JPH04329784A - Video telephone system - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To realize the video telephone system which is also used for a television receiver. CONSTITUTION:The video telephone system is provided with an RF demodulation circuit 20 receiving a television radio wave and demodulating it in the inside and with a changeover means 22 selecting an output from the relevant RF demodulation circuit 20 or an output of a video CODEC 4 and outputting the selected output to a picture display device (comprising a video output section 7 and a display device 8).

Description

[Detailed description of the invention]

0001

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a video telephone device.

0002

2. Description of the Related Art A video telephone device is equipped with an image display device made of, for example, a liquid crystal, and decodes video and audio signals from the other party obtained through a line, and displays an image of the other party on the image display device. It has a configuration that allows you to make phone calls.

0003

[Problem to be Solved by the Invention] However, the conventional videophone device described above has only the functions necessary for a videophone, and does not have any additional functions. However, the videophone device has the disadvantage that it is not utilized at all. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide a videophone device that can be used for purposes other than normal phone calls.

0004

[Means for Solving the Problems] A video telephone device according to the present invention receives television radio waves and demodulates them.
It is characterized by having a built-in F demodulation circuit and a switching means for selectively switching the output from the RF demodulation circuit and the output from the decoding circuit and inputting the same to the image display device.

[0005]

[Function] According to the above configuration, when making a call or receiving a call, it is used as an original videophone, but when not being used as a telephone, the output from the RF demodulation circuit is input to the video signal processing section. The video telephone device can be used as a television by displaying television images on the image display device. Furthermore, if the other party is not using a video telephone device, it is also possible to make a call while displaying a television image on the image display device and watching a television program.

[0006]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS. 1 to 3. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of a videophone device according to the present invention. This videophone device includes a video input section 2 connected to an imaging camera 1, and a videophone function component.
A buffer 3 that stores video signals for frames, a video codec 4 that encodes and decodes video signals, a multi-demultiplexer 5 that performs signal switching operations, and connects the network and the videophone device. a network interface 6, a video output unit 7 connected to the image memory 3, a display 8 connected to the video output unit 7, a delay 9 connected to the multi-demultiplexer 5, and a video output unit 7 connected to the video output unit 7; an audio codec 10 connected to the audio codec 9; and an audio input/output section 11 connected to the audio codec 10.
, a handset 12 connected to the audio input/output section 11 , and a system control section 15 connected to the multi-demultiplexer 5 and network interface 6 .

On the other hand, as a component of the television function,
It is independently equipped with an RF demodulation circuit 20 that receives and demodulates television radio waves and a speaker 21 exclusively for television audio, and the video output section 7 and display 8 as an image display device are shared. It has become. Between the video output section 7 and the video codec 4, a switching means 22 is provided which selectively switches between the output from the RF demodulation circuit 20 and the decoded output from the video codec 4 and inputs the same to the video output section 7. is interposed. In addition, the speaker 21 and the RF demodulation circuit 20
A speaker switch 23 that operates in conjunction with the switching means 22 is interposed between the two.

That is, when the switch section 22a of the switching means 22 is at the position shown by the solid line in the figure, the switch section 23a of the speaker switch 23 is also located at the position shown by the solid line in the figure. When the switch section 22a of the switching means 22 is at the position shown by the dotted line in the figure, the switch section 23a of the speaker switch 23 is also positioned as shown by the dotted line in the figure in conjunction with this.

The switching means 22 can be switched by turning on/off a switching button (not shown) operated by the operator, or by turning a hook switch on/off, for example. FIG. 2 is a flowchart illustrating an example of the reception operation in the video telephone device. First, it is determined whether or not there is an incoming call (S1). If there is no incoming call, the process proceeds to step 1 and the incoming call determination is continued, while if there is an incoming call, a ringing operation is performed (S2).

[0010] Next, it is determined whether or not the hook has been off-hook (
S3), if the call is not off-hook, it is determined whether or not the call has been stopped (S4); if the call has not been stopped, the process proceeds to step 3 to continue off-hook detection; Stop (S5) and return. On the other hand, if it is off-hook, it is determined whether the television is in operation (S6). If the television is not in operation, the sound is immediately stopped (S8), while if the television is in operation, the switching means 22 and the switch portions 22a and 23a of the speaker switch 23 are switched to the positions shown by the dotted lines in FIG. The operation of the television is stopped and the process of F=1 is executed (S7), and then the ringing is stopped (S8).

[0011] Next, a call and other party image display processing (hereinafter referred to as call processing) is executed (S9), and it is determined whether or not the call processing has ended (S10). If F=1 has not been completed, the process proceeds to step 9 to continue the call processing, while if the call processing has ended, it is determined whether F=1 or not (S11), and if F=1, the process returns, while F= If 1, switch the switching means 22 and the switch portions 22a and 23a of the speaker switch 23 to the positions shown by the solid lines in FIG. 1 to restart the television, and F=
0 processing is executed (S12) and the process returns.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation at the time of transmission in the video telephone device. First, it is determined whether there is off-hook (S21), and if there is no off-hook, the process proceeds to step 1 to continue off-hook detection, while if off-hook is detected, it is determined whether the television is in operation (S22). If the television is not in operation, the process immediately proceeds to the dialing process (S24), while
If the television is in operation, the operation of the television is stopped and F=1 processing is performed (S23), followed by a transition to dialing processing (S24).

[0013] Next, the call processing is executed (S25), and it is determined whether the call processing has ended or not (S26). If the call processing has not been completed, the process proceeds to step 25 and the call processing is performed. While continuing, if the call etc. processing is finished, press F
It is determined whether or not F=1 (S27), and if F=1, the process returns. If F=1, the television is restarted and the process for F=0 is executed (S28), and the process returns.

According to the above configuration, the operator can actuate the switching means 22 by turning on and off a switching button (not shown), and use the videophone as a television when desired, as well as the above flowchart. As shown in , when making a call or going off-hook when receiving a call, the videophone device that was previously used as a television can be automatically switched to the original videophone. After finishing, you can automatically return to the television function again.

In this embodiment, in the receiving operation, the switching means 22 is operated depending on whether or not there is an off-hook, but the switching means 22 may be operated depending on whether or not there is an incoming call. Furthermore, if the other party is not using a video telephone device, a television image may be displayed on the display 8 by a predetermined manual or automatic operation so that the telephone call can be made while watching a television program. Furthermore, if a call is received while the television function is activated, a process may be performed to reduce the television sound to some extent when the ringing operation is performed, making it easier for the user to hear the ringing sound. It's good.

Further, although this embodiment does not show channel means etc. that are normally provided in a television device, these means are provided as necessary in the television device, except for those that are essential.

[0017]

As described above, according to the present invention, when making a call or receiving a call, it is used as an original videophone, but when not being used as a telephone, the output from the RF demodulation circuit is converted into a video signal. This has the effect that the video telephone device can be used as a television by inputting it to the processing unit and displaying the television image on the image display device.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of a video telephone device as an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart of operation at the time of reception.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart of operations during transmission.

[Explanation of symbols]

4 Video codec 7 Video output section 8 Display 20 RF demodulation circuit 21 Speaker 22 Switching means 23 Speaker switch

Claims (1)

[Claims] Claim 1: A built-in RF demodulation circuit that receives and demodulates television radio waves, and selectively switches the output from the RF demodulation circuit and the output from the decoding circuit for input to an image display device. 1. A videophone device comprising a switching means.