JPH06276515A - Video conference picture control system - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To decrease the number of communication channels in use in the video conference picture connection control system. CONSTITUTION:A conference device 10 accommodated in and connected to an exchange 20 is provided with a control information interface section 35 outputting camera control information from an operation section of a conference terminal equipment to a desired conference terminal equipment together with picture and audio information to control a camera and a control information changeover section 36. Thus, the setting of a communication channel having been set separately every time camera control is needed conventionally is not required.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a plurality of video conference terminal devices (hereinafter referred to as a conference) including a television camera, an image display section for displaying an image captured by the camera, and an operation section for operating movement / switching of images. The present invention relates to a video conference image control method for controlling a camera image displayed on the screen of the image display unit by operating the operation unit when a terminal device) is connected to one conference device by an exchange through a subscriber line and is in a conference. .

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in a video conference image control system of this type, a conference device calls a screen of a desired conference site according to a predetermined condition (for example, a conference site with a maximum audio level) of a conference terminal device that participates in the conference. The screen is switched by displaying it. Further, the movement of the screen, that is, the control of the movement of the television camera is performed by the camera control information (operation information) input from the operation unit by calling the television camera to be controlled through the exchange.

This will be described with reference to FIGS. 5 and 6. FIG. 5 is a functional block diagram showing an example of a conventional conference terminal device, and FIG. 6 is a block connection diagram showing an example of a conventional system.

As shown in FIG. 5, the conventional conference terminal device includes a voice transmitting / receiving unit 11 including a microphone and a speaker.
The codec 12, 15, 64, the television camera 13, the image display unit 14, the switching units 61, 63, the operation unit 62, and the multiplexing units 601, 602 are provided.

The codec 12 performs analog / digital conversion on the voice information transmitted / received by the voice transmitting / receiving unit 11. The codec 15 converts the image information transmitted and received by the television camera 13 and the image display unit 14 that displays the camera image on the screen into analog / digital signals and is connected to the multiplexing unit 601. The codec 64 performs analog / digital conversion of image information similarly to the codec 15, but the multiplexing unit 60
Connected to 2.

The switching unit 61 normally sends the received image information via the codec 15 to the image display unit 14, but switches to the image information received via the codec 64 when other camera control information is transmitted. Information such as angular movement of the television camera is output to the operation unit 62. The switching unit 63 switches the control information of the own camera input from the operation unit 62 and the control information of the other camera received from the multiplexing unit 602 to the camera control unit 131 that controls the television camera 13 when receiving the information. To do.

The multiplexing unit 601 includes codecs 15, 12
Each of which is an image channel 42 and an audio channel 43
Input via each of the above, and output after being multiplexed to the subscriber line 40, and in the reverse direction, the subscriber line 40
Coded 1 by separating the multiplexed information received from
Output to 2 and 15.

The multiplexing unit 602 inputs / outputs the other camera control information 45 output from the operation unit 62 and the received image information output to the image display unit 14 via the codec 64 to the control transmission channel 46. Further, the multiplexing unit 602 inputs / outputs image information of the television camera 13 input via the codec 64 and other camera control information to be input to the camera control unit 131 via the switching unit 63 as the control reception channel 47. To do. The information input from these channels 46 and 47 is multiplexed and output to the subscriber line 40, and in the reverse direction, the multiplexed information is received and separated and output to each channel.

That is, as shown in FIG. 5, when controlling a TV camera of another conference terminal device, a line other than the subscriber line for transmitting image / voice information is transmitted to the line connection portion of the desired conference terminal device. After connecting to the destination conference terminal device by dialing or issuing a call request to the subscriber's subscriber line, the other camera control information from the operation unit 62 switches the switching unit 63 on the called side to switch the camera control unit. The image information of the called TV camera 13 is input to the image display unit 14 of the calling side.
Send up to.

Next, as shown in FIG. 6, the conference terminal devices 60A to 60C having two input / output lines are connected to the exchange bus 92 through the line interface 91 of the exchange 90, and the exchange bus 92 is a switch. An electronic switch function is realized by the control of the control unit 93. The audio mixing unit 72 of the conference device 70 is connected to the exchange bus 92 via the audio information interface unit 71 that exchanges audio information with each conference terminal device 60A to 6A.
Each of the audio information received from 0C is mixed, and this is mixed via the audio information interface unit 71 to the entire conference terminal device 60.
Send to A-60C. At this time, the voice mixing unit 72
One of the conference terminal devices 60A to 60C having the maximum voice is selected and output to the internal bus 75.

