JPH06276514A - Camera control system in video conference system - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To provide the video conference system in which preliminary preparation before a conference is not required and a speaker is displayed on the center of a screen with respect to the video conference system in which a camera is directed to a talking person and the image of the person is picked up. CONSTITUTION:A transmission source 1 sends an electromagnetic wave and a radio wave reception means 2 detects the sent electromagnetic wave and a camera control means 4 directs a camera 3 in a direction of the electromagnetic transmission to pick up the image of a speaker. Moreover, a talker detection means 6 uses a unidirectional microphone 5 to specify the talker to allow an electromagnetic wave generating means 7 to transmit an electromagnetic wave from a transmission source 1 of the specified talker.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a video conference system for taking a picture of a person by turning a camera around the person who is busy. The video conference aims to get as close as possible to the original conference that people hold in person. As one of the means, a system that requires as few operations as possible during a meeting is desired.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art FIG. 5 is a block diagram of a conventional video conference system. In the figure, 101, 102 and 103 are conference participants A, B and C, 111, 112 and 113 are microphones A, B and C, 121 is a speaker detection unit for detecting a speaker, and 122 is a conference participant. A, B, C, (101, 10
2, 103), a camera control unit 123 for controlling the camera 122, and a camera 122.
Conference participants A, B, C (101, 102, 10
3) In order to image 3), conference participants A, B, C (10
Preset memory for registering the positions of (1, 102, 103), and 125 is a voice for microphones A, B, C (111,
112, 113) and a microphone mixer for transmitting to the speaker detection unit 121 and the encoding unit 126, and 126 is an encoding unit for encoding the video signal from the camera 122 and the sound from the microphone mixer 125.

FIG. 5 is an example of a case where there are three conference participants who participate in the video conference, and three conference participants A, B, C (101, 102, 1 in the figure) are provided on the outer periphery of the video conference table.
03) sits down, and the conference participants A, B, and C (101, 102, and 103 in the figure) capture the voices of the conference participants A, B, and C (in the figure) and send them to the other party.
Three microphones A, B, C (111, 112, 113 in the figure) are arranged corresponding to B, C (101, 102, 103 in the figure).

In the video conference system, when displaying a close-up image of a speaker who is speaking among a plurality of conference attendees, it is necessary to point the camera 122 to the position of the speaker. Before the videoconference, the maintainer attended the conference participants A,
Microphones A, B, C (111, 112, 11 in the figure) are located at positions where B, C (101, 102, 103 in the figure) are supposed to sit.
3) is set and the conference participants A, B, C are taken by the camera 122.
In order to photograph (101, 102, 103 in the figure), positions where the conference participants A, B, C (101, 102, 103 in the figure) are supposed to sit are stored in the preset memory 124.

When the video conference starts, the speaker detection unit 121
Detects the voice input level to the microphones A, B, and C (111, 112, 113 in the figure), and the person present in front of the microphone having the highest voice input level is the speaker who is currently speaking. To detect. Next, the detected speaker position is searched from the preset memory 124, and the camera 122 is automatically pointed in the direction in which the speaker at the obtained address position is imaged.

Then, in the encoding unit 126, the camera 122
There has been developed a method in which the video imaged in (1) and the voice sent from the microphone mixer 125 are encoded and sent to the conference room of the other party. For example, when the conference participant B (102 in the figure) is busy, the microphone mixer 1 (112 in the figure) causes the microphone mixer 1
The voice detected via the other microphone A is the other microphone A (11 in the figure).
1), the size is larger than that of the microphone C (113 in the figure), and the speaker detection unit 121 determines that the conference participant B (102 in the figure) is busy (speaker).

At this time, the microphone mixer 125 sends the input voice to the encoder 126. The speaker detection unit 121 sends a signal for notifying the camera control unit 123 that the conference participant B (102 in the figure) is busy. The camera control unit 123 reads the address position set for the conference participant B (102 in the figure) from the preset memory 124, turns the camera 122 to the read address position, and the conference participant B (102 in the diagram). ) Is taken, and this video signal is sent to the encoding unit 126.

The encoding unit 126 encodes the sent audio and video signals and sends them to the other party for a video conference.

[0009]

However, in the conventional video conferencing system, firstly, the maintenance person preliminarily sets the microphones A, B, C (111, 112, 113 in the figure) before the conference.
It is said that it takes time and effort to set the position of the camera and point the camera 122 to the respective positions where the conference participants A to C (101 to 103 in the figure) are supposed to sit and to store the positions in the preset memory 124. There's a problem.

