Transmission management device

Abstract

To provide a transmission management device in which a user of each transmission terminal is enabled to grasp which transmission terminal is participated in a conference, regardless of the number of transmission terminals being participated in the conference.SOLUTION: A transmission management device 50 which manages transmission states of a plurality of transmission terminals 10 comprises a terminal management DB 5003 which stores a terminal management table managing terminal information containing an identifier and an identification name of the transmission terminal 10; a transmitting / receiving section 51 which receives a terminal information request signal representing a request of information for identifying a transmission terminal being in a transmitting state with the transmission terminal 10, and a terminal state acquisition section 55 which acquires, from the terminal management table, the information for identifying the transmission terminal being in the transmission state with the transmission terminal 10 when receiving the terminal information request signal. The information acquired by the terminal state acquisition section 55 is transmitted to the transmission terminal 10 of a transmission source of the terminal information request signal, via the transmitting / receiving section 51.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 7

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a transmission management device, and more particularly to a transmission management device for managing the transmission state of a transmission terminal used in a remote conference system for conducting a remote conference via a network, for example.

Background Art

[0002] In a remote conference system, in a conference room where remote conference participants are present, images and sounds are collected by photographing the participants and collecting sounds such as the participants' speeches. The collected images and sounds are converted into digital data by a transmission terminal and transmitted to the transmission terminal of the other party. An image is displayed on a display such as a video screen in the conference room of the other party, or sound is output from a speaker to realize a state close to an actual conference.

[0003] In such a remote conference system, all transmission terminals participating in the conference are connected to a relay device, and the relay device controls the distribution of image data and sound data to each transmission terminal, thereby realizing a remote conference among multiple sites.

[0004] Generally, in a remote conference held among multiple sites, in order to know who is participating in the conference from other transmission terminals during the conference, the display screen of the transmission terminal is divided by the number of transmission terminals participating in the conference, and the images transmitted from each transmission terminal are displayed in each area of the divided display screen (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] However, in such a conventional technique, when the number of transmission terminals participating in the conference increases, the number of divisions of the display screen increases, and the display area for displaying the images transmitted from each transmission terminal becomes narrow. As a result, there is a problem that the users of each transmission terminal cannot grasp which transmission terminal is participating in the conference.

[0006] The present invention has been made to solve such conventional problems, and an object thereof is to provide a transmission management device that can enable users of each transmission terminal to grasp which transmission terminal is participating in a meeting regardless of the number of transmission terminals participating in the meeting.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0007] In order to solve the above problems, a transmission system according to the present invention is a transmission system including a transmission terminal and a management device that manages name information associated with the transmission terminal. The transmission terminal has a first function of displaying image data transmitted from another transmission terminal participating in communication based on image data participated in by receiving an operation, and a second function of displaying a list of name information associated with other transmission terminals participating in the communication. The management device has a transmission unit that transmits name information associated with other transmission terminals participating in the same communication as the transmission terminal that received the operation to the transmission terminal that received the operation. The transmission terminal that received the operation further has a reception unit that receives the name information transmitted by the transmission unit, and a display control unit that displays a first screen for displaying the image data transmitted from the other transmission terminal by the first function, the first screen not including a specific display area for displaying the name information in a list by the second function. The display control unit further displays a second screen for displaying the image data transmitted from the other transmission terminal by the first function, the second screen including the specific display area. The first screen is displayed when a first mode among a plurality of display modes is selected, and the second screen is displayed when a second mode different from the first mode among the plurality of display modes is selected. The display control unit is configured to switch and display the second screen from the first screen when receiving an operation for switching the display mode in a state where the first screen is being displayed, and to switch and display the first screen from the second screen when receiving the operation in a state where the second screen is being displayed.

Effects of the Invention

[0008] The present invention can provide a transmission management device that enables users of each transmission terminal to grasp which transmission terminal is participating in a meeting regardless of the number of transmission terminals participating in the meeting.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0009]

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Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0010] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0011] <<Overall Configuration of Embodiment>> FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a transmission system 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a conceptual diagram showing the transmission and reception states of image data, audio data, and various management information in the transmission system. FIG. 3 is a conceptual diagram for explaining the image quality of image data.

[0012] In addition, the transmission system includes a data providing system that transmits content data unidirectionally from one transmission terminal to a plurality of transmission terminals via a transmission management device, and a communication system that mutually transmits information, emotions, etc. between a plurality of transmission terminals via a transmission management device. The communication system is a system for mutually transmitting information, emotions, etc. between a plurality of communication terminals (corresponding to "transmission terminals") via a communication management device (corresponding to the "transmission management device"), and examples include a video conference system and a video phone system.

[0013] In this embodiment, assuming a video conferencing system as an example of a communication system, a video conferencing management device as an example of a communication management device, and a video conferencing terminal as an example of a communication terminal, a transmission system, a transmission management device, and a transmission terminal will be described. That is, the transmission terminal and the transmission management device of the present invention are applicable not only to a video conferencing system but also to a communication system or a data transmission system.

[0014] As shown in FIG. 1, the transmission system 1 includes a plurality of transmission terminals 10aa, 10ab, ···, displays 120aa, 120ab, ··· for each of the transmission terminals 10aa, 10ab, ···, a relay device 30, a transmission management device 50, and a program providing device 90. The transmission terminals 10aa, 10ab, ··· are configured to perform transmission by transmitting and receiving, for example, image data and audio data as content data.

[0015] In the following description, among the plurality of transmission terminals 10aa, 10ab, ···, any transmission terminal is represented as "transmission terminal 10", and among the plurality of displays 120aa, 120ab, ···, any display is represented as "display 120". Further, the transmission terminal 10 that requests the start of a video conference is represented as the "requesting terminal", and the transmission terminal 10 of the destination is represented as the "destination terminal".

[0016] As shown in FIG. 2, in the transmission system 1, a management information session sei for transmitting and receiving various management information is established between the requesting terminal and the destination terminal via the transmission management device 50.

[0017] Also, between the transmission terminals 10 in which the management information session sei is established, four sessions for transmitting and receiving four types of data, namely, high-resolution image data, medium-resolution image data, low-resolution image data, and audio data, are established via the relay device 30. In this embodiment, these four sessions are collectively referred to as the "image / audio data session sed".

[0018] Here, the image data handled in this embodiment is encoded in a scalable manner. For example, as shown in FIG. 3(a), the image data handled in this embodiment consists of 320 pixels horizontally and 180 pixels vertically, which is low-resolution image data serving as a base image. As shown in FIG. 3(b), there is medium-resolution image data consisting of 640 pixels horizontally and 360 pixels vertically. As shown in FIG. 3(c), there is high-resolution image data consisting of 1280 pixels horizontally and 720 pixels vertically.

[0019] Here, when the bandwidth through which the image data is transmitted is narrow, only the low-resolution image data serving as the base image is transmitted, and the transmission terminal 10 on the receiving side can display only a low-quality image based on the transmitted low-resolution image data.

[0020] Also, when the bandwidth through which the image data is transmitted is relatively wide, the low-resolution image data serving as the base image and the medium-resolution image data are transmitted, and the transmission terminal 10 on the receiving side can display a medium-quality image based on the transmitted low-resolution image data and medium-resolution image data.