The image information interface section 73 of the conference device 70 inputs / outputs image information to / from the exchange bus 92 to / from the image switching section 74. The image switching unit 74 separates the image information received via the image information interface unit 73 for each of the originator conference terminal devices 60A to 60C, and the internal bus 75 is used.
In accordance with the instruction received via the image information interface unit 73, it is distributed to each of the conference terminal devices 60A to 60C.

The voice information interface unit 71 and the image information interface unit 73 are connected to the communication channel set by the exchange bus 92 before the start of the conference. The conference control unit 76 controls all of the conference devices 70, but receives one notification from the audio mixing unit 72 of one of the conference terminal devices 60A to 60C with the strongest voice, and instructs the image switching unit 74 to distribute the image information. To switch.

That is, the exchange 90 connects the conference terminal devices 60A to 60C participating in one conference to the one conference device 70.
To the conference terminal devices 60A to 60D, while the communication channel mainly for image / sound is set.
Calls from separate lines from each of the 60C are exchange bus 9
The two conference terminal devices are connected via the conference device 70 via the conference device 70, and the camera control information and the camera image information under the control of the camera control information are transmitted via this line.

[0014]

As described above, in the conventional video conference image control system, the conference terminal device controls the television camera of another conference terminal device to move the angle (direction and range) of the other camera. It has a communication channel for control information and is configured to selectively connect a conference terminal device that has a TV camera to control, so that each conference terminal device can be used for image / audio communication set when participating in the conference. In addition to the channels, an extra camera control channel is required for the subscriber line, and the switch control unit of the exchange is driven every time the conference terminal device having the TV camera to be controlled is called up, and the exchange bus setting procedure is required. There was a problem to do.

The present invention includes the control information for controlling the movement of the television camera at a predetermined position of the transmission format including the image / sound information transmitted / received by the conference terminal device, and the conference terminal device desired by the conference device from this control information. An object of the present invention is to provide a video conference image control system that solves the above problems by forming a communication channel that directly connects the two.

[0016]

A basic configuration of a video conference image control system according to the present invention comprises a television camera, an image display section for displaying an image captured by the camera on a screen, and an operation section for operating movement / switching of images. A camera that displays on the screen of the image display unit by operating the operation unit during a conference in which a plurality of video conference terminal devices (hereinafter, conference terminal devices) are connected to one conference device by an exchange via a subscriber line. In a video conference image control system for controlling images, a destination address of a television camera call operated by the operation unit and television camera control data are provided at a predetermined position of a transmission format including image / audio information on a subscriber line and transmitted. Including the other camera control information, and when the other camera control information is received, the own camera control information from the operation unit is transmitted. Alternatively, a video conference terminal device including a switching unit for connecting operation data included in other camera control information to the video camera control unit, and another camera included in the transmission format received from the video conference terminal device via the exchange. The control information is extracted, the other camera control information is analyzed, and the received camera control information is connected to the conference terminal device having the destination address included in the other camera control information, and the camera from this connection destination conference terminal device is connected. And a conference device for connecting an image to a conference terminal device that is a source of control information of another camera.

As a concrete configuration example of the conference terminal device in the basic configuration, a CCITT recommendation I series user network interface structure is applied to a transmission format to be transmitted on a subscriber line, and one B channel (64 kbit /
s) has a multiplexing unit for multiplexing other camera control information.

Another specific configuration example of the conference terminal device in the above basic configuration is a multiplexing unit for forming and multiplexing other camera control information in a predetermined packet format in a transmission format to be transmitted to a subscriber line. Have

Still another specific configuration example of the conference terminal device in the basic configuration has a multiplexing unit that combines the functions of the multiplexing units according to the two specific configurations.

In a concrete configuration example of the conference device in the basic configuration, only the other camera control information included in the transmission format received from the exchange is extracted and output, and the other camera control information which is designated and input is transmitted in the transmission format. Of the control information switching unit that is inserted into the predetermined position of the control information switching unit and transmitted to the exchange, and analyzes the other camera control information output by this control information switching unit, and instructs the control information switching unit where to send the other camera control information. An image switching unit that receives information from the exchange and distributes it to the conference terminal device via the exchange, and a conference control unit that instructs to connect the image information from the other camera control information destination to the other camera control information source. have.

[0021]

The video conference image control system by the above means is
Include the camera control information including the destination address that calls the TV camera you want to control in one transmission format that includes the image and audio information to be transmitted to the communication channel already set with the conference device before the conference starts. By transmitting to the subscriber line, the conferencing device that received the camera control information uses the camera control information from the calling conference terminal device and the image information to the calling conference terminal device on the communication channel to the connection destination conference terminal device. Can be connected.

[0022]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Next, the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

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

As shown in FIG. 1, the conference terminal devices 10A to 10A.
Each of the 10Cs is accommodated in the line interface section 21 of the exchange 20 through one channel of the subscriber line 40. The transmission format on the subscriber line 40 is C
The primary group B channel interface of the user network interface structure of the CITT recommendation I series is applied.

