Communication apparatus and method for receiving an inbound videophone call notice while displaying digital information on the display
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 communication apparatus for transmitting and receiving digital information to and from another communication apparatus, comprising:
a network interface configured to receive first digital information from a contents server which is coupled to the communication apparatus via the network interface and second digital information from the another communication apparatus;
a decoder configured to decode the first digital information and the second digital information;
a camera configured to generate video information;
a storage configured to record the video information from the camera;
a display configured to display at least one of decoded first digital information and decoded second digital information; and
a processor;
wherein the processor is configured to:
in response to receiving an inbound video-phone call during a first operation mode in which the video information from the camera is recorded to the storage,
stop recording of the video information from the camera to the storage without user interaction for stopping recording of the video information from the camera,
thereafter, switch from the first operation mode to a second operation mode in which third digital information is generated by encoding video information from the camera for a video-phone call and the third digital information is output to the another communication apparatus;
in the second operation mode, display the decoded second digital information of the video-phone call on the display; and
stop outputting the third digital information to the another communication apparatus when the processer receives an input for stopping the video-phone call,
wherein, in the first operation mode while the video information from the camera is recorded to the storage, the display is configured to display a phone call arrival message on the display based on the inbound video-phone call.
2. The communication apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a microphone configured to generate audio information which is included in the third digital information; and
an echo canceller which cancels audio information of the first digital information from audio information output from the microphone.
3. The communication apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein, in the second operation mode the display simultaneously displays the decoded second digital information of the video-phone call and the decoded first digital information.
4. The communication apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:
wherein the decoder includes a first decoder for decoding the received first digital information and a second decoder for decoding the received second digital information.
5. The communication apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to control the display to perform two-window display for simultaneously displaying on one screen a video image based on the decoded first digital information by the first decoder and a video image based on the decoded second digital information by the second decoder.
6. The communication apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein an externally exposed portion of the camera and a display surface of the display are on the same side of the communication apparatus.
7. The communication apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to switch from the first operation mode to a third operation mode based on an input for executing a video on demand function and the network interface is configured to wherein the processor implements a third operation mode during which the network interface receives the first digital information from the contents server to implement the video on demand function, the third operation mode corresponding to a video on demand function.
8. The communication apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein the video on demand function includes downloading the first digital information, via the network interface, into the storage based on an input for downloading the first digital information.
9. The communication apparatus according to claim 7 , further comprising an HTML browser, wherein the processor is configured to implement the video on demand function using the HTML browser and the first digital information is displayed in the HTML browser after being received from the contents server in the third operation mode.
10. A communication apparatus for transmitting and receiving digital information to and from another communication apparatus, comprising:
a network interface configured to receive first digital information from a contents server which is coupled to the communication apparatus via the network interface and second digital information from the another communication apparatus;
a decoder configured to decode the first digital information and the second digital information;
a camera configured to generate video information;
a storage configured to record the video information from the camera;
a display configured to display at least one of decoded first digital information and decoded second digital information; and
a processor;
wherein the processor is configured to:
in response to receiving an inbound video-phone call during a first operation mode in which the first digital information is reproduced on the display,
stop reproducing of the decoded first digital information without user interaction for stopping reproducing of the first digital information,
thereafter, switch from the first operation mode to a second operation mode in which third digital information is generated by encoding video information from the camera for the video-phone call and the third digital information is output to the another communication apparatus,
in the second operation mode, display the decoded second digital information of the video-phone on the display, and
stop outputting the third digital information to the another communication apparatus when the processor receives an input for stopping the video-phone call,
wherein, in the first operation mode while the decoded first digital information is displayed on the display, the display is configured to display a phone call arrival message on the display based on the inbound video-phone call.
11. The communication apparatus according to claim 10 , wherein the processor is further configured to, in response to receiving the input for stopping the video-phone call, resume reproducing of the decoded first digital information.
12. The communication apparatus according to claim 10 , further comprising:
a microphone configured to generate audio information which is included in the third digital information; and
an echo canceller which cancels audio information of the first digital information from audio information output from the microphone.
13. The communication apparatus according to claim 10 , wherein, in the second operation mode, the display simultaneously displays the decoded second digital information of the video-phone call and the decoded first digital information.
14. The communication apparatus according to claim 10 , wherein the decoder includes a first decoder for decoding the received first digital information and a second decoder for decoding the received second digital information.
15. The communication apparatus according to claim 14 , wherein the processor is further configured to control the display to perform two-window display for simultaneously displaying on one screen a video image based on the decoded first digital information by the first decoder and a video image based on the decoded second digital information by the second decoder.
