JPH08223550A - Inter-multi-point communication equipment - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: To display an entire connection diagram of a communication terminal equipment taking a part in the inter-multi-point communication such as a video conference system. CONSTITUTION: A graphic drawing section 4 draws an entire connection diagram corresponding to communication terminal equipments taking part in inter-multi- point communication at present based on information of each communication terminal equipment stored in a storage section 3. The drawn entire connection diagram is displayed by a display section 5 and sent to each communication terminal equipment as image data via a video processing section 7. Furthermore, a communication terminal equipment is selected by using a mouse of an operation section 6 to click a graphic representing each communication terminal equipment in the entire connection diagram and detailed information of the selected terminal equipment is displayed.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a multipoint communication apparatus for connecting a plurality of communication terminals via communication lines to perform multipoint communication, and particularly to, for example, application to a multipoint video conference system. It is suitable.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, the development of image compression coding technology and I
With the spread of high-speed and high-quality digital lines represented by SDN (Service Integrated Digital Network), AV (Audi
o Visual) services are drawing attention, and multimedia communication devices such as various video telephone devices and video conference systems have become popular.

Among these, in particular, the video conference system includes a multi-point video conference system capable of conducting a video conference between three or more multipoints.
As shown in (a), a plurality of multimedia communication terminals are star-connected to a communication device called MCU (multipoint communication control unit) to realize multipoint communication.

Further, as a method of multipoint connection without using an MCU, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 4-326239 and Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 5-326239 are available.
22321 and JP-A-5-22322 propose methods for connecting multimedia communication terminals to each other in a loop or chain as shown in FIGS. 6 (a) and 6 (b).

[0005]

In the above-mentioned conventional multi-point video conference system and the like, since the overall connection configuration in multi-point communication is not displayed, it is inconvenient when it is desired to grasp the overall image of the connection. It was

[0006] Further, when a communication terminal participating in a video conference or the like is selected and various kinds of processing are performed, for example, when information about each communication terminal is desired to be known or communication of a transmission source or a transmission destination such as file transfer There is a drawback in that the operability for selecting a communication terminal is poor when a terminal is designated, a communication right is given to a certain communication terminal, an image to be transmitted to each communication terminal is switched, and the like.

Therefore, a first object of the present invention is to display an overall connection configuration in multipoint communication as a diagram, thereby facilitating the grasp of the entire connection image of the multipoint communication. Is to provide.

A second object of the present invention is to provide a multipoint communication device capable of selecting each communication terminal with good operability by utilizing the diagram showing the overall connection configuration.

[0009]

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, according to the present invention, in a multipoint communication device for performing multipoint communication by connecting a plurality of communication terminals through a communication line. Storage means for storing information on the overall connection configuration of inter-communication, chart creation means for creating a diagram showing the overall connection configuration of the communication terminal based on the information stored in the storage means, and the chart creation means And a display unit for displaying the diagram created by.

In one aspect of the present invention, the storage means stores information about each of the communication terminals, and based on the information, the chart creating means creates a table showing information about each of the communication terminals. create.

According to one aspect of the present invention, there is further provided a transmitting means for transmitting the image data of the drawing or table created by the drawing creating means to at least one of the communication terminals.

[0012] In one aspect of the present invention, operation means for selecting at least one of the communication terminals is further provided by utilizing a diagram showing the overall connection configuration of the communication terminals displayed by the display means.

[0013]

In the present invention, based on the information regarding the overall connection configuration of multipoint communication stored in the storage means,
A diagram showing the overall connection configuration of the communication terminals participating in the current multipoint communication is created by the chart creating means, and the figure is displayed by the display means. The image can be easily grasped visually.

Further, when a table is created based on the information relating to each communication terminal stored in the storage means, the table can be incorporated in a diagram showing the overall connection configuration of the communication terminal or displayed separately, Information about each communication terminal can be easily known.

Furthermore, when the image data of the figure or table created by the figure creating means is sent by the sending means, they can be displayed on any communication terminal.

Furthermore, when a communication terminal is selected by the operation means using the drawing showing the overall connection configuration of the communication terminal displayed on the display means, the operability of selecting the communication terminal is improved.

