JP4956118B2 - Videophone device, communication system and communication method - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a communication system including a videophone device and another videophone device and a communication method thereof.

  A videophone device according to the prior art is characterized in that a caller's image can be picked up by an image pickup means, and images of communication partners can be visually recognized with each other (for example, see Patent Document 1). However, depending on the situation of the caller, there is a case where the other party does not want to see his / her own image. In order to solve such a problem, the video phone according to the first conventional technique is configured to process a captured image into a blurred image and transmit the blurred image to the other party ( For example, see Patent Document 2).

  In addition, in the second conventional technology videophone, a videophone that can inform the other party of his / her state without violating privacy is disclosed. This video phone is configured to change the size of a captured image to a desired size and transmit the image whose size has been changed to the other party. Therefore, by processing the captured image to be small, it becomes difficult for the other party to see the details of the image. As a result, privacy can be protected and the user's own image can be transmitted to the other party (see, for example, Patent Document 3).

  Further, when a telephone call is made using a videophone device, if the display means for displaying the other party is viewed by a third party, the other party's privacy may be infringed. In order to solve such a problem, the display device of the third conventional technique includes a surface light source, two polarizing plates, and a twisted nematic liquid crystal cell sandwiched between the polarizing plates. With this configuration, light emitted radially from the surface light source is converted into linear light by passing through the two polarizing plates and the twisted nematic liquid crystal cell. Therefore, the image displayed by the display device can be viewed only from a specific direction. Therefore, an image displayed on the display device can be prevented from being undesirably removed from a third party (see, for example, Patent Document 4).

JP 2004-165949 A JP 2001-169257 A Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2003-143666 Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 5-108023

  In the conventional videophone apparatus as described above, even if the image information and audio information transmitted to the communication partner are encrypted on the call path, the encrypted data is decrypted and reproduced at the partner terminal. Will be. Therefore, if the counterpart terminal is not provided with any countermeasure, the contents of the call may be easily recorded and undesirably disclosed to a third party.

  Further, there is a possibility that a third party performs some kind of device on the other party terminal, and the contents of the call are recorded without the knowledge of the other party, which can be abused. In such a case, even if the caller is careful, there is a risk that he / she may suffer damage due to negligence and carelessness of the other party.

  In order to mitigate such damage, as described above, protection technology has been disclosed in which call information is blurred and a part of one's own information is concealed and transmitted to the other party. If the protective function is always used during a call, the original convenience of the videophone that sends your image and voice to the other party will be significantly impaired, and such a protective function will be activated only when necessary. However, there is no standard for the caller to determine when the protection function should be activated.

  Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a videophone device, a communication system, and a communication method for confirming that other videophone devices are taking measures to prevent abuse of the contents of a call.

The present invention is a communication system including a videophone device capable of communicating communication information including at least image information and audio information with another videophone device, and a management device that manages information related to the other videophone device,
The management device
Management storage means for associating and storing identification information for identifying other videophone devices and function information relating to functions of other videophone devices;
Management communication means for transmitting the function information stored in the management storage means to the videophone device;
When the identification information is given from the videophone device, management control means for controlling the management communication means to transmit the function information associated with the identification information to the management storage means to the videophone device,
The videophone device includes:
Communication means for communicating with another videophone device and the management device, wherein communication means for transmitting identification information transmitted from the other videophone device to the management device when communication with the other videophone device is started When,
Selection means for selecting communication information to be transmitted to another videophone device based on functional information given from the management device with respect to the identification information transmitted to the management device when communication with the other videophone device is started A selection means including a processing unit for processing image information or audio information transmitted to another videophone device;
Control means for controlling the communication means to transmit the communication information selected by the selection means to another videophone device,
When the selection means collates the function information of another videophone device given from the management device with a predetermined standard, and determines that the other videophone device does not meet the predetermined standard In the communication system, information processed by the processing unit is selected as communication information to be transmitted to another videophone device .

According to the present invention, in the selection means, the predetermined criterion is a criterion for determining that it is safe against abuse of the content of the call .

Further, in the present invention, the processing in the selection means includes blurring processing such as mosaic processing of an image transmitted to the other videophone device, processing of frequency components of sound transmitted to the other videophone device, and the like. smearing treatment, you and performs any information processing of superimposing the at least one of the processing of such information regarding the other party to the image that is sent to said other video telephone.

Furthermore, the present invention is characterized in that the communication information includes command information for commanding an operation of another videophone device.
Furthermore, the present invention relates to a videophone device capable of communicating communication information including at least image information and audio information with other videophone devices, identification information for identifying the other videophone devices, and functions provided in the other videophone devices. A videophone used in a communication system including a management device that stores functional information in association with each other and, when identification information is given from the videophone device, transmits the functional information associated with the identification information to the videophone device. A device,
Communication means for communicating with another videophone device and the management device, wherein communication means for transmitting identification information transmitted from the other videophone device to the management device when communication with the other videophone device is started When,
Selection means for selecting communication information to be transmitted to another videophone device based on functional information given from the management device with respect to the identification information transmitted to the management device when communication with the other videophone device is started A selection means including a processing unit for processing image information or audio information transmitted to another videophone device;
Control means for controlling the communication means to transmit the communication information selected by the selection means to another videophone device,
When the selection means collates the function information of another videophone device given from the management device with a predetermined standard, and determines that the other videophone device does not meet the predetermined standard Is a videophone device that selects information processed by the processing unit as communication information to be transmitted to another videophone device.
Furthermore, the present invention is characterized in that, in the selection means, the predetermined criterion is a criterion for determining that the content is safe against abuse of the content of the call.
Further, in the present invention, the processing in the selection means includes blurring processing such as mosaic processing of an image transmitted to the other videophone device, processing of frequency components of sound transmitted to the other videophone device, and the like. It is characterized in that at least one of a blurring process and a process of superimposing arbitrary information such as information relating to a call partner on an image transmitted to the other videophone device is performed.
Furthermore, the present invention is characterized in that the communication information includes command information for commanding an operation of another videophone device.

