JPH0787576B2 - Video conferencing equipment - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Industrial Application Field] The present invention is used in a video conference system. The present invention relates to control of an image terminal for a video conference performed at multiple points of three or more points.

〔Overview〕

The present invention, in a video conference apparatus for performing a video conference between image points between multiple points, identifies the speaker on the screen by overwriting the marking on the image of the seat specified by the conference control signal from the conference control station. It is designed to be easy.

[Conventional technology]

Conventionally, this type of video conference image terminal has two
There is a video conference image terminal for one-to-one communication, and a method has been adopted in which a face of the other party is displayed on a part or the whole of the display during a conference to talk by voice.

In the case of a multi-point video conference, there is a method of dividing the display or displaying the faces of multiple opponents in a display area divided by windows, and connecting multiple image terminals to control the video conference. The video conference control station synthesizes image signals from a plurality of image terminals and adds audio signals, and each image terminal receives the image signal synthesized from the video conference control station and the added audio signal, It was a method of displaying a composite image signal on a display and talking to multiple points by adding voice signals.

[Problems to be solved by the invention]

The above-mentioned conventional control of the video conference image terminal between multipoints is a method in which each image terminal displays the composite image data transmitted from the videoconference control station on its display and talks with the multipoint with the added voice data. Is taken,
Even if one of the multipoints gets the right to speak, there is no change in the voice level or image of the speaker, which makes it difficult to distinguish who is the speaker from the multipoint conference participant. .

The present invention solves such a problem, and an object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus that can easily identify a speaker.

[Means for solving problems]

The present invention relates to a plurality of terminals equipped with means for transmitting and receiving image signals, audio signals and conference control signals as digital signals to a communication line, and a conference control station for receiving the digital signals from the communication line and controlling the terminals. In the video conference apparatus including, the conference control station includes means for transmitting, to the communication line, a conference control signal including a speak permission signal for identifying a conference participant who is permitted to speak by seat position. Means for receiving a conference control signal including a speech permission signal for identifying a conference participant to whom speech permission has been given by seat position; means for detecting the speech permission signal from the conference control signal; A memory for storing a signal in which a marking signal is overwritten on an image signal of an image of a person seated in the seat specified by the speech permission signal; Characterized by comprising a means for transmitting a speech signal of the re-read output signals and the person to the communication line.

A gain control unit that automatically controls the gain of the amplifier connected to the microphone of the seat specified by the speech permission signal and a plurality of images coming from a plurality of image terminals are partially overlapped. Display means for displaying on a screen is preferably provided, and the display means preferably includes control means for displaying the image of the seat specified by the speech permission signal at the forefront.

[Action]

When the conference control signal input section receives a speech permission signal as a conference control signal from the communication line, it outputs a large gain signal as a gain control signal to the gain control section. Control to be. Further, the conference control signal input unit outputs a marking-on signal to the marking control unit, and the marking control unit performs control so that the image data stored in the image memory is overwritten with the marking.

After that, when the conference control signal input unit receives a speech end signal as a conference control signal from the communication line, it outputs a small gain signal as a gain control signal to the gain control unit, and the gain control unit receiving this outputs the gain of the amplifier. Control to return to the original. Further, the conference control input unit outputs a marking-off signal to the marking control unit, and the marking control unit controls the image memory so as not to overwrite the image data stored in the image memory with the marking data.

As a result, the speaker's voice becomes louder on the image terminals other than the speaker, and the image of the speaker with the marking is displayed together with the other speakers. The person can be easily specified.

〔Example〕

Next, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the embodiment of the present invention.

A speech permission signal that includes a communication interface unit 4 that transmits and receives an image signal, an audio signal, and a conference control signal as digital signals to the communication line 12, and that identifies a conference participant who is permitted to speak in the conference control signal based on the seat position. Including a marking control unit 11 for marking an image of a person seated in the seat specified by the speech permission signal,
Voice input unit 5 of the seat specified by the speech permission signal
And a gain control section 9 for automatically controlling a large gain of an amplifier 6 connected to a microphone constituting a display, and a display for displaying a plurality of images coming from a plurality of image terminals on one screen so that a part of them overlaps each other. The display device 13 includes control means for displaying the image of the seat specified by the speech permission signal at the forefront.

