JP2001309073A - Electronic appliance - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an electronic appliance capable of establishing a communication style which is easy to sense familiarity and is more interesting than heretofore. SOLUTION: The appliance is provided with a transmission part for transmitting picture data obtained by photographing a user to an electronic appliance possessed by another user, a reception part for receiving the picture data obtained by photographing another user transmitted from the electronic appliance possessed by another user, and a display for displaying the picture data received by the reception part and transmitted data transmitted from the electronic appliance possessed by another user in addition to the picture data on the same display screen as a picture.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an electronic device capable of transmitting and receiving data by communication, and more particularly to an electronic device having a display screen for displaying an image based on transmitted and received data.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, communication technology has been improved, and a packet communication system for wirelessly transmitting data in a state where the contents of data are arranged and packaged according to contents, and an ISDN capable of increasing the amount of transmitted data per time. New technologies such as communication lines are being spread one after another.

In such a situation, in addition to the conventional style of communicating with a distant communication partner who cannot see a face or figure by using a telephone voice or characters by e-mail of a personal computer machine, there is a further style. There is a demand for an entertaining and multi-faceted communication style that gives a sense of affinity. In order to respond to this demand, videophones and the like have been provided which enable users to talk while seeing the face of a communication partner by converting an image of a user into an image and transmitting / receiving the image.

[0004]

However, in this videophone, the user recognizes the face of the communication partner by viewing the image of the communication partner displayed on a television screen or the like, and recognizes the face of the communication partner by voice as in the conventional telephone. Communication is intended, and the image of the communication partner is simply displayed on the TV screen, so it is easy to rely on voice for direct communication with the communication partner, basically Since it is almost the same as the communication style using voice over the phone, it has not been possible to establish a new and interesting communication style like never before.

[0005] The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and it is an object of the present invention to provide an electronic device which can easily establish a communication style with an unprecedented sense of familiarity.

[0006]

Means for Solving the Problems In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present inventors have made intensive studies and as a result have invented the following technology.

[0007] That is, the invention of claim 1 is a portable electronic device having a power supply therein and enabling data transmission / reception by communication by activating the power supply by a user's manual operation. A transmission unit that transmits image data of another user to an electronic device owned by another user, and receives image data of another user transmitted from an electronic device owned by another user. And a display unit that displays, on the same display screen, image data received by the receiving unit and transmission data transmitted from an electronic device owned by another user separately from the image data on the same display screen. It is characterized by having.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided an electronic device capable of transmitting and receiving data by communication, wherein a transmitting unit for transmitting image data obtained by photographing a user to an electronic device possessed by another user; A receiving unit that receives image data of another user transmitted from an electronic device owned by the user, and an image data received by the receiving unit and an electronic device owned by another user separately from the image data. A display unit that displays transmission data transmitted from the device as an image on the same display screen,
An operation unit that is manually operated by a user, wherein an image corresponding to the image data is changed on the display unit according to the content of the transmission data or an operation of the operation unit by a user. .

According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided an electronic device capable of transmitting and receiving data by communication, wherein the transmitting unit transmits image data obtained by photographing a user to an electronic device possessed by another user; A receiving unit that receives image data of another user transmitted from an electronic device owned by the user, and an image data received by the receiving unit and an electronic device owned by another user separately from the image data. A display unit for displaying transmission data transmitted from the device as an image on the same display screen, and an operation unit for selecting or not displaying or not displaying a part of the image corresponding to the image data on the display unit. It is characterized by having.

[0010] The invention of claim 4 is the invention of claims 1 to 3.
The electronic device according to any one of the above, wherein an image corresponding to the image data and an image corresponding to the transmission data are displayed as a combined image on the display unit.

[0011] The invention according to claim 5 is the invention according to claims 1 to 4.
5. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the display unit displays an image corresponding to the image data as a moving image.

The invention of claim 6 is the invention of claims 1 to 5
The electronic device according to any one of the above, further comprising a camera for photographing the user.

As means of the present invention, it is possible to play a competitive game by communication with another user. In the electronic device in this case, a transmission unit that transmits image data obtained by photographing the player as the user to the electronic device possessed by the opponent player as another user, and a battle transmitted from the electronic device possessed by the opponent player An electronic device comprising: a receiving unit that receives image data of a player; and a display unit that has a display screen that displays the received image data as an image of an opponent. Data is displayed on one display screen. With this configuration, it is possible to display even an electronic device such as a portable electronic device whose overall size is so small that it is difficult to provide a plurality of display screens. It is possible to play the game while watching the image, and the content of the game is displayed without the troublesome movement of looking at the game screen and the expression of the opponent alternately as when the opponent is nearby. You can see the image of your opponent while concentrating on the game, and use the image of your opponent as one of the factors to win the opponent while playing the game It becomes possible. This is particularly effective when the opponent is far away and cannot see his / her face or expression due to wireless communication or the like. As the electronic device, a portable electronic organizer capable of communicating with another electronic device, a portable device such as a mobile phone or a portable game machine can be used. In particular, with mobile phones, the spread of communication lines such as the Internet has made it possible to play competitive games through communications. Occupied areas are getting smaller and smaller,
The above electronic device is particularly effective.

