Television receiver with a TV phone function

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;
• an encoder for encoding the video information from the camera, the encoder having at least both a first encoding function and a second encoding function being different from each other, and configured to encode the video information using either the first encoding function or the second encoding function by switching between the at least first encoding function and the second encoding function possessed by the encoder depending on an operation mode, wherein the first encoding function for encoding the video information for recording so that the video information can be recorded in the communication apparatus and a second encoding function for encoding the video information for video-phone so that the video information can be transmitted to an outside of the communication apparatus as an image for video-phone communication;
• a storage configured to record the video information from the camera as encoded by the first encoding function of the encoder;
• a display configured to display at least one of decoded first digital information and decoded second digital information;
• and
• a processor configured to:
• i) control the operation mode of the communication apparatus based on an operational input to initiate a first operation mode in which the decoded first digital information is displayed on the display, wherein in the first operation mode, the processor switches the encoder to a state in which the encoder operates in the first encoding function so that the video information from the camera as encoded with the first encoding function can be recorded in the storage;
• ii) control the operation mode of the communication apparatus based on an inbound video-phone call received during the first operation mode to initiate a second operation mode in which the decoded second digital information is displayed on the display, wherein in the second operation mode, the processor switches the encoder from the state in which the encoder operates in the first encoding function to the state in which the encoder operates in the second encoding function so that the video information from the camera is encoded using the second encoding function of the encoder to generate third digital information for the video-phone call, and the third digital information is outputted to the another communication apparatus;
• and,
• iii) stop outputting of the third digital information to the another communication apparatus and control the operation mode of the communication apparatus to switch to the first operation mode in response to receiving an input for stopping the video-phone call,
• wherein the encoder is coupled to both the network interface and the storage,
• wherein, in the second operation mode:
• the display is configured to simultaneously display a first window including display of the decoded first digital information and a second window including display of the third digital information for rendering a video of a person answering the video-phone-call from the another communication apparatus, and
• wherein, in the first operation mode,
• the display is configured to display the first window including display of the decoded first digital information and not display the second window including display of the decoded third digital information for rendering the video of the person answering the video-phone-call from the another communication apparatus.

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, 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;
• generating, using the camera, video information;
• i) performing a first operation mode based on an operational input, wherein the first operation mode comprises steps of:
• decoding the first digital information received from the external server;
• displaying, the decoded first digital information;
• and
• switching an encoder for encoding the video information from the camera, the encoder having at least both a first encoding function and a second encoding function being different from each other, and configured to encode the video information using either the first encoding function or the second encoding function by switching between the at least first encoding function and the second encoding function possessed by the encoder depending on an operation mode, to a state in which the encoder operates in the first encoding function for encoding the video information for recording so that the video information can be recorded in the storage, encoding the video information from the camera using the first encoding function, and recording the video information as encoded in the storage;
• ii) performing a second operation mode based on an inbound video-phone call received during the first operation mode, wherein the second operation mode comprises steps of:
• receiving and decoding a second digital information from another communication apparatus via a network interface, and outputting the second digital information as decoded to the display;
• and
• switching the encoder from a state in which the encoder operates in the first encoding function to a state in which the encoder operates in the second encoding function for encoding the video information for video-phone so that the video information can be transmitted to an outside of the communication apparatus as an image for video-phone communication, encoding the video information from the camera for a video-phone call using the second encoding function of the encoder to generate a third digital information, and outputting the third digital information to the another communication apparatus;
• iii) in response to receiving an input from the another communication apparatus to terminate the video-phone call by the processor in the second operation mode, stopping output of the third digital information to the another communication apparatus and performing the first operation mode,
• wherein the encoder is coupled to both the network interface and the storage,
• wherein in the second operation mode, the method further comprises a step of simultaneously displaying a first window and a second window, the first window including display of the decoded first digital information and the second window including display of the decoded second digital information of the video-phone call, rendering a video of a person placing the video-phone call from the another communication apparatus,
• wherein in the first operation mode, the method further comprises a step of displaying the first window including display of the decoded first digital information and not displaying the second window including display of the decoded second digital information.

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, 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;
• generating, using the camera, video information;
• i) performing a first operation mode based on an operational input, wherein the first operation mode comprises steps of:
• decoding the first digital information received from the external server;
• displaying the decoded first digital information;
• and
• switching an encoder for encoding the video information from the camera, the encoder having at least both a first encoding function and a second encoding function being different from each other, and configured to encode the video information using either the first encoding function or the second encoding function by switching between the at least first encoding function and the second encoding function possessed by the encoder depending on an operation mode, to a state in which the encoder operates in the first encoding function for encoding the video information for recording so that the video information can be recorded in the storage, encoding the video information from the camera using the first encoding function, and recording the video information as encoded in the storage;
• ii) performing a second operation mode based on an inbound video-phone call received during the first operation mode, wherein the second operation mode comprises steps of:
• receiving and decoding a second digital information from another communication apparatus via a network interface, and outputting the second digital information as decoded to the display;
• and
• switching the encoder from a state in which the encoder operates in the first encoding function to a state in which the encoder operates in the second encoding function for encoding the video information for video-phone so that the video information can be transmitted to an outside of the communication apparatus as an image for video-phone communication, encoding the video information from the camera for a video-phone call using the second encoding function of the encoder to generate a third digital information, and outputting the third digital information to the another communication apparatus;
• iii) in response to receiving an input from the another communication apparatus to terminate the video-phone call by the processor in the second operation mode, stopping output of the third digital information to the another communication apparatus and performing the first operation mode,
• wherein the encoder is coupled to both the network interface and the storage,
• wherein in the second operation mode, the method further comprises steps of:
• receiving second digital information from another communication apparatus;
• decoding the second digital information received from the another communication apparatus;
• generating third digital information by encoding the video information from the camera for a video-phone call using the second encoding function, which method being different from a method of the first encoding function, to output the third digital information to the another communication apparatus;
• simultaneously displaying a first window and a second window, the first window including display of the decoded first digital information and the second window including display of the third digital information rendering a video of a person answering the inbound video-phone call from the another communication apparatus;
• outputting the third digital information to the another communication apparatus;
• 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 from the another communication apparatus, and then switching from the second operation mode to the first operation mode, and
• in the first operation mode, the method further comprising a step of displaying the first window including display of the decoded first digital information and not displaying the second window including display of the third digital information.