JP2004320796A - Communication terminal device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a communication terminal device in which a required encoding rate can be appropriately selected. <P>SOLUTION: A moving image of a party is displayed on a screen 1401, material transmitted from the party is displayed on a screen 1402, and an image from a present station is picked up by a camera 1403, encoded and then transferred from an antenna 1406 to an opposite station by radio. Audio is also similarly captured from a microphone 1407 and transferred from the antenna 1406 to the opposite station, and voices of an opposite speaking party can be obtained via a speaker 1408. Then, the screen 1401 for displaying motion pictures includes a low-resolution screen and the screen 1402 for displaying still pictures includes a high-resolution screen. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a communication terminal device having a TV telephone or TV conference function.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in an image transmission / storage device, when it is desired to reduce a communication fee even if image quality is somewhat sacrificed, or to record a two-hour moving image on a storage medium having a one-hour storage time, it is necessary to individually select users. In order to respond to the demands generated, variable rate transmission and storage functions were effective.

  However, if the use rate is selected without knowing the relationship between the transmission and storage rates and the image quality, there is a risk of selecting a rate that results in an image quality that deviates from the allowable range considered by the user himself.

  Nevertheless, the conventional image transmission / storage device has a problem that no consideration is given to its danger.

  As described above, the conventional image transmission / storage device has a problem that there is no consideration for appropriately selecting a required coding rate.

  An object of the present invention is to provide a communication terminal device that does not impose a physical burden on a user and that also takes into account user safety measures.

  A communication terminal device according to the present invention is a communication terminal device capable of transmitting or storing at one rate from among a plurality of types of candidate rates, wherein the data means stores or generates data determined for each of the candidate rates. Display means for displaying the data stored or generated in the data means for each candidate rate; selecting means for selecting data of the candidate rate to be displayed on the display means; Or a determining means for determining a rate to be used for accumulation.

  The communication terminal device according to the present invention will be described.

  This communication terminal device can communicate at one rate from among a plurality of types of candidate rates. The data means is for storing or generating data determined for each of the candidate rates.

  The display means is for displaying data of the candidate rate selected by the selection means for each candidate rate.

  The determining means selects and determines the rate actually used for transmission and storage from among the candidate rates by the user.

  Thus, according to the communication terminal device of the present invention, when the user selects a transmission and storage rate, the moving image, the communication fee, the storage time, and the like at the candidate rates are actually displayed on the display means. This allows the user to select a rate without worry.

  ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to the communication terminal device of this invention, since a user can actually display the image at a candidate rate when selecting a transmission and storage rate, a communication charge, or a storage possible time, the caller Can easily select a transmission rate without worry.

(First Embodiment of TV Telephone Device)
FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a first embodiment of a TV telephone apparatus according to the communication terminal apparatus of the present invention.

  Reference numeral 101 denotes a signal input unit for inputting a self-speaker signal such as a voice generated by the self-speaker and an image of the self-speaker. The signal input unit 101 includes, for example, a microphone and a TV camera.

  A code 102 separates a self-speaker signal input by the signal input unit 101 into a self-speaker code string independent of a speaker and a self-speaker characteristic that depends on a speaker. Specifically, the audio signal is separated into a code sequence representing characters and words and a speaker feature representing the sound quality of the speaker, and the image signal is converted into a code sequence representing actions and facial expressions and the appearance of the speaker. Separated into the CG data to be represented.

  Reference numeral 103 denotes a signal converting unit for restoring the other party's signal from the other party's code sequence and the other party's characteristics. The processing in the signal generator 103 is the reverse process of the processing in the symbolizer 102.

  Reference numeral 104 denotes a signal output unit that outputs the partner speaker signal restored by the signal conversion unit 103 to the own speaker.

  Reference numeral 105 denotes an operation input unit that receives an operation performed by a speaker.

  Reference numeral 106 denotes a speaker information management unit that manages speaker information including a speaker ID and speaker characteristics in accordance with an operation signal from the operation input unit 105, and controls functions of the entire apparatus such as a line connection.

  Reference numeral 107 denotes a speaker DB unit that stores the speaker information in a database (hereinafter, referred to as DB).

  Reference numeral 108 denotes a communication unit for connecting a communication line with the partner station, converting a speaker code string, speaker information, and the like into a communication signal, and exchanging with the partner station.

  Next, the operation of the TV telephone device will be described.

