JPH0818935A - Video camera with video telephone function - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To attain 2-way communication of an image by connecting a communication equipment making transmission/reception of an image signal, a demodulator and a monitor displaying an image to be sent/received to a video camera through a telephone line. CONSTITUTION:When the video camera is used as a video telephone set, a phone call is made to a destination by a telephone set 43 via a modem 41 to connect a telephone line 39 and an operation section 11 makes image pickup operation. An image pickup section 5 picks up an image and an image signal conversion section 7 converts the image signal and the converted image is displayed on a small screen 37a of a monitor 37. Then an image signal from the conversion section 7 is tentatively stored in a storage section 19 by the transmission operation of the operation section 11, compressed by an image compression section 21 and sent to the opposite party through the line 39 from a transmission section 23 and the modem 41. Conversely, the image signal from the opposite party is given to a reception section 29 through the modem 41 and displayed on the monitor 37 and communication is made while viewing both the transmission images of this side and the received image from the opposite party by the image two-way communication of the opposite party.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a video camera with a videophone function capable of inputting a communication image by a video-integrated video camera such as a commercially available general-purpose camcorder and transmitting / receiving an image signal through a telephone line. Regarding

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a videophone using a telephone line is known. With this kind of videophone,
It is equipped with a transmission / reception unit that connects a general telephone line, picks up an image with a predetermined TV camera, collects voice with a microphone provided in the TV camera, connects the telephone line with the transmission / reception unit, and then in the video telephone. A transmitter provided in the device converts a captured image or sound into a predetermined digital signal or analog signal and transmits the digital signal or analog signal through a telephone line. Incidentally, as a video signal communication method in a conventional video telephone, for example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 62-868 is disclosed.
The method described in Japanese Patent No. 3 is adopted. Further, the structure is such that a digital signal or analog signal of a picked-up image or sound transmitted from the other party is received by a receiver, displayed on a monitor, and sound is emitted by a speaker of the monitor. Furthermore, as a TV camera of a conventional TV phone, a dedicated system different from the NTSC system used in a TV receiver, a camcorder (video integrated video camera), or the like is currently used.

[0003]

However, in the above-mentioned conventional television telephone, the television camera and the like are different from the television receiver and the commercially available video-integrated video camera (hereinafter abbreviated as video camera). Since the image pickup method was adopted and it was manufactured exclusively for videophones, it was extremely expensive, and because standardization could not be standardized, general commercial video cameras could be used to input images. Instead, it has become difficult to popularize as a simple videophone.

The present invention has been devised in view of the above circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to unify the standards by making it possible to input an image using a commercially available video-integrated video camera. In view of the above, it is an object to provide a video camera with a videophone function that is inexpensive and can be widely spread.

[0005]

In order to achieve the above object, a video camera with a videophone function according to the present invention comprises:
An image signal captured by the video camera is transmitted through a telephone line to a video-integrated video camera that has an operation unit for performing various operations and that captures a still image or a moving image, and is also transmitted from the other party through the telephone line. A communication device for receiving an image signal, a modulation / demodulation device interposed between the communication device and a telephone line for modulating / demodulating an image signal to be transmitted or received, and an image to be transmitted / received connected to the video camera and the communication device is projected. It is characterized by being connected to a monitor.

Further, the video camera with a videophone function of the present invention is characterized in that the communication device is provided in a power supply unit attached to the video camera. Further, in the video camera with a videophone function of the present invention, the communication device is connected to an image signal conversion unit of the video camera, and a storage unit that temporarily stores a captured image signal,
An image compression unit for compressing the image signal stored in the storage unit, a transmission unit for transmitting the image compressed by the image compression unit to the telephone line through the modulation / demodulation device, and an image transmitted from the other side through the telephone line A receiver for receiving a signal via the modulator / demodulator and displaying the received image on the monitor. In the video camera with a videophone function of the present invention, a recording / reproducing control unit operated by the operation unit is provided in the communication device, and a recording / reproducing device driven by the recording / reproducing control unit is provided outside. Characterize. Further, the video camera with a videophone function of the present invention is characterized in that the communication device is provided with an answering machine control unit for recording a received image by the recording / reproducing device based on a received signal from the receiving unit. . Further, a video camera with a videophone function of the present invention is characterized in that the communication device is provided with a transfer section for transferring an image recorded in the recording / reproducing apparatus by the recorded message control section through a telephone line.

