Telephone communication system

A communication method for providing voice calls between a first telephone terminal and a second telephone terminal, through a communication network, comprising the steps of:

• providing a service center connected to the communication network, having a call agent for call control to a called telephone terminal and a media converter for converting image data and voice data;
• providing a public communication terminal connected to the service center and having a display device and an imaging device;
• establishing communication between a first telephone terminal and the media converter in a format comprised of video data and voice data, wherein the first telephone terminal includes functions of voice communication, video capturing, compression/expansion of captured video, and displaying video;
• recognizing a request for using the public communication terminal sent from a second telephone terminal which has a voice communication function but not at least one of video capturing, compression/expansion of captured video, and displaying video;
• assigning an identifier to the second telephone terminal under control by the call agent;
• determining the public communication terminal relating to the second telephone terminal for each communication based on the identifier assigned to the second telephone terminal by the call agent;
• and
• transmitting and receiving video data by the media converter, when the request has been validated, by actuating the display device or the video capturing device of the public communication terminal corresponding to the second telephone terminal.

A telephone communication system for providing voice calls between a first telephone terminal and a second telephone terminal, through a communication network, comprising:

• the first telephone terminal having functions of voice and data communication, video capturing, compression/expansion of captured video and displaying;
• the second telephone terminal not having at least one of the functions of capturing video, or compression/expansion of captured video, and displaying video;
• a service center connected to the communication network, having a call agent for call control to a called telephone terminal for detection of a request for using the public communication terminal and for assigning an identifier to the second telephone terminal, and a media converter for converting image data and voice data;
• and
• a public communication terminal connected to the service center and having an image display device and an image device;
• wherein:
• the service center determines the public communication terminal relating to the second telephone terminal for each communication based on the identifier assigned by the call agent;
• the call agent actuates the public communication terminal to enable video data communication to the media converter and to direct the second telephone terminal to transit to the video-phone call;
• the media converter composes voice data from the second telephone terminal with the video data from the public communication terminal to send to the first telephone terminal;
• and
• the media converter extracts voice data and video data from the first telephone terminal, extracted voice data is sent to the second telephone terminal, extracted video data is sent to the display device of the public communication terminal.

A public communication terminal for providing voice calls between a first telephone terminal and a second telephone terminal, through a communication network, comprising:

• a service center connected to the communication network, having a call agent for call control to a called telephone terminal and for assigning an identifier to the second telephone terminal, and a media converter for converting image data and voice data;
• wherein:
• communication is performed in a format including voice data and video data for the first telephone terminal having the functions of voice communication, video capturing, compression/expansion of captured video, and display;
• the use of a public communication terminal connected to the service center having a display device and capturing device is enabled, based on a request from a second telephone terminal having a voice communication function but without at least one of the functions of video capturing, compression/expansion of captured video, and displaying;
• the service center determines the public communication terminal relating to the second telephone terminal for each communication based on the identifier assigned to the second telephone terminal by the call agent;
• the media converter performs transmission and reception of voice data for the second telephone terminal while performing transmission and reception of video data for the display device or capturing device of the public communication terminal;
• and
• the call agent charges the second telephone terminal based on the call time of the use of the public communication terminal.

A service center, used in a video-phone communication system allowing a plurality of cellular phones to communicate with each other through a cellular phone network, wherein the service center is connected to the cellular phone network and to a detector through another network other than the cellular phone network, the service center comprising:

• a unit for receiving from a detector a detected identifier assigned to a first cellular phone by the service center and displayed on the first cellular phone;
• a unit for determining a public communication terminal relating to the first cellular phone to which the identifier is assigned;
• a unit for preparing communication data and conveying the communication data to a second cellular phone, wherein the communication data is composed of a stream of voice from the cellular phone and a stream of video from the public communication terminal;
• a unit for dividing the a stream of voice and a stream of video from the second cellular phone, and sending the divided stream of voice from the second cellular phone to the first cellular phone, and the divided stream of video from the second cellular phone to the public communication terminal;
• and
• a unit for receiving from the cellular phone network a copy of packets in a telephone format transmitted from the first cellular phone presenting the identifier to the second cellular phone.

A communication method for performing voice and video communication under the control of a service center, by means of cellular phone terminals, through a communication network, comprising:

• communicating voice data and video data between the service center and a first telephone terminal;
• communicating information including voice data other than the video data between the service center and a second telephone terminal;
• assigning an identifier to the second telephone terminal for each communication in response to a request from the second telephone terminal;
• determining and actuating a display device and a capturing device in the vicinity of the second telephone terminal based on the identifier for service relating to the second telephone terminal;
• and
• performing transmission/reception of video data between the service center and the display device or capturing device for service relating to the second telephone terminal.

A service center communicating between the first terminal enabling video communication and the second terminal enabling voice communication through a network, comprising:

• a unit for assigning an identifier to the second terminal per each communication;
• a unit for determining a public communication terminal relating to the second terminal according to the identifier;
• a unit for dividing voice data and video data from video communication data after receiving the video communication data from the first terminal and sending the video data to the public communication terminal corresponding to the second terminal and the voice data to the second terminal;
• and
• a unit for receiving the voice data from the second terminal and the video data from the public communication terminal, preparing the video communication data by composing the voice data and the video and sending the video communication data to the first terminal.