JPH0442687A - Video conference system - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To allow one terminal to control a device provided to other terminal by operating an operation means of one terminal so as to control a picture recording and/or reproducing device of the other terminal so as to record or reproduce a pickup output obtained from an image pickup means of one terminal by other terminal. CONSTITUTION:A picture recording and/or a reproducing device 18 provided to other terminal 4 is controlled to be a recordable state by the operation of an operating means 7 provided to one terminal 2. Then a pickup output obtained from an image pickup means 12 provided to one terminal 2 is recorded to the picture recording and/or a reproducing device 18 provided to other terminal 4. Thus, a conference participant of the other terminal views the content of one conference by reproducing the content of the conference of the one terminal recorded to the picture recording and/or a reproducing device 18 provided to other terminal 4.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to a video conference system, and particularly to a video conference system in which equipment provided on one side can be controlled by one side.

[Summary of the invention]

In a video conferencing system, the present invention controls an image recording and/or reproducing device provided on the other terminal by operating an operating means provided on the other terminal, and By recording or reproducing the imaging output obtained from the provided imaging means on the image recording and/or reproducing device provided in the other terminal, it is possible to record or reproduce the imaging output obtained from the provided imaging means, even if there is no operator on the other side. The content of the conference on one side can be recorded on the image recording and/or playback device of the other terminal by operation from one side, and the content of the meeting on the other side can be recorded in advance on the image recording and/or playback device. You can check the content of the conference later, and even if there is no operator on the other side, you can record and/or play back the pre-recorded conference content on the other side by operating the VW from one side. The content can be reproduced from the image recording and/or reproduction device, and on the other hand, the contents previously recorded in the image recording and/or reproduction device can be confirmed.

[Conventional technology]

Various video conferencing systems have been proposed in the past.

-a Generally speaking, in a video conferencing system, video information captured by a camera and displayed on a monitor, and audio information collected by a microphone and transmitted by speakers, are transmitted bidirectionally between conference halls located over long distances. It is something to do.

[Problem to be solved by the invention]

In a video conference system, the above-mentioned video and audio information is transmitted bidirectionally in real time.
The video conference had to be held simultaneously in two conference halls.

Therefore, if there is a time difference between two conference centers, it may be difficult to hold a video conference.

For example, when attempting to conduct a video conference between Japan and the United States, there is a time difference problem, and it has been desired to improve this problem.

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to record the content of a conference on one side into the image recording and/or reproducing device of the other terminal by an operation from one side even if there is no operator on the other side. A video conferencing system that allows one side to play back pre-recorded conference content from the other side's image recording and/or playback device, even if there is no operator on the other side. Our goal is to provide the following.

[Means for Solving the Problems] The present invention controls an image recording and/or reproducing device provided on one terminal by operating an operating means provided on the other terminal. The configuration is such that an imaging output obtained from an imaging means provided in one terminal is recorded or reproduced on an image recording and/or reproducing device provided in the other terminal.

[Effect]

By operating the operating means provided on one terminal, the image recording and/or reproducing device provided on the other terminal is controlled to a recordable state. Then, the imaging output obtained from the imaging means provided on one terminal is
The image recording and/or reproducing device provided in the other terminal is made to record.

As a result, conference participants on the other side can reproduce the conference content of one side recorded on the image recording and/or playback device installed on the other terminal, thereby
You can view the content of the meeting on one side.

In addition, if the content of the meeting on the other side has been recorded in advance on the image recording and/or playback device installed on the other terminal, the content of the conference on the other side can be The content of the conference on the other side can be played back from the image recording and/or playback device provided on the terminal.

This allows conference participants on one side to view the conference content on the other side that has been recorded in advance on the image recording and/or reproducing device provided on the other terminal.

〔Example〕

An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIG.

In the configuration shown in FIG. 1, this video conference system includes one conference hall system 2 installed in one conference hall 1
and the other conference hall system 4 provided in the other conference hall 3, and both conference hall systems 2.4 are connected through a network 5. This network 5 is, for example, ISDN (Integr
ated 5 services DigitalNets
mork).

