Abstract:
A video conference system utilizing a mobile phone and the method thereof is provided. The video conference system includes a computer host, a mobile phone, a computer monitor, and an internet. The mobile phone includes an audio detection device, a photo-sensing device, a conversion unit, a transceiver unit, and a loudspeaker. The mobile phone records images and sounds, and outputs a video signal and an audio signal to the computer host accordingly. The computer further sends the video and audio signals to a remote client via an internet. The images and sounds in the remote client are sent to the computer host via the internet, and the sounds are played out by the loudspeaker of the mobile phone.

Description:
[0001]     This application claims the benefit of Taiwan application Serial No. 93134831, filed Nov. 12, 2004, the subject matter of which is incorporated herein by reference.  
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]     1. Field of the Invention  
         [0003]     The invention relates in general to a video conference system and method thereof, and more particularly to a video conference system utilizing a mobile phone and method thereof.  
         [0004]     2. Description of the Related Art  
         [0005]     The progressing internet has popularized the instant message software, such as MSN, ICQ, or the like, through which users can communicate with each other remotely without the limitation of distance. In the early stage, the instant message software only provides the text communication. With the increase of the internet bandwidth and the progress of the video/audio compression technology, the instant message software may also provide the audio and video transmission such that remote video conference may be implemented.  
         [0006]      FIG. 4  shows a conventional video conference system. Referring to  FIG. 4 , the conventional video conference system includes a computer host  420 , a computer monitor  422 , an internet video recorder  410 , a microphone  412  and a loudspeaker  414 . The video/audio transmission between users can be performed through an internet  430 . The internet video recorder  410  records the image VI of a local user. The microphone  412  captures the sound AI of the local user. A computer  420  assembles the video VI and audio AI into a packet DO and transmits the packet DO to the internet  430 . The computer  420  receives the video and audio packet DI of the remote user through the internet  430 , regains the image VO from the packet Dl displays the image VO on the computer monitor and broadcasts the sound AO by the loudspeaker  414 .  
         [0007]     However, the conventional video conference system needs too many peripheral devices, and the number of connection wires is too large such that the preparing procedure is very inconvenient, and the using procedure tends to distract the concentration owing to the large number of the peripheral devices.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0008]     It is therefore an object of the invention to provide a video conference system utilizing a mobile phone, wherein the system can effectively solve the problem of too many peripheral devices needed in the conventional video conference system.  
         [0009]     The invention achieves the above-identified object by providing a mobile phone adapted to a video conference system, which comprises a computer host and a computer monitor. The mobile phone includes an audio detection device, a photo-sensing device, a conversion unit, a transceiver unit and a loudspeaker. The photo-sensing device records images and outputs a first video signal. The audio detection device records voice and outputs a first audio signal. The conversion unit receives the first video signal and the first audio signal and outputs a first packet accordingly. The transceiver unit receives and converts the first packet into a first signal and outputs the first signal to the computer host. The computer host receives the first signal, and then regains the first video signal and the first audio signal from the first signal. The first audio signal is played out by the loudspeaker, and the first video signal is played out by the computer monitor. The computer host connected to an internet generates a first network packet to be sent to the internet according to the first video signal and the first audio signal. A second network packet is sent to the computer host through the internet. Then, the computer host regains the second video signal and the second audio signal from the second network packet, and generates and outputs a second signal to the transceiver unit according to the second audio signal. The transceiver unit receives the second signal, converts the second signal into a second packet, and forwards the second packet to the conversion unit. Next, the conversion unit receives and regains the second audio signal from the second packet. The loudspeaker plays out the second audio signal transmitted from the conversion unit.  
         [0010]     The invention also achieves the above-identified object by providing a video conferencing method utilizing a mobile phone in a video conference system. The mobile phone includes a photo-sensing device, an audio detection device, a conversion unit, a transceiver unit and a loudspeaker. The photo-sensing device outputs a first video signal, and the audio detection device outputs a first audio signal. The conversion unit receives the first video signal and the first audio signal, and generates a first packet according to the two received signals. The transceiver unit converts the first packet into a first signal and then outputs the first signal. A computer host regains the first video signal and the first audio signal from the received first signal. Then, the computer host plays out the first video signal and generates a first network packet to be sent to an internet according to the first video signal and the first audio signal. The computer host receives a second network packet through the internet and regains a second video signal and a second audio signal from the second network packet. The computer host converts the received second audio signal into a second signal and outputs the second signal. The transceiver unit receives the second signal and converts the second signal into a second packet, and forwards the second packet to the conversion unit. The conversion unit regains the second audio signal from the second packet and the loudspeaker plays the second audio signal.  
         [0011]     Other objects, features, and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of the preferred but non-limiting embodiments. The following description is made with reference to the accompanying drawings. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0012]      FIG. 1  shows a video conference system according to a preferred embodiment of the invention.  
         [0013]      FIGS. 2 and 3  are flow charts showing steps performed in the video conference system according to the preferred embodiment of the invention.  
         [0014]      FIG. 4  shows a conventional video conference system. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0015]      FIG. 1  shows a video conference system according to a preferred embodiment of the invention. The video conference system includes a computer host  140 , a computer monitor  142 , a mobile phone  100  and an internet  150 . The computer host  140  may communicate with the mobile phone  100  through a USB interface, a 1394 interface, or a radio interface such as an infrared interface or a bluetooth interface.  
         [0016]     The computer host  140  is further connected to the internet  150  in order to communicate with a remote client. The computer monitor  142 , which is connected to the computer host  140 , plays out the video signals V 1  and V 2  transferred from the mobile phone  100  and the internet  150 .  
