JPH10155143A - Video information input device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a video information input device for a multimedia conference system without the need for connection of a cable to the input of a multimedia device and for a camera operator. SOLUTION: The input device is provided with an image pickup camera 5 to detect video information of an utterance party 10, an azimuth detection section 11 that detects an azimuth of the utterance party, a drive section 12 that directs an image pickup lens 5a of the image pickup camera 5 toward the utterance party based on an output signal from the azimuth detection section 11 and a radio transmission section 13 to send video image information of the utterance party detected by the image pickup camera in a radio signal.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a video information input device, and more particularly to a desktop video information input device used in a multimedia TV conference system or a personal computer TV conference system.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In this type of conventional apparatus, an existing TV camera system is used as it is as a video input means. In addition, even when dedicated video input means is provided, the video input means is connected to a personal computer, etc. by cable (wired connection).
Have been. Furthermore, an operator for controlling the direction of the camera is always required whether the existing TV camera system is used or the dedicated video input means is provided.

[0003]

As described above, in the conventional video information input device, the existing TV camera system is diverted, the dedicated video input means is connected to a personal computer or the like by a cable, As a multimedia conference-capable TV conference system (hereinafter, referred to as a "multimedia conference system"), an operator for controlling the orientation of the TV is always required.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems, and does not require a cable connection to the input of a multimedia device and does not require a camera operator. It is an object to provide a video information input device.

[0005]

According to the present invention, there is provided a video information input device for inputting video information of a speaker to a multimedia device.
An imaging camera for detecting video information of the speaker;
An azimuth detecting unit for detecting the azimuth of the speaker, a driving unit for directing an imaging lens of the imaging camera to the utterer based on an output signal from the azimuth detecting unit, and the imaging camera And a wireless transmission unit for wirelessly transmitting the image information of the speaker detected in (1).

According to a preferred aspect of the present invention, the azimuth detecting unit detects the azimuth of the speaker based on output signals of a plurality of microphones for detecting voices from the speaker. Further, it is preferable that the imaging camera is a CCD camera. The imaging lens may have an auto-focus function for automatically focusing on the speaker and an auto-zooming function for automatically changing the magnification based on the size of the image of the speaker. preferable.

[0007]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS In the present invention, the direction of a speaker is detected based on output signals of a plurality of microphones for detecting, for example, a voice from the speaker. The imaging lens of the imaging camera is directed toward the speaker based on the detected direction of the speaker. Video information of the speaker detected by the imaging camera is wirelessly transmitted to an input of a multimedia device such as a personal computer. As described above, the video information input device of the present invention functions independently and independently only by being placed on the desk for multimedia conference. The video information of the speaker can be input to the multimedia device without the need for the user.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. FIG. 1 is a perspective view schematically showing a configuration of a video information input device according to an embodiment of the present invention. Also,
FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the internal configuration of the video information input device of FIG. The image information input device of FIG. 1 includes a disk-shaped fixing portion 1 as a whole, and a hemispherical horizontal rotating portion 2 as a whole is provided above the fixing portion 1. The horizontal rotating unit 2 is configured to be rotatable in a horizontal direction in a state where the video information input device is placed at an arbitrary position on a horizontal desk for a multimedia conference (hereinafter, referred to as a “placed state”). . Also,
The horizontal rotating unit 2 is provided with a vertical swing unit 3 that is rotatable in a vertical direction in a mounted state. The horizontal rotation unit 2 and the vertical swing unit 3 are configured to be rotationally driven by a drive unit 12 described later.

[0009] Three microphones 4a to 4c are arranged at substantially equal intervals along the horizontal direction on the outer peripheral portion of the horizontal rotating unit 2. Therefore, the three microphones 4a-4
c, only two microphones 4a and 4b are shown, and microphone 4c is not shown. Also,
The tip of the imaging lens 5a of the imaging camera protrudes from the vertical swing unit 3. Therefore, by horizontally rotating the horizontal rotation unit 2 and vertically rotating the vertical swing unit 3 in the mounted state, it is possible to direct the imaging lens 5a of the imaging camera toward the speaker.

Referring to the internal configuration of FIG.
Is detected by the microphones 4a to 4c for sound collection. Outputs of the microphones 4a to 4c are supplied to an orientation detection unit 11 and a wireless (wireless) transmission unit 13, respectively. The direction detecting unit 11 detects the direction of the speaker based on the magnitude of the output of each microphone. The azimuth information detected by the azimuth detecting unit 11 is supplied to the driving unit 12. The drive unit 12 controls the horizontal rotation unit 2 and the vertical swing unit 3 based on the azimuth information from the azimuth detection unit 11 so that the imaging lens 5a of the imaging camera 5 composed of, for example, a CCD camera is directed toward the speaker. Each is driven to rotate.

The imaging lens 5a has a so-called autofocus function for automatically focusing on the speaker 10. Further, the imaging lens 5a has an auto-zooming function for automatically changing the magnification based on the size of the image of the speaker 10 to be formed, in particular, the size of the face. Thus, an image of the speaker having an appropriate size is formed via the imaging lens 5a. CCD camera 5
Is supplied to the wireless transmission unit 13. The wireless transmission unit 13 wirelessly transmits video information from the CCD camera 5 and audio information from the microphones 4a to 4c to an input of a multimedia device such as a personal computer. Thus, for example, the image of the speaker is displayed on the display of the remote multimedia device, and the voice of the speaker is reproduced via the speaker.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a use state of the video information input device according to the embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 3, the video information input device 30 according to the embodiment of the present invention includes:
It is placed at an appropriate position on the multimedia conference desk 33. The video information input device 30 wirelessly transmits video information and audio information of a speaker among the participants 34a to 34e of the multimedia conference according to the above-described operation.
A signal relating to video information and audio information wirelessly transmitted from the video information input device 30 is input to a controller 31 such as a personal computer arranged on or near a desk 33. In this way, the video of the remote speaker is displayed on the display of another multimedia conference hall, and the voice of the remote speaker is reproduced via the speaker.

As described above, usually, the video of the multimedia conference participant at a remote place is displayed on the display 32. However, an image of a person who participates in the multimedia conference in the same room may be displayed on the display 32, or a number table or a graph created by another device may be displayed on the display 32. As described above, since the video information input device of the present embodiment functions independently and independently only by being placed on the desk for multimedia conference, it is not connected to various controllers or the like of the multimedia device with a cable. The video information of the speaker can be input to the multimedia device without requiring a specialized operator.

[0014]

As described above, according to the present invention, since it functions independently and independently only by being placed on a desk for multimedia conference, it is possible to use a specialized terminal without connecting a cable to the input of a multimedia device. Without the need for operators
The video information of the speaker can be input to the multimedia device.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view schematically showing a configuration of a video information input device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an internal configuration of the video information input device of FIG.

FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a use state of the video information input device according to the embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Fixed part 2 Horizontal rotation part 3 Vertical swing part 4 Microphone 5 Imaging camera 10 Speaker 11 Direction detection part 12 Drive part 13 Wireless transmission part 30 Video information input device 31 Controller 32 Display 33 Desk 34 Participant

Claims (5)

[Claims] 1. A video information input device for inputting video information of a speaker to a multimedia device, comprising: an imaging camera for detecting the video information of the speaker; and an imaging camera for detecting an orientation of the speaker. An azimuth detecting unit; a driving unit for directing an imaging lens of the imaging camera toward the speaker based on an output signal from the azimuth detecting unit; and image information of the speaker detected by the imaging camera. And a wireless transmission unit for wirelessly transmitting the video information. 2. The azimuth detecting unit according to claim 1, wherein the azimuth detecting unit detects the azimuth of the speaker based on output signals of a plurality of microphones for detecting a voice from the speaker. Video information input device. 3. The video information input device according to claim 1, wherein the imaging camera is a CCD camera. 4. The video information input device according to claim 1, wherein the imaging lens automatically focuses on the speaker. 5. The video information input device according to claim 1, wherein the imaging lens automatically changes the magnification based on the size of the image of the speaker. .