Further, in the present invention, the game screen and the photographing screen are integrated and displayed by superimposing the contents of the game and the image corresponding to the photographed image data of the opponent on the display section. In addition to making it possible to reduce the area required for the game, the user can see the image of the opponent at the same time as watching the game content, and the image of the opponent can be different from the game content. This is advantageous in that the display is displayed on the display unit so as to enter the game instead of the dimension. Video game consoles that combine the captured image of the player on the game screen and progress the game are widely used in game centers, etc., but this video game console has an opponent just next to or near it, face or figure or face It is possible to actually hear the voice. On the other hand, this electronic device can be used even when it is difficult to actually see a facial expression present in a distant place, thereby trying to establish a new communication style. The viewpoints are completely different, and the effects obtained by them are different.

Further, in the present invention, it is possible to display an image corresponding to image data obtained by photographing an opponent on the display unit as a moving image. In this case, the game is advanced while watching the changing expression of the opponent. This makes it possible to play the game with a new sense.

In addition, according to the present invention, an image corresponding to image data obtained by photographing an opponent is displayed on the display unit in accordance with the content of the transmission data transmitted from the opponent and received by the reception unit or the operation of the operation unit by the user. It is also possible to change it. The transmission data may include instruction data for proceeding with the game, game image and / or sound data as a result of giving the instruction, and the like. As a specific embodiment, the image of the opponent is changed so that it gradually disappears as the game progresses, or the image of the opponent is changed by overwriting such as putting a beard or wearing glasses. It is also possible to change it by changing, enlarging, reducing or deforming. In this case, since the change in the image of the opponent is used for the actual progress of the game, the opponent who cannot see the face of the opponent, especially when the face of the opponent can not be seen by radio, is himself / herself. It is possible to play the game with unprecedented enjoyment, such as playing the game while imagining what kind of emotions the player is playing due to the change in the image.

Further, in the present invention, a camera for photographing a user can be built in an electronic device, and in particular, a camera such as a mobile phone, a portable game machine, a portable electronic organizer or a portable personal computer can be carried. With small and compact electronic devices, it is convenient to carry and the user can easily position the camera only by holding the electronic device, so the user can be more enthusiastic about the game Becomes

The transmission data according to the present invention includes image data different from the photographed image data. The image when the image data corresponding to the transmission data is displayed on the display unit includes characters and symbols. , Pictures and characters.

[0019]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Next, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings, taking a portable telephone as an example of electronic equipment.

FIG. 1 is a functional block diagram showing functions of the mobile phone according to the present embodiment. The mobile phone has a power supply inside, and enables transmission and reception of data by wireless communication by activating the power supply by a user's manual operation, and has the following components. That is, a CCD camera 1 for photographing a user, a transmitting unit 2 for transmitting image data A of the user photographed by the CCD camera 1 to an electronic device possessed by another user, and possessed by another user. A receiving unit 3 for receiving image data B of another user transmitted from the electronic device, and a display unit 4 for displaying the image data B received by the receiving unit 3 as a photographed image of another user.
And an operation button as an operation unit 5 by which a user can manually start a power source, input a telephone number of a communication partner, or perform various inputs. The transmission unit 2 and the reception unit 3 include a transmission / reception circuit conventionally used, and transmit / receive a radio wave as communication data having a predetermined frequency by a communication antenna described later. Converts data to and from a data format that can be processed.

The portable telephone has a CPU as a control unit 6 for controlling processing of transmission / reception data, and a RAM as a work area in which data is processed based on an instruction from the control unit 6.
7 and a nonvolatile memory 8 for storing data to be transmitted and received
A display driving circuit 9 for displaying an image on the display screen 4a based on transmission / reception data, and a communication antenna 10 as a window for taking transmission data from another user into the mobile phone.
A microphone 11 for inputting a user's voice, a speaker 12 for generating another user's voice, a voice reproducing circuit 13 for controlling the voice reproduction of the speaker 12, and a power supply 14 for applying a voltage to these components. Is provided. Each mobile phone is connected by a wireless communication line, but in the present embodiment, a server system is provided between each mobile phone that performs high-speed data processing and data management for game progress and changes in captured images. Provider exists. Therefore, the user first accesses the server system with the mobile phone while communicating with other users, and then plays the battle game. This is an example of the embodiment, and each mobile phone is provided with a program related to a game, and it is also possible to directly connect and exchange data without using a provider or the like.

