IP Library Granted Patent US 7,233,345
Granted Patent B2
US 7,233,345 · App. 10/843,419 · Granted Jun 19, 2007

Communication apparatus and method

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 7,233,345
App. No.
10/843,419
Granted
Jun 19, 2007
Kind
B2
Abstract

A communication apparatus includes an image sensing unit, voice recognition unit, keyword detection unit, auxiliary image selection unit, input image selector switch, and transmission unit. The image sensing unit senses a camera image. The voice recognition unit recognizes a phrase from input voice. The keyword detection unit detects coincidence between a registered keyword and the phrase output from the voice recognition unit. The auxiliary image selection unit selects a specific auxiliary image associated with the registered keyword in response to a coincidence detection output from the keyword detection unit. In response to the coincidence detection output, the input image selector switch selectively outputs one of the camera image output from the image sensing unit and an image containing the auxiliary image output from the auxiliary image selection unit. The transmission unit transmits the input voice and the image output from the input image selector switch. A communication method is also disclosed.

Claims (82)

1. A communication apparatus comprising:

image sensing means for sensing a camera image;

voice recognition means for recognizing a phrase from input voice;

keyword detection means for detecting coincidence between a registered keyword and the phrase output from said voice recognition means;

auxiliary image selection means for selecting a specific auxiliary image associated with the registered keyword in response to a coincidence detection output from said keyword detection means;

input image switching means for, in response to the coincidence detection output, selectively outputting one of the camera image output from said image sensing means and an image containing the auxiliary image output from said auxiliary image selection means; and

transmission means for transmitting the input voice and the image output from said input image switching means,

wherein

said keyword detection means outputs a switching signal to said input image switching means in response to the coincidence detection output, and

said input image switching means switches the image to be output from the camera image to the image containing the auxiliary image in response to the switching signal output from said keyword detection means.

2. An apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein

said keyword detection means outputs a specific switching signal to said input image switching means in response to detection of coincidence between a phrase and a specific keyword, and

said input image switching means switches the image to be output from the image containing the auxiliary image to the camera image in response to the specific switching signal output from said keyword detection means.

3. A communication apparatus comprising:

image sensing means for sensing a camera image;

voice recognition means for recognizing a phrase from input voice;

keyword detection means for detecting coincidence between a registered keyword and the phrase output from said voice recognition means;

auxiliary image selection means for selecting a specific auxiliary image associated with the registered keyword in response to a coincidence detection output from said keyword detection means;

input image switching means for, in response to the coincidence detection output, selectively outputting one of the camera image output from said image sensing means and an image containing the auxiliary image output from said auxiliary image selection means;

transmission means for transmitting the input voice and the image output from said input image switching means; and

image synthesis means for, in response to the coincidence detection output, synthesizing the camera image output from said image sensing means with the auxiliary image output from said auxiliary image selection means to generate a synthesized image and outputting the synthesized image to said input image switching means,

wherein in response to the coincidence detection output, said input image switching means switches between the camera image output from said image sensing means and the synthesized image output from said image synthesis means and outputs the switched image to said transmission means,

wherein

said keyword detection means outputs a switching signal to said input image switching means in response to the coincidence detection output, and

said input image switching means switches the image to be output from the camera image to the synthesized image in response to the switching signal output from said keyword detection means.

4. A communication apparatus comprising:

image sensing means for sensing a camera image;

voice recognition means for recognizing a phrase from input voice;

keyword detection means for detecting coincidence between a registered keyword and the phrase output from said voice recognition means;

auxiliary image selection means for selecting a specific auxiliary image associated with the registered keyword in response to a coincidence detection output from said keyword detection means;

input image switching means for, in response to the coincidence detection output, selectively outputting one of the camera image output from said image sensing means and an image containing the auxiliary image output from said auxiliary image selection means;

transmission means for transmitting the input voice and the image output from said input image switching means; and

image synthesis means for, in response to the coincidence detection output, synthesizing the camera image output from said image sensing means with the auxiliary image output from said auxiliary image selection means to generate a synthesized image and outputting the synthesized image to said input image switching means,

wherein in response to the coincidence detection output, said input image switching means switches between the camera image output from said image sensing means and the synthesized image output from said image synthesis means and outputs the switched image to said transmission means,

wherein said keyword detection means outputs a specific switching signal to said input image switching means in response to detection of coincidence between a phrase and a specific keyword, and

said input image switching means switches the image to be output from the synthesized image to the camera image in response to the specific switching signal output from said keyword detection means.

