JP2832718B2 - Image sending / receiving device - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION <Industrial Application Field> The present invention relates to an image transmission / reception system in which an image taken by a photographing means used for a videophone or the like is transmitted and displayed on a monitor of the other party.
Related to a receiving device.

<Prior Art> The following is a conventional example of an image transmitting / receiving apparatus used for a videophone or the like.

That is, a subject is photographed by a television camera, and this image is displayed on a monitor as a moving image. Then, when the photographer visually recognizes the image on the monitor and becomes a favorite image, he selects the image and stores it in the memory. Then, the stored image (still image) is put on a telephone line, transmitted to the monitor of the other party, and displayed.

Further, the image transmitted from the other party is once stored in a memory and then displayed on a monitor.

<Problems to be Solved by the Invention> By the way, an image transmitting / receiving device such as a videophone is usually arranged in a corner of a room, so that when a photographer heads for a videophone, the photographer turns away from the room lighting. Therefore, there is a problem that it is difficult to capture a clear image due to backlight.

The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and has as its object to provide an image transmitting / receiving apparatus capable of securing an easily viewable image.

<Means for Solving the Problems> For this reason, according to the first aspect of the present invention, an image of a subject is photographed by a photographing device, and the photographed image is transmitted to the other party. In the image transmission / reception device configured to display, the imaging device includes a holding member that holds the optical lens and the imaging element, a protrusion formed on a rear surface of the holding member, and a groove formed on the camera body. A spring member for urging the holding member toward the camera body, and rotating the holding member around an optical axis to insert the projection into the groove. By switching to the state of withdrawing from the groove, the configuration is such that reversal of the photographing direction and inclination of the optical axis can be performed simultaneously.

Further, in the invention according to claim 2, in addition to the above configuration, a configuration is provided in which an illumination device whose illumination direction is switched is provided.

<Operation> According to the first aspect of the present invention, when the holding member is rotated around the optical axis, the photographing direction is reversed due to a change in the relative positional relationship between the protrusion and the groove, and the optical axis changes obliquely. I do. Therefore, for example, it is possible to easily switch between photographing the face with the optical axis oriented in the horizontal direction and photographing the subject with the photographing direction turned upside down and obliquely downward so as to photograph the memo at hand.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, the illumination direction of the illumination device can be cut in correspondence with the switching of the photographing direction as described above.

<Example> An example of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings using a videophone as an example.

In FIGS. 1 and 2, the main body of the videophone 1 is as follows.
A television camera 2 as a photographing device and a monitor 3 such as a CRT for displaying an image photographed by the television camera 2 are attached. A lamp 4 as an illuminating device is attached to the main body of the videophone 1 so that the illumination direction of the lamp 4 can be selectively switched between a horizontal direction and a lower front part of the videophone 1.
It is freely mounted on the main body. 5 is a table.

According to such a configuration, a clear image can be secured by illuminating the face of the photographer as the subject with the lamp 6 as shown in FIG. Also, after shooting or before shooting, the upper surface of the table 5 can be illuminated by the lamp 6 as shown in FIG. Is convenient.

Further, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the TV camera 7 can be freely swung by the main body of the TV phone 1 so that the shooting direction of the TV camera 7 can be switched to the substantially same direction as the irradiation direction of the lamp 6. Mounted on

According to such a configuration, the irradiation direction of the lamp 6 and the shooting direction of the television camera 7 can be simultaneously switched as shown in FIG. 3 and FIG. The TV camera 7 can be pointed at a memo on the table 5 as shown in FIG. 4, which is convenient.

At this time, the distance from the TV camera 7 to the photographer's face is about 50 to 60 cm, while the distance from the TV camera to the table 5 is about 20 cm, so that both of them are clearly photographed. Therefore, it is preferable to change the focus in conjunction with the switching operation. When photographing the photographer's face, the photographing magnification of the television camera 7 is set such that the entire face and part of the shoulders fill the screen of the monitor 3,
When photographing the contents of the memo, the video camera 7 is used so that the contents of the memo can be read at the resolution of the device of the videophone 1.
Is preferably set, and the focal length of the television camera 7 is preferably changed according to the shooting direction.

5 to 9 are views showing a detailed support structure of the television camera 7. FIG.

