JP3227834B2 - Image processing apparatus and method - 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 processing apparatus and a method thereof.
Respect the law, and specifically to encoding and decoding <br/> image data.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A system for connecting a plurality of points via a dedicated or public digital line to conduct a video conference is known. Such a video conference system includes a video for transmitting a video of a conference participant. Some have a transmission system and a still image transmission system for transmitting still images such as conference materials.

As described above, in the conventional example of the video conference system having the moving image transmission system and the still image transmission system, the receiving terminal has a changeover switch for selectively supplying the received moving image and the still image to the printer. Is provided, if the transmitted image is to be printed on the receiving side, a print request is sent from the receiving side to the transmitting side, and in response to this, the transmitting side terminal device transmits to the receiving side, a switch command of the changeover switch, A control command for the printer was sent.

[0004]

However, in such a configuration, for example, when an image of a conference participant is to be printed, an image signal having a poor image quality due to a compression encoding method for moving image transmission is supplied to the printer. In other words, there was a problem that a clear print image of the meeting participants could not be obtained.

[0005] The present invention provides an image which solves these problems.
It is an object to present a processing device and a method thereof.

[0006]

[0007]

[0008]

According to the present invention, there is provided an image processing apparatus comprising: a generator for continuously generating image data; a first encoder for encoding a moving image; and second coding means for coding a receiving means for receiving an instruction signal instructing a still image from the external apparatus, the instruction signal
Setting means for setting encoding means for encoding the image data generated by the generating means in accordance with a signal;
Is encoded using the encoding means set by the setting means.
Transmitting means for transmitting the image data to the external device .

Further, the image processing apparatus according to the present invention provides a means for continuously generating image data, a first encoding method for encoding a moving image, and encoding for a still image. An encoding unit for encoding the image data generated by the generation unit by a second encoding method, and an external device
Receiving for receiving an instruction signal for setting an encoding method from
And signal means, and setting means for setting an encoding method of the encoding means in response to the instruction signal, set by the setting means
Image data encoded using the encoding method,
Transmitting means for transmitting to the external device .

An image processing apparatus according to the present invention is an image processing apparatus for receiving encoded image data from an external image processing apparatus having encoding means capable of encoding a moving image and encoding a still image. A processing device, wherein the external image processing device transmits an instruction signal for setting an encoding method to the external image processing device, and a transmitting unit that transmits the instruction signal, and the instruction signal is encoded by the encoding method set by the instruction signal. Receiving means for receiving image data from the external processing device;
Decoding means for decoding the image data received by the receiving means.

Further, in the image processing method according to the present invention, a step of continuously generating image data; a step of receiving an instruction signal for setting an encoding method from an external device ; 1st encoding for moving image according to instruction signal
A coding method, a step of setting an encoding method and a second coding method for performing coding of a still image, a step of encoding the image data by the set encoding method, wherein The encoded image data is stored in the external device.
Transmitting to the device.
Further, the image processing method according to the present invention is an image processing method that receives encoded image data from an external image processing apparatus having an encoding unit capable of encoding for a moving image and encoding for a still image and processes the encoded image data. A processing method, comprising: transmitting an instruction signal for setting an encoding method in the external image processing device to the external image processing device; and an image encoded by the encoding method set by the instruction signal. The method comprises the steps of receiving data from the external processing device, and decoding the received image data.

[0012]

An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of an embodiment of the present invention. Only a circuit block for image transmission is shown in the terminal device 50 on the image transmission side, and the terminal device 5 on the image reception side is illustrated.
2 shows only a circuit block for image reception. The terminal device 50 and the terminal device 52 are mutually connected via a communication line 54 such as an ISDN line.

In the terminal device 50, reference numeral 60 denotes a camera for photographing a user of the terminal device 50, and reference numeral 62 denotes a high-efficiency compression code for converting the output (moving image) of the camera 62 into a code amount adapted to the line speed of the communication line 54. This is a moving picture coding circuit to be converted.
The encoding method of the encoding circuit 62 is described in, for example, CCITT Recommendation H.264. 261.

Reference numeral 64 denotes a document camera for photographing a drawing or graph of a conference material, which has a different resolution from the camera 60. Normally, the document camera 64 has a higher resolution than the camera 60. 66 is the output of the camera 60 or the document camera 6
A switch 68 for selecting the output of No. 4 is a still image coding circuit 68 for compressing and coding the image signal selected by the switch 66 by a high efficiency compression coding method (for example, JPEG method or ADPCM method) which emphasizes image quality. It is.

A data control circuit 70 outputs the outputs of the encoding circuits 62 and 68 to the terminal adapter 72 at appropriate timing. Note that the data control circuit 70
The switch 66 is controlled in accordance with a predetermined command from the partner station terminal device 52 or an operation input of the own station.

In the terminal device 52, reference numeral 74 denotes a terminal adapter, and 76 denotes a moving image data of the received data from the terminal adapter 74 to a moving image decoding circuit 78 and a still image data to a still image. A data control circuit for outputting to a decoding circuit 82 for
84, a still image monitor; 86, a printer for printing the output image of the still image decoding circuit 82; 88, an operation panel for inputting various operation instructions; , A moving image selection switch 90b for instructing the selection of a moving image as a print source, and a print start switch 90c for instructing the start of printing.

The terminal adapters 72 and 74 perform packetization for the communication line 54 and disassembly thereof.

The coding method used in the moving picture coding circuit 62 and the decoding circuit 78 is a high-efficiency compression method in which image quality (resolution, etc.) is sacrificed to some extent in order to secure motion in a line of a limited band. On the other hand, the encoding method in the encoding circuit 68 and the decoding circuit 82 for a still image is a compression encoding method that prioritizes image quality rather than motion. The moving image monitor 80 may have a relatively low resolution, and the still image monitor 84 has a relatively high resolution as compared with the moving image monitor 38. Of course, it is needless to say that a moving image and a still image may be displayed as a multi-image on one monitor having a resolution adapted to the still image.

In a normal state, the switch 66 selects the output of the document camera 64. The image of the conference participant captured by the camera 60 is compression-encoded by the encoding circuit 62 and applied to the data control circuit 70. The image of the conference material photographed by the document camera 64 is applied to an encoding circuit 68 via a switch 66, where it is compressed and encoded, and then applied to a data control circuit 70. The data control circuit 70 transmits the encoded data from the encoding circuits 62 and 68 to the terminal adapter 72 at appropriate timing.
Output to The data control circuit 70 also outputs voice data and commands to the other station to the terminal adapter 72.

The terminal adapter 72 packetizes the data from the data control circuit 70, and outputs the data through the communication line 54 to the terminal adapter 7 of the terminal device 52.
Enter 4

The terminal adapter 74 decodes the packet and outputs received data to the data control circuit 76. The data control circuit 76 outputs moving image data to the moving image decoding circuit 78 and outputs still image data to the still image decoding circuit 82. The voice data and commands are supplied to a processing circuit (not shown) and processed.

The moving picture decoding circuit 78 extends the received data of the moving picture and applies it to the moving picture monitor 80. A moving image of the user of the terminal device 50 is displayed on the moving image monitor 80. The decoding circuit 82 expands the received data of the still image, and applies the expanded (restored) still image signal to the still image monitor 84 and the printer 86 at a predetermined rate. A still image from the document camera 64 of the terminal device 50 is displayed on the still image monitor 84.

The user of the receiving terminal 52 is
4 to print a still image by the operation panel 88
The still image selection switch 90a selects a still image as a print source, and the print start switch 90c instructs the start of printing. Commands for selecting a print source and starting printing are supplied to the data control circuit 76, and the data control circuit 76
Supplies a print start command to the printer 86, and the printer 86 starts printing in response to the print start command. As a result, a print image of a still image captured by the document camera 64 is obtained.

When a print image of the user of the terminal device 50 is desired, a moving image is selected as a print source by a moving image selection switch 90b of the operation panel 88. Although the details will be described later, the image of the conference participant who wants to print is displayed as a still image on the still image monitor 84, and the print start switch 90c instructs the print start switch 90c if appropriate after checking the composition. I do.

The selection of the printing source is supplied to a data control circuit 76, which sends a switch command of the switch 66 from the terminal adapter 74 to the terminal device 50. This command is input to the terminal adapter 72 of the terminal device 50 via the communication line 54, and is supplied to the data control circuit 70. The data control circuit 70 switches the switch 66 to the output side of the camera 60 according to a switch command of the switch 66 from the terminal device 70.

The still picture encoding circuit 68 compresses and encodes the output image of the camera 60 input via the switch 66 as a still picture. The encoded data is transmitted to the still image decoding circuit 82 via the data control circuit 70, the terminal adapter 72, the communication line 54, the terminal adapter 74, and the data control circuit 76, similarly to the image captured by the document camera 64. The image is expanded and applied to the still image monitor 84 and the printer 86.

