JPH10234021A - Information transmission system and signal processing board - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To attain the proper operation in response to the state of an image pickup device by detecting whether or not an external power supply is supplied to an image pickup direction control means of an image pickup device, operating it in the low power consumption mode when no external power supply is supplied to the direction control means and operating it in the usual mode when the external power supply is supplied to the direction control means. SOLUTION: A power supply changeover switch section 204 detects an external power supply and selects the external power supply when the external power supply is available or selects a power supply from a host terminal 500 when no external power supply is available. In the case of the power saving mode, since panning/tilting operations are set to a low speed operation, the simultaneous drive operation is not in use and the power saving mode is displayed on an operation panel and to an opposite station. When an external power supply is supplied to a universal head section 200, the detection of the external power supply is informed to the host terminal 500 via system sections 203, 106 and 304, and the universal head operation panel changeover for the full operation mode is executed to inform it to the opposite station in communication.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an information transmission system for transmitting image information, and more particularly to a videophone / conference system for transmitting images, voices and other multimedia information between remote points over a general public telephone network. The present invention relates to a suitable information transmission system and a signal processing board.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art At present, in a videophone / conference system,
The use of ISDN lines has been increasing, and the configuration of an N-ISDN AV (Audio Visual) system and its terminal devices have already been described in ITU-T H.264. 320 is recommended. Further, its network has been extended to a general public telephone line, and a low bit rate multimedia terminal for videophone has been described in H.264. 324
It is currently being recommended.

A typical example of a multimedia terminal of the videophone / conference system or a component thereof is a video camera for capturing an image. Some of these video cameras are mounted on a pan head that can be rotated horizontally and vertically by an external control signal. For example, there is an integrated video camera integrating such a video camera and a camera platform.

By using such a video camera and a camera platform, a videophone / conference system can remotely control a video camera at a remote location, for example, a video camera at a partner station. Camera systems used in videophone / conference systems include CCD and TG.
A camera head including a (timing generator) and an AGC (auto gain control) circuit;
(Analog-digital) converter, signal processing unit and image
Some are separable from a signal processing board section including an audio codec section. By using such a camera system, without converting an image signal into a video signal,
Codec processing can be performed with the digital signal as it is, and various camera systems can be realized by replacing only the camera head unit with a common signal processing board unit.

[0005] Further, by making the camera platform part separable, a camera system with various variations is assembled depending on, for example, the type of CCD, the difference in single focus and zoom of the lens, and the presence or absence of the camera platform. be able to. FIG. 4 shows a camera head unit 1 equipped with a zoom lens.
10 shows the appearance of a camera system in which the camera head 00 and the camera platform 200 are connected.

[0006]

In the above-mentioned camera system, if the camera platform is operated in accordance with its original function of full specifications, a large amount of power is supplied from the power consumption of the drive motor. Is required. When the head is operated by supplying power from a host terminal such as a PC (personal computer) through a signal processing board unit,
Since it is not possible to supply so much power, the head section cannot operate satisfactorily according to full specifications.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems, and an information transmission system and a signal processing system capable of appropriately operating an imaging device in a videophone / conference system according to the situation. The purpose is to provide a board.

[0008]

An information transmission system according to the present invention is configured as follows.

(1) An information transmission system for transmitting image information, comprising: an image pickup device having an image pickup element for converting image pickup light from a subject into an electric signal; and direction control means for controlling an image pickup direction of the image pickup device. And detecting means for detecting whether external power is supplied to the direction control means,
When no external power is supplied to the direction control means, the direction control means is operated in a low power consumption mode, and when power is supplied, it is operated in a normal mode.

(2) In the system of (1), audio information is transmitted together with image information through a line.

(3) In the above system (1) or (2), the operation mode of the direction control means is notified to the operation section of the direction control means.

(4) In the above system (1) or (2), when the operation mode of the direction control means changes, the operation section of the direction control means is notified of the change.

Further, the signal processing board according to the present invention comprises a terminal for inputting external power to a signal processing board inserted into a host computer, and an external power input via the terminal is connected to the signal processing board. And output means for outputting the data via a cable.