A line interface unit 21, interface units 31, 33 and 35 of the conference apparatus 30, and a switch control unit 23 are connected to the exchange bus 22 of the exchange 20. The switch control unit 23 has an exchange switch function for controlling the time slot allocation on the exchange bus 22. For example, the conference terminal device 10A participating in one conference
-10C, under the control of the switch control unit 23 that receives the conference call, one conference device 30 via the exchange bus 22.
A communication channel for connecting to is set and a conference connection is made. That is, a predetermined time slot on the exchange bus 22 is set as a fixed communication channel assigned to each of the conference terminal devices 10A to 10C.

The conference device 30 has a voice information interface unit 31, a voice mixing unit 32, an image information interface unit 33, an image switching unit 34, a newly added control information interface unit 35, and a control which are almost the same as the conventional one. It has an information switching unit 36 and a conference control unit 37. The conference control unit 37 is connected to the audio mixing unit 32, the image switching unit 34, and the control information switching unit 36 via the internal bus 38.

The image switching unit 34 receives from the conference control unit 37,
When a switching instruction other than the audio level switching instruction is received, the communication channel is set according to this instruction. The control information interface unit 35 and the control information switching unit 36 will be described later together with the conference control unit 37 with reference to FIG.

FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram showing an example of the conference terminal device 10 of FIG. In FIG. 2, the same components as those of FIG. 5 of the conventional configuration are given the same reference numerals and the description thereof will be omitted.

The operation unit 16 of the conference terminal device 10 transmits the operation data to the terminal control unit 17. The terminal controller 17
The D channel 44 is connected to the multiplexing unit 100, and the camera control information (for example, the coded information of rotating 15 degrees left) from the operation unit 16 is transmitted to the switching unit 18.

The switching unit 18 uses the camera control information from the terminal control unit 17 to control the camera control unit 13 in the case of own camera control.
Input to 1. In the case of other camera control, the camera control information is transferred to the code conversion unit 19 and the camera control information from the code conversion unit 19 is input to the camera control unit 131. The code conversion unit 19 connects the switching unit 18 to the multiplexing unit 100 via the camera control channel 41.

The multiplexer 100 multiplexes the camera control channel 41, the image channel 42, the audio channel 43 and the D channel 44 into a transmission format according to the interface structure of the CCITT recommendation series user network, and the subscriber line 40. And send it to
Each channel is separated from the multiplexing format received from the subscriber line 40 and output to each section.

FIG. 3 is a transmission format diagram showing an example of an information array on the subscriber line. The transmission format of FIG. 3 applies the primary group B channel interface of the CCITT Recommendation I series user network interface structure. One of the 24B channels is a camera control channel 41 by one B channel (64 kbit / s) that carries camera control information, next is an image channel 42 by 21B channel of image information, and the next one last B channel is audio that carries audio information. A channel 43 and a D channel 44 of a signal channel or a packet information channel are arranged at the end.

Interface portions 31 and 3 of each information shown in FIG.
Reference numerals 3 and 35 are connected to respective time slots of the channels of the transmission format of FIG. 3 which run on the exchange bus 22, and are further connected for each transmission format set for each conference terminal device participating in the conference.

The camera control channel 41 carrying the camera control information may be any one B channel of the 24B channels, but one B channel may be used for multiplexing other control information. In addition to the control information for operating the movement of the TV camera, the camera control information includes the destination address of the TV camera of the connection destination that you want to control without fail, and the address of the conference terminal device of the sender is not included in the camera control information. Even if it is found by the time slot position on the exchange bus.

Further, the camera control information can be changed to CCIT, for example.
When it is formed into one packet according to the T Recommendation X series, the camera control information has a source address, which is effective for packet transmission. The packet protocol is expanded to control not only camera control but also screen switching between multiple points. It becomes easy to expand the service.

FIG. 4 is a functional block diagram showing an example of partial details of the conference device 30 of FIG. The control information switching unit 36 has three conference terminal device capacities of the extraction distribution unit 51, the information relay units 52A to 52C, and the information insertion unit 53.

The control information interface unit 35 is connected to the camera control channel among the transmission formats of the three conference terminal devices participating in the conference on the exchange bus 22 under the control of the switch control unit 23, and is connected to the extraction distribution unit. 51
And the information insertion unit 53 inputs the information.

The extraction / distribution unit 51 extracts the camera control information from each of the three transmission formats corresponding to each of the three conference terminal devices, and the information relay units 52A to 52C.
To the internal bus 38 via each of the above.

