JPH1032803A - Image communication terminal equipment - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To enable communication of the still image coding data, simultaneously with communication of dynamic images by preparing a single image coding chip. SOLUTION: In a static image data communication processing mode, the output compression data on a moving image coding part 6 are inputted to a memory part 13. At the same time, the data which are decreased per unit time, compared with the quantity of its input mode, are read out of the memory 13 and transmitted by a multiplex separation part 9 via an image area. The part 9 reduces the moving image assignment transmission rate and transmits the data at a low frame rate. Therefore, the compression data are gradually stored in the memory 13. When the compression data have been stored to some extent, an image-coding part 5 and the switch for the memory 13 are switched. Thus, the part 5 is used as a still coding part. As a result, the images of a camera part 1 are encoded at a still image coding part 7 and transmitted via the part 9 and a data area. At the same time, the data stored in the memory 13 are transmitted via an image area. At the opposite party side, the dynamic images are transmitted at a low rate, even while the still images are decoded and the slow moving images can be reproduced and outputted.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to compression of image data,
The present invention relates to an image processing device that performs decompression and an image communication terminal device that communicates the image data.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, the spread of digital communication networks and the accompanying spread of videophone / conference systems are markets which are expected to continue to expand in the future. Still, a still image coding method is indispensable. Hereinafter, a conventional image communication terminal device will be described with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a conventional image communication apparatus. In FIG. 4, 1 is a camera unit for capturing an image, 2 is a monitor unit for outputting an image, 3 is a microphone unit for capturing a sound, 4 is a speaker unit for outputting a sound, and 5 is encoding or coding of image data. This is an image encoding unit that performs decoding. In the image encoding unit 5, a moving image encoding unit 6 encodes or decodes moving image data.
Reference numeral 7 denotes a still image encoding unit that encodes or decodes still image data.

[0004] Reference numeral 8 denotes an audio encoding unit for encoding or decoding audio data, 9 denotes a demultiplexing unit for multiplexing or demultiplexing image data and audio data, and 10 denotes digital communication of multiplexed data. An interface unit for transmitting and receiving data to and from a network. Reference numeral 11 denotes a key operation unit for performing a key operation by a user, and 12 denotes a CPU that controls signals from the key operation unit 11 and controls each unit.

[0005] The operation of the image communication terminal device configured as described above will be described below.

As shown in FIG. 4, when transmitting, the image captured by the camera unit 1 is converted into digital image data by A / D conversion, and the image is compressed by an image compression unit 5. In parallel with this operation, the audio data fetched from the microphone unit 3 is converted into digital audio data by A / D conversion, and is encoded by the audio encoding unit 8.

[0007] The image data and the audio data encoded by the image encoding unit 5 and the audio encoding unit 8 are multiplexed by the demultiplexing unit 9 and transmitted from the interface unit 10 to the digital communication network. Conversely, when receiving, the interface unit 10 separates the data received from the digital communication network into image data and audio data by the demultiplexing unit 9,
The image data is decoded by the image compression unit 5, and the audio data is decoded by the audio compression unit 8 in parallel.

Thereafter, the digital image data is transmitted to the monitor unit 2.
D / A conversion and output to the monitor. The digital audio data is D / A converted by the speaker unit 4 and output to the speaker. The user operates the key operation unit 11 to set each function, and the information is controlled by the CPU 12.
The PU 12 also controls each unit.

The switching of the moving picture and still picture coding processes of the picture coding unit 5 will be described below. A switch is switched depending on whether the image data input to the image encoding unit 5 is to be subjected to moving image encoding or still image encoding. In the case of a moving image, the moving image encoding unit 6 performs encoding. In the case of a still image, encoding is performed by the still image encoding unit 7, and conversely, in the case of reception, the switch is switched to decode the moving image and the still image, respectively, and the monitor unit 2
To display. Normally, the five image encoding units are formed of one chip, and a switch for performing moving image encoding or still image encoding is performed by software.