Furthermore, the present invention provides a television in a communication system including a videophone device capable of communicating communication information including at least image information and audio information with another videophone device, and a management device for managing information relating to the other videophone device. A communication method between a telephone device and another videophone device,
The management device stores the identification information for identifying the other videophone device and the function information related to the function of the other videophone device in association with each other;
When the videophone device and the other videophone device start communication, the videophone device receives identification information from the other videophone device;
Transmitting the identification information received by the videophone device to the management device;
Transmitting the function information associated with the identification information received by the management device to the videophone device;
Receiving the function information transmitted from the management device by the videophone device;
A step of collating function information of another videophone device given from the management device with a predetermined standard;
Including a step of processing image information or audio information to be transmitted to another videophone device when it is determined that the other videophone device does not meet the predetermined standard. Is the method.
Furthermore, the present invention is characterized in that the predetermined criterion is a criterion for determining that the content is safe against abuse of the content of a call.
Further, in the present invention, the process of processing the communication information includes a blurring process such as a mosaic process of an image transmitted to the other videophone device, and a frequency of a sound transmitted to the other videophone device. It is characterized in that at least one of a blurring process such as component processing and a process of superimposing arbitrary information such as information on a call partner on an image transmitted to the other videophone device is performed. .
Furthermore, the present invention is characterized in that the communication information includes command information for commanding an operation of another videophone device.

  According to the present invention, when the videophone device starts communication with another videophone device by the communication means, the identification information transmitted from the other videophone device is transmitted to the management device. When the management control means is given identification information from the videophone apparatus, the management apparatus controls the management communication means to transmit the function information associated with the identification information to the management storage means to the videophone apparatus. Accordingly, when the videophone device starts communication with another videophone device, it can receive the function information of the other videophone device from the management device. As a result, the videophone device can acquire the function of the other videophone device before transmitting the communication information to the other videophone device. Therefore, when the other videophone device has an undesired function, the operator can recognize it based on the function information, and can appropriately select information to be transmitted to the other videophone device. As a result, the operator can prevent the communication information to be transmitted from being undesirably used by another videophone device.

Also, based on the function information transmitted from another video telephone configured to select a communication information to be transmitted to the other video telephone. Therefore, when another videophone device has an undesired function, it can be recognized based on the function information, and thus communication information to be transmitted based on the function information can be limited. Thus, the operator can automatically prevent the communication information to be transmitted from being undesirably used by another videophone device. Therefore, the convenience of the videophone device can be improved.

In addition, the selecting means, as the communication information, so selecting the information to be processed by the processing unit, the other videophone apparatus information processed is transmitted. Thus, the operator can easily prevent the communication information to be transmitted from being undesirably used by another videophone device.

  Further, according to the present invention, since the communication information includes command information for commanding the operation of another videophone device, the operator can command the operation of the other videophone device. As a result, other videophone devices can be remotely operated, so that it is possible to reliably prevent the communication information transmitted by the operator from being used undesirably by other videophone devices. .

Further, according to the present invention, when the videophone device and the other videophone device start communication, the videophone device receives the identification information from the other videophone device, and the identification information received by the videophone device is Transmit to the management device. The management device transmits functional information associated with the received identification information to the videophone device, and the videophone device receives the functional information transmitted from the management device. As a result, when the videophone device starts communication with another videophone device, the function information of the other videophone device can be received from the management device. As a result, the videophone device can acquire the function of the other videophone device before transmitting the communication information to the other videophone device. Therefore, when the other videophone device has an undesired function, the operator can recognize it based on the function information, and can appropriately select information to be transmitted to the other videophone device. As a result, the operator can prevent the communication information to be transmitted from being undesirably used by another videophone device.
On the other hand, when it is determined that the other videophone device does not meet the predetermined standard based on the function information transmitted from the other videophone device, the other videophone device has processed information. Sent. Thus, the operator can easily prevent the communication information to be transmitted from being undesirably used by another videophone device.

  Hereinafter, a plurality of embodiments for carrying out the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Portions corresponding to the matters described in the preceding forms in each embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and overlapping description may be omitted. When only a part of the configuration is described, the other parts of the configuration are the same as those described in the preceding section. Not only the combination of the parts specifically described in each embodiment, but also the embodiments can be partially combined as long as the combination does not hinder. The start condition of each flowchart is not necessarily limited to the described start condition.

FIG. 1 is a simplified block diagram showing a communication system 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The communication system 1 includes a device information disclosure WEB server 50 and a videophone terminal 5. In FIG. 1, the electrical configuration of the device information disclosure WEB server 50, the electrical configuration of the videophone terminal 5, and the communication network including the videophone terminal 5 and the device information disclosure WEB server 50 are shown in a simplified manner. The videophone terminal (hereinafter also referred to as “terminal”) 5 is configured to be able to communicate with other communication devices having a videophone function, such as other terminals, at least communication information including image information and audio information. The device information disclosure WEB server 50 is a management device that manages information related to the terminal 5. The terminal 5 and the device information disclosure WEB server 50 are configured to be communicable. As shown in FIG. 1, the videophone terminal 5 is realized by a videophone terminal 5 used in an Internet videophone system configured on, for example, an IP network. Accordingly, each videophone terminal 5 is connected to the Internet via the line terminating device 6. The device information disclosure WEB server 50 is realized as a server connected to the Internet. Therefore, in the present embodiment, the terminal 5 and the device information disclosure WEB server 50 are connected via the Internet. Various servers are connected to the Internet according to the purpose. In this embodiment, a session start protocol (
A Session Initiation Protocol (abbreviated SIP) server 7 is connected.

  The device information disclosure WEB server 50 includes a server storage unit 51, a server communication unit 52, and a server control unit 53. The server storage unit 51 is a management storage unit that stores information related to a plurality of terminals, and stores function information corresponding to functions provided in each terminal and identification information for identifying the terminal in association with each other. The server storage unit 51 stores various control programs for controlling the entire device information disclosure WEB server 50. The server storage unit 51 is realized by a nonvolatile storage device such as a flash memory and a hard disk drive (abbreviated as HDD). The server communication unit 52 is a management interface, and is a physical interface device for communicating various information with other devices such as identification information and function information via the network and connecting to the network. The server communication unit 52 is realized by, for example, a network controller connected to the Ether net, a wireless LAN controller connected to the wireless LAN, and the like.

  The server control unit 53 controls each unit by executing a control program stored in the server storage unit 51. The server control unit 53 has a function as a management control unit, and when identification information is given from the terminal, the server control unit 53 transmits function information associated with the identification information given to the server storage unit 51 to the terminal. The server communication unit 52 is controlled.

