JPH0884215A - Image communication equipment - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: To provide an image communication equipment capable of transmitting/receiving an image with simple configuration. CONSTITUTION: The image received by a facsimile equipment 1 is stored in a memory 4. The image stored in the memory 4 is D/A-converted by a D/A converter 6 and the converted image is outputted from a video output terminal VOUT and displayed on an external video equipment or recorded therein. On the other hand, an external video signal is fed to a video input terminal VIN and A/D-converted by an A/D converter 3 and stored in the memory 4 as image. The stored image is sent from the facsimile equipment 1.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an image communication device,
In particular, the present invention relates to an image communication device capable of easily transmitting and receiving image images using a telephone line.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, there has been known a facsimile apparatus which converts an image image read by a scanner into an appropriate format and transmits / receives it by using a telephone line.
In this facsimile apparatus, input and output of image images is performed using paper as a medium.

There is also known so-called personal computer communication in which a personal computer or the like accesses a host computer using a modem to write data in or read data from a hard disk device of the host computer.

[0004]

In the conventional facsimile apparatus, since data is input and output using paper as a medium, the amount of paper consumption increases, and when the receiving side runs out of paper stock, data is not received. It could be impossible.

Further, in the personal computer communication, in order to use this, the user generally needs to register an ID and a password in advance, and it cannot be easily used by any user. In addition, in order to transmit and receive the image, the host side needs to take measures such as increasing the hard disk capacity.

[0006] As described above, there has been a problem that it is difficult to easily transmit and receive a conventional image in each home.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and provides an image communication apparatus that enables easy transmission and reception of image images using a telephone line and reduces paper consumption. The purpose is to provide.

[0008]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided an image communication apparatus, wherein a video signal input terminal to which a video signal supplied from an external device is input and a video signal from the video signal input terminal are stored. No. 1 storage means, transmission means for transmitting the video signal from the first storage means using the communication line, receiving means for receiving the video signal supplied via the communication line, and the receiving means. It is characterized in that it is provided with a second storage means for storing the video signal and a video signal output terminal for outputting the video signal from the second storage means.

[0009]

In the image communication apparatus having the above construction, the first storage means stores the video signal inputted from the video signal input terminal, and the transmission means transmits the video signal of the first storage means to the communication line. The receiving means receives the video signal supplied via the communication line, and the second storage means stores the video signal.

[0010]

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

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of an embodiment of the image communication apparatus 100 of the present invention, and the facsimile apparatus 1 performs general facsimile transmission / reception.
An image received through the facsimile device 1 from a communication line such as a telephone line is an interface 2 (A /
Necessary signal conversion is performed by the D converter and the D / A converter) (transmitting means and receiving means) and stored in the memory 3. The memory 3 has a capacity capable of storing at least one screen of data. On the contrary, if there is an image image already stored in the memory 3, this is subjected to signal conversion by the interface 2 according to the communication mode of the facsimile device 1 and supplied to the facsimile device 1.

On the other hand, from the video input terminal VIN (video signal input terminal), a video signal is supplied from an external video device such as the video camera 12, the VTR 13, the handwriting input pad 11 (see FIG. 2). The supplied video signal is encoded by the encoder 5 (for example, an NTSC video signal is converted into a signal suitable for processing in the image communication apparatus 100), and is converted into a digital signal by the A / D converter 4. It The video signal converted into a digital signal is stored in the memory 3 (first and second storage means) as an image image. The image image stored in the memory 3 is converted into an analog signal by the D / A converter 6 and then decoded into a predetermined video output signal by the decoder 7 (for example, converted into an NTSC system video signal) to output a video. It is output from the terminal VOUT (video signal output terminal).

A control keypad 9 (selecting means) for inputting a user's operation command (for example, a transmission / reception command of the facsimile apparatus 1, sampling frequency for A / D conversion, etc.) is connected to the controller 8 including a CPU and the like. ing. The writing and reading of these images into the memory 3, control of A / D conversion and D / A conversion, control of transmission / reception of the facsimile apparatus 1, and the like are all executed by the controller 8 according to a user's operation instruction.

Further, a storage memory 10 (first and second storage means) for compressing and storing data is provided separately from the memory 3, and the storage memory 10 stores or enhances the data compression rate. By increasing the capacity, data for multiple screens is stored.

Next, the transmission operation of the facsimile apparatus 1 will be described first.

The video signal supplied from the video input terminal VIN is encoded by the encoder 5, converted into a digital signal by the A / D converter 4, and stored in the memory 3 as a picture image. The image image stored in the memory 3 is read out under the control of the controller 8, and the interface 2 performs signal conversion according to the communication mode of the facsimile apparatus 1. Facsimile device 1
This image is transmitted to the communication (telephone) line. Of course, the image to be transmitted is stored in the memory 3, so the D / A converter 6
After A conversion and decoding by the decoder 7, they may be simultaneously output from the video output terminal VOUT and simultaneously monitored by, for example, the display device 14 (FIG. 2).

FIG. 2 shows an example of connection of peripheral devices for transmission. The handwriting input pad 11, the video camera 12, V as a supply source of a video signal to the image communication apparatus 100 of FIG.
The TR 13 is connected, and the display device 14 is connected to the video output terminal.

Next, the receiving operation of the facsimile apparatus 1 will be described.

The image image received by the facsimile apparatus 1 via the communication line is subjected to signal conversion necessary for storing in the memory 3 by the interface 2 as described above, and the memory 3 is controlled under the control of the controller 8.
Memorized in. The image image stored in the memory 3 is D
The A / A converter 6 performs D / A conversion, the decoder 7 converts the signal into a signal corresponding to the external video device, and the signal is output from the video output terminal VOUT as a video signal. If the display device 14 including a television receiver is used as the external video device, the received image image can be displayed. If necessary, the recording device such as the VTR 13 records the image on a video tape or the like. Good.

FIG. 3 shows an example of connection of peripheral devices for reception, in which the display device 14 and V are connected to the video output terminal.
TR13 is connected.

The image to be stored in the memory 3 is stored in the memory 1 for storage under the control of the controller 8 in response to the operation of the control keypad 9 as required.
The image may be stored in 0 and transmitted / received by the facsimile apparatus 1 by selecting an image of an arbitrary screen from a plurality of continuous screens and transmitting / receiving.

As a result, one of the plurality of screens stored in the memory 10 is selected by operating the control keypad 9, and the video signal of the selected one screen is output to the video signal output terminal. Output from VOUT,
It can be displayed on the display device 14. Then, when one desired screen is selected, the video signal of that screen can be transmitted through the telephone line.

Further, as in the conventional case, the facsimile apparatus 1 can also send and receive image images using paper as a medium.

In the above embodiment, the encoder 5
Is placed in front of the A / D converter 3, and the decoder 7 is placed in the D / A
Although it is arranged in the latter stage of the converter 6, when the encoding process and the decoding process are performed digitally, A
The / D converter 3 may be arranged in the preceding stage of the decoder 5, and the D / A converter 6 may be arranged in the latter stage of the decoder 7.

The encoding and decoding processes are relative, and if the process of converting the output of this device into a normal video signal is defined as an encode, a normal video signal is suitable for the process of this device. The process of converting the signal into a signal is decoding.

[0026]

As described above, according to the image communication device of the first aspect, the video signal input from the external device is received from the video signal input terminal and is stored in the first storage means. The video signal of the first storage means is transmitted using the communication line, and the video signal supplied via the communication line is received and stored in the second storage means. Since the video signal is output from the video signal output terminal, a general user can easily and quickly send and receive an image image by connecting an external device to the image communication device. In addition, it is not necessary to send and receive the image image using paper as a medium, and the amount of paper consumption can be reduced.

According to the image communication device of the second aspect,
Since the video signals of a plurality of screens are stored in the first and second storage means, and the video signal of a predetermined one screen is selected from the video signals of the plurality of screens by the selection means, for example, A predetermined one screen can be easily selected from a large number of screens continuously supplied from an external device and can be transmitted. Therefore, it becomes possible to easily send and receive a picture image in a short time by using a general telephone line having a small transmission capacity.

According to the image communication device of claim 3,
Since the video signals of a plurality of screens are compressed and stored in the first and second storage means, the video signals of a relatively large number of screens can be stored even in the storage means having a relatively small storage capacity. Is possible.

According to the image communication device of the fourth aspect,
Since the external device is at least one of a handwriting input pad, a video camera, and a video tape recorder,
It is possible to easily send and receive image images in a general household.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of an embodiment of an image communication apparatus of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a configuration of an embodiment of peripheral device connection at the time of transmission of the image communication apparatus of FIG.

3 is a block diagram showing a configuration of an embodiment of peripheral device connection at the time of reception of the image communication apparatus of FIG.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Facsimile device 3 Memory 4 A / D converter 6 D / A converter 8 Controller 9 Control keypad 10 Storage memory VIN video input terminal VOUT video output terminal

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A video signal input terminal to which a video signal supplied from an external device is input, a first storage means for storing a video signal from the video signal input terminal, and a first storage means. Transmitting means for transmitting a video signal using a communication line; receiving means for receiving the video signal supplied via the communication line; and second storage means for storing the video signal received by the receiving means. And a video signal output terminal for outputting the video signal from the second storage means. 2. The first and second storage means store video signals of a plurality of screens, and select means for selecting a video signal of a predetermined one screen from the video signals of the plurality of screens. The image communication apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: 3. The image communication device according to claim 2, wherein the video signals of the plurality of screens stored in the first and second storage means are compressed. 4. The image communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the external device is at least one of a handwriting input pad, a video camera, and a video tape recorder.