JPH06113295A - Video telephone set - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To control a size of a specific picture so that the picture is not deviated from a screen of a television monitor by recognizing the specific picture from a picture signal so as to decide a magnification factor and its center of the specific picture displayed on the television monitor. CONSTITUTION:A field angle of a television camera 21 is set larger than ' that of a person and the image of the person is picked up. An analog picture signal is fed to an A/D converter 22, in which the signal is converted into a digital picture signal and it is fed to a picture memory section 23 and the signal is stored therein, and fed to a recognition section 24, where a face of the person is recognized. Then an address generating section 28 generates an address signal based on both a picture signal read from a memory section 23 and a recognition signal from the recognition section 24. When a horizontal and a vertical address using a center of a picture segmentation section as the center address are calculated, both the address signals are fed to a magnification processing section 25 and the magnification or reduction is controlled so that the center part of a face picture stored in the memory section 23 is position at the center of a monitor television. A processing signal from the magnification processing section 25 is sent to an opposite television monitor through an interface 27 and a coding section 26.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a videophone device, and more particularly to a videophone device for determining the enlargement ratio and center of a specific image displayed on a TV monitor.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Generally, as shown in FIG. 7, in a video telephone apparatus, a television camera 10, an analog / digital converter 11 for converting an analog image signal photographed by the television camera 10 into a digital image signal, and an analog / digital conversion for this are provided. An encoding unit 12 that compresses a digital signal of the device 11 and performs an encoding process, and an image transmitting unit such as an interface unit 13 that transmits the encoded signal of the encoding unit 12 to a line are provided.

A decoding unit 14 for decoding the coded signal received from the line, a digital / analog converter 15 for converting the digital image signal of the decoding unit 14 into an analog image signal, and the digital / analog converter 15 are provided. An image receiving unit such as a television monitor 16 for displaying an analog image signal as an image is provided.

Since there is a great demand for miniaturization in this type of videophone device, a CCD camera is used as the TV camera 10.
A liquid crystal television monitor having a screen of about 4 to 5 inches is used for the television monitor 16, and a semiconductor circuit such as an IC is used for the analog / digital converter 11 and the like.

[0005]

This video telephone device,
In particular, since the screen of a TV monitor is small, the portrait image may be small and the face may not be clearly seen. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 8, the person image A is displayed on the television monitor as much as possible, but in this way, the face B is slightly moved up and down, left and right, and is displaced from the screen as shown by the chain line. There is a problem that it ends up.

[0006] Further, although the self-portrait and the partner image are interchanged with each other by switching and displaying the self-portrait or the picture-in-picture device, if the operation becomes troublesome or the call is neglected. There was a problem to say.

In order to solve the above problems, the present invention provides a videophone device in which the size of a specific image of a person or the like is controlled so as not to shift from the screen of a TV monitor.

[0008]

According to the present invention, there is provided an image memory section for storing an image signal taken by a television camera, an enlargement processing section for controlling the size of the image signal stored in the image memory section, and A recognition unit that recognizes a specific image from an image signal captured by a television camera, and a specific image that is enlarged by the enlargement processing unit by the arithmetic processing of the image signal stored in the image memory unit and the recognition signal recognized by the recognition unit. The present invention provides a videophone device including an address signal generator that determines a magnification and a central portion.

Further, the present invention provides a videophone device characterized in that the enlargement processing unit is provided with an enlargement limiting unit for limiting the enlargement of a specific image.

[0010]

The image signal including the person image captured by the television camera is stored in the image memory unit. Further, a specific image such as a person is recognized from the image signal captured by the television camera.

From the image signal and the specific image signal, the enlargement ratio and center of the specific image displayed on the television monitor are determined. An address signal that determines the enlargement ratio and the central portion is sent to the enlargement processing unit, and the specific image is enlarged and displayed at a predetermined position on the television monitor.

Further, the enlargement ratio or the like is limited so that the specific image does not overflow from the television monitor.

[0013]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT FIG.
Will be described.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an outline of a videophone device 20 of the present invention. The videophone device 20 is an improved version of the videophone device 10 shown in FIG. 6 and is provided with a video camera 21 for photographing a person A or the like.
The television camera 21 includes an analog / digital converter 22 for converting an analog image signal into a digital image signal.
Is provided. This analog-digital converter 2
An image memory unit 23 and a recognition unit 24 are connected to 2, and the image memory unit 23 stores an image signal captured by the television camera 21. The recognition unit 24 stores a specific image from the image signal, for example, a person A. Face B is recognized.

The image memory section 23 is connected to an enlargement processing section 25 which enlarges or reduces the image signal. An interface 27 connected to the line is connected to the enlargement processing unit 25 via an encoding unit 26 so that the enlarged or reduced image signal is compressed, encoded, and transmitted to the line.

An address signal generation unit 28 is connected to the recognition unit 24, an image signal stored in the image memory unit 23 is called, and an image cutout unit F (see FIG. 3) including a specific image is called from this image signal. An address signal that determines the cutout, enlargement or reduction processing rate and the central portion is sent to the enlargement processing unit 25.

A decoding unit 29 for decoding an image signal received from the line, a digital / analog converter 30, and a television monitor 31 as a display unit are connected to the interface 27 so as to receive a partner image. .

The videophone device 20 having the above structure
The operation of will be described.

