Communication terminal and communication conference system

Television – Two-way video and voice communication – Conferencing

Reexamination Certificate

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Details

C348S014090

Reexamination Certificate

active

06353456

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to communication terminals for mutually transmitting image data, voice data, and the like and a communication conference system.
2. Related Background Art
FIG. 3
is a block diagram showing the schematic arrangement of a conventional television conference apparatus. A CPU
110
controls the overall apparatus. A ROM
112
stores programs executed by the CPU
110
. A RAM
114
serves as the main memory of the CPU
110
and temporarily stores various data. An SIO
116
serves to perform serial communication between the CPU
110
and an operation apparatus (e.g., a keyboard, a mouse, or a coordinate input unit). An operation apparatus connection terminal
118
serves to connect an operation apparatus to the apparatus.
A microphone connection terminal
124
serves to connect a microphone to the apparatus. An amplifier
126
amplifies a voice signal from the microphone. A voice codec
128
codes/decodes a voice signal. An amplifier
130
amplifies an output signal from the voice codec
128
. A speaker connection terminal
132
serves to connect a speaker to the apparatus.
An image codec
134
codes/decodes an image signal. A camera connection terminal
136
serves to connect a video camera to the apparatus. A monitor connection terminal
142
serves to connect a monitor to the apparatus.
A line I/F
144
is a signal matching interface to a communication line network. A communication line network connection terminal
146
serves to connect a communication line network to the apparatus. A CPU bus
148
serves to exchange data and control signals between the CPU
110
and a peripheral circuit.
FIG. 4
is a block diagram showing the schematic arrangement of a conventional terminal arrangement using the television conference apparatus shown in
FIG. 3. A
television conference apparatus
160
is identical to that shown in
FIG. 3. A
video camera
162
is used to photograph conference participants. A microphone
164
picks up voices produced by a conference participant. A monitor
166
displays an image. A speaker
168
outputs voices. This arrangement includes a communication line network
170
and an operation apparatus
172
used by an operator to operate the television conference apparatus
160
.
The flows of signals in the above arrangement will be briefly described below. First of all, the operator operates the operation apparatus
172
to input the telephone number of a partner's station for which line connection is to be performed. The operation apparatus
172
outputs operation data corresponding to the operation performed by the operator, as serial data, to the SIO
116
of the television conference apparatus
160
. The CPU
110
in the television conference apparatus
160
reads out the serial data from the register of the SIO
116
via the CPU bus
148
to recognize a line connection instruction from the operation apparatus
172
. Upon recognition of the line connection instruction from the operator, the CPU
110
outputs a line connection instruction to the line I/F
144
. The line I/F
144
outputs a communication line connection request in accordance with the line connection instruction from the CPU
110
. The line I/F
144
waits for a line connection completion response from the communication line network
170
and receives this response signal. Thereafter, the line I/F
144
notifies the CPU
110
of the completion of line connection. With the above operation, line connection processing is completed with respect to the partner's station for which a television conference is to be held.
After line connection, image and voice data are mutually transmitted between the respective stations. Transmission processing will be described first.
An image signal obtained by photographing a conference participant using the video camera
162
is received by the television conference apparatus
160
via the camera connection terminal
136
and input to the image codec
134
. The image codec
134
compresses/codes the input image signal, and outputs the coded image data or compressed image data to the line I/F
144
.
A voice signal picked up from a conference participant by the microphone
164
is received by the television conference apparatus
160
via the microphone connection terminal
124
and amplified by the amplifier
126
. Thereafter, the voice signal is input to the voice codec
128
. The voice codec
128
compresses/codes the input voice signal, and outputs the coded voice data or compressed voice data to the line I/F
144
.
The line I/F
144
converts the input compressed image and voice data into data conforming to communication line standards,.and outputs the data from the communication line network connection terminal
146
to the communication line network
170
.
Reception processing will be described next. The data from the communication line network
170
is received by the television conference apparatus
160
via the communication line network connection terminal
146
and input to the line I/F
144
. The line I/F
144
converts the input data into data conforming to the internal format employed by the apparatus. Thereafter, the line I/F
144
outputs information associated with the image to the image codec
134
, and outputs information associated with the voice to the voice codec
128
.
The image codec
134
decodes the data from the line I/F
144
to convert it into an analog signal, and outputs the analog image signal to the monitor
166
via the monitor connection terminal
142
. With this operation, the received image is displayed on the screen of the monitor
166
.
The voice codec
128
decodes the data from the line I/F
144
to convert it into an analog signal, and outputs the analog voice signal to the amplifier
130
. The amplifier
130
amplifies the input voice signal, and outputs it to the speaker
168
via the speaker connection terminal
132
. With this operation, the received voice is output from the speaker
168
.
With the above processing, an image from the partner's station is displayed on the monitor screen, and a voice from the partner's station is output from the speaker.
In the conventional arrangement, communications between the self station and the partner's station are performed by using only image and voice data. For this reason, when conference participants meet for the first time, self-introduction is performed at first. In this case, each conference participant either memorizes the contents of self-introduction or writes them on paper or the like.
In addition, a person who participates-late in a conference either requests self-introduction from other conference participants or remains in the conference without knowing the names and posts of other conference participants.
Furthermore, the proceedings of a conference are manually formed by a conference participant after the end of the conference, similar to a conventional conference (a conference held in a room where conference participants gather).
In the conventional method of forming the proceedings of a television conference, the names, posts, and the like of the participants may be mistakenly input in forming the proceedings. Especially, the names of the conference participants are conveyed by voice, and hence may be mistakenly input.
In addition, if the television conference apparatus is connected to a multipoint television conference control apparatus, a television conference can be held upon connecting television conference apparatuses at two or more points (multipoints).
In a television conference using a conventional multipoint television conference control apparatus, a person can easily participate late in a conference as long as the multipoint television conference control apparatus has a free communication line. For this reason, if the date of a conference in which the user of a television conference apparatus is to participate is mistaken, the apparatus may be abruptly connected to a wrong conference.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention t

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