JPH066787A - Video conference device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To transmit one screen of a video signal picking up the image by two video cameras, to separate it by a receiver and to make the normal display of it as the normal screen structure on two monitor televisions. CONSTITUTION:A writing control section 5 makes one screen of the video signal by thinning the video signal other than the center of the screen of each video signal obtained from video cameras 1 and 2 and writing it in a picture memory 6 as well as the center part. This one screen of the video signal is transferred through a reading control section 7, line interface 8, line 9, line interface 10 to a picture memory 11. A picture correction section 12 magnifies the thinned and reduced part of each video signal of the video cameras 1 and 2 into the original size to make it the size of one screen and writes it in a picture memory 13. A reading control section 14 reads out 0118 screen of the video cameras 1 and 2 written in the picture memory 13 and outputs them to monitor televisions 15 and 16.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a video conference apparatus for conducting a conference by transmitting video and audio to each other, and more particularly to a display screen configuration of a receiving side monitor television when used by a large number of people.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, when a video conference with about 6 attendees is held on one side using a video conference apparatus of this type, one video camera on the transmission side captures images of all six people on the reception side. When I try to project it on one monitor television,
There was a problem that the face of each attendee became too small and the other attendee could not be seen clearly. Therefore, in order to solve such a problem, as shown in FIG. 3, two TV cameras 51 and 52 are used to image three of each of the six attendees and the two obtained The screens are combined into one screen by the switch 53, and then transmitted to the receiving side. Here, the sync separation circuit 54 performs an operation of separating the sync signal output from the television camera 51 and generating a sync signal for the television camera 52 based on this sync signal. The signals shown in FIGS. 4A and 4B are vertical video signals obtained from the television cameras 51 and 52.
As shown in FIG. 4C, a signal corresponding to the central portion of the screen surrounded by the broken lines of these two types of video signals switches the switch 53 to the terminals a and b at a predetermined timing. It is synthesized as a video signal for one screen. It should be noted that the sync separation circuit 54 shown in FIG. 3 is used for the TV camera 52 so that the central portion of the video signals output from the two TV cameras 51 and 52 is continuous in time in both cameras. A synchronization signal shall be generated. The signal thus synthesized as a video signal for one screen is transmitted to the receiving side via one transmission path.

On the other hand, on the receiving side, an image separating device as shown in FIG. 5 is used to separate the received image signal for one screen into image signals for two screens. That is, the line interface 6
The video signal received by 1 is once input to the image memory 62. Next, the read control unit 63 first sets the switch 6
After 41 is turned on, a video signal captured by the television camera 51 shown in FIG. 3 is read from the image memory 62 and output to the video processing section 65 via the switch 641. The video processing unit 65 converts the input video signal into a video signal for one screen and outputs it to the monitor television 66. Next, the read control unit 63 turns off the switch 641 and turns on the switch 642, and then the image memory 6
The video signal corresponding to the image picked up by the television camera 52 shown in FIGS. 2 to 3 is read out and output to the video processing section 67 via the switch 642. The video processing unit 67 converts the input video signal into a video signal for one screen and outputs it to the monitor television 68. By such an operation, image display as shown in FIG. 6 is performed on the two monitor televisions 66 and 68.

If such a method is adopted, it seems as if one screen of transmission of video signals for two screens is carried out, but in reality, as shown in FIG. Then, it has an unnatural screen structure in which only the middle part B is projected as an image. The reason for this is that when the number of scanning lines of the video part B projected on each of the two monitor televisions 66 and 68 in FIG. 6 is added, the scanning lines constitute one screen. It seems that two screens have been transmitted, but actually only one screen of video information is transmitted. As a result, as shown in FIG. 6, the upper and lower edges a of the display screens of the monitor televisions 66 and 68 have no image, which causes a discomfort to the conference participants on the receiving side who sees the images.

