Television – Two-way video and voice communication – Over wireless communication
Reexamination Certificate
2001-06-20
2004-03-30
Ramakrishnaiah, Melur (Department: 2643)
Television
Two-way video and voice communication
Over wireless communication
C348S014010, C348S014030, C455S566000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06714233
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to a mobile TV telephone system (hereinafter referred to as the mobile videophone system) comprising a wearable radio communication device portable by being worn on a finger, an arm or the neck of the user and a mobile telephone device, and a mobile videophone system further comprising a headset.
BACKGROUND ART
With the recent progress of the techniques related to the mobile telephone, the ownership and the use of what is called the mobile videophone is expected to extend in the near future. A simple mobile telephone device capable of transmitting/receiving a still image or an image sequence at the rate of several frames per second is already available.
The mobile telephone device of this type includes a voice communication unit, an imaging unit and a display unit built in its body. In order to view the image received from the other party displayed on the display unit of the mobile telephone device, therefore, the user of the mobile telephone device is required to place the mobile telephone device at a distance from his head. Also when picking up an image of the surrounding landscape or a person by the imaging unit and sending it to the other party, the user is required to place the mobile telephone device at a distance from his head. In the speech made using a mobile telephone device placed at a distance from his head, the user is required to speak loudly.
For making speech with an ordinary pitch of the voice, on the contrary, the user is required to attach the mobile telephone device closely to his ear or mouth. In such a case, however, the user cannot view the image of the other party displayed on the display unit of the mobile telephone device nor can he pick up the image of the surrounding scene with the imaging unit of the mobile telephone device.
As described above, the conventional mobile telephone device has the problem that the image of the other party cannot be checked at the same time as the speech or picking up the image of the surrounding scene.
DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION
The object of the present invention is to provide a mobile videophone system in which the user of a mobile telephone device can check the image of the other party and pick up the image of the surrounding scene while at the same time making speech with the other party, a method of communication using the system, and a wearable radio communication device, a mobile telephone device and a headset making up the system.
In order to achieve this object, the present invention provides a mobile videophone system comprising a mobile telephone device and a wearable radio communication device, wherein the mobile telephone device includes a communication unit, a voice input/output unit, a first local radio communication unit for effecting local bi-directional radio communication with the wearable radio communication device, and a first control unit for causing the communication unit to effect image and voice communication with the other party through a network, causing the voice received from the other party to be output from the voice input/output unit, causing the voice input through the voice input/output unit to be transmitted to the other party by the communication unit, causing the image received from the other party to be transmitted to the wearable radio communication device by the first local radio communication unit, and causing the image received from the wearable radio communication device to be transmitted to the other party, and wherein the wearable radio communication device includes a second local radio communication unit for effecting local bi-directional radio communication with the mobile telephone device, an imaging unit, a display unit, and a second control unit for causing the image received from the mobile telephone device by the second local radio communication unit to be displayed on the display unit, causing the image obtained by the imaging unit to be transmitted to the mobile telephone device by the second local radio communication unit, and causing an instruction for controlling the mobile telephone device to be transmitted by the second local radio communication unit.
With this system, the user can effect the bi-directional voice communication with the other party by means of the mobile telephone device and also the bi-directional image communication with the other party by means of the wearable radio communication device, and therefore can enjoy the videophone communication with the other party in a relaxed posture. Another advantage is that the mobile telephone device can be controlled conveniently by sending an instruction signal from the wearable radio communication device.
The present invention further provides a mobile videophone system comprising a mobile telephone device, a wearable radio communication device and a headset, wherein the mobile telephone device includes a communication unit, a first local radio communication unit for effecting local bi-directional radio communication with the wearable radio communication device and the headset, and a first control unit for causing the communication unit to effect image and voice communication with the other party through a network, causing the voice received from the other party to be transmitted to the headset by the first local radio communication unit, causing the voice received from the headset by the first local radio communication unit to be transmitted to the other party by the communication unit, causing the image received from the other party to be transmitted to the wearable radio communication device by the first local radio communication unit, and causing the image received from the wearable radio communication device by the first local radio communication unit to be transmitted to the other party, and wherein the wearable radio communication device includes a second local radio communication unit for effecting local bi-directional radio communication with the mobile telephone device, an imaging unit, a display unit, and a second control unit for causing the image received from the mobile telephone device by the second local radio communication unit to be displayed on the display unit, and causing the image obtained by the imaging unit to be transmitted to the mobile telephone device by the second local radio communication unit, and wherein the headset includes a third local radio communication unit for effecting bi-directional radio communication with the mobile telephone device, a voice input/output unit, and a third control unit for causing the voice received from the mobile telephone device by the third local radio communication unit to be output by the voice input/output unit, and causing the voice input through the voice input/output unit to be transmitted to the mobile telephone device by the third local radio communication unit.
With this system, even in the case where the mobile telephone device is put in a bag, for example, the user can make bi-directional speech with the other party by means of the headset and also can establish bi-directional image communication with the other party by means of the wearable radio communication device.
The present invention further provides a communication method wherein the mobile telephone device is such that the image and voice communication is effected with the other party through a network, the voice received from the other party is output from a voice input/output unit, the voice input through the voice input/output unit is transmitted to the other party, the image received from the other party is transmitted to a wearable radio communication unit having an imaging unit and a display unit by local radio communication, and the image is received by local radio communication from the wearable radio communication device and transmitted to the other party, and wherein the wearable radio communication device is such that an image is received from the mobile telephone device by local radio communication and displayed on the display unit, the image is picked up by the imaging unit and transmitted to the mobile telephone d
Chihara Hiroyuki
Fujisawa Teruhiko
Gabrik Michael T.
Ramakrishnaiah Melur
Seiko Epson Corporation
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