JPH0636594B2 - TV phone - Google Patents

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a television phone, and more particularly, to a relationship between image data captured by a television camera and image data displayed on the image display device. The present invention relates to a video phone considered from the user side.

[Prior Art] FIG. 6 is an external view showing a conventional videophone, in which (1) is a videophone main body (hereinafter abbreviated as main body), and (2) is a main body (1). The television camera (2) has a light-receiving surface provided on the front surface (3) of the main body (1). (4) is a CRT display as an image display device incorporated in the main body (1), and this CRT display (4) is image data taken by a TV camera (2) of its own, or a TV of a communication partner. The image data transmitted from the telephone through the telephone line is displayed, and its display surface is provided on the front surface (3) of the main body (1). (5) are various operation buttons provided on the front surface (3) of the main body (1).

FIG. 7 is a block diagram showing the internal configuration of the video telephone. In FIG. 7, (11) is an image control unit, and this image control unit (11) is image data taken by the television camera (2). The image data read from the image memory (12) is subjected to a predetermined process, and the processed image data is supplied to the CRT display (4) for display and is also supplied to the image memory (12) for storage.

(13) is a group of various switches that are opened and closed by various operation buttons (5), and (14) is a microcomputer (hereinafter,
This microcomputer (14) is based on a switch signal from the switch group (13), and this microcomputer (14) transmits image data from the image control unit (11) to the image transmission unit (15).
And vice versa, the image data is derived from the image transmission unit (15) to the image control unit (11).

Reference numeral (16) is a line interface for selectively connecting the image transmission section (15) and the telephone set (17) to the telephone line (18), and (19) is a power source as a power source for the above-mentioned respective sections. Here, the image control unit (11) and the microcomputer (1
The image processing unit (20) is constituted by 4).

Next, the operation will be described. The image data of the self-portrait projected by the television camera (2) is stored in the image controller (1
The image is taken in by 1), inverted by the command of the microcomputer (14) by the switch signal from the switch group (13), and displayed as a mirror image on the CRT display (4).

That is, the face of the user who faces the main body (1) is projected by the television camera (2) as a face-to-face image (the face of the other person as seen from the other party), which is normally displayed on the CRT display (4) as it is. , It is very unnatural to be used to a self-portrait in a mirror.
Therefore, it is necessary to display as a mirror image on the CRT display (4), and the reverse display is performed.

In addition, image data captured by the television camera (2) other than itself and transmitted from the other party via the telephone line, the line interface (16), and the image transmission unit (1).
5), the image data input to the image control unit (11) via the microcomputer (14) is directly displayed on the CRT display (4) as a facing image without being inverted.

On the other hand, when the image data of the self-portrait photographed by the TV camera (2) is transmitted to the other party of the call, the image data from the TV camera (2) is temporarily sent to the image memory (12) via the image control unit (11). ).

The image data read from the image memory (12) is sent to the other party via the image control unit (11), the microcomputer (14), the image transmission unit (15), the line interface (16) and the telephone line (18). It is transmitted and displayed as a face-to-face image on the CRT display (4) of the other party.

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] Since the conventional videophone is configured as described above, if not only the person's face but also another subject such as a snap of a child who is playing is to be photographed. Since the TV camera is integrated into the TV phone body, it is necessary to move the TV camera body to match the freely moving target subject, and it is quite difficult to point the TV camera to the target subject. There was a problem that was accompanied.

The present invention has been made to solve the above-described problems, and it is not necessary to move the main body of the TV phone, the TV camera can be easily aimed at the target subject, and the self-portrait can be displayed as a mirror image. The purpose is to obtain a TV-phone that can display a face-to-face image other than the self-portrait.

[Means for Solving the Problems] A video telephone according to the present invention includes a television camera connected to a video telephone main body by a signal cable and detachably accommodated in the video telephone main body, and the television camera provided in the telephone main body. A storage unit that stores the image data, a detection unit that detects whether or not the television camera is stored in the storage unit of the videophone main body, and an image memory that stores image data indicating an image captured by the television camera. An image display unit that displays an image based on the image data; and when the detection unit detects that the TV camera is housed in the main body of the videophone, the image data captured by the TV camera is displayed. The information and the image indicating that the image is a mirror image are displayed on the image display means as a mirror image by performing the inversion process. And data is stored in the image memory, when it is detected that is not stored in reverse, with displays on the image display unit as opposed image the image data photographed by a television camera,
When information indicating that the image is a face-to-face image and the image data are stored in the image memory and the image is displayed on the image display means based on the image data on the image memory,
An image processing unit for displaying the image data on the image display means as a mirror image or a facing image based on the information stored in the image memory.

