Conversation communication system and conversation communication method
In a conversation communication system, a facial image of the communicator is stored, a distance between the communicator and a display and the direction of the face of the communicator are detected. It is determined whether or not the conversation communication is to be continued according to the detected distance and the detected facial direction. When the detected facial direction is a direction facing the display from the front, the conversation communication is to be continued. On the other hand, in a case where the detected facial direction is different, when the detected distance increases afterward, if any of the following conditions (1) and (2) is satisfied, the conversation communication is terminated: (1) the distance is undetectable; and (2) the detected facial direction is, for equal to or longer than a preset period of time, maintained at the direction different from the direction facing the display from the front.
1. A conversation communication system for implementing conversation between communicators, respectively, in a plurality of spaces which are distant from each other, using communication units provided respectively in the plurality of spaces to communicate with each other,
wherein each of the communication units includes:
a register configured to register a communicator in one of the plurality of spaces;
a storage configured to store a facial image of the communicator registered by the register;
a distance detector configured to detect a distance between the communicator whose facial image has been stored in the storage and a reference position set in the one of the plurality of spaces;
a direction detector configured to detect a facial or sight line direction of the communicator whose facial image has been stored in the storage; and
a determiner configured to determine, according to the distance detected by the distance detector and the facial or sight line direction detected by the direction detector, whether or not communication between the communication units is to be continued,
wherein, while the facial or sight line direction detected by the direction detector is a predetermined direction relative to an equipment placed at the reference position, the determiner determines that the communication between the communication units is to be continued, and
wherein when the distance detected by the distance detector increases after the facial or sight line direction detected by the direction detector has changed to a direction different from the predetermined direction relative to the equipment, if any of conditions (1) and (2) is satisfied, the determiner determines that the communication between the communication units is to be terminated,
the condition (1) being that the communicator whose facial image has been stored in the storage is at such a position that the distance is undetectable by the distance detector and
the condition (2) being that the facial or sight line direction detected by the direction detector is, for time equal to or longer than a preset period of time, maintained at the direction different from the predetermined direction relative to the equipment
wherein the register registers a person as the communicator when the person is in the one of the plurality of spaces and the person's facial or sight line direction detected by the direction detector is the predetermined direction relative to the equipment, and
wherein every time the communication between the communication units ends, the facial image of the communicator registered by the register is deleted from the storage.
2. The conversation communication system according to claim 1 , wherein the register registers a person satisfying a condition (3) as the communicator when the person is in the one of the plurality of spaces and the person's facial or sight line direction detected by the direction detector is the predetermined direction relative to the equipment, the condition (3) being that the distance to the reference position as detected by the distance detector does not increase during a period until a predetermined period of time is elapsed after the facial or sight line direction detected by the direction detector has changed to the predetermined direction relative to the equipment.
3. The conversation communication system according to claim 1 ,
wherein the each of the communication units includes, as the equipment, a display forming a display screen configured to display a video image of the communicator of another space of the plurality of spaces,
wherein the reference position is a placement position of the display in the one of the plurality of spaces, and
wherein the predetermined direction is a direction in which the person faces the display screen from a front thereof.
4. The conversation communication system according to claim 1 ,
wherein the distance detector includes a sensor placed in the one of the plurality of spaces and configured to output a signal corresponding to the distance when the communicator is in the one of the plurality of spaces, and
wherein the position at which the distance is undetectable by the distance detector is outside an area where the communicator is detectable by the sensor.
5. A conversation communication method for implementing conversation between communicators, respectively, in a plurality of spaces which are distant from each other, using communication units provided respectively in the plurality of spaces to communicate with each other, the method comprising:
registering, by a register included in each of the communication units, a communicator in a corresponding one of the plurality of spaces;
storing, by a storage included in the each of the communication units, a facial image of the communicator registered by the register;
detecting, by a distance detector included in the each of the communication units, a distance between the communicator whose facial image has been stored in the storage and a reference position set in the corresponding one of the plurality of spaces;
detecting, by a direction detector included in the each of the communication units, a facial or sight line direction of the communicator whose facial image has been stored in the storage; and
determining, by a determiner included in the each of the communication units, whether or not communication between the communication units is to be continued according to the distance detected by the distance detector and the facial or sight line direction detected by the direction detector,
wherein while the facial or sight line direction detected by the direction detector is a predetermined direction relative to an equipment placed at the reference position, the determiner determines that the communication between the communication units is to be continued, and
wherein when the distance detected by the distance detector increases after the facial or sight line direction detected by the direction detector has changed to a direction different from the predetermined direction relative to the equipment, if any of conditions (1) and (2) is satisfied, the determiner determines that the communication between the communication units is to be terminated,
the condition (1) being that the communicator whose facial image has been stored in the storage is at such a position that the distance is undetectable by the distance detector and
the condition (2) being that the facial or sight line direction detected by the direction detector is, time for equal to or longer than a preset period of time, maintained at the direction different from the predetermined direction relative to the equipment,
wherein the register registers a person as the communicator when the person is in the one of the plurality of spaces and the person's facial or sight line direction detected by the direction detector is the predetermined direction relative to the equipment, and
wherein every time the communication between the communication units ends, the facial image of the communicator registered by the register is deleted from the storage.