JPH0965309A - Video conference equipment - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To inform its own utterance content to an opposite party more clearly in the case of holding a video conference by plural persons by configuring the equipment with a camera panning direction position detection section, a tilt direction position detection section, and a memory storing positions of plural microphones or the like. SOLUTION: A panning direction position detection section 5 and a tilt direction position detection section 4 detecting panning and tilt direction positions are provided around a turning base of a camera 2 and a zoom position detection section 3 and a microphone position data memory 7 are provided to a lens of the camera 2. When the zooming of the camera 2 is set to a telescopic position, a microphone 9 near an object displayed on a screen is selected by comparing position data of each microphone set in the microphone position data memory 7 and in the direction of the camera 2 and an output level of a microphone amplifier of the microphone 9 is increased depending on the zoom position and conversely output level of microphone amplifiers of the other microphones 9 are decreased.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention comprises an electric swivel base mechanism for electrically panning and tilting a camera, an electric zoom mechanism for electrically moving the focal length of the camera, and a control circuit for controlling these. In addition, when holding a conference with multiple microphones arranged side by side, by increasing the sensitivity of the microphone in the direction the camera is facing when the zoom of the camera is on the tele side, only the speaker's voice seen up is powerful and powerful. The present invention relates to a video conference device that can be transmitted by.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In a conventional video conference apparatus, in order to improve the directivity of audio data input from a microphone, a large quantization step width of image data is set and transmitted when the angle of view of the camera is moving. We try not to increase the amount of data extremely. Specifically, CP for camera control
This is performed by detecting that the angle of view is moving by looking at the control signal from U, and changing the parameter for setting the quantization step width at this time. Next, in the video movie, the directivity of the microphone can be switched in association with zooming of the lens. Specifically, when the tele-up is performed, the directivity is narrowed, and when the wide screen is used, conversely, the directivity is widened to obtain a sound linked to the screen.

[0003]

As described above, in the conventional video conference apparatus, only the image data is switched in association with the angle of view of the camera, and the audio signal is associated with the angle of view of the camera. Such a function is not seen.

Next, it is not possible to cope with a case where there are a plurality of microphones and a case where the microphones are not always present in the visual field direction of the camera.

[0005]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention is to solve these problems, and in a video conferencing apparatus having a camera driven in association with a difference in input sound level from a plurality of microphones, the camera is provided. Camera direction detection means for detecting the pan direction or tilt direction of the camera, focus position detection means for detecting the focus position of the camera, and memory for storing the positions of the plurality of microphones. When is set to the tele side, the microphone close to the subject displayed on the screen is automatically detected based on the positions of the camera direction detection means, the focus position detection means and the plurality of microphones stored in the memory. To provide a video conference device selected for.

[0006]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a video conference apparatus of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a diagram explaining a focal length and an output level of a microphone in the video conference apparatus of the present invention. FIG.
In the figure, 1 is a speaker for outputting sound, 2 is a camera for photographing a subject, 3 is zoom position detection for detecting the zoom position of the camera 2, 4 is tilt direction position detection for detecting the tilt direction of the camera 2, and 5 is Pan direction position detection for detecting the pan direction position of the camera 2, 6 is a camera direction detection unit, 7
Is a microphone position data memory in which the microphone position is stored, 8 is a microphone amplifier gain control unit, 9 is a microphone, and 10
Is a mixer, and 11 is a voice encoder. The operation of the video conference apparatus of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2. A pan direction position detection 2 and a tilt direction position detection 4 for detecting positions in the pan direction and tilt direction are provided near the swivel base of the camera 2. The pan direction position detection 2 and the tilt direction position detection 4 detect which direction the camera 2 is facing. Camera 2
The zoom position detection 3 is provided on the lens portion of the camera, and the zoom position detection 3 detects the current zoom position of the camera 2. Next, a plurality of microphones 9 are arranged on the side of the participants of the video conference, and the position of the arranged microphones 9 moves the angle of view of the camera 2 to display the microphones in the center of the screen. The position of is stored in the microphone position data memory 7. Subsequently, the positions of the microphones 9 are stored in the microphone position data memory 7 by performing the same operation for the remaining microphones 9. Next, the plurality of microphones 9 are controlled so that the microphone amplifier output level is variable for each microphone 9. In the above configuration, when the zoom of the camera 2 is set to the tele side (tele side), the direction of the camera 2 is compared with the previously set position data of each microphone 9 to display the screen. The microphone 9 near the subject shown in is selected, the microphone amplifier output level of the corresponding microphone 9 is raised according to the zoom position, and conversely the microphone amplifier output level of the other microphones 9 is lowered. .

For example, the setting conditions when the level at the wide end of the camera 2 is 0 dB are set as shown in FIG.

[0008]

The present invention detects the position of the camera in the pan direction,
Since the tilt direction position detection, zoom position detection, and the positions of multiple microphones are stored in the memory, when you hold a video conference with multiple people, simply point the camera in your direction and zoom in. , Automatically increases the sensitivity of the microphone in front of me, and can more clearly convey the content of my remarks to the other party. Also, when the other party's words are unclear and difficult to hear, simply turning up the volume of the speaker will increase the surrounding noise, while controlling the other party's camera remotely to zoom in on the speaker You can hear the voice clearly as the upper face is enlarged. In addition, in the surveillance camera as well, multiple microphones are installed in the same way, and by setting the position in advance, the camera can be operated remotely.
By zooming up, you can hear the sound near the subject more clearly.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a video conference device according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a focal length and a microphone output level in the video conference apparatus of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Speaker 2 Camera 3 Zoom position detection 4 Tilt direction position detection 5 Pan direction position detection 6 Camera direction detection unit 7 Microphone position data memory 8 Microphone amplifier gain control unit 9 Microphone

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. In a video conference apparatus having a camera driven in association with a difference in input sound level from a plurality of microphones, a camera direction detecting means for detecting a pan direction or a tilt direction of the camera, and a focus of the camera. A focus position detecting means for detecting a position and a memory in which the positions of the plurality of microphones are stored. When the focus of the camera is set to the tele side, the camera direction detecting means and the focus are detected. A video conference apparatus in which a microphone close to an object shown on a screen is automatically selected based on the positions of a plurality of microphones stored in the position detection means and the memory.