JPH11331435A - Image transfer device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an image transfer device for smooth communication capable of transferring image data without obstructing the conversation while communicating with an opposite party through a telephone set. SOLUTION: In this image transfer device provided with the telephone set 1a and an image input/output means 3a for transmitting the image data inputted to the image input/output means 3a through the telephone line of the telephone set 1a and outputting the image data received through the telephone line to the image input/output means 3a, a data processing means 2a on a transmission side receives a transmission command, interrupts the transmission of voice data by the telephone set 1a and transmits the image data and the data processing means 2b on a reception side switches the image data and the voice data based on reception signals.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

The present invention relates to an image transfer device using a telephone line or the like.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, with the diversification of information, various information transmission devices have been provided. Above all, in order to ensure communication with a remote party, emphasis has been placed on transmitting image information such as characters and figures in addition to voice information. Conventionally, as such an image transfer apparatus, a facsimile that transfers image data using a telephone line, a personal computer communication, a videophone, and the like have been used.

[0003]

In an image transfer apparatus such as a facsimile or a personal computer which uses a telephone line common to a telephone call, when transmitting and receiving each, the line is exclusively used during that time, and the telephone and the telephone are used. The transmission and reception of the image transfer device could not be performed simultaneously. That is, while the image data is being transmitted and received by the image transfer device, the telephone call cannot be made. On the other hand, a videophone using a normal telephone line transmits and receives color video image data between calls, but the amount of information of the image data is extremely large, so intermittent static It was sending and receiving pictures. As a result, the responsiveness of information transmission was poor, and this was an obstacle to smooth communication. Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an image transfer apparatus capable of performing smooth communication in which image data can be exchanged without interfering with the call while talking with the other party on the telephone.

[0004]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems. That is, when the reference numerals in parentheses are added in parentheses, the present invention is applicable to a telephone (1a) and an image display device. An input / output means (3a) for transmitting image data input to the image input / output means (3a) to the telephone (1a);
In an image transfer apparatus that transmits image data via the telephone line and outputs image data received via the telephone line to the image input / output unit (3a), the data processing unit (2a) on the transmission side includes:
Upon receiving the transmission instruction, the telephone (1a) interrupts the transmission of the audio data, transmits the image data, and the data processing means (2b) on the receiving side switches between the image data and the audio data based on the received signal. An image transfer apparatus characterized in that:

[0005]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 shows a first embodiment of an image transfer apparatus according to the present invention. The image transfer device of the first embodiment mainly includes a telephone 1a, a touch plate 3a, and a signal processing device 2a. The touch plate 3a mainly includes a liquid crystal panel 4, a transfer button 5, a touch pen 11, and a function selection button 7.
It consists of. Further, the function selection button 7 includes a drawing button 8, a return button 9, and a clear button 10. The telephone 1a and the touch plate 3a are connected to the signal processing device 2a, and an audio signal of the telephone 1a and an image signal of the touch plate 3a are transferred to the signal processing device 2a. In addition, the same image transfer device, that is, the telephone 1
b, the touch plate 3b, and the signal processing device 2b. The two signal processing devices 2a and 2b that perform communication are connected by a normal telephone line.

Next, an image transfer method according to the first embodiment will be described. First, in the same manner as a normal call procedure, after pressing the dial button of the telephone 1a and designating a destination,
Initiate a call. At this time, the audio signals of the telephones 1a and 1b are modulated and demodulated by the respective signal processing devices 2a and 2b so that both parties can talk. The procedure for transferring image data such as characters and figures during a call will be described below. First, the drawing button 8 is pressed. Next, with the touch pen 11,
An image to be transferred to the other party is drawn on the monochrome liquid crystal panel 4 of the touch plate 3a. At this time, the user may press the return button 9 to delete an image such as a figure related to one drawing, or press the clear button 10 to delete all images. The image drawn in this manner becomes a coordinate signal of an input position on the liquid crystal panel 4 and is temporarily stored in a memory arranged in the signal processing device 2a. Here, for example, a coordinate signal when a “+” character centering on coordinates (10, 10) is drawn on the liquid crystal panel 4 is (7, 10), (8, 10), (9, 10), (10, 10), (11, 10), (12, 10), (13, 10), (10, 7), (10, 8), (10, 9), (10, 11) , (10, 12), (10, 13) (a).