  Based on the function information of the partner terminal received from the device information disclosure WEB server 50, the terminal 5 determines the safety of the call content abuse prevention function according to a predetermined standard, and determines that the partner terminal is safe. The case is configured to continue the call. For example, the following information can be considered as the function information serving as a reference for determining that the terminal 5 is safe against abuse of the content of the call.

  (1) Whether or not a function for transmitting the detailed specifications of the device of the terminal 5 on the own side to the partner terminal 5 is installed so that the partner can know what kind of terminal 5 the user is talking on.

  (2) Whether or not the terminal 5 is provided with a terminal for outputting images and sounds to the outside. In other words, whether video and audio can be recorded by connecting to an external recording device.

  (3) Whether or not the terminal 5 is provided with an external output terminal for images and sounds, but is equipped with a function that the output signal is encrypted and can be reproduced only by a specific device. ? Or whether the copy guard signal is superimposed on the output signal and cannot be recorded.

  (4) A wide-angle camera that captures images around the terminal 5 is mounted on the main body, and the captured video can be transmitted to the other party's videophone terminal. When there is a suspicious person around, the other party can determine Whether such functions are installed.

  (5) Information related to the volume of the sound output from the terminal 5 can be transmitted to the other party's videophone terminal, and can be determined by the other party when it is output at a volume that can be heard around. Whether such functions are installed.

  (6) Whether or not a function for limiting the viewing angle is mounted on a display for displaying an image so that a caller cannot view the call image.

  (7) Whether or not the user can easily modify the device after the terminal 5 is manufactured or whether a function capable of detecting the modification is installed.

  When videophone communication is performed between the terminals 5, it is possible to start a call after confirming the function information prior to the call.

  The line termination device 6 is a device for connecting each videophone terminal 5 to a network. The SIP server 7 is a server on the Internet used when the terminal 5 performs call control by SIP. The SIP server 7 is pre-registered with information of each terminal 5 and is used for specifying the connection partner terminal 5 on the network. The videophone terminal 5 includes an input unit 8, an output unit 9, an operation unit 10, a network controller 12, a tamper sensor 13, a storage unit 14, and a main central processing unit (abbreviated as CPU) 15.

  The input unit 8 includes an imaging unit that captures an image, a sound acquisition unit that acquires surrounding sounds, and an encoder 16 that encodes information acquired by each unit. The input unit 8 is electrically connected to each unit such as the main CPU 15 via the bus 17 and gives input information to the main CPU 15. The imaging means is realized by the camera 18 and the auxiliary camera 19, for example. The camera 18 captures an image of the caller. The auxiliary camera 19 images the periphery of the terminal 5, for example. The auxiliary camera 19 can capture an image for the connection partner terminal user to check whether there is no suspicious person around the terminal 5 or whether there is a suspicious device installation state. Therefore, the auxiliary camera 19 can capture an image of the periphery at a wide angle with the terminal 5 main body as the center, and is realized by a panorama camera module or the like that can capture the entire periphery of 360 degrees at a time. The sound acquisition means is realized by the microphone 20, for example. The microphone 20 acquires the voice uttered by the caller.

  The encoder 16 is a processor that compresses and encodes an input image and sound and converts it into an image and sound stream. In this embodiment, a configuration using a high-performance single processor that directly processes image input and audio input to generate a stream is considered. In practice, this compression encoding processing is performed by software by the main CPU 15, Only packetization processing for generating a stream may be performed by software by the main CPU 15.

The output unit 9 includes an audio output unit that outputs audio, an image output unit that outputs an image, and a decoder 21 that decodes information provided from each unit. The output unit 9 is electrically connected to each unit such as the main CPU 15 via the bus 17 and outputs information stored in the storage unit 14. The decoder 21 is a processor that decodes the compression-coded video / audio stream received from the counterpart terminal 5 and outputs the video and audio to the video output signal and voice output means, respectively. In this embodiment, image output and audio output are directly output to an output device, and in addition to a call image, a graphical user interface for terminal operation (
Consider a configuration that uses a single processor with a high function that has a frame buffer that displays Graphical User Interface (GUI) (abbreviation GUI) and can superimpose it, but in reality, these functions can be configured with separate processors. The main CPU 15 may perform software processing.

  The image output means is realized by the built-in display 22, the image external output terminal 23, and the external display 24. The built-in display 22 displays an image from the counterpart terminal or displays a GUI for a user to perform an operation. The image external output terminal 23 is an output terminal for outputting an image output signal from the decoder 21 to an external device. The image external output terminal 23 is realized by, for example, a digital signal output terminal when an encrypted digital image signal is output from the decoder 21 and an analog signal output terminal when an analog image signal is output from the decoder 21. . The external display 24 can be connected to the image external output terminal 23 with a cable or the like, and displays an image based on a given image signal.

  The sound output means is realized by the built-in speaker 25, the sound external output terminal 26, and the external speaker 27. The built-in speaker 25 outputs sound from the counterpart terminal. The audio external output terminal 26 is an output terminal for outputting an audio output signal from the decoder 21 to an external device. The audio external output terminal 26 is realized by, for example, a digital signal output terminal when an encrypted digital audio signal is output from the decoder 21 and an analog signal output terminal when an analog audio signal is output from the decoder 21. . The external speaker 27 can be connected to the audio external output terminal 26 with a cable or the like, and outputs audio based on a given audio signal.

  When the user operates the operation unit 10, information for instructing the operation of each unit can be input, and the input operation information is given to the main CPU 15 via the bus 17. The operation unit 10 includes an operation button 28 and a remote control light receiving unit 29. When the user presses the operation button 28, for example, the telephone number of the partner terminal can be dialed, and the operation cursor displayed on the GUI screen can be moved and determined. The remote control light receiving unit 29 receives infrared rays from the remote control when the main body operation is performed using a remote control device (not shown) attached to the terminal 5 without using the operation buttons 28. The remote control light receiving unit 29 gives operation information based on the received infrared rays to the main CPU 15.

  The network controller 12 is a communication unit that communicates with other terminals various information such as electronic certificate, audio information, and image information via the network, and is a physical interface for connecting to the network. Device. The network controller 12 is realized by, for example, a network controller connected to the Ether net and a wireless LAN controller connected to the wireless LAN. The tamper sensor 13 is a sensor for detecting the disassembly of the casing and the like and detecting that the device has been tampered with. The tamper sensor 13 provides the detected information to the main CPU 15 via the bus 17.

