1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a communication terminal device (e.g., mobile telephones and computers) which can transmit visage information to a remote party so as to improve communication services.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventional telephones transmit a voice only. Image transmitting devices used in a videoconference can transmit a voice and image in realtime. Some recent mobile telephones (cellular phones) can transmit a voice and image in realtime.
As mobile telephones capable of sending an image in realtime increase in popularity, a problem of privacy arises because the transmitted image displays the (real) face of a user of the mobile telephone. Sometimes, the user of the mobile telephone does not want a recipient of the call to see the user's face. In order to minimize such a problem on one hand and to improve a communication function (including a function of transmitting an image, particularly visage of a speaker) on the other hand, various efforts have been made in this field of technology.
Conventional image transmitting devices are designed to operate with limited types of data. For instance, the image transmitting devices can transmit real image data (image without modification) only, or visage data (a somewhat modified face of a speaker) only. A data receiving device has a limited function to receive the real image data (or the visage data) only. The image transmitting device which can send only the real image data cannot communicate with the receiving device which can accept only the modified image data. The image transmitting device which can send only the modified image data cannot communicate with the receiving device which can only accept the real image data. In many cases, therefore, the conventional communication devices cannot communicate with each other.