JPH05145918A - Multi-points video conference system - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To easily confirm conference operating information by all the conference participants by superimposing a character signal to support the operation of a conference to the monitor displays of respective terminals. CONSTITUTION:The conference operating information such as a broadcasting source point name and remaining conference time or the like updated and held at all times is converted to the character signal by a multiple point video conference controller 1, multiplexed to a data signal and transmitted to all the video conference terminals under participating. Each video conference terminal 3 separates the character signal from the received data signal, and this separated character signal is superimposed to a received image and displayed on a monitor display 4. Thus, all the participants of the conference can easily confirm the conference operating information held by the multiple point video conference controller on the monitor displays.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a multipoint video conference system, and more particularly to a multipoint video conference system for transmitting a character signal through a data signal to a terminal at each point.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a multipoint video conference system has been constructed by connecting a video conference control device at another point and a video conference terminal at a plurality of points by a line network and exchanging image signals, audio signals and data signals. It makes it possible to hold meetings in the same space.

In this system, information about the conference operation such as all the current participation points, transmission source points, and remaining time of the conference is represented by a lamp on a controller installed in each conference room. Also, when displaying some information on the screen by superimposing, basically, it depends only on the control of each terminal.

[0004]

However, in the above-mentioned conventional multipoint video conference system, since various information is identified by the lamp of the controller, it is possible to judge which terminal the image being received belongs to. It has the drawback of being difficult to remove. There is also a problem that it is difficult to acquire information held by the multipoint video conference control device such as the remaining time until the end of the conference.

The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a multipoint video conference system in which all conference participants can easily know information regarding conference management.

[0006]

In order to achieve the above object, a multipoint video conference system of the present invention connects a multipoint video conference control device and video conference terminals at a plurality of points by a network to provide an image signal and an audio signal. , A conference management information transmission function that transmits various conference management information to a multipoint videoconference control device in a multipoint video conference system that enables pseudo conferences in the same space by exchanging data signals. On the other hand, the video conference terminal is provided with a conference operation information processing function for superimposing the conference operation information from the multipoint video conference control device on the received video signal and displaying it on a monitor display.

Then, if necessary, the multipoint video conference control device includes a demultiplexing unit for demultiplexing and multiplexing an image signal, an audio signal, and a data signal with respect to a signal from each video conference terminal, and the demultiplexing unit. An image signal switching unit for switching and distributing image signals, an audio signal switching unit for distributing and switching the audio signals, a data signal switching unit for distributing and switching the data signals and the character signals, and conference management It is composed of a character signal generation section for converting the information on the character signal into the character signal and multiplexing it with a data signal to be transmitted, and a control section for controlling these.

Further, if necessary, the video conference terminal separates the conference operation information multiplexed as a character signal from the received data signal and converts it into a signal for superimposing the character signal. A separation unit, a video signal conversion unit that converts the received image signal into a composite signal for displaying on the monitor / display, and a composite that outputs the character signal converted by the character signal separation unit from the video signal conversion unit. A superimposing circuit section that superimposes on a signal is provided.

[0009]

According to the multipoint videoconference system having the above-described structure, the multipoint videoconference control device exchanges image signals and audio signals with the connected videoconference terminal of the other party, and at the same time sends out various conference operation information. To do. Then, the video conference terminal superimposes the conference management information from the multipoint video conference control device on the received video signal and displays it on the monitor display as a video signal. for that reason,
Since the same conference management information is displayed on the monitor display of the video conference terminal in each place, all the participants can know this information.

[0010]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a multipoint video conference system according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a detailed block diagram showing a multipoint video conference control device according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a detailed block diagram showing a video conference terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 1, in a multipoint video conference system, a plurality of video conference terminal devices 3 are connected to a multipoint video conference control device 1 via a line signal a and a line network 2. Multipoint video conference control device 1
Realizes a multipoint video conference by exchanging and distributing the line signal a. Reference numeral 4 is a monitor display of the video conference terminal device.

In the multipoint video conference system, the multipoint video conference controller separates and multiplexes an image signal, a voice signal, and a data signal from a signal from each terminal, as shown in FIG. Conversion unit 5, image signal switching unit 6 for switching and distributing the image signal, audio signal switching unit 7 for distributing and switching the audio signal, and data for distributing and switching the data signal and the character signal. It is composed of a signal switching unit 8, a character signal generation unit 9 for converting information on conference management into the character signal and multiplexing it with a data signal to be transmitted, and a control unit 10 for controlling these.

Further, as shown in FIG. 3, the video conference terminal 3 separates the conference management information multiplexed as a character signal from the received data signal and converts it into a signal for superimposing. A character signal separating section 11, a video signal converting section 12 for converting the received image signal into a composite signal for displaying on the monitor display, and a character signal converted by the character signal separating section 11 for the video signal converting section. The superimposing circuit section 13 superimposes on the composite signal output from 11.