[Operation] In the present invention, the television camera is detachably housed in the telephone body, and the housing state of the television camera is detected by the detecting means. The image processing unit stores necessary information on the image memory together with the image data based on the result of the detection by the detecting unit.

First, when the detection means detects that the TV camera is housed in the main body of the TV phone, the subject photographed by the TV camera can be regarded as the speaker of the TV phone. In this case, the image processing unit performs an inversion process on the image data captured by the television camera and displays it on the image display means as a mirror image. On the other hand, information and image data indicating that this image is a mirror image is stored in the image memory in response to, for example, an instruction from a speaker by a button operation. For example, the flag is turned on and the flag is stored in the image memory.

Further, when the detection unit detects that the TV camera is not housed in the TV camera body, the image captured by the TV camera can be regarded as an image of a person other than the speaker. In this case, the image processing unit causes the image display means to display the image data captured by the television camera as a facing image. On the other hand, the image processing unit stores information indicating that the image is a face-to-face image in the image memory together with the image data in response to, for example, a button operation by a speaker. For example, the flag is turned off.

For example, in the case of displaying an image on the image display means based on the image data on the image memory according to the button operation of the speaker,
The image processing unit causes the display to be executed according to the information stored in the image memory together with the image data. When the image indicates that it is a mirror image, the image data stored in the image memory is an image taken while the TV camera is stored in the main body of the TV phone, that is, data indicating the image of the speaker. Can be considered to be. In this case, the image processing section causes the image display means to display a mirror image based on the image data. Conversely, the information on the image memory is
When the image indicates that the image is a face-to-face image, the image data existing in the image memory can be regarded as data relating to the image captured by a person other than the speaker. In this case, the image processing unit causes the image display means to display the image as a facing image.

As described above, in the present invention, when an image is displayed by taking a picture with the TV camera that is provided so as to be housed in the TV phone body, the image is displayed depending on whether or not the TV camera is housed in the TV phone body. Since it is selected whether the image to be displayed is a mirror image or a face-to-face image, when the TV camera is detached from the main body and used, the state of the subject seen by the speaker can be directly displayed as a face-to-face image. On the other hand, when the television camera is housed in the main body and the speaker is being photographed, the inverted mirror image can be displayed.

[Embodiment] An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. In FIG. 1 in which the same parts as those in FIG.
A television camera (6) is formed separately from the main body (1), and is configured to be detachably accommodated in a camera accommodating portion (7) having an opening on the front surface of the main body (1).
(8) is a signal cable transmitted to the image control unit in the image data body (1) taken by the television camera (6),
It is formed in a spiral shape so that it can expand and contract.

A detection stage (9) for detecting whether or not the television camera (6) is housed on the inner wall of the camera housing section (7).
Is provided. Detection means in this embodiment (9)
Is composed of a light receiving element (9a) and a light emitting element (not shown) which are arranged to face each other, and whether the light from the light emitting element to the light receiving element is blocked by the television camera (6). The presence or absence of the television camera (6) is detected by.

Next, the operation of the above-described embodiment will be described.

Since the internal structure of the main body (1) is the same as the conventional one,
The operation will be described with reference to FIG. Usually, when you want to display and send your own face, you can use the TV camera (6).
Is used in a state of being housed in the camera housing section (7) of the main body (1).

When the TV camera (6) is housed in the camera housing section (7), the detection means (9) detects the TV camera “present” by blocking the light reaching the light receiving element (9a), and the main body An instruction to invert (mirror image) the image data is given to the microcomputer (14) of (1).

The image control unit (11) performs an inversion process on the image data of the self-portrait photographed by the television camera (6) based on an instruction from the microcomputer (14) to invert the image data, and the image data is displayed on the CRT. Display as a mirror image on the display (4).

Next, a TV camera (6) to capture subjects other than yourself
When the device is removed from the main body (1), the detection means (9) detects the absence of the television camera by the light from the light emitting element entering the light receiving element (9a), and the image data is not inverted to the microcomputer (14). Give instructions.

As a result, the image control unit (11) causes the microcomputer (14)
TV camera (6) based on the instructions without reversal from
The image data other than the self-portrait photographed in (1) is displayed on the CRT display (4) as the same facing image as the subject seen by the self.

On the other hand, the image data of the subject photographed by the television camera (6) is transferred to the microcomputer (14), the image transmission unit (15),
When the image data is transmitted to the other party via the line interface (16) and the line (18), the image data is transmitted without being inverted regardless of whether the subject is a self-portrait or a self-portrait. Therefore, it is displayed as a face-to-face image on the CRT display of the other party.

