JPH07203405A - Image communication terminal equipment - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To automatically adjust an initial setting value of a display window size at each point to be displayed on a display section depending on number of connected terminal equipments in a multi-point video conference terminal equipment in which video conference is held simultaneously among multi-points. CONSTITUTION:A connection terminal number detection section 11aa detects number of terminal equipments connected from a received frame and provides an output to a system control section 10. A window size automatic adjustment section 10a of the system control section 10 decides a display window size at each point in response to number of connected terminal equipments based on the number of terminal equipments received from the connection terminal number detection section 11aa and gives a command to a video output interface section 3b, in which a picture at each point is displayed on a display section 2 based on the window size decided by the window size automatic adjustment section 10a.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a so-called multi-point video conference terminal, for example, as a means used for exchanging image signals and audio signals with each other by using a communication line between points separated from each other. Image communication terminal.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, the effectiveness of video conference terminals using communication lines has been emphasized from the viewpoint of reducing business trip costs and effectively utilizing time. Also, the point between the two points
In addition to the two-point function, a multi-point video conference terminal having a multi-point function that can hold a conference between a plurality of points at the same time has been developed.

In the multipoint video conference terminal, (1) a multipoint control unit (MCU) is used to realize multipoint communication, and (2) an MCU is not used, and a multipoint television with different information channels is used. There is one that is realized by connecting to a conference terminal and connecting these information channels in a loop or bus form.

[0004]

However, in the above-mentioned conventional multipoint video conference terminal, the display window size of each received point is a fixed value determined by the initial setting regardless of the number of connected points. It was big. That is, even when the number of connected points is small and the display area of one point can be large, the initial display is performed with a small display size when displaying many points.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and has a function of automatically initializing the window size of each displayed point to an optimum size in accordance with the number of connected points. It is to provide a point video conference terminal.

[0006]

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention is an image communication terminal capable of simultaneously performing image communication between multiple points, which comprises:
A connected terminal number detecting means for detecting the number of terminals connected to the communication line, and a size setting means for setting the size of the received image to be displayed on the monitor according to the number of terminals detected by the connected terminal number detecting means. , Are provided.

[0007]

According to the present invention, the window size of each point to be displayed is automatically initialized to an optimum size in accordance with the number of points to be connected.

[0008]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a multipoint video conference terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention. In FIG.
Reference numeral 1 is a camera input unit for inputting a self-portrait as an image input means of the apparatus, drawings, etc., 2 is an input image from the camera input unit 1, a plurality of received images from a multipoint partner, various graphic screens, etc. Is a video input / output interface section, and 3a is a video input for switching image input means according to an instruction from the system control section 10, input filtering, AD conversion, image size conversion, image format conversion, and the like. The interface unit 3b is a video output interface unit that performs inverse conversion of the video input interface unit 3a, output filtering, and control of a display window size of an output image according to an instruction from the system control unit 10. 4 is ITU-T (formerly CCITT)-
A video encoding / decoding unit that performs transmission image signal encoding processing and reception image signal decoding processing according to the H261 recommendation.
Reference numeral a is a video encoder, and reference numeral 4b is a video decoder. Reference numeral 5 is a handset as a voice input / output means, 6 is a microphone / speaker as another voice input / output means, and 7 is an echo canceling process for canceling an echo when the handset 5 or the microphone / speaker 6 is used. , A voice tone input / output interface unit for performing tone tone generation processing such as dial tone, ringing tone, busy tone, ring tone, and switching voice input / output means in accordance with an instruction from the system control unit 10.
64 kbps P according to an instruction from the system control unit 10.
CM A-law, 64 kbps PCM μ-la
w, 64 kbps / 56 kbps / 48 kbps SB
-ADPCM, 32 kbps ADPCM, 16 kbp
s (for example, LD-CELP), 8 kbps is a voice encoding / decoding unit that performs a transmission voice signal encoding process and a reception voice signal decoding process according to a voice encoding / decoding algorithm such as 8 kbps. It is a voice decoding unit. 9
Is an operation unit such as a keyboard, a touch panel, or a mouse used for inputting control information for performing overall control of the apparatus.
Is equipped with a CPU, ROM, RAM, auxiliary storage device, etc., monitors the state of each part, controls the entire device, and operates according to the state.
A system control unit 11 that creates a display screen, executes an application program, and the like, 11 is ITU-T-H221
According to the recommendation, the audio signal from the audio encoding unit 8a, the image signal from the video encoding unit 4a, and the control signal from the system control unit 10 are multiplexed in transmission frame units, and
It is a demultiplexing unit that separates a received frame into each medium of a constituent unit and notifies each unit. 11a, when the data of a plurality of points is multiplexed in one information channel to realize the multipoint communication, the terminal 11a fits its own terminal data in the own terminal data area in the reception frame and multiplexes it as a transmission frame. In addition, it is a multipoint control unit for separating the data of a plurality of points in the received frame as data for each point. Reference numeral 12 is a line interface unit for controlling the line in accordance with the ISDN user network interface, and 13 is a communication line.