  The storage unit 14 is a storage unit that stores various types of information, and includes a program storage memory 30, a work memory 31, and a setting information storage nonvolatile memory 32. The program storage memory 30 is connected to each unit via the bus 17 and stores programs executed by the main CPU 15. The program storage memory 30 is realized by a nonvolatile storage device such as a flash memory and a hard disk drive (abbreviated as HDD). The program storage memory 30 stores a setting program 33, a call connection procedure processing program 33, a device control program 35, an image / sound processing program 36, and a videophone application program 37.

  The setting program 33 is a database program for setting individual setting information for each user and connection information of the other party. Information set by the setting program 33 is written and stored in the setting information storage nonvolatile memory 32. The call connection procedure processing program 33 is a program for performing call control such as outgoing and incoming calls. In the Internet videophone system, call control is performed by performing communication processing according to a protocol such as SIP.

  The device control program 35 controls each device connected to the main CPU 15. For example, the device control program 35 controls the encoder 16 and the decoder 21, controls the network controller 12, outputs the OSD screen to the display, and detects the tamper sensor 13 based on operation information from the operation buttons 28 and the remote control light receiving unit 29. I do. The device control program 35 also collects and generates device information to be sent to the other party. The device information to be sent to the other party may be preliminarily written in the nonvolatile memory 32 for storing setting information in the setting information storage nonvolatile memory 32 and read and used at the time of communication connection with the partner terminal. The connected devices may be collected each time a call is made and the information may be sent to the partner terminal. At this time, the device information read from the I / O through the bus 17 is preferably encrypted between the main CPU 15 to be read and the device to be read instead of flowing the device information as data as it is. By configuring in this way, it is possible to prevent the terminal 5 from being abused by modifying the device at the component level. Collecting device information and sending it to the partner terminal 5 is detected not only at the start of the call but also in real time during the call, and if the device configuration changes during the call, the device configuration is changed to the partner terminal 5 at that time By notifying the fact that it has been made and the new device configuration, it is possible to cope with a case where the device configuration is changed maliciously after the call is started, which is highly convenient.

  The image / sound processing program 36 has a function as a processing unit, and processes the image information and sound information transmitted to the partner terminal 5 to make the image unclear or superimpose the partner's personal information on the image. This is a program for making it difficult for the terminal 5 to abuse the contents of the call. Such processing is not necessarily performed by software, and for example, a processor that performs equivalent processing may be provided in the apparatus.

  The videophone application program 37 integrates the above-described programs and operates as the videophone terminal 5 as a whole, and executes auxiliary applications such as a telephone book application when making a call and a setting application when setting the terminal 5 for user operation. It is a program that performs screen switching and GUI display accordingly.

  The work memory 31 is a temporary memory that is used as a work area when executing each program or temporarily buffers data that has been encoded and decoded. The setting information storage nonvolatile memory 32 is a nonvolatile memory that stores identification information of the terminal 5, setting information for each user, connection information of a connection partner, and the like. The identification information 5 of the terminal 5 is, for example, an Internet address where the model name, product number, model number, and function information of the terminal 5 are disclosed.

  The main CPU 15 controls each connected unit by executing a program stored in the program storage memory 30. The main CPU 15 has a function as a selection unit, and controls the network controller 12 to transmit identification information transmitted from another terminal to the device information disclosure WEB server 50 when communication with the other terminal is started. To do. The main CPU 15 selects communication information to be transmitted to other terminals based on the function information transmitted from the device information disclosure WEB server 50 with respect to the identification information transmitted to the device information disclosure WEB server 50. Here, selection of communication information means selection of presence or absence of transmission of, for example, image information and audio information included in the communication information, or selection of processed information. Further, the main CPU 15 has a function as a control unit, and controls the network controller 12 to transmit selected communication information to another terminal.

  Next, the operation of the videophone terminal 5 and the operation of the information disclosure WEB server 1 will be described with reference to flowcharts. The operation of the terminal 5 is performed by the main CPU 15. The operation of the device information disclosure WEB server 50 is performed by the server control unit 53. FIG. 2A is a flowchart showing call control processing by the main CPU 15 of the first videophone terminal 5. FIG. 2B is a flowchart showing call control processing by the main CPU 15 of the second videophone terminal 5. FIG. 2C is a flowchart showing information disclosure processing by the server control unit 53 of the device information disclosure WEB server 50. In this flowchart, the first videophone terminal 5 (hereinafter also referred to as “terminal A”) is the videophone terminal 5 equipped with the abuse prevention function, and the second videophone terminal 5 (hereinafter referred to as “terminal A”). Terminal B ”may be a videophone terminal 5 that confirms the abuse prevention function of the communication partner. In this flow, a description will be given by distinguishing between the terminal A on which the abuse prevention function is installed and the terminal B on the side that confirms the other party's abuse prevention function, but in reality one terminal 5 has both functions. It does not matter.

  This flow is started in step a1 and step b1. Step a1 and step b1 are steps for performing call control processing. In this embodiment, SIP is used as a call control protocol. Either terminal A or terminal B is the caller, and the other is the callee. The videophone terminal 5 on the outgoing side performs outgoing call processing according to the call connection procedure processing program 33 stored in the program storage memory 30 for the incoming side. The receiving terminal 5 that has received a connection via the SIP server 7 performs an incoming call process according to the call connection procedure processing program 33 stored in the program storage memory 30, and the connection between the terminals 5 is established. When the connection is established, the process proceeds to step a2 and step b2, respectively.

  Step a2 is a step of confirming whether the terminal A has been tampered with. In step a2, the terminal A electrically detects that the casing of the terminal A has been disassembled in the past based on the information detected by the tamper sensor 13, and proceeds to step a3. This step a2 can prevent the user of the terminal A from improperly modifying the terminal 5 and transmitting false information to the terminal B.

  In step a3, the terminal A transmits information to the terminal B for reference to the other party regarding the abuse prevention of the call for the own terminal A to the terminal B, and proceeds to step a8. In step a2, the terminal A transmits the identification information of the terminal A, for example, the Internet address where the model number, the product number, and the device specification are posted to the terminal B. In step b2, the identification information transmitted from terminal A is received, and the process proceeds to step b3.