[0014]

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

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a videophone / conference system according to a first embodiment of the present invention. In the figure, 100 is a camera head unit, 200 is a pan head unit, 300 is a signal processing board unit, 400 is a communication board unit that performs communication control and the like, and 500 is a host terminal such as a PC.

The camera head 100 and the camera platform 200 are connected by a bidirectional control signal line.
And the signal processing board unit 300, the camera head unit 100
To the signal processing board unit 300 via a signal line in which a control signal is multiplexed with a video signal, and in the opposite direction, a video synchronization signal (Syn).
c) and control signal lines.

The signal processing board section 300 and the communication board section 400 are connected to each other by data signal and control signal lines, and furthermore, each has a bus I / F (interface).
306 and 402 are connected to the host terminal 500.

Then, a bus I / F is sent from the host terminal 500.
The signal processing board unit 300, the pan head unit 200, and the camera head unit 100 are controlled via the 306, and the bus I /
The communication board unit 400 is controlled via F402. In addition, by supplying power to each of the above-described units by transmitting the power from the host terminal 500 to the camera head unit 100 and the camera platform 200 via the signal processing board unit 300 via the bus I / F 306, the above-described signal lines are connected. Can be bundled into one cable.

The configuration of the camera head unit 100 will be described. Reference numeral 101 denotes a lens unit having functions such as zooming and focusing; 102, an iris unit for adjusting the amount of incident light passing through the lens unit 101; 103, an optical image (imaging light from a subject) passing through the lens unit 101 and the iris unit 102; ) Is an image pickup device that photoelectrically converts the image signal into an electric signal, a CCD 104 samples an image pickup signal from the CCD 103, performs a hold for noise reduction, and adjusts a gain. A TG that serves as a CCD driving unit that controls an accumulation operation, a read operation, and a reset operation according to the number of pixels of the CCD 103.

Reference numeral 106 denotes a system control unit, which includes a CPU, an RO,
M, RAM, a one-chip microcomputer having functions such as a control port and a communication port.
And performs bidirectional communication with the camera platform 200 and the signal processing board 300.

A sync signal (Sync) 107 from the signal processing board unit 300 is separated into a horizontal sync signal (HD) and a vertical sync signal (VD) and sent to the TG 105.
3 and the control signal from the system control unit 106 is placed in the vertical blanking period of the CCD signal or vice versa during the vertical blanking period of the CCD signal from the signal processing board unit 300. A control signal code decoder for taking out the control signal and sending it to the system controller 106 to perform synchronization separation, and the S / H / AGC unit 104
The control signal from the control signal code decoder 107 is multiplexed by the adder 108 and the CCD signal from the controller is transmitted to the signal processing board 300.

Next, the camera platform 200 will be described. 2
Reference numeral 01 denotes a remote controller light receiving unit that receives infrared light from a wireless remote controller (not shown), 202 denotes a pan head motor control unit that drives a motor for performing pan / tilt operation of the pan head under the control of the system control unit 203, The system control unit 203 includes a one-chip microcomputer having functions such as a CPU, a ROM, a RAM, a control port, and a communication port, controls each device of the camera platform unit 200, and performs bidirectional communication with the camera head unit 100. .

Reference numeral 204 denotes a power supply changeover switch for detecting an external power supply and selecting an external power supply when there is an external power supply and a power supply from the host terminal 500 when there is no external power supply. The pan head motor control unit 202
There are pan and tilt motors controlled by the system, and a large amount of electric power is required to operate the motors at the maximum speed or to drive them at the same time, and an external power supply is required.

Next, the signal processing board unit 300 will be described. An A / D converter 301 converts a CCD signal transmitted from the camera head unit 100 into a digital signal.
Reference numeral 02 denotes a video signal processing unit which performs a process of converting an imaging signal converted into a digital signal into a standardized digital video signal through color signal processing. The video signal processing unit 302 has a period of a vertical synchronizing signal (VD). Then, the system control unit 304 is notified of the brightness data of the subject used for exposure control, the data for white balance control, and the data for focus control, and performs control according to each. Also, the standardized digital signal, together with the audio signal and other data signals from the host terminal 500, is transmitted to the codec unit 3
05 and the communication control unit 401 to perform processing such as encoding and decoding necessary for the videophone / conference system.

