Videophone device

• US 7,148,911 B1
• Filed: 08/08/2000
• Issued: 12/12/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/09/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Toda, Toshiyuki, Mitsui, Kenichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Ramakrishnaiah, Melur
• Application Number:
  US09/807,143
• Time in Patent Office: 2,317 Days
• Field of Search: 348 1401- 1403, 348/14.05, 348 1407- 141, 348 1414- 1416, 379/93.17, 379/93.21, 379/93.23, 345/753, 370260-263, 709/204, 455/556, 455/566, 455/575, 455/90, 455/420.01, 455/550.1, 455/569.1, 455/556.1, 455/420.1, 455/558.1, 455/568, 715/753
• US Class Current: 348/14.01
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2007/145 Handheld terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/50 Constructional details
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/63 by using electronic viewfinders
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/142 Constructional details of the terminal equipment, e.g. arrangements of the camera and the display

Abstract

Providing video telephone apparatus where the orientation of a picked-up image or a received image can be changed according to the orientation of the image pick-up section or the display, thus allowing transmission or display of a proper image at any time.

In video telephone apparatus according to the invention, an image pick-up section outputs the image data on the target object to a transmit image rotating section. The transmit image rotating section performs rotation processing on a picked-up image so that the upper side of an image pick-up section in the vertical direction coincides with the upper side of an image to transmit to the distant party, based on the orientation of the image pick-up section detected by an image pick-up vertical direction detector. A picture signal received from the distant party is demodulated and output to a receive image rotating section. The receive image rotating section performs rotation processing so that the upper side of the receive image is at the upper side of a display in the vertical direction, based on the vertical direction of the image pick-up section of the an image pick-up vertical direction detector, that is, the orientation of the display.

Claims

1. Video telephone apparatus comprising image pick-up means for picking up the image of an object and generating a transmit picture signal according to the image of the object;

communication means for transmitting and receiving said transmit picture signal and a receive picture signal;

display means for displaying video information based on the receive picture signal received from said communication means; and

a main body provided with the image pick-up means, the communication means, and the display means, and having a bent section adapted to be collapsible to close the main body;

characterized in that said image pick-up means comprises detector means for detecting the orientation of said video telephone apparatus and a rotating means for rotating the orientation of an image in at least either of said transmit picture signal and said receive picture signal based on the detected orientation of said image pick-up means and independent of the orientation of a distant party video telephone apparatus.

2. Video telephone apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that detector means for detecting the orientation of said video telephone apparatus has image pick-up direction detector means for detecting the vertical direction of said image pick-up means.

3. Video telephone apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that detector means for detecting the orientation of said video telephone apparatus has display direction detector means for detecting the vertical direction of said display means.

4. Video telephone apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that said rotating means has transmit image rotating means for performing rotation processing on said transmit picture signal based on the orientation of said video telephone apparatus.

5. Video telephone apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that said rotating means has receive image rotating means for performing rotation processing on said receive picture signal based on the orientation of said video telephone apparatus.

6. Video telephone apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that said video telephone apparatus comprises a first receiver means for regenerating a receive audio signal received from said communication means, a second receiver means for regenerating the receive audio signal received from said communication means to a signal level different from that of the first receiver means, and a receiver selector means for switching between said first receiver means and said second receiver means based on the orientation of said video telephone apparatus.

7. Video telephone apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that said video telephone apparatus comprises a first transmitter means for converting voice data into an electric signal to generate a transmit audio signal, a second transmitter means for converting voice data into an electric signal to generate a transmit audio signal whose signal level differs from that of the first receiver transmitter means, and a transmitter selector means for switching between said first transmitter means and said second transmitter means based on the orientation of said video telephone apparatus.

8. Video telephone apparatus according to claim 6, characterized in that said receiver selector means has picked-up image receiver means for switching between said first receiver means and said second receiver means based on the vertical direction of image pick-up means detected by image pick-up means detector means.

9. Video telephone apparatus according to claim 6, characterized in that said receiver selector means is display receiver selector means and switches between said first receiver means and said second receiver means based on the vertical direction or horizontal direction of the display means detected by display means detector means.

10. Video telephone apparatus according to claim 7, characterized in that said transmitter selector means has picked-up image transmitter means for switching between said first transmitter means and said second transmitter means based on the vertical direction of image pick-up means detected by image pick-up means detector means.

11. Video telephone apparatus according to claim 7, characterized in that said transmitter selector means has display transmitter selector means for switching between said first transmitter means and said second transmitter means based on the vertical direction of display means detected by display means detector means.

12. Video telephone apparatus according to claim 1, wherein an upper side of the picked-up image in gravity direction of said video telephone apparatus is rotated so as to be an upper side of the picture of the transmit picture signal is made as the upper side of the picked up image in orientation.

13. Video telephone apparatus comprising image pick-up means for picking up the image of an object and generating a transmit picture signal according to the image of the object;

communication means for transmitting and receiving said transmit picture signal and a receive picture signal;

display means for displaying video information based on the receive picture signal received from said communication means; and

a main body provided with image pick-up means, the communication means, and display means, and having a bent section adapted to be collapsible to close the main body;

characterized in that said video telephone apparatus comprises detector means for detecting the orientation of said image pick-up means and a rotating means for generating said transmit picture signal by rotating the orientation of an image picked up by said image pick-up means based on the detected orientation of said image pick-up means.

14. The video telephone apparatus according to claim 13, wherein said rotating means further generates an image for displaying by rotating the orientation of an image of said receive picture signal.

15. Video telephone apparatus according to claim 13, wherein an upper side of the picked-up image in gravity direction of said video telephone apparatus is rotated so as to generate said transmit picture signal which forms a transmit picture in which an upper side of the transmit picture is same as the upper side of the picked up image in orientation.