JPH0472955A - Simple television conference system - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To realize inexpensive and portable simple television conference system by employing a major section comprising a line interface section, a CODEC, a central control section and a picture memory, a television camera, a display section, a voice input output device, and a cloth being a television camera pickup range as independent equipments respectively and containing them in one box with compactness. CONSTITUTION:A conference participant 23 moves the simple television conference system contained in a container box 19 from a stored location to a room in which the conference is desired to be held, opens the container box 19 to extract a television camera 15, a display section 16, a voice input output section 17 and a background cloth 18. A digital line 28 is connected to a line terminal 20, the television camera 15 is connected to a television camera terminal 21 and the display section 16 is connected to a display section terminal 22. Then the background cloth 18 is hung on a wall 24 of a range picked up by the television camera 15. Then the conference participant 23 wears the head set type voice input output section 17 connecting to a major section 14 in a radio wave onto its head, takes a seat in front of the television camera 15 and the display section 16 to make television conference.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to a video conference system using a still image video telephone device for transmitting and receiving audio and image data.

[Prior Art] A still image videophone device that transmits a still image to the other party during a call using a conventional telephone communication line has been put into practical use.

This still image videophone device 9 can temporarily interrupt a normal voice call and send a desired still image 9, for example, the face of the speaker, 9 a photo screen or a picture, etc. according to the content of the call. It is possible.

Therefore, according to such a still image video telephone device, it becomes possible to send and receive images over a telephone line, which was previously impossible.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating a conventional still image video telephone device, which is shown in the September 1988 issue of Television Technology, which is capable of transmitting such still images.

In the figure, (1) is the connection terminal for external equipment such as a line,
(2) is an input terminal for inputting signals from each operation button;
(3) is a network control unit, (4) modulates data during transmission,
A modulation/demodulation section (5) that demodulates data during reception has an input terminal (
2) Read the operation signals of each operation button input in
A central control unit (hereinafter abbreviated as CPU) controls the modulation/demodulation unit (4) and the image control unit (6), and (6) is an image control unit that writes and reads images to and from the image memory unit (7). , (7) is an image memory section, (8) is an A/D converter,
(9) is a TV camera, (io) is a D/A converter,
(11) is a display section.

(12) is a power supply, and (13) is a connection terminal for the power supply (12).

Next, the operation will be explained.

First, the 9 caller presses the screen switching operation button (2) and the 2 image control unit (6) displays the TV camera (9) in the image memory unit (7) instead of the receiving party's image in the image memory unit (7). Display the self-portrait from left to right as if looking in a mirror, press the confirmation operation button (2), and press the 1-image control section (6).
) to freeze the self-portrait from the TV camera (9) and confirm that it is not suitable for transmission.When the transmission operation button (2) is pressed, the transmitted image is transferred to the CPU (9) via the image control section (6). 5).

The CPU (5) that receives the input of the transmission image sends the image data to the modulation/demodulation section (4).

On the other hand, when receiving two images, the received signal input from the line via the connection terminal (1) is input to the modulation/demodulation section (4) via the network control section (3).

The modulation/demodulation section (4) demodulates this signal and provides information to the CPU (5).

This is stored as a received image in the image memory unit (7) via the image control unit (6), and is also stored in the D/A converter (1).
0) and is converted into an analog signal and displayed on the display section (11).

“Problems that the invention attempts to solve” The conventional still image videophone device is as described above.

Since it is configured as an integrated device connected to an analog line, it is not suitable for use as a video conference, and actual video conference systems use codecs with high compression rates and require a dedicated room. It is very expensive.

The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and an object thereof is to provide an inexpensive and portable digital simple video conference system.

[Means for Solving the Problems] The simple video conference system according to the present invention has the main parts consisting of a single-line interface part, a codec, a central control part, and an image memory as a first independent device, and a television camera as a second device. into an independent device.

The display section is a third independent device, the audio input/output device is a fourth independent device, and to increase the compression rate of the codec, the cloth that serves as the background of the TV camera's imaging area is a fifth independent device. , these five independent devices are compactly housed in one box.

