JPH05276193A - Animation image store and reproduction processing - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To reproduce the good stored moving image even in an animation image television terminal not being conscious of the content of the image data by rewriting the picture header information of the animation image from a terminal user at the picture storing side in the center to make a screen freezing release effective and decoding it after releasing the freezing of the former screen by means of the screen header information at the reading of the stored screen. CONSTITUTION:A header information 703a inserted into inter-frame predictive screen or to an update screen 704 is transmitted to a center from an animation image television telephone. Screen header information 703b and 703c are inserted into an inter-frame predictive screen 706. In the storing data of the center storing device, inter-frame predictive screen to be stored in the update screen 705 or screen header information 707 inserted before the update screen 704 are rewritten to make the screen freezing release effective by a center control section. Thus, the reproduction display is enabled from the head of the stored animation image message in spite of the state of the former screen.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a moving image in an image message storage / exchange system using a center-to-end communication mode that compresses the amount of information of a moving image, stores it, and then decodes and reproduces it. The present invention relates to an image storage / reproduction processing method.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A system configuration of a conventional center-to-end type still image-based image storage service is shown in FIG.
FIG. 9 shows the system configuration of the moving picture video phone, and FIG. 10 shows the image transmission method used in the moving picture video phone.

In FIG. 8, a center 103 and a terminal 101 are connected via a communication network 102. A communication path is established through the communication network in response to a connection request from the terminal or the host 110 in the center. When the communication path is established, the data of the guide screen of the still image is transferred from the center to the terminal and is displayed on the monitor 106 of the terminal, and the user on the terminal side selects a menu along the guide screen. When the image accumulation is selected, the image from the camera 105 and the sound from the handset 107 are respectively supplied to the image encoding / decoding unit 10.
8. The host 1 is stored in the storage device 104 of the center 103 via the communication channel after being encoded by the voice encoding / decoding unit 109.
It is stored under the control of 10. When the reproduction is selected, the encoded image / sound data stored in the storage device 104 of the center is read out, and the image encoding / decoding unit 108 and the audio encoding / decoding unit 109 of the terminal pass through the communication path. Image data and audio data are decoded, and a still image is displayed on the monitor.
Sound is output to the handset. Here, the image is encoded on a frame-by-frame basis based on the still image.

On the other hand, the operation of the moving picture videophone is as follows. In FIG. 9, the camera 204 of the local terminal 201
The image input from a is an image encoding / decoding unit 208a.
Encoding by inter-frame predictive encoding by the multiplexing unit 20.
9a is input. The voice signal input from the handset 206a is encoded by the voice encoding / decoding unit 210a and input to the multiplexing unit 209a. Multiplexer 209a
Then, under the control of the control unit 207a, the coded image data, the coded audio data, and the control data for the image instructed by the control unit 207a (hereinafter referred to as image control data) are multiplexed together. , To the other terminal 202 via the communication network 203.

The multiplexed data sent from the local terminal 201 is received by the multiplexing unit 209b and separated into image control information, coded image data and coded audio data. The image control information is transferred to the control unit 207b, the encoded image data is transferred to the image encoding / decoding unit 208b, and the encoded audio data is transferred to the audio encoding / decoding unit 210b. The image encoding / decoding unit 208b decodes the encoded image data that has been subjected to interframe predictive encoding, is reproduced and output to the monitor 205b, and the encoded audio data is the audio encoding / decoding unit 21.
It is decrypted with 0b and output to the handset 206b. The image control information is processed by the control unit 207b.

Next, a method of transmitting a moving image will be described with reference to FIG. After the connection of the line is established, the control unit 207a of the own terminal 201 uses the above-mentioned image control information to send an "update screen transmission request" to the other terminal 202 as a reference screen for inter-frame prediction. put out. Upon receiving this information, the control unit 207b of the partner terminal issues a "screen update instruction" to the image encoding / decoding unit 208b,
The image encoding / decoding unit 208b of the partner terminal 202 sends the “update screen data” to the own terminal 201.
With such a procedure, a good image can be viewed on the local terminal 201 at the earliest timing after the line connection.

When the reproduced image is disturbed due to a scene change of the input image or the like, a "transmission screen freeze request" is transmitted using the control information for the image of the partner terminal 202,
During the disturbance, the playback image of the local terminal 201 is frozen,
The freeze is released when the reproduced image becomes clear to some extent.

