KR19990050413A - Multipoint Access Controller for High Definition Video Conferencing - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a multi-point access control apparatus for high-definition video conferencing, and receives data sent from conference participants from an external broadband ATM network in a remote video conferencing environment, and transmits data processed within the apparatus to the conference participants. Communication network connection means for; Service control signal processing means for processing control signals for controlling a conference environment of each conference participant; Video data processing means for decoding the media streams sent from each conference participant, and encoding digital video generated according to video splitting or video switching and re-coding the video streams into a single video; It is composed of voice data processing means which analyzes the decoded digital voice data transmitted from each conference participant, extracts current speaker, and mixes each voice data on the basis of the MPEG-d under the ATM network environment. It has the advantage that it can process second-class high-definition video.

Description

Multipoint Access Control Unit for High Definition Video Conferencing

The present invention relates to a multi-point connection control device for high-definition video conferencing, and to a high-definition video conferencing service of MPEG-2 (MPEG-2) level in an asynchronous transfer mode (ATM) communication network environment. A multi-point control unit (MCU) for providing.

Video conferencing service is a service that allows a large number of remote conference participants to meet each other face to face through a communication service, which is one of the very promising communication services.

Currently, multi-point access controllers capable of providing MPEG-2 level high-definition video over ATM networks have not been developed yet. Therefore, existing multi-point access controllers show relatively poor image quality and screen division processing. Very limited. However, multimedia communication service users want to provide more natural and high quality video and audio.

Therefore, there is a need for an MPEG-2 class multipoint access control apparatus using high-quality media in an ATM communication network environment, which is a high speed communication network, which requires more various screen division processing and voice processing.

In order to solve the above problems, multi-point access control apparatus for remote video conferencing service capable of processing MPEG-2 level high-definition video under ATM network environment, which is a high-speed communication network, and capable of processing various divisions of conference participant screen To provide.

The multi-point access control apparatus for high-definition video conferencing provided by the present invention receives data sent by conference participants from an external broadband ATM network in a teleconference environment, and transmits data processed within the device to the conference participants. Network connection means for; Service control signal processing means for processing control signals for controlling a conference environment of each conference participant; Video data processing means for decoding the media streams sent from each conference participant, and encoding digital video generated according to video splitting or video switching and re-coding the video streams into a single video; And speech data processing means for analyzing the digital voice data transmitted and decoded from each conference participant to extract the current conference speakers, and mixing the voice data based on this.

1 is an association configuration diagram of apparatuses for performing a video conference according to the present invention;

2 is an internal configuration diagram of a multi-point connection control device of the present invention.

<Explanation of symbols for main parts of drawing>

10: multi-point access control device 20: video conference terminal

30: ATM communication network 21: system control device

22: media decoding device 23: audio processing device

24: media encoding device 25: communication network connection device

Hereinafter, with reference to the accompanying drawings will be described in more detail the present invention.

1 is an association configuration diagram of apparatuses for performing video conferencing according to the present invention, and FIG. 2 is an internal configuration diagram of a multi-point connection control apparatus of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 1, the video conferencing terminal 20 encodes the video and the audio of each conference participant through the ATM communication network 30 and is transmitted from the multi-point access control apparatus 10 of the present invention. Decodes video and audio and outputs it to the screen. Meanwhile, the ATM communication network 30 mainly consists of ATM switches, and serves to connect the video conferencing terminals 20 and the multi-point connection controller 10. The multi-point access control apparatus 10 of the present invention is connected to the terminals of all conference participants through the ATM communication network 30 to merge and process their video and audio, and to provide a meeting environment by controlling signals. do.

At this time, signals transmitted and received through the communication network follow the ATM transmission scheme, and video and audio are compressed / restored according to the MPEG-2 standard. The signal transmitted between the multi-point access control apparatus 10 and the video conference terminal 20 includes MPEG-2 TS (Transport Stream) multiplexed with video and audio, a control signal for conducting a conference, and remote collaboration during a conference. User data is included.

FIG. 2 is an internal configuration diagram of a multi-point connection control device of the present invention. Referring to FIG. 2, the device of the present invention performs a connection with a system control device 21 that controls the entire system as a whole and a communication network. Communication network connection device 25, a plurality of media decoding devices 22 for decoding video signals, an audio processing device 23 for processing audio data, and a media encoding device 24 for encoding video signals. do. Here, the media decoding apparatus 22 may include as many as the number of attendees.

The system control apparatus 21 receives and processes control signals for proceeding a conference to provide a conference environment to each conference participant, and the network connection device 25 transmits conference control signals and video / audio signals through an ATM communication network. An apparatus for transmitting / receiving, the system control apparatus 21 receives access control information for each meeting participant, that is, addresses, personal information, etc. of each participant, and uses the communication network for signals received and signals to be transmitted. Perform the send and receive function.

In addition, the communication network connection device 25 classifies the received conference control signal and the video / audio signal, and transmits them to the system control device 21 and the media decoding device 22, and the media encoding device 24. And a video / audio (MPEG-2 TS) and a meeting control signal generated from the system control apparatus 21 are transmitted to each terminal in an ATM cell.

Meanwhile, the media decoding apparatus 22 receives a media stream transmitted from the communication network access device 25, that is, video / audio signals of each conference participant under the control of the system control apparatus 21, and receives the media stream according to the MPEG-2 standard. It has the function of restoring (decoding). The reconstructed signals are digital video and audio signals, of which audio signals are transmitted to the audio processing device 23, and video signals are divided / merged under media control by the system controller 21. It passes to the encoding device 24.