One conference hall system 2 includes a terminal control device 6, an operating device 7, a monitor 8, a speaker 9, and a microphone 1.
0, ■TR11, and video camera 12. The other conference hall system 4 includes a terminal control device 13, an operating device 14, a monitor 15, and a speaker 16.
It mainly consists of a microphone 17, a VTR 18, and a video camera 19, and has exactly the same configuration and operation as the one conference hall system 2, so the following explanation will focus on the one conference hall system 2. This will be mainly explained and redundant explanation will be omitted.

The terminal control device 6 is composed of various control means including, for example, a codec (not shown), and has a function of controlling the entire operation of one of the conference hall systems 2 based on a control signal from the operating device f7. At the same time, when both conference hall systems 2.4 are connected, various equipment installed in the other conference hall system 4 can be controlled via the terminal control device 13 of the other conference hall system 4. It also has the function of controlling operations.

A control signal generated by the operation bag W7 is sent to the monitor 8, VTRII, and video camera 12 via the terminal control device 6.
The terminal control bag [6 controls devices such as the monitor 8, VTRII, and video camera 12.

When controlling devices such as the monitor 15, VTR 18, and video camera 19 connected to the terminal control device 13 of the other conference hall system 4, the terminal control device formed by the operating device 7 of the one conference hall system 2 By supplying the control signal controlled and modulated by 6 to the terminal control device 13 of the other conference hall system 4, the monitor 15,
Devices such as a VTR 18 and a video camera 19 are controlled.

In addition, a control circuit (not shown) provided in the terminal control device 6 allows the video signal from the video camera 12, the audio signal from the microphone 10, and the control signal from the operating device 7 to be transmitted to the terminal control device 6. The signal is controlled and modulated by a control circuit (not shown) provided in the conference hall system 4, and is transmitted to the other conference hall system 4 via the network 5.

Further, the transmission signal that is controlled and modulated by a control circuit (not shown) in the terminal control device 13 of the other conference hall system 4 is received by the terminal control device 6, and the transmission signal is received by the terminal control device 6. The signal is decoded into a video signal, an audio signal, and a control signal by a control circuit (not shown).

The above video signal is displayed on the monitor 8, the audio signal is transmitted by the speaker 9, and the control signal is processed by the terminal control device 6. Based on this control signal, the terminal control device 6 controls the monitor 8, video camera 12, VT
Controls equipment such as RII.

As mentioned above, in a case where one conference hall 1 is located in Japan and the other conference hall 3 is located in the United States, when attempting to conduct a video conference between Japan and the United States, the time difference must be considered. Due to this, there are some difficulties in holding video conferences.

Therefore, if this video conference system is used, for example,
Even when there are no people in the other conference hall 3, the content of the conference in one conference hall 1 can be transmitted.

This will be explained below.

By operating at least one of the operating device 7 of one conference center system 2 or the operating device 14 of the other conference center system 4, the conference center system 2.4 becomes operational and is connected via the network 5. Ru. Specifically, a terminal control device 6.13 is connected.

By operating the operating device 7 provided in the terminal control device 6 of one conference hall system 2, the terminal control device 6 of one conference hall system 2 can be connected to the terminal control device 13 of the other conference hall system 4. , the other terminal control device 13
A control signal for controlling the VTR 18 installed in the recordable state is modulated and transmitted.

The terminal control device 13 of the other conference hall system 4 described above is
It decodes the control signal supplied from the terminal control device 6 of one of the conference hall systems 2, and controls the VTR 1B connected to the terminal control device 13 to a recordable state based on this control signal.

Then, the conference is held only in one of the conference halls 1, in this embodiment, the conference hall on the Japanese side, and the scene in the one conference hall 1 is captured by the video camera 12 as a video signal, and the remarks of the attendees are recorded into the microphone 1. The sound is collected by ゜ and made into an audio signal. The video signal and the audio signal are controlled and modulated by a control circuit (not shown) in the terminal control device 6, and are transmitted via the network 5 to the terminal control device of the conference hall system 4 on the American side, which is the other conference hall. 13.

The video signal and audio signal supplied from the terminal control device 6 of one conference hall system 2 via the network 5 are decoded by the control circuit in the terminal control bag 213 of the other conference hall system 4. A video signal and an audio signal are recorded by the VTR 18.