When the moving picture video telephone adopting the interframe predictive coding shown in FIGS. 9 and 10 is applied to the system shown in FIG. 8, the accumulated moving image accumulated in the center is reproduced. In this case, depending on the state of the previous message, it is expected that the reproduction of the head portion of the accumulated moving image cannot be performed well.

[0009]

Since the current moving picture videophone uses the inter-frame prediction code for image compression, it is necessary to detect and reproduce a reference update screen. However, since the current videophone is based on end-to-end communication, as can be seen from the sequence shown in FIG. 10, it is not necessary to consider whether the content of the image data is an update screen. It is made. Therefore, when trying to realize an image storage service that uses moving images that use the interframe predictive coding method, it is possible to reproduce high-quality stored moving images even with a video-phone terminal that does not consider the content of image data. It is an important issue to build a new center system.

It is an object of the present invention to construct a center system capable of reproducing a high-quality stored moving image even in a moving picture videophone terminal which is not conscious of the contents of image data.

[0011]

According to the present invention, encoding means for encoding an input image and first transmission for multiplexing the encoded image with encoded voice, control data, etc. Means, first receiving means for receiving the multiplexed data and separating the coded image, coded voice, control data, etc., means for decoding the received coded image, and coding means A terminal provided with a decoding means, a first transmission means, and a first control means for controlling the first reception means;
Second receiving means for receiving the image transmitted from the transmitting means, storage means for storing the encoded image and sound received by the second receiving means, and accumulated coded image and sound And a terminal including a reading means for reading out, a second transmitting means for transmitting the read out encoded image and sound, and a second control means for controlling the accumulating means and the reading means, and a terminal, In a center-to-end type image message storage / exchange system in which the center is connected via a communication network, the screen header information of the moving image from the terminal user is frozen on the image storage side in the center. After rewriting so that
Image coded data that starts with the update screen that follows is accumulated, and when the accumulated image is read out, the previous screen is unfrozen according to the screen header information, and then the image coded data that starts from the updated screen is transmitted. To be decrypted.

[0012]

[Operation] By using the moving image storage / reproduction processing method,
Even if the moving picture coding / communication method is used, the stored moving picture can be reproduced well.

[0013]

EXAMPLES Examples of the present invention will be described in detail below. FIG. 1 shows a system configuration of a moving image storage / reproduction processing method according to the present invention. In addition, CCITT Recommendation H.264. 2 shows the frame structure of H.221, FIG. 3 shows the moving image storage method, and CCITT Recommendation H.221. 4, 5 and 6 show the format of the stored image based on the image data structure defined by H.261, and FIG. 7 shows the method of playing back the stored moving image.

In FIG. 1, 401 is a moving picture videophone,
Reference numeral 402 is a center and 403 is a communication network. The video / video phone 401 includes a camera 404, a monitor 405, a handset 406, a control unit 407, and an image encoding / decoding unit 40.
8, a voice encoding / decoding unit 410, and a multiplexing unit 409. The center 402 includes a control unit 411, a multiplexing unit 412, and a storage device 413.

In FIG. 2, 501 is a CCITT recommendation H.264 which is assembled by the multiplexers 409 and 412. 221 is a frame structure compliant with 221, and 502 is a frame synchronization signal (FA
S) and 503 are bit rate allocation signals (BAS), which are used for negotiation of terminal capability and communication conditions. Reference numeral 504 is data in which encoded image data, encoded voice data, and general data are multiplexed, and 505 is a frame configuration when two ISDN basic interfaces are used.

4 to 6, 701 is a screen header, 702 is screen freeze release information, and 703a and 703.
b, 703c and 707 are screen header information, 704 is an inter-frame prediction screen or update screen, 705 is an update screen,
Reference numeral 706 is an inter-frame prediction screen.

The operation of the embodiment will be described below. Figure 1
In, the basic operation of the moving picture message storage and exchange system using a moving picture videophone will be described. After the connection is established from the moving picture videophone 401 to the center 402 via the communication network 403 and the communication path is established, the BA shown in FIG. 2 is set by the control section 407 in the moving picture videophone and the control section 411 in the center.
Image communication to the center 402 is performed according to an instruction from the control unit 407 according to the result of the capability exchange of the terminal using S503.

That is, the camera 404 on the videophone 401 side
The moving image from is subjected to interframe predictive coding by the image coding / decoding unit 408. The encoded image data is input from the handset 406, is multiplexed by the multiplexing unit 409 together with the encoded voice data encoded by the voice encoding / decoding unit 410 and the image control information from the control unit 407, and is transmitted. It is transmitted to the multiplexing unit 412 in the center 402 via the network 403.

On the center side, the data in which the image, voice, image control information and the like received by the multiplexing unit 412 are multiplexed is instructed by the control unit 411 and the frame structure 50 shown in FIG.
1 or 505 as it is as an appropriate file,
It is stored in the storage device 413.

The stored data is read from the storage device 413 according to an instruction from the control unit 411 that has received a request from the user of the video-telephone, and the multiplexing unit 41 in the center.
2 is transferred. The control unit 411 rewrites the image control information accumulated from the moving picture video telephone 401 as it is at the time of storage into new information if necessary, and transmits it to the moving picture video telephone 401 through the communication network 403.

In the moving picture videophone 401, the data in which the image, the sound, the image control information and the like sent from the center are multiplexed is separated by the multiplexing unit 409 into the encoded image data, the encoded audio data and the image control information. The encoded image data is sent to the image encoding / decoding unit 48, the encoded audio data is sent to the audio encoding / decoding unit 410, and the image control information is sent to the control unit 4.
It is transferred to 07. The encoded image data is decoded and reproduced by the image encoding / decoding unit 408 according to the instruction from the control unit 407, and is displayed on the monitor 405. The encoded audio data is decoded and reproduced by the audio encoding / decoding unit 410 and output from the handset 406. In this way, it is possible to store the message from the moving picture videophone in the center and search and read out the stored message.

Next, the operation of the basic part of the present invention will be described in detail. FIG. 3 shows a moving image storage method. In the figure, an example will be described in which communication is already possible between the video videophone 401 and the center 402, and messages from the videovideophone 401 are accumulated by voice / image. According to the result of the negotiation between the control unit 407 and the control unit 411, between the moving picture video phone 401 and the center 402, from the moving picture video phone side,
H. Image data is transmitted in 221 frames and is discarded by the multiplexing unit 412 on the center 402 side.

From the video telephone 401 to the center 402
In order to store the moving picture message in, the control unit 407 of the moving picture videophone 401 side instructs the multiplexing unit 409 to
It instructs to transmit the "storage start request" of the image using BAS. In the center 402, the multiplexing unit 412 receives the “storage start request” by the BAS, and notifies the control unit 411 of the content. In the control unit 411, the multiplexing unit 412
In response, a "storage start instruction" is issued. The multiplexing unit 412 notifies the control unit 407 of the video / videophone 401 of the “screen update request”, which is the reference screen for inter-frame prediction, using BAS. In the multiplexing unit 412, the H.264 transmitted from the moving picture videophone 401 side immediately after receiving the “storage start instruction” from the control unit 411. The image data of the frame 221 is not discarded but is transferred to the control unit 411, the header part of the image data is rewritten to enable the screen freeze release, and then retransferred to the multiplexing unit 412 and stored. Device 413
Accumulation in.

On the other hand, the control section 4 on the side of the moving picture video telephone 401.
At 07, in response to the “screen update request” from the center 402 side, the “screen update instruction” is given to the image encoding / decoding unit 408. The image encoding / decoding unit 408 sends the “update screen data” to the center 402. The multiplexing unit 412 in the center 402 receives the moving image message beginning with the update screen, sequentially stores the image data from the multiplexing unit 412 in the storage device 413 without rewriting the header portion of the image data, and the “4. It continues until "accumulation end request" is received. At this time, the format of the image data stored in the storage device 413 is shown in FIGS.

FIG. 4 shows CCITT Recommendation H.264. Details of the screen header information 701 defined by 221 are shown. Among these, the screen freeze release information 702 is
If the previous image is frozen, it will not be displayed even if a new image is sent, so it is controlled. This information is generally set at the time of encoding by the image encoding / decoding unit 408 of the video video telephone, but it is optional on the video video telephone 401 side to control screen freeze release.

