JP2708490B2 - Multipoint video conference system - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION (1) Technical field to which the present invention pertains The present invention relates to a video signal and an audio signal transmitted from multiple points via a communication network by converting a person moving image portion from each video signal. The extracted and extracted plurality of the person moving image portions are artificially arranged, for example, like a scene of an audience seated at a lecture hall, and a person moving image portion having a high volume level in the audio signal is set in an upright state (on the screen). The present invention relates to a multipoint video conference system that displays a video image in an upright state compared to the display of a portion of another person's moving image because the image is displayed in a vertically elongated state.

(2) Conventional technology FIG. 9 is an example of a conventional multipoint video conference system. m respectively from the point person moving X ₁ in number, X _2, ... and the audio signal of the video signal and audio including X _m is inputted from the input terminal 1 made of camera 2 and a microphone 3 which, the communication network 10
Through a person moving X _1, X _2, ... monitor 20 for X _m
The voice is output to the speaker 5. Viewer 4
Performs a remote conference with the attendees at m points using the monitor 20 and the speaker 5.

FIG. 10 is an example of a conventional display / reproduction system. FIG. 10 (a) shows an example in which a plurality of (m) monitors 20 are used, and the same number (m) of speakers 5 are installed. In this type of system, it is necessary to install the monitor 20 for the number of points, and the space factor is reduced for meetings from 20 to 30 people (m = 20 to 30) such as board meetings. While doing
There is a first drawback of poor economy.

FIG. 10 (b) shows an example in which the monitor 20 has a large screen. In addition to synthesizing a person video, a plurality of n (n
≦ m). Since the screen size is increased, there is a second disadvantage that the installation of the apparatus becomes large and the simplicity of the installation is reduced.

Further, the system shown in FIG. 10 (b) has a third disadvantage that the accuracy of sound image localization generated by a plurality of n speakers 5 decreases as n is smaller than m because the screen width is long. To solve this problem, a method of setting n = m is conceivable, but the third method is inferior in economical efficiency from the viewpoint of the number of speakers 5 installed.
There are disadvantages.

In addition, a monitor 20 is added to the system shown in FIG.
A method has been considered in which each is divided into a rectangular screen, each person moving image is allocated to each area, and the combined display is performed. This type of system has the advantage that the number of speakers can be reduced because the screen size is reduced, the problem of the accuracy of sound image localization is eliminated, and a large number of moving images of a person can be displayed simultaneously. However, if the area of the split screen is fixed, even if the volume of the speaker of the conference increases,
There is a fourth disadvantage that it is difficult to identify who the corresponding person moving image is.

(3) Object of the Invention It is an object of the present invention to aim at visually raising a person's moving image of a speaker whose volume is louder than other person's moving images. The present invention is to provide a multi-point video conference system that artificially arranges and synthesizes a large number of person videos transferred from multiple points, such as a seated scene, and displays the person movie of the loud speaker in an upright state. .

(4) Configuration of the Invention (4-1) Difference between the Features of the Invention and the Conventional Technique FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a first example showing the features of the present invention. On the screen of the monitor 20, the face portion f of the person moving image
The superimposed side-by-side said pigment portion to generate a perspective along the lower direction of the horizontal base line 8 are arranged side by side, to speak of a person face portion f _1, in the wake of the time the volume is increased People moving X ₁ of said pigment portion f ₁ along the upward direction 18, an enlarged display area from the face to the lower body, as if the person moving X ₁ indicates that displayed as if standing.

FIG. 2 is a view for explaining a second example showing the features of the present invention. On the screen of the monitor 20, the area is divided into a speaker's seat and an audience's seat by a vertical baseline 9, and in the area of the audience's seat, perspective is considered based on the horizontal baseline 8 as described in FIG. To superimpose the face part f. To speak of a person's face part f _1, in the wake of the time when the volume is increased, along with the perform video moving process 19, as the person moving X ₁ of said pigment portion f ₁ is moved to the speaker's seat, said pigment performs such processing or turn signals add color split screen area 21 of the portion f _1. In other words, visual image processing is performed such that the user stands up from the audience and moves to the speech table.