  This TV telephone device is different from the conventional device in that there are three modes as features. These modes are called an online boot mode, an offline boot mode, and a bootless mode, respectively. Hereinafter, each mode will be described.

(1) Online Boot Mode In the online boot mode, the partner speaker notified by the speaker ID exchange processing 205 is not registered in the speaker DB of its own station (unknown speaker), and the talk of the unknown speaker is performed. This mode is selected only when both the own speaker and the other speaker agree to newly register speaker information in the own station speaker DB.

  At this time, it should be noted that the online boot mode is not selected if at least one of the speakers refuses to transmit or receive the speaker information.

  In the online boot mode, it is necessary to transmit the speaker information to be registered after the line is connected and before the process proceeds to the call processing 208, so that it takes some time before the call can be made. For this reason, since the conventional device employs only the online mode, this problem is also a problem of the conventional device as it is. However, the present apparatus is characterized in that it has an offline boot mode described below, thereby avoiding this problem and exhibiting extremely high convenience as compared with the conventional apparatus.

(2) Offline Boot Mode The offline boot mode is a mode selected when the other party notified by the speaker ID exchange processing 205 is already registered (known speaker) in the speaker DB of the own station. Since the transmission of the speaker information prior to the call is not required, the call can be made immediately after the line is connected.

  That is, since the present apparatus has an online boot mode and an offline boot mode, once the speaker information is registered in the online boot mode, it is not necessary to use the online boot mode which takes a long time from the next time. A good call can be started without having to wait.

(3) Bootless Mode In addition to the above two modes, the present apparatus has a bootless mode as a mode corresponding to a case where the other party is an unknown speaker and does not wish to exchange speaker information.

  In the bootless mode, standard speaker information stored in advance in both speaker DBs is used without exchanging speaker information. The standard speaker information includes fixed standard speaker characteristics, and does not faithfully reproduce the other speaker, but produces an effect of improving the anonymity of the speaker.

  As a result, for example, when a temporary call is made with a person who does not need to be close, there is an advantage that a use form in which one's face and voice can be hidden and dealt with is possible. Of course, this mode also has a feature that, as in the above-mentioned offline boot mode, a call can be made immediately after the line is connected.

  FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing a basic operation of the TV telephone device.

  Steps 201 and 202 are new self-speaker information registration processing for generating self-speaker information and registering the self-speaker information in the speaker DB of the own station prior to the call on both the calling side and the called side.

  Step 203 is an outgoing call process in which the calling speaker designates the ID of the other talker who wants to talk, and sends a line connection request with the other talker.

  Step 204 is a line connection process for connecting lines to each other based on a line connection request on the calling side.

  Step 205 is a speaker ID exchange process for exchanging own speaker IDs. As a result, it is possible to mutually know who the call partner is.

  If it is determined in step 206 that the other party is a known person, the system enters the offline boot mode and proceeds to step 211. If the other party is unknown, the process proceeds to step 207 to select the online boot mode or the bootless mode.

  In step 207, it is determined whether the caller has selected the bootless mode. If the bootless mode is selected, the system enters the bootless mode and proceeds to step 210. On the other hand, if the bootless mode is not selected, the operation enters the online boot mode and proceeds to step 208.

  Step 208 is a speaker information exchange process for mutually exchanging the speaker information registered in the speaker DB by the new speaker information registration processes 201 and 202 as necessary. As a result, the speaker characteristics of the other party can be mutually obtained.

  Step 209 is a new speaker information registration process for registering the other speaker information received in the speaker information exchange process 206 in the speaker DB of the own station.

  In step 210, since the system is in the bootless mode, standard speaker information is extracted. The standard speaker information uses general image information prepared in advance or manga-like image features to be described later as information, whereby it is possible to deal with it by hiding its own face and voice. In this case, the image shown in the other party corresponds only to the mouth and face expressions in the image characteristics of the standard speaker and corresponds to the movement of the caller. Only the way of movement can be determined. Therefore, the convenience of the TV telephone device is not impaired.

  Step 211 is a call process for talking between the speakers.

  Step 212 is a line disconnection process for disconnecting the line and ending the call.

  The processing from the line connection processing 204 to the line disconnection processing 212 is performed simultaneously and independently on the calling side and the called side.

(Modification Example 1 of First Embodiment of TV Telephone Device)
FIG. 3 illustrates a modification of the first embodiment.

