, characters, a voice, and an image sent from a terminal device of a user in the observer mode and delivers the comment information to a terminal device of a user as a receiver among the users sorted in the interlocutor mode and in the observer mode.

5. A videoconference system according to claim 4, wherein, in accordance with an instruction of disclosure of the comment information from the user sorted in the observer mode, which is given by a user in the interlocutor mode, said communication control means delivers the comment information to the terminal devices of the other users sorted in the observer mode.

6. A videoconference system according to claim 4, wherein said communication control means delivers interlocution-associated information containing at least the number of transmissions of comment information and a remaining time of interlocution to the terminal device of each participant.

7. A videoconference system according to claim 1, wherein said communication control means delivers interlocution-associated information containing at least information specifying current interlocutors and information about attendance of observers to the terminal device of each user.

8. Terminal equipment applied to the videoconference system according to claim 1, said terminal equipment comprising:

a management table for managing all users of respective terminal devices, preliminarily registered as participants, in a state in which the users are sorted in an interlocutor mode for interlocutors mainly engaged in progress of a specific subject and in an observer mode for observers except for the interlocutors; and

a control unit for delivering information necessary for two-way interlocution in real time to the terminal devices of the respective users sorted in the interlocutor mode and for separately editing as delivered information, information by media selected from information associated with the interlocution between the interlocutors sorted in the interlocutor mode, and delivering the edited information to the terminal devices of the respective users sorted in the observer mode.

9. Terminal equipment according to claim 8, further comprising:

a display unit for displaying at least a video of a partner user sorted in the interlocutor mode among the participants; and

an image pickup unit for picking up an image of a user located in front of the display unit, said image pickup unit being located at a position where eye contact can be achieved between the user and the partner user through the video of the partner user displayed in the display unit.

10. A data delivery method in a communication system configured to implement transmission and reception of data by several types of media through a plurality of terminal devices connected by predetermined transmission means, said data delivery method comprising the following steps of:

managing users of the respective terminal devices in a state in which the users are sorted in an interlocutor mode for interlocutors mainly engaged in progress of a specific subject and in an observer mode for observers except for the interlocutors;

delivering information necessary for two-way interlocution in real time to the terminal devices of the respective users sorted in the interlocutor mode, and separately editing as delivered information, information by media selected from information associated with the interlocution between the interlocutors sorted in the interlocutor mode; and

delivering the edited information to the terminal devices of the respective users sorted in the observer mode.

11. A recording medium in which a computer program for letting a computer execute a data delivery method according to claim 10 recorded.

12. A data delivery method according to claim 10, wherein, in accordance with a mode switch instruction or request from a user sorted in the interlocutor mode or in the observer mode, mode information managed by the management table is rearranged so as to re-sort one of the users sorted in the interlocutor mode, into the observer mode and re-son a user sorted in the observer mode, into the interlocutor mode.

13. A data delivery method according to claim 10, wherein, in accordance with a mode switch instruction or request from a user sorted in the interlocutor mode or in the observer mode, one of the users sorted in the interlocutor mode is re-sorted into the observer mode and the user designated by the mode switch instruction or request is re-sorted into the interlocutor mode.

14. A data delivery method according to claim 10, comprising the step of receiving comment information including at least one of a signal, characters, a voice, and an image sent from a terminal device of a user in the observer mode and delivering the comment information to a terminal device of a user as a receiver among the users sorted in the interlocutor mode and in the observer mode.

15. A data delivery method according to claim 14, comprising the step of, in accordance with an instruction of disclosure of the comment information from the user sorted in the observer mode, which is given by a user in the interlocutor mode, delivering the comment information to the terminal devices of the other users sorted in the observer mode.

16. A data delivery method according to claim 14, comprising the step of delivering interlocution-associated information containing at least the number of transmissions of comment information and a remaining time of interlocution to the terminal device of each participant.

17. A data delivery method according to claim 10, comprising the step of delivering information specifying current interlocutors and information about attendance of observers to the terminal device of each user.

18. A computer program stored in a computer readable medium for letting a computer execute a data delivery method according to claim 10.