468 results about "Videophone" patented technology

In conjunction with the dial-up public telephone system, voice quality lines carry videophone signals for monitoring a multitude of locations from at least one central station for use in a variety of applications, such as for security, surveillance, quality control and inspection, regulation of food and/or other standards in food-related and other facilities, market research, remote monitoring of deposit and withdrawal of funds at bank vaults, grocery chains, convenience stores, and the like. At the central station, telephonic interface apparatus is actuated by a control unit to selectively accomplish a telephonic connection with a remote location. Displays include the scene at the remote location and related graphic data. During routine operation, remote locations are displayed in sequence to at least one operator. Such operation may be interrupted either from a remote location or central station in the event of an urgency. In such an event, the concerned scrutiny location is displayed for further communication involving status, camera selection, camera configuration, audio, video and so on. Incoming calls from scrutiny stations imply an urgent situation for immediate display. The called number, by dialed number identification system (DNIS) may indicate the status while the calling number identifies the location by automatic number identification (ANI) signals. Alternative signalling and code techniques afford flexible operation as with respect to various graphic and status indications available for displays.

A telecommunications system for conferencing including a network. The system comprises N nodes in communication with each other through the network, where N is greater than or equal to three and is an integer. Each node of the N nodes able to produce a unique corresponding video stream having a bandwidth and a unique corresponding audio stream having a bandwidth for transmission over the network to other nodes of the N nodes, with each stream's bandwidth from each node being dynamically controlled and set at predetermined levels. A method for conferencing in a telecommunications system. A bandwidth manager. A method for controlling bandwidth in a telecommunications network. A telecommunications system for conferencing. Including a network. The system comprises N nodes in communication with each other through the network, where N is greater than or equal to three and is an integer. Each node able to produce at least one unique corresponding video stream and a unique corresponding audio stream for transmission over the network to other nodes of the N nodes. Each node able to selectively receive any stream from any of the other nodes. A videophone. A method for a video call.

A notebook computer-telephone includes a body that is comprised of at least two hinged parts, a microphone, a speaker, and a ported speaker cover that is rotatably attached to the body. The cover has at least two useful positions. The first position direct sound from the speaker out of the body when the hinge is closed. In this position the speaker is useful in conjunction with the microphone for telephone use. The second position is useful when the hinge is open, directing sound from the speaker out of the body within the area exposed by the opened hinge. Multiple resting positions created by the hinged structure are useful, especially for speakerphone use. A position of the cover that protects the speaker when the hinge is closed is provided. All three positions are achieved without an impact on the size of the device. A second microphone as well as a camera may be provided for flexibility and videophone use. The speaker and the camera may be mounted in conjunction with the cover.

A system allocates channel bandwidth based on the data received from a plurality of remote sources. A de-multiplexer/priority circuit separates two or more different data streams into their components parts. A stream modification driver modifies one or more characteristics of the data received from the de-multiplexer/priority circuit based on a priority assigned to the data by the de-multiplexer/priority circuit. The de-multiplexer/priority circuit determines the data transfer rates for each of the different data streams based on the assigned priority.

Apparatus and method for purchasing cash from an ATM. The ATM has a unique identifier visibly located thereon. A customer phone includes a camera and a programmable memory. The camera can be used to capture an image of the ATM's identifier. The memory includes customer account data. A customer uses their phone to establish wireless communication with a transaction host. The customer can transmit to the host a request for cash from the ATM. The request includes the account data and the image. The host can use the account data in payment for the requested cash. The host can use the image to identify the particular ATM associated with the request. After payment, the host causes the identified ATM to dispense the requested cash.

Wireless vPhone series of products: vPhone, v³Phone Console and v³Phone. vPhone (video phone) is a handheld phone with an external connector that connects (via external cable) to a vehicular/portable console (v³Phone Console) or other devices that will provide a larger display screen for viewing LiveTV, Videos, Music, GPS mapping, Voicemail, Games, and other features of the connected/associated vPhone. The vPhone subscriber's wireless subscription information (includes telephone number) and stored data (voicemail, photos, videos, music, etc) is transferred to the v³Phone Console. All data transferred to the v³Phone Console can be automatically erased once the connected/associated vPhone is removed or when another vPhone is connected/associated. The v³Phone Console will become the cell phone (vphone) remote console of the User who connects his/her personal vPhone to it. The v³Phone is a stand-a-lone, complete cell phone unit that does not need to be connected to vPhone, and will require separate Wireless Carrier subscription for wireless services. Both will operate on vehicle power and/or a rechargeable battery for portable operation.

Apparatus and method for purchasing cash from an ATM. The ATM has a unique identifier visibly located thereon. A customer phone includes a camera and a programmable memory. The camera can be used to capture an image of the ATM's identifier. The memory includes customer account data. A customer uses their phone to establish wireless communication with a transaction host. The customer can transmit to the host a request for cash from the ATM. The request includes the account data and the image. The host can use the account data in payment for the requested cash. The host uses the image to identify the particular ATM associated with the request. After payment, the host causes the identified ATM to dispense the requested cash.

A method for providing advertising to a video telephone is disclosed, including the steps of monitoring the usage of the video telephone to detect a number of user activities. The detected user activities are stored within a database. The stored user activities within the database are used to generate directed content that is transmitted to the video telephone.

A video phone includes an image sensing unit, face detection unit, image sensing adjustment unit, and communication control unit. The image sensing unit senses the face of a user serving as an object and generates image information. The image sensing unit has enlargement and reduction functions for the object in the image sensing range. The face detection unit detects the user's face from the image information generated by the image sensing unit. The image sensing adjustment unit sets, in the image information generated by the image sensing unit, a core area which has redundancy and contains a face area serving as an area corresponding to the face detected by the face detection unit. The image sensing adjustment unit controls the image sensing unit, and generates image information by performing at least one of enlargement and reduction processes on the core area under a predetermined condition. The communication control unit transmits the image information generated by the image sensing adjustment unit to a communication partner.

The present invention provides mathematically accurate image processing algorithms for extracting natural looking panoramic images and distortion-free rectilinear images from images acquired using a camera equipped with a wide-angle lens which is rotationally symmetric about an optical axis and devices implementing such algorithms. Imaging systems using this method can be used not only in security•surveillance applications for indoor and outdoor environments, but also in diverse areas such as video phone for apartment entrance door, rear view camera for vehicles, visual sensor for unmanned aerial vehicles and robots, camera phone, PC camera, and broadcasting camera. Also, it can be used to obtain panoramic or rectilinear photographs using a digital camera.

A mobile phone multimedia chatting system and a method thereof is provided for transmitting text inputted from a user with selected image and selected audio. According to the mobile phone, the multimedia chatting system and the method thereof, not only videophone but also the multimedia chatting is provided to a user without modifying a related art of H.324 protocol. Also, the multimedia chanting service is provided to a mobile phone without a built-in camera or a built-in microphone.

The invention discloses a mobile terminal and a method for partially amplifying images in a video call thereof. The method comprises the following steps: determining a display area to be amplified in an image play area in a display screen in accordance with a user instruction; and amplifying the far-end images in the display area to be amplified to the amplified display area in accordance with the set amplified display area so as to cover the original picture play. The method for partially amplifying the videophone far-end images can maximally reduce image fault caused in the amplification process, and overcomes the difficulty that some partial details of the far-end images can not be watched clearly on a cell phone because of the limited display screen area of the existing videophone terminal in the current market. The mobile terminal users using the invention can timely capture some image information concerned by the users in the display screen by the videophone, thereby not only enriching functions of the cell phone, but also promoting videophone experiences of the users.

Herein described is a system and method that tracks the face of a person engaged in a videophone conversation. In addition to performing facial tracking, the invention provides stabilization of facial images that are transmitted during the videophone conversation. The face is tracked by employing one or more algorithms that correlate videophone captured facial images against a stored facial image. The face may be better identified by way of employing one or more voice recognition algorithms. The one or more voice recognition algorithms may correlate utterances of the person engaged in a conversation to one or more stored utterances. The identified utterances are subsequently mapped to a stored facial image. In a representative embodiment, the system used for performing facial tracking and image stabilization comprises an image sensor, a lens, an actuator, and a controller/processor.

Between a display of a videophone apparatus and a cover thereof, there are disposed lenses 114, 116, 118 and a half mirror, having sufficiently small areas as compared to the surface areas of the display and the cover. The half mirror enables light from the display to transmit to the cover, and reflects light from the outside, so as to lead to a camera. The camera is disposed at a position at which the light reflected by the half mirror can be imaged. Lenses 114, 116 are disposed in opposite positions sandwiching the half mirror. Light from the display passes through lens 114, transmits through the half mirror, and further, passes through lens 116, so as to be led to the cover. Also, light from the cover passes through lens 116, and is reflected by the half mirror, and then passing through lens 118, so as to be led to the camera.

An at-home medical consultation system includes a reception server, a communication server, a mail server, an administration server, doctor terminals, a nurse terminal, a waiting room terminal, a reception terminal and a pharmacy terminal, and is connected to patient terminals via a communication line to provide an at-home medical consultation service by videophone. The communication server includes a destination table and provides a virtual consultation room, a virtual waiting room, a virtual nursing room and a virtual individual conversation room depending upon the desired operation. The patient terminal includes a nurse call button and a medical examination sensor such that the nurse terminal can be called when the patient's condition suddenly deteriorates and vital signs of the patient can be remotely monitored.

The invention provides a method for coordinately shooting in a videophone and a mobile terminal. The method comprises: a first mobile terminal establishes a videophone with a second mobile terminal; the first mobile terminal receives image data acquired by the second mobile terminal after sending a shooting request, and then combines the received image data with the image data provided by the terminal according to a preset rule; and the first mobile terminal stores the combined image data after receiving a shooting instruction input by a user. According to the invention, the problem that the traditional mobile terminal cannot be used for coordinately shooting is solved, thereby remotely shooting or transcribing a video in a videophone process.

The invention discloses a method for realizing video conference notification and a device. The method is characterized in that when a calling party launches conference requests, a mobile terminal sets and stores a new conference, and then sends generated new conference data packets to a video conference server via a mobile gateway; after receiving the new conference data packets, the video conference server fixes the notification time and automatically edits the contents of conference prompt and short message prompt according to the on-line and off-line conditions of the participants when the notification time is around the corner, and then the video conference server sends the contents to the on-line and off-line participants via the mobile gateway and short message centers so that the participants can timely receive the conference notification; the participants quickly participate in the video conference by clicking the video conference server address provided in the conference prompt or short message prompt. The invention further realizes intercommunication between PC and the mobile terminal based on current video conferences and reduces the net flow cost at the mobile terminal of the users.