That is, as shown in FIG. 5, a CCD (Charge Coupled Device) 2 as an image sensor is mounted on the front surface of the disk-shaped holding member 11, and an optical image of a subject is formed on the CCD 12 via an optical lens 13. It is supposed to be. In addition, a rotating shaft 14 is attached to the center of the rear surface of the holding member 11 via a ball joint (not shown), and one end of a coil spring 15 is attached. A protrusion is provided on the rear surface of the holding member 11.
11a is formed to project.

A hole 17 is formed in the camera body 16, and the rotary shaft 14 and the coil spring 15 are inserted into the hole 17 as shown in FIG. The other end of the coil spring 15 is locked to the camera body 16, and the holding member 11 is urged toward the camera body 16 by the coil spring 15 (spring member).

The camera body 16 has an arc-shaped groove as shown in FIG.
A groove 18 is formed with the hole 17 as a center, and the groove 18 is formed so as to have the deepest portion at the center portion and to gradually become shallower toward both end portions. The holding member 11 is inserted into the groove 18.
The projecting member 11a is inserted.

Then, when photographing the photographer's face or the like, as shown in FIG. 8, the protrusion 11a is grooved so that the CCD 12 faces forward.
It is located at the deepest part of 18. When the CCD 12 is turned obliquely downward, when the holding member 11 is rotated by 180 ° together with the rotation shaft 14, the protrusion 11a is withdrawn from the groove 18 and the holding member 11 is tilted as shown in FIG. Point diagonally downward. At this time, since CCD12 is rotated 180 °, CCD1
The image captured by 2 is an image in which both the top and bottom and the left and right of the subject are inverted. Here, the holding member 11 and the CC
D12 constitutes the image reversing means.

Therefore, when the memo is arranged on the table so that the memo is oriented normally as viewed from the photographer's side, when the memo is photographed by the CCD 12, the photograph taken by the CCD 12 and displayed on the monitor is the photographer. The direction is the same as the direction of the memo directly viewed from the position (regular direction). Therefore, it is possible to provide an easy-to-view image on the monitor and to send the easy-to-view image to the other party.

FIG. 10 shows a configuration for transmitting an image whose upside down, left and right have been inverted to a partner side as a normal image.

That is, by switching the increment / decrement terminal of the address counter 21, the operation is switched between the increment operation and the decrement operation. Specifically, an increment operation is performed when the input is at the H level, and a decrement operation is performed when the input is at the L level.

When the image is input to the memory 22 in the normal direction, the address counter 21 is set to zero by a start signal indicating the input timing of the image signal, and the increment operation is performed by a clock signal synchronized with the image data. Thus, the image data is stored in the address of the memory 22 in order from zero to the last address.

Conversely, when an image whose top, bottom, left, and right are inverted is input to the memory 22, the address counter 21 is preset to the last address by a start signal, and thereafter, a decrement operation is performed in synchronization with a clock signal. Thus, the image data is stored in the address of the memory 22 in order from the last address to zero. Therefore, the address counter 21 constitutes an image inversion unit.

When the image data stored in the memory 21 is read out and displayed on the monitor, the reset and increment operations are performed using a vertical synchronizing signal, a clock signal, and the like from the signal generating circuit. When transmitting to the other party, a start signal and a clock signal are obtained from the model (modulation / demodulation circuit), and the image data stored in the memory 21 is sent to the other party.

It should be noted that the writing to the memory may be performed as usual, and the reading may be performed from the memory in the opposite direction to the reading.

Further, in addition to the above configuration, the following contrivances may be made as shown in FIGS. 11 to 24.

That is, as shown in FIG. 11, the table 32 is integrally formed by protruding forward from the lower part of the main body of the videophone 31. By doing so, the memo can be placed on the table 32 and the memo can be photographed by the television camera 7, so that the distance or angle from the television camera 7 is constant. For this reason, the shooting conditions of the television camera 7 can be adjusted to those conditions, and a clear image can be secured. Incidentally, as shown in FIG. 12, a photographable range A may be clearly indicated on the upper surface of the table 32. Also, if the surface of the table is a whiteboard for writing, there is no need to prepare memo paper.

Also, as shown in FIGS. 13 and 14, a rotary table 33 is provided on the table 32, and when writing notes, the front end of the rotary table 33 is lowered as shown in FIG. 13 to facilitate writing. On the other hand, when photographing, the front end of the rotary table 33 may be raised obliquely upward as shown in FIG.

