Network capturing apparatus, displaying method, computer-readable recording medium, and network system

A network capturing apparatus for connection to at least one terminal through a network, the network capturing apparatus comprising:

• a page information generating unit that generates first page information to be displayed on the terminals;
• a communication unit that communicates with the terminal through the network;
• a capturing unit that captures an image in a vicinity of the network capturing apparatus;
• a voice collecting unit that collects a sound in a vicinity of the network capturing apparatus;
• a voice outputting unit that outputs a sound based on sound data relating to a collected sound by the terminal via the network;
• and
• a control unit that controls voice communication with the sound data regarding the collected sound and the outputted sound in half duplex communication,
• wherein the page generating unit generates the first page information in response to a request of the first page information from the at least one of the terminals;
• wherein the first page information includes a caption image captured by the capturing unit and at least one of a first display information, a second display information and a third display information;
• wherein the first page information includes the first display information that indicates a voice outputting possibility in a case that the voice output is not inhibited at the terminal that transmits the request of the first page information and the another terminal does not output the sound data to the communication unit;
• wherein the first page information includes the second display information that indicates a voice outputting in a case that a voice output is performed at the terminal that transmits the request of the first page information;
• wherein the first page information includes the third display information that indicates a temporary voice output inhibit in a case that the another terminal is in the voice data transmission;
• and
• wherein the page information generating unit generates a second page information so as to change one display information to another display information in accordance with the change in a communication state of the network and a selection regarding at least one of the first to third display information and the communication unit transfers the second generated page information to the terminal,
• the network capturing apparatus further comprising:
• a timer unit that counts a time,
• wherein in a case that the second display information is displayed on the terminal after a termination of the voice communication, the page information generating unit generates the first page information instead of the second display information, when a predetermined time counted by timer unit elapses, and
• wherein a display portion is altered to other display portion so as to display the other display portion in accordance with the change in a communicating state of the voice communication, when the display portion in page information is selected by a graphical user interface of the terminal, the page information being transmitted from the network capturing apparatus.

A network capturing apparatus which is adapted to connect to a plurality of terminals through a network, the network capturing apparatus comprising:

• a capturing unit that captures an image around the network capturing apparatus;
• a voice collecting unit that collects a sound in a vicinity of the network capturing apparatus;
• a voice outputting unit that outputs a sound based on sound data transmitted from any one of the plurality of terminals;
• a communication unit that performs communication with at least one of the plurality of terminals through the network, the communication including voice communication of half duplex communication with sound data based on the collected sound and the outputted sound;
• a control unit that decides whether or not the voice communication is performed based on sound data transmitted from any one of the plurality of terminals;
• and
• a page information generating unit that generates, in response to a request for page information from the at least one of the plurality of terminals, page information to be displayed on the terminal which transmits the request, the page information including the image captured by the capturing unit,
• wherein if the control unit decides that the voice communication is not performed based on sound data transmitted from any one of the plurality of terminals, the page information generating unit generates the page information further including first display information, the first display information indicating that the voice communication performed based on sound data transmitted from any one of the plurality of terminals is available;
• wherein if the control unit decides that the voice communication is performed based on the sound data transmitted from any one of the plurality of terminals, the page information generating unit generates the page information further including third display information, the third display information indicating that the voice communication performed based on sound data transmitted from any one of the plurality of terminals is temporally inhibited;
• and
• wherein the communication unit transfers, to the terminal which transmits the request, the page information including either the first display information or the third display information.

A communication method for communication with a plurality of terminals through a network, the communication method comprising:

• (a) capturing an image;
• (b) collecting a sound;
• (c) outputting a sound based on sound data transmitted from any one of the plurality of terminals;
• (d) performing communication with at least one of the plurality of terminals through the network, the communication including voice communication of half duplex communication with sound data based on the collected sound and the outputted sound;
• (e) deciding whether or not the voice communication is performed based on sound data transmitted from any one of the plurality of terminals;
• and
• (f) generating, in response to a request for page information from the at least one of the plurality of terminals, page information to be displayed on the terminal which transmits the request, the page information including the captured image,
• wherein if it is decided that the voice communication is not performed based on sound data transmitted from any one of the plurality of terminals in step (e), the page information further including first display information is generated in step (f), the first display information indicating that the voice communication performed based on sound data transmitted from any one of the plurality of terminals is available;
• wherein if it is decides that the voice communication is performed based on the sound data transmitted from any one of the plurality of terminals in step (e), the page information further including third display information is generated in step (f), the third display information indicating that the voice communication performed based on sound data transmitted from any one of the plurality of terminals is temporally inhibited;
• and
• wherein the page information including either the first display information or the third display information is transferred to the terminal which transmits the request in step (d).