[0021] Also, when the bandwidth through which the image data is transmitted is very wide, the low-resolution image data serving as the base quality, the medium-resolution image data, and the high-resolution image data are transmitted, and the transmission terminal 10 on the receiving side can display a high-quality image based on the transmitted low-resolution image data, medium-resolution image data, and high-resolution image data.

[0022] In FIG. 1, the relay device 30 relays content data among a plurality of transmission terminals 10. The transmission management device 50 centrally manages login authentication from the transmission terminal 10, management of the transmission state of the transmission terminal 10, management of the destination list, etc., and the transmission status of the relay device 30. Note that the image represented by the image data may be a moving image, a still image, or both a moving image and a still image.

[0023] A plurality of routers 70a, 70b, 70c, 70d, 70ab, 70cd select an optimal path for image data and audio data. In the following description, any one of the routers 70a, 70b, 70c, 70d, 70ab, 70cd is represented as "router 70".

[0024] The program providing device 90 includes an HD (Hard Disk) 204 described later, stores a transmission terminal control program for causing the transmission terminal 10 to realize various functions, and can transmit the transmission terminal control program to the transmission terminal 10.

[0025] Also, the HD 204 of the program providing device 90 stores a relay device program for causing the relay device 30 to realize various functions, and can transmit the relay device program to the relay device 30.

[0026] Furthermore, the HD 204 of the program providing device 90 stores a transmission management program for causing the transmission management device 50 to realize various functions, and can transmit the transmission management program to the transmission management device 50.

[0027] The transmission terminals 10aa, 10ab, 10ac,... and the router 70a are connected so as to be transmissible via the LAN 2a. The transmission terminals 10ba, 10bb, 10bc,... and the router 70b are connected so as to be transmissible via the LAN 2b.

[0028] Also, the LAN 2a and the LAN 2b are connected so as to be transmissible via a dedicated line 2ab including the router 70ab, and are provided within a predetermined area A. For example, the area A is Japan, the LAN 2a is provided within an office in Tokyo, and the LAN 2b is provided within an office in Osaka.

[0029] On the other hand, the transmission terminals 10ca, 10cb, 10cc,... and the router 70c are connected so as to be transmissible via the LAN 2c. The transmission terminals 10da, 10db, 10dc,... and the router 70d are connected so as to be transmissible via the LAN 2d.

[0030] In addition, LAN2c and LAN2d are connected in a transmissible manner by dedicated line 2cd including router 70cd, and are provided within a predetermined area B. For example, area B is the United States of America, LAN2c is provided within the office in New York, and LAN2d is provided within the office in Washington, D.C. Area A and area B are connected to each other in a transmissible manner via Internet 2i from routers 70ab and 70cd, respectively.

[0031] In addition, relay device 30, transmission management device 50, and program providing device 90 are connected in a transmissible manner to each transmission terminal 10 via Internet 2i. Here, relay device 30, transmission management device 50, and program providing device 90 may be installed in area A or area B, or may be installed in areas other than these.

[0032] In this embodiment, transmission network 2 of this embodiment is configured by LAN2a, LAN2b, dedicated line 2ab, Internet 2i, dedicated line 2cd, LAN2c, and LAN2d. In transmission network 2, there may be locations where wireless transmission such as WiFi (Wireless Fidelity) and Bluetooth (registered trademark) is performed in addition to wired transmission.

[0033] In addition, in FIG. 1, the four sets of numbers shown below each transmission terminal 10, relay device 30, transmission management device 50, each router 70, and program providing device 90 simply indicate the IP addresses in general IPv4. For example, the IP address of transmission terminal 10aa is "1.2.1.3". Also, IPv6 may be used instead of IPv4, but for simplicity of explanation, IPv4 is used for the explanation.

[0034] Each transmission terminal 10 may be used not only for video conferences between multiple offices or between different rooms within the same office, but also for video conferences within the same room or between outdoors and indoors or between outdoors and outdoors. When each transmission terminal 10 is used outdoors, wireless transmission such as a mobile phone transmission network is performed.

[0035] <<Hardware Configuration of Embodiment>> As shown in FIG. 4, the transmission terminal 10 includes a housing 1021, an arm 1074, and a camera housing 1075. Among these, a plurality of intake holes 1021e are formed on substantially the entire front wall 1021a of the housing 1021, and a plurality of exhaust holes (not shown) are formed on substantially the entire rear wall 1021b of the housing 1021. Thereby, the transmission terminal 10 can take in outside air in front of the transmission terminal 10 through the intake holes 1021e and exhaust it to the rear of the transmission terminal 10 through the exhaust holes by driving a cooling fan built in the housing 1021. A sound collection hole 1021f is formed at the center of the front wall 1021a, and sounds such as voices, ambient sounds, and noises can be collected by a built-in microphone 114 described later.

[0036] An operation panel 1022 is formed on the left side of the housing 1021 when viewed from the front. The operation panel 1022 is provided with operation buttons 108 and a power switch 109, and a plurality of sound output holes 1022f for passing the output sound from a built-in speaker 115 described later are formed. Also, on the right side of the housing 1021 when viewed from the front, a housing portion 1021p as a recess for housing the arm 1074 and the camera housing 1075 is formed.

[0037] The arm 1074 is attached to the housing 1021 via a torque hinge 1073. For example, when the front of the arm 1074 is set to 0 degrees with respect to the housing 1021, it can be rotated in the vertical and horizontal directions within a pan angle θ1 range of ±180 degrees and a tilt angle θ2 range of 90 degrees, generating a click feeling at a tilt of approximately 45 degrees.

[0038] The camera housing 1075 is provided with a built-in camera 112, which will be described later, and can capture images of users, rooms, etc. Further, a torque hinge 1075a is formed on the camera housing 1075.

[0039] The camera housing 1075 is attached to the arm 1074 via the torque hinge 1075a. For example, when the state where the camera housing 1075 is in a straight line with the arm 1074 is defined as 0 degrees, the camera housing 1075 is attached to the arm 1074 so as to be rotatable within a range of a tilt angle θ3 of approximately 100 degrees on the front side of the transmission terminal 10 and approximately 90 degrees on the rear side of the transmission terminal 10.

[0040] As shown in FIG. 5, the transmission terminal 10 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 101 that controls the operation of the entire transmission terminal 10, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 102 that stores programs used for driving the CPU 101 such as an IPL (Initial Program Loader), a RAM (Random Access Memory) 103 used as a work area for the CPU 101, a flash memory 104 that stores various data such as a transmission terminal control program, image data, and audio data, an SSD (Solid State Drive) 105 that controls the reading and writing of various data to and from the flash memory 104 according to the control of the CPU 101, a media drive 107 that controls the reading and writing (storage) of data to and from a recording medium 106 such as a flash memory, an operation button 108 that is operated when selecting a destination of the transmission terminal 10, a power switch 109 for switching the ON / OFF of the power of the transmission terminal 10, and a network I / F (Interface) 111 for data transmission using the transmission network 2.

[0041] In addition, the transmission terminal 10 includes a built-in camera 112 that captures a subject according to the control of the CPU 101 to obtain image data, an imaging device I / F 113 that controls the driving of the camera 112, a microphone 114 as a built-in sound collection device that inputs sound, a built-in speaker 115 that outputs sound, a sound input / output I / F 116 that processes the input / output of sound signals between the microphone 114 and the speaker 115 according to the control of the CPU 101, a display I / F 117 that transmits image data to an external display 120 according to the control of the CPU 101, an external device connection I / F 118 for connecting various external devices, and a bus line 110 such as an address bus and a data bus for electrically connecting the above components.

