JP2003134505A - Universe observatory - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an universe observatory by which broadly ordinary people can deepen the understanding of the peculiarity of the universe environments. SOLUTION: The universe observatory switches video images photographed at each place of an international space station A according to instruction information received from user terminals U1 to Um on a ground station B and provides the selected image to the user terminals U1 to Um.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a space observatory utilizing the characteristic properties of outer space.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art As is well known, assembly of an International Space Station (ISS) is underway toward completion in 2006, and effective use of international space is in progress. Is about to get into full swing. Japan's role in this International Space Station is to provide the experimental module "Kibo",
Production and testing of an actual model (protoflight model) are currently underway.

Under such circumstances, it is expected that development competition in the space-related technical field will intensify in the future, and in order to respond to this, the level of understanding and education on space and space development will be raised at the national level. There is a need. In particular, it is necessary for the students in the next generation to deepen their understanding of the peculiarities of the space environment.

The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems, and it is an object of the present invention to broaden the general public's understanding of the peculiarities of the space environment.

[0005]

In order to achieve the above object, in the present invention, as a first means, switching between images taken at various places of a space facility based on instruction information input from a user terminal on the ground. And provide it to the user terminal.

As the second means, a plurality of image pickup means arranged at various places of the space facility, a video image switching means for switching the video images of the image pickup means and outputting as a selected video image, and a video image of the video image switching means. The controller for controlling the switching, the communication device for transmitting the selected image to the ground, the ground communication device provided on the ground for receiving the selection image from the communication device, and the ground communication device for the user terminal operated by the general user. A means including a server that provides a selected image is adopted.

As a third means, in the above second means, the controller employs means for controlling the photographing direction of each image pickup means in addition to the control for the image switching means.

As a fourth means, in the second or third means, the controller receives an image from the user terminal by the server, and also an image based on the instruction information input via the server, the ground communication device and the communication device. A means for individually controlling the switching means and each imaging means is adopted.

As a fifth means, in any one of the second to fourth means, a microphone is provided side by side with each image pickup means, and the sound output from each microphone is switched in conjunction with video switching to select a selected sound. Further, there is further provided a voice switching means for outputting as, and the server adopts means for providing the selected voice to the user terminal together with the selected video.

As a sixth means, in any one of the second to fifth means, the pseudo experience device is provided with the selected video and / or the selected sound in place of the user terminal, and the controller mounts the pseudo experience device. The means for controlling the image switching means and each image pickup means and / or the audio switching means based on the instruction information according to the operation of the experiencer is adopted.

As a seventh means, in the sixth means, a vibration sensor is provided side by side with each image pickup means, and the vibration output from each vibration sensor is switched in conjunction with image switching and output as a selected vibration. Vibration switching means is further provided, and the server adopts means for providing the selected experience vibration to the simulated experience device.

[0012]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION An embodiment of a space observatory according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a system configuration diagram of this embodiment. In this figure, reference symbol A is the International Space Station (space facility), and reference symbol B is the ground. In the International Space Station A, the symbols C1 to Cn are video cameras and M1.
Mn is a microphone, 1 is a video switcher, 2 is a voice switcher, 3 is a communication device, 4 is a controller, 5 is an antenna, while on the ground B, reference numeral 6 is an antenna, 7 is a ground communication device, and 8 is a server. , U1 to Um are user terminals.

The video cameras C1 to Cn are dispersedly installed at various places in the International Space Station A, and images of the respective places are taken and output to the image switcher 1. The respective video cameras C1 to Cn are installed in the experimental module "Kibo", which is a part of the International Space Station A, in each section of the International Space Station A, and in each section outside the International Space Station A. That is, each of the video cameras C1 to Cn shoots an image of each place in the international space station A, and also shoots the outer space (astronomical object) around the international space station A. Each of the video cameras C1 to Cn is provided with a direction setting mechanism that variably sets the shooting direction under the control of the controller 4.

The microphones M1 to Mn are installed as a pair with the above video cameras C1 to Cn, and collect the sounds around the installation locations of the video cameras C1 to Cn and output them to the audio switcher 2. In this way, the International Space Station A has video cameras C1 to Cn and microphones M1 to
Mn and Mn are provided, and video and audio of the situation of each place are monitored by each of these devices.

