Patent Application
20080055396
The invention will become more fully understood from the detailed description given below for illustration only, and thus is not limitative of the invention, wherein:
The purpose, construction, features, and functions of the invention can be appreciated and understood more thoroughly through the following detailed description with reference to the attached drawings.
As shown in
It should be noted that, though the extension phone devices 40 and 40′ are as shown in the drawing, however, the number of extension phone devices of the video phone communication system of the present invention is not limited to this. Thus, the number of extension phone devices connected to the master phone device 30 can be selected appropriately according to the range and number of parties or participants of the video conference. In this respect, the extension phone devices 40 and 40′ are of the same structure and specification. In the following, the system structures of the master phone device and the extension phone device and the phone communication conducted therebetween will be described in detail in conjunction with
As shown in
The audio/video controller 32 is used to process the voice/image signals received or transmitted by the master phone device 30. As such, the audio/video controller 32 further includes an image processor 321, an image demodulator 322, and an image modulator 323. The image processor 321 is used to process the images, and the image demodulator 322 is used to demodulate the image signals to be output. The image demodulator 322 is connected to a first display 33, which is used to display the image of the communication partner. The image modulator 323 is connected to a video camera device 36, and is used to modulate the input voice/image signals fetched by the video camera device 36. Thus, the modulated input signals are transmitted to the communication device 31 through the image processor 321, and then transmitted to the communication partner 20 via the network to realize the video phone communication.
In addition, the audio/video controller 32 further includes a voice processor 324 and a voice digital/analog converter 325. One end of the voice digital/analog converter 325 is connected to the voice processor 324, and the other end is connected to the audio sensor 37 and audio transmitter 38. The voice processor 324 is used to process the input or output voice signals. The voice digital/analog converter 325 is used to convert the analog voice signal input from the audio sensor 37 to the digital signals, and also convert the digital voice signals transmitted from the voice processor 324 into analog signal and then transmit them to the audio transmitter 38, thus realizing the voice communication between the calling party and the called party.
Furthermore, as shown in
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In
Upon receiving the data, voice or image signals of a communication partner 20 from a master phone device 30 by the interface control module 41, the received signals are then processed in the audio/video controller 42. The audio/video controller 42 includes an image processor 421, a voice processor 422, and a data processor 423. In this structure, the image processor 421 is used to process the input or output image signals, and output the processed image signals to the image demodulator 424 for demodulating the image signals. The image demodulator 424 is connected to a second display 43, so that the image information of the communication partner 20 may be displayed on the second display 43. As such, the video image of the communication partner 20 may appear simultaneously on the displays of the master phone device 30 and the extension phone device 40. In addition, the first display 33 of the master phone device 30 is detachable. Thus when the size of the first display 33 is equivalent to that of the second display 43 of the extension phone device 40, the former and the latter are exchangeable. Therefore, the display of the master phone device 30 may achieve the benefit of maximum utilization and realize its function of mobility.
The voice processor 422 is used to process the input and output voice signals, and transmit the processed voice signals to the voice digital/analog converter 426. The voice digital/analog converter 426 is used to convert the processed voice signals from the digital signal to analog signals, and output the converted signals to the audio transmitter 47, or convert the analog voice signals input from the audio sensor 46 into the digital signals, hereby realizing the voice communication. The data processor 423 is used to perform the corresponding processing of the various received data.
Moreover, the extension phone device 40 of the present invention further includes an input module 44 and a video camera device 45, so that a master phone device 30 may activate the voice/image communication between an extension phone device 40 and the communication partner. The input module 44 is capable of providing functions similar to those as provided by the keyboard 35 of the master phone device 30, such as dialing a telephone number, terminating a phone call, and other special functions such as transferring a call, holding-on a call, or serving as a telephone directory. The video camera device 45 is used to fetch the image information of the extension phone device 40, so that when an communication partner is selected through an input module 44, the image information of the extension phone device 40 is transmitted from the video camera device 45 to and modulated by the image modulator 425, and then transmitted to the master phone device 30 through the image processor 421 and the interface control module 41. Meanwhile, the voice information of the extension phone device 40 is obtained by the audio sensor 46, and then converted from the analog signals to the digital signals through the voice digital/analog converter 426, and transmitted into the interface control module 41 through the voice processor 422. At this stage, the voice/image signals are transmitted from the interface control module 41 of the extension phone device 40 to the interface control module 34 of the master phone device 30, and then transmitted to the selected communication partner through a telephone network of the pertinent communication medium.
Summing up the above, through the application of the video phone communication system of the present invention, at least an extension phone device may be added to the ordinary video phone devices to display the image of the communication partner in achieving the expansion of the system, thus the contents and the range of the image displayed can be increased through the displays of the added extension phone devices, and the features of mobility and multi-partners communications of the video phone devices can also be realized. As such, when the video phone is utilized by a plurality of individuals, the displays of the added extension phone devices may facilitate viewing of the image of the communication partner significantly.
In addition, the added extension phone device is capable of activating a communication connection, thus it may select a communication partner and realize the voice/image communication with the communication partner through the ordinary video phone device. Moreover, through a video camera device provided on the extension phone device, the existing image monitoring range can be increased.
As shown in
Then, upon receiving the communication request from the master phone device, the communication partner responds with data, voice, or image signals. Then the master phone device processes the data, voice, or image signals transmitted from the communication partner and displays the image of the communication partner on the first display of the master phone device (Step 102). Then, the processed data, voice, or image signals of the communication partner are transmitted by the wired or wireless communication way to at least an extension phone device (Step 103). Finally, the extension phone device processes the data, voice, or image signals of the communication partner and displays the image of the communication partner on the second display of the extension phone device (Step 104).
Furthermore, in case the communication is initiated by an extension phone device, then the extension phone device is used to select the communication partner by dialing its telephone number, and transmit the dialed telephone number to the master phone device, which may establish the phone communication with the communication partner based on the dialed telephone number. Alternately, the extension phone device may be utilized to transmit the data, voice, or image signals to the master phone device by the wired or wireless communication way. Then the master phone device is used to realize the phone communication with the communication partner through a network.
The video phone communication system and method of the present invention have advantages of enlarging the screen of the current video phone, thereby increasing the number of users and using range of the video phone, and providing a better mobility than that of prior art.
Knowing the invention being thus described, it will be obvious that the same may be varied in many ways. Such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the spirit and scope of the invention, and all such modifications as would be obvious to one skilled in the art are intended to be included within the scope of the following claims.
