JPH11146369A - Portable video telephone system using transceiver function - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a portable video telephone system by which a video telephone call is made free of charge by enabling communication by a transceiver automatically with precedence over a public telephone line in the case that an opposite communication terminal is resident in a service area of its own video telephone set. SOLUTION: In the case of making a call, a speech opposite party is selected and the call mode is selected. In the case of selecting the fixed call mode, a video telephone set 30 connects to a video telephone set 31 being an opposite communication terminal by using a PHS channel being a public channel via a base station 32 to attain video phone call. In the case of selecting the automatic call mode, a transceiver function is used to make a call and when no reply is made, connection is made through a PHS channel. Since the speech by using the transceiver function has priority, when the opposite terminal is resident in the service area, the video phone call free of a speech charge is conducted.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a portable videophone device capable of transmitting and receiving image information and audio information to make a videophone call, and more specifically, a portable television device capable of performing a videophone call even with a transceiver function. Telephone equipment.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In a simplified information communication terminal having a PHS function and a data communication function, communication is not possible when the terminal is out of a PHS line service area. However, if the simplified information communication terminals are within a certain distance, direct communication becomes possible by the transceiver function.
This is the same when the user is in the service area of the PHS line.

[0003]

[0005] By the way, not only the mobile phone but also the PHS line uses a normal telephone line, so the call charge is higher. Therefore, attempts have been made to reduce the burden of call charges as much as possible by enabling contracts of various call forms suitable for users. If the above transceiver function can be used, P
Since no HS line is used, there is no call charge. The situation is the same when a videophone is constructed by a PHS line by attaching a camera unit adapter to the simplified information communication terminal.

[0004] It is an object of the present invention to automatically reduce the cost of a telephone call by automatically enabling communication by a transceiver in preference to a public telephone line when a communication terminal is present in the service area of its own video telephone. It is an object of the present invention to provide a portable videophone device capable of making a videophone call that is not required.

[0005]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, a portable videophone device according to the present invention is a portable videophone device capable of transmitting and receiving image information and voice information to make a videophone call. Calling procedure executing means for selecting a telephone mode and a transceiver mode, and when the transceiver mode is selected by the calling procedure executing means, calls are made with reference to a transceiver number, and when a communication partner terminal answers, In the transceiver mode, if there is no response in the transceiver mode, a call is made with reference to a telephone number, and a connection is made through a telephone line to enable a videophone. Further, in the above configuration, the calling procedure execution means has a fixed call mode and an automatic call mode, and when the fixed call mode is selected, the communication partner terminal is called by a telephone line, and when the automatic call mode is selected. It is configured to call in the transceiver mode and to make a call through the telephone line when there is no response in the transceiver mode.

[0006]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a diagram for explaining a communication mode of a portable videophone device that can use a transceiver function according to the present invention. In FIG. 1A,
When the service areas of the videophone devices 30 and 31 are mutually included in the service areas of the radio base stations 32 and 33, the videophone device 30 connects the radio base station 32 of the PHS line, the public network, and the radio base station 33. The connection is made to the videophone device 31 which is the other party's communication terminal via the communication terminal. Since the service area A of the videophone device 30 does not overlap with the service area B of the videophone device 32,
In this state, a videophone call cannot be made without passing through the PHS line by the transceiver function.

However, as shown in FIG. 1B, when the videophone devices 30 and 31 are located at positions where the service areas A and B overlap each other, P
Even if a telephone call can be made on the HS line, a videophone can be made using the transceiver function with priority. That is, the cheapest (no call charge) call route is automatically selected.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing an embodiment of the appearance of a portable videophone device which can use the transceiver function according to the present invention. In this embodiment, a video telephone device is constructed in which a detachable image capturing adapter 2 is integrally attached to a simplified information communication terminal 1 having a PHS function and a data communication function. The simplified information communication terminal 1
An upper flip provided with a display unit 7, a speaker 13, an antenna 10, and the like, an operation unit including a function key, a numeric keypad, and a selection key provided with a call key 8 and the like, a microphone 11, a power switch 12, and the like are provided. And can be folded in two. A PC card slot section 6 of the detachable image capturing adapter 2 is attached to a slot connection terminal provided at a lower end of a lower flip of the simplified information communication terminal 1.

The PC card slot section 6 is provided with a camera unit 4 for taking in a subject image. The camera unit 4 is rotatably mounted by a support section 5. The photographing direction can be changed in the arrow direction 9.
An electronic circuit is built in the PC card slot 6.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of the circuit of the portable videophone device of FIG. The image pickup device 1 converts a subject image formed by the camera unit 4 into an electric signal (pixel signal).
6, A for converting the output of the image sensor 16 into a digital signal
A processing unit 18 including a dither image processing unit 19 and an audio processing unit 20 for converting the output of the A / D converter 17 and the A / D converter 17 into dither image data; And a PC card slot section 21 for connection to the PC.

The simplified information communication terminal 1 has a slot connection terminal 22 connected to the PC card slot 21 and a PHS
CPU 23 that controls functions and data communication functions,
An application registration unit 24 for storing a first application program for executing a telephone function, a second application program for executing a data communication function, and a third application program for executing a videophone function, data communication , A memory unit 25 for storing a transceiver number and a PHS number for each communication partner, a monochromatic liquid crystal for displaying incoming and outgoing call information, characters, control contents, and displaying images. Drive circuit 2 of display unit 7
6. A key input interface unit 27 for connecting the CPU 23 with operation keys for photographing, reproducing and displaying and transferring images for telephone and data communication, and for telephone and data communication with a partner terminal using a PHS line. It is configured to include the RF unit 28 and the antenna 10.

