Terminal for audio-video communication

Claim 1

A terminal (T) for audio-video communication, comprising: a camera (C) responsive to focus control signals, for providing a video input signal; motors (X, Y), responsive to motor command signals, for moving the camera (C) in two degrees of freedom; a monitor (BS), responsive to interfaced display command signals, for displaying video information; a first interface (S1), for interfacing the terminal (T) to a communications network (ISDN), for conveying modulated communication input signals and modulated communication output signals to the communications network (ISDN) and to the terminal (T), respectively; a second interface (S2), for interfacing the terminal (T) to the monitor (BS), responsive to display command signals, for providing the interfaced display command signals; a microphone (M), for providing audio input signals, responsive to audio input; a loudspeaker (L), responsive to audio output signals, for providing audio output; and a processor card (CP), comprising: a modem (MOD), for modulating and demodulating communication input and output signals, responsive to unmodulated communication output signals and to the modulated communication input signals, for providing the modulated communication output signals and demodulated communication input signals; a receiver (IE) for receiving remote-control commands, for providing camera controller command signals and motor controller command signals; a motor controller (STM), responsive to the motor controller command signals, for providing the motor control signals; a camera controller (STC), responsive to the camera controller command signals, for providing the focus control signals; a video codec (VC) and decoder (DC), in combination, responsive to coded video signals and to video input signals, for providing coded video signals and display command signals; an audio codec (AC), responsive to coded audio signals and to digitized audio signals, for providing digitized audio signals and coded audio signals; an analog to digital converter (A/D), responsive to audio input signals, for providing the digitized audio signals; a digital to analog converter (D/A), responsive to the digitized audio signals, for providing audio output signals; and an adapter circuit (H), for controlling two-way audio-video communication between the terminal (T) and a compatible terminal of the communications network (ISDN), responsive to the coded video signals and to the coded audio signals, for providing the unmodulated communication output signals, and also responsive to the unmodulated communication input signals, for providing the coded video signals and the coded audio signals, in parallel; wherein electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding (B1, B2) is provided for separating radio-frequency components from other components within the terminal and for preventing the radio-frequency components from emitting radiation to the surrounding environment, and further wherein a user of said terminal (T) is able to focus the camera (C) on the user by viewing the image produced by the camera (C) on the monitor (BS) and adjusting as necessary how the camera (C) is focused.