Abstract: A communication apparatus includes an image sensing unit, voice recognition unit, keyword detection unit, auxiliary image selection unit, input image selector switch, and transmission unit. The image sensing unit senses a camera image. The voice recognition unit recognizes a phrase from input voice. The keyword detection unit detects coincidence between a registered keyword and the phrase output from the voice recognition unit. The auxiliary image selection unit selects a specific auxiliary image associated with the registered keyword in response to a coincidence detection output from the keyword detection unit. In response to the coincidence detection output, the input image selector switch selectively outputs one of the camera image output from the image sensing unit and an image containing the auxiliary image output from the auxiliary image selection unit. The transmission unit transmits the input voice and the image output from the input image selector switch. A communication method is also disclosed.

Abstract: A communication apparatus includes an image sensing unit, voice recognition unit, keyword detection unit, auxiliary image selection unit, input image selector switch, and transmission unit. The image sensing unit senses a camera image. The voice recognition unit recognizes a phrase from input voice. The keyword detection unit detects coincidence between a registered keyword and the phrase output from the voice recognition unit. The auxiliary image selection unit selects a specific auxiliary image associated with the registered keyword in response to a coincidence detection output from the keyword detection unit. In response to the coincidence detection output, the input image selector switch selectively outputs one of the camera image output from the image sensing unit and an image containing the auxiliary image output from the auxiliary image selection unit. The transmission unit transmits the input voice and the image output from the input image selector switch. A communication method is also disclosed.

Abstract: An apparatus for encoding dynamic images determines whether input frame is to be encoded or not to be encoded in accordance with an amount of data to be encoded, and includes (a) a frame-producer combining a plurality of frames not to be encoded to a frame to be encoded for forming a frame having after-image effect, the frames not to be encoded being temporally successive to the frame to be encoded, and (b) an encoder encoding the frame having after-image effect, in place of the frame to be encoded.