In the display unit 4, transmission data C transmitted from an electronic device owned by another user separately from the image data B is displayed.
Is displayed as an image composed of characters, symbols, pictures or patterns. Further, the display unit 4 transforms a photographed image of another user into irregularities or enlargement / reduction according to transmission data C from another user, partially deletes the image, changes or colors the face or background, and wears glasses or mustaches. It is also possible to change such as addition synthesis such as changing the hair style. Of course, the user operates the operation unit 5 to perform the above-described various changes on the captured image of the other user displayed on the display unit 4 so as to communicate with other users by voice while performing other communication. It is also possible to perform a mischievous play, such as changing the photographed image of another user without being known to the user. Further, by transmitting the changed photographed image of the other user to the other user by operating the operation unit 5 to notify the other user, it is possible to achieve interesting visual communication through the photographed image. It is. As described above, in the electronic device, the user can select and operate the operation unit 5 to display or not to display the image portion corresponding to the image data B on the display unit 4. Therefore, depending on the mood at that time, Communication by voice only or visual communication in addition to voice can be performed, and communication options can be increased.

That is, in the electronic device of the present invention, an image corresponding to image data obtained by photographing another user can be changed according to the contents of the transmission data or the operation of the operation unit by the user. It is possible to take a new communication style using photographed images that can not be tasted by voice communication, such as playing with the image taken of the above user in the communication with other users It is.

Further, since the image corresponding to the transmission data C is displayed on the same display screen 4a together with the image corresponding to the image data B, it is possible to contribute to the miniaturization of the electronic device and to allow the user to use the same display screen 4a. From each data B,
It is possible to see an image corresponding to C, and it is very convenient to easily obtain information at a glance.

Since the camera for photographing the user is built in the mobile phone of the present embodiment, it can be downsized as a whole. For example, in the case of a portable type, the camera is separate from the viewpoint of handling and storage of parts. However, the present invention is also applicable to the case where the camera is separate from the mobile phone main body.

Further, it is possible to display an image corresponding to the image data B on the display unit 4 as a moving image, and the user can communicate while transmitting and receiving data while watching the movement of another user. It becomes possible.

Next, the structure of the mobile phone according to the present embodiment will be described. FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view showing the mobile phone of the present embodiment, and FIG. 3 is a schematic plan view showing the mobile phone of the present embodiment. FIG. 4 is a schematic perspective view showing the mobile phone of the present embodiment, in which the face of another user is displayed on the display screen. The mobile phone has the above-described components housed in a rectangular parallelepiped main body 20 of an up-and-down fitting type. The communication antenna 10 is provided on the upper end surface of the main body 20 so as to be extendable and contractible. The CCD camera 1, the speaker 12, the display screen 4a, the operation unit 5, and the microphone 11 are stored in this order from the end face side to the lower end face side. Although not shown, the above-mentioned components, ie, the control unit 6, the RAM 7,
Non-volatile memory 8, display drive circuit 9, audio reproduction circuit 13
Is mounted. The operation unit 5 has a power supply 14
Is started, a selection operation is performed to select whether or not to display a captured image of another user on the display screen 4a, and an instruction is made to change the displayed captured image. In order to be able to perform various input operations for instructing data transmission, corresponding operation buttons are prepared, and a controller 5a having input contacts in four directions or eight directions and a plurality of operation buttons 5b
Is provided. The operation method is set to be performed in accordance with a predetermined program stored in the nonvolatile memory 8 in advance.

Next, a flow of performing a communication battle game using the mobile phone of the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. The game used here is a simple game in which the territory of the diamond 25 displayed on the display screen 4a is accurately and quickly conquered, and the number of territories conquered determines victory or defeat. As an example, a captured image of an opponent as another user is displayed on the diamond 25 as if it were an enemy character 26, and the enemy character 26 is erased from the display screen 4a by conquering the territory. As described above, since the image such as the face of the opponent is displayed on the diamond 25 on the display screen 4a, the user can enjoy the exhilaration of erasing the frame and the pleasure of playing the game while watching the expression of the opponent changing accordingly. You can taste. In addition, by providing missiles 27 that control the selected territory and the territory in contact with it, the game has tactics and provides a variety of games. still,
The program related to the game may be stored by a server existing on a connection line for communication, or may be stored by the mobile phone itself.When the mobile phone stores itself, a storage medium such as a memory stick may be stored. It can be detachably mounted, or can be stored in a nonvolatile memory or a ROM of the mobile phone in advance.