In this case, the signal received by the media decoding apparatus 22 from the communication network access apparatus 25 is a signal in which MPEG-2 TS multiplexed in video / audio exists in the form of an ATM cell, and the media encoding apparatus 24 The output video signal is a single digital NTSC (National Television System Committee) video signal that is split / merge processed. That is, the output signal is displayed in the form of the screens of all conference participants merged into one screen. In addition, the voice data transmitted to the audio processing device 23 is a linear PCM signal, and transmits as many voice signals as conference participants.

On the other hand, one media decoding apparatus 22 has a simple structure of a single signal input and a single signal output, and therefore is easy to implement, and can be configured as a device having a plurality of input single outputs by simply gathering them. To this end, it is important that each media decoding device 22 maintain its output signal in a high impedance state while it is not outputting a video signal. In addition, the output of each of the media decoding devices 22 may be simply shorted. The configuration of the media decoding device 22 can improve the expandability of the device by collecting a plurality of devices having a simple structure to perform a single function.

The media encoding apparatus 24 encodes the audio signal transmitted from the audio processing apparatus 23 and the video signal transmitted from the media decoding apparatus 22, multiplexes them, and ATM-cells the communication network access apparatus. To 25. At this time, only one video encoder in the media encoding apparatus 24 is needed to compress the split / merge video signal, and an audio encoder is currently required by the number of speakers in each conference. On the other hand, the signal transmitted from the media encoding apparatus 24 to the communication network connection device 25 is an ATM cellized MPEG-2 signal.

The audio processing apparatus 23 receives linear PCM audio signals of the conference participants as transmitted from the respective media decoding apparatuses 22, extracts current speakers among them, and transmits them to the conference participants according to the extracted results. It is responsible for mixing audio data. The extracted current speaker's information is reported to the system control device 21, and the system control device 21 returns the information to the media decoding device 22 and the media encoding device for various screen configurations and proper media encoding. To 24. The audio mixing in the audio processing device 23 is performed by dividing all the voices of the current speakers and audio of each speaker by subtracting the audio of each speaker, and mixing the rest of the voices. This is to eliminate the problem of hearing the voice again. That is, the audio processing apparatus 23 receives the audio signals of the current conference attendees and outputs the mixed audio signals of the current speaker +1.

Each of the devices described above may be combined in various ways to constitute the entire invention device, each device may be composed of one board, or the entire invention device may be composed of one board.

As described above, the multi-point access control apparatus of the present invention processes MPEG-2 class high-definition video in an ATM network environment, which is a high speed communication network, and enables a wide variety of division processing of conference participant screens. In addition, it can be used as a very useful device in a modern society that requires a variety of high-quality multimedia communication services, in particular, it can be used for high quality video conferencing services in a broadband communication network.

Claims (7)

Network connection means for receiving data sent by conference participants from an external broadband ATM network in a teleconference environment and transmitting the processed data to the conference participants inside the apparatus; Service control signal processing means for processing control signals for controlling a conference environment of each conference participant; Video data processing means for decoding the media streams sent from each conference participant, and encoding digital video generated according to video splitting or video switching and re-coding the video streams into a single video; Multipoint access for high-definition video conferencing, comprising: voice data processing means for analyzing the decoded digital voice data transmitted from each conference participant, extracting current speaker, and mixing the voice data controller. The method of claim 1, The communication network connection means Receiving the access control information for each participant from the service control signal processing means, and performing the communication network transmission / reception function of the received signal and the signals to be transmitted by using the same; Classify the received conference control signal and video / audio signal, and transmit the received conference control signal to the service control signal processing means and the video data processing means; Multi-point access control for high-definition video conferencing, characterized by transmitting video / audio (MPEG-2 TS) and conference control signals generated from the video data processing means and the service control signal processing means to ATM terminals. Device. The method of claim 1, The service control signal processing means A multi-point access control device for high-definition video conferencing, characterized in that the overall control of the system, and receives and processes the control signals for proceeding the meeting to provide a conference environment to each meeting attendees. The method of claim 1, The video data processing means A media decoding apparatus for receiving video / audio signals of each conference participant delivered from the network access apparatus under the control of the service control signal processing means and restoring (decoding) the video according to the MPEG-2 standard; And a media encoding apparatus for encoding the voice signal transmitted from the voice data processing means and the video signal transmitted from the media decoding apparatus, multiplexing them, and ATMizing them to deliver them to the communication network access means. Multipoint access controller for high definition video conferencing. The method according to claim 1 or 4, The media decoding apparatus Receiving a signal in which the MPEG-2 signal multiplexed in video / audio from the communication network access means is present in the form of an ATM cell, and outputting a single digital NTSC video signal split / merged to the media encoding apparatus; Has a simple structure of single signal input and single signal output, High-definition video conferencing, characterized by maintaining the output signals in a high impedance state while they are not outputting video signals, and configuring them as a multi-input single output device by simply gathering them and shorting the outputs. Multipoint Access Control Device The method of claim 4, wherein The media encoding device A multi-point access control device for a high-definition video conference, comprising one video encoder and an audio encoder corresponding to the number of speakers of each conference. The method according to claim 1 or 4, The voice data processing means Receives linear PCM audio signals from the media decoding devices as much as the conference participants, extracts current speakers among them, mixes audio data to be transmitted to each conference participant according to the extracted result, The audio mixing is performed by dividing all the voices of the current speakers and audio of each speaker by subtracting the audio of each speaker. Multi-point access control device for high-definition video conferencing, characterized in that the audio mixed with all the voice is transmitted to the non-speakers, the speaker minus the voice of the speakers.