As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to easily cope with an increase in the number of points and an increase in the number of person videos to be displayed and reproduced, and to make the person video of the speaker visually stand out from other person videos. Thus, the main feature is that the sound image of the speaker whose volume is high and the video are linked.

(4-2) Embodiment FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the first embodiment of the present invention, wherein 5 is a speaker, 20 is a monitor, 30 is a video signal input terminal, and 31 is an audio signal input. A terminal 100 is an input interface unit, 200 is a person moving image part extracting unit, 300 is a moving image superimposing and combining unit, 400 is a moving image memory unit, and 500 is a person moving image part enlargement / reduction / movement processing unit.

In order to operate this, the video signal and the audio signal transmitted from the m multi-points are input to the input interface unit via the video signal input terminal 30 and the audio signal input terminal 31 according to a command from the control unit 700. 100 receives and transfers the m received video signals to the person moving image portion extraction unit 200 and the m received audio signals to the volume level detection unit 600.

The person moving image portion extraction unit 200 outputs a person moving image portion X ₁ ,
X _2, ... X _m and the cut-extraction, m-number of the person product extracted moving image portion X _1, X _2, and transfers the ... X _m in the moving image superimposition combining unit 300. The moving image superimposing / synthesizing unit 300 is a divided screen allocation table that defines the correspondence between the transferred m moving image parts X ₁ , X ₂ ,... _Xm and the divided screens on the monitor screen and the superimposition order. Based on 310, video memory unit 400 sequentially
Are stored in the overlay memory 410.

The moving image superimposing / synthesizing unit 300 enlarges a person moving image
Based on the moving image memory access permission signal notified from the reduction / movement processing unit 500, the superimposing memory 410 of the moving image memory unit 400 reads m superimposed images of the person moving image portions, and converts them into a video signal to be monitored. Output to 20.

FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a method of superimposing a person moving image. An example is shown in which the superimposing memory 410 is composed of three types of memories, A-side, B-side, and C-side. In order to generate a sense of perspective like an image of a seated audience at the lecture hall, the person moving images in the horizontal direction are stored in the same memory (one of the A, B, and C planes). A method (→→) of sequentially superimposing a downwardly arranged person moving image from a horizontally arranged person moving image at the upper end portion of the screen is shown. That is, in the drawing, the B surface is superimposed on the A surface, and the C surface is superimposed on the B surface.

On the other hand, the volume level detection unit 600 detects a signal having a high volume among the m audio signals transferred from the input interface unit 100, and sends a request notification of a process for enlarging / moving a person moving image corresponding to the signal. Enlargement / reduction
It can be transferred to the movement processing unit 500. If the volume returns to the normal state after the request notification, the volume level detection unit 600 sends a request cancellation notification to the person moving image partial enlargement / reduction / movement processing unit 50.
Transfer to 0. At the same time, the volume level detector 600 adds the m audio signals and outputs the result to the speaker 5.

The person moving image portion enlargement / reduction / movement processing unit 500 receives the processing request or the cancellation of the request for the processing target person moving image portion notified from the volume level detection unit 600, and in response to this, triggers the processing target The timing of starting / stopping the processing related to the person moving image portion is controlled. Based on the timing control and the moving image memory access permission signal notified from the moving image superposition / synthesis unit 300, the person moving image partial enlargement / reduction / movement processing unit 500 Enlargement / movement processing is performed as if the stored person moving image part is standing, and when the processing is stopped, the person moving part to be processed is returned from the standing state to the original sitting state. Perform reduction / movement processing of In FIG. 4, the divided screen area 22 is enlarged to cross the horizontal base line 8 in order to make the standing state visually easy to see.
This indicates that the processing is performed as if standing up. The processing method is performed on the same memory of the superimposition memory 410 in which the person moving image portion to be processed is stored. In the drawing, processing is performed on plane B.

FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram showing a first method of standing display. This is the method described so far, and the human face part with high volume
generating a person moving X ₁ standing upright beyond the horizontal base line 8 with respect to f _1. People face portion f ₂ In this example becomes invisible by a person moving X _1.

FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram showing a second method of standing display. In this example, every other lateral seating method is vacant. For high human face portions f ₁ of volume, to produce a person moving X ₁ standing upright beyond the horizontal base line 8. Point to move the person's face part f ₂ being obscured by a person moving X ₁ the left and right vacant differs from the method of Figure 5 shown. This method has the advantage that the faces of all meeting attendees are always visible.

FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram showing a third method of standing display. Lateral seating method has vacant every second, which is similar to that of FIG. 6, differs in that it further enlarge the standing display area of a person moving X ₁ has. That has the advantage that a person moving X ₁ standing upright can be emphasized.

FIG. 8 is an explanatory diagram showing a fourth method of standing display. A vertical base line 9 is provided in addition to the horizontal base line 8, and a fixed utterance seat area 26 is set.

And displays by moving the speech seat region 26 a person moving X ₁ corresponding to the high human face portions f ₁ of volume, split screen area
21 is colored or blinkers are displayed.

(5) Effects of the Invention As described above, according to the present invention, a person moving image portion is extracted from a video signal, and arranged with artificial perspective as in a seated scene of an audience at a lecture hall. By displaying the moving image portion of the person with a high sound volume level in an upright state, the display screen can be reduced in size and the display space factor and economy can be improved, and the simplicity of setting can be improved. There is. Furthermore,
The size of the screen is reduced, and the number of speakers for sound reproduction can be reduced due to the interaction between video and sound images. This has the advantage of eliminating the need for complicated sound image localization processing. Can be perceived from the standing motion display and the position of the video, and the sound is apparently pulled down at the mouth of the speaker.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram for explaining a first example showing features of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining a second example showing features of the present invention, and FIG.
FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a method of superimposing moving images of a person.
FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram showing a first method of standing display, FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram showing a second method of standing display, FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram showing a third method of standing display, and FIG. 4th of standing display
FIG. 9 is a diagram showing an example of a conventional multipoint video conference system, and FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a conventional display / reproduction system. 1 input terminal, 2 camera, 3 microphone, 4 viewer, 5 speaker, 8 horizontal baseline, 9 vertical baseline, 10 communication network, 20 monitor, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25 … Split screen area, 26… Speaker seat area, 30
… Video signal input terminal, 31… Audio signal input terminal, 10
0: input interface unit, 200: person video part extraction unit, 30
0: moving image superimposing / synthesizing unit, 310: divided screen allocation table, 400: moving image memory unit, 410: superimposing memory, 500
… People moving image enlargement / reduction / movement processing unit, 600… Volume level detection unit, 700… Control unit.

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] 1. A multipoint video conference system for displaying and reproducing video and audio signals transmitted from a multipoint via a communication network, wherein one or a plurality of seats are arranged in a horizontal direction. A monitor for displaying a multi-level screen in which a plurality of levels are displayed in such a manner that the horizontal sequence is shifted in the vertical direction and the multi-level screen is displayed. A superimposition memory is prepared corresponding to one horizontal arrangement, and a person moving picture corresponding to the individual horizontal arrangement is developed and stored on the individual superimposition memory, and the developed and stored. The contents of a plurality of superimposing memories are configured to be displayed on the monitor as the multi-stage screen, and a person moving image portion is extracted from the video signal. Means for detecting an audio signal having a high volume level from among the audio signals, and processing for enlarging / reducing / moving a portion of a person moving image having a high volume level corresponding to the detected audio signal Means, wherein one of the superimposing memories storing the high-volume-level person moving image is selected, and the high-volume-level human moving image is selected on the selected superimposing memory. A multipoint video conference system, characterized in that the enlargement / reduction / movement processing means enlarges the display area of the person moving image and stores it.