Further, a display screen 4 for details of the game
A description will be given with reference to the game screen displayed in a. The user operates the controller 5a of the mobile phone to move a cursor displayed on the display screen 4a, and occupies a frame by pressing a predetermined operation button 5b among a plurality of operation buttons. The missile 27 is fired by pressing the operation button 5b. Missile 27
Suppresses the area where the frame selected by the cursor is in contact with the frame. This game can be played based on a game program stored in advance only by the user himself, and the appearance of the enemy character 26 is displayed on the display screen 4a,
For example, if the user is dominant, the enemy character 26 is set to change its expression depending on the situation of controlling the top, such as giving the enemy character 26 a slouching expression, and if the user is inferior, taking an arrogant attitude. Is also possible. When a game is played by a communication battle with another user, a character selected by the user can be displayed on the display screen 4a of the opponent in addition to the captured image. Furthermore, by transmitting and receiving the captured images of the opponents in real time and displaying the expressions of the opponents on the display screen 4a as moving images, the process of turning off the screens of the opponents is a fun and exciting effect for some people. Can be provided.

In the above embodiment, a portable telephone is used as the electronic device, but a portable game machine may be used. FIG. 6 is a diagram for explaining a situation in which a communication battle is performed using a portable game machine. In the portable game machine, a cassette (not shown) storing a game program is removably mounted on the game machine main body 31, and a camera unit 32 for photographing a player as a user is connected to the game machine main body 3.
1 is attached to the upper end side. A display screen 33 for displaying a game image and a captured image is provided at a substantially central portion of the surface of the game machine main body 31, and a controller 34 provided with input contacts in eight directions is provided on the left side of the display screen 33, On the right side, there are provided two operation buttons 35 which are arranged obliquely upward to the right. Each portable game machine has a communication cable 36 for transmitting and receiving data to and from each other. For transmission and reception of data between the portable game machines, it is possible to mount and use a communication unit 36 having a transmission unit and a reception unit having a transmission and reception circuit in addition to a cable such as a communication cable.

In the present invention, for example, as shown in FIG.
It is also possible to connect to a friend or acquaintance's house as another user 42 from home by using, send and receive images of their faces and figures to each other, and advance the game as described above. .

As the portable electronic device of the present invention, various electronic devices such as a mobile phone, a portable game machine, an electronic organizer, a portable personal computer, and a portable electronic mail device can be used. As the electronic device, a game machine, a personal computer, a television capable of two-way communication, or the like can be used. In the present invention, in addition to wireless communication, wired communication via a telephone line, a dedicated line, or the like is also applicable.

In the above-described example, image data obtained by photographing the user's face and figure are displayed together with the game image on each other's display screen. For example, pets such as dogs and cats are displayed by cameras in electronic devices. , Taking pictures of your favorite children, animals, landscapes, etc., such as your child, her, parents, or tourist attractions, and displaying them as still images or moving images on the display screen while also displaying game images on the same display screen It can be displayed. Such an electronic device and a game system using the electronic device provide an unprecedentedly active game in which image data freely selected by the user according to the user's own preference is incorporated into the game. I can do it. These captured images can be used as characters appearing in the game, used as background images, or simply displayed regardless of the game.

In the electronic device of the present invention, it is also possible to provide operation buttons corresponding to each area of the display screen. FIG. 8 shows a mobile phone as an example of the present invention, and FIGS. 9 and 10 show display screens of the mobile phone. On the display screen 50, an image captured by another user is displayed.
Each of the plurality of operation buttons 51 is marked with numbers 0 to 9, a symbol * and a symbol # for inputting a telephone number. Then, as shown in FIG. 9, the display screen 50 has three horizontal rows,
It is divided into a total of nine regions of three vertical lines, and these regions are respectively associated with the numbers 1 to 9 of the operation buttons 51. For example, when the user presses the number 6 of the operation button 51, the color of the area 6 on the display screen 50 changes as shown in FIG. That is, the captured image displayed on the display screen 50 can be changed by operating the operation button 51. As a result, the user feels that the operation for changing the image is very simple and easy to understand, and the user performs a blind touch while looking at the display screen (a hand feeling while looking at the display screen without having to look at the operation button each time). Only determine the operation button to be pressed and operate it)
Is possible, and the operability is greatly improved. In addition, the change in the captured image can be obtained by performing image conversion such as mosaicing in addition to the discoloration described above, and in addition, it is also possible to completely erase the image or display another image And various forms of change may be employed. Such a configuration can be used for the above-mentioned battle game. Further, the number of divisions of the display screen is not particularly limited as long as it is associated with each operation button.