[0007]

In order to transmit an image in such a video camera with a videophone function, when the telephone is called to the other party by the telephone through the modulator / demodulator and the telephone line is connected and the transmission operation is performed by the operation unit, the video is transmitted. The captured image signal from the image signal conversion unit of the camera is stored in the storage unit, compressed by the image compression unit, transmitted from the transmission unit and the modulation / demodulation device to the other party through the telephone line, and at the same time displayed on a small screen of the monitor, for example. Be done. Also, when the image signal sent from the other party is input to the receiving unit through the modulator / demodulator, it is displayed on the monitor, and the image received from the other party and the transmitted image of this side are displayed by bidirectional image communication with the other party. Communication is performed while watching both. Further, in the case of performing an answering machine, by setting an answering machine in advance by the operation unit, the image signal received by the receiving unit is recorded in the recording control device under the control of the answering machine control unit. Further, when transferring, by setting transfer in advance by the operation unit, the transfer unit is activated by an output signal from the answering machine recording control unit, and the recording / reproducing control unit drives the recording / reproducing device to perform recording. By playing back the image data recorded on the playback device,
The data is transferred through the telephone line via the storage unit, the image compression unit, the transmission unit, and the modulation / demodulation device.

[0008] Therefore, by connecting a communication device for transmitting / receiving an image signal through a telephone line, a modulating / demodulating device for modulating / demodulating an image signal, and a monitor displaying a transmitted / received image to a video camera integrated with a video, a telephone line is connected. It becomes possible to bidirectionally communicate images through the video camera, and it is possible to use a video-integrated video camera such as a commercially available camcorder as an image input device for communication, and it is necessary to make the conventional image input device a dedicated structure. It can be built cheaply because it is gone. In addition, by using a general-purpose product as a video camera, it is possible to unify the standards of the image input device for communication, so that there are many other parties with whom communication is possible, and it will spread as a simple videophone. Is possible.

[0009]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. 1. FIG. 1 is a schematic block diagram showing the video camera with a videophone function of this embodiment. As shown in FIG. 1, the video camera 1 with a videophone function of the present embodiment uses a commercially available video camera, for example, a camcorder (video-integrated video camera), and has a videophone function added to the camcorder. Yes, with video camera 3,
From a power supply unit 15 to which various functional blocks are connected to the video camera 3, an externally connected recording / reproducing device 35, a monitor 37, and a modulation / demodulation device (codec or modem) 41 connected to a telephone line 39. It is configured. A codec is used as the modulator / demodulator 41 in order to transmit the digital signal to the telephone line.

The video camera 3 includes an image pickup section 5 formed of a lens system for picking up an image, and an image signal conversion section 7 formed of a CCD or the like for converting the color image picked up by the image pickup section 5 into an electric signal. A recording / reproducing unit 9 for recording / reproducing on / from a video tape by a video head based on the image signal converted into an electric signal by the image signal converting unit 7.
And an operation unit 11 for performing various operations, and this operation unit 11
A command control unit (MPU) 13 and the like for issuing an operation command to each drive unit based on the operation of is provided.

The power supply unit 15 has a battery charging unit 1 conventionally provided to supply power to each unit.
7, a storage unit 19 for temporarily storing the image signal from the image signal conversion unit 7, and an image compression unit 2 for compressing the image signal stored in the storage unit 19 by a predetermined algorithm.
1. A transmission section 23 for transmitting a compressed image signal as a digital signal, and a recording / reproducing control section 27 for controlling the driving of the recording / reproducing apparatus 35 are provided. The image compression unit 21 compresses the image signal at the time of image pickup to the minimum amount of image data required to obtain a moving image. Further, the power supply unit 15 includes a receiving unit 29 that receives an image signal from the other party, an answering machine control unit 31 that controls an answering machine at the time of absence, and a transfer unit 33 that transfers recorded data recorded by an answering machine to a remote place. It is provided.