  In step b3, the identification information received from the terminal A is transmitted to the device information disclosure WEB server 50, and the process proceeds to step b4. In step c1, the information disclosure WEB server 1 receives the identification information given from the terminal B, and proceeds to step c2. In step c2, function information stored in the server storage unit 51 in association with the received identification information is selected, and the process proceeds to step c3. In step c3, the selected function information is transmitted to the terminal B, and this flow is finished. In step b4, function information is received from the device information disclosure WEB server 50, and the process proceeds to step b5. In step b5, the function information of the counterpart terminal A received from the device information disclosure WEB server 50 is displayed on the built-in display 22 of the terminal B, and the process proceeds to step b6. When the identification information given from the terminal A is an Internet address, for example, the terminal B can access the device information public WEB server 50 based on the address and receive and browse the function information. FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an example of the image displayed in step b5. As shown in FIG. 3, detailed information of each part of the terminal A obtained by accessing the Internet address given from the terminal A is displayed. The user of terminal B looks at this display content and determines whether or not the call with partner terminal A is safe.

In step b5, various types of function information of terminal A can be considered. For example, the following information is available.
(A) Information relating to the image display device of the terminal A (b) Information relating to the audio output device of the terminal A (c) If the terminal A includes the image external output terminal 23, information relating to its output format (d) If the audio external output terminal 26 is provided, information on the output format (e) Information on the output volume being output by the terminal A (f) Address of the WEB site on the Internet where the specification details of the terminal A are posted

  Among these pieces of information, as information related to the image display device of terminal A in (a), for example, terminal A is a display-integrated type, or a display separation type in which an image is displayed on external display 24 by image external output terminal 23. There is information about whether there is. This is because, in the case of the display separation type, the positional relationship at the time of installation of the device can be freely set compared to the display integrated type, so that the state of the image on the terminal A side for the speaker of the terminal B who is the call partner This is important information because it is difficult to determine whether the call is displayed and there is anxiety about the safety that the content of the call is not abused. When the display is a separation type, the display model ID may be acquired via the connection cable for the external display 24 connected to the image external output terminal 23, and the display information may be obtained based on this.

  Another example is the screen size of the display. As for the screen size of the display, when the screen is large, the detailed image is clearly displayed because the own image is greatly enlarged and displayed for the speaker of the terminal B who is the call partner. In addition, it is easy to look into the surrounding people, or to install a video camera at a position where the speaker of the terminal A cannot be seen by the speaker of the terminal B and record while hiding the display screen. This is therefore important information.

  As yet another example, there is information on whether or not the built-in display 22 of the terminal A has display viewing angle control. If the built-in display 22 has a viewing angle control function, this is important information because it is easy to limit the viewing angle of a call so that the screen cannot be viewed by anyone other than the calling party. Further, when the external display 24 is connected to the terminal A, information on the presence / absence of the viewing angle control function can be given as in the case of the built-in display 22.

  As information regarding the audio output device of terminal A in (b), for example, the audio output of a call is output from the built-in speaker 22 or output from headphones or an external speaker 27 connected to the audio external output terminal 26. Information. When the signal is output from the external speaker 27, it is impossible for the speaker of the terminal B who is the communication partner to determine at what position the speaker is installed on the partner side, This is important information because there is a possibility that it is installed in a position where it can be heard by a third party, and there is concern about the safety of the contents of the call not being abused.

  In the case where the terminal A in (c) is provided with the image external output terminal 23, the information regarding the output format includes, for example, information indicating whether the output signal has a security technique such as encryption. If no measures are taken on the output signal, the call contents may be easily recorded by connecting the output as it is to a commercially available recording device or the like. If the output signal is a digital image signal that has been encrypted with the external display 24, or if it is an analog image signal on which a copy protection signal is superimposed, there is some relief for the terminal B speaker. This information is important.

  In the case where the terminal A in (d) includes the audio external output terminal 26, the information regarding the output format includes, for example, information on whether the audio signal to be output has a security technique such as encryption. If no measures are taken on the audio signal, there is a possibility that the content of the call can be easily recorded by connecting the output to a commercially available recording device as it is. If the audio signal is a digital audio signal that has been encrypted with an external playback device, it is somewhat safe for the speaker at terminal B and this information is important.

  As an example of the information related to the output volume being output by the terminal A in (e), information on the output volume at the terminal A can be cited. If the output volume is set to a large value, the speaker at terminal B may be speaking at a low volume, but the other party may be able to output at a loud volume that can be heard by the people around him. Is important.

  The device information public WEB server 50 is accessed by the address of the WEB site on the Internet where the specification details of the terminal A in (f) are posted, and the shape of the device of the terminal A and other specification details are displayed on the WEB page image and You can know from the text. The caller of terminal B can grasp in more detail how his / her call image and sound are output to the other party. Further, since information on the WEB site is browsed using the terminal B, it is difficult for the caller of the terminal A to illegally modify the information regarding the specification details, and the reliability of the information can be improved. This information is therefore important.

  Referring to FIG. 2 again, in step b6, based on the information displayed in step b5, the user of terminal B is prompted to determine whether or not to continue the connection. FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of an image displayed in step b6. Since the information of the partner terminal A displayed in step b5 is displayed on the built-in display 22 of the terminal B, in step b6, the user of the terminal B is prompted to determine whether or not to continue the connection and continue. If so, the process moves to step b7, and if the connection is interrupted, this flow ends. If the user of the terminal B has a suspicion about the partner terminal A based on the contents of the function information (see FIG. 3) of the terminal A, the connection process is interrupted at this stage by selecting “No”, and a call with the partner terminal A is made. This flow is finished without performing it. If the user selects “Yes”, the process proceeds to step b7. When the connection is interrupted by selecting “No”, an image indicating that the connection is rejected by the terminal B can be displayed on the built-in display 22 of the terminal A. FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating an example of an image displayed on the terminal A when the connection is interrupted.

  In step b7, the terminal B transmits a command for controlling the viewing angle of the built-in display 22 of the terminal A, and the process proceeds to step b8. Therefore, in step b7, the communication information includes command information for commanding the operation of the terminal A, and command information for controlling the viewing angle is transmitted. FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating an example of an operation image for viewing angle control displayed in step b7. Based on the operation image shown in FIG. 6, the user of the terminal B inputs information for operating and specifying the viewing angle to the terminal B, and the input information is transmitted to the terminal A. The terminal B can specify the viewing angle of the built-in display 22 on the terminal B side when it is determined from the information of the terminal A received by the user in step b5 that the built-in display 22 has the viewing angle control function. . In step a4, when information specifying the viewing angle is received, the viewing angle of the built-in display 22 is set according to the received information, and the process proceeds to step a5. The viewing angle setting at the terminal A is performed by controlling the built-in display 22 with the device control program 35 stored in the program storage memory 30 of the terminal A. If the viewing angle of the external display 24 can be designated, the viewing angle is controlled to be designated by the terminal B as with the built-in display 22.