[0017]

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG.

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

In the MCU 1 of this embodiment, the system control unit 2 includes a CPU, a ROM, a RAM and the like (all not shown), and controls each unit of the device according to a program.

The storage unit 3 is composed of, for example, a RAM, a magnetic disk, or an EEPROM, and information necessary for creating an overall connection diagram showing the overall connection configuration of multipoint communication and each communication that participates in multipoint communication. Store information about terminals. In the case of the present embodiment, since each communication terminal is star-connected to the MCU 1 as shown in FIG. 2, the storage unit 3 stores basic information for drawing the star connection diagram, for example, the number of connection points. It stores figures that are parts for drawing and drawing. On the other hand, the information about each communication terminal is, for example,
The telephone number of each communication terminal, the communication attribute, the name of the owner, and the like. These pieces of information may be stored in advance as a file or a database, or may be sent from each communication terminal at the time of communication.

The chart creation unit 4 creates an overall connection diagram showing the overall connection configuration of the current multipoint communication, based on the information stored in the storage unit 3. Specifically, necessary parts are read from the storage unit 3 corresponding to the communication terminals participating in the current communication, and they are combined to create an overall connection diagram. The chart creation unit 4 also creates an information table or a list regarding each communication terminal based on the information regarding each communication terminal stored in the storage unit 3. The diagram or table created here is developed into a bitmap and converted into image data.

FIG. 2A shows an example of the overall connection diagram created by the diagram creation unit 4. In the example of FIG. 2A, the MCU and each communication terminal are both represented by rectangular parts, and the parts are connected by a straight line. A serial number for distinguishing communication terminals is displayed inside the rectangle representing each communication terminal. In addition, instead of the serial number, the storage unit 3
The name of the owner of each communication terminal read from may be displayed. Also, as much information as possible about the communication terminal may be displayed inside or outside the rectangle representing each communication terminal.

FIG. 2B shows another example of the overall connection diagram created by the diagram creation unit 4. In the example of FIG. 2B, different graphic parts (registered images) are used corresponding to the communication attributes of each communication terminal. For example, 21 is a standard multimedia communication terminal for video conferencing equipped with a TV camera and a TV monitor, 22 is a communication terminal for video conferencing equipped only with a TV monitor without a TV camera, 2
Reference numerals 3 and 3 respectively represent communication terminals for audio conferences having neither a TV camera nor a TV monitor. Besides this, the communication terminal
Various parts (registration image) may be prepared depending on whether video (image) communication, voice communication, or data communication can be handled. These parts are stored in the storage unit 3 in advance and are selectively read according to the communication attributes of each communication terminal.

The display unit 5 shown in FIG. 1 is composed of, for example, a CRT display, and displays the overall connection diagram created by the diagram creation unit 4 and the information table and list of each communication terminal. Further, in the normal mode in which the display is not instructed, it functions as a monitor of the video conference system.

The operation unit 6 is equipped with a position input device such as a mouse, and selects a communication terminal by using the overall connection diagram displayed on the display unit 5. Specifically, a communication terminal is selected by clicking a graphic representing each communication terminal in the overall connection diagram displayed on the display unit 5. As the position input device, a trackball, a light pen, a joystick, a keyboard, a touch panel, etc. can be used in addition to the mouse.

The purpose of selecting a communication terminal is, for example, to know detailed information about each communication terminal. When a communication terminal on the screen is selected, a window that displays a detailed information table about the communication terminal opens. Further, as another case of selecting a communication terminal, when changing the connection configuration of the communication terminal in multipoint communication, for example, when disconnecting the connection of the selected communication terminal, or the transmission source of file transfer in data communication Alternatively, a destination communication terminal may be designated, a communication terminal to which a right to speak is assigned in a video conference, a video of a speaker communication terminal supplied to each communication terminal in a video conference may be switched, and the like.

In the above case, the operator can select the communication terminal by clicking on the graphic representing the desired communication terminal while looking at the overall connection diagram displayed on the screen of the display unit 5. Therefore, operability is good.