Also, when not writing or photographing a memo, it is better to store the table and reduce the size. For example,
As shown in FIG. 15, a table 32A is attached to the lower part of the main body of the videophone 31 so as to swing freely, and when not in use, it is brought into close contact with the lower front part of the videophone 31. Also,
As another example, as shown in FIG. 16, a table 32B is movably attached to the lower portion of the main body of the videophone 31, and is stored in the lower portion of the videophone 31 when not in use.

Further, as shown in FIG. 17, a pressure sensor in which a large number of lead wires are arranged at predetermined intervals vertically and horizontally on the upper surface of the table 32.
33 will be provided. Then, characters, figures and the like are written on the memo paper placed on the pressure sensor 32, and these are written to the pressure sensor 32.
May be detected by pen pressure and displayed on a monitor or transmitted to the other party. In this case, it is not necessary to change the directions of the television camera and the lamp, so that the structure is simplified. Further, since the pen pressure is directly detected by the pressure sensor 33, a clear image can be secured.

Also, in the above-mentioned case, if an eraser is used to erase a memo and erase it with an eraser, it is not possible to sense the erased pressure and write it to memory and display or transmit it.
A mode switch 34 is provided as shown in FIG. By the mode selection of the mode changeover switch 34, it is possible to select a pattern for writing the portion into the memory when pressure is applied, a pattern for erasing characters and the like in the memory, and a pattern for not performing writing and erasing.

As shown in FIG. 19, at one end of the pressure sensor 33, a clip 35 for holding the memo paper and a micro switch 36 for detecting whether the memo paper is held by the clip 35 are provided. Is also good.

Further, as shown in FIG. 20, a plate 37 on which a numeric keypad or the like is printed is rotatably attached to one side of the table 32.
When the plate 37 is overlaid on the pressure sensor 33, the switching operation of the micro switch 38 causes the pressure sensor 33 to sense a ten-key operation of the plate 37, and operates the videophone according to the operation. The sensor 33 is used for reading images such as characters and figures.

As shown in FIG. 21, a linear reading device 39 may be attached to one end of the table 32 in place of the pressure sensor, and the reading device 39 may read characters, figures, and the like on a memo sheet.

A storage section for storing memo paper as shown in FIG.
40 may be formed in the main body of the videophone 31, and
As shown in the figure, a cutter 42 for cutting the roll paper may be provided at the front end of the table 32 while forming and printing the storage section 41 for storing the roll paper in the main body of the videophone 31. Further, as shown in FIG. 24, a linear reader 43 may be attached to the front end of the table 32.

<Effects of the Invention> As described above, according to the present invention, in claim 1, a state in which a face is photographed and a state in which a memo or the like at hand is photographed in a state where the memo or the like is turned upside down and left and right are easily switched, And the image such as a memo below can be transmitted to the other party as an easy-to-view image. According to the second aspect of the present invention, the illumination device that switches the irradiation direction is provided, so that a clear and easy-to-view image can be secured even when placed in a corner of a room, and the image is shot by illuminating a memo or the like below. There is an effect that can be.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an embodiment corresponding to claim 1 of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining the operation of the above, and FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing another embodiment of claim 1 of the present invention. , FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining the operation of the above, FIG. 5 is a configuration diagram showing an embodiment corresponding to claim 2, FIG. 6 is another main portion configuration diagram of the embodiment, and FIG. 8 and 9 are views for explaining the operation of the above, FIG. 10 is a block diagram showing another embodiment corresponding to claim 2, FIG. 11 to FIG. FIG. 3 is a configuration diagram showing a modification of the above. 1 Videophone 2,7 TV camera 3 Monitor 4,6 Lamp, 11 Holding member 12 CCD, 21 Address counter

Claims (2)

(57) [Claims] 1. An image transmitting / receiving apparatus in which an image of a subject is photographed by a photographing device and the photographed image is transmitted to a partner, while an image from the partner is received and displayed on a monitor. A holding member for holding the optical lens and the imaging element, a projection formed on the rear surface of the holding member, a groove formed on the camera body, and biasing the holding member toward the camera body. A spring member, and by rotating the holding member around the optical axis, the projection is switched between a state in which the projection is inserted into the groove and a state in which the projection is retracted from the groove, thereby reversing the photographing direction. And a tilt of the optical axis. 2. The image transmitting / receiving apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising an illumination device for switching an illumination direction.