KR19990000988A - How to save video on answering machine - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method for storing a received video message of an answering machine, comprising: a memory (44) for storing digital code data for a video signal, and a video signal processed under the control of the controller (41); An image processor 42 for outputting image code data, an image signal interface 30 for outputting an image signal from the received communication signal to the image processor 42, and a controller 41 for controlling various operations. In a method of storing a message image in an answering machine video phone:

A first step (S220) of storing a predetermined field amount of image information obtained by the image processing unit 42 from the received image signal when the telephone is in the answering machine mode (S220); The first process consists of a second step (S230) that does not store the image information for a predetermined time after the first step, and the second process characterized in that the first process is repeated until the incoming call is over, the memory Since the capacity can be small, there is an effect of reducing the cost.

Description

How to save video on answering machine

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a method of operating an answering machine, and more particularly, to storing a message received when a call is received from an answering machine in a video answering mode. An image storage method for storing.

In general, the video phone is a voice phone call with the other party, and the image is exchanged with each other, the means for sending the image and the means for displaying the image, which will be described with reference to Figure 1 as follows.

Fig. 1 is a block diagram showing a system of a general video phone. The voice phone unit 20 corresponding to an ordinary telephone, a video phone interface 10 serving as a window for transmitting and receiving communication data with a telephone station, The video signal interface 30 serving as a window for the video signal among the data, the video camera 60 corresponding to the microphone in the ordinary telephone, the water pipe 50, and a key which is a means for the user to input an operation mode. It consists of an input part 70 and the main circuit 40.

The video camera 60 may include a beacon including a target to which light passes through the lens, a (pre) amplifier for amplifying a signal from the beacon, and a color signal from the preamplifier. It is largely composed of a color encoder (usually an NTSC color video signal).

Referring to the configuration block of the main circuit 40, an image processing unit 42 for receiving coded data for an image and converting the same into image signals (RGB and Y signals) and storing image code data of one screen. A video RAM 43, a memory 44 that stores various data processed by the controller 41, and a controller that controls the device blocks through a system bus (i.e., an address bus, a data bus, and a control bus); 41).

In the answering machine video phone, the controller 41 automatically answers the incoming call and stores a message. For example, when an incoming call is received in the answering machine mode, after three beeps (or after a predetermined time), the user's response message is output. After the response message is finished, the other party's message is received, and the audio signal is stored in the memory of the voice telephone unit 20 and the video signal in the memory 44 of the main circuit 40.

However, since the received video signal includes code data corresponding to 60 fields (30 frames) per second, the capacity of the memory 44 must be very large to store all the transmitted video messages. In the case of a three-minute call, there are about 10,000 fields, and the amount of memory required for one field of code data is at least about 10 kilobytes (K), so at least 100 megabytes (M) total is required for a call.

In general, when 5 calls are received in a day, the video memory of the video phone has a problem of having a large capacity of about 1 gigabyte (G) bytes.

The present invention for solving the above problems, in storing a message received when a call is received from the video phone in the answering machine mode, a message image for storing the image information of the message in a smaller memory The purpose is to provide a storage method.

1 is a block diagram showing a system of a typical answering machine video phone.

2 is a flowchart illustrating an image storing method in an answering machine video phone according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Explanation of symbols on the main parts of the drawings

30: video signal interface 40: main circuit

41: control unit (CPU) 42: image processing unit

43: video RAM 44: memory

50: water tube (CRT) 60: video camera

62: color encoder 70: key input unit

A feature of the present invention for achieving the above object is a memory 44 for storing digital code data for an image signal, and processing the image signal under the control of the controller 41 to output the image code data to the memory. In an answering machine phone having an image processor 42, an image signal interface 30 for outputting an image signal from the received communication signal to the image processor 42, and a controller 41 for controlling various operations. How to save the message image of:

A first step (S220) of storing a predetermined field amount of image information obtained by the image processing unit 42 from the received image signal when the telephone is in the answering machine mode (S220); The first step consists of a second step (S230) of not storing video information for a predetermined time after the first step, and the second step of repeating the first step until the incoming call ends. .

An additional feature of the present invention for achieving the above object is that, in the second step, the control unit 41 does not output an image signal among the received communication signals to the image processing unit 42. To control it.

Another feature of the present invention for achieving the above object, the second process is that the user can limit the number of times to repeat the first process to a predetermined number of times by using a predetermined key input means (70). .