The video switcher 1 is provided with each video camera C1.
The video of each place input from Cn is selected based on the video selection signal input from the controller 4, and is output to the communication device 3 as a selected video. The voice switcher 2 selects the voice of each place inputted from each of the microphones M1 to Mn based on the voice selection signal inputted from the controller 4,
The selected voice is output to the communication device 3. The communication device 3 transmits the selected video and selected audio to the ground B via the antenna 5, and receives the instruction information from the ground B input from the antenna 5 and outputs it to the controller 4.

The controller 4 generates the video selection signal based on the instruction information provided from the ground B and outputs the video selection signal to the video switcher 1, and also generates the audio selection signal based on the instruction information to output the audio switcher. 2 and also generates a direction setting signal based on the instruction information and outputs the direction setting signal to the direction setting mechanism. That is, the controller 4
Controls the video switching in the video switcher 1 and the shooting direction in the direction setting mechanism, and the audio switching in the audio switcher 2. The antenna 5 radiates the selected video and selected audio input from the communication device 3 as radio waves to the ground B, and also captures the radio waves related to the instruction information radiated from the ground B and outputs them to the communication device 3.

On the other hand, the antenna 6 on the ground B radiates the instruction information input from the ground communication device 7 to the International Space Station A as a radio wave, and at the same time, the radio waves related to the selected video and the selected voice radiated from the International Space Station A. To output to the ground communication device 7. The ground communication device 7 supplies the selected video and the selected audio to the server 8 and transmits the instruction information input from the server 8 to the international space station A via the antenna 6.

The server 8 is a Web server provided on the Internet and provides the selected video and the selected audio to the user terminals U1 to Um that have received the information provision request, while inputting from the user terminals U1 to Um. The received instruction information is received and output to the ground communication device 7. User terminal U
Reference numerals 1 to Um are terminals operated by general users on the Internet. The general users are requested to send selected information and selected audio by sending an information providing request to the server 8 and send general information by sending the instruction information. The server 8 is requested to provide the intended selected video and selected audio.

Next, the operation of this embodiment thus constructed will be described in detail.

In the space observatory thus constructed, general users are provided by the server 8 and user terminals U1 to Um are provided.
By operating the information providing page (home page) displayed above, the selected video (that is, the selected audio) is specified and the shooting direction of the selected video is specified. Then, the instruction information thus input to the server 8 is transmitted to the server 8 → ground communication device 7 → antenna 6 → antenna 5 → communication device 3 → controller 4, and the controller 4 causes the video switcher 1, the audio switcher 2 and the direction. By controlling the setting mechanism, the selection video and the selection audio of the shooting direction according to the instruction information of the general user are displayed on the user terminals U1 to
Information is provided to Um.

For example, as an initial screen of the home page, a mark is displayed at the installation location of each of the video cameras C1 to Cn on the schematic configuration diagram of the International Space Station A, and a brief description of the installation location is displayed. It General user (for example, a general user who operates the user terminal U1)
Designates the mark of the installation location (for example, the installation location of the video camera C1) that the user desires to see, and selects the video of the video camera C1 as the selected video and the microphone attached to the video camera C1. Designate the voice of M1 as the selected voice. The instruction operation of the mark is transmitted to the controller 4 as designation information, and as a result, the video switcher 1 is controlled to select the video of the video camera C1, and the audio switcher 2 is controlled to select the audio of the microphone M1. To be done.

The selected video and selected audio set by the general user who operates the user terminal U1 in this way passes through the communication device 3 → antenna 5 → antenna 6 → terrestrial communication device 7 → server 8 to the user terminal U1. , The selected video is displayed on the home page as a small screen, and the selected sound is output from the speaker of the user terminal U1.

An operation button for instructing the photographing direction is provided on the sub-screen of the selected image, and the general user operates the operation button to instruct the video camera C.
1 can be set arbitrarily. That is, the instruction operation of the operation button is transmitted to the controller 4 as instruction information, and the direction setting mechanism is controlled by the outer controller 4, so that the video camera C1 is oriented in the shooting direction according to the instruction operation of the operation button. The setting is changed.

According to the present embodiment, the general user is the international space station A in the space different from the ground B.
While staying on the ground B with various video and audio inside and outside
In addition, you can listen to it while switching to see it. Therefore, it is possible to easily understand the peculiarities of the space station A and the space environment.

Next, a modification of the present invention will be described.
In the above embodiment, the user terminal U operated by the general user
Since the selected image is provided to 1 to Um, the image quality of the selected image does not need to be very high. Also, a relatively small size is sufficient for the image size of the selected video. Therefore, as the video cameras C1 to Cn, relatively small and inexpensive ones can be used. However, instead of the user terminals U1 to Um, in the case of providing a selected video and a selected audio to a simulated experience device or an arcade game machine provided in an amusement facility or the like, an arcade video camera as the camcorders C1 to Cn is used. It is necessary to use a high-performance video camera (relatively large).

