JPH03216092A - Picture communication equipment and its display system - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To pick up a picture of an object even when it is not located in front of the device main body by forming a camera attachably detachably to/from the device main body. CONSTITUTION:A camera 2 connects to a device main body 20 through a cable 21 and is provided to the device main body 20 attachably detachably and even when the camera 2 is removed from the main body 20, a picture is picked up. The removal state of the camera 2 from the main body 20 is detected by a camera detection switch and a display in a display means 9 is switched between a normal display and a mirror image display in response to the loading state. Thus, even when an object cannot be located in front of the device main body, the picture is picked up and the alignment of the picture to be picked up is facilitated.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION (A) Field of Industrial Application The present invention relates to an image communication device such as a video telephone device that transmits still images using a communication line such as a subscriber line, and a display method thereof. .

(Example) Conventional technology In recent years, videophone devices that transmit still images using communication lines such as subscriber lines have been developed and put into practical use.
For example, see the article ``Unification of Still Picture TV Telephone Standards Based on the TTC Standard System'' published by Japan Broadcasting Publishing Association, ``Electronics Life J'', August 1988 issue, pages 158 to 159).

In such videophone devices, a camera for capturing images is usually fixed to the device body.

For this reason, when capturing a desired image with a camera, it is usually necessary to move the subject.

Therefore, in order to facilitate the positioning of the image to be captured when capturing the image with the camera fixed to the main body, Japanese Patent Application No. 63-251204 proposes a mirror image display while the image is being captured from the camera. (display with the left and right sides reversed), and when the captured image is fixed and made into a still image, a normal image (an image whose left and right sides are not reversed) is displayed.

(c) Problems to be Solved by the Invention In conventional videophone devices, the camera is fixed to the videophone device body, so when you want to capture an image of something that is not in front of the device body, you can capture the videophone device body as an image. I had to move it to the front of what I wanted.

However, since the videophone device is basically not used while being moved, it has not been possible to capture images of objects that are not in front of the device itself.

The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems, and it is an object of the present invention to provide a video telephone device that can capture an image even if it is not brought in front of the device itself.

(2) Means for Solving the Problems The present invention provides an imaging means for taking an image, a storage means for storing image information obtained from the imaging means, and an image display according to the image information stored in the storage means. The image communication apparatus includes a display means for displaying image information, and a communication means for transmitting image information stored in the storage means, and the image pickup means is detachably attached to the main body of the apparatus.

The apparatus further includes a detection means for detecting whether or not the imaging means is attached to the apparatus main body, and according to the detection result of the detection means, when the imaging means is attached to the apparatus main body, an image is displayed on the display means. A mirror image is displayed, and when the imaging means is removed from the main body of the apparatus, the image is displayed on the display means with the left and right sides reversed from the mirror image display.

(e) Function Since the imaging means is provided removably from the apparatus main body, images of objects that are not located in front of the apparatus main body can also be taken in by moving only the imaging means.

Further, since the display on the display means is switched between a mirror image display and a normal display depending on the state of attachment of the image pickup means to the main body of the apparatus, it is possible to easily align the image captured by the image pickup means.

(f) Embodiment FIG. 1 is an external perspective view of a video telephone device according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a schematic configuration diagram of the device of the present invention.

(1) is a control circuit that not only controls the entire device, but also controls the switching of displayed images according to the key operation of the switch circuit and the state of the camera detection switch, which will be described later. The camera (3) is an A/D converter that converts the analog signal captured by the camera (2) into digital image information.
The /D-converted image information is stored in an image memory (5) as a storage means via a gate circuit (4) controlled by a control circuit (1).

The camera (2) is connected to the cable (21) as shown in FIG.
) is connected to the device main body (20), and the device main body (20)
The camera is detachably attached to the main body (20), and images can be captured even when the camera (2) is removed from the main body (20).

The attachment/detachment state of the camera (2) to the main body (20) is detected by a camera detection switch (6) serving as a detection means, and the detection signal is input to the control circuit (1).

Further, the image memory (5) has a capacity capable of storing a plurality of pieces of image information received from other video telephone devices in addition to the image information captured by the camera (2).

