Patent ID: 6529231
Filing Date: 2003-03-04
Classification: H04N

Abstract:
A television meeting system in which image data and voice data are transmitted and received among a plurality of terminal units,the terminal unit comprising: a camera for taking out motion picture image data; a microphone for taking out voice data; a monitor for displaying the motion picture image data; a loud-speaker for reproducing the voice data; a keyboard for taking out data selection data; an image data synthesizer for synthesizing the image data; a voice data synthesizer for synthesizing the voice data; a data recorder for recording the received voice and image data; a data controller for selecting the image data and voice data to be combined from the data received; a compressor for compressing the voice and image data; an expander for expanding the compressed voice and image data; a multiplexer for multiplexing the compressed voice and image data, and delivering the compressed data as communication data; a separator for separating the received communication data into voice data and motion picture image data; and a communicator for sending out and receiving the communication data to and from the opposite side terminal unit, wherein the data controller extracts the selected data among the data recorded in the data recorder according to the received data selection data, and delivers the extracted data to the image data synthesizer and the voice data synthesizer, the image data synthesizer synthesizes the data by combining the image data extracted from the data recorder as background with user's image data taken out from the camera, the voice data synthesizer synthesizes data from user's voice data taken out from the microphone, and delivers the synthesized data to the compressor, the compressor compresses the received image and voice data, and delivers the compressed data to the multiplexer, the multiplexer multiplexes the compressed image and voice data as the communication data, and delivers this communication data to the communicator, and the communicator transmits the received communication data via the communication line a plurality of terminal units are connected by a communication line to a data server, and when no data complying with the data selection data is present in the data recorder of the terminal unit, the data controller causes transfer of complying data from the data server via the communicator and the communication line to the data recorder.