Secondly, since the camera 122 faces the direction of the position stored in the preset memory 124 due to the speaker detection during the video conference, the camera 122 can follow the position deviated from the position stored by the speaker. On the other hand, if the speaker is in a displaced position, the speaker may be at the edge of the video screen or may not be displayed on the screen. It is an object of the present invention to provide a video conference system that requires no prior preparation before the conference and can easily make the speaker appear in the center of the video screen.

[0011]

FIG. 1 shows the principle of the present invention. A plurality of unidirectional microphones 5 arranged corresponding to n conference participants, a transmission source 1 that emits a predetermined electromagnetic wave corresponding to each of the unidirectional microphones 5, and a voice of the conference participants. Are collected by the unidirectional microphone 5 to identify the speaker, an electromagnetic wave generation means 7 for generating an electromagnetic wave from the transmission source 1 based on the detection result of the speaker detection means 6, and a transmission source. 1 receives the electromagnetic wave emitted from the electromagnetic wave 1 and detects the direction in which the electromagnetic wave is emitted, the camera 3 that captures an image of the conference participant, and the electromagnetic wave emission direction detected by the electromagnetic wave receiving means 2. The camera control means 4 for pointing the camera 3 is provided.

[0012]

In the present invention, the electromagnetic wave is emitted from the transmission source 1, the emitted electromagnetic wave is detected by the radio wave receiving means 2, and the camera control means 4 directs the camera 3 in the emission direction of the electromagnetic wave to image the speaker. To do. Further, when the speaker detecting means 6 specifies the speaker by the unidirectional microphone 5, the electromagnetic wave generating means 7 causes the source 1 of the specified speaker to emit the electromagnetic wave.

[0013]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to FIGS. 2, 3, and 4. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an embodiment of the video conference system of the present invention. In the figure, 11, 12, 1
3 is conference participants A, B, C, 21, 22, 23 microphones A, B, C, 31, 32, 33 microphones A, B, C (21, 22, 23) that generate electromagnetic waves such as infrared rays. Sources A, B, C, 41 added to the microphones A, B, C (2
1, 22, 23) for collecting the voices from the microphone detector and transmitting the voices to the speaker detection unit 42 and the encoding unit 47.
Reference numeral 2 is a speaker detection unit for detecting a speaker, 43 is an electromagnetic wave generation unit for generating electromagnetic waves from transmission sources A, B, C (31, 32, 33), and 44 is transmission sources A, B, C. (3
1, 32, 33) to receive electromagnetic waves, 45 is a camera control unit for controlling a person camera 46 and a panoramic camera 48, and 46 is conference participants A, B, C (11,
12, 13), a person camera 46, an encoding unit for encoding the image from the person camera 46, the panoramic camera 48 and the sound from the microphone mixer 41, and the panoramic camera 48 for capturing the entire view of the video conference. Indicates.

In the video conferencing system, two cameras, a person camera 46 and a panoramic camera 48, are used. When there is a speaker, the person camera 46 takes an image of the speaker alone, and when there is no speaker, , Panoramic view of video conference 48
In the video conference, the audio and video signals are encoded by the encoding unit 47 and sent to the other party for a video conference. Further, when the power is turned on, the panoramic camera 48 captures the entire view of the video conference.

The video conference shown in FIG. 2 is an example of the case where there are three conference participants who participate, and three conference participants A, B and C (11 and 12 in the figure) are provided around the video conference table. ，
13) sits down and attends conference participants A, B, C (11, 1 in the figure)
2, 13) include conference participants A, B, C (11, 1 in the figure).
Two microphones A, B, C corresponding to 2) and 13) respectively
(21, 22, 23 in the figure) and microphones A, B, C (2 in the figure)
Sources A, B, and C (31, 32, and 33 in the figure) for transmitting electromagnetic waves such as infrared rays added to the devices 1, 22, 23) are attached.

Further, microphones A, B, C (21, 2 in the figure)
2, 23) uses a wireless microphone that can be attached to the chest like a pin type, and when a video conference is held, conference participants A, B, C (11, 12, in the figure,
13) Microphones A, B, C (21, 21 in the figure) on each chest
2, 23) are installed. Hereafter, the conference participant A who is busy,
The operation of the turning method of the person camera 46 for photographing B and C (11, 12, and 13 in the drawing) will be described.

