JPH03160889A - Still picture transmitter - 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 [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to a still image transmission device that transmits still images and enables conferences to be held between remote locations.

[Conventional technology]

FIG. 5 shows, for example, the Journal of the Television Society Vol. 42, Nα
11 (198.8). It is an explanatory diagram showing a communication system using a conventional still image transmission device shown in Special Feature Videophone/Teleconference P38-P39, and in the figure,
4l is a conference device, 42 is a 64 kbps digital communication line, 43 is image data, 44 is audio data, and 45 is control data.

FIG. 6 is a block diagram of a conventional still image transmission device that constitutes each conference device 4l. In the figure, 1 is a still image transmission device, and 12 is a display device for displaying images. 13 is a communication line for transmitting data, 14 is a file device for accumulating image data, 15 is a display control unit that performs control to display images input from a scanner or camera, and 16 is for transmitting images. 17 is a transmission control unit that performs control for transmitting image data, audio data, and control data (signals); 18 is a transmission control unit that performs control for transmitting image data, audio data, and control data (signals);
This is an accumulation control unit that performs control for accumulating data into 4.

Next, the operation will be explained. Communication systems used in audiographic conferences can be divided into many types depending on the type of media used. Figure 5 shows an example of a service image. The materials used in conferences are image data 43. The information is then transferred to the other party's conference device 41 via the communication line 42. The display control unit 15 reads the image from a scanner or camera, and the image encoding/decoding unit 16 compresses the image, and the transmission control unit 17 transmits the data. Image data 43 transferred to the other party's conference device 4l
A document number assigned by the storage control unit 18 on the sending side is added to the data, and based on this material number, the storage control unit 18 on both the sending side and the receiving side performs storage in the file device 14. Generally, materials needed for meetings are stored on file device 1.
4, and the conference proceeds while retrieving the data, so when the conference starts, the audio data 44 and control data 45 are transferred. The explainer first searches the file device 14 for the necessary material and displays it on the display device 12 of his/her own conference device 41.The presenter then transmits the corresponding material number as control data 45 to the other party's conference device 41, and displays it on the other party's conference device 41. The same material is displayed on the display device 12 of the conference device 41. In this way, it is possible to proceed with a meeting while viewing the same materials in remote locations.

[Problem to be solved by the invention]

Since the conventional still image transmission device is configured as described above, a document number must be assigned by the storage control unit 18 when a screen is stored. In addition to requiring some sort of arrangement to do so, there were other problems, such as there being no guarantee that the file with the corresponding document number would be saved in the conference device 41 of the other party.

This invention was made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and it is possible to manage the accumulated screens by using information that allows you to always specify the same screen, and it is possible to manage your own screens during a meeting. To obtain a still image transmission device capable of displaying the same screen as a screen searched for on a conference device on a display device of a conference device of the other party.

[Means to solve the problem]

The still image transmission device according to the present invention stores image data transmitted and received during a conference in a file device by controlling the storage by an accumulation control section, and further stores this file device by a sequence number of the order of transmission and reception by a sequence number management section. The sequence number is output as a control signal for screen search, and the image data is encoded and decoded in the image encoding/decoding section, and the encoded image data, The audio data and control signals are transmitted through the communication line by a transmission control section, and the image data can be displayed on a display device as desired by a display control section.

[Effect]

In the still image transmission device of the present invention, materials required for the conference are transmitted as image data once the conference starts, and the file device stores only the screens transmitted and received during the conference. Sequence numbers are assigned to screens in the order in which they are sent and received, and accumulated screen files are managed using those sequence numbers. Therefore, sequence numbers assigned to screen files in this way will not be duplicated during a meeting. Since it can be used as information that connects the same screen, if used as control data for screen search, it will be possible to read and display screens of the same material from each file device, and audio To enable smooth implementation of graphic conferences.

