JPH01117487A - Stational picture visual telephone equipment - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] This bulletin contains application data before electronic filing, so abstract data is not recorded.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Industrial Application Field] The present invention relates to a still image video telephone device that can transfer still images during a call, and particularly to a configuration that can also transfer bit data such as character information.

[Background Art] With recent advances in semiconductor technology and image digital processing technology, videophones that transmit and receive still images via analog telephone lines have become a reality.

As an example of such a still image videophone device, one shown in the October 1986 issue of Foreign Communication Technology will be explained based on FIGS. 6 to 8.

In the figure, (1) is the telephone line, (2) is the monitor TV that displays the self-portrait and the other party's image, (3) is the TV camera, (4) is the handset for calling, and (5) is the selection of dialing, etc. The communication system consists of a numeric keypad for inputting signals, (6) a send button that commands the other party to send a still image, (7) a telephone interface unit that connects to the line, and (8) an amplifier for making calls. circuit, (9) is a modulation/demodulation unit that modulates and demodulates still image data on the telephone line, and (10) is a switch unit that switches the signal connection with the line between the communication circuit (8) and the modulation/demodulation unit (9). , (11) is an image storage unit that stores images taken by the television camera (3) for transmission as still image data, and also stores still image data from the communication partner; (12) is a television camera (
In addition to A/D converting the video signal from 3) to create still image data and D/A converting the signal from the image storage unit (11) to create a video signal, creating a synchronization signal, processing for writing and reading image storage, etc. Image control processor section that performs
(13) consists of a microcomputer, ROM,
This is a central processing unit that includes RAM.

Next, the operation of this device will be explained.

Pick up the handset (4), dial using the numeric keypad (5), connect the telephone line with the other party, and establish communication. At this time, the switch unit (10) enters a voice communication state, that is, a call state. Therefore, the telephone line (1
) signals are transmitted and received via the communication circuit (8). Also,
Images taken by the television camera (3) are sent to the monitor television (2) via the image control processor (12).
displayed on the right side of the screen.

If you want to send the still image to the other party in this state, press the send button (6). Then, the central processing unit (13) detects that the send button has been pressed. The central processing unit (13) includes an image control processor (1
2) to store one field of image data from the camera (3) in the image storage section (1'l). Further, pixel data is sequentially extracted from the image storage section (11) and signals are given to the modulation/demodulation section (9). The switch section (10) is switched to the modulation/demodulation section (9) side by pressing the transmit button.
The modulated signal is sent to the telephone line (1).

When the transmission of one field's worth of pixel data is completed, the central processing section (13) switches the switch section (10) back to the calling side.

Next, the still image received from the other party is demodulated by the modulation/demodulation section (9), sequentially stored in the image storage section (11) via the image control processor, and displayed on the left side of the screen of the monitor television (2). be done.

Note that the image data in this conventional example is modulated into an image signal as follows. In other words, in the example shown in Figure 8, there is a first phase with a sinusoidal curve type, and a second phase with a sinusoidal curve, which differs in phase by 180 degrees, and each phase is a signal with multiple amplitudes. It is formed of. Each of these one-cycle signals of a specific phase and a specific amplitude is made to correspond to a specific color. In this example, each phase has 8 cycles, 16 cycles in total, and the maximum amplitude signal "15" of the first phase corresponds to white, and the maximum amplitude signal "O" of the second phase corresponds to black.

The intermediate signals "14" to "1' correspond to each lightness of gray, respectively.

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] In such a conventional still image videophone device, voice calls and still images can be transmitted and received at appropriate timings. However, it did not have the ability to send and receive bit data such as character information. Therefore, there is a problem in that a separate, large-scale, independent device is required to send and receive bit data.

This invention was made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and by making maximum use of the still image data transmission/reception function, text can be transmitted very effectively with a simple configuration. An object of the present invention is to provide a still image videophone device that can also transmit and receive bit data such as information.

[Means for Solving the Problems] The still image videophone device according to the present invention is capable of modulating image data into an image data signal at an appropriate timing during a call, and then transmitting it to the other party through a telephone line. The image signal sent through the line can be demodulated into image data and displayed on a monitor TV, and the input means inputs bit data and modulates this bit data into a bit signal. It is characterized by being composed of signals selected from among the signals.

[Operation] During a call, an image obtained by a television camera is modulated into an image data signal and transmitted.

The image data signal sent from the 10-hand side is demodulated into image data and displayed on a monitor television.

Here, this device can also transmit and receive PIP data. That is, the bit data is modulated into an appropriate signal selected from the image data signals and transmitted as a bit signal. Therefore, the bit data can be modulated by the same modulation means as the image data, the overall configuration is extremely simple, and reliable transmission and reception of the bit data can be achieved.

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

In FIGS. 1 and 2, (1) to (12) are the same components as those of the conventional still image videophone device shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, and their explanation will be omitted.

(14) is a central processing unit, which has the same function as the central processing unit (13) in the conventional example;
4) also has a character generator function. In other words, it is possible to convert bit data of "0" and 1" to character data such as character information. (15) is a character data sending key that instructs to send character data, and (16) is a character data sending key. It is a full keyboard for data entry.

