JPH08214268A - Video distributing device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: To reduce user's load by processing picture conversion requested from a user to a screen with various forms by a distribution center in a video distribution system provided with mutual communication type service. CONSTITUTION: In a user terminal 1, a control part 12 obtains information relating to the shape (a plane, a curve, etc.) and size (an aspect ratio, etc.) of a user screen by referring to a screen type data part 13, obtains information relating to picture conversion specified by a user from an operation input part 11 and transmits the obtained information to an ISDN distribution center through a data transmitting part 15. The center converts an original video in accordance with a user's request and transmits the converted data and the user terminal 1 immediately transmits the data received through a data receiving part 14 to a screen driver 16 to obtain a required video. Since the information relating to the conversion is transmitted by a UUI signal, the terminal 1 can respond to a change at real time even when a conversion type is changed during the reception of a picture.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an improvement in a video distribution device that controls an image display method in a communication processing system that handles images.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Since March 1992, with the start of high-definition broadcasting test broadcasting, high-definition television has begun to spread to general households. This high-definition television differs from conventional televisions in the type of signal and the shape of the monitor.

Further, for the purpose of displaying a display on a large number of people such as at a concert or a presentation of a new product, a display is used in which a plurality of monitors are overlapped to show one image, and many such projectors are available. ing.

The shape of the screen for such a purpose is advancing in the direction of diversification in accordance with the diversification of information services, and in the future, a modified display such as a spherical screen may appear.

On the other hand, the communication network N-ISDN to B-IS
With the shift to DN, the number of mobile phones for information services has expanded greatly, and the content is about to change. This B-ISDN
The system can transmit a large amount of information in a network capable of transmitting various information from low speed to high speed, and can meet a user's request for multimedia. This telecommunications infrastructure development plan is currently underway.

In ITU-T (formerly CCITT), B-ISDN communication modes are roughly classified into intercommunication services such as a videophone and distributed services such as a television broadcast. Among these two types of services, the distributed services are further divided into those without user control and those with user control. When a distributed service with user control and an intercommunication service are combined to acquire some video service, the user sends request information for acquiring the service in advance of the service. However, in the conventional example, the transmission content does not include the element related to the conversion processing such as the information indicating the shape of the screen at this time.

Conventionally, the shape of the screen has been limited to several types. There are examples of conversion processing tailored to the shape of a special screen, such as display on multiple monitors used for events such as those mentioned above, and display on the planetarium spherical screen. However, conversion processing in such cases is all done by the user. It is carried out on the side and the user bears a heavy burden accordingly. Further, if the screen shape becomes complicated, the burden will be further increased. Furthermore, except for the digital video converter used in some parts, the contents of the screen shape conversion at the user level are limited, and wide conversion corresponding to high density information has been realized. Absent. At the present stage, there is no general information element indicating the screen shape, and the conversion process is currently performed only on the user side.

FIG. 7 is a block diagram showing a video network system. The video network system is composed of a plurality of terminals 1-1, 1-2, 1-3, ... On the user side, a center 2 on the video providing side, and a network 3 connecting the two.

FIG. 8 shows the internal structure of the conventional terminal 10. The conventional terminal 10 includes an operation input unit 101 and a control unit 10.
2, data transmitter / receiver 103, screen driver 10
4. The video processor 105. As can be seen from FIG. 8, in the past, the video processor 105 for performing the video conversion processing adapted to the screen shape is the terminal 1 on the user side.
However, the video conversion was considered only as a unique conversion corresponding only to the screen shape on the user side. Even if the video processor 105 in the terminal 1 is changed to a high-functionality and multi-functionality, a heavy load is placed on the user side and it is difficult to cope with the diversification of the video service provided at the center.

In the present invention, in order to deal with these problems, the video processor, which has been provided in the terminal 1 on the user side until now, is moved to the center 2 side, and the user side makes a request for conversion to the center. The purpose is to be able to communicate arbitrarily.

[0011]

As described above, in the conventional method, (1) the screen shape conversion process is performed on the user side, which imposes a heavy burden on the user.

(2) It is difficult to deal with various types of screens that may occur in the future.

(3) It is not possible to meet various demands of the user beyond the conversion corresponding to the simple screen shape.

There are problems such as the above. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to solve the above problems and provide a video conversion processing device capable of displaying on a variety of screens according to various requests of a user without burdening the user. To do.