(7) and (8) are a row address counter and a column address counter, respectively, which provide an address for writing image information into the image memory (5) under the control of the control circuit (1), and a column address counter (8). is the control circuit (1
) performs force count-up or count-down operation.

(9) is a display as a display means such as a CRT or liquid crystal panel; (10) is a control circuit (1) and an image memory (
The control circuit (1) is interposed between the image memory (5) and the image memory (5).
It is a display control circuit that plays the role of an ink face when writing and reading image information to and from the image memory (5) and generates a video synchronization signal in order to display images on the display (9). .

(11) stores image information from camera (2) in image memory (
5), addresses from the row address counter (7) and column address counter (8) for writing, and addresses from the display control circuit (10) for reading image information by the display or control circuit (1) as described below. This is a multiplexer that switches and supplies the data to the image memory (5).

(12) is a latch circuit that latches image information when displaying on the display (9) based on image information read from the image memory (5); (13) is a latch circuit (12);
) is a D/A converter that converts the image information latched into an analog signal and supplies it to the display (9).

(14) is a switch circuit provided with a plurality of switches for determining the image captured from the camera (2) as a still image in the control circuit (1), and issuing operation commands such as transmitting a still image. For example, as shown in Fig. 1, the switches of the switch circuit (14) are arranged on the front of the main body of the device, and in addition to the power switch (14a), there is also a switch for viewing the video captured by the camera (2). View J (14b), "Take J" (14C) to convert the image into a still image, "Send" (14d) to transmit the still image, and take a picture of what is displayed on the display (9) with your own camera (2). In order to switch between the image sent and received from another videophone device,
Opponent J (14e) is provided.

(15) is a modem as a communication means for modulating image information to be transmitted or demodulating received image information.

(16) is a telephone provided separately from the video telephone device, and is connected to the video telephone device by a network control circuit (hereinafter referred to as NCU) (17). This NCU (17) is connected to a telephone line (18), and switches and controls connection of audio signals for telephone calls by the telephone (16) and image information to be transmitted to the line.

In the case of a call using the telephone (16), the voice signal from the telephone (16) is sent to the telephone line (18) via the NCU (17) with the telephone line to the other party's telephone being secured.
The voice signal from the telephone line (18) is sent to the telephone (16) via the NCU (17), and a call is made.

Now, in this device, image information is captured by the camera (2) when the power is turned on, regardless of whether a telephone line with the other party's device is secured or not.

Image information in the form of an analog signal from the camera (2) is digitized by an A/D converter (3) and written into an image memory (5) through a gate circuit (4).

Image information from camera (2) is stored in the row address counter (
7) The image is stored in the image memory (5) according to the address supplied by the column address counter (8).

The control circuit (1) determines whether the camera (2) is attached to the device body (20) based on the detection signal from the camera detection switch (6), and determines whether the camera (2) is attached to the device body (20). In order to switch the image display on the display (9) between a mirror image display and a normal display accordingly, the column address counter (8) is controlled to count up or count down, and the address for storing image information in the image memory (5) is set. Control.

That is, when the camera (2) is attached to the device main body (20), the control circuit (1) controls so that the display (9) displays a mirror image (see FIG. 3A). A column address counter (8) performs a countdown operation and writes image information from the camera (2) into the image memory (5) from right to left on the screen of the display (9). Row address counter (7)
performs a count-up operation to write image information from top to bottom.

In addition, when the camera (2) is removed from the main body (20) of the device, the display (9) is displayed normally (mirror image display with the left and right sides reversed, see Figure 3B). Under the control of the control circuit (1), the column address counter (8) counts up and transfers the image information from the camera (2) to the left side of the screen of the display (9) in the image memory (5). Write from the right to the right. The row address counter (7) performs a count-up operation so as to write image information from top to bottom.

The image information written in the image memory (5) is sequentially read out from left to right and top to bottom according to the address from the display control circuit (10) selected by the multiplexer (l1), and then read out from the latch circuit (12). ) is latched. The image information latched by the latch circuit (12) is converted into an analog signal by the D/A converter (13), and the image information is converted to an analog signal by the D/A converter (13).
) and displayed. At this time, the image memory (5
), image information from the camera (2) is sequentially written by being supplied with addresses selected in a time-sharing manner by the multiplexer (11), and sequentially read out by the display control circuit (10) and displayed on the display. (9), so the image captured from the camera is displayed as a moving image on the display (9).