The recording / reproducing control section 27 is connected to the command controlling section 13, and the output sections of the image signal converting section 7 and the recorded message controlling section 31 are connected to the recording / reproducing apparatus 35.
In the recording / reproducing apparatus 35, the image picked up by the image pickup section 5 can be recorded by the operation of the operation section 11 or the image received at the time of absence can be recorded. Further, a transfer unit 33 is connected to the above-mentioned recorded message control unit 31, a recording / reproduction control unit 27 is connected to the transfer unit 33, and recorded message data is transferred via a storage unit 19 and an image compression unit 21. It is possible to transfer from the transmission unit 23 and the modulation / demodulation device 41 through the telephone line 39. Further, the image signal conversion unit 7 and the monitor 37 are connected to the recording / reproducing device 35, and the image captured by the imaging unit 5 is recorded in the recording / reproducing device 35 by the operation of the operating unit 11, or the recording / reproducing device 35 is operated. The recorded image can be displayed on the monitor 37.

The command control unit 13 is connected to the storage unit 19, the image compression unit 21, the transmission unit 23, the reception unit 29, and the recorded message control unit 31, and each of these units is operated by the operation unit 11.
The drive is controlled by the operation of. Also,
A monitor 37 is connected to the receiving unit 29 and a telephone line 39 is connected.
The image received through the monitor 37 can be displayed on the monitor 37. The image signal conversion unit 7 displays the image captured by the image capturing unit 5 on the small screen 37a of the monitor 37.
It is connected to the monitor 37 so that it can be displayed on the monitor 37, and both the reception screen and the transmission screen can be viewed in the monitor 37. Further, a telephone 43 is connected to the modulation / demodulation device 41 so that the telephone line 39 can be connected and a call can be made.
9, image compression unit 21, transmission unit 23, recording and reproduction control unit 2
7, reception unit 29, answering machine control unit 31, and transfer unit 33
The communication device 45 is configured by.

Next, each operation of the video camera 1 with the videophone function will be described. First, video camera 3
When an image is picked up by, the operation unit 11 is operated in the same manner as in the conventional case, and the recording / reproducing unit 7 is operated as in the conventional case.
The recording and reproducing of the image are performed in, and the recording and reproducing unit 9 built in the video camera 3 is used when the video camera 3 is carried, and is used as an auxiliary as a videophone.

Next, when used as a so-called videophone for transmitting and receiving an image through the telephone line 39 and further recording and transferring it as an answering machine, the video camera 3 is provided with the power supply unit 15, recording and reproducing. Device 35, monitor 37, modem (codec) 41, and telephone 4
By connecting 3 and connecting the telephone line 39, image communication becomes possible.

To use as a videophone, first, the telephone 43 is connected to the telephone line 39 by the telephone 43 via the modulator / demodulator 41, and the telephone line 39 is connected. An image to be captured is captured by the image signal, and the image captured by the image signal conversion unit 7 is converted into an image signal, which is displayed on the small screen 37a of the monitor 37. Next, the transmission operation of the operation unit 11 causes the image signal from the image signal conversion unit 7 to be temporarily stored in the storage unit 19 and compressed in the image compression unit 21 from the transmission unit 23 and the modulation / demodulation device 41 to the telephone line 39. Sent to the other party through.

On the contrary, when the image signal from the other party is input to the receiving unit 29 through the modulator / demodulator 41, the monitor 3
The image is displayed on 7, and the two-way image communication with the other party enables communication while viewing both the received image from the other party and the transmitted image on this side. Further, in the case of performing an answering machine, the answering machine is set in advance by the operation unit 11 so that when the message is received by the receiving unit 29, the answering machine control unit 31 controls the recording control device 35 to perform recording. To be done. And
To view the recorded message, the recording / reproducing apparatus 3 is controlled by the recording / reproducing control unit 27 by operating the operation unit 11.
5 is controlled so that the recorded message is played back and displayed on the monitor 37 for confirmation. Further, in the case of transferring, by setting transfer in advance by the operation unit 11, the transfer unit 33 is activated by the output signal from the answering machine control unit 31, and the recording / reproducing control unit 27 causes the recording / reproducing device 35. Is driven to reproduce the image data recorded in the recording / reproducing device 35, and the storage unit 19 and the image compressing unit 2 are reproduced.
1, the transmission unit 23, and the modulation / demodulation device 41, and is transferred through the telephone line 39.

