JPS63193682A - Inter-multilocation video conference controller - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To enlarge communication location and to emphatically display the image of a speaker by varying an extracting area on a screen corresponding to the number of attendants at the time of synthesizing video signals from respective TV conference terminals, and modifying the arrangement at the time of synthesizing the extracting areas. CONSTITUTION:Video signals from respective TV conference terminals 1a-1f are signal-converted in interface parts 3a-3f, decoded by video line processing parts 4a-4f, and thus video synchronization is attained. Then, based on conference control signals (number of communication locations, number of conference attendants, segmented size/position information) from a specified terminal (for instance a terminal 1a at which a conference master of the chairman participates), a reduced picture is generated. A video multiplex switching part 12 generates the picture of a specified location or a reducing synthesis picture from each terminal corresponding to a request from each terminal, and the data is coded again in a processing part 4, then multiplexed with a voice signal from a voice line processing part 7, and further signal-converted in the interface part 3, thereafter, the data is distributed to respective terminals through a line 10.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to a multipoint video conference in which a plurality of video conference terminals are interconnected to conduct a communication conference between the multiple points.

[Conventional technology]

A multipoint video conference in the prior art was configured as shown in FIG. In Figure 2, /a, /b, /
c, /d, /e are video conference terminals; 2 is a multipoint video conference control device; 3a, 3b.

3c, jd, Je are interface parts, #a, l/lb
.

4tc, 4td, 4e are video line processing units, ja, j
b.

jc, 36. je is a video reduction unit, 2 is a video multiplex switching unit, 7a, 7b, 7c, 7d, and 7e are audio line processing units,
♂ is a voice addition section, and ♂ is a control section, 10a.

Lines 10b, 10c, 10d, and 10e connect the respective video conference terminals and the multipoint video conference control device.

In this figure, for the sake of simplicity, the transmission lines, exchanges, etc. between the terminal and the /Oa-e line configuration are omitted. Here, video signals from j video conference terminals of / are connected to two multipoint video conference control devices via 10 line groups, and input to respective interface units of 3 a % e. This signal is separated into a video signal, audio signal and control signal at the interface section,
The signals are input to the video line processing units of 4Za to 4Za, the audio line processing unit of 7IIL-e, and the control units of 7IIL-e, respectively. First, the video line processing section decodes the video signal that has been highly efficiently encoded using the intraframe encoding device on each IO line, and after horizontal and vertical synchronization is established for each channel, each of the To video frame memory a %
The phase synchronization of all the video signals of the j channels of e is adjusted. The video reduction section j thins out every 7 pixels in the horizontal and vertical directions of this signal to reduce the screen to //4t. In the video multiplexing switching section (B), in response to the screen designation signal from the terminals separated in 3 a - e, the desired terrestrial video signal is switched to a reduced composite signal obtained by combining the reduced signals.

FIG. 3 shows an example of screen display on each terminal. (A) is an example of a normal screen, and (B) is an example of a reduced composite screen. On the other hand, the voice signal is prevented from howling by the voice switch of the voice line processing section 7, and the voice of each terminal is mixed and added by which adder. The audio signal after this addition is distributed to each terminal via the audio line processing section 7. In addition, as a control signal from the terminal, there is a signal that specifies an arbitrary ground screen or reduced composite screen during the conference, and based on this, the control unit sends two
The video multiplex switching unit is controlled.

[Problem that the invention seeks to solve]

Conventional technology has such a configuration, so each terminal can listen to the audio from all locations (excluding its own terminal) while switching between displaying the screen of a desired location or a reduced composite screen, allowing communication between multiple locations. Video conferences can be held. However, with this method, the maximum number of points that a terminal can communicate with is limited by the video signal composition method, and the video composition section in the evening is limited to the range that does not become difficult to view when displayed on one screen, that is, the screen of the Hiroshima point is reduced. The evening meeting that synthesized these was the largest. As described above, the conventional method has the drawback that it cannot be applied to conferences involving two or more locations.

[Means for solving problems]

The purpose of the present invention is to solve the drawbacks of the prior art, and instead of always reducing the video signals from each point in a fixed manner and combining them, the purpose of the present invention is to combine the video signals according to the content of the conference. This allows the method to be changed, and the method of combining multiple video signals can be changed according to instructions from a specific terminal. As a result, when combining seven screens, the area allocated to each point can be changed according to the number of conference participants, increasing the number of points that can be communicated and improving serviceability, as well as the applicable area of multipoint video conferencing. The aim is to expand the

In the present invention, when combining video signals from each video conference terminal, the area to be extracted on the screen is changed according to the number of participants in each conference room, and the arrangement is also changed when combining these. This method differs from conventional technology in that the method of combining video signals can be changed depending on the content of the conference.

〔Example〕

FIG. 1 is an embodiment of a multipoint video conference control device for conducting a video conference between six points according to the present invention.
, /b, /c, /ci, /e and /
f is each video conference terminal, 3a, 3b, 3c.

3d, 3θ and 3f are interface parts, 'i'.

Gb, HiroC2 Hirod, Hiroe and Gr are video line processing units,
7a, 7b, 7c, 7d, 7e and 7f are audio line processing units; r is an audio addition unit; 10a, 10b.

10c, 10ci, /Qe and 10f are lines connecting the video conference terminal and the multipoint video conference control device;
/ / a, / / b, / / c, / /
d, / / e and //f are video extraction units, 7.2 is a video multiplex switching unit, /3 is a control unit, and 7≠ is a multipoint video conference control device.