  The difference from the first embodiment (FIG. 1) is that the speaker DB unit 308 is detachable from the apparatus main body, and a connection unit 309 that connects the speaker DB unit 308 and the speaker information management unit 306 is newly provided. This is the point of having a configuration.

  As a result, a dedicated speaker DB unit 308 can be prepared for each user, and even in a situation where the user changes frequently, for example, when a family uses one device, the speaker DB for each individual can be prepared. By freely exchanging the unit 308, one device can be used in an optimal state according to each speaker. Moreover, since the detachable speaker DB unit 308 can be miniaturized by realizing it with, for example, a memory card or a magnetic disk, it is advantageous in miniaturizing the apparatus main body, and provides a portable TV telephone apparatus. Play an important role in

(Modification 2 of the first embodiment of the TV telephone apparatus)
FIG. 4 illustrates a modification of the first embodiment. When the capacity of the speaker DB unit is insufficient, the content of the speaker DB unit having the insufficient capacity can be saved in the parent device having the large-capacity speaker DB unit. It would be more convenient if the speaker information stored from the section could be read.

  FIG. 4 shows an overall configuration diagram of such an apparatus.

  This device is provided with a large-capacity speaker DB unit 410 in the device of FIG. 3, so that speaker information can be exchanged with another device via the communication unit 407 and the detachable speaker DB unit 408. It is.

(Third modification of the first embodiment of the TV telephone apparatus)
In FIG. 4, the call frequency of each registered speaker is added to the corresponding speaker information and can be recorded. When the call is saved from the speaker DB unit 408 to the large-capacity speaker DB unit 410, the call frequency is low. By evacuating from the object, the speaker information of the important communication partner can always be left on the available speaker DB unit 408.

  This makes it possible to automatically construct a speaker DB most suitable for the use situation, and the convenience of the present apparatus is further improved.

(Modification 4 of the first embodiment of the TV telephone apparatus)
It should be noted that the above-described speaker features need not necessarily be realistic image features and voice features, and cartoon-like image features and voice features can be used according to the user's preference.

  For this purpose, it is necessary that cartoon-like speaker characteristics can be registered in the speaker DB unit. In this apparatus, however, this can be transmitted from an external device (or parent device) to a communication unit or a detachable speaker. What is necessary is just to be able to register via a DB part etc.

(Second embodiment of TV telephone device)
A second embodiment of the TV telephone apparatus will be described.

  FIG. 5 is a basic configuration diagram of the apparatus according to the embodiment.

  Reference numerals 501, 504, and 506 are components corresponding to the signal input unit 101, the signal output unit 104, and the communication unit 108 described in FIG.

  Reference numeral 502 denotes a symbol conversion unit that converts a speaker signal into a speaker code sequence.

  Reference numeral 503 denotes a signal conversion unit that converts a partner speaker code string into a partner speaker signal.

  Reference numeral 505 denotes a command code sequence that is a command to the own device, which is separated and extracted from the self-speaker code sequence output by the encoding unit 502, generates an operation signal corresponding to the command code sequence, and The command separation unit outputs the transmission code sequence excluding the code sequence to the communication unit 506 as a code sequence to be transmitted to the partner station.

  The difference from the apparatus of FIG. 1 is that the apparatus does not have a speaker DB section and a speaker information management section. The speaker characteristics used for signal conversion are provided by the signal generator 503 incorporating standard characteristic information.

  With this configuration, a communication terminal device capable of performing an operation by voice or operation even during a telephone call and capable of performing voice commands without inadvertently transmitting voice or operation meaning the operation is realized. be able to.

  As a specific example, when the other party starts to say information such as a telephone number and an address, in order to memorize such information, the caller instructs the TV telephone device to use a “memo function” by voice. Then, this command portion is not transmitted to the other party and only the TV telephone device accepts the command portion. In this case, a recording device having a memo function is provided.

  Of course, conventional telephone devices that can be dialed by voice have been proposed, but in this case the reception of voice commands is limited before the call, and there is no restriction on the reception of command voice during a call or the prohibition of its transmission. No consideration was given.

  This embodiment solves this point and improves the convenience of the present apparatus. Of course, this apparatus can also realize a line connection operation by voice.

(Modification Example 1 of Second Embodiment of TV Telephone Device)
FIG. 6 shows an example in which the command function by voice during a call is realized in the first embodiment shown in FIG.

