JPS6130188A - Television conference system - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To execute efficiently TV conference by providing each TV conference room with a distributor, a monitor TV receiver, a TC camera, and a switching device and connecting the output of a switching device in a TV conference room successively to a distributor in the succeeding TV conference room to form a loop. CONSTITUTION:The TV conference rooms A-E are connected by a picture circuit loop L, each conference room is provided with a distributor 1 and a monitor receiver 2, a TV camera 3 and a keyboard 4 are connected to the distributor 1. A switch 5 for selecting any one of contacts under control by the keyboard 4 is also formed and the output of the switch 5 is connected to a distributor 1 in the succeeding TV conference room through the loop L. Even if any attendant in the TV conference rooms starts to speak, the picture can be observed by attendants in all the conference rooms.

Description

[Detailed description of the invention] [Industrial application field] The present invention relates to improvements in video conference systems.

An issue where people attending a meeting gather together for a meeting.
For example, a video conference system has been developed as a means to eliminate time and economic disadvantages.

In such a system, it is required that all participants be able to see the person making a statement or giving an explanation at the meeting. It is desirable that such requirements can be realized with an economical configuration of the system.

[Conventional technology]

In a video conference system, the conference rooms are generally separated. Therefore, a network connecting these conference rooms with image lines is essential.

The network configuration includes (3-1) in Figure 3.
Those shown in (3-2) and (3-3) are known.

[Problem that the invention seeks to solve]

However, in the network shown in (3-1) in Figure 3, although fewer image lines are required to configure the network, it is possible to display the image of conference room A in all other conference rooms. However, images of conference rooms B, C, D, and H cannot be viewed in other conference rooms.

On the other hand, in the networks shown in (3-2) and (3-3) in FIG. 3, the situation in any conference room can be seen in all other conference rooms. However, it is inevitable that the number of lines will be extremely large. Since each of these lines requires about 1000 times the bandwidth of a telephone line, the line costs are unavoidably enormous to configure the system.

[Means for solving problems]

The present invention provides a video conference system capable of solving the above-mentioned problems, and the first means thereof is to provide a distributor for each of a plurality of video conference rooms, and a monitor television receiver connected to the distributor. , a television camera and a switching means for selecting either the output of the distributor or the television camera, and the output of the switching means of the video conference room is sequentially connected to the distributor of the next video conference room. This is what I did.

[Effect]

According to the system of the present invention, a speaker or presenter during a conference transfers the image of the television camera to the image transmission loop via the switching means, and the monitor television receivers in other conference rooms transmit the image via the distributor. This is because the image output from the distributor while receiving the image is transmitted to the distributor in the next conference room via switching means that is manually or automatically switched to the distributor side. The image of the conference room during the speech or explanation can be viewed in any conference room in the system, and the number of image lines for this can be reduced.

〔Example〕

Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of the invention. In this figure, A,
B, . . . E are video conference rooms, and each video conference room is connected by a single image line loop L. Each video conference room includes a distributor 1, a monitor receiver 2 connected to the distributor 1, and a television camera 3.
A keyboard 4 and a switch 5 which is connected to the output of the distributor L or the television camera 3 and selects either one under the control of the keyboard 4 are provided, and the output of the switch 5 is connected to the next output via the image line loop L. Connected to the video conference room distributor.

With this configuration, even if a person in any video conference room starts speaking or explaining, the image can be viewed by all the people in the other video conference rooms.

That is, when a person in the video conference room is about to speak or give an explanation, the keyboard 4 is activated and the switch 5 is switched to the ■ side, so that the image of the TV camera that is photographing the person is shown in a loop. This is because it can be done. In other video conference rooms in the loop, the images transmitted through the loop can be received by the monitor receiver 2 via the distributor 1, and the images can be viewed by the people in those video conference rooms. .

The same applies when a person in another video conference room starts the next speech after the person has finished speaking. At that time, it is necessary to return the switch 5 of the video conference room where the speech has ended to the ■ side. If you forget to return it, you can easily prompt the switching operation by voice via the voice network.

FIG. 2 shows a second embodiment. This embodiment is a switching system that generates a switching signal to which the video conference room address is added in response to an operation on the keyboard 4, and stops transmitting the switching signal in response to the output of a switching signal detection circuit 6, which will be described later, or after a predetermined period of time. A signal generation circuit 7, a superimposition circuit 8 for superimposing the above switching signal on the output signal of the television camera 3, and a distributor l.
It is connected to the output of the TV conference room and determines whether or not the video conference room address in the switching signal is the own video conference room address.If it is the address of another TV conference room, set switch 5 to the ■ side and change the own conference room address. If so, switch 5'
It is the same as the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, except that the switching signal generating circuit 7 is configured as shown in FIG. Components are given the same reference numerals and their explanations are omitted. Note that the switch 5° is configured to be switched to the ■ side by the output signal of the switching signal detection circuit 6 as described above.

According to this second embodiment, when the keyboard 4 is operated by a speaker in a video conference room who is about to speak, etc., a switching signal to which the conference room address is added is sent from the switching signal generating circuit 7 to the image signal in the superimposing circuit 8. superimpose it as data for a predetermined period of time at an appropriate location, such as a blanking period,
The image signal on which the switching signal is superimposed is transmitted via the image line loop L via the switch 5° which is switched to the ■ side under the control of the keyboard 4.

When the switching signal detection circuit of each video conference room that receives the image signal detects that the video conference room address is not its own video conference room address, it switches the switch 5' of each video conference room to the If not, it will automatically change to the ■ side. As a result, even if you forget to return to the ■ side, automatic switching to the ■ side will occur.
There will be no inconvenience caused by forgetting to put it back.

Also, the switching signal detection circuit 7 of the video conference room that superimposes the switching signal on the image signal detects that the video conference room address of the switching signal is the own video conference room address, so the switching signal generating circuit 7 performs the switching. The signal transmission is stopped and the image signal portion is released for use in other video conference rooms.

In the above embodiment, an example of the use of the keyboard 4 has been described, but the keyboard 4 may be used to perform the same function in response to the generation of a voice.

〔Effect of the invention〕

As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to (1) view the situation in any video conference room in all other video conference rooms, (2) this function can be realized by reducing the number of image lines, etc. Effects can be obtained.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a first embodiment of the invention, FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a second embodiment of the invention, and FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of a conventional network. In the figure, A, B, ...E are video conference rooms, 1 is a distributor, 2 is a monitor TV receiver, 3 is a TV camera,
4 is a keyboard, 5.5 is a switch, 6 is a switching signal detection circuit, 7 is a switching signal generation circuit, and 8 is a superimposing circuit. Patent applicant Fujitsu Ltd. agent Patent attorney Calibration Koshibu (Fig. 1, Fig. 3)

Claims (2)

[Claims] (1) A distributor for each of the plurality of video conference rooms, a monitor television receiver connected to the distributor, and a television camera;
A switching means for selecting either the output of the distributor or the output of the television camera is provided, and the output of the switching means of the video conference room is sequentially connected to the distributor of the next video conference room. video conferencing system. (2) The distributor includes a means for superimposing a switching signal in which the video conference room address is added to the output signal of the television camera, and a switch for selecting either the switching signal superimposing means or the output of the distributor. and switching signal detection means for switching the switching means to the distributor side if the video conference room address is another video conference room address. The video conference system according to item 1.