[0005]

In the conventional video conference apparatus as described above, the video signal corresponding to the central portion of the screen of the video signals picked up by the two TV cameras is extracted, and the extracted video signal for one screen is extracted. And send it to the receiving side, and the receiving side separates the received video signal into 2 screens and 2
Since it was projected on one monitor television, the upper and lower end portions of the two monitor televisions had no image, and the image of the conferee on the transmitting side was projected only on the central portion, resulting in an unnatural screen configuration. There is a drawback in that the conference on the receiving side who sees this feels uncomfortable.

In view of the above, the present invention eliminates the above-mentioned drawbacks and transmits the video signals picked up by two television cameras as one screen, and the receiving side separates the transmitted video signals into two units. It is an object of the present invention to provide a video conference device capable of displaying a normal screen configuration on a monitor television.

[0007]

The video conference apparatus of the present invention includes first and second television cameras for picking up an image of a subject to obtain a video signal, and each of the first and second television cameras. The transmitting side includes a signal synthesizing unit that reduces one portion of the video signal for one screen to synthesize the video signal for one screen, and a transmitting unit that transmits the video signal for one screen obtained by the signal synthesizing unit. And a receiving means for receiving the video signal transmitted from the transmitting side, and a reduced portion of the video signal for one screen received by the receiving means is enlarged to the original size to obtain two screens. The receiving side is provided with a correcting means for returning to a video signal and a first and a second monitor television for projecting each one screen of the video signal for two screens obtained by the correcting means.

[0008]

In the video conference apparatus of the present invention, the first and second TV cameras on the transmitting side pick up an image of a subject to obtain a video signal. The signal synthesizing means reduces one portion of the video signal for each one screen obtained from the first and second television cameras to reduce the size to 1
It is combined with the video signal for the screen. The transmitting means transmits the video signal for one screen obtained by the signal synthesizing means. The receiving means on the receiving side receives the video signal transmitted from the transmitting side. The correcting means enlarges the reduced portion of the video signal for one screen received by the receiving means to the original size and restores the video signal for two screens. The first and second monitor televisions respectively project one screen of the two screens of video signals obtained by the correction means.

[0009]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of a video conference apparatus of the present invention. 1 is a video camera that captures half of the video conference participants on the transmitting side, 2 is a video camera that captures the other half of the video conference participants on the transmitting side, and 3 is a digital signal that is a video signal input from the video camera 1. A / D converter for converting, 4 is an A / D converter for converting a video signal input from the TV camera 2 into a digital signal, 5
Is a writing control unit that writes the video signals input from the A / D converters 3 and 4 into the image memory 6 by a predetermined method, 6 is an image memory that stores the video signals combined for one screen, and 7 is an image A read control unit for reading the video signal written in the memory 6, and 8 for reading the video signal input from the read control unit 7
A line interface for sending to a line 9 such as an SDN network, 9
Is a line for transmitting a video signal, 11 is a line interface for receiving the video signal on the line 9, 11 is an image memory for storing the video signal received by the line interface 10, and 12 is a video signal read from the image memory 11. An image correction unit which writes the image signal corrected by the image correction unit 12 again after being corrected, an image memory 13 which stores the video signal corrected by the image correction unit 12, and a video signal 14 for the monitor televisions 15 and 16 from the image memory 13 Read-out control section for reading out and outputting to monitor televisions 15 and 1,
Reference numerals 5 and 16 are monitor televisions for displaying the received video information.