  Since the self-speaker can operate the apparatus using the self-speaker code string, the operation input unit 105 in FIG. 1 is replaced with a command separation unit 605.

(Modification 2 of the second embodiment of the TV telephone apparatus)
FIG. 7 illustrates a modification of the second embodiment.

  Reference numerals 701, 702, 703, 704, and 706 are components corresponding to the signal input unit 501, the encoding unit 502, the command separation unit 505, the signal output unit 504, and the communication unit 506 in FIG. These are components corresponding to the operation input unit 105 in FIG.

  The own speaker signal from the signal input unit 701 is input to both the encoding unit 702 and the command separation unit 703.

  The command separating unit 703 separates and extracts the command code sequence from the own speaker code sequence from the encoding unit 702, and deletes the signal of the section corresponding to the time when the command code was issued from the own speaker signal. The signal is output to the communication unit 706.

  At the same time, the command separating section 703 also outputs an operation signal corresponding to the command code sequence.

  The communication section 706 converts the transmission signal into a communication signal and transmits the communication signal, and also directly inputs the other party's speaker signal received from the other station to the signal output section 704.

  This configuration differs from the configuration of FIG. 5 in that the main role of information transmission is not a speaker code sequence but a speaker signal. With such a configuration, a small-scale configuration that does not include the signal conversion unit and the speaker DB unit is possible.

  In this modification, a configuration in which the operation input unit 705 in the drawing is omitted is also possible.

(Third modification of the second embodiment of the TV telephone apparatus)
As shown in FIG. 8, the second modification can be further modified and implemented.

  Reference numerals 801, 802, 803, 804, 805, and 807 are components corresponding to the signal input unit 701, the encoding unit 702, the command separation unit 703, the signal output unit 704, the operation input unit 705, and the communication unit 706 in FIG. It is.

  Then, a new control unit 806 is provided to receive an operation signal and generate a control signal and a section signal. The section signal is a signal indicating a period during which the own speaker is issuing a command to the own device, and indicates that the speaker is currently instructing, for example, pressing down a push button switch while issuing the command. It is assumed that this is generated from the control unit 806 by performing a special operation.

  The command separation unit 803 processes the own speaker signal while detecting the section signal as a signal including a command.

  In short, in the second embodiment, if a speaker signal is recognized during a call and a command is received, and information corresponding to the command can be excluded from transmission targets, it is determined that the command is being performed. Differences in details such as the detection method do not matter.

(Third embodiment of TV telephone device)
FIG. 9 shows a third embodiment of the TV telephone apparatus.

  Reference numerals 901, 902, 903, 904, and 907 are components corresponding to the signal input unit 501, the symbolization unit 502, the signalization unit 503, the signal output unit 504, and the communication unit 506 shown in FIG. Reference numeral 905 is a component corresponding to the operation input unit 705 in FIG. A code conversion unit 906 converts an input code into a predetermined output code.

  Here, for convenience of explanation, the code sequence converted by the code conversion unit 906 is limited to a language code, and the convenience of this embodiment in translating the language code will be described.

  The language code transmitted from the partner station is received by the communication unit 907, and is input to the code conversion unit 906 as a communication code string.

  The code conversion unit 906 translates the language code into a predetermined language and presents it to the speaker of the own station. However, instead of performing translation work until one sentence is received as in the conventional apparatus, for example, sequential translation is performed in units such as words that are well-defined, and the translation result is immediately, albeit in one word. The feature is that it can be transmitted.

  By doing so, the simultaneity and immediacy of the call are maintained, and communication through the device can be made smoother.

  After receiving one sentence, the translation result of the sentence may be presented. For this purpose, the device is provided with a presentation function capable of displaying language codes in characters or outputting sounds, for example, it is possible to output the results of sequential translation in voice and output the results of one sentence batch translation in characters simultaneously. it can.

  Further, some users may be able to select the input method by inputting the language code by voice through a microphone or by inputting characters through a keyboard or the like.

  Alternatively, the language code may not only be output as voice or text, but also converted into a sign language image and presented.

  Further, it is also possible to recognize the sign language operation and input the language code when inputting the language code.

  In short, in the present embodiment, if at least the former of the sequential translation result and the batch translation result can be presented, a difference in details such as an input method and an output method does not matter.

