JPS6110381A - Pattern switching system in television conference - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To transmit surely the scene in a conference room to other conference room by selecting a video signal in response to a sound signal level from a microphone installed corresponding to a television camera. CONSTITUTION:Microphones M1-M4 are arranged corresponding to television cameras VC1-VC4 respectively. Sound signals outputted from each microphone are synthesized by a sound conference trunk CFT, transmitted to a channel L via a multiplex circuit MPX and transmitted to a sound detection circuit DFT. The circuit DFT compares the sound signal level outputted from each microphone at each prescribed period T, identified a microphone Mi outputting the maximum level and controls a video switch VSW so as to select the video signal outputted from the corresponding television camera VCi.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to a screen switching method in a video conference system that enables automatic switching of video signals transmitted to other conference rooms in a video conference system.

A video conferencing system that connects multiple conference rooms with a communication path that transmits video and audio signals, and that allows participants in each conference room to hold a conference in the same conference room while watching a TV screen, achieves the same effect. It is being tried. In this type of video conferencing system, it is necessary to install multiple television cameras, microphones, speakers, and television receivers in each conference room, and to accurately transmit the scene and content of comments in each conference room to other conference rooms. becomes. In particular, the communication channel that transmits the video signal requires a wide band, so among the multiple videos that display the scene in each conference room, for example, the video that shows the progress of the conference, such as the video that shows the speaker in close amplification, is switched as appropriate. , it is necessary to transmit the information to other conference rooms in order to effectively utilize such a broadband communication path.

[Conventional technology]

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A video selection staff was placed in each conference room, and the video signals output from each television camera were switched and selected according to the progress of the conference, and the signals were transmitted to other conference rooms.

[Problems to be solved by the invention] - However, such manual selection of video signals makes it difficult to accurately represent the scene of the conference room, and does not necessarily result in satisfactory results in terms of effective use of communication channels. I couldn't get it.

[Means for solving problems]

The present invention provides a video conference system in which a plurality of television cameras, television receivers, microphones, and speakers are installed in a plurality of conference rooms to conduct a conference, in which a microphone is installed corresponding to each of the television cameras, and a microphone is connected to each of the microphones. Monitoring the output audio signal level, selecting a video signal output from each of the television cameras according to the audio signal level output from each of the microphones, and transmitting the video signal to another conference room via a communication path. This solves the above problems.

[Effect]

That is, according to the present invention, the audio signal level output from microphones arranged corresponding to a plurality of television cameras provided in each conference room is monitored, and for example, the television camera corresponding to the microphone that outputs the maximum audio signal level is monitored. Since the video signals output by each TV camera are automatically selected, the scene in each conference room is faithfully represented, and as a result, the wideband communication channel is used effectively. The Rukoto.

〔Example〕

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

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a terminal accommodating device according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating the screen switching principle in FIG. 1. Note that the same reference numerals indicate the same objects throughout the figures. Note that in FIG. 1, only the terminal accommodating device in only one conference room is shown.

In FIG. 1, the television camera vCO captures a panoramic view of the conference room, and the television cameras VCI to C4 capture close-up images of each of the four attendees. (referred to as attendees 1 to 4, respectively). The video output from each of the television cameras VCO to VC4 is switched and selected by the video switch ■SW, and the second television cameras vC1 to V are sent out to the communication path leading to other conference rooms via the multiplex circuit MPX.
Microphones M1 to M4 are arranged corresponding to C4, respectively. The audio signals output from each of the microphones M1 to M4 are combined by the audio conference trunk CFT, sent out to the communication path via the multiplex circuit MPX, and transmitted to the audio detection circuit DET. Audio detection circuit DE
T compares the audio signal levels output from each of the microphones M1 to M4 at predetermined intervals T, identifies the microphone Mi (i is any one of 1 to 4) that outputs the highest level, and selects the corresponding television camera VCi. The video switch vSW is controlled to select the video signal to be outputted by the video switch vSW. Note that when audio signals are output from multiple microphones Mi,
Video switch ■SW corresponding to fluctuations in each audio signal level
In order to prevent abrupt switching, a predetermined time limit TO is set for changing the selection of the video switch SW. Furthermore, if the state in which no audio signals are output from all the microphones M1 to M4 continues for a predetermined period of time or more, the audio detection circuit DET switches the video switch vSW to select the video signal output from the television camera ■CO. Control as you like.

In FIG. 2, when attendee 1 speaks within period Tl,
The audio detection circuit DET identifies that the audio signal is output only from the microphone M1, and controls the video switch SW to select the close-up video signal of the attendee 1 output by the television camera VCI. When Attendee 1's speech ends within the period Tl, the voice detection circuit DET then switches the video switch SW to the television camera C at a predetermined time [TO].
1 continues to select the video signal to be output. When the attendee 2 speaks within the period T3 after the predetermined time To has passed, the audio detection circuit DET identifies that an audio signal has been output from the microphone M2, and switches the video switch ■SW to the attendee 2 who outputs the audio signal from the television camera VC2. The close amplifier video signal is controlled to be selected. When the speech of attendee 2 ends within the period T3, the voice detection circuit DET thereafter switches the video switch SW to the television camera VC2 for a predetermined time period To.
control to continue selecting the video signal to be output. If none of the attendees speaks after the predetermined time TO has elapsed, the audio detection circuit DE controls the video switch VSW to select the video signal of the panoramic view of the conference room output by the television camera CO.

As is clear from the above description, according to this embodiment, the audio detection circuit DET controls the video switch SW so as to select the video signal of the television camera VCi corresponding to the microphone Mi that outputs the highest level audio signal. , controls the video switch VSW so as to select video f8 of a panoramic view of the conference room output from the television camera VCO when audio signals are not output from all the microphones M1 to M4.

As a result, a close-amplified video signal or a panoramic video signal of the speaker is always sent to the communication path, and the progress of the conference in the conference room is accurately transmitted to other conference rooms.

Note that FIGS. 1 and 2 are only one embodiment of the present invention, and the number of attendees is not limited to four people, for example.
Many other modifications may be considered, but the effects of the present invention will not change in any case. Further, the speech progress of the attendees is not limited to what is shown in the diagram, and many other modifications may be considered, but the effects of the present invention will not change in any case. Furthermore, it goes without saying that the configuration of the terminal accommodating device CTL is not limited to that illustrated.

〔Effect of the invention〕

As described above, according to the present invention, in the video conference system, the scene in the conference room can be accurately transmitted to other conference rooms, and as a result, the communication channel can be used effectively.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a terminal accommodating device according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a diagram explaining the screen switching principle in FIG. 1. In the figure, CFT is an audio conference trunk, CTL is a terminal accommodation device, DET is a voice detection circuit, L is a communication path, Ml to M4 are microphones, MPX is a multiplex circuit, TO is a predetermined time period, TI to T4 are cycles, ■CO VC4 to VC4 are television cameras, and SW is a video switch. Ryo 1 Figure Ryo 2 Figure

Claims (1)

[Claims] In a video conferencing system in which multiple television cameras, television receivers, microphones, and speakers are installed in multiple conference rooms and a conference is held, a microphone is installed corresponding to each of the television cameras, and audio output from each microphone is provided. The present invention is characterized in that a signal level is monitored, a video signal output from each of the television cameras is selected according to an audio signal level output from each of the microphones, and the video signal is transmitted to another conference room via a communication path. Screen switching method in video conferencing.