A recording / reproducing device 35 connected to the outside is also provided.
Thus, the image captured by the image capturing section 5 can be recorded. In this case, the image captured by the image capturing section 5 is input through the image signal converting section 7 by a predetermined recording operation of the operating section 11. Can be recorded and displayed on the monitor 37 by the reproduction operation as described above.

As described above, in the video camera with a videophone function according to the present embodiment, the video camera with integrated video is transmitted and received with the communication device for transmitting and receiving the image signal through the telephone line and the modulator and demodulator for modulating and demodulating the image signal. By connecting to a monitor that displays images, it becomes possible to bidirectionally communicate images through a telephone line, and it is possible to use a video camera with integrated video such as a commercially available camcorder as an image input device for communication. Since it is not necessary to make such an image input device as a dedicated structure, it can be constructed at low cost. In addition, by using a general-purpose product as a video camera, it is possible to unify the standards of the image input device for communication, so that there are many other parties with whom communication is possible, and it will spread as a simple videophone. Is possible.

In the above embodiment, the case where the digital image signal is transmitted and received through the telephone line has been described as an example, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the analog image signal can be transmitted and received. A modem may be used as the modulator / demodulator. In addition, although the above embodiment has been described on the premise of transmitting and receiving a color moving image, the present invention is not limited to this, it is possible to transmit a large number of still images close to a moving image, and a monochrome still image is also transmitted. It goes without saying that you can do it.

[0021]

As described above, according to the present invention, a video camera integrated with a video is provided with a communication device for transmitting / receiving an image signal through a telephone line, a modulator / demodulator for modulating / demodulating an image signal, and an image to be transmitted / received. By connecting to a monitor that displays images, two-way communication of images becomes possible through a telephone line, and it becomes possible to use a video camera with integrated video such as a commercially available camcorder as an image input device for communication. Since the image input device does not need to have a dedicated structure, it can be constructed at low cost. In addition, by using a general-purpose product as a video camera, it is possible to unify the standards of the image input device for communication, so that there are many other parties with whom communication is possible, and it will spread as a simple videophone. Is possible.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic block diagram showing a video camera with a videophone function according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of Codes] 1 Video camera with videophone function 3 Video camera 11 Operation unit 15 Power supply unit 19 Storage unit 21 Image compression unit 23 Transmission unit 27 Recording / playback control unit 29 Reception unit 31 Answering machine control unit 33 Transfer unit 35 Recording / playback Device 37 Monitor 39 Telephone line 41 Modulator / demodulator

Claims (6)

[Claims] 1. An image signal captured by the video camera is transmitted to a video camera of a video-integrated type which is provided with an operation section for performing various operations and which captures a still image or a moving image, and from the other side. A communication device that receives an image signal sent through a telephone line, a modulation / demodulation device that is interposed between the communication device and the telephone line to modulate / demodulate an image signal that is transmitted or received, and is connected to the video camera and the communication device. A video camera with a videophone function, which is configured by connecting to a monitor that displays transmitted and received images. 2. The video camera with videophone function according to claim 1, wherein the communication device is provided in a power supply unit attached to the video camera. 3. The storage unit, wherein the communication device is connected to an image signal conversion unit of the video camera to temporarily store an image signal captured, and image compression for compressing the image signal stored in the storage unit. Section, a transmission section for transmitting the image compressed by the image compression section to the telephone line through the modulation / demodulation device, and an image signal transmitted from the other side through the telephone line for reception through the modulation / demodulation device and the monitor. The video camera with a videophone function according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising: a receiver that displays the captured image. 4. The television according to claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein the communication device is provided with a recording / reproducing control unit operated by the operation unit, and a recording / reproducing device driven by the recording / reproducing control unit is provided outside. Video camera with telephone function. 5. The videophone according to claim 1, 2, 3 or 4, wherein the communication device includes an answering machine control unit for recording a received image by the recording / reproducing device based on a received signal from the receiving unit. Noh video camera. 6. The communication device comprises a transfer unit for transferring an image recorded in the recording / reproducing device by the answering machine recording control unit through a telephone line.
A video camera with a videophone function described in 2, 3, 4 or 5.