Character data such as character information is transmitted from the full keyboard (16), and inputted character data is transmitted by pressing the character data transmission key 14.

Here, modulation and demodulation of character data in the central processing section (14) and modulation/demodulation section (9) in this embodiment will be explained.

First, "1" and "0" of the bit data correspond to the signals in FIG. 8, respectively, and as shown in FIG. "Bit 0" corresponds to a signal in which the maximum amplitude signal of the second phase continues for three cycles.

Then, the bit data is made to correspond to a bit signal in the central processing unit (14) according to the flowchart in FIG. 4, and this bit signal is output from the modulation/demodulation section (9).

When inputting characters such as character information using the full keyboard (16), the full keyboard (16) is enabled. Note that this may be linked to when the handset (4) is removed, or a separate switch may be provided. When a key on the full keyboard (16) is pressed down, a code corresponding to this key is supplied to the central processing unit (14). The central processing unit (14) stores this two-down in its built-in memory, converts it into a display character, for example, a letter, and displays it on the screen of the monitor television (2).

Repeat this input operation, and when the input operation from the full keyboard (16) is completed, press the character data transmission key (
15) Press . The central processing unit (14) converts input character data (character data in this case) into bit data. For example, convert an l character into 4-bit serial data. And the central processing unit (14)
changes the command to transfer the bit data of “0” and “1” to the bit signal as described above, and sends it to the peripheral section (9),
A modulator/demodulator (9) outputs this bit signal. In other words,
If the bit data is “1”, 15 in Figure 3
Gate signal (signal that means “white” if it is an image signal)
If the bit data is "0", the θ late speech signal in FIG. 3 (signal meaning "black" if it is an image signal) is output.

Then, this is sequentially repeated for the input character data, and the character data is output as a bit signal. This bit signal is transmitted to the other party through the telephone line (1) in the same way as in the case of image signal transmission.

Next, the operation when a character data signal, that is, a bit signal, is sent will be explained based on FIG.

A bit signal sent through the telephone line (1) is demodulated by a modulation/demodulation section (9) and taken in as data by a central processing section (14). The central processing unit (14) determines whether the signal is the maximum amplitude signal of the first phase (the 15th signal) or the maximum amplitude signal of the second phase (the Oth signal),
If two or more of the predetermined three values are included, it is determined that the bit data is "1" or mO.

Then, the central processing unit (14) converts the bit data into character data, stores it in the built-in memory, and outputs it to the monitor television (2), where it is displayed.

In this way, in the static 110-picture video telephone device of this embodiment, the bit data is made to correspond to the image signal shown in FIG. 8 as shown in FIG. For this reason,
The signal transmission and reception mechanism can also be used, simplifying the overall configuration.

Furthermore, since the signal with the maximum amplitude is used, the reliability of signal determination is high. Furthermore, the bit signal is transmitted as three consecutive signals as shown in FIG. 3, and the receiving side makes a determination based on whether two of the three signals can be confirmed. For this reason,
Accurate judgment can be made even when one signal cannot be confirmed due to noise, etc., and overall reliability of signal transmission and reception is extremely high.

[Effects of the Invention] As explained above, the present invention makes bit data correspond to a signal selected from image signals, so although the overall configuration is simple, it is effective in still image videophone calls. Can communicate bit data.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

Figure 1 shows the static 1! according to this invention! FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the circuit of the same embodiment. FIG. 3 is a waveform diagram showing the correspondence between bit data and bit signals of the same embodiment. FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing the procedure for transmitting bit data, FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing the procedure for receiving bit data, FIG. 6 is a schematic front view showing an example of a conventional still image video telephone device, and FIG. FIG. 8 is a block diagram showing the circuit of the conventional example, and is a waveform diagram for explaining the correspondence of signals when modulating image data. (1) is the telephone line, (2) is the monitor TV, (3) is the TV camera, (6) is the send button, (9) is the variable, four parts, (14) is the central processing unit, (15) is the character The data sending key (16) is a full keyboard. Note that the same reference numerals in each figure indicate the same or corresponding parts. Agent: Patent attorney Masuo Oiwa (and 2 others) Figure 3 (A) (B) Egg@WAX Figure 6 Figure 7

Claims (4)

[Claims] (1) During a call, the image data obtained by the television camera is modulated into an image data signal, which is transmitted to the other party via the telephone line, and the image data signal sent from the other party via the telephone line is received. A still image video telephone device that can demodulate this into image data and display it on a monitor television includes means for inputting bit data, which is binary data, and converting each of the input bit data into the above-mentioned image data signal. A still picture video telephone device comprising: means for modulating one or more signals selected from among them into bit signals in correspondence with each other; and means for transmitting the bit signals to the other party via a telephone line. . (2) The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the image data signal and the bit data signal have both amplitude modulation and phase modulation at a single carrier frequency. Telephone device. (3) A still picture video telephone device according to claim 2, wherein the bit signals correspond to signals of maximum amplitudes of two types of phases. (4) In the apparatus according to claim 2 or 3, the still image is characterized in that each of the bit signals corresponds to a plurality of consecutive signals of one type of the image data signal. Videophone device.