Further, in the present invention, a window size automatic adjusting unit 10a is added to the system control unit 10,
Furthermore, the multipoint control unit 11a is connected to the number of connected terminals detection unit 11aa.
Is added. Here, the connection terminal number detection unit 11aa detects the number of connected terminals from the communication frame received through the communication channel, and the window size automatic adjustment unit 10a detects the connection terminal number detection unit 11aa. The window size of the received image displayed on the display unit 2 is automatically adjusted according to the number of terminals.

The operation of the multipoint video conference terminal according to this embodiment will be described. An input image from the camera input unit 1 passes through a video input interface unit 3a and a video encoding unit 4a.
Entered in. Also, the handset 5 or microphone /
The input voice from the speaker 6 is input to the voice encoding unit 9a via the voice input / output interface unit 7. The input image encoded by the video encoding unit 4a and the audio encoding unit 8a
The input voice coded by the control unit 10 and the control signal from the system control unit 10 are multiplexed in a transmission frame unit by the demultiplexing unit 11, and are transmitted via the line interface unit 12 to the communication line 13
Sent to. Next, the received frame from the communication line 13 passes through the line interface unit 12 and the demultiplexing unit 11
Then, the video signal is separated into an image signal, an audio signal and a control signal, and they are respectively input to the video decoding unit 4b, the audio decoding unit 8b and the system control unit 10. The received image decoded by the video decoding unit 4b is displayed on the display unit 2 via the video output interface unit 3b,
The received voice decoded by the voice decoding unit 8b passes through the voice input / output interface unit 8 and the handset 5 or the microphone /
It is output to the speaker 6.

In addition, the multipoint control unit 11a multiplexes data of a plurality of points in one information channel to realize multipoint communication, so that the multipoint control unit 11a receives the data in the reception frame received by the demultiplexing unit 11. Fits own terminal data into the terminal data area, multiplexes it as a transmission frame, and separates data at multiple points in the reception frame into data for each point so that data can be processed independently at each point. To do. The connected terminal number detection unit 11aa detects the number of connected terminals from the received frame and outputs it to the system control unit 10. The system control unit 10 determines the display window size of each point according to the number of terminals connected by the window size automatic adjustment unit 10a based on the number of terminals received from the connected terminal number detection unit 11aa, and To the video output interface section 3b. The video output interface unit 3b displays the image of each point on the display unit 2 based on the window size determined by the window size automatic adjustment unit 10a.

In the point-to-point manner, the display unit 2 displays (1) the received image is displayed on the entire screen, and (2) the entire screen is displayed graphically and the received image is displayed on the window. , Or (3) display mode and window size such as displaying a combination of self-portrait and received image on the graphic image,
By the input from the operation unit 9, the initial settings are changed via the system control unit 10. In case of multi-point, in addition to point-to-point, the number of received images to be displayed can be increased, and the display window size at each point is automatically adjusted and displayed depending on the number of connected terminals. To be done.

In this embodiment, the window size automatic adjusting unit 10a is provided in the system control unit 10 and is realized by software. However, as another method,
Of course, it can be realized by a completely independent hardware circuit.

FIG. 2 shows an example of a frame structure for recognizing the number of terminals in the number-of-connected-terminals detecting unit 11aa. Here, the message format in the case of using the non-ITU-T standard command message (BAS (111) [31]) in the escape table in the frame structure regulation of the ITU-T-H221 recommendation is shown. There is.

The first byte is the escape table non-IT
Represents a UT standard command message,

[0017]

## EQU1 ## (b0, b1, b2, b3, b4, b5, b6, b7) = (1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1).

The second byte indicates the number of bytes following the third byte (maximum value 255).

The third and fourth bytes indicate the country code, and the fifth and sixth bytes indicate the provider number. However, the third byte is the recommendation T. Three
According to 5, 4, 5, 6 bytes are designated for each country.

As the unique command from the 7th byte onwards,
Allocate a "terminal identification header". The connected terminal number detection unit 11aa can detect the connected terminal number by recognizing the header and counting the number of different connected terminals.