[0042] The display 120 includes a display device composed of a liquid crystal or an organic EL that displays an image of a subject, operation icons, etc. The display 120 is connected to the display I / F 117 by a cable 120c. The cable 120c may be a cable for an analog RGB (VGA) signal, a cable for component video, or a cable for an HDMI (registered trademark) (High-Definition Multimedia Interface) or DVI (Digital Video Interactive) signal.

[0043] The camera 112 includes a lens and a solid-state imaging device that converts light into electric charges to digitize the image of the subject. As the solid-state imaging device, a CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor) or a CCD (Charge Coupled Device) etc. is used.

[0044] External devices such as an external camera, an external microphone, and an external speaker can be connected to the external device connection I / F 118 by a USB (Universal Serial Bus) cable etc.

[0045] When an external camera is connected to the external device connection I / F 118, the CPU 101 drives the external camera preferentially over the built-in camera 112. Also, when an external microphone or external speaker is connected to the external device connection I / F 118, the CPU 101 drives the external microphone or external speaker preferentially over the built-in microphone 114 and the built-in speaker 115, respectively.

[0046] Note that the recording medium 106 is configured to be detachable from the transmission terminal 10. Also, the transmission terminal 10 may use an EEPROM (Electrically Erasable and Programmable ROM) or the like instead of the flash memory 104, as long as it is a non-volatile memory that reads or writes data according to the control of the CPU 101.

[0047] Also, the transmission terminal control program may be recorded and distributed in an installable or executable file format on a computer-readable recording medium such as the recording medium 106. Also, the transmission terminal control program may be stored in the ROM 102 instead of the flash memory 104.

[0048] As shown in FIG. 6, the transmission management device 50 includes a CPU 201 that controls the operation of the entire transmission management device 50, a ROM 202 that stores programs used for driving the CPU 201 such as IPL, a RAM 203 used as a work area for the CPU 201, an HD 204 that stores various data such as a transmission management program, an HDD (Hard Disk Drive) 205 that controls reading or writing of various data to and from the HD 204 according to the control of the CPU 201, a media drive 207 that controls reading or writing (storage) of data to and from a recording medium 206 such as a flash memory, a display 208 that displays various information such as a cursor, menu, window, characters, or images, a network I / F 209 for data transmission using the transmission network 2, a keyboard 211 having a plurality of keys for input of characters, numerical values, various instructions, etc., a mouse 212 for performing selections and executions of various instructions, selections of processing targets, cursor movement, etc., a CD-ROM drive 214 that controls reading or writing of various data to and from a CD-ROM (Compact Disc Read Only Memory) 213 as an example of a removable recording medium, and bus lines 210 such as an address bus and a data bus for electrically connecting the above-described respective components.

[0049] Note that the transmission management program may be in an installable format or an executable format file and may be recorded on a computer-readable recording medium such as the recording medium 206 or the CD-ROM 213 and distributed. Further, the transmission management program may be stored in the ROM 202 instead of the HD 204.

[0050] Also, since the relay device 30 has the same hardware configuration as the transmission management device 50, its description is omitted. However, a relay device control program for controlling the relay device 30 is recorded in the HD 204.

[0051] Also in this case, the program for the relay device may be a file in an installable format or an executable format, and may be recorded and distributed on a computer-readable recording medium such as the recording medium 206 or the CD-ROM 213. Further, the program for the relay device may be stored in the ROM 202 instead of the HD 204.

[0052] Also, since the program providing device 90 has the same hardware configuration as the transmission management device 50, its description is omitted. However, a program for the program providing device for controlling the program providing device 90 is recorded in the HD 204.

[0053] Also in this case, the program for the program providing device may be a file in an installable format or an executable format, and may be recorded and distributed on a computer-readable recording medium such as the recording medium 206 or the CD-ROM 213. Further, the program for the program providing device may be stored in the ROM 202 instead of the HD 204.

[0054] Note that as the computer-readable recording medium described above, a CD-R (Compact Disc Recordable), a DVD (Digital Versatile Disk), a Blu-ray Disc, etc. may be applied.

[0055] <<Functional Configuration of Embodiment>> As shown in FIG. 7, the transmission terminal 10, the relay device 30, and the transmission management device 50 are connected so as to be able to transmit data via the transmission network 2. Note that since the program providing device 90 shown in FIG. 1 is not directly related to the transmission of data related to the video conference, it is not shown in FIG. 7.

[0056] <Functional Configuration of Transmission Terminal> The transmission terminal 10 includes a transmission / reception unit 11, an operation input reception unit 12, a login request unit 13, an imaging unit 14, a sound input unit 15a, a sound output unit 15b, a display control unit 17, and a storage / read processing unit 19. Each of these units is a function realized by a CPU 101 that executes a transmission terminal control program expanded onto a RAM 103 from a flash memory 104. Further, the transmission terminal 10 has a storage unit 1000 composed of a RAM 103 and a flash memory 104.

[0057] (Functional Configuration of Transmission Terminal) The transmission / reception unit 11 is composed of a CPU 101 and a network I / F 111, and is configured to transmit and receive various data and information with other transmission terminals 10 or devices 30, 50, 90 via a transmission network 2. Note that the transmission / reception unit 11 constitutes a transmission unit and a reception unit of the transmission terminal according to the present invention.

[0058] Before starting a video conference with a desired destination terminal, the transmission / reception unit 11 starts receiving each state information indicating the state of each transmission terminal 10 as a candidate for the connection destination of the video conference from the transmission management device 50.

[0059] The state information represents not only the operating state of whether each transmission terminal 10 is online or offline, but also detailed operating states such as whether it is transmissible online or is in the process of online transmission.

[0060] Further, the state information represents various states such as a cable 120c being disconnected from the transmission terminal 10 at the transmission terminal 10, outputting sound but not outputting an image, or muting the sound so as not to output it. In the following description, for ease of understanding of the present invention, the case where the state information represents the operating state of each transmission terminal 10 will be described.

[0061] The operation input reception unit 12 is composed of the CPU 101, the operation buttons 108, and the power switch 109, and is configured to receive various inputs from the user. For example, when the user turns on the power switch 109, the operation input reception unit 12 receives the power-on and turns on the power of the transmission terminal 10.

[0062] The login request unit 13 is composed of the CPU 101. Triggered by receiving the power-on, it transmits login request information indicating the request for login and the IP address of the local terminal at the current time to the transmission management device 50 via the transmission network 2 from the transmission and reception unit 11.

[0063] Also, when the user changes the power switch 109 from the ON state to the OFF state, after the transmission and reception unit 11 transmits state information indicating that the power is to be turned off to the transmission management device 50, the operation input reception unit 12 completely turns off the power of the transmission terminal 10. Thereby, on the side of the transmission management device 50, it can be grasped that the transmission terminal 10 has changed from power-on to power-off.

[0064] The imaging unit 14 is composed of the CPU 101, the camera 112, and the imaging element I / F 113, and is configured to image a subject and output the image data obtained by imaging to the transmission and reception unit 11. Here, the camera 112 constitutes the imaging device in the present invention, and the imaging element I / F 113 constitutes the image data input unit in the present invention.

[0065] The sound input unit 15a is composed of the CPU 101 and the sound input / output I / F 116, and constitutes the sound data input unit in the present invention. A sound signal representing the sound collected by the microphone 114 is input to the sound input unit 15a, and the input sound signal is converted into sound data.

