Television – Two-way video and voice communication – Over wireless communication
Reexamination Certificate
2002-09-30
2004-12-21
Chan, Wing F. (Department: 2643)
Television
Two-way video and voice communication
Over wireless communication
C348S014070, C348S014160
Reexamination Certificate
active
06833857
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a moving picture communication method and apparatus for communicating moving picture information.
2. Description of the Related Art
FIG. 9
illustrates a pair of a typical stationary moving picture communication apparatus by way of illustration As illustrated in
FIG. 9
, stationary TV phones
30
,
40
include image displays
31
,
41
and cameras
32
,
42
, respectively. The image display
31
displays a self-picture “E” of a user, i.e., a user of phone
30
, and a picture “D” of a user's party, i.e., a user of phone
40
. The image display
41
displays a self-picture “e” of the user's party and a picture “d” of the user.
The TV phones
30
,
40
are usually locked against rotation. Therefore, the image displays
31
,
41
are oriented in fixed directions. The cameras
32
,
42
are locked against rotation about respective optical axes thereof.
The TV phones
30
,
40
, both of which remain positioned substantially vertically, are used to provide TV phone communication therebetween, thereby communicating moving pictures therebetween.
Meanwhile, the use of a cell-phone type moving picture communication apparatus provides different modes of TV phone-to-TV phone communication.
FIG. 10
is a descriptive illustration, showing how a pair of conventional cell-phone type moving picture communication apparatuses is used. As illustrated in FIG.
10
(
a
), the pair of cell-phone type moving picture communication apparatuses
35
,
45
is usually vertically positioned to provide TV phone communication therebetween. Alternatively, as shown in FIG.
10
(
b
), the pair of moving picture communication apparatuses
35
,
45
is horizontally positioned to communicate with one another. In this instance, the cell-phone type moving picture communication apparatuses
35
,
45
are pivoted at an angle of 90 degrees in a clockwise or counter clockwise direction of the same communication apparatus
35
,
45
when respective users face image displays
36
,
46
thereof.
As illustrated in
FIG. 10
, the cell-phone type moving picture communication apparatus
35
,
45
includes the image displays
36
,
46
and cameras
37
,
47
, respectively.
The display image
36
displays a self-picture “E” of a user, i.e., user of moving picture communication apparatus
35
, and a picture “D” of a user's party, i.e., user of moving picture communication apparatus
45
. The display image
46
displays a self-picture “e” of the user's party and a picture “d” of the user. The displayed self-pictures “E” and “e” are downsized as mirror images that are obtained by inverting the respective self-pictures to be sent to the party's cell-phone type communication apparatus.
The cameras
37
,
47
are locked against rotation about respective optical axes thereof.
FIG. 11
is a descriptive illustration, showing how the conventional cell-phone type moving picture communication apparatus of the user displays a picture of the user's party. As illustrated in FIG.
11
(
a
), when the user's moving picture communication apparatus
35
is vertically positioned to communicate with the party's communication apparatus
45
, then the party's picture “D” is displayed on the image display
36
that has an aspect ratio defined by different horizontal and vertical lengths in which the vertical length is greater than the other.
As illustrated in FIG.
11
(
b
), when the user's moving picture communication apparatus
35
is pivoted at an angle of 90 degrees in a counter clockwise direction thereof when the user faces the image display
36
, then the party's picture “D” is enlarged and pivoted at an angle of 90 degrees in a direction opposite to the direction in which the user's moving picture communication apparatus
35
is pivoted. This system allows an enlarged party's picture “F” to be displayed on the image display
36
without detracting from party's picture information.
OBJECTS AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
However, a problem arises when one of the pair of cell-phone type moving picture communication apparatuses is horizontally positioned to communicate with the other communication apparatus, as illustrated in FIG.
11
(
b
).
FIG. 12
is a descriptive illustration, showing the problem that is encountered when a pair of conventional cell-phone type moving picture communication apparatuses is used to provide TV phone communication.
FIG. 12
presupposes that the user uses the counter clockwise pivoted cell-phone type moving picture communication apparatus
35
as shown in FIG.
11
(
b
), while the user's party uses the vertically positioned cell-phone type moving picture communication apparatus
45
as illustrated in FIG.
12
(
a
).
At this time, the camera
37
on the user's moving picture communication apparatus
35
is locked against rotation about an optical axis thereof. As a result, as illustrated in FIG.
12
(
a
), a user's self-picture “f” displayed on the image display
46
of the party's moving picture communication apparatus
45
is pivoted at a right angle.
Consequently, as shown in FIG.
12
(
b
), the user's party usually pivots the party's communication apparatus
45
at a right angle in order to render the user's self-picture “f” easy to view.
However, such pivotal movement of the party's communication apparatus
45
causes another problem with the user's communication apparatus
35
because the camera
47
on the party's communication apparatus
45
is also locked against rotation about an optical axis thereof. This means that the enlarged party's picture “F” displayed on the user's communication apparatus
35
as illustrated in FIG.
11
(
b
) is objectionably pivoted at an angle of 90 degrees. As a result, proper moving picture communication fails to be established.
Eventually, there is no other way to stop displaying the enlarged party's picture “F” on the user's communication apparatus
35
. Consequently, the TV phone-to-TV phone communication can be established only when the pair of cell-phone type moving picture communication apparatus is used in a usual manner as illustrated in, e g., FIG.
10
(
b
).
In short, a problem with the conventional cell phone type moving picture communication apparatus is that proper moving picture communication fails to be established when the enlarged party's picture is displayed on the user's communication apparatus
35
that has been pivoted at an angle of 90 degrees.
In view of the above, an object of the present invention is to provide a moving picture communication method and apparatus designed to provide proper moving picture communication, even when a party's picture information enlarged and pivoted at an angle of 90 degrees is displayed on an image display of the moving picture communication apparatus that has been pivoted.
A first aspect of the present invention provides a moving picture communication method comprising communicating moving picture information between a moving picture communication apparatus of a user and another moving picture communication apparatus of a user's party, in which an image display on the user's moving picture communication apparatus has an aspect ratio defined by different vertical and horizontal lengths, pivoting a party's picture information through an angle of substantially 90 degrees, the party's picture information being received from the party's moving picture communication apparatus, enlarging the party's picture information received from the party's moving picture communication apparatus, displaying the pivoted and enlarged party's picture information on the image display of the user's moving picture communication apparatus that has been pivoted in an either clockwise or counter clockwise direction of the user's moving picture communication apparatus when the user faces the image display of the user's moving picture communication apparatus, producing a
Chan Wing F.
Matsushita Electric - Industrial Co., Ltd.
Wenderoth , Lind & Ponack, L.L.P.
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