[0010]

However, in the above-mentioned conventional configuration, in the image encoding of the image encoding unit 5 composed of one chip, moving image / still image data cannot be transmitted and received at the same time. During the communication, the other party cannot play the moving image.For example, one frame of the moving image must be displayed in a still state or a predetermined pattern indicating that the still image data communication is in progress is displayed. Did not. In addition, when the moving picture coding unit and the still picture coding unit are configured by separate chips, simultaneous transmission and reception of moving picture and still picture data are possible, but the cost is increased.

[0011]

In the image communication terminal apparatus of the present invention, when a still image is encoded, data encoded with a moving image is temporarily stored in a memory unit 13, and the memory unit 1
3, the still image encoding is started when the encoded video data for a certain time has accumulated, and while the encoded video data is output from the memory unit 13 at a lower bit rate than usual,
Still image encoded data is also transmitted at the same time.
With this configuration, the other party can play back the moving image even while the still image data is being communicated.

[0012]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The present invention according to claim 1 of the present invention relates to an image encoding unit for encoding image data, and a method for transmitting data encoded by the image encoding unit to a digital communication network. An interface unit for transmitting and receiving data between them, and a memory unit for temporarily storing moving image encoded data, and when a still image data communication process is instructed, first, moving image compressed data from the image encoding unit is stored in the memory unit. Input, and in parallel, read out a smaller amount of data from the memory unit than at the time of input and send it to the digital communication network, and when the compressed data has accumulated to some extent in the memory unit, the image encoding unit performs still image encoding. When the still image data communication processing is instructed, the compressed moving image data from the image encoding unit is first stored in the memory by transmitting the still image encoded data to the digital communication network. In parallel with the input, the amount of data per unit time is read out from the memory unit less than at the time of input, and the data is read out and transmitted to the other party. After the start, data will be transmitted from the memory unit in parallel, and the other party will transmit the encoded video data at a lower bit rate than usual while decoding the encoded still image data. , Can reproduce and output slow motion video.

An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIG. (Embodiment 1) In FIG. 1, 1 is a camera unit for capturing an image, 2 is a monitor unit for outputting an image, 3 is a microphone unit for capturing a voice, 4 is a speaker unit for outputting a voice, and 5 is a speaker unit. An image encoding unit that encodes or decodes image data. In the image encoding unit 5, reference numeral 6 denotes a moving image encoding unit for encoding or decoding moving image data;
Is a still image encoding unit for encoding or decoding still image data.

Reference numeral 8 denotes an audio encoding unit for encoding or decoding audio data, 9 denotes a demultiplexing unit for multiplexing or demultiplexing image data and audio data, and 10 denotes digital communication of multiplexed data. An interface unit for transmitting and receiving data to and from a network. Reference numeral 11 denotes a key operation unit for performing key operations by a user, and 14 denotes a CPU that controls signals from the key operation unit 11 and controls each unit. Reference numeral 13 denotes a memory unit for temporarily storing moving image encoded data.

FIG. 1 shows the image communication terminal device configured as described above, and its operation will be described below. It is assumed that the communication partner also has a terminal device having the same configuration as the image communication terminal device of the present invention.

First, a case where communication between a moving image and audio data is performed will be described. In the case of transmission, the image captured by the camera unit 1 is converted into digital image data by A / D conversion, and the image is compressed by the image compression unit 5. In parallel with this operation, the audio data fetched from the microphone unit 3 is converted into digital audio data by A / D conversion, and is encoded by the audio encoding unit 8.

The data subjected to the moving picture encoding process and the audio data encoded by the audio encoding unit 8 are multiplexed by the demultiplexing unit 9 and transmitted from the interface unit 10 to the digital communication network.

The reception of a signal from the other party is performed as follows. Data is received by the interface unit from the communication network, and the received data is separated into image data and audio data by the demultiplexing unit 9 and sent to the image encoding unit 5 and the audio encoding unit 8, respectively. In the image encoding unit 5, the moving image encoding unit is operated, decoded into a moving image, and output to the monitor unit 2. The audio data is decoded by the audio encoding unit 8 and output to the speaker unit 4.