[0066] The sound output unit 15b is composed of the CPU 101 and the sound input / output I / F 116, and is configured to convert the sound data into a sound signal and output the converted sound signal to the speaker 115, thereby outputting sound from the speaker 115.

[0067] The display control unit 17 is composed of the CPU 101 and the display I / F 117. It combines image data with different resolutions received by the transmission / reception unit 11 and transmits the combined image data to the display 120, so as to display the image represented by the image data on the display 120.

[0068] In addition, the display control unit 17 transmits the information of the destination list received by the transmission / reception unit 11 from the transmission management device 50 to the display 120, so as to display the destination list on the display 120.

[0069] The storage / reading processing unit 19 is composed of the CPU 101 and the SSD 105, and is configured to store various data in the storage unit 1000 and read out various data stored in the storage unit 1000.

[0070] The storage unit 1000 stores an identifier for identifying the transmission terminal 10 (hereinafter referred to as "terminal ID"), a password, etc. Furthermore, the storage unit 1000 is also used as a reception buffer for image data and audio data received when conducting a video conference with the destination terminal.

[0071] Note that the terminal ID in this embodiment indicates information such as a language, characters, symbols, or various marks used to uniquely identify the transmission terminal 10. Also, the terminal ID may be information in which at least two of a language, characters, symbols, and various marks are combined.

[0072] <Functional Configuration of Transmission Management Device> The transmission management device 50 includes a transmission / reception unit 51, a terminal authentication unit 52, a state management unit 53, a terminal extraction unit 54, a terminal state acquisition unit 55, and a storage / reading processing unit 59. These units are functions realized by the CPU 201 that executes a transmission management program expanded from the HD 204 onto the RAM 203. Also, the transmission management device 50 has a storage unit 5000 composed of the HD 204.

[0073] (Terminal Authentication Management Table) In the storage unit 5000, a terminal authentication management DB5002 having a terminal authentication management table as shown in FIG. 8 is constructed. In the terminal authentication management table, each password is associated with and managed for each terminal ID of all the transmission terminals 10 managed by the transmission management device 50. For example, the terminal authentication management table shown in FIG. 8 indicates that the terminal ID of the transmission terminal 10aa is "01aa" and the password is "aaaa".

[0074] (Terminal Management Table) Also, in the storage unit 5000, a terminal management DB5003 having a terminal management table as shown in FIG. 9 is constructed. Note that the terminal management DB5003 constitutes the terminal management table storage unit in the present invention.

[0075] In the terminal management table, for each terminal ID of each transmission terminal 10, the identification name (hereinafter referred to as "terminal name") of each transmission terminal 10, the operating state of each transmission terminal 10, the reception date and time when the login request information for logging in to the transmission system 1 was received by the transmission management device 50, and the IP address of the transmission terminal 10 are associated and managed.

[0076] For example, the terminal management table shown in FIG. 9 shows that for the transmission terminal 10aa with the terminal ID "01aa", the terminal name is "AA Terminal, Tokyo Office, Japan", the operating state is "Online (Transmittable)", the date and time when the login request information was received by the transmission management device 50 is "13:40 on November 10, 2009", and the IP address of the transmission terminal 10aa is "1.2.1.3".

[0077] Here, the terminal ID of the terminal management table is uniquely assigned when the transmission terminal 10 is registered in the transmission system 1, and the terminal name is registered or changed by the administrator of the transmission management device 50. Note that the terminal name may be registered or changed in response to a request made from the transmission terminal 10 to the transmission management device 50.

[0078] In addition, the operating state of "online (transmittable)" means that the transmission terminal 10 is logged in to the transmission system 1 and is not participating in a video conference. The state of "online (transmitting)" means that the transmission terminal 10 is logged in to the transmission system 1 and is participating in a video conference. The operating state of "offline" means that the transmission terminal 10 is not logged in to the transmission system 1.

[0079] (Destination list management table) Furthermore, in the storage unit 5000, a destination list management DB 5004 having a destination list management table as shown in FIG. 10 is constructed. Note that the terminal management DB 5003 constitutes a destination list management table storage unit in the present invention.

[0080] In the destination list management table, all the terminal IDs of the destination terminals registered as candidates for the destination terminal are associated with and managed with respect to the terminal ID of the requesting source terminal that requests the start of a video conference.

[0081] For example, in the destination list management table shown in FIG. 10, the candidates for the destination terminal that requests the start of a video conference from the transmission terminal 10aa whose terminal ID is "01aa" are the transmission terminal 10ab whose terminal ID is "01ab", the transmission terminal 10ba whose terminal ID is "01ba", and the transmission terminal 10db whose terminal ID is "01db". The candidates for the destination terminal are added or deleted in response to a request made from the transmission terminal 10 to the transmission management device 50.

[0082] (Functional configurations of the transmission management device) The transmission / reception unit 51 is composed of the CPU 201 and the network I / F 209, and is configured to transmit and receive various data and information with other transmission terminals 10 or devices 30, 90 via the transmission network 2.

[0083] The terminal authentication unit 52 is configured by the CPU 102. Using the terminal ID and password included in the login request information received via the transmission / reception unit 51 as search keys, it searches the terminal authentication management DB 5002 in the storage unit 5000, and performs terminal authentication by determining whether the same terminal ID and password are managed in the terminal authentication management DB 5002.

[0084] The status management unit 53 is configured by the CPU 102. In order to manage the operating status of the requesting source terminal that has made a login request, in the terminal management DB 5003 (see FIG. 9), for the terminal ID of the requesting source terminal, it associates and stores the operating status, the reception date and time when the login request information was received at the transmission management device 50, and the IP address for management.

[0085] Also, when the user turns the state of the power switch 109 of the transmission terminal 10 from ON to OFF, based on the status information indicating that the power is to be turned off sent from the transmission terminal 10, the status management unit 53 changes the operating status of the transmission terminal 10 in the terminal management DB 5003 (see FIG. 9) from online to offline.

[0086] The terminal extraction unit 54 is configured by the CPU 102. Using the terminal ID of the requesting source terminal that has made a login request as a search key, it searches the destination list management DB 5004 (see FIG. 10) and extracts the terminal IDs of the candidate destination terminals for the requesting source terminal.

[0087] Also, the terminal extraction unit 54 uses the terminal ID of the requesting source terminal that has made a login request as a search key, searches the destination list management DB 5004 (see FIG. 10), and also extracts the terminal IDs of other requesting source terminals that have registered the terminal ID of the requesting source terminal as a candidate destination terminal.

[0088] The terminal status acquisition unit 55 is configured by the CPU 102. Using the terminal IDs of the candidate destination terminals extracted by the terminal extraction unit 54 as search keys, it searches the terminal management DB 5003 (see FIG. 9) and reads out the operating status for each detected terminal ID.

[0089] As a result, the terminal state acquisition unit 55 can acquire the operating state of the candidate destination terminals for the source terminal that has made the login request. Also, the terminal state acquisition unit 55 searches the terminal management DB5003 using the terminal ID extracted by the terminal extraction unit 54 as a search key, and also acquires the operating state of the source terminal that has made the login request.

[0090] The storage / reading processing unit 59 is composed of the CPU 102 and the HDD 205, and is configured to store various data in the storage unit 5000 and read out various data stored in the storage unit 5000.