[Function] In the simple video conference system of this invention,
A codec whose compression rate is not so high can be used depending on the background cloth, and five independent devices are compactly housed in one box, so an inexpensive and portable digital simple video conference system can be provided.

[Embodiment] Fig. 1 shows an embodiment of the present invention in which nine simple video conference systems are housed in a box.

The explanation will be based on FIG. 2, which shows the state in which the present simple video conference system is actually used.

In Figures 1 and 2, (14) is the main part consisting of a line interface section, codec, central control section, and image memory, (15) is a television camera that takes self-portraits, etc., and (16) is a received image. A display section that displays information such as
(17) is an audio input/output unit that exchanges voice with the other party;
(18) is the background cloth that becomes the background of the TV camera imaging range in order to increase the compression rate of the codec, and (19) is the background cloth used in the above 5
A portable storage box (20) that stores two parts is a line terminal for connecting a digital line, (21) is a TV camera terminal for connecting the TV camera (15), and (2
2) is a display terminal that connects the display unit (16), (
23) is the person holding the video conference, (24) is the wall on which the background cloth (18) is hung, (25) is the whiteboard used in the meeting, (26) is the conference table used in the meeting, (
27) is meeting materials used at the meeting, (28) is l5DN
This is a digital line such as

Next, the operation will be explained.

The conference participant (23) moves the simple video conference system stored in the storage box (19) from the storage location to the location where he or she wishes to hold the conference.

Next, open the storage box (19) and remove the TV camera (15), display section (16), audio input/output section (17), and background cloth (
18) Take out.

Next, the storage box (19) containing the main part (14), the TV camera (15) and the display part (16) are placed on the conference desk (26).
Alternatively, place it on the floor, etc., connect the digital line (28) to the line terminal (20), connect the TV camera (15) to the TV camera terminal (21), and connect the display part (16) to the display part terminal (22). ).

Next, the wall (24) is imaged by the TV camera (15).
) hang the background cloth (18).

Next, the conferee (23) wears a headset-type audio input/output section (17) connected to the main section (14) via radio waves on his head, and controls the television camera (15) and display section (]6). Sit in front and have a video conference.

At this time, since the television camera (15) is movable, it is also possible to display the whiteboard (25) and meeting materials (27) and send them to the other party if necessary.

Furthermore, if a hands-free telephone device is used as the audio input/output section (17), a video conference can be held without having to equip the nine heads with headsets.

[Effects of the Invention] As described above, according to the present invention, the main parts consisting of the nine-line interface section, codec, central control section, and image memory can be made into the first independent device, and the television camera can be made into the second independent device. The first display is a third independent device, the audio input/output device is a fourth independent device, and in order to increase the compression rate of the codec, the cloth that will be the TV camera's imaging range is a fifth independent device. Since these five independent devices are compactly housed in one box, an inexpensive and portable simple video conference system can be provided.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a simple video conference system according to an embodiment of the present invention housed in a box. FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing the state in which the simple video conference system is actually used, and FIG. 3 is a block diagram of a conventional still image video telephone device. In the figure, (14) is the main part, (15) is the TV camera, (16) is the display part, (17) is the audio input/output part, (18) is the background part, (19) is the storage box, (2
8) is a digital line. Note that the same reference numerals in Figure 9 indicate the same or corresponding parts.

Claims (1)

[Claims] A line interface unit that controls input/output of audio and image data to and from the telephone line, a codec that performs compression encoding and decoding of the image data, a central control unit that controls the entire device, and from the central control unit In a video conference system having an image memory for storing transmitted and received images, a television camera for inputting images into a captured image memory, and a display section for displaying images read out from the image memory, the line interface a first independent device with the unit, the codec, the central control unit, and the image memory as main parts; the television camera as a second independent device; the display unit as a third independent device; The audio input/output device is a fourth independent device,
In order to increase the compression rate of the codec, the cloth serving as the background of the television camera imaging range is made into a fifth independent device, and these five independent devices are housed in one box to make it portable. .