The analog image signal output of the image input unit 1 for inputting a person image is analog-digital converted by the A / D converter 2 and outputs a digital image signal. NTSC in the image input section 1
When using the output color CCD camera, NTS from the camera
The image input unit 1 is configured by converting the C output into RGB and outputting it as an analog RGB signal.

The digital image output of the A / D conversion unit 2 is performed by the image input unit 1
The image data stored in the image memory 3 is output to the communication interface unit 4 by the memory read signal generated by the communication interface unit 4 at the timing generated by the synchronization signal in the image memory 3.

The voice input unit 5 can be configured by a handset or a microphone, and the voice output signal of the voice input unit 5 is output to the signal input of the amplifier 6. The analog voice output of the amplifier 6 is analog-digital converted by the A / D converter 7 and output to the communication interface unit 4 at the timing created by the communication interface unit 4.

The communication interface unit 4 synchronizes and multiplexes the image data read from the image memory 3, the audio data from the A / D conversion unit 7, and the conference control signal held in the conference control signal input unit 10. Send to the external communication line 12. At this time, it is possible to form a transmission frame by combining the head and other additional information.

On the other hand, the communication interface unit 4 decomposes the received frame received from the communication line 12 and writes the conference control signal therein into the conference control signal input unit 10. At this time, the received signal from the communication line 12 is decomposed and the voice data And the image data can be output to the A / D converter 7 and the image memory 3, respectively.

The conference control signal input unit 10 holds the conference control signal from the control unit 8 and outputs it to the communication interface unit 4. On the other hand, the communication interface unit 4 internally holds the conference control signal received from the communication line 12 and outputs it to the control unit 8.

As an example, the conference control signal input unit 10 can be configured by a latch circuit such as an input / output port. In this case, the conference control signal input from the communication interface unit 4 to the conference control signal input unit 10 from the control unit 8 is used. Polling is required. Further, in a microprocessor such as a one-chip microcomputer having a built-in input / output port, the conference control signal input unit 10 is located on the same chip.

As another example, when the conference control signal input unit 10 inputs a conference control signal from the communication interface unit 4, the conference control signal is held in an internal latch, and the control unit 8 is interrupted by an interrupt signal to make a conference call to the control unit 8. This can also be realized by notifying that the control signal has been received and causing the control unit 8 to read the conference control signal held in the conference control signal input unit 10. In this case, the polling operation of the control unit 8 becomes unnecessary.

On the other hand, the communication interface unit 4 and the conference control signal input unit 10
Regarding the input and output of signals to and from the communication interface unit 4, either by polling the conference control signal input unit 10 in the same manner as described above, or by interrupting the conference control signal input unit 10 to the communication interface unit 4. It is feasible.

Further, when the communication interface unit 4 is configured by a one-chip LSI or the like and the received data from the communication line 12 is decomposed and held in the internal latch, the conference control signal input unit 10 is located on the same chip.

The communication interface unit 4 decomposes the received data from the communication line 12 and outputs the conference control signal to the conference control signal input unit 10. The conference control signal input unit 10 first clears the internal latch to zero, and when the conference control signal from the communication interface unit 4 is input, it is held in the internal latch.

The control unit 8 periodically reads out the output port or register that holds the conference control signal in the conference control signal input unit 10,
If the result is not zero, it is determined that the conference control signal has been received, and then it is determined what the signal is. When the received conference control signal is determined to be the speech permission signal, a large gain signal is output to the gain control unit 9, and the gain control unit 9 short-circuits the resistor that determines the gain of the amplifier 6 or separates it in series or in parallel with this resistor. The control is performed so that the resistance of the amplifier 6 is added to increase the gain of the amplifier 6.

Further, the gain control unit 9 outputs a marking-on signal to the marking control unit 11, and the marking control unit 11 writes the marking data in the address area in which the image data from the A / D conversion unit 2 is stored in the image memory 3. Is written, and the marking data is overwritten on the image data.

At this time, once the control unit 8 outputs the marking-on signal to the marking control unit 11, the marking control unit 11 holds the marking-on state, and periodically writes the marking data in the accessible section of the image memory 3. Also,
The accessible section can be discriminated by taking timing from the synchronization signal from the image input unit 1.

According to the above control, the communication interface unit 4 causes the communication line 12
The audio data having a large gain and the image data in which the marking is overwritten are transmitted to the communication line 12. Similarly, when the control unit 8 recognizes that the conference control signal has been received from the communication line 12 in the conference control signal input unit 10 and further determines that this conference control signal is the speech end signal, the gain control unit 9 A small gain signal is output to the gain control unit 9
The gain control of the amplifier 6 is switched so as to return to the original control, and the gain of the amplifier 6 is returned to the original control.

