KR20030008728A - Mobile communication terminal having the function of video communication - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: A mobile communication terminal capable of a video communication is provided to output a clear object to a receiving device by separating the object from images photographed in cameras, synthesizing the separated object, and combining the synthesized object with a background. CONSTITUTION: The first photographing unit(310) and the second photographing unit(320) are allocated to have a photographing range overlapped each other for converting images acquired from an object into digital signals and outputting the digital signals. A synthesizing unit(330) synthesizes the regions of the object extracted from the images acquired in the first photographing unit(310) and the second photographing unit(320), and combines the synthesized object with a background picture.

Description

Mobile communication terminal capable of video communication {Mobile communication terminal having the function of video communication}

The present invention relates to a mobile communication terminal capable of video communication, and more particularly to a mobile communication terminal capable of transmitting video and audio.

With the development of communication technology, mobile communication means for ensuring the mobility of users such as PDAs (Personal Data Assistants), cellular phones (cellular phones, mobile phones), PCS phones, etc. are widely used. Until now, the mobile communication terminal provides a simple data service, a text transmission service, and a wireless call service, but recently, a mobile communication terminal (hereinafter referred to as a mobile phone) capable of video communication with a camera is drawing attention.

1 is a block diagram showing a general configuration of a mobile phone capable of video communication.

Referring to FIG. 1, a mobile phone 100 capable of image communication includes an image processor 110, an audio processor 120, a transmission data processor 130, a transmitter / receiver 140, a receiver data processor 150, and a screen display unit. 160, a speaker 170, a key input unit 180, and a controller 190.

The image processor 110 acquires an image from a subject, converts the image into a digital signal, compresses the image, and sends the compressed image to the transmission data processor 130. The voice processor 120 modulates a voice signal input through a microphone and sends the voice signal to the transmission data processor 130.

The transmission data processor 130 converts each of the video signals and the audio signals received from the image processor 110 and the audio processor 120 to be transmitted through the transmitter / receiver 140. Such conversion technology is well known to those skilled in the art to which the present invention belongs, so detailed description thereof will be omitted.

The transmitter / receiver 140 transmits and receives data received from the transmission data processor 130 and sends the received data to the reception data processor 150.

The reception data processor 150 separates and demodulates the signal received from the transmitter / receiver 140 into an image signal and an audio signal, and sends the image signal to the screen display unit 160 and the audio signal to the speaker 170.

The screen display unit 160 displays various operation states of the mobile phone 100 or displays an image signal received from the reception data processor 150. The speaker 170 outputs a voice signal input from the reception data processor 150.

The key input unit 180 is composed of a plurality of buttons and receives a command for controlling the operation of the mobile phone 100 from the user. The controller 190 controls the overall operation of the mobile phone 100 and outputs a control signal according to the key data applied from the key input unit 180 to control the operation of each component.

2 is a block diagram showing a detailed configuration of an image processing unit of a conventional mobile phone capable of video communication. Referring to FIG. 2, the image processor 110 captures an image of a subject, for example, a user's face, by the imaging unit 210. The imaging unit 210 employs a device such as a digital camcorder that converts light emitted from a subject into an electrical video signal and outputs the digital video signal. The compression unit 220 compresses the video signal input from the camera 210 by a compression method such as MPEG so as to be suitable for transmission over a wireless channel.

However, such a mobile phone photographs a subject image with a single camera, and when compressing the photographed subject image, the captured image is transmitted without being separated from the subject and the background. Therefore, an unclear image is output to the receiving device, which makes it difficult for the receiver to concentrate on the other party's face.

An object of the present invention is to provide a mobile communication terminal capable of video communication by distinguishing a subject area from a background area and transmitting an image in which the subject is emphasized, so that the receiver can concentrate on talking while viewing the subject image.

1 is a block diagram showing a general configuration of a mobile phone capable of video communication;

2 is a block diagram showing a detailed configuration of an image processing unit of a mobile phone capable of conventional video communication;

3 is a block diagram showing the configuration of an image processing unit according to an embodiment of a mobile communication terminal capable of image communication according to the present invention;

4 is a block diagram illustrating a detailed configuration of the synthesis unit of FIG. 3.

Explanation of symbols on the main parts of the drawings

110: image processing unit 310: first imaging unit

320: second imaging unit 330: synthesis unit

332: first synthesis unit 334: second synthesis unit

340: compression unit 350: storage unit

In order to achieve the above technical problem, the mobile communication terminal according to the present invention, the image pickup unit for obtaining a plurality of images from the subject; And a synthesizer configured to combine the subject area extracted from each image acquired by the image pickup unit and combine it with a background screen.

The image pickup unit includes a first image pickup unit and a second image pickup unit which are disposed to have a photographing range overlapping each other and convert an image obtained from a subject into a digital signal and output the digital signal.

