JP2024156965A - COMMUNICATION SYSTEM, COMMUNICATION DEVICE, AND PROGRAM - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a communication system, a communication device, and a program that improve visibility of an image displayed on a display device.SOLUTION: A communication device includes: arrangement information setting means for setting arrangement information specifying a display method of an image; and display control means for causing a plurality of display devices to display the image with reference to the arrangement information. The display control means causes a first display device to display captured images of its own site and another site, and causes a second display device to display an image provided by an image providing device in its own site or the other site.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

The present invention relates to a communication system for video and audio communication, and more specifically to a communication system, communication device, and program for mutual video and audio communication between multiple locations.

In recent years, with the spread of networks capable of high-speed data communication such as the Internet, videoconferencing has become common, in which multiple remote locations can transmit video and audio to each other to hold meetings.

As one embodiment of a communication system for implementing such video conferencing, Patent Literature 1 discloses a content distribution device that displays images captured at other locations on a display device at the location itself, and also displays images of materials used in the conference, etc., on the same display device.

However, the content distribution device disclosed in Patent Document 1 displays images captured at other locations and document images on the same display device screen, so when the display area of one image is enlarged, the display area of the other image is reduced, resulting in a problem of reduced visibility of these images.

The present invention aims to solve the above-mentioned problems and provide a communication system, communication device, and program that improve the visibility of images displayed on a display device.

The communication device of the present invention includes a layout information setting means for setting layout information that specifies the image display method, and a display control means for displaying images on a plurality of display devices by referring to the layout information, and the display control means displays images taken at the home base and other bases on a first display device, and displays images provided by an image providing device at the home base or other bases on a second display device.

By adopting the above configuration, the communication device of the present invention can improve the visibility of the image displayed on the display device.

FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of a communication system according to the present invention. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an embodiment of a hardware configuration diagram of a communication device 10a. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an embodiment of the functional configuration of a communication device 10a. 5 is a flowchart showing a display device detection process executed by the communication device of the present invention at the time of startup. 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating an embodiment of a display method and a layout information table when one display device in a powered state is connected to a communication device 10a. 11 is a diagram showing an embodiment of a display method and a layout information table when a second display device in a powered state is connected to a communication device 10a. FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an embodiment of a screen of a display device based on the screen layout and arrangement information shown in FIG. 6 . 13 is a diagram showing another embodiment of a display method and a layout information table when the second display device in a powered state is connected to the communication device 10a. FIG. 9 is a diagram showing an embodiment of a screen of a display device based on the screen layout and arrangement information shown in FIG. 8 . 6 is a flowchart showing a display device detection process executed by the communication device of the present invention after startup.

The present invention will be described below with reference to an embodiment, but the present invention is not limited to the embodiment described below.

Figure 1 is a diagram showing one embodiment of a communication system of the present invention. The communication system 100 includes communication devices 10a-10h, display devices 20a-20h and 22a-22h, image providing devices 30a-30h, and a communication management device 40.

The communication devices 10a to 10h communicate images and audio with the communication devices 10a to 10h at other locations, and display images and output audio on the display devices 20a to 20h, 22a to 22h connected to the communication devices 10a to 10h. The communication devices 10a to 10h transmit images and audio of their own location to the communication management device 40 via the router 50 and the network 60. The communication devices 10a to 10h also receive images of the other locations from the communication management device 40, and display images of their own location and the other locations on the display devices 20a to 20h, 22a to 22h, while outputting audio of the other locations.

In this embodiment, the communication devices 10a-10h output images to the display devices 20a-20h, 22a-22h by wired communication, but in other embodiments, the images may be output to the display devices by wireless communication. Also, in this embodiment, two display devices are connected to one communication device, but in other embodiments, three or more display devices may be connected to one communication device. In still other embodiments, one or more display devices may be built into the communication device, making it compatible with dual displays.

The image providing devices 30a to 30h are devices that provide images to the connected communication devices 10a to 10h. The image providing devices 30a to 30h provide the communication devices 10a to 10h with images displayed on the display devices of the image providing devices 30a to 30h. The images provided by the image providing devices 30a to 30h include various images such as document images created using word processing software, spreadsheet software, presentation software, etc., desktop screens of the image providing devices 30a to 30h, and UIs (User Interfaces) of application programs. Note that in FIG. 1, a desktop personal computer is described as being interconnected with the communication devices 10a to 10h as the image providing devices 30a to 30h, but as the image providing devices 30a to 30h, in addition to desktop PCs, notebook PCs, tablet PCs such as iPad (registered trademark), and smartphones equipped with iPhone (registered trademark) or Android (registered trademark) can also be preferably used.

