JPH05153584A - Picture transmitter - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To send the picture of an original automatically through the loading of the original on an original platen by allowing an input picture changeover circuit to select the output of a camera in response to an original detection signal from an original detection circuit, applying the selected output to a coding and transmission control circuit. CONSTITUTION:When an original is placed on an original platen 40, an original detection circuit 44 detects the presence of the original based on a reflected light from the placed original and outputs an original detection signal to an input picture changeover circuit 46. A camera 42 is in the operating state regardless of the presence of the original on the original platen 40 usually, and when the original is placed on the original platen 40, a picture signal representing the description content of the original is outputted. Then the circuit 46 selects the output of a document camera 42 (document picture signal) in response to the original detection section from the original detection circuit 44, digitizes the signal and outputs the result to a coding and transmission control circuit 48. The circuit 48 encodes the picture data from the circuit 46 and sends the result to a transmission line in a prescribed transmission format.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an image transmitting device,
More specifically, the present invention relates to an image transmitting apparatus that transmits a document image such as a graph or a figure in a system such as a video conference system or a video telephone system that performs a call and an image communication with a remote place.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A basic block diagram of a terminal device in a video conference system is shown in FIG. As the image input means, there are a three-dimensional model, a document camera 10 for photographing graphs and figures, a still image input device 12 such as a still video floppy reproducing device, and a moving image camera 14 for photographing conference participants. The switching circuit 16 is the operating device 1
According to the operation of 7, the document camera 10 and the still image input device 1
2 or output image data of the video camera 14 is selected. The image encoding circuit 18 encodes the image data selected by the input image switching circuit 16 and supplies it to the transmission control circuit 20.

Further, a voice is input by a voice input device 22 such as a microphone. The output of the voice input device 22 is encoded by the voice encoding circuit 24 and supplied to the transmission control circuit 20.

The transmission control circuit 20 includes an image coding circuit 18
Also, the image coded data and the voice coded data from the voice coding circuit 24 are output to a transmission line such as ISDN, and the image coded data and the voice coded data are received from the partner station.

The transmission control circuit 20 outputs the received image coded data to the image decoding circuit 26, and outputs the received voice coded data to the voice decoding circuit 28. The image decoding circuit 26 decodes the received image coded data and supplies it to the image output device 30 such as an image monitor device. The voice decoding circuit 28 decodes the received voice coded data and supplies it to the voice output device 32 such as a speaker.

[0006]

In the above-mentioned conventional example, the switching (selection) of the input image switching circuit 16 is controlled by the user (conference participant) on the transmission side by operating the operation device 17, and, for example, When it is desired to photograph and transmit a material graph or the like by the document camera 10, after setting the material graph at the photographing position of the document camera 10 and placing it in the photographing state, the operation device 1
7 by operating the input image switching circuit 16
I had to select the output of. It is desired that such input image switching be automated.

It is an object of the present invention to present an image transmitting apparatus that eliminates such trouble.

[0008]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided an image transmitting apparatus, which responds to an image pickup means for photographing a document, a document detecting means for detecting the presence or absence of the document, and a document detecting signal by the document detecting means. And a transmission unit that outputs the image information captured by the imaging unit to a transmission medium.

An image transmitting apparatus according to a second aspect of the present invention includes image pickup means for photographing a document, transmitting means for outputting photographed image information by the image pickup means to a transmission medium in response to a transmission start control signal, and the image pickup means. Of image output signals at different time points, and when there is a difference of a predetermined value or more, the image comparison means outputs a transmission start control signal to the transmission means.

[0010]

When the original to be transmitted is placed on the original table by the above means, the transmitting means automatically transmits the image information of the original. Therefore, it is not necessary to manually perform transmission operation one by one.

[0011]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 shows a schematic block diagram of an embodiment of the present invention. Reference numeral 40 denotes a manuscript table, 42 denotes a document camera for photographing a manuscript on the manuscript table 40 and outputting a picture image signal thereof, 44 denotes infrared light or the like directed toward the manuscript on the manuscript table 40, and the reflected light A document detection circuit that detects a document depending on the presence or absence of the document, and 46 is an input image switching circuit that switches between moving image data of conference participants and the like, still image data from a still / video playback device, and output of the document camera 42 (document image data). , 48 are coding and transmission control circuits for coding the image data selected by the input image switching circuit 46 and sending it to the transmission path.