In FIG. 1, as in the case of FIG. 2, the exchange and transmission line in the line between the terminal and the terminal are omitted. In Figure 1, the differences from the conventional video conference control device are that the number of terminals has increased (the number of terminals f has increased), the number of line compatible parts has been increased, the video extraction part of //, and the number of 12 The purpose is to change the functions of the video multiplex switching section and the control section 13.

The present invention will be described in detail below, focusing on the video compositing function.

Please note that prior to video conference communication, a specific terminal (e.g.
/a) to the other party's terminal (/b, /
c, /a, /e, /f), and the exchange sets up a line to the multipoint video conference control device of /g.

The video signals from each video conference terminal of / a - f are 3
After the signal is converted by the interface section of 4ta to f, it is decoded by the video line processing section of 4ta to f, and the video synchronization (horizontal, vertical and video frame synchronization) is determined by the video extracting section of a to f. A reduced screen is created based on conference control signals (information on the number of communication points, number of conference participants, and cutout size and position) from a terminal (for example, a terminal where the moderator or chairperson participates; assume /a). . Furthermore, in order to respond to requests from each terminal, the video multiplex switching section 7.2 creates a screen at a specific point or a reduced composite screen from each terminal. The video signal created here is encoded again in the video line processing section of 7, multiplexed with the audio signal from the audio line processing section of 7, and converted into a signal by the interface section of 3. It is distributed to each terminal via the line.

Next, an example of the configuration of the video extracting section of // is shown in FIG.

/j is a video memory, /2 is a categorization control circuit, and /7 is a readout control circuit. The video extracting section performs reduction by thinning out each pixel from the frame memory in the video line processing section 13 in accordance with the reduction ratio and reading/writing it into the memory based on the instruction from the control section 13.

For example, there are two conference attendees at terminals a, b, and c, and d.

Let us consider the case where seven people each participate in terminals e and f. In this case, the conference control signal from the a-channel terminal is extracted by the /3 control unit, and based on this, each screen is reduced to // for the a, b, and C channels, and (1 ,e
and f channel, once the screen is half the size of the normal screen.
/, Cut out 2 screens and reduce/convert this to//4.

Here, in case of reduction by //, pixels are thinned out by controlling the address of the corresponding pixel in the memory of the video extracting section of //, and writing information about every seventh pixel in the horizontal and vertical directions. In the latter case, the horizontal address information is first converted to half the size in the horizontal direction. Further, this pixel information is stored by controlling the addresses so that it is every seventh pixel in the horizontal and vertical directions. In this way, the video extraction section of l/ has a memory for a different shift frame from the video reduction section of j (//reduction dedicated memory) in the conventional method, and the video extraction section of The difference is that address control is performed when writing and reading memory. This differs in that it is now possible to read out at any position and synthesize it, instead of always reducing it by /2 in the vertical and horizontal directions. Furthermore, the video multiplex switching section of /2 adjusts the timing based on the screen switching control signal from each terminal and arranges the video at the designated location on the screen. Combine video signals or switch to a video signal from a specific point.

FIG. 5 shows an example of the screen display during writing and reading from /j's video memory at this time. To achieve this, /a
At the terminal, the moderator designs the layout of the reduced composite screen at the start of the conference, taking into consideration the number of terminals and attendees attending the conference, and notifies the multipoint video conference control device/Hiro as a conference control signal.

In this way, each terminal can switch between a screen at a specific point or a reduced composite screen at all points based on the request signal, and a multipoint video conference can proceed smoothly.

On the other hand, regarding audio signals, 7 audio switches are used for each line to prevent howling, and which audio adding section corresponds to the number of points adds up the audio signals of all destinations (excluding those for white points). do.

In the above example, each pixel of the video signal of each channel is thinned out and reduced to 7 screens in the video extracting section of //h-f, but the video line processing of g By writing only the pixel information of a specific area from the internal frame memory to the /j memory, it is also possible to cut out 7 parts of the screen at the normal size without reducing the size, and combine them. Figure 5 shows an example of this screen display.

In this way, based on instructions from a specific video conference terminal, the video signal extraction method and synthesis method are controlled for each channel, and by providing an audio addition function for the number of channels, it is possible to Previously, communication was only possible between points, but with this device, it is now possible to communicate via video conference from M points or higher. It has also become possible to display information in a smaller size.

〔Effect of the invention〕

As explained above, according to the present invention, it is possible to change the extraction method and synthesis method of video signals depending on the nature of the conference, and this makes it possible to expand the number of communication points and highlight speakers, etc. The serviceability of multipoint video conferencing is improved.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 shows an example of the configuration of a multipoint video conference poison control device according to the present invention. FIG. 2 shows an example of the configuration of a conventional multipoint video conference control device. FIG. 3 shows an example of a screen display on a terminal. FIG. μ shows an example of the configuration of the video extracting section. FIG. 5 is a screen example of the reduction synthesis method. Figure 5 shows an example of screen composition when cutting out.

Claims (1)

[Claims] means for converting interface conditions with a transmission path and encoding/decoding video and audio signals in order to interconnect video conference terminals installed at three or more locations and conduct a multipoint video conference; means for synchronizing a plurality of video signals to have the same phase; means for reducing and converting the video signals of the terminal group and synthesizing them; means for switching the composite video signal or the point video signal and distributing it to each terminal; means for preventing and adding howling of audio signals from a terminal;
In a multipoint video conference control device having means for distributing the added audio signal to each terminal, a control signal from a specific terminal among the terminals is received, and a control signal is transmitted from each terminal based on the received control signal. A multipoint video conference control device characterized by comprising means for changing and controlling an extraction mode and a synthesis mode of video signals.