Next, the operation of this embodiment will be described. The television camera 1 outputs to the A / D converter 3 a video signal obtained by imaging half of the conference participants on the transmission side. The television camera 2 outputs to the A / D converter 4 a video signal obtained by imaging the remaining half of the conference participants on the transmission side. The writing control unit 5 writes the video signals output from the A / D converters 3 and 4 in the image memory 6 according to a predetermined method described below.
Here, FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of a memory map of the image memory 6. In the figure, a is a demarcation line of the storage area of the video signals obtained from the two TV cameras 1 and 2, 0 to b are areas where the video signals on the side of the TV camera 1 in which the number of scanning lines is reduced are stored, and b to c is an area for storing the video signal on the side of the television camera 1 where the number of scanning lines is not reduced, c to a is an area for storing an image signal on the side of the television camera 1 for which the number of scanning lines is reduced, a to a b'is an area for storing the video signal on the side of the television camera 2 with the reduced scanning line number, and b'-c 'is an area for storing the video signal on the side of the television camera 2 without the reduction of the scanning line number. , C ′ to a ′ are areas where the video signals on the side of the television camera 2 with the reduced number of scanning lines are stored.
For the image memory 6 having such a memory map, the writing control unit 5 first obtains the first image obtained from the television camera 1.
The first pixel A of the line is written in the upper left corner of the 0-b area of FIG. 2, and the first pixel B of the first line obtained from the television camera 2 is then written in the upper left corner of the ab 'area of FIG. Write in. Hereinafter, the second pixel C of the first line of the television camera 1,
The second pixel D of the first line of the TV camera 2 is written as shown, and as a result, the first pixel obtained from the TV camera 1 or 2 is written.
When the writing of the video signal of the line to the image memory 6 is completed, the process shifts to the writing of the video signal of the second line obtained from the television cameras 1 and 2, but in this example, it is obtained from both cameras 1 and 2. Since the video signals of the second to fourth lines are thinned out, these video signals are not written in the image memory 6. Therefore, next, the writing control unit 5 writes the first pixel E of the fifth line obtained from the television camera 1 below the pixel A as shown in FIG. The first pixel F is written below the pixel B as shown in FIG. In this way, the upper portion of the screen of the video signal output from the television cameras 1 and 2 is thinned out to the areas 0 to b and a to b'of the image memory 6 (1 /
Written (reduced to 5). For example, assuming that the number of scanning lines for one screen is 240, the number of scanning lines of the video signal corresponding to the upper portion is 75, but the image memory 6 is reduced to 15 scanning lines by the thinning operation. Will be written.

The video signal in the central portion of the screen following the upper portion is written in the image memory 6 as it is without thinning out both video signals of the television cameras 1 and 2, and the number of scanning lines at that time is 90. That is, the writing control unit 5 writes the first pixel G of the 76th line of the television camera 1 in the upper left end portion of the region b to c in FIG.
The first pixel H of 6 lines is written in the upper left end portion of the area of b'to c'in FIG. In this way, the pixels up to the 165th line of the video signals of the television cameras 1 and 2 are b shown in FIG.
The data is written in the .about.c area and the b'.about.c 'area without thinning. Next, the writing control unit 5 reduces the area from the 166th line, which is the lower part of the video signals obtained from the television cameras 1 and 2 to the last 240th line, to ⅕ to reduce the area from c to a in FIG. And c ′ to a ′. In this way, the line of the video signal written in the image memory 6 is 1
75/5 + 90 + 75/5 = 1 per TV camera
Since there are 20 lines, which is for two units, in the end, 240 image signals for one screen are written in the image memory 6.

The read control unit 7 sequentially reads the areas 0 to a'of the image memory 6 from the beginning to form a video signal for one screen, and outputs this to the line interface 8. The line interface 8 sends the input video signal onto the line 9. After receiving the video signal on the line 9, the line interface 10 on the receiving side writes the received video signal in the image memory 11 as it is in the order of reception. As a result, the same video signal as that shown in FIG. 2 is transferred to the image memory 11.