Next, a case in which a still image transmission operation is performed during moving image / voice communication will be described. When the user wants to communicate still image data during the moving image / voice communication operation, the user presses the start key on the key operation unit 11 to start the still image data communication process.

In the still image data communication processing, first, the CPU
As shown in FIG. 2, the switch of the memory unit 13 is switched by 14, and the compressed data from the video encoding unit 6 is input to the memory unit 13. In parallel with this memory unit 13
Thereafter, data is read out with the amount per unit time smaller than that at the time of input, and this data is output to the demultiplexing unit 9. The demultiplexer 9 transmits the encoded video data to the other party using the image area. The multiplexing / demultiplexing unit 9 lowers the transmission rate assigned to the moving image, and sends the moving image data to the other party at a lower frame rate than usual. As described above, since the data output amount per unit time is smaller than the data input amount, the compressed data is gradually stored in the memory unit 13.

When the compressed data has accumulated to some extent, the switch of the image encoding unit 5 and the switch of the memory unit 13 are switched as shown in FIG. 3 so that the image encoding unit 5 operates as a still image encoding unit. .

When the image encoding unit 5 operates as a still image encoding unit, the image from the camera unit 1 is encoded as a still image by the still image encoding unit 7 and is input to the demultiplexing unit 9, It is transmitted using the area. At the same time that the still image data is transmitted using the data area, the moving image encoded data stored in the memory unit 13 is subsequently transmitted using the image area. The memory unit 13 stores more moving image encoded data than the time required for still image encoding and data transmission. The other party also sends the encoded moving picture data at a lower bit rate than usual while decoding the encoded still picture data, and can reproduce and output a slow-motion moving picture.

When the transmission of the still image is completed,
When all the data in the data is transmitted, the switches of the image encoding unit 5 and the memory unit 13 are switched to return to the communication state of the moving image and the audio data.

[0024]

As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to provide an image communication terminal device capable of communicating still image encoded data simultaneously with moving image communication with a configuration using one image encoding chip.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an image communication terminal device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a still image data communication processing state of the image communication terminal device according to the embodiment;

FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing a still image data communication processing state of the image communication terminal device according to the embodiment;

FIG. 4 is a block diagram of a conventional image communication terminal device.

[Explanation of symbols]

 Reference Signs List 1 camera unit 2 monitor unit 3 microphone unit 4 speaker unit 5 image encoding unit 6 moving image encoding unit 7 still image encoding unit 8 audio encoding unit 9 demultiplexing unit 10 interface unit 11 key operation unit 13 memory unit 14 CPU

Claims (2)

[Claims] An image encoding unit for encoding image data, an interface unit for transmitting and receiving data encoded by the image encoding unit to and from a digital communication network, and And a memory unit for temporarily storing
When a still image data communication process is instructed, first, the moving image compression data from the image encoding unit is input to the memory unit, and a smaller amount of data is read from the memory unit in parallel with the input, and the digital communication network is read. The compressed image data is transmitted to the digital communication network by causing the image encoding unit to perform a still image encoding operation when compressed data is accumulated in the memory unit to some extent. Image communication terminal device. 2. A camera unit for capturing an image, a monitor unit for outputting an image, an image encoding unit for encoding image data, a demultiplexing unit for multiplexing or demultiplexing image data, An interface unit for transmitting / receiving data multiplexed by the demultiplexing unit to / from a digital communication network, and a memory unit for temporarily storing encoded moving image data, and a still image data communication process is instructed. First, the moving image compression data from the image encoding unit is input to the memory unit, and in parallel, the data is read out from the memory unit with the amount per unit time smaller than that at the time of input and output to the demultiplexing unit. When a certain amount of compressed data has accumulated in the memory unit, the image encoding unit performs a still image encoding operation, encodes an image from the camera unit as a still image, and outputs the image to the demultiplexing unit. Image communication terminal apparatus characterized by being configured to.