KR100225858B1 - Video processing method using universal serial bus - Google Patents

Abstract

According to the present invention, a universal serial bus (USB) can be used to process and output video information from a camera using a universal serial bus (USB) method for video information exchange such as video conferencing. An image processing method comprising: a first step of determining whether the camera is detected through a USB interface; and when the camera is detected, activating the camera to receive and sequentially store captured image information through a USB interface And a third step of reading the stored image information in a storage order and converting the stored image information into a predetermined image format, and outputting the format converted image information onto the network. The third stage is Joint Photographic Exper (JPEG), which is a still image compression standard. ts Group) converting to a still image format, and outputting the converted image information on the network may output the converted image information by interworking with a web browser. It is possible to provide cost reduction and ease of image signal processing in a computer.

Description

Image Processing Method Using Universal Serial Bus

1 is a block diagram schematically illustrating a connection configuration of a camera and a computer for performing an embodiment of the present invention.

2 is a flowchart illustrating an image processing process using a universal serial bus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

* Explanation of symbols for main parts of the drawings

10: USB Curry 20: Computer

21: microprocessor 22: USB interface

23: memory 24: communication interface

The present invention relates to an image processing method using a universal serial bus (hereinafter, referred to as USB), and in particular, a video editing operation is simplified by receiving image information from a camera using a USB method, which is a connection interface of a peripheral device in a computer. And a video processing method using a universal serial bus that enables video processing such as a video conference using the Internet.

In general, the most basic part of multimedia is the convergence of computers, home appliances and communication devices, which is the digitization of information, that is, the fusion of digitized information. Computers excel in editing and storing processing of digitized information, while weak in processing analog sound and visual information.

Therefore, to take advantage of the advantages of such computers and home appliances and to complement each other's shortcomings are developing into the main form of multimedia.

On the other hand, the computer is also used as a communication means for sending and receiving various document information using a public telephone network (PSTN) or a public data network (PSDN), which is a conventional telephone network, especially recently through the Internet to the Internet Phone (Internet Phone) The exchange of voice information, that is, international telephone calls and still image information, as well as cameras, are used to exchange video information, that is, video conferences, using computer communication.

On the other hand, the World Wide Web on the Internet (weakly referred to as WWW) is a document (including still image, video and audio information) in order to increase the information exchange method and information sharing efficiency and information exchange efficiency. It is one of the Internet search tools that uses the Hyper Text Transfer Protocol (hereinafter abbreviated as HTTP) that introduces the concept of Hyper Link that can directly refer to other documents.

It consists of hypertext, which can include not only still images and text, but also sound and video. These hypertexts are written in Hyper Text Markup Language (hereinafter abbreviated as HTML), and the WWWs are linked together. Therefore, if you only know the WWW address, you can easily move to another WWW. A program that searches these WWWs is called a Web browser, such as Netscape, Mosaic, and Internet Explorer Hot Java.

On the other hand, the retrieved information can be viewed simply by a web browser, but as the information types are diversified, a plug-in program is required to view various types of HTML documents, for example, sounds and moving images.

On the other hand, the Video Capture Board is a computer expansion board that can be inserted into and used in an expansion slot of a computer in response to the direction of multimedia as described above, and outputs a television, a video cassette recorder, and an analog video signal. In order to output analog video signals (for example, NTSC, PAL) from a conventional camera to a computer monitor, the input analog video signals are converted into digital video signals and converted into a digital video signal. It converts to RGB (Red-Green-Blue) data format that can be processed in mode, converts scanning method to Non-Interlaced Scanning method, and outputs it, and saves still images as graphic files in various formats. Has a grab function.

On the other hand, the video capture board and the existing cameras that output analog video signals are used to edit video on the computer and perform e-commerce or cyber meetings through the Internet, but the existing cameras support video in full size. In case of outputting video signal, it is processed by analog video signal such as NTSC or PAL, and outputting is expensive. In addition, most application programs that process video signal are limited and supplied by the manufacturer of video capture board. There was this.

USB, on the other hand, is a connectivity standard for computer peripherals that is expected to revolutionize the use of peripherals in computers, eliminating the complex serial and parallel ports located on the back of the computer, and up to 127 peripherals per USB port. For example, you can connect backup tape drives, monitors, keyboards, printers, scanners, joysticks, etc., and transfer rates up to 12 Mbits / s).