Further, the control unit 8 outputs a marking-off signal to the marking control unit 11, and the marking control unit 11 holds the marking-off state once the marking-off signal is input from the control unit 8 and holds the marking data in the image memory 3. Stop the light.

After that, the image data from the A / D converter 2 is written in the image memory 3, and the marking data is no longer overwritten on the image data, so that the image without marking is stored in the image memory 3.

By such control, the communication interface unit 4 transmits the audio data having the normal gain and the image data in which the marking is not overwritten to the communication line 12.

2 (a) and 2 (b) are a configuration and a data flow diagram between the conference control station and the terminal according to the embodiment of the present invention. The video conference image terminals A to D using the control system of the embodiment of the present invention are connected to a conference control station that controls a multi-point video conference. The image terminals A to D respectively send signals to the conference control station and receive signals from the conference control station.

The signal ~ is divided into an audio frame, whose interior is represented by lower case letters, and an image frame, which is represented by upper case letters. Furthermore, each of the image terminals A to D has audio data a ₁ a ₂
b ₁ b ₂ c ₁ c ₂ d ₁ d ₂ and each image data A ₁ A ₂ , B ₁ B ₂ , C
₁ C ₂ and D ₁ D ₂ are transmitted to the conference control station, and the conference control station adds the audio data from the image terminals A to D for the audio signal and adds the image data to the image terminal A for the image data. The images other than the transmission source are combined and sent back to D.

For example, in the case of the image terminal A, the audio data a ₁ a ₂ and the image data A ₁ A ₂ are multiplexed and transmitted to the conference control station, and regarding the audio signal, the audio data of the individual terminals A to D are added in analog form. Received a ₀ + b ₀ + c ₀ + d ₀ , a ₁ + b ₁ + c ₁ + d ₁ .
Regarding the image data, the image signals B ₀ C ₀ D ₀ and B ₁ C ₁ D ₁ obtained by combining the images of the image terminals B to D excluding the image of the image terminal A are received. The same applies to the image terminals B to D.

FIG. 3 is a data flow diagram in the conference control station. The received data from the individual image terminals A to D is audio data a ₁ a ₂ ... d ₁
It is decomposed into d ₂ , image data A ₁ A ₂ ... D ₁ D ₂ . Voice data a ₁
Is converted from digital to analog Becomes The same applies to the data received from the image terminals B, C, and D. Is generated.

Are analog-added by an adder and further analog-to-digital converted to generate added voice data a ₁ + b ₁ + c ₁ + d ₁ .

The image data A _{1 to} D ₁ are distributed by the distribution switch and written in the composite memory area. In this case, B ₁ C ₁ D ₁ of the composite image to the image terminal A, A ₁ C ₁ D ₁ for video terminal B,
A ₁ B ₁ D ₁ for video terminal C, A ₁ is the image terminal D
A composite image of B ₁ C ₁ is generated for each.

Regarding the transmission data from the conference control station to the image terminals A to D, the added voice data a ₁ + b ₁ + c ₁ + for the image terminal A is added.
d ₁ and image data B ₁ C ₁ D ₁ are multiplexed, and the same addition voice data a ₁ + for image terminal B as for image terminal A is added.
b ₁ + c ₁ + d ₁ and image data A ₁ C ₁ D ₁ are multiplexed to form transmission data. The same applies to the image terminals C and D.

FIG. 4 shows image terminals A to D according to the control system of the embodiment of the present invention.
2A is a display display diagram of the image terminal A when the image terminals A to D as shown in FIG. 2A hold a multipoint video conference.

The display diagram is a display example when the display terminal is divided vertically and the partner images B, C, and D are displayed on each of them, and the speech of the image terminal B is permitted.
Is an example in which the markings surrounding the image B are applied as markings, and is an example in which the markings displayed above and below the image B are applied.

Display diagram, is to create a window on the display, one of which is the composite image B, C, D
Is a display example when the message of the image terminal B is permitted in the same manner as above. Is an example in which a marking surrounding the same image B as in the previous example is applied, and is an example in which a marking for displaying a circle on the image B is applied.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing an example of control by the control unit 8. When the conference mode is entered, the process moves to the beginning of this process, and the control unit 8 performs the next process.