  In step b8, the terminal B collates the information of the counterpart terminal A received from the terminal A with a predetermined condition, and if the condition is met, the image information and audio information transmitted from the terminal B to the terminal A are This is a step of automatically setting the mode so that transmission is performed after performing the processing that is the appropriate protective measure. For example, when making a call with the terminal 5 having the image external output terminal 23, the user sets in advance so as to blur the image of the call image before the call, and when the call is received from the partner terminal 5, or the partner terminal When it is determined that the counterpart terminal 5 matches this when calling 5, the mode is set so that the image is automatically smeared and transmitted at the time of image transmission. When the processing mode is set in step b8, the process proceeds to step b9. In step a5 and step b9, the connection of the image and voice call is established, and this flow is finished.

  Thus, when the terminal B starts communication with the terminal A, the communication information to be transmitted to the terminal A is selected in step b8 based on the function information transmitted from the device information public WEB server 50. The main CPU 15 controls the network controller 12 so as to transmit the communication information selected in step b8 to the terminal A.

  FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating an example of a mode setting image. In the above-described step b8, for example, when a call is made with a terminal having no call abuse prevention function, it is assumed that the call image and sound from here can be abused. As shown in FIG. The presence or absence of blurring and partner information superimposition is individually set to prevent misuse. Further, for example, in the case of an individual terminal such as a terminal having a recordable image output terminal, the above-described protective measures can be individually set. Therefore, when it is determined that the counterpart terminal has the image external output terminal 23, the user can select and set a protective measure corresponding to the possibility that the call image may be recorded on the counterpart side. .

  After such a protective measure is taken, the call is started in step a5 and step b9 as described above, so the call image and sound transmitted from terminal B to terminal A are automatically set in step b8. Processing is performed and transmitted based on the mode for the protective action taken. Alternatively, regardless of the automatically set mode, the user may be able to manually switch on or off the application of the processing process at an arbitrary timing by operating the operation button 28 and the remote control button of the terminal B.

Examples of such protective measures for the call image and voice include (i) blurring of the call image (ii) blurring of the call voice (iii) superimposition of arbitrary information on the call image.

  Among these protective measures, (i) as a call image blurring, for example, an image filter that performs mosaic processing on the image in block units of a certain size is passed and this blurry image is transmitted to the partner terminal. Protect the privacy of those who FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating an example of a normal call image that is not subjected to processing such as blurring. As shown in FIG. 8, hereinafter, in the figure showing the call image, the image of the caller or the receiver is simplified and shown in a diagram for easy understanding. FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating an example of a call image obtained by performing mosaic processing on the call image of FIG. As shown in FIG. 8, when a call is established between the terminal A and the terminal B at step a5 and step b9, if no protective measures need to be taken, the image captured by the terminal B is directly transmitted to the terminal A. The image of the speaker of the terminal B is displayed on the built-in display 22 of the terminal A.

  When it is necessary to take protective measures at steps a5 and b9, when a call is established between the terminal A and the terminal B, as shown in FIG. 9, it is stored in the program storage memory 30 on the terminal B side. The image that has been subjected to the call image blurring process by the image / sound protection processing program 36 is transmitted to the terminal A, and is displayed on the built-in display 22 of the terminal A. If the image to be transmitted is subjected to mosaic processing and is blurred, for example, even if the content of the call may be misused by the other party, it is transmitted to the other party in a state where information such as his / her personal phase cannot be specified. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the user's own image from being undesirably leaked to a third party.

  (Ii) As the call voice is smeared, the voice of the frequency component of the voice is passed through a voice filter so that the voice of the speaker cannot be specified and transmitted to the partner terminal, thereby protecting the speaker's privacy. In the case of processed voice, for example, even if the content of a call may be misused by the other party, it is transmitted to the other party with information that cannot identify who the voice is. It is possible to prevent leakage to three parties.

  (Iii) As the superimposition of arbitrary information on the call image, it is effective for preventing misuse of the call to transmit the call partner's identity information superimposed on the call image. FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of an image in which information of a call recipient is superimposed on a call image. As shown in FIG. 10, when the image from the terminal B is sent to the terminal A, the identity information of the calling party is converted into the calling image by the image / sound protection processing program 36 stored in the program storage memory 30 on the terminal B side. The superimposition process is performed, and the image is transmitted to the terminal A and displayed on the built-in display 22 of the terminal A.

  FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating an example of an image in which an image of a call recipient is superimposed on a call image. As shown in FIG. 11, the arbitrary information to be superimposed is a call image from the other party. The identity information as shown in FIG. 10 is effective only when the identity information of the other party is known in advance, but if a call image from the other party is used, the other party's face is used as a substitute for the identity information to prevent abuse. Can be power. The real-time image of the other party during the call may be superimposed, or the moment when the face is clearly reflected may be manually captured as a still image and the image superimposed.

  FIG. 12 is a diagram illustrating an example of an image in which a map indicating the current position of the call recipient is superimposed on the call image. As shown in FIG. 12, the arbitrary information to be superimposed is the position information of the terminal of the other party. Such position information can be realized when a position identification function such as a Global Positioning System (abbreviated as GPS) is installed in the counterpart terminal. Even if such position information is superimposed and transmitted, it is effective as a deterrent to image abuse. In this case, in order to prevent position information from being spoofed by the other party, it is necessary to perform authentication using public key cryptography and device alteration detection together with other information.

  By superimposing such arbitrary information, for example, even if the content of the call is recorded and leaked and disclosed to a third party, the identity information of the other party will also be released at the same time. This is a deterrent to the other party against misusing the contents of the call. These protective measures may be set in advance according to information from the counterpart terminal 5, and the information of the counterpart terminal 5 may be confirmed at the time of connection and automatically applied.

