Television receiver with a TV phone function
View Patent ↗A videophone system includes a processor which selectively sets a television (TV) broadcast program viewing function mode and videophone function mode in response to manual operation of a remote control, a decoder which performs, in the TV program view mode, a TV program-use decode function for decoding a broadcast program signal received from a TV tuner to thereby display it on a display screen while producing audio sounds by loudspeakers and which performs, in the videophone function mode a videophone-use decode function for decoding a videophone signal received from a distant party to thereby display on the screen an image of the distant party using the screen and speakers, and an encoder which performs a videophone-use encode function for encoding a video signal from a camera and a voice signal from a microphone to generate a videophone signal, which is sent to the distant party via a network.
1. A digital information transmitting and receiving apparatus which transmits and receives digital information, comprising:
a communication means which receives first digital information including a first video information;
a network connection means which receives second digital information including second video information from a content server, or third digital information including third video information from another communication device;
an encoder which generates fourth digital information including encoded fourth video information wherein fourth video information is obtained from a camera;
a first decoder which decodes the first digital information;
a second decoder which decodes the second digital information or the third digital information;
a display means which displays decoded first video information, decoded second video information or decoded third video information, wherein the first video information is decoded by the first decoder, and the second video information or the third video information is decoded by the second decoder;
an input means which receives an input from a user; and
a control means configured to:
display the decoded first video information and second video information simultaneously on the display means, wherein the second video information is included in the second digital information received from the content server and decoded by the second decoder, while displaying the decoded first video information on the display means, wherein the first video information is included in the first digital information received with the communication means and decoded by the first decoder,
in a case of receiving an incoming call of videophone communication from the other communication device during the simultaneous display of the first video information and the second video information on the display means, notify a temporary suspension of a transmission process of the second digital information with respect to the content server, initiate generation of the fourth digital information by the encoder and display the decoded third video information and the first video information on the display means, wherein the third video information included in the received third digital information is decoded by the second decoder, and
in a case of receiving a stop instruction of the videophone communication from the other communication device or in a case where the input received by the input means is for ending the videophone communication, stop displaying the third video information on the display means and stop generating the fourth digital information by the encoder.
2. The digital information transmitting and receiving apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein after the videophone communication is finished, the control means is further configured to restart reception of the second digital information from the content server.
3. The digital information transmitting and receiving apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein, in a case where the network connection means does not receive the third digital information from the other communication device for a predetermined time period, the control means is further configured to stop generating the fourth digital information by the encoder.
4. The digital information transmitting and receiving apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein, in a case where the network connection means does not receive the third digital information from the other communication device for a predetermined time period, the control means is further configured to stop generating the fourth digital information by the encoder.