The video processing unit 7 shown in FIG. 1 decodes the video data received from each communication terminal via the ISDN control unit 10 and the demultiplexing unit 9, and then performs processing such as division, synthesis and switching. Further, the processed video data is encoded so as to be transmitted to each communication terminal. It also has a function of encoding the image data of the chart created by the chart creating unit 4 so as to be transmitted to each communication terminal.

As described above, in the present embodiment, the MCU 1 creates an information table or list relating to each communication terminal and sends it to each communication terminal as image data, so that each communication terminal has that information table or list. It is not necessary to create them one by one in order to display the table, and therefore it is not necessary to share the information itself about each communication terminal with all communication terminals. As a result, the storage capacity of each communication terminal can be reduced, and the labor and time for transmitting the information itself about each communication terminal to all communication terminals becomes unnecessary.

The voice addition unit 8 shown in FIG. 1 decodes the voice data received from each communication terminal via the ISDN control unit 10 and the demultiplexing unit 9, then performs addition processing, and further, the processed voice. The data is encoded for transmission to each communication terminal.

The demultiplexing unit 9 separates the received data received via the ISDN control unit 10 into video, audio and other data, and sends them to the video processing unit 7, the audio addition unit 8 and the system control unit 2, respectively. . Also, the video data from the video processing unit 7, the audio data from the audio addition unit 8 and the data from the system control unit 2 are multiplexed to be transmitted and sent to the ISDN control unit 10.

The ISDN control unit 10 follows the ISDN protocol to connect the ISDN line 1 with each communication terminal.
Control 1

FIG. 3 shows the procedure for creating and displaying the overall connection diagram performed by the chart creating unit 4 and the display unit 5.

First, in step 301, the chart creation unit 4 reads out information necessary for creating the overall connection diagram from the storage unit 3 via the system control unit 2.

Next, in step 302, the chart creating unit 4 creates an overall connection diagram corresponding to the communication terminals participating in the current multipoint communication as image data developed into a bitmap.

Next, in step 303, the chart creation unit 4 sends the created image data of the overall connection diagram to the display unit 5, and the display unit 5 displays it.

FIG. 4 shows a transmission procedure of the entire connection diagram performed by the chart creation unit 4, the video processing unit 7, the demultiplexing unit 9 and the ISDN control unit 10.

First, in step 401, the chart creation unit 4 sends the image data of the entire connection diagram created by developing it to a bitmap to the video processing unit 7.

Next, in step 402, the video processing section 7 encodes the image data sent from the chart creation section 4 according to a predetermined encoding protocol, and the demultiplexing section 9
Send to

Next, in step 403, the demultiplexing unit 9 multiplexes the image data sent from the video processing unit 7 with other data and sends it to the ISDN control unit 10. The ISDN control unit 10 sends the multiplexed data to the ISD.
It is transmitted to each communication terminal via the N line 11.

Each communication terminal can refer to the current overall multipoint communication configuration by decoding and displaying the received image data.

The information table and list relating to each communication terminal created by the chart creating unit 4 can be transmitted to each communication terminal in the same procedure.

FIG. 5 shows a procedure for selecting a communication terminal from the overall connection diagram displayed on the display unit 5 and displaying an information table concerning the communication terminal.

First, in step 501, it is monitored whether a communication terminal has been selected. Specifically, the operation unit 6
It is detected whether or not the figure representing the communication terminal on the screen is clicked by the mouse operation of. Then, when the selection of the communication terminal is detected, the process proceeds to the next step 502.

In step 502, the chart creation unit 4 reads detailed information about the selected communication terminal from the storage means 3 and creates the information table. Here, the detailed information regarding the communication terminal is, for example, the telephone number of the communication terminal, the communication attribute, the name of the owner, and the like.

In the next step 503, step 502
The information table created in 1 is displayed on the display unit 5. As a display method at this time, the screens may be switched and displayed, or a new window may be opened and overlapped and displayed.

In the embodiment described above, the diagrammatic drawing section is used to display the entire connection diagram according to the communication terminals participating in the current multipoint communication by using, for example, graphic parts stored in the storage section 3. 4 creates it and displays it on the display unit 5, so that the overall connection image of the video conference participants can be easily grasped visually. Further, since the entire connection diagram created by the chart creation unit 4, the information table, the list, etc. regarding each communication terminal are supplied as image data to each communication terminal, each communication terminal does not have detailed information about each communication terminal. You can even view them. Furthermore, the display unit 5
Since the communication terminal can be selected by using the whole connection view displayed in, the operability is very good.

