JPH02159847A - Data terminal equipment among decentralized multi-point - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To conduct a video conference smoothly by utilizing a transmission right control function such as picture drawing or voice applying transmission direction control of a data even in a decentralized multi-point data terminal equipment so as to display a portrait of a talker automatically. CONSTITUTION:An information packet received via a communication line 514 is inputted to a reception control section 501 via a network interface section 500 or the like, Protocol termination is applied in the control section 501 and the data is transferred to a data analysis section 503 via a data bus 518. The analysis section 503 analyzes the information type and when the information is moving picture information, it is transferred to a moving picture display control section 506 together with a picture drawing transmission right presence identifier 204 via a data bus 520. When the information is picture drawing information, it is transferred to a picture drawing display control section 508. If the information is a transmission right request command response, it is transferred to a transmission right control section 505. The control section 506 displays moving picture information added with the identifier 204 if absence of transmission right of picture drawing in its own terminal is informed from the control section 505.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION (Technical field to which the invention pertains) The present invention is capable of transmitting television data between multiple points by connecting a plurality of data terminals that handle multimedia such as moving images (images of people), audio, and drawings to one communication line. Regarding distributed multipoint data terminals that realize conferences, a function that automatically displays the persona of the speaker to conference participants by taking advantage of the fact that the speaker has the right to transmit audio, drawings, etc. The present invention relates to a distributed multipoint data terminal having a multipoint data terminal.

(Prior Art) Conventionally, as a method for automatically switching and displaying human images in a multipoint video conference system, a centralized type in which conference terminals are connected in a star shape and a long point to point communication device is installed in the center has been used.
A method has been proposed in which a speaker is detected based on the location of the right to transmit drawings used by the speaker, and an image of the speaker is displayed to all conference participants.

However, with distributed multipoint data terminals that do not have long point-to-point communication equipment, other terminals cannot be aware of which terminal has the right to send drawings, so automatic transmission using media that requires control of sending rights, such as drawings, is difficult. There was a problem that the speaker could not be displayed.

(Object of the Invention) An object of the present invention is to enable automatic speaker display even in distributed multipoint data terminals that are not equipped with the long point-to-point communication device.

(Structure of the Invention) (Characteristics of the Invention and Differences from the Prior Art) In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a drawing method for controlling data transmission direction in a distributed multi-point data terminal.
or by using the right to transmit audio, etc.

The most important feature is that the presenter's face is automatically displayed to the listener of the data terminal.

This method differs from the prior art in that it is possible to automatically display the speaker using media such as drawing that requires control of transmission rights.

(Example) In a multipoint video conference system, if drawing information is simultaneously transmitted from multiple distributed multipoint data terminals to a single data terminal, a conflict may occur between the drawing information and the conference cannot be held. One of multiple data terminals at the same time
Drawing information, etc., for which transmission rights are controlled such that transmission is permitted only to those who wish to send it, is handled as the first type of information.

In addition, for example, even if video information is transmitted from multiple distributed multipoint data terminals to one at the same time, it can be displayed in multiple windows and does not interfere with video conferencing. Video information and the like that are not subject to transmission right control are handled as second type information.

The present invention provides a means for adding a drawing transmission right presence/absence identifier indicating whether or not the transmission right is present for the first type information to the transmission data of the second type information, and a means for adding a transmission right presence/absence identifier for drawings having the transmission right. This distributed multipoint data terminal is configured with means for displaying the received data of the second type information in a manner that allows identification of the person who has the right to transmit the first type information. This will be explained below with reference to FIGS. 1 to 5.

FIG. 2 shows an example of a connection configuration when there are three data terminals.

Terminals A, B, and C are connected to a local area network (L
Monitors 101 and 102 connected to a communication line 100 such as AN) for displaying video information and drawing information, respectively.
．． 103 has.

Video information is always sent from each terminal to all other terminals, and drawing information is sent to all other terminals only by one terminal that has the right to send it. Each piece of information is divided into packets and transferred. The transmission right can be transferred by sending and receiving a transmission request command and a transmission request response, and any terminal can transmit drawing information.