(Modification Example 1 of Third Embodiment of TV Telephone Device)
FIG. 10 shows a configuration example in which a code transmission unit 1006 for interfacing the apparatus main body and the code conversion unit 1007 is newly added in order to make the code conversion unit 1007 detachable.

  By doing so, the code conversion unit 1007 can be made optional, and convenience is improved in that only a user who needs the translation function can add the function.

(Modification Example 2 of Third Embodiment of TV Telephone Device)
FIG. 11 shows an example in which the embodiment shown in FIG. 9 is applied to the apparatus shown in FIG. By doing so, it is possible to provide an intelligent coded communication device with a translation function.

(Fourth embodiment of TV telephone device)
FIG. 12 shows a fourth embodiment of the TV telephone apparatus.

  Reference numerals 1201, 1203, 1204, 1205, 1206, 1207, and 1208 denote a signal input unit 901, a symbolization unit 902, a signal conversion unit 903, a signal output unit 904, an operation input unit 905, and a code in the embodiment illustrated in FIG. It corresponds to the conversion unit 906 and the communication unit 907.

  Reference numeral 1202 denotes a canceling unit that subtracts the other party's signal from the own speaker's signal, and performs a process of subtracting from the own speaker's signal a signal generated by multiplying the signal obtained by delaying the other party's signal by a certain number. Thus, the function of canceling the other party's voice mixed with the own speaker's voice input by the signal input unit 1201 is achieved.

(Specific Example of Fourth Embodiment of TV Telephone Device)
FIG. 13 is a specific example in which the fourth embodiment is implemented as a wristwatch-type device.

  In this small TV telephone device, a voice input unit such as a microphone 1301 and a voice output unit such as a speaker 1302 are close to each other, and the distance between the user and the device is usually larger than this distance. It is. At this time, when the other party's voice is reproduced at a volume that is audible to the user, the voice is picked up by the voice input means, and the other party's voice overlaps with his own voice like an echo at the partner station. As a result, the feeling of use is greatly impaired. However, in the present apparatus, by providing the cancel unit 1202 for removing the echo, it is possible to provide a small TV telephone apparatus which does not impair the usability.

  In the present embodiment, the entire screen is displayed as a clock during a non-call, so that it normally functions as a clock. Of course, during a call, the image of the other party is displayed on the display unit 1303, and at the same time, the clock image is reduced and displayed on a part of the screen.

  By the way, the TV telephone device having the cancel unit 1202 shown in the above embodiment is not limited to the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 12 and FIG. In short, the signal input unit and the signal output unit are both close to each other, and the input sound and the output sound are mixed because the signal input unit and the signal output unit are far from the user. The present invention can be applied to any communication device. That is, as long as the canceling unit 1202 can prevent the interference by calculating the weight difference between the input signal and the output signal, the difference in the details does not matter.

(Additional function 1 for TV phone)
In the first to fourth embodiments and the modified examples described above, the transmitted partner code sequence is transmitted by the transmission time, the partner speaker ID, and the type of media at the time of reproduction (voice, image, character, It is also possible to add a symbol-level answering machine which records the information together with auxiliary information such as a combination of the same and later makes it reproducible to the own speaker at a later time.

  By doing so, it becomes possible to record a message with a smaller amount of data than in a conventional telephone device with an answering machine or the like that records at the signal level, and it is possible to store more messages.

  Also, the answering machine function unit can record a message that the user wants to transmit from the own station, and automatically transmits the message from the own station when a preset event (timer, remote operation, when the answering machine function is activated, etc.) occurs. You may do it. The transmitted message to be recorded is recorded together with auxiliary information such as a partner speaker ID, a start-up event, and a type of media at the time of reproduction (voice, image, character, or a combination thereof). As a result, the convenience is further improved in that the message can be transmitted and responded to by changing the message for each partner and event.

(Additional function 2 of TV telephone device)
In the first to fourth embodiments and the modifications described above, the signal input unit can accept the key input by the user, or the signal output unit can output the character display to the user. It can also be.

  By doing so, at least in communication using voice, for example, a person who has difficulty communicating by voice such as deafness can use the present device, and the convenience of the present device is further improved in that the number of users is expanded. improves.

  When implementing this function, it is possible to use the screen for images and the screen for text separately.However, the other party's voice is converted to text and superimposed on the other image and displayed on the same screen. If output is performed, the convenience of the present apparatus is further improved in that the user only needs to watch the single display screen at all times.