The communication management device 40 is a device that manages data communications in the communication system 100. The communication management device 40 establishes sessions between the communication devices 10a to 10h between multiple bases, and relays images and audio from each of the communication devices 10a to 10h.

Figure 2 shows one embodiment of a hardware configuration diagram of communication device 10a. Below, the hardware configuration of communication device 10a will be described with reference to Figure 2. Note that the hardware configurations of the other communication devices 10b to 10h are similar to that of communication device 10a, so the description will be omitted.

The communication device 10a includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 201, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 202, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 203, a Solid State Drive (SSD) 204, and a media drive 206. These devices are connected via a data bus 209.

The CPU 201 is a processor that controls the overall operation of the communication device 10a. The ROM 202 is a storage device in which the program of the present invention is stored. The RAM 203 is a storage device that provides an execution space for the program of the present invention. The communication device 10a implements each of the functional means described below on the communication device 10a by expanding the program of the present invention, which is written in a programming language such as Assembler, C, C++, Java (registered trademark), JavaScript (registered trademark), PERL, RUBY, or PYTHON (registered trademark), in the RAM 203 and executing it under the management of an OS such as the WINDOWS (registered trademark) series, Mac (registered trademark) OS (Operating System), UNIX (registered trademark), or LINUX (registered trademark).

The SSD 204 includes non-volatile memory (not shown) such as a flash memory or an EEPROM (Electrically Erasable and Programmable ROM) that stores various data such as images and audio, and controls the reading and writing of various data from and to the flash memory. The media drive 206 is a device into which a recording medium 205 such as a flash memory can be inserted, and controls the reading and writing of data from and to the recording medium 205.

The communication device 10a also includes an operation button 207, a power switch 208, a network interface (I/F) 210, an image sensor I/F 212, an audio input/output I/F 215, a display device I/F 216, a display device I/F 217, and an external device I/F 218. These devices are connected via a data bus 209.

The operation button 207 is an input device for selecting a communication device at another base with which to establish a session and for performing various settings. The power switch 208 is a switch for switching the power of the communication device 10a ON/OFF. The network I/F 210 is an interface that provides a connection to the router 50 and performs data communication via the network 60.

The image sensor I/F 212 is an interface that connects a CCD (Charge Coupled Device) 211 that captures an image of a subject and generates an image, and controls the CCD 211 to generate an image. In this embodiment, a CCD is used as the image sensor, but other image sensors such as a CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor) may also be used.

The audio input/output I/F 215 is an interface that connects the microphone 213 and the speaker 214, and performs input and output of audio signals between the microphone 213 and the speaker 214. The display device I/F 216 is an interface that connects the display device 20a, and outputs images to the display device 20a. The display device I/F 217 is an interface that connects the display device 22a, and outputs images to the display device 22a.

The display devices 20a and 22a are display devices that display various images output by the communication device 10a. The external device I/F 218 is an interface that connects to the image providing device 30a and receives images from the image providing device 30a.

Figure 3 is a diagram showing one embodiment of the functional configuration of communication device 10a. Below, the functional configuration of communication device 10a will be described with reference to Figure 3. Note that the functional configurations of the other communication devices 10b to 10h are similar to that of communication device 10a, and therefore will not be described.

The communication device 10a includes a control unit 300, a transmission/reception unit 302, an operation reception unit 304, and an imaging unit 306.

The control unit 300 is a functional means that performs overall control of the processes executed by the communication device 10a. The control unit 300 executes various processes using the functional means described below.

The transmission/reception unit 302 is a functional means for communicating with the communication management device 40 or the image providing device 30a, and is realized by the network I/F 210 and the external device I/F 218.

The operation reception unit 304 is a functional means for receiving various operation instructions from the user. For example, when the user turns on the power switch 208, a power-on instruction is issued. When the operation reception unit 304 receives this instruction, it turns on the power of the communication device 10a. When the user changes the display method of the display devices 20a to 20h, 22a to 22h using the operation button 207, an instruction to change the display method is issued. When the operation reception unit 304 receives this instruction, it causes the layout information setting unit 314 to store the display method specified by the user (such as "VIEW_MULTI" and "SHARED_MULTI") in the storage unit 310 as setting information specifying the display method of the display device (hereinafter referred to as "display method setting information"). The display method of this embodiment will be described in detail with reference to FIG. 5.

