JPH02166985A - Still picture television telephone system - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To obtain a picture, which is handled by a still picture television telephone system, from an external part through a telephone line even when an operator is absent by providing a call setting means, request signal detecting means and transmitting means which transmits a picture signal based on a request signal. CONSTITUTION:A calling signal detection circuit 18 is provided to detect a calling signal, which is inputted from a telephone line connecting terminal 7, and a request signal detection circuit 19 is provided to detect the request signal which shows a picture transmission request or sound transmission request in the side of a called party from a received signal after call setting. According to a program stored to a CPU 11 in advance, a call is automatically set by the calling signal from the telephone line and the request signal of the picture signal is detected out of the received signal. When the request signal is detected, the picture signal outputted from a camera 14 or a picture memory 6 is sent to the telephone line. Thus, the picture can be transmitted to the side of the called party without executing operation by the operator.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Industrial Field of Application] This invention relates to a still image video telephone device that transmits and receives still images using a telephone line.

[Conventional technology]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, as a device for transmitting and receiving voice and images using a telephone line, a still image videophone has been put into practical use, which temporarily interrupts a voice call and transmits a desired still image.

An example of this type of still image videophone device is the one shown in "Foreign Communication Technology October 1986 issue (published by the Telecommunications Association of Japan)."

FIG. 3 is a configuration diagram showing the circuit configuration. In FIG. 3, (l) is a transceiver, and (2) is a microphone.

(3) is an audio input circuit, (4) is an analog circuit, (5)
(6) is a 7 trix switch, and (6) is a telephone interface circuit.

(7) is the telephone line connection terminal, (8) is the speaker, (9)
is the keypad, OO) is the input/output board, (11) is the C
PU, (12) is program memory, (13) is a variable voltage adjustment circuit, (14) is a TV camera, (15) is an image controller, (16) is an image memory, (17)
is the display.

Next, its operation will be explained. In Figure 3, the audio signal on the transmitting side is transmitted through the handset (1) or the microphone (2).
) to the audio input/output circuit (3) and analog circuit (4).

Matrix switch (5), telephone ink face circuit (
6) to the telephone line connection terminal (7). Furthermore, the audio signals from the two call parties are reproduced by the handset (1) or the speaker (8) via a path opposite to the signal path described above.

On the other hand, when transmitting a single image signal, first an ID code containing information to confirm whether the two call parties are TVRI phones with the same data format is sent, and the ID code from the other party is sent.
After confirming that the code has been returned, the image signal is transmitted. The image captured by the television camera (14) during the ID code transmission and return ID code recognition is quantized as pixel data by the image controller (15) and stored in two image memories (
16) and are sequentially derived and displayed on the display (]7). Thereafter, the image data from the image memo U (+61) is sent to the modulation/demodulation circuit (13) by the command of the CPU (11).
) and output as an image signal to the telephone line connection terminal (7).

When all of the image data to be transmitted has been sent, the voice communication state via the analog circuit (4) is restored in response to a command from the CPU (II) via the input/output port αα.

In addition, when receiving an image, first, the CPU (11
) confirms the other party's ID need during the input signal.

It returns the ID code of its own device and interrupts the voice call via the analog circuit (4). After that, the image signal input to the telephone line connection terminal (7) is demodulated by the modulation/demodulation circuit (] 3) and stored as image data in the image memory (
16), and the image controller (15) sequentially derives the other party's image data from the image memo IJ (1B) and displays it on the display (17). Also.

Based on the information indicating the length of the image data included in the initially sent ID code, when the CPU (11) has finished storing that amount of image data in the image memory (16), the CPU (11) returns to analog mode. The voice communication state via R5(4) is restored.

[Problem to be solved by the invention]

In the conventional still image videophone device as described above,
When transmitting an image from a device, the operator handling the device must use the keyband to instruct image transmission (3).Therefore, the still image is stored in the TV camera or image memory of the still image videophone device when the operator is not present. However, there is a problem in that it is not possible to obtain images from other still image video telephone devices, and it is possible to obtain images from a still image video telephone device in which an operator is not present.

[Means to solve the problem]

Stillness related to this invention I): ii! The i-video telephone device includes a call setting means for setting a call in response to a calling signal from a telephone line, and a request signal for detecting a request signal indicating a request to send 2 images 3 from a received signal in the set call 1ζ. The apparatus includes a detection means and a transmission means for transmitting an image signal from a camera or an image memory to a telephone line based on the request signal (request signal detected by the No. 2 detection means).

[For production]

In this invention, the call setting means automatically sets a call based on the ringing signal from the telephone @ line, and the request signal detection means detects the request signal of the image signal from among the received signals in the set call. However, when this request signal is detected, the transmitting means transmits the image signal output from the camera or image memory to the telephone line, thereby transmitting I9! Send the image to the other party without any action by the author.

[Embodiments of the invention]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a still image video telephone device showing an embodiment of the present invention. (11 to (17) are similar to the above conventional example. (18) is a telephone line connection terminal (7). )
This is a call signal detection circuit that detects a call signal input from a call signal, and in accordance with the detection output, a call is set up with the other party according to the program in c p tr (tt).