[0015]

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a video distribution apparatus comprising a plurality of terminals and a center for distributing video to the plurality of terminals. Is provided with a terminal information transmitting means for transmitting the image conversion information indicating the shape of the screen of the terminal itself, the image processing request content, and the conversion request content to the center,
It is characterized in that the center is provided with video conversion and transmission means for converting a video according to an instruction of the video conversion information received from the terminal information transmission means and transmitting the video to the terminal.

Further, the image conversion information includes position information of an image on the screen.

[0017]

According to the present invention, the transmission request sent from the user side to the center includes the screen type designation information as information for transmitting the shape of the screen, and the conversion processing conventionally performed on the user side is performed by the video transmission source. Do it at the center. As a result, it is possible to display various screens in accordance with various user requests without burdening the user.

[0018]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS A video conversion processing apparatus according to the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 shows a block diagram of the user terminal 1 of the video conversion processing device according to the present invention, and FIG. 2 shows a block diagram of the center device. The video network system is basically the same as that shown in FIG.

The terminal 1 is considered to send information about the conversion to the center 2 as shown in FIG. FIG.
Among them, 11 is an operation input unit, 12 is a control unit, 13 is a screen type data unit, 14 is a data receiving unit, 15 is a data transmitting unit, and 16 is a screen driver.

A flow of processing when transmitting information regarding conversion will be described. When only the conversion process suitable for the screen shape is performed, the control unit 12 refers to the screen type data unit 13 to transmit the screen type information from the data transmission unit 15 to the center 2. When the user specifies the conversion content, the user inputs information regarding the conversion from the operation input unit 11 and the information is transmitted from the data transmission unit 15.

On the other hand, the center 2 is constructed as shown in FIG. In FIG. 2, 21 is a data transmitting unit, 22 is a data receiving unit, 23 is a video processor, 24 is a protocol processing unit, and 25 is a video database unit.

The protocol processing section 24 judges the information about the conversion received by the data receiving section 22, and the video processor 23 converts the picture taken out from the picture database section 25 according to this judgment, and the picture is converted from the data transmitting section 21. Send the data to the user.

As a method of transmitting the conversion information from the terminal 1 shown in FIG. 1 to the center 2, a method of using only UUI (user / user signal) or a method of using both TEI (termination point identifier) and UUI is used. There are two possible methods. Hereinafter, these two methods will be described with reference to FIG.

(1) Screen type designation performed only by UUI (user / user signal) The user transmits a video transmission request from the terminal 1 to the center 2. At this time, the user must send a request to the center 2 to send the video that he wants to acquire. Normally, the user sends a SETUP (call setup) message 31 to the center 2. Then, the CAL indicating that the call setting process is being performed from the center 2
When the center 2 responds after receiving the transfer of ALERT 31 having the meaning of L PROC, the center 2 further sends a CONN (connection) message 34 to the center 2.
Receive from With this, the line between the user center and the user center is connected, and the video information 35 is sent from the center 2. It is not known from the center 2 side whether the transmitted image matches the screen shape of the user, and conversion can be performed only on the user side. Therefore, the screen type information is set as information for transmitting the screen shape of the user to the center 2, and the screen type information is also transmitted when the user's video transmission request is transmitted, so that conversion in the center 2 becomes possible.

Specifically, as shown in FIG. 3, in a series of control procedures such as SETUP, ALERT, CONN for circuit switching, by inputting information indicating that a screen type is designated as UUI (user / user signal) in the SETUP message 31. , And informs the center 2 that the screen type designation information is sent together with the request for the additional service called service 1. Upon receiving this information, the center 2 puts the availability of the service 1 on the CONN 34, which means a connection, and sends it to the user. If yes, the center 2 becomes ready for the screen type information. Further, at the time of this SETUP, a request to use the services 2 and 3 which are additional services different from the service 1 is also sent at the same time, and the availability of use of the services 2 and 3 is sent from the center to the user at the time of ALERT. The screen type information is exchanged between the user center and the service 2 (33) before the CONN 34. The above-mentioned service 3 (35) is a service that can actively send a user / user signal during communication, and when the user wants to change the conversion method while receiving the signal, or when he / she wants a moving image described later, etc. It corresponds to. This service 3 (35) can respond to a user's request in real time, and can realize a video service with a higher reality, which is the original purpose.

(2) Screen type designation performed by TEI / SAPI and UUI In TEI (termination point identifier) / SAPI (service access point identifier) indicating the reception of the service provided by layer 2, a user / network interface is used. The type of the terminal device connected to is specified. This TEI sets macro screen type information indicating a rough screen shape (discrimination between a flat screen, a curved screen, a spherical screen, etc.), and informs the center of the rough screen shape of the user. Micro screen information indicating detailed screen shape information (aspect ratio in flat screen, curved screen, curvature ratio in spherical screen, etc.) is set in the above-mentioned UUI together with ratio information and position information. However, when a conversion corresponding to only a specific screen shape such as a flat screen, a curved screen, or a spherical screen is requested, the conversion is preset in TEI and designated, and not designated in UUI.