First, it is determined whether or not there is a request for speech, and if not, the process jumps to E to determine whether or not the conference mode is ended.
When there is a speech request, a speech request signal is output to the conference control signal input unit 10. After that, it waits for reception of a speech permission signal from the conference control station.

That is, it is determined whether or not the conference control signal is input to the conference control signal input unit 10. If the conference control signal is not present, it is determined whether or not the floor has been withdrawn. To do. When there is no withdrawal of the floor, it is determined again whether or not the conference control signal is received.

When the conference control signal is received, it is determined whether or not the received signal is the speaking permission signal, and when it is not, it is determined whether the speaking right is withdrawn or not, and the routine jumps to the same routine as described above. When the conference control signal is a speech permission signal, a high gain command is output to the gain control unit 9 and a marking on signal is output to the marking control unit 11.

Next, it is determined whether or not the conference control signal is input, and if yes, it is determined whether or not it is the speech end signal. If it is a speech end signal, the process jumps to the speech end routine. When it is not the end of the utterance, and when it is determined that it is not in the above-mentioned determination of whether the conference control input is present, the process jumps to and determines whether there is a utterance end request.

The process returns to the case where the utterance end request is not present, and it is again determined whether the conference control signal is input or not. If there is a request to end speech,
Outputs a speech end signal to the conference control signal input unit 10, determines whether the conference control signal is input from the conference control station in the conference control signal input unit 10, and waits until there is. If yes, it is determined whether or not the speech end signal is received. If no, the process returns to the determination routine as to whether or not the conference control signal is input.

When the speech end signal is received, a small gain command is output to the gain control unit 9 to perform control to restore the gain, and a marking off signal is output to the marking control unit 11 to output the marking image memory 3 Control to stop writing to.

After that, it is determined whether or not the conference mode has ended. If not, the process jumps to and returns to the beginning of the conference routine.
If the conference mode has ended, the conference mode ends and the process ends.

The present embodiment shows an example of the control of the control unit 8 of the image terminal to which the control method according to the present invention is applied, and various processes can be added or modified.

〔The invention's effect〕

As described above, according to the present invention, when a multi-point video conference is held between a plurality of image terminals, the level of the audio signal corresponding to the person who has the floor by the conference control signal from the conference control station. To a conference control station by overwriting the marking on the image data and transmitting to the conference control station, the speaker's voice becomes louder on the image terminals other than the speaker, and the image of the speaker with the marking is Since it is displayed together with the attendees, there is an effect that it is easy to hear the content of the speech of the speaker and the speaker can be easily identified.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of an embodiment of the present invention. 2 (a) and 2 (b) are diagrams showing the relationship between the terminal and the conference control station and the state of signal transmission / reception according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a signal state in the conference control station according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a display example of the image terminal according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing the control flow of the control unit in the embodiment of the present invention. 1 ... Image input section, 2, 7 ... A / D conversion section, 3 ... Image memory, 4 ... Communication interface section, 5 ... Voice input section, 6 ... Amplifier, 8 ... Control section, 9 ...... Gain control unit, 10 ...... Conference control signal input unit, 11 ...... Marking control unit, 12 ...... Communication line, 13 ...... Display device, 14 ...... Speaker.

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A plurality of terminals equipped with means for transmitting and receiving image signals, audio signals and conference control signals as digital signals to a communication line, and conference control for controlling the terminals by receiving the digital signals from the communication line. In the video conferencing apparatus including a station, the conference control station includes means for transmitting a conference control signal including a speaking permission signal for identifying a conference participant who gives a speaking permission by a seat position to the communication line. The terminal detects a conference control signal including a speech permission signal that identifies a conference participant who is permitted to speak by seat position, and a unit that detects the speech permission signal from the conference control signal. A memory that stores a signal in which a marking signal is overwritten on an image signal of an image of a person seated in a seat specified by the speech permission signal, Video conference system, characterized in that the read output signals of the serial memory and audio signal of the person and means for transmitting to said communication line. 2. A gain control unit for automatically controlling a large gain of an amplifier connected to a microphone of a seat specified by the speech permission signal, in each terminal.
The video conferencing device described. 3. A display means for displaying a plurality of images arriving from a plurality of image terminals on one screen so that a part of them overlap each other, and the display means comprises an image of a seat specified by the speech permission signal. The video conferencing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a control unit for displaying "" at the front.