The data control circuit 76 transmits a switch command of the switch 66 to the terminal device 50 and, after receiving the still image data by this, transmits a reception end signal to the terminal device 50. In the terminal device 50, the data control circuit 70 switches the switch 66 to the document camera 64 according to the reception end signal. In the terminal device 52, the data control circuit 76 supplies a print start command to the printer 86 in response to a print start command from the print start switch 90c of the operation panel 88.

Of course, when a print start command is input from the operation panel 88 before image information from the camera 60 is received via the still image transmission system, the data control circuit 76
Supplies a print start command to the printer 86 in response to the completion of reception of necessary data from the terminal device 50. In response to the print start command, the printer 86 captures the output image of the decoding circuit 82 (the image captured by the camera 60) and prints it.

In the above description, a two-stage operation of selecting a print source and starting printing is necessary, but it goes without saying that the operation may be simplified to only the selection of moving image printing and still image printing. In this case, the data control circuit 7 responds to the moving image printing instruction.
6 transmits a reception completion signal to the terminal device 50 after the switching of the switch 66 of the terminal device 50 and the completion of the reception of the image captured by the camera 60 via the still image transmission system,
A print start command is supplied to the printer 86.

Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described.
FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a terminal device having both a transmission circuit block of the terminal device 50 and a reception circuit block of the terminal device 52. The same circuit as the circuit block shown in FIG. 1 is denoted by the same reference numeral. The symbols of the overlapping circuit blocks are shown in parentheses. In the same terminal device, the image of the camera 60 is displayed on the moving image monitor 80, the image of the document camera 64 is displayed on the still image monitor 84, and the camera 60
Alternatively, an image captured by the camera 64 can be printed by the printer 86.

In the present embodiment, the moving image camera 60 and the document camera 64 are provided separately. However, it is needless to say that one camera may be used as well. The image may be field transmitted. When printing is performed on the receiving side, the present invention is not limited to this embodiment as long as a high-quality image signal is transmitted. Although the printer is exemplified as the output unit, it may be a monitor.

Next, the print output format of the printer 86 is controlled according to which of the encoded data of the moving picture encoding circuit 62 and the encoded data of the still picture encoding circuit 68 is to be printed out. An example will be described.

FIGS. 3A and 3B are diagrams for comparing a moving image input by the camera 60 and a still image input by the document camera 64 in image size. FIG.
The image size of a still image of 00 pixels is shown.
The image size of a moving image of 0 pixels × 500 pixels is shown.

As described above, the moving image is one pixel in comparison with the still image.
Since the printer 86 has only the number of pixels of / 4, the printer 86 having the capability of printing a still image has a surplus capability in printing a moving image. Logically, it should be possible to print four screens of a moving image on one sheet. Hereinafter, the configuration of the printer 86 that realizes this will be described. FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing the internal configuration of the printer 86, and FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing the operation thereof.

In FIG. 4, reference numeral 92 denotes a memory for storing image data from the still image decoding circuit 82;
It has a capacity to store an image of 0 pixels × 1000 pixels for one screen. Reference numeral 94 denotes a memory control circuit for controlling the memory 92; 96, a printer engine for forming an image on paper by an electrophotographic method, an ink jet method, or the like;
Is a printer control circuit for controlling the memory control circuit 94 in accordance with a control signal from the data control circuit 70 (76).

The operation of FIG. 4 will be described in detail with reference to FIG. It is checked whether the input image from the moving image camera 60 is to be printed or the input image from the document camera 64 is to be printed (S1, S2). This can be seen from the switches 90a and 90b on the operation panel 88.

When printing an input image from the document camera 64 (S2), the memory control circuit 94 is controlled via the print control circuit 98, and the image data for one screen from the decoding circuit 82 is stored in the memory 92. (S3). After the storage, the image data is read from the memory 92 to the print engine 96 to form an image (S4). That is, the input image of the document camera 64 is printed on the printing paper.

When printing an input image from the moving image camera 60 (S1), one screen of the moving image is 500 pixels × 500.
Since the memory 92 can store four screens, the memory 92 operates so as to print four screens at a time as much as possible. That is, an image reading request to the memory 92, that is,
In response to the freeze request (S5), image data for one screen of the moving image is stored in the memory 92 (S6). When the print start switch 90c is operated, the printing is performed as it is (S7, 4). However, when the print start switch 90c is not operated (S7), until four screens are displayed (S8), each time a freeze request is made. The image data of the moving image is stored in the memory 92 (S5, 6). When four screens are frozen in the memory 92, the four screens are printed collectively in two screens vertically and horizontally (S
4).