[0091] [[Embodiment Processing or Operation]] Next, the operation of the transmission system 1 according to this embodiment will be described. FIG. 11 is a sequence diagram showing the preparatory stage operation until the transmission terminal 10 is ready to participate in a video conference. Note that FIG. 11 shows an example in which the transmission terminal 10aa is in a ready state. In the preparatory stage operation, various information is transmitted and received in the management information session sei (see FIG. 2).

[0092] First, when the user of the transmission terminal 10aa turns on the power switch 109 of the transmission terminal 10aa, the operation input reception unit 12 receives the power-on and turns on the power (step S21). Then, upon receiving the power-on, the login request unit 13 transmits login request information indicating a login request to the transmission management device 50 via the transmission network 2 from the transmission / reception unit 11 of the transmission terminal 10aa (step S22).

[0093] The login request information includes a terminal ID and a password for identifying the source transmission terminal 10aa of the login request. These terminal ID and password are read from the storage unit 1000 by the storage / reading processing unit 19.

[0094] When the transmission management device 50 receives the login request information transmitted from the transmission terminal 10aa, the transmission management device 50 can grasp the IP address of the transmission terminal 10ab on the transmission side.

[0095] Next, the terminal authentication unit 52 of the transmission management device 50 searches the terminal authentication management DB5002 (see FIG. 8) of the storage unit 5000 using the terminal ID and password included in the login request information received via the transmission / reception unit 51 as search keys, and performs terminal authentication by determining whether the same terminal ID and password as the search keys are managed in the terminal authentication management DB5002 (step S23).

[0096] Here, when it is determined by the terminal authentication unit 52 that the same terminal ID and password as the search keys are not managed, that is, when it is determined that the login request is not from the transmission terminal 10 having legitimate usage rights, the transmission / reception unit 51 transmits, via the transmission network 2, the authentication result information representing the authentication result obtained by the terminal authentication unit 52 to the transmission terminal 10aa that has requested the login, and the operation in the preparation stage ends.

[0097] On the other hand, when it is determined by the terminal authentication unit 52 that the same terminal ID and password as the search keys are managed, that is, when it is determined that the login request is from the transmission terminal 10 having legitimate usage rights, the state management unit 53 stores, in the terminal management DB5003 (see FIG. 9), the terminal ID of the transmission terminal 10aa, the operating state, the reception date and time when the login request information was received, and the IP address of the transmission terminal 10aa in association with each other (step S24).

[0098] As a result, as shown in FIG. 9, the terminal management table manages the terminal ID "01aa", the operating state "online (transmittable)", the reception date and time "2009.11.10.13:40", and the IP address "1.2.1.3" of the transmission terminal 10aa in association with each other.

[0099] Next, the transmission / reception unit 51 of the transmission management device 50 transmits, via the transmission network 2, authentication result information representing the authentication result obtained by the terminal authentication unit 52 to the transmission terminal 10aa that has requested the login (step S25).

[0100] Next, the terminal extraction unit 54 of the transmission management device 50 searches the destination list management DB5004 (see FIG. 10) using the terminal ID "01aa" of the transmission terminal 10aa that has requested the login as a search key, and extracts the terminal IDs of the candidate destination terminals for the transmission terminal 10aa (step S26).

[0101] Here, the terminal IDs "01ab", "01ba", and "01db" of the transmission terminals 10ab, 10ba, and 10db, which are the destination terminals for the terminal ID "01aa" of the transmission terminal 10aa, will be extracted.

[0102] Next, the terminal state acquisition unit 55 of the transmission management device 50 searches the terminal management DB5003 (see FIG. 9) using the terminal IDs "01ab", "01ba", and "01db" of the candidate destination terminals extracted by the terminal extraction unit 54 as search keys, and reads the operating states "offline", "online (transmittable)", and "online (transmitting)" for each of the terminal IDs extracted by the terminal extraction unit 54, thereby acquiring the operating states of the transmission terminals 10ab, 10ba, and 10db (step S27).

[0103] Next, the transmission / reception unit 51 of the transmission management device 50 transmits, via the transmission network 2, destination state information including the terminal IDs "01ab", "01ba", and "01db" used as the search keys in step S27 and the operating states "offline", "online (transmittable)", and "online (transmitting)" of the corresponding transmission terminals 10ab, 10ba, and 10db to the transmission terminal 10aa (step S28).

[0104] As a result, the transmission terminal 10aa can grasp the current operating states of the transmission terminals 10ab, 10ba, and 10db, which are candidates for the destination terminal, namely, "offline", "online (transmittable)", and "online (transmitting)".

[0105] Furthermore, the terminal extraction unit 54 of the transmission management device 50 searches the destination list management DB5004 (see FIG. 10) using the terminal ID "01aa" of the transmission terminal 10aa that has made a login request as a search key, and extracts the terminal IDs of other transmission terminals registered with the terminal ID "01aa" of the transmission terminal 10aa as candidates for the destination terminal (step S29). For example, in the destination list management table shown in FIG. 10, the extracted terminal IDs are "01ab", "01ba", and "01db".

[0106] Next, the state management unit 53 of the transmission management device 50 searches the terminal management DB5003 (see FIG. 9) using the terminal ID "01aa" of the transmission terminal 10aa that has made a login request as a search key, and acquires the operating state "online (transmittable)" of the transmission terminal 10aa that has made a login request (step S30).

[0107] Next, the transmission / reception unit 51 of the transmission management device 50 transmits destination state information including the terminal ID "01aa" of the transmission terminal 10aa and the operating state "online (transmittable)" obtained in step S30 to the transmission terminals 10ba and 10db, whose operating states are "online" in the terminal management DB5003 (see FIG. 9) among the transmission terminals 10ab, 10ba, and 10db identified by the terminal IDs "01ab", "01ba", and "01db" extracted in step S29 (steps S31-1, 2).

[0108] When transmitting the destination state information to the transmission terminals 10ba and 10db, the transmission / reception unit 51 refers to the IP addresses of the transmission terminals managed in the terminal management table shown in FIG. 9 based on the respective terminal IDs "01ba" and "01db".

[0109] As a result, the transmission terminals 10db and 10ba that can transmit to the transmission terminal 10aa that has requested login as the destination can be informed of the terminal ID "01aa" and the operating state "online (transmittable)" of the transmission terminal 10aa that has requested login.

[0110] Also, when the step S28 of the preparation stage operation is completed, the display control unit 17 of the transmission terminal 10aa highlights the information of the transmission terminal 10db that is in the "online (during transmission)" or "online (transmittable)" operating state, that is, the terminal participating in the video conference, on the display 120 from the information of the destination list displayed on the display 120, etc., so that the user can recognize the transmission terminal 10 participating in the video conference or the transmission terminal 10 that can participate.

[0111] FIG. 12 is a sequence diagram showing the conference participation operation until the transmission terminal 10 enters the participation state in the video conference. Note that FIG. 12 shows an example in which the transmission terminal 10aa enters the participation state. In the conference participation operation, various information is transmitted and received in the management information session sei (see FIG. 2).

[0112] First, when the user presses the operation button 108 to select to participate in the video conference, the operation input reception unit 12 receives a request to participate in the video conference with the transmission terminal 10db (step S41).

[0113] In response to this request, the transmission and reception unit 11 of the transmission terminal 10aa transmits participation request information including the terminal ID "01aa" of the transmission terminal 10aa and the terminal ID "01db" of the transmission terminal 10db to the transmission management device 50 indicating the intention to participate in the video conference (step S42).