FIG. 3 is an external perspective view of a document image input section including a document table 40, a document camera 42, and a document detection circuit 44. In the center of the document table 40, there is a hole for infrared irradiation and reflected light transmission for document detection of the document detection circuit 44.

When the original is not placed on the original table 40, the input image switching circuit 46 selects the moving image data or the still image data and outputs it to the encoding / transmission control circuit 48 for encoding / transmission control circuit. Reference numeral 48 outputs the encoded image data to the transmission path. Whether to transmit moving image data or still image data is selected by an operation device (not shown).

When a document is placed on the document table 40, the document detection circuit 44 detects the presence of the document by the reflected light from the placed document and outputs a document detection signal to the input image switching circuit 46. The camera 42 is normally in an operating state regardless of whether or not there is a document on the document table 40, and when a document is placed on the document table 40, an image signal of the contents described in the document is output. The input image switching circuit 46 selects the output (document image signal) of the document camera 42 according to the document detection signal from the document detection circuit 44, digitizes it, and outputs it to the encoding and transmission control circuit 48. Encoding and transmission control circuit 48
Encodes the image data from the input image switching circuit 46 and sends it to the transmission line in a predetermined transmission format.

When replacing the original on the original table 40, the original detection circuit 44 continues to output the original detection signal for a certain period of time after the original is no longer detected on the original table 40, and after the certain period of time has elapsed. But when the original is not detected,
Stop outputting the original detection signal. That is, even when the original is replaced or the original is moved from the original table 40 by floating,
The input image switching circuit 46 continues to select the output of the document camera 42. This prevents the moving image data or the still image data from being selected while the document is replaced or moved. If no document is placed on the document table 40 after the elapse of the certain period, the input image switching circuit 46 selects moving image data or still image data.

FIG. 4 shows a schematic block diagram of the second embodiment of the present invention. Reference numeral 50 denotes a document table, 52 denotes a document camera for photographing a document on the document table 50 and outputting a document image signal, 54 denotes at least one screen output of the document camera 52, and functions as a delay unit for a predetermined delay period. An image comparison circuit for comparing the output image of the document camera 52 with the stored image of the image storage circuit 54, and 58 for
An input image switching circuit for switching between moving image data of conference participants and the like, still image data from a still / video reproducing device, and document image data by the document camera 52, and 60 is a code for the image data selected by the input image switching circuit 58. It is an encoding and transmission control circuit for converting the data into a transmission path and transmitting it to the transmission path.

FIG. 5 is a detailed circuit block diagram of the image storage circuit 54 and the image comparison circuit 56.

In the image storage circuit 54, the sync separation circuit 62
The vertical and horizontal synchronizing signals are separated from the image signal from the document camera 52 and supplied to the memory control circuit 64. The memory control circuit 64 supplies a sampling clock to the A / D converter 66 and the D / A converter and an address signal to the frame memory 68 according to the supplied vertical and horizontal synchronizing signals. The A / D converter 66 digitizes the image signal from the document camera 52, and the output is written in the frame memory 68. The image data written in the frame memory 68 is sequentially read out, and the D / A converter 70
Is converted into an analog signal and supplied to the image comparison circuit 56.

In the image comparison circuit 56, the differential amplifier 72
, The image signal from the document camera 52 and the image storage circuit 5
The image signal of one frame before from 4 is compared, and the difference value is stored in the capacitor 74. The sync separation circuit 76 separates the vertical sync signal from the image signal from the document camera 52. The separated vertical synchronizing signal turns on the transistor 78 connected in parallel with the capacitor 74 to turn on the capacitor 7
The accumulated charge of 4 is discharged.