Hereinafter, a preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

The system of the answering machine video phone for the present invention is the same as the system of the general answering machine video phone shown in FIG. In the present invention, the capacity of the memory 44 for storing image data of the main circuit 40 does not need to be very large, and the capacity for automatically receiving about 20 calls may be about 10 megabytes (M) bytes. have. To this end, the control unit 41 of the main circuit 40 should perform a control function as described below.

2 is a flowchart illustrating an operation of an image storing method in an answering machine video phone according to an exemplary embodiment.

If the interface 10 of the answering machine video phone is connected to a public telephone line, it can receive a communication signal. The interface 10 separates the audio signal and the video signal from the communication signal, and outputs the audio signal to the voice telephone unit 20 connected to the control unit 41, and outputs the video signal to the video signal interface 30. .

Since the voice telephone unit 20 has a built-in hook switch, the voice telephone unit 20 may output a signal on whether the incoming call is received to the control unit 41 (S100). When the incoming call is made, the controller 41 checks whether the operation mode (the user may set the key input means 70) to be performed is the auto answer mode (S200). If it is not the answering machine mode (no), other set operation modes are performed (S300).

In the automatic answering mode (Yes), the controller 41 controls to transmit the voice response message set in the voice telephone unit 20 (S210). In addition, the communication message is transmitted through a telephone line (wired or wireless).

The voice message of the communication message is stored in the specific memory of the voice telephone unit 20 until the end of the call. The video signal (message) of the communication message is input to the image processor 42 via the video signal interface 30. The controller 41 processes only a predetermined number of field signals (which may be converted into time) by the image processor 42 to convert the image to a predetermined storage address of the memory 44 in the main circuit 40. Control to output the code data for (S220).

Then, the image data storing step (S220) is stopped for a predetermined time (S230). Since the video phone usually only needs to check the appearance of the called party, the time of the storing step may be very small (2 to 6 fields), and the so-called waiting time of the non-storing step (S230) is relatively long. This is preferred. When the received message is checked later, the image may be viewed only during a part of the talk time, and the stored video may be repeated during the waiting time.

When only a part of the received video information is stored as described above, the controller 41 checks whether the call is over (S400), and if not, returns to the video information storing step (S220) when the call ends. Repeat until (Yes).

Hereinafter, another embodiment of the present invention will be described.

The controller 41 may control the image processor 42 not to output the processed image information to the memory 44 in a waiting step (S230) without storing the image information. In order to reduce power consumption and short circuit life due to the operation of the image processor 42, the control unit may stop the output of the image signal interface 30. This is more preferred.

In addition, the process of storing the above-mentioned image information for a predetermined time and not storing the predetermined time may be repeated until the end of the call. However, if it is desired to check only the appearance of the other party in the automatic answering mode, only a few fields of the image are stored. Information is enough. Therefore, it may be better to repeat a few times (may be 1), not until the end of the call. This number of repetitions can be set by the user through the key input means 70.

Then, the step of counting the variable for the number of repetition, and confirming whether the setting number (by the user) to replace the step of confirming the completion of the call (S400) has been reached, and the control unit 41 is input by the user It will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art that the step of storing the number of times to be included will be further included.

The present invention operated as described above can achieve the purpose of using the answering machine video phone even with a small amount of video information memory, thereby reducing the cost. In addition, since the driving time of the image processing unit can be reduced, energy saving and the life of the circuit element can be extended.

Claims (3)

A memory 44 for storing digital code data for an image signal, an image processor 42 for processing the image signal under the control of the controller 41, and outputting the image code data to the memory; A method of storing a message image in an answering machine video phone having a video signal interface 30 for outputting a video signal to the image processor 42 and a controller 41 for controlling various operations: A first step (S220) of storing a predetermined field amount of image information obtained by the image processing unit 42 from the received image signal when the telephone is in the answering machine mode (S220); A first step consisting of a second step (S230) of not storing the image information for a predetermined time after the first step, And a second process of repeating the first process until the incoming call ends. The method of claim 1, wherein the second step is characterized in that the controller 41 controls the video signal interface 30 so as not to output the video signal from the received communication signal to the image processor 42. How to save video on a responsive videophone. 2. The image storing method of claim 1, wherein the second process limits the number of times of repeating the first process to a predetermined number of times by using a predetermined key input means (70). Way.