  As a further modified example of the above-described embodiment and modified examples, at least one of voice or image may be transmitted and received by a symbol, and the remaining may be transmitted and received by a signal.

  For example, it is also possible to adopt a configuration in which sound is symbolized and transmitted, and an image is compressed and coded for transmission. Needless to say, symbols and signals are exchanged through a single transmission path by compressing and encoding as much as possible and further bucketing.

(Additional function 3 of TV telephone device)
In the above embodiments and modified examples, examples of screen configurations for executing dialing based on speaker information registered in a storage unit such as a speaker DB unit are shown in FIGS. 22, 23, and 24. .

  FIG. 22 is an example of a call partner selection screen in the TV telephone device.

  Reference numeral 2201 denotes a display area of the screen, which is displayed on the entire display unit or a part thereof.

  Reference numeral 2202 denotes an opposite party speaker icon, and a call partner can be selected by performing a selection operation such as clicking the icon with a predetermined instruction unit such as a finger or a mouse. In the vicinity of the icon 2202, there is a speaker ID display area 2203 in which information such as the name of the other party indicated by the icon is displayed.

  It is also possible to display an empty area for displaying a newly registered partner as indicated by reference numeral 2205.

  Reference numerals 2206 and 2207 denote page turning buttons for enabling an operation to turn the screen when not all the speaker icons can be displayed on the screen. If the page turning button 2207 is displayed, it indicates that the next page exists, and if the page turning button 2206 is displayed, it indicates that the previous page exists.

  Reference numeral 2204 denotes a dial screen call icon that is selected when the user desires a call with a party not registered in the list screen, and is always displayed at a predetermined position on the screen regardless of the page turning operation. .

  FIG. 23 shows an example of the partner speaker icon.

  Reference numerals 2301, 230, and 2305 denote icon areas, respectively. For example, an image of the upper body of the speaker is displayed in this area.

  Reference numerals 2302, 2304, 2306, and 2307 denote speaker ID display areas, respectively, which are displayed inside or near the icon area.

  In particular, reference numerals 2306 and 2307 are displayed using a plurality of areas so that a speaker ID and, for example, location information can be displayed so that even persons with the same ID can be divided according to the location difference. It is an example.

  When the dial screen call icon is selected, a dial screen 2401 as shown in FIG. 24 is displayed. On the screen 2401, a dial button 2402 similar to the dial button of the touch-tone device is displayed, and the dialed number is displayed in a dial number display area 2403. The dial buttons include a button for correcting a number and a button for executing dialing.

(Fifth Embodiment of TV Telephone Device)
FIG. 14 is a diagram showing a fifth embodiment of the TV telephone apparatus.

  The present apparatus has two screens, and displays a moving image of the other party on a screen 1401 and data transmitted from the other party on a screen 1402. An image from the own station is picked up by the camera 1403, encoded, and then transmitted wirelessly from the antenna 1406 to the other station. Similarly, voice is also captured from the microphone 1407 and transferred from the antenna 1406 to the partner station. The voice of the other speaker is obtained through the speaker 1408. A series of operations is performed using the keyboard 1404.

  At this time, since the moving image has a large amount of information and needs to perform encoding and decoding processes in real time, the image size (that is, the resolution for display) cannot be set to be too large. On the other hand, in the case of an image to be viewed at rest, such as a reference material, a real-time property is not required, but a resolution as high as possible is required.

  Therefore, the screen 1401 for displaying a moving image is provided with a low-resolution screen (for example, the CIF and QCIF levels of the international standard H.261), and the screen 1402 for displaying a still image is provided with a high-resolution screen (for example, a JPEG level of the international standard). Just do it.

  However, in the case of cost considerations, or when it is necessary to display a moving image on any of the screens 1401 and 1402, both screens can be a resolution screen for a moving image.

  In addition, there are a case where a still image is displayed as transmitted from a partner and a case where a material on hand is displayed for reference. When displaying the hand-held material or transmitting it to the other party, for example, a disk or IC card may be inserted from the storage port 1405, and the information may be taken out and displayed. If a screen having the resolution of the TV receiver (for example, NTSC or HDTV level) is prepared, it is possible to simultaneously communicate with the other party while watching the TV program. In this embodiment, an example in which two screens are provided has been described. However, it is needless to say that three or more screens can be realized.

(Sixth embodiment of TV telephone apparatus)
FIG. 15 is a diagram showing a sixth embodiment of the TV telephone apparatus.