[0114] As a result, the transmission and reception unit 51 of the transmission management device 50 receives the participation request information and can confirm the IP address "1.2.1.3" of the transmission terminal 10aa that is the transmission source.

[0115] Next, the state management unit 53 of the transmission management device 50 searches using the terminal ID "01aa" of the transmission terminal 10aa included in the participation request information as a search key, and sets the operating state of the transmission terminal 10aa that has made the participation request to "online (in transmission)" (step S43).

[0116] Next, the transmission / reception unit 51 of the transmission management device 50 transmits start request information including the terminal ID "01aa" of the transmission terminal 10aa to the transmission terminal 10db via the transmission network 2 (step S44). As a result, the transmission terminal 10db can grasp which transmission terminal 10 has requested to participate in the video conference.

[0117] Although the description is omitted for ease of understanding of the invention, in the terminal management DB5003 shown in FIG. 9, since the operating state of the transmission terminal 10cb is also "online (in transmission)", the transmission / reception unit 51 of the transmission management device 50 transmits start request information including the terminal ID "01aa" of the transmission terminal 10aa to the transmission terminal 10cb via the transmission network 2.

[0118] Next, the transmission terminal 10db transmits reception completion information indicating that the reception of the start request information from the transmission / reception unit 11 to the transmission management device 50 via the transmission network 2 has been completed (step S45).

[0119] Next, the transmission / reception unit 51 of the management system 50 transmits relay start request information representing a request to start relaying to the relay device 30 via the communication network 2 (step S46). The relay start request information includes the IP addresses "1.2.1.3" and "1.3.2.4" of the transmission terminal 10aa and the transmission terminal 10db, respectively.

[0120] As a result, the relay device 30 establishes a session for transmitting three types of image data, i.e., low resolution, medium resolution, and high resolution, as well as audio data, between the transmission terminals 10aa and 10db (step S47). In this way, the transmission terminal 10aa can participate in the video conference with the transmission terminal 10db.

[0121] On the other hand, the transmission / reception unit 51 of the management system 50 casts terminal state change information including the terminal ID "01aa" of the transmission terminal 10aa and the operation state "online (transmitting)" to each transmission terminal 10 registered in the terminal management DB 5003 (see FIG. 9) (step S48). As a result, each transmission terminal that has received the terminal state change information can store and display the operation state of the transmission terminal 10aa with the terminal ID "01aa" as necessary.

[0122] FIG. 13 is a sequence diagram showing the data transmission operation between the transmission terminals 10. In the data transmission operation shown in FIG. 13, image data and audio data are transmitted and received in the image / audio data session sed (see FIG. 2).

[0123] As described with reference to FIG. 12, when a session is established between the transmission terminals 10aa and 10db, the transmission terminal 10aa transmits, via the transmission / reception unit 51, the image data captured by the imaging unit 14 and the audio data obtained by converting the audio signal input to the audio input unit 15a to the relay device 30 (step S60).

[0124] The relay device 30 that has received the image data and the audio data from the transmission terminal 10aa transmits the received image data and audio data to each of the transmission terminals 10aa and 10db participating in the video conference (steps S61-1 and S61-2).

[0125] Each of the transmission terminals 10aa and 10db that has received the image data and the audio data from the relay device 30 causes the display control unit 17 to display the image represented by the received image data on the display 120, and causes the audio output unit 15b to output the audio represented by the received audio data from the speaker 150 (steps S62-1 and S62-2).

[0126] Next, the transmission terminal 10db transmits, via the transmission / reception unit 51, the image data captured by the imaging unit 14 and the audio data obtained by converting the audio signal input to the audio input unit 15a to the relay device 30 (step S63).

[0127] The relay device 30 that has received image data and audio data from the transmission terminal 10db transmits the received image data and audio data to each transmission terminal 10aa, 10db participating in the video conference (steps S64-1, S64-2).

[0128] Each transmission terminal 10aa, 10db that has received image data and audio data from the relay device 30 causes the display control unit 17 to display the image represented by the received image data on the display 120 and causes the sound output unit 15b to output the sound represented by the received audio data to the speaker 150 (steps S65-1, S65-2).

[0129] In this way, the transmission terminals 10aa, 10db can hold a video conference via the relay device 30. In FIG. 13, for ease of understanding of the present invention, the transmission terminals 10 participating in the video conference are shown as two transmission terminals 10aa, 10db. However, even if there are three or more transmission terminals 10 participating in the video conference, the image data and audio data are transmitted in the same manner as the data transmission operation shown in FIG. 13.

[0130] Here, the image display of the transmission terminal 10 will be described. In the present embodiment, the display control unit 17 takes two display modes: a full-image display mode and an information display mode. The switching between these display modes is performed, for example, in response to an operation of the operation button 108.

[0131] As shown in FIG. 14, in the full-image display mode, the display control unit 17 of the transmission terminal 10 causes all the images transmitted from each transmission terminal 10 participating in the video conference to be displayed on the display 120.

[0132] In the display screen shown in FIG. 14, one relatively wide first image area 500 and a plurality of relatively narrow second image areas 510 are allocated. For example, in each second image area 510, an image represented by the image data transmitted from each transmission terminal 10 participating in the video conference is displayed, and in the first image area 500, an image represented by the image data of the main transmission terminal among the transmission terminals 10 participating in the video conference is displayed.

[0133] For example, the display control unit 17 identifies, as a main terminal, the transmission terminal that is the source of the audio data representing voice among the received audio data among the transmission terminals 10 participating in the video conference. Here, the audio data representing voice refers to the audio data for which voice sections have been detected for each received audio data and for which it has been determined that there are voice sections. Note that the detection of voice sections can be realized using known techniques (see, for example, Non-Patent Document 1).

[0134] On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 15, in the information display mode, the display control unit 17 of the transmission terminal 10 causes the display 120 to display terminal information including at least the terminal name and terminal ID of each transmission terminal 10 participating in the video conference.

[0135] In the display screen shown in FIG. 15, an image display area 520 for displaying an image and a terminal information display area 530 for displaying terminal information are allocated. For example, in the terminal information display area 530, the terminal information of the transmission terminals 10 participating in the video conference is displayed in a list.

[0136] Note that those for which the terminal name is not displayed among the terminal information displayed in the list represent transmission terminals 10 that are not registered as candidates for the destination terminal of the own terminal in the destination list management DB5004 (see FIG. 10).

[0137] For example, in the display screen shown in FIG. 15, the transmission terminal 10db has its terminal name displayed because it is registered in the destination list management DB5004 as a candidate for the destination terminal of the transmission terminal 10aa, while the transmission terminal 10cb does not have its terminal name displayed because it is not registered in the destination list management DB5004 as a candidate for the destination terminal of the transmission terminal 10aa.

[0138] In the image display area 520, an image represented by the image data of the main transmission terminal among the transmission terminals 10 participating in the video conference is displayed. For example, the display control unit 17 identifies, among the transmission terminals 10 participating in the video conference, the transmission terminal that is the source of the audio data representing voice among the received audio data as the main transmission terminal. Further, when the operation input reception unit 12 receives that one transmission terminal has been selected from the transmission terminals 10 participating in the video conference in response to the operation of the operation button 108 by the user, the display control unit 17 may identify the selected transmission terminal as the main transmission terminal.

