JPH05161131A - Video communication equipment - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To simply attain security of privacy or security of confidentiality by storing video data before the start of transmission as a sample video image and implementing mask processing when there is no difference between the simple video image and a video image from a camera. CONSTITUTION:When an incoming call comes, a line interface section 7 informs the arrival of the incoming call to a terminal control section 9. The control section 9 rings a bell and stores a video image of its own equipment obtained from a camera 1 to a video storage means 10 as a sample video image. After the end of connection with an opposite party, an arithmetic operation means 11 takes a difference between the sample video image stored in the means 10 and the video image from the camera 1 for each picture element and when no difference is in existence, the video image is regarded as a background image and a background mask means 12 applies mask processing to the video image. Thus, the background of the video image sent to its own equipment is masked and the security of privacy or security of confidentiality against lots of unspecified persons are executed simply.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a video communication device such as a moving picture television phone.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, international standardization of image coding methods, I
With the spread of SDN and the realization of easy use of high-speed digital transmission lines at low running costs, image communication devices such as moving picture television phones have been released by various companies.

A video communication device such as a conventional television phone will be described below. As shown in FIG. 3, a television telephone as a conventional video communication device includes a camera (video input unit) 1 for taking a self-portrait, a monitor (video display unit) 2 for displaying a video from a partner or a self-portrait,
A moving image codec that compresses and encodes video data taken in from the receiver 3 and the camera 1 for talking with the other party, or decompresses and decodes the compressed and encoded image data and displays it on the monitor 2. Unit 4, audio codec unit 5 for compressing and encoding the voice data from the handset 3, or expanding and decoding the compressed and encoded voice data so that the voice can be heard by the handset 3, video and voice on the line A multiplexer / demultiplexer 6 for multiplexing data for simultaneous transmission and separation of multiplexed video and audio data received from a line, and a line interface unit (communication interface) for connecting a videophone to an ISDN line. Part)
7, a key operation unit 8 for inputting a telephone number and selecting a function, a terminal control unit 9 for controlling the entire telephone set based on an input from the key operation unit 8, and the like.

With respect to the television telephone having the above components, the relation and operation of each component will be described below by taking an example of incoming call. First, the line interface unit 7 is an IS
Know the incoming call by receiving a call setup message from the DN. The line interface unit 7 analyzes the message and, if it is confirmed that the calling terminal is a videophone, notifies the terminal control unit 9 of an incoming call. In response to this, the terminal control section 9 notifies the user by ringing a bell. When the user responds to it, the terminal control section 9 recognizes it and instructs the line interface section 7 to send a response message to the ISDN. According to the instruction, the line interface unit 7 sends a response message to the ISDN, and the connection with the other party is completed. After the connection is completed, the video from the camera 1 is compressed and encoded by the moving image codec unit 4, the voice from the handset 3 is compressed and encoded by the audio codec unit 5, and multiplexed by the multiplexing / separating unit 6, While being sent from the interface unit 7 to the line, the video / audio data from the other party received by the line interface unit 7 is separated into image data and audio data by the multiplexing / separating unit 6, and the video data is sent by the moving image codec unit 4. The voice data is decompressed and decoded and displayed on the monitor 2. The voice data is decompressed and decoded by the voice codec unit 5 and output from the handset 3.

[0005]

However, in the above-mentioned conventional structure, when the connection is completed regardless of the intention of the user, the image of the own side is displayed on the television telephone of the other side, so that the telephone call or the telephone call is made. It is necessary to pay attention to the surroundings of the user when the call comes in, and there is a problem that it is not possible to call as easily as a conventional telephone.

The present invention solves the above-mentioned conventional problems. As a specific example, when a television telephone is used for personal use, privacy protection is provided when the other party does not want to know the situation of the room, For use in a company, it is an object to provide a video communication device that makes it easy to maintain confidentiality within the company.

[0007]

In order to achieve the above object, the video communication apparatus of the present invention has a function of a conventional television telephone, and newly stores video data before transmission start as a sample video. Means for calculating the difference between the sample image and the image from the camera for each pixel,
A background masking means for performing a background mask according to the result of the calculation is provided.