  As in the apparatus shown in FIG. 14, an image is captured by a camera 1503, and audio is captured from a microphone 1507 and transferred from an antenna 1506 to a partner station. An image of the other party is displayed on a screen 1501, and sound is obtained through a speaker 1508. These series of operations are performed on the keyboard 1504.

  The boat screen 1502 functions effectively when making notes on information during communication with the other party or when mutually correcting materials on the screen.

  On the screen, it is possible to input information using the light pen 1505, and by transmitting and receiving the information to and from the other party at any time, a discussion while modifying the material using the board screen becomes possible. .

  In this case, a character recognition function for the information input to the board screen 1502 can be provided, so that the convenience of the present apparatus is further improved.

  Further, as in the case of FIG. 14, there is a storage port 1509 for reading out a material on hand from a disk or an IC card, through which information can be read out. Of course, the information sent from the other party or the corrected information can be stored again in the disk or IC card.

  Note that the board screen 1502 is a moving image display screen similar to the screen 1501, and may be writable from above with a light pen. In addition, these screens can be configured to display input from the keyboard 1504.

(Seventh embodiment of TV telephone device)
FIG. 16 shows a seventh embodiment of the TV telephone apparatus.

  A camera 1604, an antenna 1605, a microphone 1606, a speaker 1607, a keyboard 1608, a light pen 1609, and a storage port 1610 for a disk, an IC card, and the like have the same functions as those in FIG. Here, three types of screens are further provided.

  As a result, the user can always communicate while watching the other party on the moving image low-resolution screen 1601, and can have a discussion while referring to necessary materials on the spot with each other on the still image high-resolution screen 1602.

  In addition, on the input screen 1603 from the light pen 1609, information can be added and corrected on this screen in an image as if each other is using a blackboard.

  Note that these screens can arbitrarily display the input from the keyboard 1608, in which case they can be used as a substitute for a word processor.

(Eighth Embodiment of TV Telephone Device)
Hereinafter, an eighth embodiment of the TV telephone apparatus will be described with reference to FIG.

  FIG. 17 is a block diagram according to the present embodiment.

  When a selection start signal is input from an input terminal 1701, a display rate selection unit 1702 selects a rate of a moving image to be displayed on a display. Any rate input method may be used. For example, a rate may be input to a voice, or a numeric keypad may be prepared and input may be performed using the keypad. Alternatively, a method may be used in which the displayable rate is displayed on a display, and the display rate is selected using a touch panel or the like.

  When the display rate is determined, the selected rate image display unit 1703 actually displays a moving image at the display rate. A moving image to be displayed is created in advance at a selectable rate and stored in the moving image memory 1704. Then, the moving image memory 1704 sends the moving image at the input selection rate to the selection rate image display unit 1703.

  After the display of the moving image is completed, the selection rate image display unit 1703 asks the user whether to display the moving image at another rate or to determine the transmission and storage rates to be actually used, and displays the image according to the result. A signal is sent to the rate selection unit 1702 or the transmission and accumulation rate determination unit 1705.

  The transmission / storage rate determination unit 1705 asks the user about the rate actually used for transmission / storage. Any rate input method may be used. For example, the rate input may be made by voice, or a ten-key may be prepared and used for input. Alternatively, a method may be used in which the displayable rate is displayed on a display, and the display rate is selected using a touch panel or the like. Finally, the determined rate is output to the output terminal 1706.

(Ninth embodiment of TV telephone apparatus)
FIG. 18 is a block diagram according to a ninth embodiment of the TV telephone apparatus.

  The only difference from FIG. 17 is that the moving image memory 1704 in FIG. 17 is replaced with a reconstructed image generation unit 1807 in FIG. 18, and the remaining parts are the same. The reconstructed image generation unit 1807 encodes and decodes the image input from the image input terminal 1808 based on the selection rate, generates a reconstructed image, and sends it to the selection rate image display unit 1803.

  As an image input from the image input terminal 1808, for example, in the case of a TV phone, an image captured by a camera of the own station can be considered.

(Tenth embodiment of TV telephone device)
FIG. 19 is a block diagram according to a tenth embodiment of the TV telephone apparatus.

  In the case of FIG. 17, the moving image at the selected rate is displayed. In the case of FIG. 19, the communication fee required per unit time when used at the selected rate. And the like are displayed on the selected rate detailed information display section 1909.