The imaging unit 306 is a functional means for capturing an image of a subject and generating an image, and is realized by the CCD 211 and the image sensor I/F 212. The imaging unit 306 generates a captured image when the communication device 10a is started.

The communication device 10a also includes a memory control unit 308, a storage unit 310, a layout information setting unit 314, a display control unit 316, a display device detection unit 318, an audio input unit 320, and an audio output unit 322.

The memory control unit 308 is a means for controlling the storage unit 310. The memory control unit 308 stores various data in the storage unit 310, and also reads out various data stored in the storage unit 310.

The layout information setting unit 314 is a functional means for setting layout information and display method setting information that specifies the display method of the image to be displayed on the display devices 20a-20h and 22a-22h. The layout information setting unit 314 sets the layout information in the layout information table 312 of the storage unit 310. The layout information setting unit 314 also stores the display method setting information in the storage unit 310.

The display control unit 316 is a functional means for controlling the display devices 20a to 20h, 22a to 22h. The display control unit 316 uses the display method setting information stored in the storage unit 310 and the layout information registered in the layout information table 312 to identify an image to be displayed on the display device, and displays the image on the display devices 20a, 22a according to a predetermined screen layout.

The images displayed on the display devices 20a and 22a include images captured by the imaging units 306 of the communication devices 10a to 10h at the local base or other bases (hereinafter referred to as "captured images") and images provided by the image providing devices 30a to 30h at the local base or other bases.

The audio input unit 320 is a functional means for detecting audio, such as a user's speech, and generating an audio signal. The audio input unit 320 also converts the user's speech into an audio signal, measures the strength of the audio signal, and detects the user's speech when the strength is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold. The audio output unit 322 is a functional means for converting the audio signal into audio and outputting it.

The display device detection unit 318 is a means for detecting a powered display device connected to the communication device 10a. The display device detection unit 318 detects the powered state of the display devices connected to the display device I/Fs 216 and 217 using a graphic driver, which is a device driver for the display device, and counts the number of powered display devices. In this embodiment, the number of powered display devices is counted using an API function and graphic driver provided by the WINDOWS (registered trademark) OS.

When the communication device 10a is powered on, the control unit 300 executes a display device detection process described below and causes the imaging unit 306 to generate a captured image. When an image providing device 30a-30h is connected to the communication devices 10a-10h, the control unit 300 causes the image providing device 30a-30h to display a menu screen, enabling image provision.

The control unit 300 requests the communication management device 40 to establish a session with a communication device at another base in accordance with a user's instruction. When the session is established, the control unit 300 transmits the captured image of the own base generated by the imaging unit 306 and the image provided by the image providing device 30a to the communication device at the other base via the communication management device 40. When the control unit 300 receives an image from the communication device at the other base, it displays the image on the display device 20a, 22a. When the image providing device 30a-30h is connected to the communication devices 10a-10h, when the user selects the start sharing button on the menu screen displayed on the image providing device, the control unit 300 acquires an image from the image providing device 30a-30h.

When the control unit 300 detects the user's speech, it adds information indicating that the user is speaking (hereinafter referred to as "speech information") to the captured image and transmits it to the communication management device 40. When the control unit 300 receives a captured image with speech information added from another location, it changes the placement information in the placement information table 312 so that the captured image is displayed in a specified display area of the display device 20a, 22a.

Figure 4 is a flowchart showing the display device detection process executed by the communication device of the present invention at startup. Below, the display device detection process executed when the communication device 10a is powered on will be described with reference to Figure 4.

The process in FIG. 4 begins when the communication device 10a is powered on in step S400. In step S401, the display device detection unit 318 initializes the variable (ACTIVE) secured in the RAM 203 to 0. In step S402, the display device detection unit 318 counts the number of powered display devices among the display devices connected to the communication device 10a, and sets this number to the variable (ACTIVE). In step S403, the placement information setting unit 314 determines whether the value of the variable (ACTIVE) is 0. If the value of the variable (ACTIVE) is 0 (yes), the process returns to step S402. On the other hand, if the value of the variable (ACTIVE) is not 0 (no), the process branches to step S404.

In step S404, the placement information setting unit 314 judges the variable (ACTIVE), and when the value of the variable (ACTIVE) is 1, that is, when one display device in a powered state is connected, the process branches to step S405. In step S405, the placement information setting unit 314 sets the placement information when one display device is connected, as shown in FIG. 5, in the placement information table, and the process ends in step S407.