Figure 2 shows the image data output from the TV camera (6), the display status of its own CRT display, and the transmission to the other party when the TV camera (6) is attached to or removed from the main body (1). Image data to be transmitted and image data transmitted from the other party of the call are compared with each other. As is clear from this table, image data of a self-portrait photographed with the TV camera (6) attached to the main body (1). Only the image is inverted and displayed as a mirror image.

FIG. 3 is a flow chart showing the operation when the image data taken by the television camera (6) is stored in the image memory (12).

In FIG. 3, when photographing a subject (step ST1),
It is detected whether or not the television camera (6) is attached to the main body (1) (step ST2), and if so, the moving image flag area (1) of the image register (10) shown in FIG.
0a) sets a moving image flag (step ST3). Therefore, the image data displayed on the CRT display (4) is a mirror image of the left and right sides (step ST4).

When the television camera (6) is removed from the main body (1), the moving image flag does not stand (step ST7), and C
The image data displayed on the RT delay becomes a normal face-to-face image (step ST8).

When the TV camera (6) is attached to the main body (1) and the memory store operation of the captured image data is performed, a flag is set in the marking area (10b) of the image register (10) and then to the image memory (12). It is normally stored (not a mirror image) (steps ST5, ST6, ST11).

When the TV camera (6) is detached from the main body (1) and the memory store operation of the captured image data is performed, the marking area (10b) is normally stored in the image memory (12) without setting a flag. (Step ST
9, ST10, ST11).

In FIG. 5, first, a read button (not shown) is pressed (steps ST12 and ST13). Microcomputer (14)
Receives the read button signal, the image register (10)
Check the presence or absence of a flag in the marking area (10b) of
If the flag is set (step ST14), the image data is temporarily read out from the image memory (12), the image data is re-inserted into an open area in the image memory (12) as a mirror image, and the mirror image is read out to read the CRT display (4). It is displayed above (step ST15).

If there is no flag in the marking area (10b), the image data is read from the image memory (12) and the image data is directly used as the facing image on the CRT display (4).
It is displayed above (step ST16).

Although the detecting means (9) is composed of the light receiving element and the light emitting element in the above embodiment, the detecting means (9) may be a contact type such as a micro switch.

[Effects of the Invention] As described above, according to the present invention, the TV camera can be housed in the main body and the housed state of the TV camera can be detected. It becomes possible to set. That is,
A mirror image can be displayed on the image display means when the television camera is stored in the main body, and conversely, a face-to-face image can be displayed when the television camera is not stored. When the image data obtained by the TV camera is stored in the image memory, information indicating that the image is a mirror image or a face-to-face image is stored together with the image data when the TV camera is stored in the main body of the TV phone. Therefore, when the image data stored in the image memory is called and displayed on the image display means, it is possible to easily determine whether it is a mirror image or a face-to-face image.
Of course, the face-to-face image can be displayed on the image display means based on the image data supplied through the telephone line.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is an external view showing a videophone according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is image data output from the TV camera and a CRT display of itself when a TV camera is attached to and detached from the main body. Of FIG. 3, image data transmitted to the other party of the call, image data transmitted from the other party of the call, and FIG. 3 are flowcharts showing the operation when the image data taken by the television camera is stored in the memory. Fig. 4 is a model diagram of the image register,
FIG. 5 is a flow chart showing the operation of reading out the image data stored in the memory, FIG. 6 is an external view showing a conventional video telephone, and FIG. 7 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the conventional video telephone. In the figure, (1) is the main body, (4) is the image display means (C
(RT display), (6) is a television camera, (8) is a signal cable, (9) is a detection means, (12) is an image memory, and (20) is an image processing unit. In the drawings, the same reference numerals indicate the same or corresponding parts.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A television camera connected to a main body of a video telephone by a signal cable and detachably accommodated in the main body of the television telephone; a storage portion provided in the main body of the telephone for accommodating the television camera; Detecting means for detecting whether or not the image is stored in the storage unit of the videophone main body, image memory for storing image data showing an image taken by the television camera, and image display for displaying an image based on the image data Means and the detecting means detects that the television camera is housed in the main body of the television telephone, the image data photographed by the television camera is inverted and displayed on the image display means as a mirror image. In addition, the information indicating that the image is a mirror image and the image data are stored in the image memory, and conversely stored. When it is detected that not, with displays on the image display unit as opposed image the image data photographed by a television camera,
When information indicating that the image is a face-to-face image and the image data are stored in the image memory and the image is displayed on the image display means based on the image data on the image memory,
A video telephone comprising an image processing unit for displaying image data as a mirror image or a face-to-face image on the image display means based on the information in the image memory.