[Embodiment of the Invention] An embodiment of the invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. 1st
In the figure, 11 is a still image transmission device, 12 is a display device for displaying images, 13 is a communication line for transmitting data, 14 is a file device for storing image data, and 15 is from a scanner or camera. 16 is an image encoding/decoding unit that performs encoding and decoding processing to transmit images; 17 is an image data, audio data, and control data signal; a transmission control unit that performs control for transmitting the
Reference numeral 19 denotes an accumulation control unit that performs control for storing images in the file device 14, and 19 a sequence number management unit that performs control regarding sequence numbers attached to image files.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart of a program when the sequence number management section 19 is configured by software, and steps ST21 to ST24 show each processing step of the program. Further, FIG. 3 is a sequence diagram of transmission of image data by a still image transmission apparatus showing one embodiment of the present invention, and 31 to 37 are each element of the sequence diagram. Furthermore, FIG. 4 shows an example of an audiographic conference service using the still image transmission device according to the present invention, where 41 is a conference device, 42 is a 64 kbps
43 is image data, 44 is audio data, and 45A is control data that transfers the sequence number of the screen file when searching. Next, we will explain the operation. The screen used in the conference is sent to the other party's conference device 41 at least once as image data 43 shown in FIG. The still image transmission device 1l on the transmitting side transmits a transmission start request 31 before transmitting image data 33 as shown in FIG. 3, and acquires the right to transmit still images. The sequence number management section 19 adds a sequence number to this transmission start request 31.
Further, when a transmission start confirmation 32 for permitting still image transmission is sent from the still image transmission device 11 on the receiving side, which is the conference device 41 of the other party, the sequence number has been determined. If the still image transmission device mill on the receiving side is unable to receive a still image or is attempting to send a still image, it returns a No Good (NG) transmission start confirmation and indicates that the transmission is not actually being sent or received. Sequence numbers are assigned only to screens that are The control up to this point is executed in step ST21 in FIG. Once the sequence number of the screen to be transmitted is determined in this manner, the encoded still image image data 33 is transferred as shown in FIG. The sequence number management unit 19 outputs a still image encoding instruction to the image encoding/decoding unit 16. In response to this encoding instruction, the image copying encoding/decoding section 16 receives the image data from the display control section 15, compresses the information, and then delivers the encoded data to the transmission control section 17. Transmission control unit
In step 7, necessary control procedures are executed for transmission control for error-free data transfer. Still image transmission equipment on the receiving side! ! At step 11, the received image data 33 is decoded by the image encoding/decoding section 16, and displayed on the display device 12 by the display control section 15. The control up to this point is executed in step ST22 in FIG. Image data 3
When the transmission in step 3 is performed, the screen is stored on both the sending and receiving sides. That is, the sequence number management unit 19 outputs a screen file accumulation instruction for the image data 33 to the accumulation control unit 18. At this time, the sequence number management section 19 notifies the accumulation control section 18 of the sequence number assigned to the screen file. The storage control unit l8 is a file storage unit W14.
Image data 34 and 35 are transferred to , and the screen file is managed using the sequence number notified by the sequence number management unit 19. The control up to this point is executed in step ST23. Transmission of image data 33 and image data 3
4. When the storage of 35 is completed, the still image transmission right is released. The still image transmission device 11 on the sending side sends the transmission end request 3
6 to release the still image transmission right. Subsequently, when the still image transmission device 11 on the receiving side returns a transmission completion confirmation 37, the transmission right is released. The control up to this point is executed in step ST24.

In this way, each still image transmission device 1 that is holding a conference
1, files of the same screen are managed by sequence numbers, and screens of the same material can be read from the file device 14 by transmitting the sequence number of the searched screen as control data 45A to the conference device 41 of the other party. It can be displayed. In the above embodiment, the still image transmission device 11 has a new sequence number management section 19, but a control function regarding sequence numbers may be added to the functions of the accumulation control section 18. .

Further, although the above embodiment has been described in such a manner that the transmission and storage of image data are performed simultaneously, it is also possible to control the operation of transmitting image data and the operation of storing it in a file device completely separately. [Effects of the Invention] As described above, according to the present invention, a sequence number management section is provided inside the main body of the still image transmission device, and the sequence number management section assigns sequence numbers to the screens to be stored in the order of transmission and reception. As a result, it is possible to obtain search keywords that reliably link the same screens stored in each file, and this has the effect of making it possible to conduct a smooth teleconference using screen files.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a block connection diagram showing a still image transmission device according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing a program when the sequence number management section in FIG. 1 is configured by software, and FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing a transmission sequence of image data by the still image transmission device according to the present invention, FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing a communication system for an audiographic conference using the still image transmission device according to the present invention, and FIG. An explanatory diagram showing a communication system for an audiographic conference using a transmission device, and FIG. 6 is a block connection diagram showing a conventional still image transmission device. 11 is a still image transmission device, 12 is a display device, 13
is a communication line, 14 is a file device, ↓5 is a display control unit,
16 is an image encoding/decoding unit, 17 is a transmission control unit, 18 is an accumulation control unit, 19 is a sequence number management unit. In addition, the same symbols in the figures indicate the same or equivalent parts. Figure 2 Figure 6

Claims (1)

[Claims] In a still image transmission device for a conference device connected to a communication line, an accumulation control unit controls accumulation of image data transmitted and received during a conference, and a file device in which image data is accumulated by this accumulation control unit, which transmits and receives image data. a sequence number management unit that manages the sequence number using a sequential sequence number and outputs this sequence number as a control signal for screen search; an image encoding/decoding unit that encodes and decodes the image data; Still image transmission, comprising: a transmission control unit that controls transmission of image data, audio data, and the control signal through the communication line; and a display control unit that displays the image data on a display device. Device.