When the conference ends in one conference hall 1, by operating the operating device 7, one conference hall system 2
A control signal for terminating the recording operation of the VTR 18 described above is supplied from the terminal control device 6 of the conference hall system 4 to the terminal control device 13 of the other conference hall system 4 .

The terminal control device 13 of the other conference hall system 4 stops the recording operation of the VTR 18 based on the above-mentioned control signal.

After this, the terminal control device 6 of one conference hall system 2,
The connection of the terminal control device 13 of the other conference hall system 4 is released.

In this way, in consideration of the time difference when holding an international video conference, even when there are no participants or operators in the conference hall 3 on the other side, it is possible to transmit information from one conference hall system 2. By operation, the terminal control device 13 of the other conference hall system 4
Video signals and audio signals from one conference hall can be recorded on a VTR 18 installed in the conference hall.

Attendees of the meeting on the other side of conference hall 3 must use V when dispatched.
By reproducing the video signal and audio signal recorded in the TR 18, it is possible to view the content of the conference in one example of the conference hall.

Further, the content of the conference in the other conference hall 3 may be displayed on the terminal control device 13 of the other conference hall system 4.
If the information is recorded in the TR 1B in advance, the above-mentioned VTR 1B can be controlled to the playback state by operating the operating device 7 provided in the terminal control device 6 of one of the conference hall systems 2. In this case, a control signal for controlling the VTR 18 to the playback state is modulated and supplied from the terminal control device 6 of one conference hall system 2 to the terminal control device 13 of the other conference hall system 4.

The terminal control device 13 of the other conference hall system 4 puts the VTR 18 provided in the terminal control device 13 of the other conference hall system 4 into a playback state based on the above-mentioned control signal.

The video and audio signals reproduced from the VTR 18 described above are controlled and modulated by the terminal control device 13 of the other conference hall system 4, and are transmitted to the terminal control device 6 of the one conference hall system 2 and decoded. .

The above video signal is decoded by the terminal control device 6 of one of the conference hall systems 2 and then supplied to the monitor 8, and the audio signal is decoded by the terminal control device 6 of one of the conference hall systems 2 and then supplied to the monitor 8. , are supplied to the speaker 9.

The scene in the other conference hall 3 is displayed on the monitor 8, and the content of the remarks made by the participants in the conference in the other conference hall 3 is displayed on the speaker 9.
transmitted from.

Therefore, attendees of a conference in one example of a conference hall can access the terminal control device 13 of the other conference hall system
By reproducing the video and audio signals recorded in the TR18 by operating from one of the conference hall systems 2,
The content of the conference in the other conference hall 3 can be viewed.

In this embodiment, the VTRII, 18 is explained as a recording/playback means, but it is not limited to this, and for example, a playback-only device such as a video disc may be connected and controlled. .

Further, although this embodiment describes only controlling the operation of the VTRII, 18, it is not limited to this; It is also possible to control accordingly.

[Effects of the Invention] According to the video conference system according to the present invention, by operating the operating means provided on one terminal, the imaging output obtained from the imaging means provided on one terminal is transmitted to the other terminal. The content of the meeting on the other side is recorded in advance on the image recording and/or playback device installed on the other terminal. In some cases, by operating the operating means on one side, the content of the conference on the other side is played back from the image recording and/or playback device installed on the other terminal. Even if you are not present, the content of the meeting on one side can be recorded on the image recording and/or playback device of the other terminal by operation from one side, and the image recording and/or playback device on the other side can be recorded. You can check the pre-recorded content later, and even if there is no operator on the other side, the pre-recorded meeting content on the other side can be recorded as an image on the other terminal by operation from one side. and/or can be played back from a playback device, and on the one hand, there is an effect that it is possible to check the image recording and/or content previously recorded in the playback device.

This has the effect of minimizing time loss.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a video conference system according to the present invention. Explanation of main symbols in the drawings 1.One conference hall, 2.One conference hall system, 3:
Other conference hall, 4: Other conference hall system, 6.13
:Terminal control device, 7.14: Operating device, 11.18
: VTR. Agent Patent Attorney Masatoshi Sugiura

Claims (1)

[Claims] By operating the operation means provided on one terminal, the image recording and/or
or controlling a playback device to record or play back the imaging output obtained from the imaging means installed in one of the terminals on the image recording and/or playback device installed in the other terminal. A video conferencing system with special features.