On the other hand, when the value of the variable (ACTIVE) is 2, that is, when two powered display devices are connected, the process branches to step S406. In step S406, the layout information setting unit 314 sets the layout information when two display devices are connected, as shown in FIG. 6 and FIG. 8, in the layout information table, and the process ends in step S407.

Figure 5 is a diagram showing one embodiment of a display method and a layout information table when one display device in a powered state is connected to a communication device 10a. Below, with reference to Figure 5, the screen layout 500 and the layout information table 502 of the display device when one display device in a powered state is connected to a communication device 10a will be described.

Screen layout 500 shows the screen layout of the display device connected to communication device 10a. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 5, the display area of the display device is divided into four, and the area of display area 1 is larger than the areas of the other display areas 2 to 4.

In the arrangement information table 502, the display method of the image displayed on the display device and the identification information of the image displayed in the display area of the display device are registered in association with each other as arrangement information when a display device in a powered state is connected to the communication device 10a.

Display methods in this embodiment include "VIEW_MULTI" and "SHARED_MULTI." "VIEW_MULTI" indicates a method in which communication devices 10a-10h display images captured at their own base and other bases. "SHARED_MULTI" indicates a method in which images provided by image providing devices 30a-30h are displayed in addition to images captured at their own base and other bases. In this embodiment, these display methods are specified by the user and stored in the storage unit 310 as display method setting information.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 5, when the display method is "VIEW_MULTI", images taken at other locations are displayed in display area 1, and images taken at the user's own location are displayed in display area 2. When the display method is "SHARED_MULTI", document images are displayed in display area 1, images taken at other locations are displayed in display area 2, and images taken at the user's own location are displayed in display area 3.

In other embodiments, instead of switching between the display modes "VIEW_MULTI" and "SHARED_MULTI" by user command as in this embodiment, the communication devices 10a to 10h may detect that image provision by the image provision devices 30a to 30h has begun and switch the display mode.

Specifically, the communication devices 10a to 10h detect, for example, an explicit notification from the image providing devices 30a to 30h indicating the start of communication on a specific application port or the start of image provision, and automatically switch the display method from "VIEW_MULTI" to "SHARED_MULTI". When the image provision from the image providing devices 30a to 30h ends or is interrupted, the communication devices 10a to 10h switch the display method from "SHARED_MULTI" to "VIEW_MULTI". This makes it possible to eliminate user operations and to make the stream processing of provided images more efficient.

More specifically, when the transmitting/receiving unit 302 of the communication devices 10a to 10h receives an image from the image providing device 30a to 30h, the control unit 300 issues an image provision start event to notify that the image providing device has started providing images. When the arrangement information setting unit 314 detects the image provision start event, it sets the display method setting information to "SHARED_MULTI". Then, the display control unit 316 refers to the arrangement information table and displays the document image and the captured image on the display devices 20a, 20b according to the arrangement information associated with the display method setting information "SHARED_MULTI".

When image provision by the image providing devices 30a to 30h stops, the control unit 300 issues an image provision stop event to notify that image provision by the image providing device has stopped. When the arrangement information setting unit 314 detects the image provision stop event, it changes the display method setting information from "SHARED_MULTI" to "VIEW_MULTI". Then, the display control unit 316 refers to the arrangement information table, and displays the captured image on the display devices 20a and 20b according to the arrangement information associated with the display method setting information "VIEW_MULTI".

In this embodiment, the screen of the display device is divided into four display areas, but in other embodiments, it may be divided into three or five or more display areas. Also, the layout information in this embodiment is layout information when an image is shared between two locations, but the present invention can also share an image between three or more locations.

When sharing images among three or more locations, if the display method "VIEW_MULTI" is specified, the layout information is changed so that the captured image of the other location on which the user should pay attention, i.e., the captured image of the location where speech was detected, is displayed in display area 1, and the captured image of the location where the user is speaking can be displayed in display area 1.

Figure 6 is a diagram showing one embodiment of a display method and a layout information table when a powered display device 2 is connected to a communication device 10a. Below, with reference to Figure 6, the screen layouts 600, 602 of the display device and the layout information table 604 when a powered display device 2 is connected to a communication device 10a will be described.

Screen layout 600 is the screen layout of a first display device connected to communication device 10a. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 6, the display area of the display device is divided into four, with display area 1 being larger than the areas of the other display areas 2 to 4. Screen layout 602 is the screen layout of a second display device connected to communication device 10a, and is composed of one display area.