         [0017]     The mobile phone  100  includes a photo-sensing device  110 , an audio detection device  112 , a loudspeaker  114 , a mobile phone monitor  116 , a conversion unit  120  and a transceiver unit  130 . The mobile phone  100  has a communication mode and a video-recording mode. In the video-recording mode, the mobile phone  100  may serve as a camera or a video recorder to capture static or dynamic images, or serve as a video recorder to capture the dynamic images in the video conferencing procedure.  
         [0018]     When the mobile phone  100  serves as the video recorder, the photo-sensing device  110  using the charge coupled device (CCD) or the complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) device, for example, receives the user&#39;s image and outputs a video signal V 1 . The audio detection device  112 , such as a microphone, receives the user&#39;s voice, and outputs an audio signal A 1 . The conversion unit  120  connected with the photo-sensing device  110  and the audio detection device  112  respectively, receives the video signal V 1  and the audio signal A 1  and converts them into a packet P 1 . Then, the transceiver unit  130  connected with the conversion unit  120  and the computer host  140  respectively, converts the packet P 1  into a first signal S 1  to be outputted to the computer host  140 . The transceiver unit  130  may have the USB interface, the 1394 interface or the radio interface such as the infrared interface, the fast infrared (FIR) interface or the bluetooth interface to communicate with the computer host  140 .  
         [0019]     Next, the computer host  140  receives the first signal S 1  and then regains the video signal V 1  and the audio signal A 1  from the first signal S 1 . The computer host  140  selectively plays out the video signal V 1  on the computer monitor  142 , generates a network packet P 3  according to the video signal V 1  and the audio signal A 1 , and then forwards the network packet P 3  to a remote client of the video conference through the internet  150 .  
         [0020]     The computer host  140  receives a network packet P 4  sent from the internet  150 , regains a video signal V 2  and an audio signal A 2  from the network packet P 4 , and selectively displays the video signal V 2  on the computer monitor  142 , and converts the audio signal A 2  into a second signal S 2 , which is to be forwarded to the transceiver unit  130 . The transceiver unit  130  forwards a packet P 2  composed of the second signal S 2  to the conversion unit  120 . The conversion unit  120  regains the audio signal A 2  from the packet P 2 . Finally, the loudspeaker  114  plays out the audio signal A 2 .  
         [0021]     This embodiment utilizes the computer monitor  142  to display the video signal V 2  from the remote client. In addition, it is also possible to display the video signal V 2  on the mobile phone monitor  116 , and detailed descriptions thereof will be omitted.  
         [0022]     In addition, when the mobile phone  100  is utilized to perform the video conference and a call comes, the mobile phone  100  may also selectively leave the video-recording mode and enter the communication mode to answer the call.  
         [0023]      FIGS. 2 and 3  are flow charts showing steps performed in the video conference system according to the preferred embodiment of the invention.  FIG. 2  is the flow chart showing the method for outputting video/audio signals from the local user. First, the photo-sensing device  110  of the mobile phone  100  is utilized to receive the user&#39;s image and output the video signal V 1  while the audio detection device  112  is utilized to receive the user&#39;s voice and output the audio signal A 1 , as shown in step  220 . Next, in step  230 , the conversion unit  120  is utilized to receive the video signal V 1  and the audio signal A 1  and convert the video signal V 1  and the audio signal A 1  into the packet P 1 . Then, the transceiver unit  130  is utilized to convert the packet P 1  into the first signal S 1  and output the first signal S 1  to the computer host  140 . In step  240 , the computer host  140  is utilized to regain the video signal V 1  and the audio signal A 1  from the packet P 1 , and selectively play out the video signal V 1  on the computer monitor  142 . Next, in step  250 , the computer host  140  is utilized to generate the network packet P 3  according to the video signal V 1  and the audio signal A 1 , and then the network packet P 3  is forwarded to the remote client of the video conference through the internet  150 .  
         [0024]      FIG. 3  is a flow chart showing a method for receiving video/audio signal from the remote client. First, in step  320 , the computer host  140  is utilized to receive the network packet P 4  sent from the internet  150 . In step  330 , the computer host  140  is utilized to regain the video signal V 2  and the audio signal A 2  from the network packet P 4 , and then display the video signal V 2  on the computer monitor  142 . Next, in step  340 , the computer host  140  is utilized to convert the audio signal A 2  into the second signal S 2 , and forward the second signal S 2  to the transceiver unit  130 . Then, in step  350 , the transceiver unit  130  is utilized to assemble the second signal S 2  into the packet P 2  and forward the packet P 2  to the conversion unit  120 . Next, in step  360 , the conversion unit  120  of the mobile phone  100  is utilized to regain the audio signal A 2  from the packet P 2 , and the loudspeaker  114  is utilized to play out the audio signal A 2 .  
         [0025]     The video conference system according to the embodiment of the invention has the following advantages. First, the number of peripheral elements required in the video conference system can be reduced. In the conventional video conference system, because there are too many peripheral devices, it will take more time for preparation and the user has to pay more attention to set up the whole system. The invention utilizes the mobile phone to achieve the functions of three conventional peripheral devices including the internet video recorder, the speaker, and the microphone, so the number of peripheral devices can be reduced, and the user may use the video conference system more conveniently. In addition, the mobile phone can further communicate with the computer host in a wireless manner, so the number of connection wires can be further reduced.  
         [0026]     Second, the cost of building the video conference system can be reduced. Because the current mobile phone has the function of video recording, the user does not have to additionally purchase the peripheral devices such as the internet video recorder when he or she wants to use the video conference system of the invention. Thus, the purchasing cost may also be reduced.  
         [0027]     While the invention has been described by way of example and in terms of a preferred embodiment, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited thereto. On the contrary, it is intended to cover various modifications and similar arrangements and procedures, and the scope of the appended claims therefore should be accorded the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and similar arrangements and procedures.