  Further, when the identity information is displayed on the other party's built-in display 22 as described above, the content to be displayed can be input by the user of the terminal B using a character input device such as the operation button 28 and the remote control button. Is preferred. FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating an example of an image in which information to be displayed to the other party is set. As shown in FIG. 13, the contents displayed on the other party display can be input using terminal B. FIG. 14 is a diagram showing an example of an image showing a telephone directory of the videophone application program 37 stored in the program storage memory 30. As shown in FIG. 14, the user of the terminal B can easily select one of the phone book data registered in advance by the user at the time of outgoing call, but can send the detailed information registered at this time to the other party. The content may be displayed on the side display. Thus, when a call with the terminal A is established, information extracted from the registration data of the phone book application is displayed on the built-in display 22 of the terminal A.

  FIG. 15 is a diagram illustrating an example of a screen for setting contents to be displayed on the counterpart display. As shown in FIG. 15, the content displayed on the other party's display is different from the information in the phone book, and the user can freely register some candidates in advance, and which can be displayed when the call is established You may make it selectable.

  When it is determined in the above-described step b5 that the auxiliary terminal 19 is equipped with the auxiliary camera 19, the auxiliary camera 19 is displayed on the screen of the terminal B together with the image taken by the main camera 18 of the opponent terminal A. It is recommended to display the images taken with. FIG. 16 is a diagram illustrating an example of an image displayed when the auxiliary camera 19 is mounted. As shown in FIG. 16, the auxiliary camera 19 is preferably a camera that can shoot at a wide angle, preferably a panoramic camera that can simultaneously shoot 360 ° around the terminal 5, and the user confirms the image from the auxiliary camera 19 to confirm the other party. The periphery of the terminal 5 can be visually recognized. As a result, if there is a suspicious person around the counterpart terminal 5 or a suspicious device is installed, the call can be interrupted, or the call can be continued by manually applying the above-mentioned protective measures to the call image and voice. .

  When the sound transmitted from the speaker of terminal B is output from the speaker of terminal A, it is picked up by the microphone 20 on the terminal A side, the volume is measured, and the information is transmitted to terminal B. You may comprise so that a level display (refer FIG. 16) may be carried out on a display screen. This is convenient for the speaker of terminal B to know how loud his / her voice is being output at partner terminal A and to check whether the call is being heard around. At this time, when the volume of the other speaker's voice is also measured by the microphone 20 on the other party's terminal A side, and the volume information is similarly transmitted to the terminal B and displayed on the screen of the terminal B, the loudness of the other speaker Can be compared with the volume at which the other terminal A is playing back, and the output volume at the other terminal A can be grasped intuitively. This makes it possible to intuitively determine the volume of the voice that the user utters when talking about content that the surroundings do not want to be known.

  If the identification information is not transmitted from the terminal A in step b2, the terminal B cannot automatically acquire the function information of the terminal A, and therefore automatically refuses communication from the terminal A to which the identification information is not transmitted. You may comprise as follows. Thereby, the terminal 5 can automatically refuse to communicate with a terminal whose function information is unknown. Therefore, the safety of the terminal 5 can be ensured.

  Further, when the device configuration of the terminal A changes during a call, the terminal B may be notified of the change of the device configuration and the new device configuration. These processes can be realized by the same processes as the above-described step a2 and steps b2 to b9. By detecting the change in the device configuration even after the call is established in this way, it is possible to detect a malicious modification after the start of the call.

  In addition, when a physical modification of the own terminal 5 is detected in step a2, control is performed so that the detected information is transmitted to the terminal B. However, the present invention is not limited to this. When the call control process is started after detection, the altered terminal may be controlled not to transmit identification information to the call partner terminal. Since the terminal modified in this way is handled in the same manner as a terminal whose identification information is not recorded in the terminal of the call partner, communication from the call partner terminal 5 can be automatically rejected. Thereby, the safety of the communication partner terminal 5 can be ensured.

  As described above, in the communication system 1 according to the present embodiment, when the terminal 5 starts communication with another terminal, the terminal 5 transmits identification information transmitted from the other terminal to the device information disclosure WEB server 50. When the identification information is given from the terminal 5 by the server control unit 53, the device information disclosure WEB server 50 transmits the function information associated with the identification information stored in the server storage unit 51 to the terminal 5. The server communication unit 52 is controlled. Accordingly, the terminal 5 can receive the function information of the other terminal from the device information disclosure WEB server 50 when starting communication with the other terminal. Thereby, the terminal 5 can acquire the function with which the other terminal is equipped, before transmitting communication information to another terminal. Therefore, when the other terminal has an undesired function, the operator can recognize the function based on the function information, and can appropriately select information to be transmitted to the other terminal. Thereby, the operator can prevent the communication information to be transmitted from being undesirably used by another terminal.

  Further, the present embodiment is configured to select communication information to be transmitted to other terminals based on the function information transmitted from the device information disclosure WEB server 50. Therefore, when another terminal has an undesired function, it can be recognized based on the function information, and thus communication information to be transmitted based on the function information can be limited. Thereby, the operator can prevent the communication information to be transmitted from being undesirably used by another terminal.

  Further, in the present embodiment, since the terminal 5 can send commands for controlling the operation of other terminals, for example, command information for controlling the viewing angle and controlling the volume, the operator commands the operation of the other terminals. Can do. As a result, other terminals can be operated remotely, so to speak, it is possible to reliably prevent the communication information transmitted by the operator from being used undesirably by other terminals.

  In the above-described embodiment, the videophone device of the present invention is realized by the videophone terminal 5, but the present invention is not limited to this, and any device that can transmit communication information including voice information and image information is possible. Often, for example, an information processing terminal with a video calling function, a mobile phone with a videophone function, a mobile terminal with a videophone function, a videophone set-top box that displays an image on a home TV screen, and a public videophone It may be realized by a service.

  In the above-described embodiment, the management apparatus of the present invention is realized by the device information disclosure WEB server 50. However, the management apparatus is not limited to this, and can communicate with the videophone apparatus. May be stored in association with each other and function information associated with the identification information can be transmitted to the videophone device in response to a request from the videophone device.

  Moreover, the terminal 5 which comprises the communication system 1 of above-mentioned embodiment is an example of this invention, Comprising: It is not limited to this. FIG. 17 is a block diagram showing a simplified communication system 1a according to another embodiment. FIG. 17 shows a block diagram showing an electrical configuration of another form of videophone terminal 5B and a block diagram showing a simplified communication network including the videophone terminal 5B. The terminal 5B of the present embodiment is realized by the remaining configuration excluding the auxiliary camera 19, the image external output terminal 23, and the audio external output terminal 26 from the terminal 5 constituting the above-described embodiment. Therefore, terminal 5B according to the present embodiment does not have a function of outputting images and sounds to the outside. Even with such a configuration, the same operations and effects as those of the above-described embodiment can be achieved.