[0008]

According to the present invention, in the above configuration, the image data before the start of transmission is stored as a sample image, and the difference between the sample image and the image from the camera is taken for each pixel, and if there is no difference as a result, , The mask processing is performed by regarding it as the background, and in other cases, the data from the camera is processed as the transmission data.

[0009]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

As shown in FIG. 1, the television telephone of the video communication apparatus of the present invention differs from the conventional example shown in FIG. 3 in that the video data before transmission start is stored as a sample video. Means 10 and computing means 11 for taking the difference between the sample video and the video from the camera 1 for each pixel
And a background masking means 12 for performing background masking according to the calculation result. The camera 1, monitor 2, handset 3, moving image codec section 4, audio codec 5, multiplexing / separating section 6, line interface section 7, key operating section 8, terminal control section 9, etc. are the same as those of the conventional example. Is.

With respect to the television telephone of the video communication apparatus including the above components, the relationship and operation of each component will be described below with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2. First, the line interface unit 7 knows an incoming call by receiving a call setup message from the ISDN, analyzes the message in step 1, and determines in step 2 whether the calling terminal is a videophone. When the calling terminal is not a videophone, the incoming call is rejected or ignored in step 9. If it is confirmed in step 2 that the calling terminal is a videophone, the terminal control unit 9 is notified of an incoming call. In response to this, the terminal control unit 9 notifies the user by ringing a bell in step 3, and stores the image on the self side obtained from the camera 1 at that time as a sample image in the image accumulation means 10. When the user responds to it, the terminal control section 9 recognizes it and instructs the line interface section 7 to send a response message to the ISDN. According to the instruction, the line interface unit 7 makes the ISDN
The connection with the other party is completed in step 4 by sending a response message to After the connection is completed, the calculating means 11 takes the difference between the sample image accumulated in the image accumulating means 10 in step 5 and the image from the camera 1 for each pixel. As a result, if there is no difference, the background masking means 12 regards the background as the background in step 6 and performs blue signal data as a mask processing (the background becomes a blue background. As another example, offline). Sometimes
If the data of the video taken in as the background is used, the video will be combined. ) Is sent to the moving picture codec section 4, and in other cases, the data from the camera 1 is sent to the moving picture codec section 4 as transmission data in step 7. After that, in step 8, the background masking means 1
The data obtained from 2 is compressed by the moving image codec unit 4,
The voice coded by the voice codec unit 5 after being encoded.
Is compressed and encoded by the multiplexer, multiplexed by the multiplexer / demultiplexer 6, sent from the line interface 7 to the line,
Video from the other party received by the line interface unit 7,
The audio data is separated into image data and audio data by the multiplexing / separating unit 6, the video data is expanded and decoded by the moving image codec unit 4, displayed on the monitor 2, and the audio data is expanded and decoded by the audio codec unit 5. Output from the handset 3.

Also when the call is made, the background image can be similarly masked by accumulating the sample video when the talker exists in a range where the camera 1 does not appear before the call.

[0013]

As is apparent from the above-described embodiments, according to the present invention, the background of the transmitted image on the self side can be masked, so that privacy protection and confidentiality protection can be easily made to an unspecified number of people. Therefore, it is possible to realize a superior video communication device which enables a telephone call as easily as a conventional telephone and is useful for popularizing a television telephone to a general household or the like.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a television telephone as a video communication device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart of incoming call processing in the embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram of a conventional television phone.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 camera 2 monitor 7 line interface unit (communication interface unit) 10 image storage unit 11 calculation unit 12 background masking unit

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A video input section, a video display section, a video interface for sending video data to a communication line, and a communication interface section for receiving the video data. The video data before the start of transmission is stored as a sample video. A video communication device comprising: a video storing means for storing; a computing means for calculating a difference between the sample video and a video from the video input section; and a background masking means for performing a background mask according to the computation result.