In addition to this, command transmission can be realized by using the user area of the D channel packet.

3 (a) and 3 (b) show a flowchart of the operation of the window size automatic adjusting unit 10a (the control procedure based on this flowchart is stored in the ROM in the system controlling unit 10). 3A shows an example of a flow chart in the case where the initial values of the display window size (x, y) for one terminal corresponding to the number n of connected terminals are directly set, and the number n of connected terminals is detected. Part 11a
It starts when input from a, determines n in S1, sets a window size according to the determined n (S2 to Sm + 1), and outputs the set window size in Sn. For example, in S3, the window size when the number of connected units n is 2 is (512, 384), S4
Then, the window size when the number of connected units n is 3 is (2
56, 192) so that the program can be set up directly. In FIG. 3B, the initial value of the display window size (x, y) for one terminal corresponding to the number n of connected terminals is
Programmed calculation function (x (n), y (n))
FIG. 3 shows an example of a flow chart in the case of being set by S1, which is started under the same conditions as in FIG.
An initial value is set at 1, and then the window size set at S12 is output. In S11, for example, the following function is defined (see (c) of FIG. 3).

[0023]

[Equation 2]

Here, α is a preset resolution x of the display unit 2 in the x direction, preset α is a resolution y of the display unit 2 in the y direction, and γ is a preset received image in the display unit 2. The area INT of the non-displayed part of is a mathematical expression that represents obtaining an integer value by rounding down the decimal point of the mathematical expression value that follows.

(Α × β-γ) / n is the area in the display unit 2 of the connected terminals that can be allocated to the display of one terminal. This resolution (α, β) can be input in advance from the operation unit 9. In addition, the system control unit 10
The display capability of the display unit 2 may be automatically detected by. For the area γ of the part that does not display the received image,
Input is made in advance from the operation unit 9.

Since the received image is displayed with an aspect ratio of X: Y = 4: 3,

[0027]

## EQU00003 ## One terminal display area = x.times.y = 4 m.times.3 m (m is a natural number) .ltoreq. (. Alpha..times..beta .-. Gamma.) / N.

[0028]

## EQU00004 ## By setting x = f (n) = 4m y = g (n) = 3m, the initial value of the display window size (x, y) for one terminal corresponding to the number n of connected terminals is derived.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a display example of the display unit 2. (A) shows an example when the number of connected terminals is 4, whereas (b) and (c) show an example when the number of connected terminals is 2. (B) is a display example of the conventional method, and the display window size at each point is the same even if the number of connected terminals is reduced. When the user wants to enlarge the received image for the increased display area, the terminal operator must input the command from the operation unit 9. (C) is a display example when this embodiment is used, and it is recognized that the number of connected terminals has decreased and the display area has increased, and the display window size is automatically adjusted. Of course, the window size can be further changed by inputting a command from the operation unit 9. Further, in the above operation, when the number of terminals participating in the conference is changed during communication, the change may be detected from the information of the communication path and the above processing may be automatically performed.

[0030]

As described in detail above, according to the present invention, in a multipoint video conference terminal capable of simultaneously conducting a video conference between multiple points, according to the number of connected terminals,
It is possible to automatically adjust the initial setting value of the display window size of each point displayed on the display unit.

Therefore, when the number of connected terminals is large, the size of each display window is made small so that many windows can be displayed, and when the number of connected terminals is small, the displayable area is increased. Increase the display window size of each point to display only the amount that matches
This eliminates the need for the terminal operator to perform each operation.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a multipoint video conference terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of a frame configuration for recognizing the number of connected terminals.

3A and 3B are flowcharts of the operation of the window size automatic adjustment unit, and FIG. 3C is a diagram showing an example of a display size.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a display example of a display unit.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 camera input unit 2 display unit 3 video input / output interface unit 3a video input interface unit 3b video output interface unit 4 video encoding / decoding unit 4a video encoding unit 4b video decoding unit 5 handset 6 microphone / speaker 7 audio input / output interface unit 8 voice encoding / decoding unit 8a voice encoding unit 8b voice decoding unit 9 operation unit 10 system control unit 10a window size automatic adjustment unit 11 demultiplexing / multiplexing unit 11a multipoint control unit 11aa connection terminal detection unit 12 line interface unit 13 communication line

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. An image communication terminal capable of simultaneously performing image communication between multiple points, the connected terminal number detecting means for detecting the number of terminals connected to the communication line from information received through the communication line, An image communication terminal comprising: a size setting unit that sets the size of a received image to be displayed on a monitor according to the number of terminals detected by the number of connected terminals detecting unit.