JPH03129989A - Television conference system - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To improve the operability of remote operation by transmitting the whole scene image of an opposite conference room from the opposite conference room and superposing how an operator in his own conference room specifies the photographing position and zooming rate of a camera to be controlled in the opposite conference room to the whole scene image of the opposite conference room like a window and displaying the superposed image. CONSTITUTION:In the case of operating the system so that a personal camera 36 in a conference room B from the side of a conference room B for instance, the room B is controlled so as to transmit an image based upon a whole scene camera 25. At that time, a window corresponding to the range of an image photographed by the personal camera 36 in the opposite room B is superposed to the whole scene of the room B and displayed on an A side TV monitor 24.

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Summary] Regarding a video conference system that controls video cameras in opposing conference rooms to display images of the opposing conference rooms, delays in communication lines occur when remotely controlling the cameras in the opposing conference rooms. The aim is to improve the operability of remote control without being affected by time.Each conference room is equipped with a panoramic camera that captures a panoramic video of its own conference room, and a panoramic video of the own conference room is sent to the opposite conference room. A panoramic image transmitting means to transmit, a controlled camera that changes the shooting position and enlarges/reduces the image of the own conference room according to control from the opposite conference room, and transmits the image taken by the controlled camera to the opposite conference room. control camera video transmission means for transmitting to the conference room;
camera control means for controlling change in photographing position and scaling of the controlled camera; opposing camera control input means for controlling a video camera in an opposing conference room; and a controlled camera in the opposing conference room that receives information from the opposing conference room. an opposing conference room control camera image receiving means for receiving an image of the opposing conference room, an opposing conference room panoramic image receiving means for receiving an image of the panoramic camera of the opposing conference room received from the opposing conference room, and an image received from the opposing conference room. A video conference system comprising: a display means for displaying; and own camera control information receiving means for receiving information for controlling the controlled camera in the own conference room from an opposing conference room and controlling the camera control means, The video information received by the facing conference room panoramic video receiving means and the input contents to the facing camera control manual means are inputted, and the controlled camera of the facing conference room is added to the video of the panoramic camera of the facing conference room. and window superimposition control means for controlling the area to be photographed to be superimposed in a window shape and displayed on the display means.

[Industrial application field]

The present invention relates to a video conference system that controls video cameras in opposing conference rooms to display images of the opposing conference rooms.

For convenience, some video conference systems are equipped with both a camera that takes a panoramic view of the opposing conference room and a person camera that takes a picture of the other party.

In such a system, positioning is performed by remote control via a communication line while watching a television monitor on which the other person is being moved.

[Prior art and problems to be solved by the invention] No. 5
The figure shows the configuration of a conventional video conference system.

On the side of conference room A in Figure 5, 24 is a TV monitor;
5 is a panoramic camera, 26 is a portrait camera, 27 is a video transmission device, and on the B conference room side, 34 is a television monitor, 35 is a panoramic camera, 36 is a portrait camera, and 37 is a video transmission device.

In each conference room, for example, in conference room A, the panoramic camera 25 is kept in a fixed state and constantly photographs the panoramic view of conference room A. The person camera 26 is equipped with a rotating base (not shown) and a zoom function, and is configured to be able to change the photographing position and enlarge/reduce the image. The television monitor 24 displays the video of the opposing conference room transmitted from the opposing conference room. Then, the video transmission device 27 switches either the video of the panoramic camera 25 or the video of the portrait camera 26 to the opposite conference room, depending on the control information transmitted from the opposite station via the communication line. send and also
The image of the opposite conference room received from the opposite conference room is displayed on monitor 2.
4. Furthermore, the video transmission device 27 transmits control information for controlling the person camera 36 in the opposite conference room from the own conference room to the opposite conference room, and controls the person camera 26 in the own conference room from the opposite conference room. control information is received from the opposing conference room, and the person camera 26 is controlled.

Conventionally, when positioning a video camera in an opposing conference room by remote control via a communication line, the positioning operation was performed while viewing the image of the person camera transmitted from the other party via a satellite line, etc. was going on.

However, between conference rooms facing each other via a satellite link, etc., there is a delay time until the positioning control information is sent to the opposite station, and a video camera in the opposite conference room that is controlled by the control information takes a picture. Due to the delay time until the video is sent to the conference room,
There was a problem in that the operability of remote control was poor due to overrun of operations.

