EP0456248A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
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Video phone
Assignee: Toshiba Corp
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Filing: 1991-05-10
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2011-05-10
Abstract
Abstract A video phone for taking a picture of a first party and displaying a picture of a second party comprises a display (43) for displaying a picture provided from the second party at a suitable position selected by first party or automatically, one or more cameras (42) for taking a picture of the first party who telecommunicates with the second party face to face while viewing the second party's picture which is displayed at the selected position by the display, and video codec (46) for transmitting the first party's picture taken by the cameras to the second party.
Inventors
- 👤 Hideyuki Ueno
- 👤 Kazuo Ozeki
- 👤 Kenshi Dachiku
- 👤 Toshiaki Watanabe
- 👤 Takashi Ida
- 👤 Yoshikuni Matsumura
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-01 06:58
CPC Classifications
E; E04; E04H; E04H1/00; E04H1/12; E04H1/14; H; H04; H04N; H04N7/00; H04N7/14; H04N7/141; H04N7/142
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 21
Claim 1
Independent Claim
112 words
A video phone for taking a picture of a first party and displaying a picture of a second party, comprising: display means (2, 13, 22, 35, 43) for displaying a picture provided from the second party at a suitable position selected by first party or automatically; photographing means (3, 14, 23, 42) for taking a picture of the first party who telecommunicates with the second party face to face while viewing the second party's picture displayed at the selected position by the display means (2, 13, 22, 35, 43); and transmitting means (46) for transmitting the first party's picture taken by the photographing means (3, 14, 23, 42) to the second party.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
112 words
A video phone for taking a picture of a first party and displaying a picture of a second party, comprising: display means (2, 13, 22, 35, 43) for displaying a picture provided from the second party at a suitable position selected by first party or automatically; photographing means (3, 14, 23, 42) for taking a picture of the first party who telecommunicates with the second party face to face while viewing the second party's picture displayed at the selected position by the display means (2, 13, 22, 35, 43); and transmitting means (46) for transmitting the first party's picture taken by the photographing means (3, 14, 23, 42) to the second party.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
21 words
A video phone according to claim 1 in which the display means (2, 13, 22, 35, 43) is a wall-mounted type.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
47 words
A video phone according to claim 1 in which the position for displaying the second party's picture in the display means (2, 13, 22, 35, 43) is selected at the eye height of the first party, the height being the easiest position for viewing the second party.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
44 words
A video phone according to claim 1 in which the photographing means (3, 14, 23, 42) takes a picture of the first party at the same height at which the second party's picture is displayed by the display means (2, 13, 22, 35, 43).
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
53 words
A video phone according to claim 1 in which the second party's picture is changed to video signals so that the video signals are led to the beginning portion of the selected position of the display means (2, 22, 35) by a scanning start pulse and following clock pulses to display the picture.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
47 words
A video phone according to claim 1 in which the photographed means comprises: an immobile television camera (23); and a reflecting mirror (24) for reflecting incident light provided from the first party to the television camera (23), the mirror (24) reflecting the front of the first party.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
34 words
A video phone according to claim 1 in which the display means (2, 35) includes selecting means (2B, 2C, 32, 34) for automatically selecting the position at which the second party's picture is displayed.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
137 words
A video phone according to claim 7 in which the selecting means (2B, 2C, 32, 34) comprises: a plurality of energy sources (32) for generating energy; a plurality of energy detectors (34) for detecting the energy generated in the energy sources (32) across the first party, each energy detector (34) corresponding to one energy source (32) and being arranged in a vertical direction; and decision means (2B, 2C) for deciding the highest position in the energy detectors (34) not detecting the energy because the energy is cut off by the first party; selecting means (2B, 2C) for selecting the area in which the second party is displayed after receiving a decision signal provided from the decision section, the top of the second party's picture being identical with the highest position decided by the decision means (2B, 2C);
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
121 words
A video phone according to claim 1 further including: detecting means (52) for detecting a position of the first party before generating a detecting signal which indicates the position of the first party; control means (53) for controlling the movement of the display means (43) in accordance with the detecting signal provided from the detecting means (52) to display the second party's picture in a viewing position where the first party can easily view the picture, the control means (53) generating a control signal to control a position of the display means (43); and moving means (54, 55, 56) for moving the display means (43) to the viewing position in accordance with the control signal provided from the control means (53).