[0035]

According to the present invention, transmission data transmitted from an electronic device possessed by another user and image data obtained by photographing another user are displayed as images on the same display screen on the display unit. In addition, it is possible to contribute to the miniaturization of the electronic device, and it is convenient for the user to be able to see an image corresponding to each data from the same display screen.

According to the present invention, an image corresponding to image data obtained by photographing another user can be changed according to the contents of the transmission data or the operation of the operation unit by the user. For example, a new communication using the image can be taken, such as performing a play using an image of the user during communication with another user by communication.

Further, according to the present invention, the transmission data transmitted from the electronic device possessed by another user and the image data obtained by photographing another user are converted into an image by the selection operation of the operation unit by the user. Since the images can be displayed on the same display screen of the display unit, it is possible to contribute to downsizing of the electronic device, and it is convenient for the user to be able to view images corresponding to each data from the same display screen.

In addition, according to the present invention, it is possible to reduce a display area necessary for displaying an image,
The size of the display screen in the display unit can be reduced, and the electronic device can be further reduced in size as a whole.

Further, according to the present invention, an image corresponding to image data of another user is displayed as a moving image, so that the user can transmit and receive data while watching the movement of the other user. It becomes possible.

Furthermore, according to the present invention, since the camera is built in the electronic device, the size can be reduced as a whole. For example, in the case of a portable type, the camera is separate from the viewpoint of handling and storage of parts. Better than if you were.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a functional block diagram illustrating functions of a mobile phone according to an embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view showing the structure of the mobile phone according to the embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a schematic plan view showing the structure of the mobile phone according to the embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a schematic perspective view showing the structure of the mobile phone according to the embodiment, showing a state in which the face of another user is displayed on a display screen.

FIG. 5 is a schematic plan view showing a display screen when a communication battle game is performed using the mobile phone of the embodiment.

FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram for explaining a state in which a communication battle is performed using a portable game machine.

FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a situation in which a user plays a game at home using a communication line such as the Internet.

FIG. 8 is a schematic plan view showing a mobile phone as an example of the present invention.

FIG. 9 is a schematic plan view showing a display screen of a mobile phone as an example of the present invention, showing a state where the display screen is divided into regions.

FIG. 10 is a schematic plan view showing a display screen of a mobile phone as an example of the present invention and showing a state in which an image portion of an area corresponding to an operated operation button has changed color.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 CCD camera 2 Transmitter
3 Receiver 4 Display 4a Display screen
5 operation unit 6 control unit 14 power supply A user's image data A B image data of another user C transmission data

Claims (6)

[Claims] 1. A portable electronic device having an internal power supply and enabling transmission and reception of data by communication by activating the power supply by a user's manual operation, wherein an image of the user is taken. A transmitting unit that transmits image data to an electronic device owned by another user; a receiving unit that receives image data of another user transmitted from the electronic device owned by another user; A display unit for displaying, as an image, image data received by the unit and transmission data transmitted from an electronic device possessed by another user separately from the image data on the same display screen. machine. 2. An electronic device capable of transmitting and receiving data by communication, wherein the transmitting unit transmits image data obtained by photographing a user to an electronic device owned by another user, and the electronic device is owned by another user. A receiving unit that receives image data of another user transmitted from the electronic device, and the image data received by the receiving unit and the image data transmitted from an electronic device owned by another user separately from the image data. A display unit for displaying transmission data as an image on the same display screen, and an operation unit operated by a user by hand, wherein the display unit responds to the content of the transmission data or an operation of the operation unit by a user. An electronic device displaying an image corresponding to the image data that changes. 3. An electronic device capable of transmitting and receiving data by communication, wherein the transmitting unit transmits image data obtained by photographing a user to an electronic device owned by another user, and the transmitting unit is owned by another user. A receiving unit that receives image data of another user transmitted from the electronic device, and the image data received by the receiving unit and the image data transmitted from an electronic device owned by another user separately from the image data. A display unit for displaying transmission data as an image on the same display screen, and an operation unit for selecting whether to display or not display a portion of the image corresponding to the image data on the display unit. And electronic equipment. 4. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein an image corresponding to the image data and an image corresponding to the transmission data are displayed on the display unit as a combined image. Electronic equipment characterized by the following. 5. The electronic device according to claim 1, wherein the display unit displays an image corresponding to the image data as a moving image. 6. The electronic device according to claim 1, further comprising a camera for photographing the user.