Reference numeral 303 denotes a control signal code decoder having the same function as the control signal code decoder 107. Reference numeral 304 denotes a system controller, which is a one-chip microcomputer having functions such as a CPU, a ROM, a RAM, a control port, and a communication port. Become
Control of each device of the signal processing board unit 300, automatic white balance control, communication with the camera head unit 100 and the camera platform unit 200 therethrough, and the bus I / F 306
Communication with the host terminal 500 via the host terminal 500, and interprets a command from the host terminal 500 to
Also performs the operation requested from. 305 is a codec unit.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of the codec unit 305 and the communication control unit 401 for each function. In the figure, reference numeral 1 denotes a video I / F unit (video input / output unit) of a video signal input from the video signal processing unit 302 and a video signal output from the host terminal 500 via the bus I / F 306.
And has image processing functions such as screen division, image synthesis, and character synthesis. Reference numeral 2 denotes a video encoding / decoding unit (video codec) that encodes a video signal from the video I / F unit 1 and decodes received encoded video information, and 3 denotes an audio I / F for connecting a speaker and a microphone. /
F (audio input / output unit), which has an audio processing function such as an echo cancel function. 4 is voice I /
An audio codec (audio codec) that encodes the audio signal from the F unit 3 and decodes the received encoded audio information.

Reference numeral 5 denotes a delay processing section for delaying the encoded audio information by the audio encoding / decoding section 4 and the received encoded audio information for a predetermined period, and is provided for synchronizing (lip sync) with the video information. Have been. Reference numeral 6 denotes a computer unit for realizing an application such as a computer conference function in addition to a basic video conference function. Reference numeral 7 denotes a still image / drawing control unit for controlling still image transmission and drawing functions. And an auxiliary device control unit for controlling these image processing apparatuses.

Reference numeral 10 denotes a communication control unit, which performs network access by the interconnection procedure control unit 11 and a network signal control unit 12.
Implements functions such as end-to-end control to establish a common mode of signal and operation for proper operation of the terminal by the. A multiplex transmission unit 13 multiplexes video information, audio information, and control information into one bit string and transmits the multiplexed information, and separates the received bit string into multimedia information. Network I to measure adaptation
A / F unit, 15 is a network such as a telecommunication line, and 16 is a control unit for connecting a videophone / conference system between multiple points.

In the above configuration, when starting a videophone / conference, a communication line is set or secured with a remote terminal at a remote location according to a normal procedure. After the line is normally connected, the signal processing board unit 30
0, the type of the camera head unit 100 and the head unit 200 of the own station, and the connection / non-connection status are detected, and the detection information is mutually transmitted to the partner station via the data port 9 as a data signal. After receiving this data, a control screen according to the type and connection status of the camera head unit 100 and the pan head unit 200 of the own station and the partner station is displayed on the monitor screen of the host terminal 500.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a display example of a monitor screen of the operation unit of the present embodiment. Here, it is assumed that external power is supplied to the camera platform 200 of the own station in advance, and no external power is supplied to the camera platform 200 of the partner station. At this time, the full operation mode is displayed on the pan head control panel of the own station, and the pan / tilt high-speed operation setting and the button 17 are performed.
20 to a diagonal direction, that is, a panel display capable of simultaneously driving a pan motor and a tilt motor. FIG. 3
Reference numerals 21 to 24 denote drive instruction buttons for right, lower, left, and upper directions, respectively. However, the other station's pan head control
The panel displays the power saving operation mode, and the operation panel display is such that the pan / tilt that consumes a large amount of power is switched to the low-speed operation and the simultaneous driving operation cannot be performed. That is, right, bottom,
Only the left and upper buttons are displayed, and even if these buttons are clicked, low-speed driving is performed.

Here, when external power is supplied to the camera platform 200 of the station operating in the power saving mode, the external power is detected by the power supply switch 204 at this time, and the system controller of the camera platform 200 is controlled. 203, camera head unit 100
This is notified to the host terminal 500 through the system control unit 106 of the present embodiment and the system control unit 304 of the signal processing board unit 300. Host terminal 500 receiving this notification
Indicates that the mode has been switched from the power saving mode to the full operation mode on the pan head control panel of the own station,
Switch to the pan head operation panel for the full operation mode.