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
47 words
A video phone according to claim 1 further including: moving means (62) for moving the first party to a viewing position where the first party can easily view the second party's picture displayed by the display means (13) in accordance with the operation by the first party.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
51 words
A video phone according to claim 1 further including: moving means (16, 17) for moving the display means (13, 22) to a viewing position where the first party can easily view the second party's picture displayed by the display means (13, 22) in accordance with the operation by the first party.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
98 words
A video phone for telecommunicating between a first party and a second party, comprising: a plurality of photographing means (71 A to 71 H) for taking pictures of the moving first party, each photographing means (71 A to 71 H) taking one picture without relating to the other means; selecting means (76, 77, 78, 79, 80) for selecting the one photographing means which takes the most pictures of the moving first party; and transmitting means (46) for transmitting the picture of the first party selected by the selecting means (76, 77, 78, 79, 80) to the second party.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
98 words
A video phone for telecommunicating between a first party and a second party, comprising: a plurality of photographing means (71 A to 71 H) for taking pictures of the moving first party, each photographing means (71 A to 71 H) taking one picture without relating to the other means; selecting means (76, 77, 78, 79, 80) for selecting the one photographing means which takes the most pictures of the moving first party; and transmitting means (46) for transmitting the picture of the first party selected by the selecting means (76, 77, 78, 79, 80) to the second party.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
29 words
A video phone according to claim 12 in which the selecting means (76, 77, 78, 79, 80) maintains the last selected photographing means when the first party stands still.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
33 words
A video phone according to claim 12 further including: display means (71 A to 71 H) for displaying the picture of the second party on a curved screen (72) surrounding the first party.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
113 words
A video phone for telecommunicating between a first party and a second party, comprising: photographing means (91) for taking a picture of the first party at a prescribed distance; transmitting means (46) for transmitting the picture of the first party taken by the photographing means (91) to the second party; projecting means (92) for projecting a picture of the second party taken at a specific distance identical with the prescribed distance; and display means (93) for displaying the second party's picture projected by the projecting means (92) on a curved screen something surrounding the first party, the distance from the projecting means (92) to the center of the screen being the prescribed distance.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
113 words
A video phone for telecommunicating between a first party and a second party, comprising: photographing means (91) for taking a picture of the first party at a prescribed distance; transmitting means (46) for transmitting the picture of the first party taken by the photographing means (91) to the second party; projecting means (92) for projecting a picture of the second party taken at a specific distance identical with the prescribed distance; and display means (93) for displaying the second party's picture projected by the projecting means (92) on a curved screen something surrounding the first party, the distance from the projecting means (92) to the center of the screen being the prescribed distance.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
64 words
A video phone according to claim 15 further including: control means (95, 96, 97) for controlling the intensity of the light projected from the projecting means (92) to equalize the intensity of the light received by the display means over the entire screen of the display means (93) regardless of the variations in the distance from the projecting means (92) to the display means.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
73 words
A video phone according to claim 15 in which the projecting means (92) projects the light to the entire screen of the display means (93) at a constant intensity, and the display means (93) causes the curved screen to vary the reflectance corresponding to the distance from the projecting means (92) to the display means (93) to equalize the intensity of the light reflected from the entire screen of the display means (93).
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
71 words
A video phone according to claims 12, or 15 further including: a microphone (73) for receiving the first party's voice to transmit to the second party; a speaker (74) for providing the second party's voice to the first party, the speaker (74) being positioned at a position far from the microphone to reduce any howling generated by the microphone and the speaker; and a echo cancel unit for preventing the howling.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
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