JPH04373386A - Television conference system - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To surely transmit a desired picture by easily performing video source switching and video camera remote control. CONSTITUTION:Pictures from plural video sources are subjected to reduction processing by a video synthesizer 9 and are divisionally displayed on one monitor 13 and control key information is displayed and a touch sensor device 14 is attached onto the monitor 13; and when the part corresponding to a picture on the monitor 13 is touched to output the position data signal of this part to a controller 10, this controller 10 outputs a control data signal for movement of the photographing position of a video camera, control key information on the monitor, and a video switching control signal in response to the input of this position data signal and pictures from video sources are switched by this video switching control signal.

Description

[Detailed description of the invention]

0001

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a video conferencing system having one or more remotely controllable video cameras and a plurality of video sources.

0002

[Prior Art] Conventional video conferencing systems do not allow switching of video sources or remote control of video cameras (panning,
(tilt, zoom, focus) were operated by the conference moderator or a dedicated operator using a dedicated control panel while checking the video on a preview monitor or transmission monitor.

0003

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] In this conventional video conferencing system, the number of preview monitors and transmission monitors is usually smaller than the number of video sources, and they are installed in a separate location from the operation panel, so the operator cannot operate the They had to rely on the display on the panel to switch images, and operate the video camera while looking at two places: the monitor and the operation panel. For this reason, it is possible to make mistakes in switching operations such as selecting a different video than the one that should be sent, or to send a different shot than the one you intended to send. It may be difficult to understand the relationship between
There is a problem in that it is cumbersome because it requires movement of the line of sight for operation.

0004

[Means for Solving the Problems] A video conference system according to the present invention includes a means for reducing and displaying videos from a plurality of video sources on a single monitor, and a means for superimposing control key information on a video signal. a means for outputting a position data signal of the touched part by touching a part mounted on the monitor and facing the screen; a means for switching the video from the video source from the position data signal; and a video camera. and control means for moving the photographed location.

[0005]

[Operation] According to the present invention, the video can be switched by touching the part facing any video among all video sources dividedly displayed on a monitor equipped with a touch sensor device.
Moreover, by touching the part facing the control key superimposed on the monitor, the imaging location of the video camera can be moved.

[0006]

Embodiment FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of the video conference system according to the present invention. As a video source, any device such as a video camera or a video tape recorder can be used. The case where two units are installed is shown. In the figure, numerals 1 and 2 are video cameras having video camera drive devices 3 and 4, respectively, which can move the shooting location according to the following control data signals, and 5 and 6 are video images taken by the video cameras 1 and 2, respectively. A video distributor 7 that distributes and outputs signals is a video switch that switches video sources in accordance with a video switching control signal output from the control device described below.

Reference numeral 8 denotes a transmission device that sends out a video signal to a transmission path, 9 a video synthesis device that reduces the video signal in order to divide and display it on the display area of the monitor described below, and 10 outputs from the touch sensor device described below. A control device that outputs control data signals 11a and 11b for driving the video camera drive devices 3 and 4, respectively, control key information 11c on the monitor described below, and video switching control signal 11d when a position data signal is input; 12 is a video superimposing device that superimposes and outputs the video signal output from the video synthesis device 9 and the control key information 11c output from the control device 10; 13 is a detailed display area thereof as shown in FIG. A monitor 14 that displays an image is a touch sensor device that is attached to the monitor 13 and sends out a position data signal 14a of the touched part by touching the part facing the screen.

In FIG. 2, 15a is an area where the image of the video camera 1 is displayed, and 15b is an area where the video camera 2 is displayed.
15c to 15f are areas where control key information is displayed, 15g is an area where the video of video camera 1 or video camera 2 is displayed, and the displayed video is being transmitted. This indicates that the video camera that is shooting this video is in a state where it can be locally controlled.

Next, the operation of the video conference system having the above configuration will be explained. First, to explain the case where the video of the video camera 1 is selected and output to the transmission path, as shown in FIG. When the operator touches the portion 14 with his or her fingertip, the touch sensor device 14 outputs a position data signal 14a indicating the touched position to the control device 10. The control device 10 determines from the position data signal 14a sent from the touch sensor device 14 that video transmission of the video camera 1 has been selected, and outputs a video switching control signal 11d to the video switching device 7. Therefore, the video switching device 7 is switched by inputting this video switching control signal 11d,
The video signal of the video camera 1 is output to the transmission device 8. Therefore, the video of the video camera 1 can be transmitted to the transmission path.

Next, the operator can locally control the video camera 1 by touching the portion of the touch sensor device 14 facing the areas 15c to 15f on the monitor 13 where the control key information is displayed with his/her fingertip. It becomes possible. For example, when shaking the screen to the left, when the operator touches the part of the touch sensor device 14 facing the area 15c where control key information is displayed on the monitor 13 with his or her fingertip, the touch sensor device 14 A position data signal 14a indicating the touched position is output to the control device 10. The control device 10 determines from the position data signal 14a sent from the touch sensor device 14 that an operation of shaking the screen to the left has been performed, and outputs a control data signal 11a to the video camera driving device 3. Therefore, the video camera driving device 3 operates to swing the video camera 1 to the left based on this control data signal 11a. Therefore, the video camera 1 is swung to the left, and the image displayed on the monitor 13 is moved to the left compared to the image before the operation.

[0011] It goes without saying that the same thing can be done when selecting the video of the video camera 2 and transmitting it through the transmission path. Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the video camera 2
Although we have explained the case where a stand is provided, it is not limited to this.
Of course, the same thing can be done when three or more units are provided.

0012

[Effects of the Invention] As explained above, in the present invention, a monitor equipped with a touch sensor is installed in front of the presenter, and by touching any video among all the video sources divided and displayed on the monitor, It is now possible to switch videos and remotely control the video camera while directly checking the video without moving your line of sight using the control keys superimposed on the monitor. This eliminates the hassle of operating the video camera due to mistakes or shifting the line of sight, and has the effect of realizing more human-like control.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of a video conference system according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the display state of the monitor in FIG. 1;

[Explanation of symbols]

1, 2 Video camera 3,4 Video camera drive device 5, 6 Video distributor 7 Video switcher 8 Transmission device 9 Video synthesis device 10 Control device 11a, 11b Control data signal 11c Control key information 11d Video switching control signal 12 Video superimposition device 13. Monitor 14 Touch sensor device 15a-15g Display area

Claims (1)

[Claims] Claim 1: A video compositing device that reduces video from a plurality of video sources for displaying them separately on one monitor; a video superimposition device that superimposes control key information onto a video signal; A touch sensor device that outputs a positional data signal of the touched part by touching the part facing the screen of the attached monitor, a control data signal that moves the imaging point of the video camera based on this positional data signal, and control key information on the monitor. and a control device that outputs a video switching control signal, and a video switching device that switches and outputs video from a video source in response to input of the video switching control signal.