The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems, and provides a video conference system that is not affected by the delay time in the communication line when remotely controlling cameras in opposing conference rooms and improves the operability of remote control. The purpose is to provide

[Means to solve the problem]

FIG. 1 shows the basic configuration of the present invention, and shows the configuration of each conference room of the video conference system of the present invention.

In FIG. 1, 1 is a panoramic camera, 2 is a controlled camera,
3 is a camera control means, 4 is a display means, 5 is a panoramic video transmission means, 6 is a control camera video transmission means, 7 is an own camera control information reception means, 8 is an opposing conference room control camera video reception means, 9 is a window superimposition Control means, 10 is an opposing camera control input means, 11 is a panoramic image receiving means for the opposing conference room, 12 is a multiplex receiving means, and 13 is a multiplex transmitting means.

The panoramic camera 1 captures a panoramic video of its own conference room.

The panoramic video transmitting means 5 transmits the panoramic video of the own conference room to the opposite conference room.

The controlled camera 2 photographs its own conference room by changing its photographing position and enlarging/reducing the camera according to the control from the opposite conference room.

The control camera video transmission means 6 transmits the video taken by the controlled camera 2 to the opposing conference room.

The camera control stage 3 controls changing of the photographing position and enlargement/reduction of the controlled camera 2.

Opposing camera control human power means 10 controls the video camera in the opposite conference room.

Opposite conference room control camera video receiving means 8 receives the video of the controlled camera of the opposite conference room received from the opposite conference room.

The opposite conference room panoramic video receiving means 11 receives the panoramic camera video of the opposite conference room received from the opposite conference room.

The display means 4 displays the video received from the opposing conference room.

The own camera control information receiving means 7 receives information for controlling the controlled camera 2 in the own conference room from the opposite conference room, and controls the camera control means 3.

The window superimposition control means 9 inputs the video information received by the facing conference room panoramic video receiving means 11 and the input contents to the facing camera control input means 10, and converts it into the video of the panoramic camera of the facing conference room. , the area to be photographed by the controlled camera in the opposing conference room is controlled to be displayed on the display means 4 in a superimposed window-like manner.

[For production]

A panoramic image of the opposite conference room, which is basically stationary, is transmitted from the opposite conference room, and furthermore, the window superimposition control means 9 allows the operator of the own conference room to control the controlled camera of the opposite conference room from the opposite camera control human power means 10. The specified shooting position and zoom are superimposed and displayed in a window on the panoramic image of the opposite conference room, so the controlled camera in the opposite conference room can be viewed regardless of delays in the communication line. You can control the shooting position and zoom.

〔Example〕

FIG. 2 shows the configuration of an embodiment of the video conference system of the present invention.

In FIG. 2, as in the configuration of FIG. 5 described above, 1 is a display means, 2 is a camera control means, 3 is a camera,
4 is other image receiving means; 5 is other camera control information receiving means;
6 is own camera control information receiving means, 7 is own camera control information transmitting means, 8 is self-portrait transmitting means, 9 is other camera control information transmitting means, 10 is multiplex receiving means, and 11 is multiplex transmitting means. The function of each of these parts is similar to that of the corresponding part in FIG.

Furthermore, in the configuration of FIG. 2, on the Δ conference room side, there are a window operation section 21, a window generation section 22, and
A video mixer section 23 is provided, and a window operation section 31, a window generation section 32, and a video mixer section 33 are similarly provided on the B conference room side.

When controlling the person camera 36 in conference room B from the conference room A side, first, control is performed to transmit the image from the panoramic camera to conference room B (or the image from the panoramic camera is always transmitted to conference room B). (The image taken by the person camera may be multiplexed and transmitted at the same time.)

At this time, the window generating section 2 is displayed on the A side monitor 24.
A window corresponding to the range of the image captured by the person camera 36 of the opposite conference room where 2 occurs is displayed superimposed on the above-mentioned panoramic image of the opposite conference room. The position and size of this window are set to indicate the shooting position and zoom of the person camera 36 in the opposite conference room, and the operator on the A side operates the window operation unit 21 while looking at the display on the monitor 24. The user operates so that the window displayed on the monitor corresponds to the position where the person camera 36 wants to take a picture and the zoom size that the user wants to adjust. This window operation information is sent to the opposite conference room as control information for the person camera 36 in the opposite conference room, and is sent to the window generating unit 22 and the video transmission device 27.
The photographing position and zoom of the person camera 36 in the opposite conference room are controlled.

When the above settings are completed, control is performed to switch the image taken by the panoramic camera 35 to the image taken by the portrait camera 36 for conference room B.