16. The communication apparatus according to claim 10 , wherein an exposed portion of the camera and a display surface of the display are on the same side of the communication apparatus and the external server is a contents server.
17. The communication apparatus according to claim 10 , wherein the processor is configured to switch from the first operation mode to a third operation mode based on an input for executing a video on demand function, the video on demand function including downloading moving picture information, via the network interface, into the storage based on an input for downloading moving picture information.
18. The communication apparatus according to claim 17 , further comprising an HTML browser, wherein the processor is configured to implement the video on demand function using the HTML browser and the moving picture information is displayed in the HTML browser in the third operation mode.
19. A method for transmitting and receiving digital information, executed by a communication apparatus comprising a camera, a network interface, a storage, a decoder, a display, a microphone and a processor, the method comprising:
receiving, via the network interface, first digital information from a contents server which is coupled to the communication apparatus;
receiving second digital information from another communication apparatus;
generating, using the camera, video information;
recording, in the storage, the video information generated by the camera in a first operation mode;
decoding the first digital information received from the contents server;
decoding the second digital information received from the another communication apparatus;
receiving, in the first operation mode, an inbound video-phone call during the recording of the video information;
displaying, while the video information from the camera is being recorded, a phone call arrival message on the display based on the inbound video-phone call;
in response to receiving the inbound video-phone call during the first operation mode,
stopping recording of the video information from the camera to the storage without user interaction for stopping recording of the video information from the camera, and
thereafter switching from the first operation mode to a second operation mode and generating third digital information by encoding video information from the camera for the video-phone call and outputting the third digital information to the another communication apparatus;
in the second operation mode:
displaying the decoded second digital information of the video-phone call on the display; and
stopping the outputting of the third digital information to the another communication apparatus when the processer receives an input for stopping the video-phone call.
20. The method according to claim 19 , further comprising:
generating audio information output from the microphone which is included in the third digital information; and
echo cancelling audio information of the first digital information from the audio information output from the microphone.
21. The method according to claim 19 , further comprising simultaneously displaying the decoded second digital information of the video-phone call and the decoded first digital information in the second operation mode.
22. The method according to claim 19 , further comprising performing a two-window display for simultaneously displaying on one screen a video image based on the decoded first digital information and a video image based on the decoded second digital information.
23. The method according to claim 19 , further comprising implementing a third operation mode during which the network interface receives the first digital information from the contents server, the third operation mode corresponding to a video on demand function, wherein the communication apparatus switches from the first operation mode to the third operation mode based on an input for executing the video on demand function.
24. The method according to claim 23 , further comprising implementing the video on demand function using an HTML browser, wherein the first digital information is displayed in the HTML browser after being received from the contents server in the third operation mode.
25. A method for transmitting and receiving digital information, executed by a communication apparatus comprising a camera, a network interface, a storage, a decoder, a display, a microphone and a processor, the method comprising:
receiving, via the network interface, first digital information from an external server which is coupled to the communication apparatus;
receiving second digital information from another communication apparatus;
generating, using the camera, video information;
decoding the first digital information received from the external server;
decoding the second digital information received from the another communication apparatus;
reproducing, in a first operation mode, the decoded first digital information;
receiving, in the first operation mode, an inbound video-phone call during the displaying of the decoded first digital information;
displaying, while the decoded first digital information is being displayed, a phone call arrival message based on the inbound video-phone call;
in response to receiving the inbound video-phone call during the first operation mode,
stopping reproducing of the first digital information without user interaction for stopping reproducing of the first digital information, and
thereafter switching from the first operation mode to a second operation mode and generating third digital information by encoding video information from the camera for the video-phone call and outputting the third digital information to the another communication apparatus;
in the second operation mode:
displaying the decoded second digital information of the video-phone call; and
stopping the outputting of the third digital information to the another communication apparatus when the processer receives an input for stopping the video-phone call.
26. The method according to claim 25 , the method further comprising:
resuming reproducing of the first digital information when receiving the input for stopping the video-phone call.
27. The method according to claim 25 , further comprising:
simultaneously displaying the decoded second digital information of the video-phone call and the decoded first digital information in the second operation mode; and
performing a two-window display for simultaneously displaying on one screen a video image based on the decoded first digital information and a video image based on the decoded second digital information, wherein the external server is a contents server.
28. The method according to claim 25 , further comprising implementing a third operation mode corresponding to a video on demand function, the video on demand function including downloading moving picture information, via the network interface, into the storage based on an input for downloading moving picture information.
29. The method according to claim 25 , further comprising implementing the video on demand function using an HTML browser, wherein the moving picture information is displayed in the HTML browser in the third operation mode.