Such high-performance video cameras C1 to Cn
When this image is applied to, for example, a simulated experience device, a general user (experienced person) can be made to experience the actions inside and outside the International Space Station A as a simulated experience. That is, the goggles type liquid crystal display and headphones are attached to the experience person, various sensors for detecting the movement of the experience person are also attached to each part of the experience person, and the selected image and the selected sound are transmitted according to the movement of the experience person. At the same time as switching, the shooting direction of the selected video is changed according to the line of sight of the user. By sequentially switching the selected images and displaying them on the liquid crystal display as the experience person moves in the International Space Station A, the experience person can be made to experience a simulated experience as if they were actually acting in the International Space Station A. it can.

In this case, the image of the portion that cannot be photographed by the video cameras C1 to Cn is artificially synthesized in advance as a CG (computer graphics) image, and this CG
Combine the image with the selected video. In addition, in this case, a vibration sensor is also attached to each of the video cameras C1 to Cn,
It is possible to make the simulated experience more realistic by giving the experiencer the vibration of each place output from each vibration sensor. For example, it is possible to make the experiencer experience the vibration when another artificial satellite or the like docks on the International Space Station A.

Although the embodiment of the present invention and the modification thereof have been described above, it is conceivable that the small video camera and the large video camera described above are additionally provided in the International Space Station A and used properly according to the application. That is, a small video camera is used when the selected video is provided to the user terminals U1 to Um, and a large video camera is used when the selected video is provided to the simulated experience device or the arcade game machine.

[0030]

According to the present invention, the images taken at various places of the space facility are switched to be provided to the user terminal based on the instruction information input from the user terminal on the ground, so that the general public is unique in the space environment. Can deepen your understanding of.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a system configuration diagram according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 ... Video switch 2 ... Voice switcher 3 ... Communicator 4 ... Controller 5 ... Antenna 6 ... Antenna 7 ... Ground communication device 8 ... server A: International Space Station (Space Facility) B ... ground C1 ~ Cn …… Video camera M1-Mn ... Microphone U1 to Um …… User terminals

Claims (7)

[Claims] 1. The user terminals (U1 to Um) are switched by switching images taken at various places of the space facility (A) based on instruction information input from user terminals (U1 to Um) on the ground (B).
Um) is a space observatory. 2. A plurality of image pickup means (C1 to Cn) arranged at various places of the space facility (A), and an image switching means for switching the image of the image pickup means (C1 to Cn) and outputting as a selected image. 1), a controller (4) for controlling the video switching of the video switching means (1), a communication device (3) for transmitting the selected video to the ground (B), and a communication device (3) provided on the ground (B), A terrestrial communication device (6) that receives the selected image from the communication device (3) and a server (8) that provides the selected image received by the terrestrial communication device (7) to user terminals (U1 to Um) operated by general users. ), And a space observatory characterized by having. 3. The universe according to claim 2, wherein the controller (4) controls not only the video switching means (1) but also the shooting directions of the respective image pickup means (C1 to Cn). Observatory. 4. The controller (4) comprises a server (8).
Is received from the user terminals (U1 to Um), and based on the instruction information input via the server (8), the ground communication device (7) and the communication device (3), the image switching means (1) and each image pickup means. 4. The space observatory according to claim 2, wherein each of (C1 to Cn) is controlled. 5. Microphones (M1 to Mn) are provided side by side with each image pickup means (C1 to Cn), and the sounds output from the respective microphones (M1 to Mn) are switched in synchronism with video switching to be selected sounds. Output voice switching means (2)
5. The space observatory according to any one of claims 2 to 4, wherein the server (8) further provides the selected video together with the selected video to the user terminals (U1 to Um). 6. Instead of the user terminals (U1 to Um), the simulated experience device is provided with a selected image and / or a selected sound, and the controller (4) responds to an operation of a person who wears the simulated experience device. The image switching means (1) and the respective image pickup means (C1 to Cn) or / and the audio switching means (2) are controlled based on the instruction information.
~ The space observatory according to any one of 5 above. 7. A vibration sensor is attached to each of the image pickup means (C1 to Cn), and a vibration switching means is further provided for switching the vibration output from each of the vibration sensors in conjunction with video switching and outputting the selected vibration. 7. The space observatory according to claim 6, wherein the server (8) also provides the selected experience vibration to the simulated experience device.