JPH02119390A - Video telephone set - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To enable pickup with excellent contrast by providing a light section irradiating a pickup object and providing a control means turning on/off a power supply of the lighting section automatically in interlocking with the detection of on-hook/off-hook of a handset and controlling the intensity of the lighting through the sensing of the lightness of the pickup object. CONSTITUTION:A handset 31 of a telephone set section 3 is hooked off to apply the power supply for the entire video telephone set, a lighting body of the lighting section 2 of the entire front face except a display section 10 and a camera section 7 is lighted to light an object. Then the camera section 7 controls the light section 2 so as to make the lighting intensity nearly inversely proportional to the surrounding lightness. Then the camera section 7 converts a picture of the pickup object into an electric signal, the electric signal is converted into digital information (picture data) by a picture processing circuit 6 and the information is sent to a telephone line through a modulator- demodulator circuit 5 and a network control circuit 4 by the control of a basic control circuit 8.

Description

[Detailed description of the invention] [Industrial application field] The present invention relates to a video telephone.

[Conventional technology]

Conventional videophones have been configured to capture images of objects using only the brightness of the room.

[Problem to be solved by the invention]

The conventional video phone mentioned above is configured to image the subject only using the brightness of the room, so it will not take a good picture if you take a picture in a slightly dark room or with your back against the lights in the room at home. (poor contrast, dark, etc.)
There is a drawback.

[Means to solve the problem]

The videophone of the present invention includes a lighting section that illuminates a subject to be photographed, and automatically turns on/off the power of the lighting section in conjunction with on-hook/off-hook detection of the handset.
It has a control means that senses the brightness of the object to be photographed and controls the intensity of the illumination.

〔Example〕

Next, the present invention will be explained with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a functional block diagram showing one embodiment of the present invention.

In FIG. 1, the videophone of this embodiment has a telephone section 3.
a line current detection circuit 1 for detecting on-hook/off-hook or line closing/opening by line connection control;
A lighting unit 2 whose power is turned on/off is controlled by this detection information to illuminate the subject to be photographed, a camera unit 7 which controls the lighting unit 2 based on the brightness of the surroundings of the subject, and a telephone unit 3 which controls the telephone line. A network control circuit 4 which has functions for automatic call origination and automatic call reception control by controlling whether to connect a modem or a modem circuit 5, and a modem circuit that converts control information and image information into specified analog signals or reproduces them in reverse. 5, and an image processing circuit 6 that converts and stores the signal from the camera section 7 that converts the image of the object to be photographed into an electrical signal into digital information (image data).
, a basic control circuit 8 that controls the functions of the entire videophone such as input/output control of the operation buttons 11 and lamp displays (not shown), and a display control circuit that displays image data on the display unit 10 according to instructions from the basic control circuit 8 9.

FIG. 2 is a front view showing an example of the structure of the video telephone according to this embodiment.

In FIG. 2, when the handset 31 in the telephone section 3 goes off-hook, the entire video telephone is powered on, and the display section 10. The illumination body of the illumination unit 2 illuminates the entire front surface except for the camera unit 7, and illuminates the subject. Note that the front lighting is designed to generate diffusely reflected light.

Next, the operation of this embodiment will be explained using FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 together.

When the handset 31 goes off-hook, the current detection circuit 1 detects this through the network control circuit 4, and the power is turned on not only to the lighting section 2 but also to the entire video telephone of this embodiment.

The camera section 7 senses the brightness around the object to be photographed, and controls the illumination section 2 so that the intensity of the illumination is approximately inversely proportional to the surrounding brightness.

Next, the camera unit 7 converts the image to be photographed into an electrical signal, and this electrical signal is converted into digital information (image data) by the image processing circuit 6. Under the control of the basic control circuit 8, the modulation/demodulation circuit 5 and the network control It is transmitted through circuit 4 to the telephone line.

Also, according to instructions from the basic control circuit 8, the display control circuit 9
The subject to be photographed can be displayed on the display unit 10 via the display unit 10, and the intensity of illumination for the subject to be photographed can be checked.

〔Effect of the invention〕

As explained above, the present invention has a lighting section for illuminating and brightening the subject to be photographed, and automatically turns on/off the illumination in conjunction with on-hook/off-hook detection of the handset in the telephone section. By having a control means that detects the brightness of the subject and controls the intensity of the lighting, it is possible to shoot in a dark room or when the lighting is behind the subject without changing the operating method of the conventional videophone. In addition, since it is possible to take pictures with brightness and improved contrast, and the lighting is linked to the operation of using the videophone, an economical lighting environment can be obtained.

Section 4...Network control circuit, 5...Modulation/demodulation circuit, 6...
Image processing circuit, 7... Camera section, 8... Basic control circuit, 9... Display control circuit, 10... Display section, 11.
...Operation button, 31...Transmitter.

Claims (1)

[Claims] The camera is equipped with a lighting unit that illuminates the subject to be photographed, and automatically turns on and off the power of the lighting unit in conjunction with on-hook/off-hook detection of the handset, and also adjusts the intensity of the illumination by sensing the brightness of the subject to be photographed. A video telephone characterized by having a control means for controlling.