JPH0255489A - Video telephone adaptor - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To obtain sufficient picture quality and the size of a sent pattern and to use an existing television receiver and telephone set without any modification by forming the processing circuit as an adaptor independently of the television receiver and telephone set. CONSTITUTION:In the case of the picture transmission, a remote controller controls a control section 45 of a television receiver and telephone set adaptor 4 to switch a line changeover circuit 41 to the position of a communication set to be connected to a telephone line 3. Then a picture is picked up by a camera 44 and the picture data is once fetched in a picture storage section 43 as a still picture and sent to the telephone line 3 via the communication device and the line changeover circuit 41. In the case of picture reception, the received picture is fetched in a picture storage device 43, sent to the television receiver and displayed on the screen.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to a videophone adapter that enables image transmission by connecting to an existing television receiver and telephone.

[Conventional technology]

A videophone device is a device that sends and receives still images via a telephone line so that you can talk while looking at the display screen, and it is usually configured by adding a camera and an image display to a telephone. .

[Problem to be solved by the invention]

Therefore, although television receivers and ordinary telephones are widely used in most households, it is necessary to purchase a new television telephone device in order to transmit images over the telephone.

Additionally, this videophone device has limitations in the size and quality of images that can be sent and received.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide a videophone adapter that can improve the image quality and size of the transmission screen and that allows existing television receivers and telephones to be used as is.

[Means to solve the problem]

For this purpose, the present invention transmits and receives image information between a camera, an image storage unit connected to a television receiver and storing television images, images captured by the camera, received images, etc., and the image storage unit. The present invention includes a communication device, a switching device for connecting the communication device or telephone to a telephone line, and a control section for controlling each section.

〔Example〕

Examples of the present invention will be described below. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of a videophone system.

1 is an existing television receiver, 2 is an existing telephone, and 3 is a telephone line. Reference numeral 4 designates the videophone adapter of this embodiment, which can be operated and controlled by a remote control device 5.

FIG. 2 is a diagram schematically showing the internal circuit of the adapter 4. As shown in FIG.

The telephone line 3 is connected within the adapter 4 or to the telephone set 2 by a line switching circuit 41. 42 is a communication device that controls the transmission and reception of images; 43 is an image storage device such as a RAM that stores images to be transmitted/received; 44 is a camera that captures images to be transmitted; 45 is a control unit that controls the entire system; Control unit 4
5, a light receiving section 47 receives and decodes remote control light from the remote control device 5.

First, the line switching circuit 41 is normally switched to the side shown in the figure, and in this state, the other party is called, received, and voice-only communication is performed. When transmitting an image, the controller 45 is controlled by operating the remote control device 5 to switch the line switching circuit 41 to the communication device 42 side and connect the communication device 42 to the telephone line 3. Thereafter, an image is captured by the camera 44, and the image data is temporarily taken into the image storage section as a still image, and sent to the telephone line 3 via the communication device 42 and the line switching circuit 41.

At this time, received television images and video recorded images can also be transmitted. Furthermore, by suitably reducing and locating one of these images and the camera-captured image, it is possible to transmit a screen inserted as a sub-screen within the other screen. Furthermore, it is also possible to transmit a screen composed of a plurality of images captured by the camera 11, or a screen composed of a TV/video screen added thereto.

In the case of image reception, the received image is stored in the image storage device 43.
The data is taken in by the TV receiver 1, and then sent to the TV receiver 1 and displayed on the screen of the TV receiver 1.

Note that the camera 11 may be fixedly attached to the adapter 4, but the orientation and imaging range may be adjusted (zoom adjustment).
etc. can also be performed by the remote control device 5.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart of telephone transmission/reception when the camera 11 can be operated. No operation is required when receiving images.

〔Effect of the invention〕

As described above, since the present invention is an adapter independent of a television receiver or telephone, existing television receivers or telephones can be used as they are.

Also, since the images we handle are equivalent to TV images,
There are no problems in terms of image quality or size.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram of an example of use of an adapter according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a block diagram of the internal configuration of the adapter, and FIG. 3 is a flowchart of telephone transmission/reception. Agent Patent Attorney Tsuneaki Nagao

Claims (2)

[Claims] (1) A camera, an image storage unit connected to a television receiver and storing television images, images captured by the camera, received images, etc., and a communication device that transmits and receives image information between the camera and the image storage unit. A videophone adapter comprising: a switching device for connecting the communication device or telephone to a telephone line; and a control section for controlling each section. (2) The videophone adapter according to claim 1, further comprising a remote control receiving section that receives a signal for controlling the control section, and the remote control receiving section receives a signal from a remote control device.