A computer-readable recording medium comprising computer-executable instructions for causing a computer to execute communication operations between a network capturing apparatus and a terminal through a network, the communication operations comprising:

• a voice collecting operation comprising collecting a sound in a vicinity of the terminal;
• a voice outputting operation comprising outputting a sound at the terminal based on sound data transmitted from the network capturing apparatus;
• a voice communication operation comprising performing, with the network capturing apparatus through the network, half duplex voice communication with sound data based on the collected sound and the outputted sound;
• and
• a control operation comprising deciding whether or not the voice communication operation is performed based on sound data transmitted from the network capturing apparatus,
• wherein the control operation, responsive to page information including first display information, controls display of the first display information on the terminal, the first display information indicating that the voice communication operation performed based on sound data transmitted from the terminal is available;
• and
• wherein the control operation, responsive to page information further including third display information, controls display of the third display information on the terminal, the third display information indicating that the voice communication operation performed based on sound data transmitted from.

A network system, comprising:

• a network capturing apparatus;
• and
• a plurality of terminals adapted to voice communicate with the network capturing apparatus in half duplex communication,
• the network capturing apparatus including:
• a capturing unit that captures an image in a vicinity of the network capturing apparatus,
• a voice collecting unit that collects a sound in a vicinity of the network capturing apparatus,
• a voice outputting unit that outputs a sound based on sound data transmitted from any one of the plurality of terminals,
• a communication unit that performs communication with at least one of the plurality of terminals through the network, the communication unit including the voice communication of the half duplex communication with sound data based on the collected sound and the outputted sound,
• a control unit that decides whether or not the voice communication is performed based on sound data transmitted from any one of the plurality of terminals, and
• a page information generating unit that generates, in response to a request for page information from the at least one of the plurality of terminals, page information to be displayed on the terminal which transmits the request, the page information including the image captured by the capturing unit,
• wherein if the control unit decides that the voice communication is not performed based on sound data transmitted from any one of the plurality of terminals, the page information generating unit generates the page information further including first display information, the first display information indicating that the voice communication performed based on sound data transmitted from any one of the plurality of terminals is available,
• wherein if the control unit decides that the voice communication is performed based on the sound data transmitted from any one of the plurality of terminals, the page information generating unit generates the page information further including second display information, the second display information indicating that the voice communication performed based on sound data transmitted from any one of the plurality of terminals is temporally inhibited, and
• wherein the communication unit transfers, to the terminal which transmits the request, the page information including either the first display information or the second display information.

A communication apparatus for connection to a first terminal which transmits first sound data to the communication apparatus and to a second terminal which transmits second sound data to the communication apparatus, the communication apparatus comprising:

• a voice outputting unit that outputs the first sound data or the second sound data;
• a communication unit that performs communication with the first terminal and the second terminal;
• and
• a control unit that controls the voice outputting unit to output either the first sound data or the second sound data,
• wherein the control unit transmits a data, indicating the second sound data is inhibited, to the second terminal through the communication unit when the voice outputting unit is outputting the first sound data and the control unit receives a request for transmitting the second sound data from the second terminal.

A communication control method for controlling communication between a communication apparatus for connection to a first terminal which transmits first sound data to the communication apparatus and to a second terminal which transmits second sound data to the communication apparatus, the communication control method comprising the following operations:

• (a) controlling a communication unit of the communication apparatus to perform communications with the first terminal and the second terminal;
• and
• (h) controlling a voice outputting unit of the communication apparatus to output either the first sound data or the second sound data,
• wherein operation (a) comprises transmitting a data, indicating the second sound data is inhibited, to the second terminal through the communication unit when the voice outputting unit is outputting the first sound data and the communication apparatus receives a request for transmitting the second sound data from the second terminal.