Here, the conference participants A, B, C (1 in the figure)
1, 12 and 13), the panoramic camera 48 takes a panoramic view of the video conference when the person camera 46 is rotated to identify the speaker who is currently speaking and to display a close-up image of the speaker. , The video is sent to the corresponding device in the conference room on the other side. Video conferencing begins and panoramic camera 48
Is capturing the entire view of the video conference (encoding unit 47
A video signal picked up by the panoramic camera 48 is transmitted to and is encoded, and the video is sent to the conference room of the other party). When the conference participant A (11 in the figure) starts talking, the speaker detection unit 42
Is the microphone A sent through the microphone mixer 41.
The voice of (21 in the figure) became louder than the other microphones B (22 in the figure) and C (23 in the figure), and it was determined that the conference participant A (11 in the figure) was busy. To do.

As a result of judging that the conference participant A (11 in the figure) is busy, the electromagnetic wave generator 43 is added to the microphone A (21 in the diagram) of the conference participant A (11 in the diagram). An electromagnetic wave is transmitted from the transmission source A (31 in the figure). The transmitted electromagnetic wave is the radio wave receiver 4 integrated with the person camera 46.
4 received.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing the structure of the radio wave receiving section. Figure 3
Are provided with two receivers, and the angles between the receivers 1 and 2 are installed symmetrically with respect to the imaging direction of the human camera 46 (in the present embodiment, with respect to the direction of the human camera 46). The angle is 45 degrees to the left and right.) FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the radio wave reception level of the radio wave receiving unit 44. In FIG. 4 (Y), since the radio wave receiving levels of the radio wave receiving units 1 and 2 are equal, the person camera 46 images the position where the speaker is at the center of the image. In FIG. 4 (X), since the radio wave reception level of the reception unit 2 is high, the camera control unit 45 recognizes that the transmission source is in the direction of the reception unit 2 (right), and the radio wave reception unit 44 and the person camera 46 are turned on. By turning in the right direction and stopping the radio wave receiving unit 44 and the person camera 46 at the position where the radio wave receiving levels of the radio wave receiving units 1 and 2 become equal, FIG.
Similar to (Y), the person camera 46 is at a position where the speaker is imaged in the center of the image. In FIG. 4 (Z), since the radio wave reception level of the reception unit 1 is high, the camera control unit 45 recognizes that the transmission source is in the direction of the reception unit 1 (left), and the radio wave reception unit 44.
4 (Y) by turning the person camera 46 to the left and stopping the electric wave receiver 44 and the person camera 46 at the positions where the electric wave reception levels of the electric wave receivers 1 and 2 become equal. ), The speaker is imaged at the center of the image.

The position where the radio wave receiving levels of the radio wave receiving units 1 and 2 described above are equalized is added to the microphone A (21 in the drawing) attached to the chest of the conference participant A (11 in the drawing). Since the image is picked up with the transmission source A (31 in the figure) as a reference, the person camera 46 is at a position for picking up the image of the conference participant A (11 in the figure). Through the above procedure, the person camera 46 is directed to the conference participant A (11 in the figure) and the video signal to be sent to the encoding unit 47 is captured by the panoramic camera 48. Conference participant A captured by camera 46 (1 in the figure
The video signal of 1) is switched to the video signal and sent to the encoding unit 47, and the transmission video is switched.

The encoding unit 47 encodes the video signal sent from the person camera 46 and the sound sent from the microphone mixer 41 and sends it to the conference room of the other party to hold a video conference. When the conference participant A (11 in the figure) finishes talking and the conference participant C (13 in the diagram) starts talking, the speaker detecting unit 42 causes the microphone C (see the figure) sent via the microphone mixer 41. Medium 2
The voice of 3) is the other microphone A (21 in the figure) and microphone B.
Since it is larger than (22 in the figure), it is determined that the conference participant C (13 in the figure) is busy.

When the conference participant A (11 in the figure) finishes talking, the conference participant A imaged by the person camera 46.
The video signal is switched from the video signal (11 in the figure) to the panoramic video of the video conference captured by the panoramic camera 48, and the video signal is sent to the corresponding device in the conference room on the other side. The electromagnetic wave generator 43 is a source A of the conference participant A (11 in the figure).
(31 in the figure) Stops the transmission of electromagnetic waves, and the result of determining that the conference participant C (13 in the diagram) is busy is used as a trigger to trigger the microphone C (see the diagram 13) of the conference participant C (13 in the diagram). Medium 2
An electromagnetic wave is transmitted from a transmission source C (33 in the figure) attached to 3).