As described above, generally, the input images from the moving image camera and the still image camera having different image qualities or resolutions are printed in different print forms matching the image qualities.
Each image can be printed efficiently and with good image quality.

[0041]

As can be easily understood from the above description, according to the present invention, the external device side for receiving image data
Video encoding method or still image according to instructions from
Set the encoding method for encoding and encode and transmit image data
Therefore, the receiving side can obtain an image suitable for the purpose of use of the user.

[Brief description of the drawings]

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

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of the overall configuration of the terminal device according to the embodiment.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram of a screen size of a moving image and a still image.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing the internal configuration of the printer 86.

5 is an operation flowchart of the circuit shown in FIG. 4;

[Explanation of symbols]

50: Image transmitting terminal device 52: Image receiving terminal device 54: Communication line 62: Camera 64: Video encoding circuit 64: Document camera 66: Switch 68: Still image encoding circuit 70: Data control circuit 72, 74 : Terminal adapter 76: data control circuit 78: moving picture decoding circuit 80: moving picture monitor 82: still picture decoding circuit 84: still picture monitor 8
6: Printer 88: Operation panel 90a: Still image selection switch 90b: Moving image selection switch 90c: Printing start switch 92: Memory 94: Memory control circuit 9
6: Printer engine 98: Printer control circuit

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page (58) Field surveyed (Int.Cl. ⁷ , DB name) H04N 5/91-5/956 H04N 7/00-7/015 H04N 7/14-7/15 H04N 7 / 24-7/68

Claims (13)

(57) [Claims] 1. Generating means for continuously generating image data
A first encoding unit that performs encoding for a moving image, a second encoding unit that performs encoding for a still image,From an external device An instruction signal for instructing a still imageReceivingDoReceiving
FaithMeans,According to the instruction signal Generated by the generating means
Encoding means for encoding image dataToSetting means to set
When, Code using the encoding means set by the setting means
A transmitting means for transmitting the converted image data to the external device.
Step An image processing apparatus comprising: 2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the first encoding unit is an H.264 encoder. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein encoding according to H.261 is performed. 3. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the second encoding unit performs JPEG encoding. 4. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said generating means includes an image capturing means for capturing an image of a subject and generating said image data. 5. Generating means for continuously generating image data
A first encoding method for encoding a moving image, and a still image
And the second encoding method for encoding
Coding means for coding the image data generated by the stage
Steps andFrom an external device An instruction signal for setting the encoding methodReceiving
FaithDoReceivingMeans, and an encoding method of the encoding means in accordance with the instruction signal.
Setting methodWhen, Code using the encoding method set by the setting means
A transmitting means for transmitting the converted image data to the external device.
Step An image processing apparatus comprising: 6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the first encoding method is H.264. The image processing apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein encoding is performed using H.261. 7. The image processing apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein the second encoding method is JPEG encoding. 8. The image processing apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein the generating unit includes an imaging unit that captures a subject image and generates the image data. 9. An image processing apparatus for receiving encoded image data from an external image processing apparatus having an encoding unit capable of encoding for a moving image and encoding for a still image, the image processing apparatus comprising: Transmitting means for transmitting an instruction signal for setting an encoding method in the processing apparatus to the external image processing apparatus; and receiving image data encoded by the encoding method set by the instruction signal from the external processing apparatus. An image processing apparatus comprising: a receiving unit that performs decoding; and a decoding unit that decodes image data received by the receiving unit. 10. The moving image encoding method according to claim 1, wherein 261
The image processing apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein the encoding is a system encoding. 11. The encoding for the still image is a JPEG
The image processing apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein the encoding is a system encoding. 12. A step for continuously generating image data.
AndFrom an external device An instruction signal for setting the encoding methodReceiving
FaithAnd a first code for performing encoding for a moving image in response to the instruction signal.
Encoding method and second encoding method for encoding for still images
Setting the encoding method fromSaid The image data is encoded according to the set encoding method.
Step of decodingWhen, Transmitting the encoded image data to the external device
Steps An image processing method comprising: 13. An image processing method for receiving and processing encoded image data from an external image processing apparatus having an encoding unit capable of encoding for a moving image and encoding for a still image, comprising: Transmitting an instruction signal for setting an encoding method in the external image processing apparatus to the external image processing apparatus; and transmitting the image data encoded by the encoding method set by the instruction signal to the external processing apparatus. An image processing method comprising: receiving image data from a computer; and decoding the received image data.