5. A communication method comprising:

sensing a camera image;

recognizing a phrase from input voice;

detecting coincidence between the phrase and a registered keyword;

selecting a specific auxiliary image associated with the registered keyword in response to a coincidence detection output;

in response to the coincidence detection output, selectively outputting one of the sensed camera image and an image containing the selected auxiliary image; and

transmitting one of the output camera image and the auxiliary image,

wherein

the selective output step comprises the steps of:

outputting a switching signal in response to the coincidence detection output, and

switching the image to be output from the camera image to the image containing the auxiliary image in response to the switching signal.

6. A communication method comprising:

sensing a camera image;

recognizing a phrase from input voice;

detecting coincidence between the phrase and a registered keyword;

selecting a specific auxiliary image associated with the registered keyword in response to a coincidence detection output;

in response to the coincidence detection output, selectively outputting one of the sensed camera image and an image containing the selected auxiliary image; and

transmitting one of the output camera image and the auxiliary image,

wherein

the selective output step comprises the steps of:

outputting a specific switching signal in response to detection of coincidence between a phrase and a specific keyword, and

switching the image to be output from the image containing the auxiliary image to the camera image in response to the specific switching signal.

7. A communication method comprising:

sensing a camera image;

recognizing a phrase from input voice;

detecting coincidence between the phrase and a registered keyword;

selecting a specific auxiliary image associated with the registered keyword in response to a coincidence detection output;

in response to the coincidence detection output, selectively outputting one of the sensed camera image and an image containing the selected auxiliary image;

transmitting one of the output camera image and the auxiliary image; and

synthesizing the sensed camera image with the selected auxiliary image to generate a synthesized image,

wherein in the selective output means, one of the camera image and the synthesized image is selectively output wherein

the selective output step comprises the steps of

outputting a switching signal in response to the coincidence detection output, and

switching the image to be output from the camera image to the synthesized image in response to the switching signal.

8. A communication method comprising:

sensing a camera image;

recognizing a phrase from input voice;

detecting coincidence between the phrase and a registered keyword;

selecting a specific auxiliary image associated with the registered keyword in response to a coincidence detection output;

in response to the coincidence detection output, selectively outputting one of the sensed camera image and an image containing the selected auxiliary image;

transmitting one of the output camera image and the auxiliary image; and

synthesizing the sensed camera image with the selected auxiliary image to generate a synthesized image,

wherein

the selective output step comprises the steps of

outputting a specific switching signal in response to detection of coincidence between a phrase and a specific keyword, and

switching the image to be output from the synthesized image to the camera image in response to the specific switching signal.

Assignments (5)
CORRECTIVE ASSIGNMENT TO CORRECT THE SECOND CONVEYING PARTY NAME PREVIOUSLY RECORDED AT REEL: 037209 FRAME: 0592. ASSIGNOR(S) HEREBY CONFIRMS THE ASSIGNMENT. Recorded Dec 14, 2015
From: WARREN & LEWIS INVESTMENT CORPORATION; COMMIX SYSTEMS, LLC
To: NEC CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 037279/0685 →
NUNC PRO TUNC ASSIGNMENT Recorded Dec 4, 2015
From: WARREN & LEWIS INVESTMENT CORPORATION; COMMIX SYSTEMS, LCC
To: NEC CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 037209/0592 →
NOTICE OF TERMINATION Recorded Nov 14, 2014
From: WARREN & LEWIS INVESTMENT CORPORATION
To: NEC CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 034244/0623 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Oct 31, 2012
From: NEC CORPORATION
To: WARREN & LEWIS INVESTMENT CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 029216/0855 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded May 12, 2004
From: YONEDA, MICHIKO
To: NEC CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 015321/0314 →