The second comparison circuit 80 compares the electric charge accumulated in the capacitor 74 with a predetermined reference voltage, and outputs H if it is equal to or higher than the predetermined reference voltage and L if it is lower than the predetermined reference voltage. The output of the comparison circuit 80 is applied to the clock input of the D flip-flop 82, and the D flip-flop 82 informs the input image switching circuit 58 of the document camera 52 when there is a difference of a predetermined reference voltage or more between frames. A switching control signal for selecting the output is output to the input image switching circuit 58. The vertical sync signal separated by the sync separation circuit 765 is inverted by the inverter 84 and applied to the clear terminal of the D flip-flop 82, and the output of the D flip-flop 82 is cleared by the vertical sync signal.

First, in a state where no original is placed on the original table 50, the output image of the document camera 52 is displayed on the image storage circuit 54.
Take it in. After that, if the original is not placed on the original table 50, the comparison result of the image comparison circuit 56 is the same, and the image comparison circuit 56 does not output the switching control signal.
Therefore, the input image switching circuit 58 selects the moving image data or the still image data and outputs it to the encoding / transmission control circuit 60, and the encoding / transmission control circuit 60 outputs the encoded image data to the transmission path. Whether to transmit moving image data or still image data is selected by an operation device (not shown).

When a document is placed on the document table 50, the output image of the document camera 52 and the output image of the image storage circuit 54 do not match from the stage where the document to be placed enters the field of view of the camera 52. .. When the disagreement exceeds a predetermined amount, the image comparison circuit 56 outputs a switching control signal to the input image switching circuit 58. This switching control signal continues to be output to the input image switching circuit 58 while the image change between frames is equal to or more than a predetermined amount.

The input image switching circuit 58 is the image comparison circuit 5.
In response to the switching control signal from 6, the output (document image signal) of the document camera 42 is selected, digitized, and output to the encoding and transmission control circuit 60. The encoding / transmission control circuit 60 encodes the image data from the input image switching circuit 58 and sends it to the transmission line in a predetermined transmission format.

The image comparison circuit 56 outputs a switching control signal to the input image switching circuit 58 even when the document on the document table 50 is replaced or removed. As a result, the image of the original document being replaced or removed is transmitted.
This has the effect that the receiving side can specifically recognize replacement or removal of the document.

When the image comparison circuit 56 stops outputting the switching control signal, the input image switching circuit 58 selects moving image data or still image data.

In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 and 4, the moving image data, the still image data and the document image data are described as if they are encoded by the same processing system, but of course, these are separately encoded. It may be processed by the system.

[0028]

As can be easily understood from the above description, according to the present invention, an image of an original can be automatically transmitted by placing the original on the original table.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic block diagram of an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a basic configuration block diagram of a video conference terminal.

FIG. 3 is an external perspective view of an image input unit of this embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a schematic block diagram of another embodiment of the present invention.

5 is an image storage circuit 54 and an image comparison circuit 5 of FIG.
6 is a detailed circuit block diagram of FIG.

[Explanation of symbols]

10: Document camera 12: Still image input device 14: Video camera 16: Input image switching circuit 17: Operating device
18: Image Coding Circuit 20: Transmission Control Circuit 22: Audio Input Device 24: Audio Encoding Circuit 26: Image Decoding Circuit 28: Audio Decoding Circuit 30: Image Output Device 3
2: Audio output device 40: Document table 42: Document camera
44: Document Detection Circuit 46: Input Image Switching Circuit 4
8: Encoding and transmission control circuit 50: Document table 52: Document camera 54: Image storage circuit 56: Image comparison circuit
58: Input image switching circuit 60: Encoding and transmission control circuit 62: Sync separation circuit 64: Memory control circuit 6
6: A / D converter 68: Frame memory 70: D
/ A converter 72: differential amplifier 74: capacitor 7
6: Synchronous separation circuit 78: Transistor 80: Comparison circuit 82: D flip-flop 84: Inverter

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. An image pickup device for picking up an image of a document, a document detection unit for detecting the presence or absence of the document, and a transmission for outputting imaged image information by the image pickup unit to a transmission medium in response to a document detection signal from the document detection unit. An image transmission device comprising means. 2. An image pickup device for picking up an image of a document, a sending device for outputting picked-up image information of the image pickup device to a transmission medium in response to a transmission start control signal, and an image of an output image signal of the image pickup device at different times. An image transmitting device comprising: an image comparing unit that compares and outputs a transmission start control signal to the transmitting unit when there is a difference of a predetermined value or more.