The television camera 21 is photographed with the angle of view slightly larger than that of a person. The analog image signal photographed by the television camera 21 is sent to the analog / digital converter 22 to be converted into a digital image signal. This digital image signal is sent to the image memory unit 23 for storage and also sent to the recognition unit 24 so that the face B of the person A is recognized. A method for the recognition unit 24 to recognize the face B will be described.

As shown in FIG. 2, the image taken by the television camera 21 is divided into small blocks a11, a12, a13 ...
a21, a22, a23 ..., a31, a32, a33 ...
Split into. When this divided image is scanned in the downward direction from the left part to the right part, the difference blocks in the front image block and the rear image block that exceed the threshold value are detected. The differential block detected first by this scan, for example, aij is the top, and the differential blocks having the largest width among the two differential blocks, such as ai-5, j-5, and ai +.
5 and j + 5 are the face width W.

Further, an arbitrary coefficient h (usually h =
1.2 to 1.5), and the product W × h is the face length.

Thus, the size of the partial image W × (W × h) of the face B recognized by the recognition unit 24 is determined.

Next, a method in which the address signal generating unit 28 generates an address signal by the image signal read from the image memory unit 23 and the recognition signal sent from the recognition unit 24 will be described.

First, the recognition signal is arithmetically processed to obtain an image cutout portion F.
Is determined, and the address signal is taken out from the image cutout portion F to determine the enlargement ratio. That is, the image cutout portion B has a width W × α from the statistically determined coefficient α, 1 / AR.
(Usually α = about 2.0 to 2.5), height is W × α × 1 /
AR (AR is an aspect ratio of the image is 4/3 in the current television), and the size of the face A is set so as not to protrude from the television monitor. The center Po of the image cutout portion F is the face width W.
Is decided in the center of.

When the image cutout portion F is determined, a horizontal address signal Px = (Po-W × α / 2 to Po + W) centered on the center portion Po of the image cutout portion F is determined.
× α / 2) Vertical address signal Py = (Po-W × α × 1 / AR /
2, Po + W × α × 1 / AR / 2) is calculated.

The horizontal address signal Px and the vertical address signal Py are sent to the enlargement processing section 25, and the central portion Po of the face image B stored in the image memory portion 23 is enlarged or reduced so that it becomes the central portion of the television monitor. Is controlled. The processing signal of the enlargement processing unit 25 is the encoding unit 26,
It is sent to a partner television monitor (not shown) via the interface 27.

Therefore, as shown in FIG. 4, the television camera 2
The face image Ba of the person Aa near the center of 1 can be enlarged by the address signal and displayed on the center of the partner TV monitor as shown in FIG.

Further, even if the person Ab shown in FIG. 4 moves to the right from the center, it can be displayed on the center Po of the television monitor by the address signal as shown in FIG.

When the enlarging processing of the enlarging processing section 25 is performed, a device for issuing an alarm when the enlarging processing rate exceeds a predetermined value, a device for displaying a signal, or a device for automatically limiting the enlarging is attached. , You can prevent the image from protruding from the TV monitor.

In addition, the specific image is not limited to the person,
For example, a semiconductor under development or a luxurious precious metal can be enlarged in exactly the same manner.

[0031]

According to the present invention, an image memory section for storing an image signal taken by a television camera, an enlargement processing section for controlling the size of the image signal stored in the image memory section, and an image taken by the television camera. A recognition unit that recognizes a specific image from the generated image signal, and an enlargement ratio and a center of the specific image that is enlarged by the enlargement processing unit by calculation processing of the image signal stored in the image memory unit and the recognition signal recognized by the recognition unit. Since the address signal generating section for determining the section is provided, the specific image can be always displayed in the central portion of the television monitor having a predetermined size.

Further, since the enlargement processing unit is provided with the enlargement limiting unit for limiting the enlargement of the specific image, the specific image does not overflow the screen.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an outline of a videophone device of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory view for explaining the operation of FIG.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram illustrating the operation of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is an explanatory view for explaining the operation of FIG.

5 is an explanatory diagram illustrating the operation of FIG. 4. FIG.

FIG. 6 is an explanatory view for explaining the operation of FIG.

FIG. 7 is a block diagram showing an outline of a conventional videophone device.

FIG. 8 is an explanatory diagram illustrating an operation of a conventional videophone device.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 TV camera 11 Analog-digital converter 12 Encoding section 15 Digital-analog converter 16 TV monitor 20 Video-phone device 21 TV camera 22 Analog-digital converter 23 Image memory section 24 Recognition section 25 Enlargement processing section 26 Encoding section 28 Address Signal Generator 29 Decoder 29 30 Digital-Analog Converter 31 Television Monitor

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. An image memory unit for storing an image signal taken by a television camera, an enlargement processing unit for controlling the size of the image signal stored in the image memory unit, and an image signal taken by the television camera. A recognition unit that recognizes a specific image, and an address that determines the enlargement ratio and the central portion of the specific image that is enlarged by the enlargement processing unit by the arithmetic processing of the image signal stored in the image memory unit and the recognition signal recognized by the recognition unit. A video telephone device comprising: a signal generator. 2. The videophone device according to claim 1, wherein the enlargement processing unit is provided with an enlargement limiting unit for limiting the enlargement of the specific image.