In the arrangement information table 604, the display method of the images displayed on the first display device and the second display device and the identification information of the images displayed in the display area of the display device are registered in association with each other as arrangement information when the two display devices in the powered state are connected to the communication device 10a.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 6, when the display method is "VIEW_MULTI", an image captured at another location is displayed in display area 1 of the first display device, and an image captured at the own location is displayed in display area 2 of the first display device. On the other hand, no image is displayed in display area 1 of the second display device.

When the display method is "SHARED_MULTI", an image taken at another location is displayed in display area 1 of the first display device, and an image taken at the own location is displayed in display area 2 of the first display device. Meanwhile, a document image is displayed in display area 1 of the second display device.

In this embodiment, the screen of the display device is divided into four display areas, but in other embodiments, it may be divided into three or five or more display areas. Also, the layout information in this embodiment is layout information when an image is shared among two locations, but the present invention can also share an image among three or more locations. When sharing an image among three or more locations, the layout information is changed so that a captured image of another location that the user should pay attention to, i.e., a captured image of the location where speech was detected, is displayed in display area 1 of the first display device, and the captured image of the location where the user is speaking can be displayed in that display area.

In this embodiment, images captured at the local location and other locations are displayed on a first display device, and images such as document images provided by image providing devices 30a to 30h are displayed on a second display device, thereby improving the visibility of these images.

Figure 7 is a diagram showing one embodiment of the screen of a display device based on the screen layout and arrangement information shown in Figure 6. Screens 700 and 706 are the screens of the first display device and the second display device when the display method "VIEW_MULTI" is selected. Images captured at the other location are displayed in display area 702 of screen 700, and images captured at the own location are displayed in display area 704. No image is displayed on screen 706.

Screen 710 and screen 716 are the screens of the first display device and the second display device when the display method "SHARED_MULTI" is selected. Images captured at the other location are displayed in display area 712 of screen 710, and images captured at the user's own location are displayed in display area 714. Document images are displayed on screen 716.

Figure 8 is a diagram showing another embodiment of the display method and layout information table when the powered display device 2 is connected to the communication device 10a. Below, with reference to Figure 8, the screen layouts 800, 802 of the display device and the layout information table 804 when the powered display device 2 is connected to the communication device 10a will be described.

Screen layout 800 is the screen layout of a first display device connected to communication device 10a. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 8, the display area of the display device is divided into four equal parts. Screen layout 802 is the screen layout of a second display device connected to communication device 10a, and is composed of one display area. In this embodiment, the screen of the display device is divided into four display areas, but in other embodiments, it may be divided into three or five or more display areas.

In the arrangement information table 804, the display method of the images displayed on the first display device and the second display device and the identification information of the images displayed in the display area of the display device are registered in association with each other as arrangement information when the two display devices in the powered state are connected to the communication device 10a.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 8, when the display method is "VIEW_MULTI", an image captured at the own location is displayed in display area 1 of the first display device, and an image captured at another location is displayed in display area 1 of the second display device.

When the display method is "SHARED_MULTI", an image taken at another location is displayed in display area 1 of the first display device, and an image taken at the own location is displayed in display area 2 of the first display device. Meanwhile, a document image is displayed in display area 2 of the second display device.

The layout information in this embodiment is for when an image is shared among two locations, but the present invention can also share images among three or more locations. In this case, when the display method "VIEW_MULTI" is specified, the layout information is changed so that the captured images of other locations that the user should pay attention to, i.e., the captured images of the location where speech was detected, are displayed on the second display device, and the captured images of the location where the user is speaking are displayed on the second display device, and the captured images of the other locations are displayed on the first display device.

In this embodiment, the captured image is displayed on the first display device, and the image such as the document image provided by the image providing device is displayed on the second display device, thereby improving the visibility of the image. In addition, the captured image of another location that is of interest is displayed on the display device configured with one display area, thereby improving the visibility of the image.

Figure 9 is a diagram showing one embodiment of the screen of a display device based on the screen layout and arrangement information shown in Figure 8. Screens 900 and 906 are the screens of the first display device and the second display device when the display method "VIEW_MULTI" is selected. The display area 902 of screen 900 displays an image captured at the own location, and screen 906 displays an image captured at another location.

Screen 910 and screen 916 are the screens of the first display device and the second display device when the display method "SHARED_MULTI" is selected. Images captured at the other location are displayed in display area 912 of screen 910, and images captured at the user's own location are displayed in display area 914. A document image is displayed on screen 916.