Next, the image correction unit 12 sets 0 in the image memory 11.
~ The pixels written in the area b are read out, a correction operation is performed to restore the lines thinned out on the transmitting side based on the lines read out at that time, and finally 15 lines are read out, It is converted into a book line and written in the image memory 13. After that, the image correction unit 12 reads out the video signal written in the areas b to c of the image memory 11, but does nothing to the video signal in this area and continues to write in the image memory 13 as it is. . Further, the image correction unit 12 reads out the pixels written in the areas c to a of the image memory 11 and performs a correction operation for restoring the line thinned out on the transmission side based on the line read at that time. After that, 15 lines are read out, converted into 75 lines, and written in the image memory 13. Similarly, the image correction unit 12 uses a to a of the image memory 11
The video signal written in the area b'for 15 lines is read out, converted into 75 lines, and converted into the image memory 1.
Continue writing to 3. Next, the image correction unit 12 reads out the video signal written in the areas b ′ to a ′ of the image memory 11, and continuously writes it in the image memory 13 as it is. In addition, the image correction unit 12 uses the image memory 11
The video signals written in the areas c'to e are read for 15 lines, converted into 75 lines, and continuously written in the image memory 13. As a result, the video signal of 240 lines on the television camera 1 side and the video signal of 240 lines on the television camera 2 side are written in the image memory 13. The read control unit 14 is the image memory 1
The video signal of 240 lines on the side of the television camera 1 is read from 3 and output to the monitor television 15, and the video signal of 240 lines on the side of the television camera 2 is read and output to the monitor television 16. As a result, the video of half of the conference participants on the transmitting side is displayed on the entire screen on the monitor television 15, and the image of the remaining half of the conference participants on the transmitting side is also displayed on the entire screen on the monitor television 16.

According to this embodiment, the video signals obtained from the TV cameras 1 and 2 are thinned out except for the central portion of the screen of the video signals obtained from the TV cameras 1 and 2. On the receiving side that receives the transmitted video signal, the video signal portion that has been thinned out and reduced in the received video signal for one screen is sent to the original side. The video signals on the side of the television cameras 1 and 2 are restored to the video signals for one screen by expanding the size, and then the video signals are returned to the monitor televisions 15 and 16.
Since the images are displayed on the monitor televisions 15, 16, the images displayed on the monitor televisions 15 and 16 can have a natural screen configuration in which the upper and lower parts are not missing, and there is an advantage that the conference participants on the receiving side do not feel uncomfortable. is there.

In the above embodiment, when thinning out the scanning lines,
Although simple thinning is performed, thinning may be performed by using a line conversion technique of obtaining one line by an arithmetic operation from two scanning lines, and the line density is sequentially reduced from the center of the screen to the upper and lower ends. The same effect can be obtained by using the thinning-out technique.

[0016]

As described above, according to the video conference apparatus of the present invention, video signals picked up by two TV cameras are transmitted as one screen, and the transmitted video signals are separated on the receiving side. As a result, a normal screen configuration can be displayed on the two monitor televisions.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of a video conference device of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a memory map example of the image memory shown in FIG.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a configuration example of a transmitting side of a conventional video conference apparatus.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a procedure for synthesizing video signals obtained from two television cameras by the device shown in FIG.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a configuration example of a receiving side of a conventional video conference apparatus.

6 is a diagram showing an example of a screen structure projected on the monitor television shown in FIG.

[Explanation of symbols]

1, 2 ... Cameras 3, 4 ... A / D converter 5 ... Write controller 6, 11, 13 ...
Image memory 7, 14 ... Read control unit 8, 10 ... Line interface 9 ... Line 12 ... Image correction unit 15, 16 ... Monitor television

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A first image pickup device for obtaining an image signal of a subject,
A second television camera, a signal synthesizing means for reducing one portion of each video signal for one screen obtained from the first and second television cameras, and synthesizing it into a video signal for one screen, and this signal. The transmitting side is provided with transmitting means for transmitting the video signal for one screen obtained by the synthesizing means, and the receiving means for receiving the video signal transmitted from the transmitting side, and the receiving means for receiving 1 Correction means for expanding the reduced portion of the video signal for the screen to the original size to restore the video signal for two screens, and projecting each one screen of the video signal for the two screens obtained by the correction means. A video conferencing apparatus comprising a first and a second monitor television set on the receiving side.