Then, a notification is also made to the communicating partner station,
As a result, the host terminal 500 of the partner station similarly switches the pan head control panel of the partner station. Conversely, when the external power supply to the camera platform 200 of the station operating in the full operation mode is stopped, the same procedure as described above may be performed to switch from the full operation mode to the power saving mode.

As described above, in the present embodiment, whether or not power is supplied to the camera platform 200 as the imaging direction control means is detected by the power switch 204 as the detection means. Operates in a low function first mode in which the camera platform unit 200 consumes less power, and operates in a normal high function second mode which requires more power consumption when power is supplied. I am trying to do it.
Further, the operation mode of the camera platform 200 is displayed on the monitor screen, and the host terminal 500 serving as an imaging direction operation unit is used to
The operation according to each mode is enabled.

In this manner, when external power can be supplied, the camera platform 200 is operated with the full-spec function inherent in the camera platform. With the power supply, the camera platform 200 can be operated in a power saving mode except for some functions. Therefore, the camera head unit 100, which is an imaging device, can be appropriately operated according to the situation.

FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the second embodiment of the present invention. In the first embodiment described above, the camera platform 2
Although the power supply switch unit 204 is provided at 00 to supply external power, in the present embodiment, this is provided on the signal processing board unit 300. That is, the switching between the power supply from the host terminal 500 and the external power supply is performed by the signal processing board unit 300, and the power supply is transmitted to the camera head unit 100 and the camera platform unit 200 together with the signal lines.

The operation of this embodiment is the same as that of the first embodiment, except that the external power supply is supplied to the signal processing board unit 300 integrated with the host terminal 500, so that the separated camera is provided. Head part 100 and head part 2
The cable to 00 can be unified.

[0037]

As described above, according to the present invention,
When external power can be supplied, the imaging direction control means can be operated at full specifications, and when there is no external power supply, the imaging direction control means can be operated as a power saving mode except for some functions, There is an effect that the imaging device can be appropriately operated according to the situation. Further, the configuration in which the external power supply is supplied to the signal processing board integrated with the host computer has an effect that the cable to the separated imaging device and the direction control means can be unified.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a first exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a specific example of a codec unit and a communication control unit in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a display example of a monitor screen for operation of the camera platform unit according to the embodiment;

FIG. 4 is an external view of a camera system to which a camera platform is connected.

FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a second exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 100 camera head section (imaging device) 101 lens section 102 iris section 103 CCD (imaging element) 104 S / H & AGC section 105 TG 106 system control section 107 control signal code decoding section 200 pan head section (imaging direction control means) 201 remote control light receiving Unit 202 Pan head motor control unit 203 System control unit 204 Power switch unit (detection means) 300 Signal processing board unit 301 A / D converter 302 Video signal processing unit 303 Control signal code decoding unit 304 System control unit 305 Codec unit 306 Bus I / F 400 Communication board unit (imaging direction operation means) 401 Communication control unit 402 Bus I / F 500 Host terminal

Claims (5)

[Claims] 1. An information transmission system for transmitting image information, comprising: an imaging device having an imaging element for converting imaging light from a subject into an electric signal; and a direction control means for controlling an imaging direction of the imaging device. Detecting means for detecting whether or not power is supplied to the direction control means. When the external power is not supplied to the direction control means, the direction control means is operated in a low power consumption mode, and the external power is supplied. An information transmission system characterized by operating in a normal mode when it is in operation. 2. The information transmission system according to claim 1, wherein audio information is transmitted together with image information through a line. 3. The information transmission system according to claim 1, wherein an operation mode of the direction control unit is notified to an operation unit of the direction control unit. 4. The information transmission system according to claim 1, wherein when the operation mode of the direction control means changes, the operation unit of the direction control means is notified of the change in the operation mode. 5. A terminal for inputting an external power supply to a signal processing board inserted into a host computer, and an output for outputting the external power supply input via the terminal to the outside of the signal processing board via a cable. And a signal processing board.