(19) is a request signal 2 indicating an image transmission request or an audio transmission request from the other party from the received signal after call setup, for example, a specific dual!・This is a request signal detection circuit that detects -.

In the still image video telephone device having such a configuration, two calls and the transmission and reception of still images during the call are performed in the same manner as in the conventional example. Furthermore, in the still image videophone device of this embodiment, images can be transmitted from the device even when the operator is absent, such as when the device is away.

This is done automatically in response to a request from the other party. FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing processing operations in automatic transmission mode in which such image transmission is performed.

It is executed according to a program stored in advance in the CPU (11).

First, in step (20), the calling signal detection circuit (18) monitors the calling signal from the telephone line, and if it is detected, a call setting process is performed in step (21). Next, in step (22), depending on the state of the counter that counts up every predetermined time 1, for example, 1760 seconds, the process proceeds to step (23) where the count is not up and checks whether or not an image signal has been received. , when received, performs reception processing such as obtaining image data from the image signal and storing it in a two-image memory (step (24)). Note that the above counter is provided in the CPU (Ill). When 1760 seconds have elapsed and the counter counts up, a check is made to check if the keypad (9) has been pressed. First, in step (25), the keypad (9) is pressed. ) is pressed.

If the keypad is pressed, process 1 corresponds to the pressed keypad.For example, the user who was out returns, cancels the automatic image transmission mode, and performs a call, etc. (Step (2)
f3)). If the keypad I- (91) is not pressed, a dual tone from the other party is detected in step (27). This detection is performed by the request signal detection circuit (19). In this embodiment.

Each specific dual tone is used as a request signal indicating a request for image or audio transmission from the other party. Therefore, when a dual tone is detected, the request signal detection circuit (19) checks whether the dual tone is a dual tone indicating an image signal transmission request (step (28)).

If the image transmission request is dual tone ii! lii
The process advances to step (29) for performing image transmission processing. In this step (29), the ID code is transmitted and confirmed as in the conventional example, and the image captured by the television camera (14) is converted into an i child by the image controller (15) and stored as two image data in the image memory (16). ).

Memo this image! The image data from J (113) is sent to the other party as an image signal via the successive modulation/demodulation circuit (13), or is received from the outside and sent to the image memory (16).
An image signal transmission process is performed in which the image is stored in the image and the image is transmitted. If the detected dual tone does not indicate an image transmission request, it is checked in step (30) whether or not it indicates an audio transmission request, and if it is an audio transmission request dual tone, step (31) ), the audio input/output circuit (3) receives instructions from the CPU (11).
) is controlled, and the audio signal taken in from the microbond (2) is sent to the analog circuit (4), 7 trix switch (5), telephone I/F circuit (6), and telephone line connection terminal (
7) Performs audio signal transmission processing to be transmitted to the other party via step 7). If the automatic transmission mode performs such processing operations, 2. For example, when you are away from home, you can call your home from outside.
It becomes possible to monitor images using the ijj image or to obtain images sent from a third party and stored in the two-image memory (16) from outside the home.

In addition, in the above embodiment, each signal is transmitted in response to a request signal indicating a two-image transmission request or an audio transmission request, but in addition to these, a request signal indicating a request for both two images and audio Correspondingly, the audio signal may be transmitted after the two image signals are transmitted, or the audio signal may be transmitted in the reverse order.

Further, the two-image transmission request dual j--on may be of a plurality of types so that an image of a television camera, an image in an image memory received from another, etc. can be selected and requested.

Further, in the above embodiment, the calling signal detecting means and the request signal detecting means are realized by separate circuits, but these means are designed to have equivalent functions within the CPU (11). You can.

〔Effect of the invention〕

As described above, according to the present invention, there is a call setting means for setting a call in response to a calling signal, a request signal detecting means for detecting a single image transmission request signal, and a transmitting means for transmitting an image signal based on the request signal. Since the call is automatically set up in response to the calling signal, and the image signal is sent in response to the image transmission request from the other party, even if the operator is not present, the images handled by the device are can be obtained from the outside via a telephone line.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a still picture video telephone device showing an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing image and W voice signal processing operations in this device, and FIG. 3 is a conventional still picture video telephone device. It is a block diagram of a device. In the figure, (1) is a handset and (2) is a microphone. (3) is an audio input/output circuit, (6) is a telephone I/F circuit, (
7) is the ri dish line connection terminal aO) is the input/output port,
(11) I is the CPU, (12) is the program memory,
(13) is a modem circuit, (14) is a television camera,
(15) is an image controller, (16) is an image memo IJ, (1g) is a calling signal detection circuit, (19)
is a request signal detection circuit. In each figure, the same reference numerals (Yo-Same-A) indicate corresponding parts. Agent: Masuo Oiwa

Claims (1)

[Claims] A call setting means for setting a call in response to a ringing signal from a telephone line, a request signal detecting means for detecting a request signal indicating a request to transmit an image signal from a received signal in the set call, and the request signal detecting means Based on the request signal detected by
1. A still picture videophone device comprising: transmitting means for transmitting an image signal from a camera or an image memory to a telephone line.