Communication device, communication method, and computer-readable storage medium

A communication method that is used in one of at least three hubs to share information by transmitting and receiving an image and a sound among the at least three hubs via a communication network, the communication method comprising:

• determining whether there is a speaker in at least two different hubs that are different from the one of the at least three hubs by using at least two sets of sound-related information that are transmitted from the respective different hubs via the communication network;
• controlling display of, in a predetermined size on a display, an image that is transmitted via the communication network from a different hub in which it is determined that there is no speaker;
• and
• controlling display of, in an enlarged size that is larger than the predetermined size on the display, an image that is transmitted via the communication network from a different hub in which it is determined that there is a speaker, wherein
• the controlling the display in the enlarged size includes controlling the display to collectively display, in the enlarged size, multiple images that are transmitted from the respective different hubs via the communication network when it is determined that there are speakers in multiple different hubs, and
• wherein the method includes making a first determination at a first time as to whether there is a different hub that has a sound volume level greater than or equal to a threshold, making a second determination at a second time, that is a predetermined amount of time after the first time, as to whether there is a different hub that has a sound volume level greater than or equal to the threshold, and determining that there is a speaker in a different hub based on a sound volume level of the different hub being equal to or greater than the threshold at both the first determination and the second determination.

A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium with an executable program stored thereon and executed by a computer of an communication device that is used in one of at least three hubs to share information by transmitting and receiving an image and a sound among the at least three hubs via a communication network, wherein the program instructs the computer to perform:

• determining whether there is a speaker in at least two different hubs that are different from the one of the at least three hubs by using at least two sets of sound-related information that are transmitted from the respective different hubs via the communication network;
• controlling display of, in a predetermined size on a display, an image that is transmitted via the communication network from a different hub in which it is determined that there is no speaker;
• and
• controlling display of, in an enlarged size that is larger than the predetermined size on the display surface, an image that is transmitted via the communication network from a different hub in which it is determined that there is a speaker, wherein
• the controlling the display in the enlarged size includes controlling the display to collectively display, in the enlarged size, multiple images that are transmitted from the respective different hubs via the communication network when it is determined that there are speakers in multiple different hubs, and
• wherein the method includes making a first determination at a first time as to whether there is a different hub that has a sound volume level greater than or equal to a threshold, making a second determination at a second time, that is a predetermined amount of time after the first time, as to whether there is a different hub that has a sound volume level greater than or equal to the threshold, and determining that there is a speaker in a different hub based on a sound volume level of the different hub being equal to or greater than the threshold at both the first determination and the second determination.