Television – Two-way video and voice communication – Conferencing
Reexamination Certificate
1999-11-08
2003-02-04
Ramakrishnaiah, Melur (Department: 2643)
Television
Two-way video and voice communication
Conferencing
C348S014010, C348S014030
Reexamination Certificate
active
06515695
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a multimedia communications terminal having videophone capabilities that permit voice communications while sending and receiving pictures taken from talkers. The invention also relates to a multimedia communications system having such terminals.
2. Description of the Related Art
At present, multimedia communications terminals having videophone capabilities have been put into practical use in applications using ISDN (Integrated Services Digital Network), digital cellular phones, PHS (Personal Handyphone System) or the like. Some of these multimedia communications terminals have a phone book function capable of storing information such as names, phone numbers, images (e.g., an image of the face of the other party while talking), as described in Japanese Unexamined Patent (Kokai) Nos. 30871/1995, and 46435/1997.
Such a multimedia communications terminal having videophone capabilities as described above can store information about individual persons such as the name and images of the other party in its phone book database. However, the communications terminal does not have a function of storing the kinds of data that can be handled as communications data (e.g., audio data and video data).
Therefore, with the prior art multimedia terminal, an outgoing call is once made according to protocols that permit voice communications to establish a communications link with a single call, whether the terminal of the other party supports only voice communications or permits multimedia communications. Then, a check is made if the terminal of the other party supports multimedia communications. If the check is done, multimedia communications are carried out.
In this way, to discern the kinds of data capable of being handled by the terminal of the other party, the prior art multimedia communications terminal needs complex procedures for call control. Also, extra bearer transmission to the communications terminal takes place until multimedia communications are initiated. This increases the burden on the switching station. Furthermore, it takes a long time to complete the interconnection.
In this multimedia communications terminal, image received from the other party and the name of the person within the image are stored in a correlated manner to each other in a phone book database.
Where image data taken from the other party is stored in the phone book database, even images what the other party does not want to be stored are stored. This may infringe the privacy and the right to his or her portraits.
The prior art multimedia communications terminal necessitates complex procedures for call control to discern the kinds of data capable of being handled by the other terminal. Extra bearer transmission to the communications terminal takes place. This increases the burden on the switching station. Furthermore, it takes a long time to complete the interconnection.
Moreover, in the prior art multimedia communications terminal, even images what the other party does not want to be stored are stored in a phone book database. This may infringe the privacy and the right to portraits of the other party.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In an attempt to solve the foregoing problems, the present invention has been made. It is an object of the present invention to provide a multimedia communications terminal which can be quickly connected with a desired party with less burden on the switching station.
It is another object of the invention to provide a multimedia communications terminal and multimedia communications system capable of storing image accepted from the other party as phone book data items without infringing the privacy or the right to portraits of the other party.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a multimedia communications terminal and multimedia communications system which, if the other party with which the present terminal is communicating refuses storing video data accepted from the other party, checks that the terminal of the other party supports multimedia communications by referring to a phone book database.
It is a yet other object of the invention to provide a multimedia communications terminal capable of switching the mode of operation between transmission/reception mode and reception-only mode according to the kind of information. For example, audio data are both transmitted and received but video data are only received.
It is a still other object of the invention to provide a multimedia communications terminal capable of informing the other party of the name of the caller according to the other party when an outgoing call is made.
The objects described above are achieved in accordance with the teachings of the invention by a multimedia communications terminal capable of at least sending or receiving video information, the terminal being equipped with a means for storing information for discerning other party and information indicating the communications capabilities of the terminal of the other party such that these two kinds of information are correlated with each other.
The multimedia communications terminal described above is characterized in that it has the other party information storage means to store the information for discerning the other party and the information indicating the communications capabilities of the other party in a correlated manner to each other.
Accordingly, with this multimedia communications terminal, the user can grasp the communications capabilities of the other party by referring to the information stored in the other party information storage means. Therefore, the user can make a call connection in procedures adapted for the other party. This alleviates the burden on the switching station. Hence, a connection with the other party can be quickly made.
The present invention also provides a multimedia communications terminal comprising a communications capability information storage detection means for sensing whether information about the communications capability of the other party is stored in said other party information storage means and a communication capability information writing means for storing communications capability information gained from the other party and information for discerning the other party in said other party information storage means such that these two kinds of information are correlated with each other, if the communications capability information storage detection means senses that said communications capabilities are not stored.
The multimedia communications terminal of the construction described above is equipped with the other party information storage means for storing information for discerning the other party and information indicating the communications capabilities of the terminal of the other party such that these two kinds of information are correlated with each other. If the communication capability information of the other party are not stored in the other party information storage means, communication capability information gained from the other party is stored in the other party information storage means.
Accordingly, with the multimedia communications terminal of the construction described above, the user can make a call connection in procedures adapted for the communications capabilities of the other party by referring to the information stored in the other party information storage means. Consequently, the burden on the switching station is reduced. A connection with the other party can be quickly made. If information about the communications capabilities of the other party is not stored, the information can be gained from the other party and stored in the other party information storage means.
The present invention also provides a multimedia communications terminal comprising a communications capability information storage detection means for determining whether information indicating the communications capabilities and newly gained from the other party agrees with the information stored in the other party information
Arai Yasunori
Inoue Nobuhiro
Irube Akira
Kataoka Yoshihiro
Sato Jun
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