Then, without hanging up the handset of the telephone 1a,
When the user wants to transfer the image to the other party, he pushes the transfer button 5 on the touch plate 3a. Thereby, the coordinate signals stored in the memory of the signal processing device 2a are transferred to the memory of the other signal processing device 2b via the telephone line. On the other hand, the other party converts the received coordinate signal into an image on the liquid crystal panel of the touch plate 3b, and can recognize the same image as the transmitting side. Using the function selection button 7 described above, it is also possible to add a new image or delete a part of the image based on the image already drawn and transmitted and received. During the transmission and reception of the image data, the transmission and reception of the audio signal by the telephone are temporarily interrupted, but the transmission timing of the image data is arbitrary. And can be done to. Further, since the amount of information of the image data based on the coordinate signal is relatively small, the time required for the transmission and reception thereof is also relatively small. For this reason, there is almost no sense of discomfort or obstacle in the call. As described above, in the first embodiment, image data can be transmitted / received arbitrarily in a short period of time without having to hang up the handsets of the telephones 1a and 1b during a call, so that smoother communication is possible. In particular, when at least one of the two parties on the call does not speak the language used for the call, the image transfer apparatus according to the first embodiment can effectively assist the conversation.

Since the transfer time becomes shorter as the amount of information to be transferred is smaller, the coordinate signal is transferred without processing in the first embodiment, but the coordinate signal is transferred to the signal processor 2a. Then, the data may be transferred after being compressed. For example, the coordinate data (a) described above is converted into compressed data as (7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13/10), (10/7, 8, 9, 11, 12, 13). Is done. In the first embodiment, the memory is arranged in the signal processing device 2b. However, the memory is not arranged in place of the memory, and the coordinate signal converted in the touch plate 3a by the transmission command by the transfer button 5 is transmitted. Alternatively, the data may be directly transferred to the destination. In the first embodiment, the telephone 1a, the touch plate 3a, and the signal processing device 2a are respectively separate devices, but they may be integrated into one device. At this time, if a function of displaying the name and telephone number of the other party on the liquid crystal panel 4 and a function of visually confirming the incoming call on the liquid crystal panel 4 are added, an information transmission device that can be used even by a person with hearing impairment Becomes

Next, a second embodiment of the image transfer apparatus according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 2 shows a touch plate of the image transfer device. In the second embodiment, color image data can be transmitted and received. The only difference from the first embodiment in the configuration is the touch plate 3c. The touch plate 3c mainly includes a color liquid crystal panel 4c, a transfer button 5, a touch pen 11, a function selection button 7, and a color selection button 6. The following procedure is used to draw a color image on the touch plate 3c. First, after the drawing button 8 is pressed, the color of the image to be drawn is determined by pressing the color selection button 6. Then, with the touch pen 11,
A color image is drawn on the color liquid crystal panel 4c. The color image drawn in this manner becomes a composite signal in which a color signal is added to a coordinate signal related to the input position,
As in the first embodiment, transmission and reception are performed on both touch plates. Also in the second embodiment, as in the first embodiment, image data can be arbitrarily transmitted and received in a short time without hanging up the telephone sets of the telephones 1a and 1b during a call, so that smooth communication can be achieved. It becomes possible.

[0010]

As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to provide an image transfer apparatus capable of smoothly exchanging image data using a common line during a telephone call.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an image transfer device according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a view illustrating a touch plate of an image transfer device according to a second embodiment of the present invention;

[Explanation of symbols]

 1a, 1b Telephone 2a, 2b Signal processing device 3a, 3b, 3c Touch plate 4, 4c Liquid crystal panel 5 Transfer button 6 Color selection button 7 Function selection button 8 Drawing button 9 Return button 10 Clear button 11: Touch pen

Claims (6)

[Claims] An image input / output means for transmitting image data input to said image input / output means via a telephone line of said telephone, and transmitting image data received via said telephone line to said image input / output means; In the image transfer device for outputting to the input / output means, the data processing means on the transmission side receives the transmission command, interrupts the transmission of the voice data by the telephone, transmits the image data, and the data processing means on the reception side An image transfer device for switching between the image data and the audio data based on a received signal. 2. The image input / output means according to claim 1, further comprising a display panel for displaying said image data.
An image transfer device according to claim 1. 3. The image transfer apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said image data is formed by a coordinate signal. 4. The image transfer device according to claim 1, wherein said image data is formed by a coordinate signal and a color signal. 5. The image transfer apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said data processing means includes a memory for storing and reading the image data. 6. An image transfer apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said data processing means transfers the image data after compressing the image data.