Each of the information relay units 52A to 52C has
The conference terminal device 60A connected to the conference device before the conference starts
˜60 C corresponding to each of the camera control channels on the exchange bus 22, the extraction distribution unit 51 and the information insertion unit 53.
Set the communication channel to connect via. The information inserting unit 53 inserts the respective outputs of the three information relaying units 52A to 52C into predetermined time slot positions of the three transmission formats on the switching bus 22 corresponding thereto.

The conference control unit 37 reads the destination address which is the connection destination from the camera control information on the internal bus 38, and the conference terminal device (for example) 1 having the TV camera to be controlled.
The communication channel of the camera control information to the information relay unit 52A corresponding to the originator conference terminal device (for example) 10A is set and transferred to the information relay unit 52B corresponding to 0B.
Almost at the same time, the conference controller 37 sets the destination address as the image information from the conference terminal device 10B and the conference terminal device 10 as the transmission source.
The image switching unit 34 is also instructed to connect to A.

Although the control information is described as the camera control information in this embodiment, one B channel may include the camera control information and other control information. The image information switching unit has the same configuration and function as the control information switching unit, and is controlled by the conference control unit.

The transmission format on the subscriber line has been described by applying the CCITT Recommendation I series.
The packet switching by the X series may be applied, or a mixed method may be used.

[0043]

As described above, according to the video conference image control system of the present invention, the transmission format transmitted from the conference terminal device to the subscriber's line is transmitted to the destination address for calling the television camera to be controlled together with the image / audio information. By transmitting as camera control information including operation data for operating the TV camera, the conference device receiving this camera control information extracts the source and destination addresses to form both communication channels. ,
In addition to the communication channel for transferring information during the conference, a communication channel dedicated to camera control can be eliminated on the subscriber line.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block connection diagram showing an embodiment of a television camera image control system of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram showing an example of partial details of FIG.

FIG. 3 is a transmission format diagram showing an example of information arrangement on a subscriber line.

4 is a functional block diagram showing an example of partial details of the conference device in FIG. 1. FIG.

FIG. 5 is a functional block diagram showing a conventional example.

FIG. 6 is a block connection diagram showing a conventional example.

[Explanation of symbols]

 10 conference terminal device 13 TV camera 14 image display unit 18 switching unit 20 switching device 30 conference device 36 control information switching unit 37 conference control unit 38 internal bus 51 extraction distribution unit 52 information relay unit 53 information insertion unit

Claims (5)

[Claims] 1. A plurality of video conference terminal devices each comprising a television camera, an image display unit for displaying an image captured by the camera on a screen, and an operation unit for operating movement / switching of images are exchanged by a switch via a subscriber line. In a video conference image control system in which a camera image displayed on the screen of the image display unit is controlled by operating the operation unit during a conference by connecting to two conference devices, the information of the image and voice is included on the subscriber line. When the other camera control information is received, and the multiplexing unit for inserting the other camera control information including the destination address of the TV camera call operated by the operation unit and the TV camera control data at the predetermined position of the transmission format to be transmitted. A switching unit for switching the own camera control information from the operation unit and connecting the operation data included in the other camera control information to the TV camera control unit. Video conferencing terminal device, and other camera control information included in the transmission format received from the video conferencing terminal device via the exchange, and the other camera control information is analyzed to receive the other camera control information. While connecting to the video conference terminal device of the destination address included in the camera control information, the camera image from the video conference terminal device of the connection destination is transmitted to the video conference terminal device of the source of the other camera control information. A video conferencing image control system, comprising: 2. The video conference terminal device applies the CCITT recommended I-series user network interface structure to a transmission format transmitted on a subscriber line, and controls another camera for one B channel (64 kbit / s). The video conference image control system according to claim 1, further comprising a multiplexing unit that multiplexes information. 3. The video conference terminal device has a multiplexing section for forming and multiplexing other camera control information in a predetermined packet format in a transmission format to be transmitted on a subscriber line. The video conference image control system according to claim 1. 4. The multiplexing unit of the videoconference terminal device has a function of forming another camera control information in a predetermined packet format and multiplexing the transmission format to be transmitted on the subscriber line. The video conference image control system according to claim 2, characterized in that: 5. The conferencing device extracts and outputs only the other camera control information included in the transmission format received from the exchange, and inserts the designated and input other camera control information into a predetermined position of the transmission format. The control information switching unit that transmits the control information to the exchange, and analyzes the other camera control information output by the control information switching unit to instruct the control information switching unit where to send the other camera control information, and also receives the image information from the exchange. The image switching unit to be distributed to the video conference terminal device via the exchange has a conference control unit for instructing to connect the image information from the other camera control information destination to the other camera control information source. The video conference image control system according to claim 1, characterized in that.