1 is a block diagram showing a simplified communication system 1. FIG. It is a flowchart which shows operation | movement of the apparatus information public WEB server 50 and the 1st and 2nd video telephone terminal 5. FIG. It is a figure which shows an example of the image displayed at step b5. It is a figure which shows an example of the image displayed at step b6. 6 is a diagram illustrating an example of an image displayed on a terminal A when connection is interrupted. FIG. It is a figure which shows an example of the operation image of the viewing angle control displayed at step b7. It is a figure which shows an example of the image of a mode setting. It is a figure which shows an example of the normal call image which has not carried out processes, such as blurring. It is a figure which shows an example of the call image which performed the mosaic process. It is a figure which shows an example of the image which superimposed the information of the receiver of the call on the call image. It is a figure which shows an example of the image which superimposed the image of the receiver of the call on the call image. It is a figure which shows an example of the image which superimposed the map which shows the present position of the receiver of a call on the call image. It is a figure which shows an example of the image which has set the information displayed on the other party. It is a figure which shows an example of the image which shows the telephone directory of the videophone application program 37 stored in the memory 30 for program storage. It is a figure which shows an example of the screen which sets the content displayed on the other party display. It is a figure which shows an example of the image displayed when the auxiliary camera 19 is mounted. It is a block diagram which simplifies and shows the communication system 1a of another form.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Communication system 4 Videophone terminal maker 5 Videophone terminal 8 Input part 9 Output part 14 Storage part 15 CPU
50 Device Information Public Web Server 51 Server Storage Unit 52 Server Communication Unit 53 Server Control Unit

Claims (12)

A communication system including a videophone device capable of communicating communication information including at least image information and audio information with another videophone device, and a management device for managing information relating to the other videophone device,
The management device
Management storage means for associating and storing identification information for identifying other videophone devices and function information relating to functions of other videophone devices;
Management communication means for transmitting the function information stored in the management storage means to the videophone device;
When the identification information is given from the videophone device, management control means for controlling the management communication means to transmit the function information associated with the identification information to the management storage means to the videophone device,
The videophone device includes:
Communication means for communicating with another videophone device and the management device, wherein communication means for transmitting identification information transmitted from the other videophone device to the management device when communication with the other videophone device is started When,
Selection means for selecting communication information to be transmitted to another videophone device based on functional information given from the management device with respect to the identification information transmitted to the management device when communication with the other videophone device is started A selection means including a processing unit for processing image information or audio information transmitted to another videophone device;
Control means for controlling the communication means to transmit the communication information selected by the selection means to another videophone device,
When the selection means collates the function information of another videophone device given from the management device with a predetermined standard, and determines that the other videophone device does not meet the predetermined standard In the communication system, information processed by the processing unit is selected as communication information to be transmitted to another videophone device.   2. The communication system according to claim 1, wherein, in the selection means, the predetermined criterion is a criterion for determining that it is safe against abuse of the content of the call.   The processing in the selection means includes blurring processing such as mosaic processing of images transmitted to the other videophone device, blurring processing such as processing of frequency components of sound transmitted to the other videophone device, 3. The communication system according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the processes of superimposing arbitrary information such as information relating to a call partner on an image transmitted to another videophone device is performed. .   The communication system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the communication information includes command information for commanding an operation of another videophone device. Associating another videophone device with a videophone device capable of communicating communication information including at least image information and audio information, identification information for identifying the other videophone device, and function information relating to functions of the other videophone device When the identification information is given from the videophone device, the videophone device is used in a communication system including a management device that transmits function information associated with the identification information to the videophone device,
Communication means for communicating with another videophone device and the management device, wherein communication means for transmitting identification information transmitted from the other videophone device to the management device when communication with the other videophone device is started When,
Selection means for selecting communication information to be transmitted to another videophone device based on functional information given from the management device with respect to the identification information transmitted to the management device when communication with the other videophone device is started A selection means including a processing unit for processing image information or audio information transmitted to another videophone device;
Control means for controlling the communication means to transmit the communication information selected by the selection means to another videophone device,
When the selection means collates the function information of another videophone device given from the management device with a predetermined standard, and determines that the other videophone device does not meet the predetermined standard In the video telephone apparatus, information processed by the processing section is selected as communication information to be transmitted to another video telephone apparatus.   6. The videophone apparatus according to claim 5, wherein, in the selection means, the predetermined criterion is a criterion for determining that it is safe against the abuse of the content of the call.   The processing in the selection means includes blurring processing such as mosaic processing of images transmitted to the other videophone device, blurring processing such as processing of frequency components of sound transmitted to the other videophone device, 7. The videophone according to claim 5 or 6, wherein at least one of the processes of superimposing arbitrary information such as information about a call partner on an image transmitted to another videophone apparatus is performed. apparatus.   The videophone device according to claim 5, wherein the communication information includes command information for commanding an operation of another videophone device. Videophone apparatus and other in a communication system including a videophone apparatus capable of communicating communication information including at least image information and audio information with another videophone apparatus, and a management apparatus that manages information related to the other videophone apparatus A communication method with a videophone device,
The management device stores the identification information for identifying the other videophone device and the function information related to the function of the other videophone device in association with each other;
When the videophone device and the other videophone device start communication, the videophone device receives identification information from the other videophone device;
Transmitting the identification information received by the videophone device to the management device;
Transmitting the function information associated with the identification information received by the management device to the videophone device;
Receiving the function information transmitted from the management device by the videophone device;
A step of collating function information of another videophone device given from the management device with a predetermined standard;
Including a step of processing image information or audio information to be transmitted to another videophone device when it is determined that the other videophone device does not meet the predetermined standard. Method.   The communication method according to claim 9, wherein the predetermined criterion is a criterion for determining that it is safe against abuse of the content of a call.   The process of processing the communication information includes blurring processing such as mosaic processing of an image transmitted to the other videophone device, processing of frequency components of audio transmitted to the other videophone device, and the like. 11. The process according to claim 9, wherein at least one of a blurring process and a process of superimposing arbitrary information such as information about a call partner on an image transmitted to the other videophone device is performed. The communication method described in 1.   The communication method according to any one of claims 9 to 11, wherein the communication information includes command information for commanding an operation of another videophone device.

Images