Next, the operation of the multipoint video conference control device 1 will be described with reference to FIG. The multipoint video conference control device 1 separates the received line signal a into a received image signal c, a received voice signal d, and a received data signal e by the demultiplexing / multiplexing unit 5 and processes each signal.

The received image signal c is sent to the image signal switching section 6. The control unit 10 selects the broadcast transmission source by the control signal j, and multiplexes the received image signal c with the transmission image signal g corresponding to all other terminals.

The received voice signal d is sent to the voice signal switching section 7. The control unit 10 performs mixing by the control signal j and multiplexes the mixed voice signal with the transmission voice signal h corresponding to all terminals. At this time, the voices of their own stations are not mixed.

The received data signal e is the data signal switching unit 8
Sent to. At this time, if there is a request from any one of the participating terminals to broadcast the character signal multiplexed in the received data signal e to other terminals, the control unit 10 sends all the character signals by the control signal j. The transmission data signal i corresponding to the terminal is multiplexed. If there is no such request, the control unit 10 keeps the broadcast source point name, the participation / exit information, the reference page number of the conference material, the time, and the remaining time until the conference reservation end time that the control unit 10 constantly updates. The conference operation information such as is transmitted to the character signal generation unit 9 and converted into a character signal. The converted character signal f is multiplexed by the data signal switching unit 8 with the transmission data signal i corresponding to all participating terminals.

The transmitted image signal g generated by the above processing,
The transmission voice signal h and the transmission data signal i are separated and multiplexed by the demultiplexing unit 5
Is multiplexed with the line signal a and transmitted to each video conference terminal 3 via the line network 2.

The operation of receiving the line signal a of the video conference terminal 3 will be described with reference to FIG. When the video conference terminal 3 exchanges an image signal, an audio signal and a data signal via the multipoint video conference control device 1, the line signal a received by the line signal a receiving unit is imaged by the character signal separating unit 11. The signal k and the separated character signal are separated. The image signal k is converted into a composite signal n by the video signal conversion unit 12, and the superimposing circuit unit 13
Send to.

The superimposing circuit section 13 superimposes the separated character signal m on the composite signal n to generate a composite signal b, which is monitored / monitored.
Output and display on the display 4.

By the processing of the multipoint video conference control device 1 and the video conference terminal 3 as described above, various conference operation information can be displayed on the monitor display of each point.

[0022]

As described above, according to the multipoint video conference system of the present invention, since the multipoint video conference control device transmits the conference management information to all participating terminals,
Information that supports the operation of multipoint videoconferencing, especially information such as the name of the broadcast source point and the end time of the conference held by the multipoint videoconferencing control device, can be easily displayed on each terminal's monitor / display. There is an effect that can be confirmed.

[Brief description of drawings]

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

FIG. 2 is a detailed block diagram showing a multipoint video conference control device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a detailed block diagram showing a video conference terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 multipoint video conference control device 2 network 3 video conference terminal 4 monitor / display 5 demultiplexing / multiplexing unit 6 image signal switching unit 7 audio signal switching unit 8 data signal switching unit 9 character signal generation unit 10 control unit 11 character signal separation Part 12 Video signal conversion part 13 Superimpose circuit part a Line signal b Composite signal obtained by superimposing the received character signal on the received video signal c Received image signal d Received audio signal e Received data signal f Character signal g Transmitted image signal h Transmission voice signal i Transmission data signal j Control signal k Reception image signal of terminal m Separation character signal n Composite signal

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A conference is simulated in the same space by connecting a multipoint video conference control device and video conference terminals at a plurality of points by a network to exchange image signals, audio signals and data signals. In a multipoint video conference system capable of performing, a conference management information transmission function for transmitting various conference management information to the multipoint videoconference control device is provided, while the videoconference terminal is provided with the conference from the multipoint videoconference control device. A multipoint video conference system having a conference management information processing function for superimposing management information on a received video signal and displaying it on a monitor display. 2. The multipoint video conference control device, in response to a signal from each video conference terminal, an image signal, an audio signal,
A demultiplexing unit that demultiplexes and multiplexes a data signal, an image signal switching unit that switches and distributes the image signal, an audio signal switching unit that distributes and switches the audio signal, the data signal and the Distribution of character signal
A data signal switching unit that performs switching, a character signal generation unit that converts information related to conference management into the character signal and multiplexes it with a data signal that is transmitted, and a control unit that controls these. The multipoint video conference system according to claim 1. 3. The video conference terminal separates the conference operation information multiplexed as a character signal from the received data signal and converts the conference operation information into a signal for superimposing, and a receiving unit. A video signal conversion unit for converting the image signal thus converted into a composite signal for displaying on the monitor display, and a character signal converted by the character signal separation unit superimposed on a composite signal output from the video signal conversion unit. The multipoint video conference system according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising: