JPH10215443A - Camera controller for video conference - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide the video conference camera controller by which an image pattern is smoothly switched automatically without causing malfunction to a camera. SOLUTION: The camera controller is provided with a thermosensor 7 that detects a temperature around an attendee of a video conference and provides an output of a surrounding temperature sensing signal, a plurality (three in this embodiment) of microphones 15a with thermosensor that pickup a voice signal from an utterance party and obtains a body temperature sensing signal from the party, and a detection section 14 that detects the body temperature sensing signal and provides an output of body temperature sensing data. Then a control section 11 adjusts automatically a magnification of a camera 8 and a turning table 9 and conducts image changeover control based on the result of locating the attendees and the utterance party by means of the surrounding temperature sensing signal and the body temperature sensing data and on adjustment data including zooming of the camera 8 and the turning direction and a changed speed of the turning base 9 stored in a storage section 10.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a camera control apparatus used in a video conference system for transmitting a video image to a remote party and holding a conference at two or more points. The present invention relates to a video conference camera control device having an automatic screen switching control function of automatically following a camera in accordance with an image and transmitting and transmitting an image of a speaker by automatic switching control.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, as this type of camera control device for a video conference, for example, one disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 5-199521 is cited. FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing a basic configuration of the video conference camera control device.

In this camera control apparatus, a camera 1 is mounted on a turntable 2 for automatically adjusting the direction of a zoom lens whose magnification is automatically adjusted according to a user's request. The adjustment data including the direction and the change speed thereof are stored and set in the storage unit 3 via the detection unit 5 in accordance with the voice detection data obtained for each of the plurality of (here, three) microphones 15b, and the control unit 4 When the automatic control of the camera 1 is selected by the operation instruction of the operation unit 6, the control unit 4 performs the automatic adjustment of the camera 1 based on the adjustment data of the storage unit 3.

That is, in this camera control device, when a sound signal collected by a specific one of the plurality of microphones 15b is input to the detection unit 5, the detection unit 5 detects the sound signal and outputs sound detection data. The voice detection data is transmitted, and the corresponding number of the microphone 15b is also included in the voice detection data. When receiving the voice detection data, the control unit 4 recognizes the adjustment data relating to the microphone 15 b that has transmitted the voice signal from the storage unit 3 and adjusts the magnification of the zoom lens with respect to the camera 1 and the rotation direction with respect to the turntable 2. Automatic adjustment is performed by a control signal according to the speed adjustment data.

The control section 4 receives sound signals from the plurality of microphones 15b in the detecting section 5, or when no sound signals are received, the detecting section 5 notifies the fact as sound detecting data. However, upon receiving this notification, the control unit 4 recognizes the adjustment data in such a state from the storage unit 3 and sets the magnification of the zoom lens with respect to the camera 1, the rotation direction with respect to the turntable 2, and the change speed therefrom. Automatic adjustment is performed by a control signal according to the adjustment speed adjustment data.

[0006]

In the case of the above-described camera control device, according to the adjustment data (the zoom of the camera and the rotation direction and the change speed of the turntable) obtained only based on the recognition result of the audio signal from the microphone. Although automatic adjustment is performed, for example, if the voice of another speaker other than the speaker enters the microphone as noise, such a voice signal is also processed as adjustment data, so there is a possibility that the camera may malfunction. is there.

Further, in the case of the above-described camera control device, it is not possible to zoom the speaker or to automatically recognize the number of people who are present at the conference.
Including the switching of screens, it was not possible to smoothly adjust the vertical and horizontal movement of the camera.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made to solve such problems, and a technical problem of the present invention is to provide a video conference camera control device capable of smoothly switching screens without causing a camera to malfunction. To provide.

[0009]

According to the present invention, there is provided a camera including a zoom lens for automatically adjusting a magnification, a turntable for automatically adjusting a photographing direction of the camera as a rotation direction, and obtaining a voice signal from a speaker. A plurality of microphones, a detection unit that detects audio signals and outputs audio detection data, a storage unit in which adjustment data including a camera zoom and a rotation direction and a change speed of a turntable are stored and set, and audio detection data And a control unit for automatically adjusting the turntable with the magnification of the camera based on the adjustment data in the storage unit in accordance with the body temperature indicating the result of detecting the body temperature from the speaker. A plurality of body temperature detection means according to the number of the plurality of microphones to obtain the detection signal, and a detection unit that detects the body temperature detection signal and outputs body temperature detection data, the control unit,
A camera control device for a video conference that performs automatic adjustment of the camera magnification and the turntable and image switching control based on the result of specifying the speaker based on the body temperature detection data and the adjustment data in the storage unit is obtained.

Further, according to the present invention, in the above-described video conference camera control device, the video conference camera control device is a microphone with a thermo sensor, wherein each of the plurality of microphones is provided with a plurality of body temperature detecting means in a one-to-one relationship. can get.

Further, according to the present invention, in any one of the video conference camera control devices, there is provided a participant recognition means for recognizing a video conference attendee and outputting a recognition signal.
The control unit controls the magnification of the camera, the automatic adjustment of the turntable, and the switching of the image based on the result of specifying the attendee and the speaker based on the recognition signal and the body temperature detection data and the adjustment data in the storage unit. Camera control device is obtained.

In the video conference camera control device, the attendee recognition means is an ambient temperature detection means for detecting an ambient temperature of the attendee and outputting an ambient temperature detection signal. Attendant and speaker should be automatically adjusted based on the result of specifying the attendees and speakers based on the body temperature detection data and the adjustment data in the storage unit, and the turntable should be automatically controlled. The recognition unit is a position detection unit that detects the position of the attendee of the video conference and outputs a position detection signal, and the control unit includes:
It is preferable to control the magnification of the camera, the automatic adjustment of the turntable, and the switching of the image based on the result of specifying the attendee and the speaker based on the position detection signal and the body temperature detection data and the adjustment data in the storage unit.

[0013]

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

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a basic configuration of a video conference camera control device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

This video conference camera control device includes a thermo sensor 7 for detecting an ambient temperature near a participant of a video conference and outputting an ambient temperature detection signal, a camera 8 including a zoom lens for automatically adjusting a magnification, and A turntable 9 for automatically adjusting the photographing direction of the camera 8 as a rotation direction, and a plurality of (here, three) thermosensors for obtaining a voice signal from the speaker and obtaining a body temperature detection signal from the speaker. Microphone 15a and microphone 1 with these thermosensors
A detection unit 13 that detects a voice signal from the microphone 5a and outputs voice detection data; a detection unit 14 that detects a body temperature detection signal from the microphone 15a with a thermosensor and outputs body temperature detection data; A storage unit 10 in which adjustment data including a rotation direction and a change speed of the turntable 9 is stored and set; a result of specifying attendees and speakers based on an ambient temperature detection signal and body temperature detection data; and adjustment data in the storage unit 10 A control unit 11 for controlling the magnification of the camera 8, the automatic adjustment of the turntable 9, and the switching of the image based on the above, and an operation unit 12 for instructing the control unit 11 to select the automatic control of the camera 8. It has.

In the video conference camera control device, when the speaker contacts the thermo sensor attached to the thermo sensor-equipped microphone 15a, the detector 14 accurately recognizes the position of the speaker, and determines the detection result. The detected body temperature detection signal is output. The control unit 11 recognizes and specifies the speaker based on the voice detection data from the detection unit 13 and the body temperature detection data from the detection unit 14, and automatically adjusts the magnification of the camera 8 and the turntable 9 according to the adjustment data in the storage unit 10. , And image switching control. The thermosensor 7 functions as an attendee recognition means for recognizing the attendees of the video conference and outputting a recognition signal. For example, the thermosensor 7 is attached to the chest of the body so as to be recognizable by all the attendees of the conference. Recognize the presence of attendees.

On the basis of such an ambient temperature detection signal, the control unit 11 zooms on the speaker, moves the camera 8 in the horizontal or vertical direction to obtain a full-screen image of the whole conference, or The control for changing the magnification of 8 is performed. Further, the control unit 11 can automatically or manually perform screen switching control according to an operation instruction of the operation unit 12.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a detailed configuration of the control unit 11. As shown in FIG. The control unit 11 detects a person recognition unit 16 that recognizes the presence of an attendant based on an ambient temperature detection signal constantly output from the thermosensor 7 and outputs a person recognition signal, and detects a body temperature detection signal from the microphone 15a with a thermosensor. The speaker recognition unit 17 that recognizes the presence of the speaker based on the detected body temperature detection data signal from the detection unit 14 and outputs a speaker recognition signal, and the detection unit 13 that detects a voice signal from the microphone 15a with a thermosensor. A voice recognition unit 18 that outputs a voice recognition signal based on a voice detection data signal, and a speaker extraction circuit 19 that outputs a speaker recognition signal and a speaker position signal indicating a result of recognition of the position of the speaker based on the voice recognition signal.
And the magnification of the camera 8, the automatic adjustment of the turntable 9, and the switching control of the image based on the result of specifying the attendee and the speaker by the person recognition signal and the speaker position signal and the adjustment data in the storage unit 10. That is, a screen switching / camera movement / screen correction unit 20 for performing camera control) is provided.

In such a video conference camera control device, the location is specified by the speaker touching the thermosensor using the microphone 15a with a thermosensor, and at the same time, the voice of the speaker is reliably recognized by recognizing the voice of the speaker. After specifying the position of the speaker, camera control can be performed. Also, by attaching the thermosensor 7 to the chest so that all the attendees can recognize the thermosensor 7, the position of the attendant can be confirmed.

FIG. 3 shows a state of screen switching based on the recognition of the attendee when the thermo sensor 7 is attached.
FIG. 7A relates to a screen of a single person, and FIG. 6B relates to a screen of a plurality of persons.

That is, in the above-described video conference camera control device, since the speaker and all the attendees can be recognized, any one of the speaker and the attendee can be moved upward from the chest as shown in FIG. The image is displayed on the screen, and from this state, as shown in FIG. 3B, all the attendees can be switched from the chest to the upper screen.

Therefore, for example, when only one speaker is speaking, a voice signal is detected from the microphone 15a with a thermosensor, and the distance from the person is determined based on information from the thermosensor 7 so as to zoom to the speaker. However, when the position of the camera 8 is corrected, or when two persons simultaneously talk as speakers, the screen is widened and the magnification of the camera 8 is automatically corrected so that all of the speakers enter the screen. Can be. When the number of speakers is large, control for switching to the whole view screen can be performed based on information from the thermosensor 7 and the thermosensor-equipped microphone 15a.

Further, even if a voice other than the speaker is detected by another microphone, the camera 8 is zoomed to only the speaker while the information is obtained from the thermosensor 7.
A malfunction of the camera 8 due to other external noise is avoided.

In addition, by inputting the attendee's body type (position of the face from the chest) into the storage unit 10 in advance, the position of the face can be determined from the thermosensor 7 and the camera 8
Can be smoothly moved in the vertical direction.

In the embodiment, the case where the thermosensor 7 is used as the attendee recognition means for recognizing the attendee of the video conference and outputting the recognition signal has been described. , And outputs a position detection signal. The position detection signal is substituted for the ambient temperature detection signal from the thermosensor 7, or a reflecting mirror (light) or the like is substituted. May be configured as a combination of functions.

[0026]

As described above, according to the camera controller for a video conference of the present invention, the temperature of a human body is recognized by using a thermo sensor as a body temperature detecting means and an attendee recognizing means. Camera control is performed after properly grasping the positions of attendees and speakers, so that the camera body can be moved and screens can be switched smoothly, so that high-quality images can be obtained with less image disturbance. In addition, even if voices other than the speaker are detected by other microphones, the camera zooms only to the speaker while the information is obtained from the attendee recognition means, and the camera malfunctions due to other extraneous noise. Will be completely avoided.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a basic configuration of a video conference camera control device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a detailed configuration of a control unit provided in the video conference camera control device shown in FIG.

3A and 3B show screen switching based on the recognition of attendees when a thermo sensor provided in the video conference camera control device shown in FIG. 1 is attached, and FIG. 3A shows a screen of a single person; , (B) relate to the screen of a plurality of persons.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing a basic configuration of a conventional video conference camera control device.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1,8 camera 2,9 turntable 3,10 storage unit 4,11 control unit 5,13,14 detection unit 6,12 operation unit 7 thermo sensor 15a microphone with thermo sensor 15b microphone 16 person recognition unit 17 speaker recognition unit 18 Voice Recognition Unit 19 Speaker Extraction Circuit 20 Screen Switching / Camera Movement / Screen Correction Unit

Claims (5)

[Claims] 1. A camera including a zoom lens for automatically adjusting a magnification, a turntable for automatically adjusting a shooting direction of the camera as a rotation direction, a plurality of microphones for obtaining a voice signal from a speaker, and a A detection unit that detects and outputs voice detection data; a storage unit in which adjustment data including a zoom of the camera and a rotation direction and a change speed of the turntable are stored and set; and a storage unit that stores the data in accordance with the voice detection data. Along with the magnification of the camera based on the adjustment data of the section,
In the video conference camera control device comprising a control unit that performs automatic adjustment of the turntable, a plurality of microphones corresponding to the number of the plurality of microphones that obtain a body temperature detection signal indicating a result of detecting body temperature from the speaker. A body temperature detection unit, and a detection unit that detects the body temperature detection signal and outputs body temperature detection data, wherein the control unit determines a speaker based on the body temperature detection data and the adjustment data in the storage unit. A camera control device for a video conference, which performs automatic switching of an image and control of the magnification of the camera and the turntable on the basis of the above. 2. The video conference camera control device according to claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of microphones is a microphone with a thermosensor provided with each of the plurality of body temperature detection units in a one-to-one correspondence. Camera control device. 3. The video conference camera control device according to claim 1, further comprising: attendee recognition means for recognizing a video conference attendee and outputting a recognition signal. A magnification of the camera, automatic adjustment of the turntable, and switching control of the image are performed based on a result of specifying an attendee and a speaker based on the body temperature detection data and the adjustment data in the storage unit. Video conference camera control device. 4. The video conference camera control device according to claim 3, wherein said attendee recognition means is an ambient temperature detection means for detecting an ambient temperature of the attendee and outputting an ambient temperature detection signal. A unit configured to automatically adjust the magnification of the camera, the turntable based on a result of identifying the attendee and the speaker based on the ambient temperature detection signal and the body temperature detection data and the adjustment data in the storage unit; A camera control device for a video conference, which performs image switching control. 5. The video conference camera control device according to claim 3, wherein the participant recognition unit is a position detection unit that detects a position of the participant and outputs a position detection signal.
The control unit is configured to automatically adjust the magnification of the camera and the turntable based on the result of specifying the attendee and the speaker based on the position detection signal and the body temperature detection data and the adjustment data in the storage unit. A video conference camera control device, wherein the image switching control is performed.