FIG. 5 shows the structure of image data transmitted from the moving picture video phone 401 in accordance with the sequence of FIG. 3. From the moving picture video phone 401 to the center 402, an inter-frame prediction screen or an update screen 704 is displayed. The header information 703a is inserted and transmitted. An update screen 705 after that is an update screen transmitted from the video-videophone 401 in accordance with a request from the center 402.
The screen following 5 is an inter-frame prediction screen 706. Screen header information 703b and 703c are also inserted in the update screen 705 and the inter-frame prediction screen 706.

FIG. 6 shows a format in which the data is stored in the storage device 413 of the center 402. The inter-frame prediction screen stored before the update screen 705 or the screen header information 707 inserted before the update screen 704 is the center 402. Control unit 4
11 is rewritten so that the screen freeze release becomes effective.

FIG. 7 shows a method of reproducing the accumulated moving image. The control unit 411 that has received the request from the video-phone user
Storage data is read from the storage device 413, and the frame structure 505 or the frame structure 501 is transferred as “read data” to the multiplexing unit 412 as it is. The multiplexing unit 412 transmits the frame structure to the video / videophone 401. In the moving image videophone 401, the multiplexing unit 409 separates the frame data, and the content of the BAS is notified to the control unit 407 as image control information. The encoded image data is sent to the image encoding / decoding unit 408, and the interframe prediction code is decoded. In the image encoding / decoding unit 408, FIG.
In accordance with the content of the header information of the image data, the previous screen is unfrozen, the update screen 705 sent subsequently is decoded and reproduced, and the inter-frame prediction screen 706 after that is decoded and reproduced.

[0029]

As described above, according to the present invention,
Even if a moving picture videophone is used, it is possible to realize a moving picture storage / exchange system in which the stored moving picture message can be reproduced and displayed from the beginning regardless of the state of the previous screen.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 shows a system configuration of a moving image storage / reproduction processing method of the present invention.

FIG. 2 shows a stored image frame structure according to the present invention.

FIG. 3 shows a moving image storage method of the present invention.

FIG. 4 CCITT Recommendation H. The details of the screen header information in the format of the accumulated image according to the image data structure defined by H.261 are shown.

FIG. 5: CCITT Recommendation H. 27 shows transmission data from a moving picture videophone in the form of an accumulated image having an image data structure defined by H.261.

FIG. 6 CCITT Recommendation H.264. 261 shows the accumulated data in the center in the form of the accumulated image having the image data structure defined by H.261.

FIG. 7 shows a method of reproducing a stored moving image.

FIG. 8 shows a system configuration of a conventional image storage service based on still images.

FIG. 9 shows a system configuration of a conventional moving image videophone.

FIG. 10 shows an image transmission method used in a conventional moving image videophone.

[Explanation of symbols]

 401 Video / Videophone 402 Center 403 Communication Network 404 Camera 405 Monitor 406 Handset 407 Control Unit 408 Image Encoding / Decoding Unit 409 Multiplexing Unit 410 Voice Encoding / Decoding Unit 411 Control Unit 412 Multiplexing Unit 413 Storage Device

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A coding means for coding an inputted image, a first transmitting means for multiplexing the coded image with coded voice and control data and transmitting the multiplexed data, and a means for receiving the multiplexed data. First receiving means for separating into a coded image, a coded voice and control data, a means for decoding the received coded image, a coding means, a decoding means and a first transmitting means. A terminal having first control means for controlling the first reception means is provided, and the second reception means and the second reception means for receiving the image transmitted from the first transmission means are received. Accumulating means for accumulating the encoded image and sound, reading means for reading out the accumulated encoded image and sound, and second transmitting means for transmitting the read encoded image and sound , Controlling the storage means and the reading means A center-to-end type image message storage / exchange system comprising a center having a second control means, wherein the terminal and the center are connected via a communication network. After rewriting the screen header information of the moving image from the terminal user so that screen defreezing is enabled, it is stored together with the image coded data starting with the subsequent update screen, and when reading the stored image, By the screen header information,
A moving image storage / reproduction processing method, characterized in that after freezing the previous screen, the encoded image data starting from the update screen that is continuously transmitted is decoded.