Therefore, when the camera (2) is attached to the device main body (20), the image display on the display becomes a mirror image display, and when the camera (2) is removed from the device main body (20), the image display is a mirror image display. ) When capturing an image of something that is not in front of it, the mirror image display is a normal display with the left and right sides reversed. This eliminates the feeling of discomfort on the display screen, and also makes it easier to align images to be captured.

When transmitting image information, first set the display (9) while the line with the other party's videophone device is secured.
In order to convert what is displayed as a moving image into a still image, the "Take J" (14c) of the switch circuit (14)
Press to instruct the control circuit (1) to control the gate circuit (4) to stop inputting image information to the image memory (5) (or press [Take J (14C)
) without pressing ``Send J'' (14d) directly.
(The video will be fixed as a still image).

The control circuit (1), which has received the command to fix the image, sends the image information from the camera (2) to the image memory (5) to the column address counter (8), and displays the left side of the license on the display (9). Make the count up operation so that it writes from to the right. The row address counter (7) also performs a count-up operation in the same manner.

When the image information for one screen (1 frame) is written into the image memory (5), the control circuit (1) starts the gate circuit (4).
) to OFF and transfer images from camera (2) to image memory (5).
Prohibits writing of image information to image memory (5)
Fix image information on top. Since the image information is fixed on the image memory (5), the displayed image under the control of the display control circuit (lO) becomes a still image. At this time, the still image is displayed as a normal image with the left and right sides reversed from the mirror image display.

After that, when "Send J" (14d) is operated (pressed), the control circuit (1) transfers the image information fixed in the image memory (5) from left to right on the screen of the display (9). Read out, modulate with modem (15), and send to NCU (
17) to the telephone line (18).

In addition, do not press "Take J" (14c), but directly "Send" (
Similarly, when operating image memory (5 d),
), the moving image becomes a still image, and then the image information is read out from the image memory (5), modulated by the modem (15), and transmitted.

Image information sent from other videophone devices is
It is received by the modem (15) via U (17) and demodulated. The demodulated image information is written to a predetermined position (area for storing received image information) in the image memory (5) under the control of the control circuit (1), and read out by the display control circuit (10). displayed on the display (9).

(G) Effects of the Invention As is clear from the above description, the present invention is capable of capturing images of objects that are not in front of the device main body by configuring the camera to be detachable from the device main body.

Furthermore, since the image display on the display is switched between mirror image display and normal display depending on the mounting state of the camera, the user does not feel any discomfort on the display screen, and it becomes easier to align the images to be captured.

Thus, an easy-to-use videophone device can be provided.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is an external perspective view of a video telephone device according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a schematic configuration diagram of the device of the present invention, and FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining the operation of an embodiment of the present invention. (1)...control circuit, (2)...camera (imaging means), (3)...A/D converter, (4)...gate circuit, (5)...image memory (memory means), (6)...
-Camera detection switch (detection means), (7)...Row address counter, (8)...Column address counter, (9)...Display, (10)...Display control circuit, (11) ...Multiplexer, (12)...
・Latch circuit, (13)...D/A converter, (14)
... switch circuit, (15) ... modem (communication means), (16) ... telephone, (17) ... NCU, (
18)...Telephone line, (20)...Device body, (2
1)...Cable.

Claims (1)

[Claims] (1) An imaging means for taking an image, a storage means for storing image information obtained from the imaging means, a display means for displaying an image according to the image information stored in the storage means, and an image information stored in the storage means. and a communication means for transmitting image information, wherein the image pickup means is provided in a detachable manner with respect to a main body of the apparatus. (2) an imaging means for capturing an image; a storage means for storing image information obtained from the imaging means; a display means for displaying an image according to the image information stored in the storage means; A display system for an image communication device comprising: communication means for transmitting image information to be displayed as a still image on the display means;
comprising a detection means for detecting whether or not the imaging means is attached to the apparatus main body, and displays a mirror image of the image on the display means when the imaging means is attached to the apparatus main body according to the detection result of the detection means; A display method for an image communication device, characterized in that when the imaging device is removed from the device main body, an image is displayed as a mirror image on the display device with the left and right sides reversed.