The CPU 23 has a function of a calling procedure executing means 23a for selecting either the PHS mode or the transceiver mode according to the procedure. Also,
It has a transceiver mode executing means 23b for executing a transceiver function for performing communication according to a unique protocol different from a general-purpose protocol using a PHS line, and a PHS mode executing means 23c using a PHS line. Detachable image capturing adapter 2 for simple information communication terminal 1
When a videophone call is received with the phone attached, the third application program is activated,
The CPU 23 controls the videophone function and can make a videophone call. A videophone can be identified by the information contained in the header. If a videophone call is received while the detachable image capturing adapter 2 is not mounted, the user is prompted to mount the adapter.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart for explaining a calling operation at the time of calling. First, a telephone directory or the like is displayed on the display unit 7, and a call partner is selected (step (hereinafter referred to as "S") 301). The CPU 23 refers to the following fields stored in the memory unit 25. The field indicates a transceiver number and a PHS number for each communication partner. (Hereinafter referred to as margins.)

[Table 1]

Further, one of the fixed call mode and the automatic call mode displayed on the display unit 7 is selected (S3).
02). The fixed call mode is a mode for making a call on a PHS line. The automatic call mode is a mode in which a call is made by the transceiver and a call is made next on the PHS line when there is no response. If the user intends to use the PHS line from the beginning, the user selects the fixed call mode. In this case, the CPU 23 reads out the PHS number corresponding to the selected partner from the memory unit 25, performs a calling operation, and communicates with the radio base station 32 via the RF unit 28 and the antenna 10 as shown in FIG. The communication is carried out (S304). When the other party answers, a videophone call can be made via the PHS line. If no radio wave arrives, an error message is displayed.

When the user selects the automatic calling mode, the CPU 23 reads out the transceiver number corresponding to the selected partner from the memory unit 25, performs a calling operation, and performs the calling operation via the RF unit 28 and the antenna 10 as shown in FIG. ), A call is made to the videophone device as the partner terminal (S30).
3). When the partner terminal is present in the service area and answers, a videophone call can be made by the transceiver function. If there is no response because the terminal is not in the service area of the partner communication terminal, the PHS number is read out from the memory unit 25 to perform a calling operation, and is passed through the RF unit 28 and the antenna 10 as shown in FIG. Communication is performed with the wireless base station 32 (S304). Even in the automatic call mode, if the transceiver number field is empty, the call is made in the PHS mode.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart for explaining the operation of detecting each mode on the receiving side. There is an incoming call (S
401), the information contained in the header of the incoming call information is detected, and it is detected whether the mode is a PHS line mode or a transceiver mode (S402). As a result, the receiving side can receive a videophone call in response to both the connection using the PHS line and the connection using the transceiver.

[0017]

As described above, according to the present invention, in a portable videophone device capable of transmitting and receiving image information and voice information and making a videophone call, it is possible to select a telephone mode and a transceiver mode when making a call. When the transceiver mode is selected by the calling procedure executing means and the calling procedure executing means, a call is made with reference to the transceiver number, and when the communication partner terminal answers, the connection is made in the transceiver mode. Is called by referring to a telephone number and is connected by a telephone line to enable a videophone call. Therefore, when the other communication terminal is within the service range of the transceiver, the connection is preferentially connected by the transceiver, so that there is an effect that a videophone free of call charges can be realized. Also, when at least one of the videophone devices is out of the service area of the wireless base station, the videophone call can be made by the transceiver function when the portable videophone devices are mutually in the other service area. Thus, it is possible to substantially expand the communicable area.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram for explaining a communication mode of a portable videophone device that can use a transceiver function according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing an embodiment of the appearance of a portable videophone device that can use the transceiver function according to the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of a circuit of the portable videophone device of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a flowchart for explaining a calling operation when making a call;

FIG. 5 is a flowchart for explaining an incoming call operation on the receiving side.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Simplified information communication terminal 2 ... Removable image capturing adapter 4 ... Camera unit 5 ... Support part 6 ... PC card slot part 7 ... Display part 8 ... Call key 10 ... Antenna 11 ... Microphone 12 ... Power switch 16 ... Imaging element Reference Signs List 17 A / D converter 18 Processing unit 19 Dither image processing unit 20 Audio processing unit 21 PC card slot unit 22 Slot connection terminal 23 CPU 23a Calling procedure execution unit 23b Transceiver mode execution unit 23c PHS mode execution means 24 ... application registration unit 25 ... memory unit 26 ... display drive circuit 27 ... key input interface unit 28 ... RF unit 30,31 ... video telephone device 32,33 ... wireless base station

────────────────────────────────────────────────── ───

[Procedure amendment]

[Submission date] December 24, 1997

[Procedure amendment 1]

[Document name to be amended] Drawing

[Correction target item name] All figures

[Correction method] Change

[Correction contents]

FIG.

FIG. 2

FIG. 3

FIG. 4

FIG. 5

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A portable videophone device capable of transmitting and receiving image information and voice information to make a videophone call, a calling procedure executing means for selecting a telephone mode and a transceiver mode when making a call, and executing the calling procedure. When the transceiver mode is selected by means, a call is made with reference to the transceiver number,
A transceiver connected in a transceiver mode when the communication partner terminal answers the call, and in a case where there is no response in the transceiver mode, making a call by referring to a telephone number and connecting via a telephone line to enable a videophone call; A portable videophone device that can use functions. 2. The calling procedure execution means has a fixed call mode and an automatic call mode. When the fixed call mode is selected, a communication partner terminal is called by a telephone line, and when the automatic call mode is selected, a transceiver is used. 2. A portable videophone apparatus capable of using the transceiver function according to claim 1, wherein a call is made in a call mode and a call is made via a telephone line when there is no response in the transceiver mode.