JP2678402B2 - Image communication device - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an image communication apparatus which is connected to a general telephone line or other communication lines to perform image communication.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Recently, image communication apparatuses have been developed for transmitting and receiving still images continuously or moving images. As such an image communication device, there is a videophone or videoconference system. For example, a video conference system includes a video camera, a transmission device that modulates and transmits a video signal from the video camera, a display device that demodulates the signal transmitted from the other party, and displays a visible image.

[0003]

In the above-mentioned image communication apparatus, when the video camera is moved from a subject in communication to another subject, the image taken during the movement is also transmitted to the other party as it is. It Therefore, a meaningless image or an inconvenient image captured while the video camera is moving may be transmitted to the other party.

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide an image communication apparatus which repeatedly transmits an image immediately before moving the video camera while moving the video camera.

[0005]

According to the present invention, there is provided an image pickup section having image pickup means for picking up an image at a predetermined cycle.
An image communication apparatus comprising: a storage unit for updating and storing image data captured by the image capturing unit; and a transmission unit for reading and transmitting the image data from the storage unit, for changing the image capturing range of the image capturing unit. And a control unit for prohibiting update storage of the storage unit when the image pickup unit is being moved by the moving unit.

[0006]

According to the present invention, since the image data taken by the image pickup means is not stored in the storage means while the image pickup section is moving, the transmission screen is not updated and an unnecessary image is transmitted. There is no end.

[0007]

1 is a schematic block diagram for explaining the structure of an embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 1, the video camera 1 has a mechanism for tilting the camera body upward or downward and a mechanism for rotating the camera body in a horizontal plane. A camera operation panel 2 is provided to move the video camera 1 vertically and horizontally using these mechanisms. The video camera 1 is connected to the A / D converter 3, and the analog video signal is digitized by the A / D converter 3. The A / D converter 3 is connected to the transmission buffer 4, and the video signal from the video camera 1 is temporarily stored in the transmission buffer 4. The transmission buffer 4 is connected to the compression encoding circuit 5, and the data read from the transmission buffer 4 is compressed and encoded. The compression encoding circuit 5 is connected to the line interface 6, and the compressed / encoded signal is output to the line 8. A system control circuit 7 is provided to control the operations of the transmission buffer 4, the compression encoding circuit 5 and the line interface 6 based on the signal B from the video camera 1 and the operation signal A of the camera operation panel 2.

FIG. 2 is a timing chart for explaining the operation of the embodiment of the present invention. Next, the operation of the embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.

First, the operation of the system when the video camera 1 is stationary will be described. The video signal for one screen output from the video camera 1 is converted into digital data by the A / D converter 3 and then written in the transmission buffer 4 according to a command from the system control circuit 7. While monitoring the state of the communication line through the line interface 6, the system control circuit 7 sequentially reads the image data written in the transmission buffer 4, compresses and encodes it in the compression encoding circuit 5, and transmits it from the line interface 6. When the transmission of the image data for one screen stored in the transmission buffer 4 is completed, the data for one screen to be output next is taken into the transmission buffer 4 according to a command from the system control circuit 7. After that, by repeating the above process, the video camera 1
Video is transmitted. At this time, the signal A output from the camera operation panel 2 to the system control circuit 7 indicating whether or not the camera is moving is at a low level.

Next, a case where the video camera 1 is moved by operating the camera operation panel 2 will be described. In this case, the video signal output from the video camera 1 is the same as when the video camera 1 is stationary.
Although the signal is converted into digital data by the converter 3 and supplied to the transmission buffer 4, the signal A output from the camera operation panel 2 to the system control circuit 7 indicating whether or not the camera is moving is at a high level. The system control circuit 7 recognizes that the camera is in operation, and controls so that the image data output during this time is not written in the transmission buffer 4. Therefore, the image data taken during the operation of the camera is not written in the transmission buffer 4,
The transmission buffer 4 holds the image data stored immediately before the camera operation.

Thus, while the video camera 1 is moving, the last image data written in the transmission buffer 4 immediately before moving the camera is repeatedly output. When the video camera 1 is stopped again, the image data taken immediately after the movement of the camera is stopped is output.

[0012]

As described above, according to the present invention, the image data to be transmitted is not updated while the video camera is operating. That is, since the last image data before moving the video camera is repeatedly output, the transmitting side does not send unnecessary images during the operation of the camera,
The receiving side is not confused by the meaningless image sent.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic block diagram for explaining the configuration of an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a timing chart for explaining the operation of the embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 video camera 2 camera operation panel 4 transmission buffer 6 line interface 7 system control circuit

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] 1. An image pickup unit having an image pickup unit for picking up an image at a predetermined cycle, a storage unit for updating and storing image data picked up by the image pickup unit, and an image data read from the storage unit. In the image communication apparatus including a transmission unit for transmitting the image pickup unit, a moving unit for moving the image pickup unit and a moving unit for moving the image pickup unit in order to change the image pickup range of the image pickup unit. An image communication apparatus, the control means for prohibiting the update storage of the storage means when the image storage device is in use.