The synthesizing unit may include: a first synthesizing unit extracting a background region from each of the plurality of images obtained from the subject, and outputting an intermediate image by synthesizing only the subject region from which the background region is removed; And a second synthesis unit configured to output the intermediate image by combining the intermediate image with the background image extracted from the first synthesis unit.

Preferably, the mobile communication terminal according to the present invention further comprises a storage unit for storing a background screen, wherein the second synthesis unit synthesizes the intermediate image with the background screen stored in the storage unit according to a user's selection Output

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

3 is a block diagram showing the configuration of an image processing unit according to an embodiment of a mobile communication terminal capable of image communication according to the present invention.

The mobile communication terminal capable of image communication according to the present invention has a structure as shown in FIG. 1, and specific operations of each component except for the image processor 110 are as described above in the related art.

Referring to FIG. 3, the image processor 110 of the mobile communication terminal capable of image communication according to the present invention includes a first image capture unit 310, a second image capture unit 320, a synthesizer 330, and a compression unit 340. Has

The first photographing unit 310 and the second photographing unit 320 are disposed to have a photographing range overlapping the mobile communication terminal, and receive a plurality of image information img1 and img2 obtained from a subject to process an image signal. Convert to a digital video signal (dig_img1, dig_img2).

The first imaging unit 310 and the second imaging unit 320 may digitally convert an analog signal received from a CCD device (not shown) and a CCD device that photoelectrically converts light emitted from a subject and outputs the analog signal. An A / D converter (not shown) to convert the signal.

The combining unit 330 synthesizes the subject region extracted from each image acquired by each of the image capturing units 310 and 320 and combines it with the background screen.

4 is a block diagram illustrating a detailed configuration of the combining unit 330 of FIG. 3. Referring to FIG. 4, the synthesizer 330 synthesizes the first synthesizer 332 which synthesizes only the subject image from which the background image signal back_img1 is removed from the digital image signals dig_img1 and dig_img2, and the subject image and the selected background image. The second compound part 334 is provided.

The first synthesis unit 332 extracts the background image signal back_img1 from each of the digital image signals dig_img1 and dig_img2 received from the first imager 310 and the second imager 320. The intermediate image signal mid_img is generated by combining only the extracted subject image signal. The intermediate image signal mid_img and the extracted background image signal back_img1 are transmitted to the second synthesis unit 334. The second synthesizer 334 synthesizes the intermediate image signal mid_img and the background image signal back_img1 received from the first synthesizer 332 to generate the subject image signal img.

On the other hand, the mobile communication terminal capable of video communication according to the present invention may include a storage unit 350 for storing the background screen. In this case, the second synthesis unit 334 may combine the first synthesis according to the user's selection of the background image back_img2 stored in the storage 350 or the background image signal back_img1 extracted from the first synthesis unit 332. The object image signal img is generated by combining the intermediate image signal mid_img received from the unit 332.

The subject image signal img synthesized by the combining unit 330 as described above is sent to the compression unit 340 to transmit a moving picture expert group (MPEG), a joint photographic expert group (JPEG), a wavelet, and a fractal ( The image signal (img) of the subject is compressed in the same manner as in Fractal). The compressed subject image signal img is transmitted through the transmission data processor 130 and the transmitter / receiver 140.

According to the mobile communication terminal capable of image communication according to the present invention, by mounting a plurality of cameras in one mobile communication terminal to photograph the subject, and then combine the background by separating the subject from the images taken by each camera, A clear and clear subject can be output to the receiving device, and the other party can easily communicate by watching the transmitted subject image, thereby enabling easy video communication.

Although the above has been shown and described with respect to preferred embodiments of the present invention, the present invention is not limited to the specific embodiments described above, it is usually in the art to which the invention belongs without departing from the spirit of the invention claimed in the claims. Anyone skilled in the art can make various modifications, as well as such modifications are within the scope of the claims.

Claims (4)

An imaging unit which acquires a plurality of images from a subject; And And a synthesizer configured to combine a subject area extracted from each image acquired by the image pickup unit and combine the subject area with a background screen. The method of claim 1, The image pickup unit includes a first image pickup unit and a second image pickup unit which are arranged to have a shooting range overlapping each other and converts an image obtained from a subject into a digital signal and outputs the digital signal. The method according to claim 1 or 2, The synthesizing unit may include: a first synthesizing unit extracting a background region from each of the plurality of images obtained from the subject, and outputting an intermediate image by synthesizing only the subject region from which the background region is removed; And And a second synthesizer for synthesizing the intermediate image with the background image extracted from the first synthesizer and outputting the intermediate image. The method of claim 3, wherein Further comprising a storage for storing the wallpaper, And the second synthesizing unit synthesizes the intermediate image with the background image stored in the storage unit and outputs the intermediate image according to a user's selection.