JPH0514884A - Visual conference system - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To permit all participants to clearly view image of opposit stations, to prompty display an image of a speaker or the like and to smoothly proceed on with the visual conference whose participants use different languages, even when a visual conference is held by many persons. CONSTITUTION:A camera 1, a microphone 2, a control panel 3, a monitor 4 and an earphone 5 are provided in each of the first unit 6, the second unit 7 and the third unit 8, and an automatic translation device 13 by which the opposit language inputted through a CODEC 10 is automatically translated into a specified language so as to generate a sound signal is provided.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a video conference system for holding a conference through a television screen.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing a conventional video conference system disclosed in, for example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. Sho 63-3589. In the figure, 14 to 16 are for photographing the participants of the conference and inputting a video. Cameras, 17 to 19 are microphones for inputting voices of participants, and 20 is cameras 14 to 1
6 is a video input switching device, 21 is a video input switching device 2
Operation panel for switching 0, 22 is a microphone 14-1
An audio mixing device 10 for mixing and canceling the audio from 6 is a codec, which encodes the video input from the video input switching device 20 and the audio input and the video input from the audio mixing device 22 and sends them from the partner station. The encoded audio signal and video signal thus received are decoded. Reference numeral 23 is a monitor to which the video signal from the codec 10 is added, and 24 is a speaker to which the audio signal from the codec 10 is added.

Next, the operation will be described. Camera 14 ~
The video input from 16 is switched to a video from an arbitrary camera by the operation of the operation panel 21 by the video input switching device 20, and is input to the codec 10. The voice is microphone 17
Input from ~ 19, audio mixing, codec 1
0 voice is input. The video and audio input to the codec 10 are subjected to processing such as encoding and multiplexing, and are sent to the line network. Also, the video decoded by the codec 10,
The sound is output to the monitor 23 and the speaker 24, respectively.

The above is an example of a very general video conference system, in which the operation panel 21 is used to switch the cameras so that the person speaking in the video conference is displayed or the entire view is displayed. Further, one of the cameras 14 to 16 may be a camera having a zoom lens. Further, these cameras 14 to 16 are collectively installed at one place such as above or below the monitor 23. The operation panel 2
1 is provided in the chairperson's seat, for example.

[0005]

Since the conventional video conference system is configured as described above, the number of participants in the video conference may be 5 to 6, but it is large scale such as 10 to 50 or more. If it becomes something like that, even if you try to show the speaker with the cameras 14 to 16, you will be hidden by the person in front,
When a zoom lens is used, it takes time to display the speaker, which may make it difficult to know who the speaker is, and since there is only one monitor 23,
A person far away from the seat may have difficulty in seeing the monitor 23, and in the case of an international conference, it takes time to interpret. For the above reasons, the conventional video conference system has a problem that it is difficult to hold a conference smoothly.

The present invention has been made in order to solve the above problems, and even if there are a large number of video conference attendees, it is possible to quickly and surely display the image of each person and to display the image of the partner station. It is an object of the present invention to provide a video conference system that can be easily viewed, and that can be performed without requiring time for interpreting video conferences between people of different languages, and that the conference can proceed smoothly.

[0007]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, a video conference system is provided with a plurality of units including cameras, microphones, monitors and the like corresponding to each participating person.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a video conference system comprising a plurality of units including cameras, microphones, and monitors corresponding to each participating person, and a camera showing the entire view of the conference room.

In the video conference system according to the invention of claim 3, the video conference system of claims 1 and 2 is provided with an automatic translation device for translating the language of the partner station.

[0010]

With the unit structure according to the first and second aspects of the invention, all the persons who participate in the video conference can clearly see the video of the partner station side, and the video of each person can be immediately displayed.

Further, the automatic translation apparatus according to the third aspect of the present invention enables the conference to proceed without the time required for interpreting even when the language is different from the partner station.

[0012]

EXAMPLES Example 1. An embodiment of the inventions of claims 1 and 2 will be described below with reference to the drawings. In FIG. 1, 1 is an in-unit camera for video input, 2 is a microphone for audio input, 3 is an operation panel for switching between video input and audio input, 4 is an in-unit monitor for displaying the image of the partner station Reference numeral 5 is an earphone for listening to the voice of the partner station, 6 is a first unit assigned to one of the conference participants with the camera 1 in the unit, the microphone 2, the operation panel 3, the monitor 4 in the unit, and the earphone 5 as one set. , 7 is the first unit 6
A second unit having the same configuration as the above, 8 a third unit having the same configuration as the first unit 6, 9 an input control device for switching the input from each unit, 10 encoding and decoding video and audio It is a codec for multiplex, transmission.

Next, the operation will be described. Codec 1 from the first unit 6, the second unit 7, and the third unit 8
Video input and audio input to be input to 0 are selected by the input control device 9 according to the instruction of the operation panel 3. The video and audio output from the codec 10 are output to the monitor 4 and the earphone 5 of the first unit 6, the second unit 7, and the third unit 8, respectively.

When a user pushes a button or the like on the operation panel 3 to notify the input control device 9 that he / she is speaking, the input control device 9 inputs the image of the camera 1 which photographs the speaker of the unit and Select voice inputs from the microphone 2 and input them to the codec 10.
The video and audio outputs output from the codec 10 are distributed to each unit, and the monitor 4 and the earphone 5 in each unit monitor the video of the partner station.

Example 2. In FIG. 2, reference numeral 12 is a camera that can show the entire view of the video conference room and is independent of the unit, and 11 is a monitor that is installed at a position that can be commonly viewed by those who are engaged in the video conference. The other parts are the same as those in FIG.