FIG. 3 shows an example of the data structure of the moving image information packet 200, in which a source address 201 indicating the emitted light of the moving image information is shown.
% Destination address 202 that specifies the recipient. Information type 203
．． Video information 205 and a drawing transmission right presence/absence identifier 204 indicating whether the emitted light has the right to send drawing information.
It consists of

Figure 4 shows the case where each of the monitors 101, 102, and 103 displays video information for each location in a multi-window. An example of a moving image displayed on terminal C in the case where the terminal C is transferred is shown. The video 301 of terminal A is displayed on the monitor 300 of terminal C (monitor 103 in FIG. 2) in priority over the video window 302 of terminal B, but the drawing transmission right is transferred from terminal A to terminal B. At the moment the terminal B's moving image 302 is displayed in a multi-window as shown in FIG.

FIG. 5 shows a case in which each of the monitors 101, 102, and 103 displays the video information of each destination in a reduced size, and (1) in the same figure shows that the drawing transmission right is transferred from terminal A to terminal B in FIG. An example of a video display of terminal C in the case of transfer is shown. A video 401 of terminal A and a video 402 of terminal B are displayed simultaneously on the monitor 400 of terminal C (monitor 103 in FIG. 2), and the video 401 of terminal A has a marker 403 indicating that there is one speaker. is displayed. Drawing transmission right is terminal A
At the moment when the video 402 of the terminal B is transferred from the video 401 of the terminal A to the video 402 of the terminal B, the marker 403 is transferred from the video 401 of the terminal A to the video 402 of the terminal B, as shown in FIG.
Move to.

FIG. 1 shows the configuration of one embodiment of the data terminals A, B, and C described above. In the figure, 500 is a network interface unit;
1 is a reception control unit that performs protocol reception control. 502
The transmission control unit adds the source and destination addresses 201 and 202 of the video information packet 200 shown in FIG. 3 above. A data analysis unit 503 analyzes the type of received information (video, drawing information). A data creation unit 504 adds the information type 203 shown in FIG. 3 to the received information and assembles it into a packet. Reference numeral 505 denotes a transmission right control unit, which notifies each display control unit and input control unit for moving images and drawings, which will be described later, whether or not they have the transmission right. 506
is the video display control unit and the drawing transmission right presence/absence identification element 204
Prioritize display of video information with . 507 displays the received moving image information in the moving image display section as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5. 508 is a drawing display control unit that transfers the received drawing information to the drawing display unit 509 when the own terminal does not have the right to send drawings.
send 510 is a video input control unit that adds the drawing transmission right of its own terminal and transfers the video. Reference numeral 511 inputs video information using a video camera. Reference numeral 512 denotes a drawing input control unit that transfers the drawing when its own terminal has the right to send the drawing. 513 is a drawing input unit for inputting drawing information.

514 is a communication line such as the LAN shown in FIG. 2, 515 is a control bus, and 516 to 529 are data buses.

Next, to explain the operation of FIG. 1, the L shown in FIG.
Information packets received via a communication line 514 such as an AN are sent to the network interface unit 500. The signal is input to the reception control unit 501 via the data bus 516.

After the reception control unit 501 terminates the protocol.

The data is transferred to the data analysis unit 503 via the data bus 518. This data analysis unit 503 analyzes the information type,
If it is video information, it is sent to the video display control unit 50 along with the drawing transmission right presence/absence identifier 204 shown in FIG. 3 via the data bus 520.
Transfer to 6. Further, if it is drawing information, it is transferred to the drawing display control unit 508 via the data bus 521. If it is a transmission right request command/response, it is transferred to the transmission right control unit 505 via the data bus 522.

When the video display control unit 50G is notified from the transmission right control unit 505 via the control bus 515 that its own terminal does not have the right to transmit drawing, the video display control unit 50G displays the video information to which the drawing transmission right presence/absence identifier is added. priority display (for example, Figure 4 (
1) to (2)), or speaker display information (marker 403 in FIG. 5) is added to the video information and transferred to the video display section 507 via the data bus 526. The video display section 507 displays the received video information, for example, as shown in FIG. 5(1).
to display as shown in (2).

