VIDEO PHONE AND VIDEO PHONE CONTROL METHOD

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a video phone whereby a user can switch a speech method from a video speech into a voice speech or vice versa at an optional time. SOLUTION: When receiving a switching instruction to the video speech during the voice speech, a control means 30 makes a call of the video speech to a video phone of a speech opposite party, interrupts a call of the voice speech when the call of the video speech arrives in the video phone of the speech opposite party and the call is established, and makes a speech only with the call of the video speech after that. On the other hand, when receiving a call of the video speech from the video phone of the speech opposite party, the control means 30 connects the arrived call of the video speech, interrupts the call of the voice speech when the call is established and makes a speech only with the call of the video speech after that. Conversely when receiving a switching instruction to the voice speech during the video speech and a call of the voice speech arrives from the video phone of the speech opposite party, the control means 30 performs processes inverse to above. COPYRIGHT: (C)2004,JPO&NCIPI