Next, the operation will be described. The image input from the camera 12 is performed by each unit 6 as in the first embodiment.
It is input to the input control device 9 controlled by the operation panel 3 of 7. Further, for example, when the operation panel 3 provided in the chairperson's seat instructs to send the image of the camera 12 to the partner station, the image of the camera 12 is input to the codec 10 and transmitted. Further, the monitor 11 is placed at a position visible to all the people participating in the video conference, and displays an image from the partner station.

Embodiment 3. FIG. 3 shows an embodiment of the invention of claim 3, and in FIG. 3, 13 is an automatic translation device capable of mutually translating a first language and a second language and converting them into a voice signal, Other parts are the same as those in FIG.
The automatic translation device 13 automatically translates the first language, which is the voice input from the codec 10, into the second language, and inputs the voice to the earphone 5 of each unit.

Example 4. In FIG. 4, 12 is a camera independent of the unit capable of projecting the entire video conference room, 11 is a monitor installed at a position commonly seen by those who are engaged in the video conference, and 13 is a first monitor. An automatic translation device capable of translating a language and a second language, and other parts are the same as those in FIG.

The image input from the camera 12 is input to the input control device 9 controlled by the operation panel 3 of each unit as in the first embodiment. Then, when the operation panel 3 in the chairperson's seat is instructed to send the image of the camera 12 to the partner station, the image of the camera 12 is input to the codec 10 and transmitted. The monitor 11 is placed at a position where all the people participating in the video conference can see it, and displays an image from the partner station. Further, the automatic translation device 13 automatically translates the first language, which is the voice input from the codec 10, into the second language, and inputs the voice to the earphone 5 of each unit.

In each of Embodiments 1 to 4, a speaker for voice monitoring common to the conference participants may be provided.

[0021]

As described above, according to the invention of claim 1,
Since each person who participates in the video conference is assigned a unit equipped with at least a camera, a microphone, and a monitor, even if a video conference is held for a large number of people, the speaker can be quickly and reliably photographed. It becomes clear who the speaker is, and the effect is that the conference can proceed smoothly.

Further, according to the invention of claim 2, each person who participates in the video conference has at least a camera, a microphone,
Since a unit equipped with a monitor is assigned and the camera is configured to project the entire view of the conference room independently of the unit, even if a video conference for a large number of people is held, the speaker can be quickly and reliably photographed. At the same time, there is an effect that it is not difficult to see the video on the monitor, the video of the speaker can be quickly obtained, and the conference can be smoothly advanced.

Further, according to the invention of claim 3, since the automatic translation device is incorporated, the video conference of the group having the first language and the group having the second language does not need time for interpreting. There is an effect that it can proceed smoothly.

[Brief description of drawings]

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

FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram of a video conference system according to another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a configuration diagram of a video conference system according to an embodiment of the invention of claim 3;

FIG. 4 is a configuration diagram of a video conference system according to another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a configuration diagram of a conventional video conference system.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 In-unit camera (camera) Two microphones 4 In-unit monitor (monitor) 6 First unit 7 Second unit 8 3rd unit 13 Automatic translation device

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[Procedure amendment]

[Submission date] January 28, 1992

[Procedure Amendment 1]

[Document name to be amended] Statement

[Name of item to be corrected] Claim 3

[Correction method] Change

[Correction content]

[Procedure Amendment 2]

[Document name to be amended] Statement

[Name of item to be corrected] 0005

[Correction method] Change

[Correction content]

[0005]

Since the conventional video conference system is configured as described above, the number of participants in the video conference may be 5 to 6, but it is large scale such as 10 to 50 or more. If it becomes something like that, even if you try to show the speaker with the cameras 14 to 16, you will be hidden by the person in front,
When a zoom lens is used, it takes time to display the speaker, which may make it difficult to know who is the speaker, and since there is only one monitor 23,
A person far away from the seat may have difficulty in seeing the monitor 23, and in the case of an international conference, it takes time to interpret. For the above reasons, conventional video conference systems are especially
When the number of people is large, there were problems such as difficulty in holding meetings smoothly.

[Procedure 3]

[Document name to be amended] Statement

[Correction target item name] 0013

[Correction method] Change

[Correction content]

Next, the operation will be described. Codec 1 from the first unit 6, the second unit 7, and the third unit 8
Video input and audio input to be input to 0 are selected by the input control device 9 according to the instruction of the operation panel 3. The video and audio output from the partner station output from the codec 10 are output to the monitor 4 and the earphone 5 of the first unit 6, the second unit 7, and the third unit 8, respectively.

[Procedure amendment 4]

[Document name to be amended] Statement

[Correction target item name] 0014

[Correction method] Change

[Correction content]

When a user presses a button or the like on the operation panel 3 to inform the input control device 9 that he / she will speak, the input control device 9 will be activated by a plurality of units from other units .
Even if there is a request to speak, contention control is performed and various
Determine the most appropriate speaker depending on the case. And chosen
And the voice input to the speaker units from the video input and the microphone 2 of the captured camera 1 is input to the codec 10. The video and audio output output from the codec 10 is distributed to each unit, and the monitor 4 and the earphone 5 in each unit monitor the audio of the video on the partner station side.

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A plurality of units each provided with at least a microphone used by a conference participant, a camera for photographing a conference participant using the microphone, and a monitor for displaying a speaker photographed at the partner station side. Video conferencing system. 2. A plurality of units, each of which is provided with at least a microphone used by a conference participant, a camera for photographing a conference participant using this microphone, and a monitor for displaying a speaker photographed at the partner station side, A video conferencing system equipped with a camera that projects the entire view of the conference room independently of the unit. 3. An automatic translation device for automatically translating a voice signal of a first language sent from a partner station into a second language to form a voice signal. Video conferencing system.