Next, the drawing display control unit 508 draws the received drawing information via the data bus 527 only when it is notified from the transmission right control unit 505 via the control bus 515 that its own terminal does not have the right to send drawing. It is transferred to the display unit 509. This drawing display section 509 displays the received drawing information.

On the other hand, the video information input from the video camera 511 is
The data is transferred to the video input control unit 51O via the data bus 528. This video input control section 510 is connected to the transmission right control section 505.
The data is transferred to the data creation unit 504 via the data bus 524 with the own terminal's drawing transmission right presence/absence identifier 204 notified via the control bus 515 added thereto.

Further, drawing information input from the drawing input section 513 is transferred to the drawing input control section 512 via the data bus 529. This drawing input control unit 512 sends drawing information to the data bus 5 only when it is notified from the transmission right control unit 505 via the control bus 515 that its own terminal has the right to send drawing.
25 to the data creation unit 504.

Furthermore, when transmitting a transmission right request command/response, the transmission right control unit 505 transfers the command/response to the data creation unit 504 via the data bus 523 . This data creation section 504
adds the information identification 203 shown in FIG. The transmission control unit 502 adds the originating address 201 and destination address 202 shown in FIG. 3 to the received packet, and sends it to the communication line 514 via the data bus 517 and network interface unit 500.

The information packet received in this way is analyzed for information type by the data analysis section, and the video information and drawing information are sent to the respective display control sections. When it is notified by the transmission right control unit that its own terminal does not have the right to transmit drawing, the video information to which the drawing transmission right presence/absence identifier is attached is preferentially displayed. Then, the speaker display information is added to the video information and the video is displayed.

Furthermore, the drawing information from the transmission right control unit is displayed only when the own terminal is notified that it does not have the right to send drawing.

On the other hand, the moving image information to be transmitted is transferred with the drawing transmission right presence/absence identifier of the own terminal notified from the transmission right control section added. Further, the drawing information is transferred only when the terminal is notified by the transmission right control unit that it has the right to send drawings. This transfer is configured to be assembled into a packet by a data creation section, added with a necessary origination/destination address, and sent out.

(Effects of the Invention) As explained above, the present invention can also be applied to distributed multi-point data terminals by using the drawing function to control the direction of data transmission or the transmission right control function for voice, etc. Automatic display of human images can be realized, and video conferences can be held smoothly.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of a connection configuration between a data terminal and a communication line, FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of the data structure of a video information packet, and FIG. is an example of video information for each ground displayed in a multi-window.
FIG. 5 is an example of a reduced composite display of video information for each location. 100, 514...Communication line, 101-103.30
0°400...Monitor, A, B, C...Data terminal, 200...Video information packet, 201...Originating address, 202...Destination address. 203... Information type, 204... Drawing transmission right presence/absence identifier, 205... Video information, 301.302°401
, 402...Video, 403...Speaker display marker, 5
00...Network interface unit, 501...Reception control unit, 502...Transmission control unit, 503...Data analysis unit, 504...Data creation unit, 505...Transmission right control unit , 506... Video synthesis display control unit, 507...
- Video display section, 508... Drawing display control section, 509.
...Drawing display section, 510...Video input control section, 511
... video camera, 512... drawing input control section,
513... Drawing input section, 515... Control bus, 51
6-529...Data bus. Figure 1

Claims (1)

[Claims] The first type of information is drawing information, etc., for which transmission rights are controlled to allow transmission from multiple data terminals that handle multimedia such as video, audio, drawing, etc. to only one data terminal at the same time. Video information that is not subject to transmission right control that allows transmission to one data terminal at the same time is defined as second type information, and the presence or absence of a drawing transmission right that indicates whether or not the transmission data of the second type information has the transmission right of the first type information. means for adding an identification element, and displaying the received data of the second type information to which the drawing transmission right presence/absence identifier having the transmission right has been added in such a manner that it can be identified that the data has the transmission right of the first type information. A distributed multipoint data terminal comprising: means.