Television receiver with a TV phone function

• US 9,723,268 B2
• Filed: 07/21/2016
• Issued: 08/01/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/25/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Maxell, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi Maxell Limited (Hitachi, Ltd.)
• Inventors: Mizosoe, Hiroki, Iwabuchi, Kazunori, Shimoda, Mutsumi, Bondan, Setiawan, Sasamoto, Manabu
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Khai N
• Application Number:
  US15/215,839
• Publication Number:
  US 20160330409A1
• Time in Patent Office: 376 Days
• Field of Search: 348 1401, 348 1402, 348 1403, 348 1404, 348 1405, 348 1406, 348 1407, 348 1408, 348 1409, 348 141, 348 1411, 348 1412, 348 1413, 348 1414, 348 1515, 348 1416, 37926503, 4554141, 455566, 704270
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1063 Application servers providing network services systems providing special services to telephonic subscribers H04M3/42
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/254 Management at additional data server, e.g. shopping server, rights management server arrangements for maintenance or administration in data networks H04L41/00; network services using third party service providers H04L67/53
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42203 sound input device, e.g. microphone
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4223 Cameras H04N23/00 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/431 Generation of visual interfaces for content selection or interaction; Content or additional data rendering
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4788 communicating with other users, e.g. chatting arrangements for providing for computer conferences, e.g. chat rooms, to substation in data switching networks H04L12/1813; distributed application using peer-to-peer [P2P] networks H04L67/104
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/141 between two video terminals, e.g. videophone telephonic communication systems combined with television receiver for reception of entertainment or information matter H04M11/085
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/148 Interfacing a video terminal to a particular transmission medium, e.g. ISDN
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

A videophone system includes a processor which selectively sets a television (TV) broadcast program viewing function mode and videophone function mode in response to manual operation of a remote control, a decoder which performs, in the TV program view mode, a TV program-use decode function for decoding a broadcast program signal received from a TV tuner to thereby display it on a display screen while producing audio sounds by loudspeakers and which performs, in the videophone function mode a videophone-use decode function for decoding a videophone signal received from a distant party to thereby display on the screen an image of the distant party using the screen and speakers, and an encoder which performs a videophone-use encode function for encoding a video signal from a camera and a voice signal from a microphone to generate a videophone signal, which is sent to the distant party via a network.

Claims

1. A digital information transmitting and receiving apparatus which transmits and receives digital information, comprising:

a communication means which receives first digital information including a first video information;

a network connection means which receives second digital information including second video information from a content server, or third digital information including third video information from another communication device;

an encoder which generates fourth digital information including encoded fourth video information wherein fourth video information is obtained from a camera;

a first decoder which decodes the first digital information;

a second decoder which decodes the second digital information or the third digital information;

a display means which displays decoded first video information, decoded second video information or decoded third video information, wherein the first video information is decoded by the first decoder, and the second video information or the third video information is decoded by the second decoder;

an input means which receives an input from a user; and

a control means configured to;

display the decoded first video information and second video information simultaneously on the display means, wherein the second video information is included in the second digital information received from the content server and decoded by the second decoder, while displaying the decoded first video information on the display means, wherein the first video information is included in the first digital information received with the communication means and decoded by the first decoder,

in a case of receiving an incoming call of videophone communication from the other communication device during the simultaneous display of the first video information and the second video information on the display means, notify a temporary suspension of a transmission process of the second digital information with respect to the content server, initiate generation of the fourth digital information by the encoder and display the decoded third video information and the first video information on the display means, wherein the third video information included in the received third digital information is decoded by the second decoder, and

in a case of receiving a stop instruction of the videophone communication from the other communication device or in a case where the input received by the input means is for ending the videophone communication, stop displaying the third video information on the display means and stop generating the fourth digital information by the encoder.

2. The digital information transmitting and receiving apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein after the videophone communication is finished, the control means is further configured to restart reception of the second digital information from the content server.

3. The digital information transmitting and receiving apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, in a case where the network connection means does not receive the third digital information from the other communication device for a predetermined time period, the control means is further configured to stop generating the fourth digital information by the encoder.

4. The digital information transmitting and receiving apparatus according to claim 2, wherein, in a case where the network connection means does not receive the third digital information from the other communication device for a predetermined time period, the control means is further configured to stop generating the fourth digital information by the encoder.