The center receives the information sent from the user by any of the above-mentioned methods, and the image processor in the center performs the image conversion.

FIG. 4 shows an example of a video service based on the video processing system of the present invention.

In FIG. 4, reference numeral 41 denotes a standard (original) image which the image providing side has, and in this example, is a plane image having an aspect ratio of 9:16.

Reference numeral 42 is an image sent from the center to the user 1 who has transmitted the screen type information that the screen shape is a flat screen having an aspect ratio of 3: 4. Also,
Reference numeral 43 denotes an image sent from the center to the user 2 who has transmitted the screen type information that the screen shape is a stack of 25 flat screens each having a vertical and horizontal ratio of 9:16 (5 vertical and 5 horizontal). . 25 stacked at this time
Information related to conversion (standard video, ratio of video displayed on one screen, information indicating position in standard video, etc.) is specified for each screen of the table. Reference numeral 44 is an image sent from the center to the user 3 who has transmitted the screen type information that the user's screen is a spherical screen. At this time, as the information sent from the user 3 to the center, the ratio between the standard image and the spherical screen, the position information in the standard image, the curvature rate of the spherical screen, and the like are designated.

In the video conversion processing method of the present invention, not only video conversion corresponding to only the screen shape of the user but also video conversion can be arbitrarily selected. FIG. 5 shows an example of video conversion designation by the user in this case.

Reference numeral 51 in the drawing denotes a screen on the user side, 5
2 to 60 are samples of video conversion contents. From these samples, the user specifies any video conversion and sends it to the center. The center performs the requested conversion and sends it regardless of the user's screen shape.

Further, in the video processing method of the present invention, conversion can be performed by the method shown in FIG. In the figure, 61 is a standard image, and 62 to 64 are images sent to the user. As the information regarding the conversion, the ratio of the standard image to the image sent to the user's screen and the position information in the standard image are specified by the same method as in the case of the multi-screen shown in 43 of FIG. Since the ratio information and the position information input from the input unit of the side terminal both fluctuate, it is possible to generate an image in which the user's line of sight is in the image rather than in front of the image. If you change only the ratio information without changing the position information, an image as if the user moved back and forth was sent, and if you change only the position information without changing the ratio information, the user himself moved vertically and horizontally. An image as in the case is sent and highly realistic image conversion is performed. This is called a moving image.

[0035]

As described above, according to the present invention, the transmission request sent from the user side to the center includes the image conversion information as information for transmitting the shape of the screen, the contents of conversion, etc. In addition to enabling the provision of video information according to the user's needs and displaying more realistic video, the conversion processing that was previously performed on the user side is now performed at the video transmission source center. The load on the side can be reduced. Furthermore, by transmitting the ratio of the video to be displayed to the standard video and the position information in the video conversion information, it is possible to display the video from the perspective that the user himself has entered the video, which is effective for the realization of virtual reality. Is.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a user terminal of a video conversion processing device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a center device of a video conversion processing device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing the content of an information service between a user terminal and a center device in one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is an example of a video service distributed from a center according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is an example of a video conversion service list distributed from the center according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is an example of moving image display in a standard image according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a block diagram of a video network system in which the present invention is implemented.

FIG. 8 is a block diagram of a conventional example of a user terminal of a video conversion processing device.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 terminal 2 center 3 network 11, 101 operation input unit 12, 102 control unit 13 screen type data unit 14, 22 data receiving unit 15, 21 data transmitting unit 16, 104 screen driver 23, 105 video processor 24 protocol processing unit 25 video Database unit 103 Data transmission / reception unit 41 Standard video 42 to 44 Video sent to terminal 51 Terminal screen 52 to 60 Video conversion sample 61 Standard video 62 to 64 Video sent to terminal

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A video distribution device comprising a plurality of terminals and a center for distributing video to the plurality of terminals, wherein the shape of the screen of the terminal itself for each of the terminals and the content of the video processing request. Provided with terminal information transmitting means for transmitting video conversion information indicating the content of the conversion request to the center, and converting the video according to the instruction of the video conversion information received from the terminal information transmitting means in the center and transmitting it to the terminal A video distribution device comprising video conversion and transmission means. 2. The video distribution device according to claim 1, wherein the video conversion information includes position information of the video on the screen.