Therefore, in the present invention, by processing and outputting the captured image signal by the USB method, the manufacturing cost can be reduced by eliminating the means for converting the image signal captured by the subject to a general analog broadcasting method (for example, NTSC). We have found ways to simplify image processing over the Internet using USB cameras that do not require a video capture board.

Accordingly, the present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and an object of the present invention is to use a video signal from a camera that processes and outputs a captured video signal using a USB interface standard, thereby making it easier to convert the video signal over the Internet. It is to provide an image processing method using a USB that can be processed easily.

An image processing method using a USB according to the present invention for achieving the above object is a method for processing and outputting image information applied from a camera on a network using a computer by a universal serial bus method, A first step of determining whether the camera is detected through a USB interface, and a second step of activating the camera to receive and sequentially store captured image information through the USB interface when the camera is detected; A third step of reading the stored image information in a storage order and converting the stored image information into a predetermined image format; And outputting the format-converted image information to the network.

Meanwhile, the third step of converting the image format may include converting to a still photo compression standard (JPEG; Joint Photographic Experts Group) still image format, and the fourth step of outputting on the network may be format converted. The image information may be output in conjunction with a web browser.

The above and other objects and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the detailed description of the embodiments of the present invention.

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

1 is a block diagram schematically illustrating a connection configuration of a camera and a computer for performing an embodiment of the present invention. The microprocessor 21, the USB interface 22 of the USB camera 10 and the computer 20, and FIG. A memory 23 and a communication interface 24. In this configuration, the USB camera 10 digitally processes the image information of the photographed subject by the USB method and applies it to the USB interface 22 of the computer 20. In addition, the microprocessor 21 performs overall operation control of the USB interface 22, the memory 23, and the communication interface 24 to store image information from the USB interface 22 in the memory 23, The stored image information is read out, converted into a still image compression standard (JPEG; Joint Photographic Experts Group) still image format, and linked to a web browser for transmission through the communication interface 24.

Next, the above-described configuration will be described with reference to a flowchart of FIG. 2 attached to an image processing operation process using a universal serial bus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

First, the microprocessor 21 determines whether the USB camera 10 is plugged through the USB interface 22 (step 200). At this time, when the USB camera 10 is plugged into the USB port of the USB interface 22, the microprocessor 21 activates the USB camera 10 (step 202), and the USB camera 10 is a digital image of the subject. The image information is applied to the USB interface 22.

Next, the microprocessor 21 sequentially stores the digital image information received via the USB interface 22 in the memory 23 (step 204), and then first stores the image information stored in the memory 23 in the order of the stored image information. Read and convert to a J-Paq still image (step 206). Then, the J-PAQ still image is transmitted to the web browser through the communication interface 24 (step 208). Then, due to the computer's performance and transmission status, remotely connected to the network, the J-Pac still image can be viewed on the monitor discontinuously.

As described above, according to the present invention, a camera having a low-cost USB output instead of a conventional camera that converts an image signal photographing a subject to a general analog broadcasting method (for example, NTSC) when exchanging image information in a computer. In addition to the need for a video capture board, which is purchased separately from the computer and eliminates the need for cost savings, users can benefit from cost savings. Second, the video signal is input to the USB standard, making it easier to process. It becomes possible.

On the other hand, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications can be made without departing from the technical spirit of the present invention.

Claims (3)

CLAIMS What is claimed is: 1. A method of processing and outputting image information applied from a camera on a network using a computer by a universal serial bus method, comprising: a first step of determining whether the camera is detected through a USB interface; When the camera is detected, activating the camera to receive and sequentially store captured image information through a USB interface; A third step of reading the stored image information in a storage order and converting the stored image information into a predetermined image format; And a fourth step of outputting the format-converted image information onto the network. The method according to claim 1, wherein the third step of converting the image format is to convert to a Joint Photographic Experts Group (JPEG) still image format which is a still image compression standard. The image processing method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the fourth step of outputting the image on the network comprises outputting the format-converted image information linked to a web browser.