In the above-described embodiment, the overall connection diagram, information table, list, etc., created by the diagram creation unit 4 are stored in the storage unit 3, and they are read out and displayed or transmitted as needed at any time. You may do it.

A simpler embodiment is as follows. First, the storage unit 3 stores an overall connection diagram including all communication terminals that can participate in multipoint communication. Then, the chart creation unit 4 identifies the communication terminal participating in the current multipoint communication from all the communication terminals stored in the storage unit 3, and participates in the current multipoint communication. Create an overall connection diagram with the image of the communication terminal not deleted. Alternatively, the information on whether the connection of each communication terminal is on or off is displayed in the overall connection diagram including all communication terminals. For this, for example, a communication terminal whose connection is on may be displayed brightly, and a communication terminal whose connection is off may be displayed dark.

Further, in the above-mentioned embodiment, the case where the present invention is applied to the MCU for the multi-point video conference system has been described. However, the present invention allows each communication terminal to be connected in a loop or chain without using the MCU. It is also applicable to the case of connecting in a shape. In that case, at least one of the connected communication terminals has the configuration of the present invention and controls the multipoint communication. Further, the overall connection diagram created is as shown in FIG. 6A or 6B, for example, depending on the connection configuration. Of course, the connection configuration of each communication terminal is not limited to the star shape, the loop shape, or the chain shape.

Further, the present invention is not limited to the video conference system, but can be applied to, for example, computer communication for group participation. In that case, the connected communication terminal may handle at least one of video (image) communication, voice communication, and data communication. The image transmitted as the overall connection diagram may be a still image or a still moving image. Further, for example, when it is not necessary to compress the image data to be transmitted, the image data may be transmitted as raw data without being encoded.

Further, the communication line is also the ISD of the above-mentioned embodiment.
Not limited to N, PSTN (analog telephone network), CSPDN
Various circuits such as a (circuit switching network) and a LAN (local area network) can be used.

[0053]

According to the present invention, a diagram showing the overall connection configuration of communication terminals participating in multipoint communication is displayed, so that an overall image of the multipoint communication connection currently being performed can be viewed. Can be easily understood.

Since a diagram showing the overall connection configuration of the communication terminal and a table showing information about each communication terminal are transmitted as image data, they can be displayed even on a communication terminal that does not have detailed information about each communication terminal. You can

Further, since the communication terminal can be selected by using the diagram showing the overall connection configuration of the communication terminal displayed on the display means, the operability of selecting the communication terminal is improved.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a main configuration of an MCU for a multipoint video conference system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of an overall connection diagram displayed.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing a procedure for creating an overall connection diagram.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing a transmission procedure of an overall connection diagram.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing a procedure for selecting a communication terminal.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing another example of the overall connection diagram.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 MCU (multipoint communication control unit) 2 system control unit 3 storage unit 4 chart creation unit 5 display unit 6 operation unit 7 video processing unit 8 audio addition unit 9 demultiplexing unit 10 ISDN control unit 11 ISDN line 21 to 23 communication Image representing the terminal

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A multipoint communication device for performing multipoint communication by connecting a plurality of communication terminals via a communication line, and storage means for storing information regarding an overall connection configuration of multipoint communication; A chart creating means for creating a diagram showing the overall connection configuration of the communication terminal based on the information stored in the means; and a display means for displaying the diagram created by the chart creating means. Multipoint communication device. 2. The storage means stores information about each of the communication terminals, and based on the information, the chart creating means creates a table showing information about each of the communication terminals. The multipoint communication device according to claim 1. 3. A transmission means for transmitting the image data of the drawing or table created by the drawing creation means to at least one of the communication terminals.
Or the multipoint communication device according to 2. 4. An operation means for selecting at least one of the communication terminals is further provided by using a diagram showing an overall connection configuration of the communication terminals displayed by the display means. The multipoint communication device according to any one of 1 to 3.