The transmitted electromagnetic wave is received by the radio wave receiving section 44 integrated with the person camera 46. The radio wave reception unit 44 is the microphone C (2 in the figure) of the conference participant C (13 in the figure).
The radio wave reception level of the electromagnetic wave received from the transmission source C (33 in the figure) attached to 3) is higher than that of the reception unit 1 by the reception unit 2
4Z is larger, the camera control unit 45 determines that the speaker is on the left side than the direction in which the speaker is currently facing, and the camera control unit 45 causes the radio wave reception unit 44 and the person camera 46 to operate.
Is turned to the left until the radio wave reception levels of the radio wave reception units 1 and 2 become equal.

The position where the radio wave receiving levels of the radio wave receiving sections 1 and 2 are equal is the source C added to the microphone C (23 in the figure) attached to the chest of the conference participant C (13 in the figure). Since the image is picked up with reference to (33 in the figure), the person camera 46 is at a position for picking up the image of the conference participant C (13 in the figure). With the above procedure, the person camera 46 is directed to the conference participant C (13 in the figure), and the video signal to be sent to the encoding unit 47 is captured by the panoramic camera 48 from the video signal of the entire video conference. The video signal of the conference participant C (13 in the figure) captured by the camera 46 is switched to the captured video signal, which is sent to the encoding unit 47, and the transmission video is switched.

The coding unit 47 codes the video signal sent from the person camera 46 and the sound sent from the microphone mixer 41 and sends it to the conference room of the other party for a video conference. Also, in this embodiment, a wireless microphone that can be attached to the chest like a pin type is equipped with a transmission source,
With a stand-alone microphone equipped with a source, when the speaker speaks sideways without heading straight to the table, the speaker's input level to the microphone placed in front of the speaker The voice input level to the microphone placed in front of the next person becomes higher, and the speaker detection unit determines that the person next to the speaker is currently speaking, and the electromagnetic wave generation means mistakenly speaks. This is because there is no problem that the electromagnetic wave is emitted from the transmission source of the person next to the person.

[0026]

As described above, according to the present invention, first, when a speaker is recognized, an electromagnetic wave is emitted from a transmission source corresponding to the speaker, and the camera is directed in the direction of the emitted electromagnetic wave. Therefore, it is not necessary to prepare in advance before the meeting. Secondly, since the transmission source can be installed at an arbitrary position, there is an effect that the speaker can be easily displayed in the center of the video screen.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a principle diagram of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an embodiment of a video conference system of the present invention.

[Fig. 3] Configuration diagram of a radio wave receiver

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a radio wave level of a radio wave receiving unit.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a radio wave reception level of a radio wave reception unit.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of a conventional video conference system.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Transmission source 2 ... Radio wave receiving means 3 ... Camera 4 ... Camera control means 5 ... Microphone 6 ... Speaker detection means 7 ... Electromagnetic wave generation means

 ─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of the front page (72) Inventor Kiichi Matsuda 1015 Kamiodanaka, Nakahara-ku, Kawasaki-shi, Kanagawa Fujitsu Limited

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A camera control system in a video conferencing system for controlling a camera for capturing an image of a specific participant among a plurality of video conferees, comprising: a plurality of transmitters (1) emitting a predetermined electromagnetic wave; A radio wave receiving means (2) for receiving the electromagnetic waves of a plurality of transmission sources (1) and detecting a direction from which the electromagnetic waves are emitted, a camera (3) for picking up an image of each conference participant, and the radio wave receiving means ( A camera control method in a video conferencing system, comprising: a camera control means (4) for directing the camera (3) in the emission direction of the electromagnetic wave detected in 2). 2. A plurality of unidirectional microphones (5) corresponding to each video conference participant, a plurality of transmission sources (1) corresponding to the unidirectional microphones (5), and conference participation. The voice of the person is collected by the unidirectional microphone (5) and the speaker detecting means (6) for identifying the speaker, and the source (1) based on the detection result of the speaker detecting means (6). 2. The camera control system in the video conference system according to claim 1, further comprising an electromagnetic wave generating means (7) for generating an electromagnetic wave.