[0139] FIG. 16 is a sequence diagram showing a terminal information display operation for causing the terminal information display area 530 to display the terminal information displayed in the terminal information display area 530 when the transmission terminal 10 is switched to the information display mode. In the terminal information display operation shown in FIG. 16, various types of information are transmitted and received in the management information session sei.

[0140] First, the transmission terminal 10 transmits a terminal information request signal representing a request for the terminal information of the transmission terminals participating in the video conference to the transmission management device 50 (step S70). The terminal state acquisition unit 55 of the transmission management device 50 that has received the terminal information request signal searches the terminal management DB5003 (see FIG. 9) of the storage unit 5000 using the IP address of the source of the terminal information request signal as a search key, and acquires the terminal ID of the transmission terminal that has transmitted the terminal information request signal (step S71).

[0141] Next, the terminal state acquisition unit 55 searches the terminal management DB5003 to search for the terminal ID and terminal name whose operation state is "online (in transmission)" (step S72). In the present embodiment, the terminal IDs detected by the terminal state acquisition unit 55 are "01aa", "01cb", and "01db". Note that the operation state of the transmission terminal with the terminal ID "01aa" is set to "online (in transmission)" in step S43.

[0142] Next, the terminal state acquisition unit 55 searches the destination list management DB5004 (see FIG. 10) in the storage unit 5000 using the terminal ID detected in step S71 ("01aa" in this embodiment) as a search key, and acquires the terminal ID of the candidate destination terminal of the transmission source of the terminal information request signal (step S73).

[0143] For example, assuming that the terminal ID of the transmission terminal that transmitted the terminal information request signal is "01aa", the terminal IDs acquired by the terminal state acquisition unit 55 are "01ab", "01ba", and "01db".

[0144] Next, the terminal state acquisition unit 55 determines whether each terminal ID acquired in step S72 is included in the terminal ID of the transmission source of the terminal information request signal or the terminal ID acquired in step S73. If it is determined that it is included, the terminal ID and the terminal name are made to be responded to the transmission source of the terminal information request signal by the transmission / reception unit 51. If it is determined that it is not included, only the terminal ID is made to be responded to the transmission source of the terminal information request signal by the transmission / reception unit 51 (step S74).

[0145] For example, assuming that the terminal ID of the transmission terminal that transmitted the terminal information request signal is "01aa", the terminal IDs "01aa", "01db" and the terminal names "Japan Tokyo Office AA Terminal", "USA Washington Office DB Terminal" of the transmission terminals aa and db, and the terminal ID "01cb" of the transmission terminal cb are transmitted to the transmission terminal aa which is the transmission source of the terminal information request signal.

[0146] The display control unit 17 of the transmission terminal 10 that received this response displays the response content in the terminal information display area 530 as shown in the display screen of FIG. 14 (step S75).

[0147] <<Main Effects of this Embodiment>> As described above, in order to cause the transmission management device 50 to respond to the information of the transmission terminal 10 participating in the video conference, the transmission system 1 according to the present embodiment can let the user of each transmission terminal 10 know which transmission terminal 10 is participating in the video conference regardless of the number of transmission terminals 10 participating in the video conference.

[0148] Thereby, the transmission system 1 can notify the user without asking about the counterpart of the video conference in conversation, so that the conference time can be shortened. In addition, since the terminal name is not displayed for a transmission terminal that is not registered as a destination, the transmission system 1 can notify that an unknown person is participating in the video conference, and can proceed with the conference while paying attention to the content of the conversation.

[0149] Also, even when the transmission system 1 is displaying the terminal information on the display 120, it displays the image data of the main transmission terminal, so that the user can grasp the state of the base that is leading the conference at the current time.

[0150] 〔Supplement to the Embodiment〕 The relay device 30, the transmission management device 50, and the program providing device 90 in the above embodiment may be constructed by a single computer, or may be constructed by a plurality of computers arbitrarily assigned by dividing each part (function or means).

[0151] When the program providing device 90 is constructed by a single computer, the program transmitted by the program providing device 90 may be transmitted separately for a plurality of modules, or may be transmitted without separation.

[0152] Furthermore, when the program providing device 90 is constructed by a plurality of computers, it may be transmitted from each computer in a state where a plurality of modules are separated.

[0153] In addition, a recording medium such as a CD-ROM storing the transmission terminal control program, the relay device program, or the transmission management program of each of the above embodiments, and the program providing apparatus 90 including the HD204 and the HD204 storing these programs are all used as program products when the transmission terminal control program, the relay device program, and the transmission management program are provided to users or the like in Japan or overseas.

[0154] Furthermore, as an example of the quality of the image of the image data relayed by the relay device 30, the resolution of the image of the image data was focused on for management, but it is not limited thereto. As other examples of quality, management may be performed by focusing on the depth of the image quality of the image data, the sampling frequency of the sound in the sound data, the bit length of the sound in the sound data, and the like. Also, the sound data may be divided into three types of resolution (high resolution, medium resolution, low resolution) data for transmission and reception.

[0155] Also, in FIG. 9, the IP address of the transmission terminal 10 was managed, but it is not limited thereto, and any information for identifying the transmission terminal 10 on the transmission network 2 may be used. For example, the FQDN (Fully Qualified Domain Name) of the transmission terminal 10 may be managed. In this case, the IP address corresponding to the FQDN is acquired by a well-known DNS (Domain Name System) server.

[0156] Also, in the above embodiment, as an example of the transmission system 1, the case of a video conference system was described, but it is not limited thereto, and it may be a telephone system such as an IP (Internet Protocol) phone or an Internet phone.

[0157] Further, the transmission system 1 may be a car navigation system. In this case, for example, one of the transmission terminals 10 corresponds to a car navigation device mounted on an automobile, and the other of the transmission terminals 10 corresponds to a management terminal or a management server of a management center that manages car navigation, or a car navigation device mounted on another automobile. Also, the transmission system 1 may be configured by a mobile phone as the transmission terminal 10.

[0158] Also, in the above embodiment, image data and audio data were described as an example of content data, but it is not limited thereto, and tactile data may be used. In this case, the feeling touched by the user on one transmission terminal side is transmitted to the other transmission terminal side.

[0159] Furthermore, the content data may be olfactory data. In this case, the smell on one transmission terminal side is transmitted to the other transmission terminal side. Also, the content data may be at least one of image data, audio data, tactile data, and olfactory data.