In this way, the video conference is started.

FIG. 3 shows the window generating section 22 in the configuration of FIG.
or 32 configuration examples are shown.

The window generator 21 or 31 in FIG. 3, for example, A
In the conference room 21, 41 is a synchronization extraction section, 42 is a screen address generation section, 43 is an address comparison section, and 44
is the storage section.

In the video mixer part 23, 46 is a video switch.

While looking at the panoramic view of the opposite conference room displayed on the monitor 24 and the window superimposed on the panoramic view, the operator of conference room A presses the operation keys on the window operation unit 21 (not shown, but corresponds to up, down, left, right, and zooming in and out). (provided for). In response, control information obtained by decoding the key input (in the form of a screen address on the monitor 24) is input to the storage section 44 in the window generation section 22 as window address information. As a result, the previous control information stored in the storage unit 44 is updated.

The synchronization generator 41 in the window generator 22 separates and extracts a synchronization signal from the input video signal, and outputs the synchronization signal as an external synchronization signal.

The screen address generator 42 generates addresses for operating the monitor screen, and generates addresses indicating horizontal and vertical coordinates on the screen. The timing of this address generation is synchronized with the external synchronization signal mentioned above.

The address comparison section 43 is connected to the above-mentioned screen address generation section 42.
The address on the monitor 24 where the error occurs is compared with the address stored in the storage section 44 to determine whether the address is in the window area. Then, information indicating whether the area is a window area or not is given to the video switch 46 of the video mixer part 23.

When the video switch 46 receives the information indicating the window area, as shown in FIG. It is controlled so that it is output on the monitor 24.

If information indicating that the area is not a window area is received, control is performed to output a video signal of the panoramic image of the opposite conference room received from the opposite conference room onto the monitor 24 as it is. In this way, an image as shown in FIG. 4 is displayed on screen 24.

〔Effect of the invention〕

According to the video conference system of the present invention, when remotely controlling a camera in an opposing conference room, it is not affected by delay time in a communication line, and the operability of remote control can be improved.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a basic configuration diagram of the present invention; FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram of an embodiment of the video conference system of the present invention; FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a part of the window generating section in FIG. 2; FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram of window settings in the video conference system of the present invention, and FIG. 5 is a diagram showing the configuration of a conventional video conference system. [Explanation of symbols] 1 Display means, 2-Camera control means, 3 Camera, 4. Fine image receiving means, 5. Other camera control information receiving means, 6. Self-camera control information receiving means, 7. Self-camera control information transmission. means, 8 self-portrait transmitting means, 9 other camera control information transmitting means, 0 multiplex receiving means, 11... multiplex transmitting means, 2.13
...Transmission path, 24. Television monitor, 5. Panoramic camera, 26. Portrait camera, 7. Video transmission device, 3.
4-...TV monitor, 5...panoramic camera, 36...
...Person camera, 7. Video transmission device, 41.--Synchronization extraction section, 2. Screen address generation section, 3. Address comparison section, 44. Storage section.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1. In each conference room, a panoramic camera (1) that captures a panoramic video of the own conference room, and a panoramic video transmitting means (5) that transmits the panoramic video of the own conference room to the opposite conference room. and a controlled camera that photographs its own conference room by changing its photographing position and enlarging/reducing it according to the control from the opposite conference room.
2), a control camera image transmitting means (6) for transmitting the image taken by the controlled camera (2) to the opposite conference room, and controlling change in the shooting position and enlargement/reduction of the controlled camera (2). camera control means (3) for controlling the video camera in the facing conference room; and facing camera control input means (10) for controlling the video camera in the facing conference room.
and an opposite conference room control camera image receiving means (8) that receives an image of a controlled camera of the opposite conference room received from the opposite conference room.
), opposing conference room panoramic video receiving means (11) for receiving the video from the panoramic camera of the facing conference room received from the facing conference room, and display means (11) for displaying the video received from the facing conference room.
4); and own camera control information receiving means (7) for receiving information for controlling the controlled camera (2) in the own conference room from the opposite conference room and controlling the camera control means (3). In the video conferencing system, the video information received by the facing conference room panoramic video receiving means (11) and the input contents to the facing camera control input means (10) are input, and the panoramic camera of the facing conference room is inputted. window superimposition control means (9) for controlling the display means (4) to superimpose an area to be photographed by the controlled camera in the opposing conference room in a window shape on the video of the meeting room; A video conferencing system that is characterized by: