JP2585753B2 - Video conference system - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Industrial Application Field] The present invention relates to a videoconferencing system, and particularly to a method of transmitting a person / document and other images and sounds when two or more people hold a conference at two separate places. The present invention relates to a video conference system configured to transmit data to each other via an exchange and reproduce the data at a partner terminal.

[Conventional technology]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in a video conference system performed through an exchange having an optional other party designation connection function, it is necessary to confirm before a conference that video and audio from the other party can be correctly received, mainly on one fixed connection. It has not been performed as described in JP-A-61-282387.

[Problems to be solved by the invention]

The prior art described above has a problem in that it is difficult to determine whether or not video and audio can be correctly received from the other party unless there is a person in the other party's conference room.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to confirm in advance that a chairperson, that is, a calling side, can correctly receive video and audio from a partner side before a video conference is held.

[Means for solving the problem]

The object is to separate the video conference terminal and the exchange into a video transmission line and an audio transmission line, to provide a telephone with a multi-frequency signal transmission function on the audio transmission line via a network control device, This is achieved by providing a video switching circuit between the receiver and the image decoding unit.

[Action]

The network controller on the called side operates the video switching circuit on the called side by receiving a multi-frequency signal corresponding to a function button other than the selected numeral of the telephone with the multi-frequency signal transmission function on the calling side. As a result, the video signal sent from the calling side is sent back to the calling side, so that the image of the own station can be confirmed on the calling side. Can be confirmed.

The sound transmission path and the sound transmission device on the called side have proved their normality by the correct operation of the network control device for performing the above-mentioned video checking action.

〔Example〕

Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 1 is a block diagram of one embodiment of the present invention. In this figure, an example is shown in which two video conference rooms, a conference room A and a conference room B, which are separated from each other, are connected via a time-division exchange (TDSW in FIG. 1).

Now, the chairperson of the conference room A serving as the chairman picks up the handset of the push-button telephone set of the conference room A, that is, the telephone set 11 with the multi-frequency signal transmission function, and exchanges (TDSW) to the analog trunk 13 (EM).
T) -Transmission line-Speech switching circuit 9-Listen to the dial tone transmitted via the network control unit 10 (NCU), and dial the selected digit of the conference room B. Switch (TDSW) that received the selected digit
According to a predetermined procedure, the transmission of the dial tone is cut off, and after preparing to make the audio transmission path 15 and the video transmission path 14, the telephone with the multi-frequency signal transmission function in the conference room A on the calling side is prepared. Send a ringtone to 11. In addition, the exchange (TDSW)
Analog trunk 13 'for network controller 10' in the conference room
(EMT)-Transmission path-An incoming signal is transmitted via the voice switching circuit 9 '. After confirming that the incoming signal has been interrupted for a certain period of time, the network control device 10 'on the side of the conference room B returns a response signal to the exchange (TDSW). When the exchange (TDSW) detects a response signal from the conference room B, the exchange (TDSW)
The telephone 11 with the multi-frequency signal transmission function to the A conference room side
Is cut off, the video transmission line 14 and the audio transmission line 15 in the exchange (TDSW) are reserved and reserved, and restored.

Next, the moderator of the conference room A confirms that the ringing tone previously heard through the telephone 11 with the multi-frequency signal transmission function is no longer heard, and the multi-frequency signal transmission function of the telephone 11 with the multi-frequency signal transmission function is confirmed. The user presses the red button (FIG. 51) of the function buttons having. The multi-frequency signal corresponding to the red button is transmitted via a voice transmission line 15 to the network controller 10 'of the conference room B.
(NCU). The network controller 10 '(NCU) has a function of detecting a multi-frequency signal corresponding to the function button, and upon detecting a multi-frequency signal corresponding to the red button, the network controller 10' (NCU) Then, the video switching circuit 3 'of the conference room B is operated (FIG. 3). By the operation of the video switching circuit 3 ', the video captured by the camera 1 in the conference room A is
Video switching circuit 3 on the A conference room side-Image encoding unit 4-Line connection unit 6-Transmission line-Digital trunk 12 (DIC)-Video transmission line 14-Digital trunk 12 '(DIC)-Transmission line-
The signal is looped back by the line connection unit 6 'on the conference room B side, the image decoding unit 5', and the video switching circuit 3 ', and is received by the receiver 2 in the conference room A.

If the presenter can confirm that the image received by the receiver 2 in the meeting room A is the correct image, then the presenter
The user presses the inner blue button (FIG. 52) of the function buttons of the telephone 11 with the multi-frequency signal transmission function. A multi-frequency signal corresponding to the blue button is transmitted from the telephone 11 with the multi-frequency signal transmission function to the network controller 10 '(NCU) of the conference room B, and the network controller 10' (NCU) When the corresponding multi-frequency signal is detected, the video switching circuit 3 'in the conference room B is restored, and a call signal is sent to the telephone 11' with a multi-frequency signal transmission function in the conference room B while the conference room A is transmitted. A ringing tone is sent to the multi-frequency signal transmission function-equipped telephone set 11 described above. The conference participant in the B conference room that recognizes the call signal picks up the transceiver of the multi-frequency signal transmission function telephone 11 'in the B conference room. The presenter of the conference room A informs that the conference is to be held through the telephone 11 with the multi-frequency signal transmission function, and mutually switches the voice switching circuits 9 and 9 '.
Is operated, and the audio signal is transmitted and received via the microphones 7 and 7 'and the loudspeakers 8 and 8' (FIG. 4).

On the other hand, as for the video signal, each video is confirmed by the receivers between the conference rooms with the recovery of the video switching circuit 3 'on the conference room B side.

FIG. 2-1 and FIG. 2-2 are diagrams showing the operation flow of one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing the relationship between the arrangement of push buttons and the signal frequency of a telephone with a multi-frequency signal transmission function.

〔The invention's effect〕

The present invention, in a terminal of the video conference system, by providing a video switching circuit that is operationally controlled via the audio transmission path from the other party's conference room between the video signal input / output device and the image encoding / decoding unit, There is an effect that the normality of the video transmission path and the audio transmission path can be confirmed before the video conference is held. In particular, the video transmission path is
Since 64 kbps × n channels (n = 1, 2, 3,...) Are used, there is an effect that a time-sequential exchange can be pre-verified in a time-division exchange.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of one embodiment of the present invention, and FIG.
FIG. 2 and FIG. 2-2 are operation flow diagrams of one embodiment of the present invention,
FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing a state in which the conference room A is confirming whether video and audio can be correctly received from the conference room B,
FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing a state where the conference room A and the conference room B are in a conference, and FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a relationship between an arrangement of push buttons and a signal frequency of a telephone with a multi-frequency signal transmission function. . 1,1 'camera, 2,2' receiver 3,3 'video switching circuit, 4,4' image encoding unit 5,5 'image decoding unit 6,6 '... Line connection part 7, 7' ... Microphone, 8, 8 '... Loudspeaker 9, 9' ... Voice switching circuit, 10, 10 '... Network controller 11, 11' ... Multi-frequency signal Telephone with transmission function 12,12 '... Digital trunk 13,13' ... Analog trunk 14,14 '... Video transmission line, 15,15' ... Audio transmission line

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] A video conference system in which a calling side video conference terminal and a called side video conference terminal establish a video transmission path and an audio transmission path via an exchange, and transmit and receive video and audio signals. Each of the terminals, at least, a camera, a receiver, and a video signal input from the camera on the calling side is returned by the video conference terminal on the called side via the video transmission path, and the video conference terminal on the calling side is returned. Video switching means for displaying on the receiver, a terminal having a function of transmitting and receiving audio and a multi-frequency signal transmission function, and a network control device for receiving a multi-frequency signal and outputting a signal for controlling the entire video conference terminal. When a call is made from the calling side video conference terminal to the called side video conference terminal, the called side video conference terminal automatically answers and video and audio transmission between the video conference terminals. When the path is set, the calling side video conference terminal transmits a first multi-frequency signal for controlling a network control device of the called side video conference terminal, and the called side video conference terminal transmits the first multi-frequency signal. By operating the video switching means of the called video conference terminal based on the received multi-frequency signal, the video input by the camera of the calling video conference terminal can be switched by the video switching of the called video conference terminal. After confirming the normality of the video conference system by displaying the image on the receiver of the calling side video conference terminal by means, the network control device of the called side video conference terminal is transmitted from the calling side video conference terminal. When the second multi-frequency signal is transmitted, the video conference terminal of the called side changes the video switching means of the video conference terminal of the called side to each other based on the multi-frequency signal received by the network control device. A call is made by restoring the transmission and reception of video and transmitting a notification signal for notifying the user of the called side and the calling side of the availability, and the user of the called side responding to the notification signal. A video conference system for initiating a conference by transmitting and receiving audio and video between a video conference terminal on the side and a video conference terminal on the called side.