[0160] Also, in the above embodiment, the case of holding a video conference by the transmission system 1 was described, but it is not limited thereto, and it may be used for meetings, general conversations among family members or friends, or one-way information presentation.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0161] 1 Transmission system 10 Transmission terminal 11 Transmission / reception unit (transmission unit, reception unit) 12 Operation input reception unit 15a Audio input unit (audio data input unit) 15b Audio input unit 17 Display control unit 19 Storage / readout processing unit 30 Relay device 50 Transmission management device 51 Transmission / reception unit (transmission unit, reception unit) 52 Terminal authentication unit 53 State Management Unit 54 Terminal Extraction Unit 55 Terminal Status Acquisition Unit 59 Memory and Read-Out Processing Unit 70 Router 90 Program Providing Device 112 Camera (Imaging Device) 113 Image Sensor I / F (Image Data Input Unit) 114 Microphone (Sound Collection Device) 120 Display (Display Device) 1000 Memory Unit 5000 Memory Unit 5002 Terminal Authentication Management DB 5003 Terminal Management DB (Terminal Management Table Storage Unit) 5004 Destination List Management DB (Destination List Management Table Storage Unit)

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0162]

Patent Document 1

Non-Patent Documents

[0163]

Non-Patent Document 1

Claims

1. In a transmission system including a transmission terminal and a management device that manages name information associated with the transmission terminal, the transmission terminal has a first function of displaying image data transmitted from another transmission terminal participating in communication based on image data in which it has participated by receiving an operation, and a second function of displaying a list of name information associated with other transmission terminals participating in the communication, the management device has a transmission unit that transmits name information associated with other transmission terminals participating in the same communication as the transmission terminal that has received the operation to the transmission terminal that has received the operation, the transmission terminal that has received the operation further includes a reception unit that receives the name information transmitted by the transmission unit, and a display control unit that displays a first screen that displays the image data transmitted from the other transmission terminal by the first function and does not include a specific display area in which the name information is displayed in a list by the second function, the display control unit further displays a second screen that displays the image data transmitted from the other transmission terminal by the first function and includes the specific display area, the first screen is displayed when a first mode among a plurality of display modes is selected, and the second screen is displayed when a second mode different from the first mode among the plurality of display modes is selected, the display control unit, when receiving an operation for switching the display mode in a state where the first screen is being displayed, switches and displays the second screen from the first screen, and when receiving the operation in a state where the second screen is being displayed, switches and displays the first screen from the second screen A transmission system characterized by the above.

2. The management device after receiving the operation, in response to a request transmitted from the transmission terminal that has received the operation further includes an information acquisition unit that acquires name information associated with other transmission terminals participating in the same communication as the transmission terminal that has transmitted the request, The transmission system according to claim 1, wherein the transmission unit transmits the information acquired by the information acquisition unit.

3. The management device A terminal information storage unit that stores terminal information including at least an identifier of a transmission terminal and name information associated with the transmission terminal; further comprising a destination list management unit that manages a destination list associated with the transmission terminal, when the information acquisition unit receives a terminal information request representing a request for information for identifying other transmission terminals participating in the same communication as the transmission terminal that received the operation, among the other transmission terminals, for transmission terminals registered in the destination list associated with the transmission terminal that transmitted the terminal information request, the identifier and name information included in the terminal information are acquired, and for transmission terminals not registered in the destination list, the identifier included in the terminal information is acquired. The transmission system according to claim 2, characterized in that.

4. The transmission system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the name information associated with the other transmission terminal is information registered or changed in response to a request from the other transmission terminal.

5. The transmission system according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that content data is transmitted or received between other transmission terminals participating in the same communication as the transmission terminal that received the operation.

6. The transmission system according to claim 5, characterized in that the content data includes at least image data and audio data.

7. The transmission system according to claim 5 or claim 6, characterized in that other transmission terminals participating in the same communication as the transmission terminal that received the operation transmit or receive the content data via a relay device.

8. The transmission system according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the transmission terminal is any one of a communication terminal, a car navigation device, or a mobile phone.

9. The transmission system according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the name information indicates an identification name of the other transmission terminal.

10. The management device further has a state management unit that manages the participation state of the transmission terminal in the meeting, The transmission system according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that the transmission unit transmits name information associated with another transmission terminal indicating that the participation state is participating in the meeting to the transmission terminal that received the operation.

11. In a transmission terminal connected to at least one or more computers via a network, a first function of displaying image data transmitted from another transmission terminal participating in communication based on the image data participated in by receiving an operation, and a second function of displaying a list of name information associated with the other transmission terminals participating in the communication. a receiving unit that receives name information associated with other transmission terminals participating in the same communication as the transmission terminal, transmitted by any one of the at least one or more computers. a display control unit that displays a first screen for displaying the image data transmitted from the other transmission terminal by the first function, the first screen not including a specific display area for displaying the name information by the second function. The display control unit further displays a second screen for displaying the image data transmitted from the other transmission terminal by the first function, the second screen including the specific display area. The first screen is displayed when a first mode among a plurality of display modes is selected, and the second screen is displayed when a second mode different from the first mode among the plurality of display modes is selected. When the display control unit receives an operation for switching the display mode while the first screen is being displayed, it switches and displays the second screen from the first screen, and when it receives the operation while the second screen is being displayed, it switches and displays the first screen from the second screen. A transmission terminal characterized by the above.

12. In a transmission terminal control method executed by a transmission terminal having a first function of displaying image data transmitted from another transmission terminal participating in communication based on the image data participated in by receiving an operation, and a second function of displaying a list of name information associated with the other transmission terminals participating in the communication, and being connected to at least one or more computers via a network. a receiving step of receiving name information associated with other transmission terminals participating in the same communication as the transmission terminal, transmitted by any one of the at least one or more computers. A display control step of displaying a first screen that displays the image data transmitted from the other transmission terminal by the first function, the first screen not including a specific display area for displaying the name information in a list by the second function. The display control step further includes displaying a second screen that displays the image data transmitted from the other transmission terminal by the first function, the second screen including the specific display area. The first screen is displayed when a first mode among a plurality of display modes is selected, and the second screen is displayed when a second mode different from the first mode among the plurality of display modes is selected. When the display control step receives an operation for switching the display mode while the first screen is being displayed, the second screen is switched from the first screen and displayed. When the operation is received while the second screen is being displayed, the first screen is switched from the second screen and displayed. A transmission terminal control method characterized by the above.

13. A transmission terminal connected via a network to at least one or more computers. A first function of displaying image data transmitted from another transmission terminal participating in communication based on image data participated in by receiving an operation. A second function of displaying a list of name information associated with other transmission terminals participating in the communication. A receiving unit that receives name information associated with other transmission terminals participating in the same communication as the transmission terminal, transmitted by any one of the at least one or more computers. Function as a display control unit that displays a first screen that displays the image data transmitted from the other transmission terminal by the first function, the first screen not including a specific display area for displaying the name information in a list by the second function. The display control unit further includes displaying a second screen that displays the image data transmitted from the other transmission terminal by the first function, the second screen including the specific display area. The first screen is displayed when a first mode among a plurality of display modes is selected, and the second screen is displayed when a second mode different from the first mode among the plurality of display modes is selected. When the display control unit receives an operation for switching the display mode while the first screen is being displayed, it switches and displays the second screen from the first screen, and when it receives the operation while the second screen is being displayed, it switches and displays the first screen from the second screen. A transmission terminal control program characterized by the above.

14. The transmission terminal control program according to claim 13, characterized in that the name information associated with the other transmission terminal is information registered or changed in response to a request from the other transmission terminal.

15. The transmission terminal control program according to any one of claims 13 to 14, characterized in that content data is transmitted or received between other transmission terminals participating in the same communication as the transmission terminal that received the operation.

16. The transmission terminal control program according to claim 15, characterized in that the content data includes at least image data and audio data.

17. The transmission terminal control program according to claim 15 or claim 16, characterized in that other transmission terminals participating in the same communication as the transmission terminal that received the operation transmit or receive the content data via a relay device.

18. The transmission terminal control program according to any one of claims 13 to 17, characterized in that the transmission terminal is any one of a communication terminal, a car navigation device, or a mobile phone.

19. The transmission terminal control program according to any one of claims 13 to 18, characterized in that the name information indicates an identification name of the other transmission terminal.

Images