Terminal device, data transmission method, and computer-readable recording medium

A data transmission method that is implemented by a terminal device in a transmission system where, to cause multiple users who use terminal devices to perform a communication, multiple sets of data are encoded, transmitted, and received via a network between the terminal devices, the data transmission method comprising:

• receiving document data from an external device;
• acquiring a network bandwidth that is available to transmit data;
• assigning a transmission rate to each set of data that is to be transmitted to a different terminal device in accordance with the network bandwidth that is available to transmit data;
• determining a quality of the document data that is transmitted from the terminal device to a different terminal device in accordance with a transmission rate that is assigned to the document data;
• converting a quality of the document data that is input from the external device such that equal to or less than the determined quality is obtained;
• encoding multiple sets of data that include the converted document data by using transmission rates that are assigned to the sets of data;
• and
• transmitting multiple sets of encoded data to a different terminal device.

A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium having computer readable program codes, performed by a computer as a terminal device in a transmission system where, to cause multiple users who use terminal devices to perform a communication, multiple sets of data are encoded, transmitted, and received via a network between the terminal devices, the program codes when executed causing the computer to function as:

• a data receiving unit that receives document data from an external device;
• a network-information acquiring unit that acquires a network bandwidth that is available to transmit data;
• an assigning unit that assigns a transmission rate to each set of data that is to be transmitted to a different terminal device in accordance with the network bandwidth that is available to transmit data;
• a quality determining unit that determines a quality of the document data that is transmitted from the terminal device to a different terminal device in accordance with a transmission rate that is assigned to the document data;
• a quality converting unit that converts a quality of the document data that is input from the external device such that equal to or less than the determined quality is obtained;
• an encoding unit that encodes multiple sets of data that include the converted document data by using transmission rates that are assigned to the sets of data;
• and
• a transmitting unit that transmits multiple sets of encoded data to a different terminal device.