Figure 10 is a flowchart showing the display device detection process executed by the communication device of the present invention after startup. Below, the display device detection process executed after startup of the communication device 10a will be described with reference to Figure 10.

The process in FIG. 10 starts at step S1000, and in step S1001, the display device detection unit 318 determines whether or not a power change event has been received that is issued by the OS of the communication device 10a upon detecting the power state of the display devices 20a-20h, 22a-22h. If a power change event has not been received (no), the process of step S1001 is repeated. On the other hand, if a power change event has been received (yes), the process branches to step S1002.

In step S1002, the display device detection unit 318 initializes the variable (ACTIVE) secured in the RAM 203 to 0. In step S1003, the display device detection unit 318 counts the number of powered display devices among the display devices connected to the communication device 10a, and sets this number to the variable (ACTIVE). In step S1004, the placement information setting unit 314 determines whether the value of the variable (ACTIVE) is 0. If the value of the variable (ACTIVE) is 0 (yes), the process returns to step S1003. On the other hand, if the value of the variable (ACTIVE) is not 0 (no), the process branches to step S1005.

In step S1005, the placement information setting unit 314 determines the value of the variable (ACTIVE), and when the value of the variable (ACTIVE) is 1, that is, when one powered display device is connected, the process branches to step S1006. In step S1006, the placement information setting unit 314 sets the placement information when one display device is connected, as shown in FIG. 5, in the placement information table, and the process ends in step S1008.

On the other hand, when the value of the variable (ACTIVE) is 2, that is, when two powered display devices are connected, the process branches to step S1007. In step S1007, the layout information setting unit 314 sets the layout information when two display devices are connected, as shown in Figures 6 and 8, in the layout information table, and the process ends in step S1008.

By performing the above-described process, the communication device 10a can detect display devices that have been connected to the communication device 10a after startup, or that have been powered on and are in a powered state, and can display images on these display devices.

Although the present embodiment has been described so far, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and the components of the present embodiment may be modified or deleted, or other components may be added to the components of the present embodiment, within the scope of what a person skilled in the art can conceive of. As long as the effects of the present invention are achieved in any aspect, it is within the scope of the present invention.

The program of the present invention that realizes the above-mentioned functional means can be distributed by storing it on a device-readable recording medium such as a hard disk device, CD-ROM, MO, flexible disk, EEPROM, or EPROM, and can also be transmitted over a network in a format that can be used by other devices.

10a-10h...communication device, 20a-20h...display device, 22a-22h...display device, 30a-30h...image providing device, 40...communication management device, 50...router, 60...network, 100...communication system

U.S. Pat. No. 6,760,749

Claims (9)

A communication device for communicating images and audio,
A storage means for storing layout information defining a display format of an image;
A configuration information setting means for setting configuration information in the storage means;
a display control means for displaying images on a plurality of display devices by referring to the layout information;
The display control means displays images captured at the own location and other locations on a first display device, and displays images provided by an image providing device at the own location or other locations on a second display device. The communication device includes:
2. The communication device of claim 1, further comprising display device detection means for detecting a powered display device. The communication device according to claim 2, wherein the display device detection means detects the power-on state of the display device when or after the communication device is started. A communication system including a communication device that performs image and audio communication, and an image providing device that provides an image to the communication device,
The communication device includes:
A storage means for storing layout information defining a display format of an image;
A configuration information setting means for setting configuration information in the storage means;
a display control means for displaying the image on a plurality of display devices by referring to the layout information;
The display control means displays images captured at the own location and other locations on a first display device, and displays images provided by an image providing device at the own location or other locations on a second display device. The communication device includes:
5. The communication system of claim 4, further comprising display device detection means for detecting a powered display device. The communication system according to claim 5, wherein the display device detection means detects the power-on state of the display device when or after the communication device is started. A program for causing a communication device to execute a method executed by the communication device for performing image and audio communication, the program comprising:
setting arrangement information defining a display format of an image in a storage means;
A device-executable program that causes the communication device to execute the steps of: referring to the placement information, causing a first display device to display images taken at the local location and other locations, and causing a second display device to display images provided by an image providing device at the local location or other locations. The program according to claim 7, further causing the communication device to execute a step of detecting a display device in a powered state. The program according to claim 8, wherein the step of detecting the display device in the powered state is executed at or after the start-up of the communication device.