  As a method of displaying images and information, only one rate may be displayed on one screen, or a plurality of rates may be displayed at the same time to facilitate comparison between rates.

(Eleventh embodiment of TV telephone apparatus)
FIG. 20 is a block diagram showing an eleventh embodiment of the TV telephone apparatus.

  The block diagram may function as a single device, or may function as a part of a two-way transmission device such as a videophone.

  The imaging unit 2001 covers a wider range than the image to be transmitted.

  The display unit 2002 displays an image captured by the imaging unit 2001. The display means 2002 displays the captured image in the display area 2105 as shown in FIG. The transmission area 2106 is inside the display area 2105, and the image in the transmission area 2106 is the transmission target image. The edge of the transmission area is delineated so that the photographer can see it.

  The image cutout unit 2003 cuts out only the image corresponding to the transmission area 2106 from the images picked up by the image pickup unit 2001.

  The encoding unit 2004 performs encoding for transmitting the image clipped by the image clipping unit 2003.

  Since the image signal is processed as described above, the TV telephone device displays an area wider than the transmission area. For this reason, the photographer can check the situation around the transmission area, and can easily perform camera work.

  In the above description, the TV telephone device has been described, but the present embodiment is also effective in a case where an image captured by a video camera is transmitted wirelessly.

  It should be noted that the TV telephone device according to the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments and modified examples, and may be implemented in various combinations of the above-described embodiments and modified examples without departing from the gist thereof. Needless to say, various modifications can be made.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a first embodiment of the TV telephone apparatus. 4 is a flowchart showing a basic operation of the TV telephone device. It is a block diagram of the example 1 of a change of 1st Example of a TV telephone apparatus. It is a block diagram of the modification 2 of 1st Example of a TV telephone apparatus. It is a block diagram of a 2nd Example of a TV telephone apparatus. It is a block diagram of the example 1 of a change of 2nd Example of a TV telephone apparatus. It is a block diagram of the example 2 of a change of 2nd Example of a TV telephone apparatus. It is a block diagram of the modification 3 of 2nd Example of a TV telephone apparatus. FIG. 11 is a block diagram of a third embodiment of the TV telephone device. It is a block diagram of the example 1 of a change of 3rd Example of a TV telephone apparatus. It is a block diagram of the modification 2 of 3rd Example of a TV telephone apparatus. FIG. 13 is a block diagram of a fourth embodiment of the TV telephone device. It is a perspective view of the example (watch type) of the 4th Example of a TV telephone apparatus. It is a perspective view of a 5th example of a TV telephone device. FIG. 14 is a perspective view of a sixth embodiment of the TV telephone device. It is a perspective view of the 7th Example of a TV telephone device. FIG. 16 is a block diagram of an eighth embodiment of the TV telephone device. FIG. 16 is a block diagram of a ninth embodiment of a TV telephone device. It is a block diagram of the 10th Example of a TV telephone device. FIG. 21 is a block diagram of an eleventh embodiment of a TV telephone device. It is a drawing showing the display state of the display means in the eleventh embodiment of the TV telephone apparatus. It is a structural example of the screen in the additional function 3 of a TV telephone device, and is a drawing of the other party selection screen in the TV telephone device. It is also a drawing of a partner speaker icon similarly. It is also a drawing of a dial screen call icon.

Explanation of reference numerals

Reference Signs List 101 signal input unit 102 symbolization unit 103 signal conversion unit 104 signal output unit 105 operation input unit 106 speaker information management unit 107 speaker DB unit 108 communication unit

Claims (4)

A communication terminal device capable of transmitting or storing at one rate among a plurality of types of candidate rates,
Data means for storing or generating data determined for each of the candidate rates,
Display means for displaying data stored or generated in the data means for each candidate rate;
Selecting means for selecting data of a candidate rate to be displayed on the display means;
Determining means for determining a rate to be used for transmission or accumulation among the candidate rates. The data means includes:
The communication terminal device according to claim 1, wherein a moving image transmitted or stored at each of the candidate rates is stored as data. The data means includes:
The communication terminal device according to claim 1, wherein a reconstructed image that is further decoded after encoding a moving image using each of the candidate rates is generated as data. The communication terminal device according to claim 1, wherein the display unit displays detailed information such as a communication charge when each of the candidate rates is used or a storable time.

Images