JPH0750855A - Image transmission equipment - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Abstract] [Purpose] Transmitting and receiving stereoscopic images, and recording the image information to be transmitted and the image information received, in one recording medium. [Structure] When an image of a subject is picked up by the twin-lens stereoscopic cameras 1 and 2, a sync separation circuit 3 separates the synchronization of video signals. The right-eye image and the left-eye image that have been synchronously separated are stereoscopic image assembling circuits 4
Are combined as one video signal. The transmitting side and receiving side images as one stereoscopic video signal are transmitted / received by the transmission / reception synchronization circuit 5.
The recording / reproducing device 6 is simultaneously recorded at. If the recording device is an analog signal, attach a head to the VTR, etc.
By providing a system or the like, stereoscopic images for both transmission and reception are recorded.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an image transmission device,
More specifically, the present invention relates to an image transmission device that transmits / receives a stereoscopic image and records the image information to be transmitted and the received image information in one recording medium in a system that transmits / receives an image and a sound using a communication line. For example, when you have a conversation or a meeting with a place in a remote place, you can send the captured image and sound to the other party using a communication line using a camera etc., display the image sent from the other party, and see the place as if The present invention is applied to an image communication device for carrying out conversations and meetings.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art FIG. 5 is a block diagram of a conventional image transmission apparatus. In the figure, 61 is a camera, 62 is an A / D converter for converting an analog video signal from the camera into digital video information, and 63 is. Image memory for transmission, 64 is a codec section for compressing, expanding, encoding and decoding image data, 65 is a line interface section for exchanging data with a communication line, and 6
6 is a memory for recording the received image data, and 67 is D for converting the digital image data into an analog video signal.
A / A converter, 68 is a monitor, 69 is a changeover switch for displaying a transmission image or a reception image on the monitor, 70 is a control unit for controlling the entire system, 71 is a VTR (Video Tape Recorder) for recording the transmission image, 72 Is a VTR for recording the received image.

Now, when recording both information, the camera 6
The video signal taken in 1 is converted into digital image data by the A / D converter 62 in order to be sent to the other party. When the video signal at this time is recorded, the analog video signal is recorded on the VTR 71 before being converted into digital data by the A / D converter 62, and the monitor 68 is selected if the transmission image is selected by the changeover switch 69. Is displayed in. The digital image data is recorded in the image memory 63 for transmission. The image data in the image memory 63 for transmission is input to the codec section 64. When data is transmitted and received in the codec section 64, data is compressed and the result is encoded in order to efficiently transfer the data. The above-mentioned rear line interface section 65 sends it to the communication line. The control unit 70 controls the processing so far. The data sent through the communication line is received by the line interface 65, input to the codec unit 64, decoded and expanded, and then restored as image data. This image data is stored in the received image memory 66, converted into an analog video signal by the D / A converter 67, and displayed on the monitor 68. When recording the received image at this time, this video signal is transmitted to the receiving side VT.
Record at R72.

[0004]

As described above, in the conventional image transmission device, when the received image and the image to be transmitted are simultaneously recorded and left as the minutes, two recording devices for transmission and reception are provided. Was needed. In this case, there is a drawback that not only two recording devices are required, but also the times of the two recording devices have to be adjusted later.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and provides an image transmission apparatus for transmitting and receiving a stereoscopic image and recording the image information to be transmitted and the received image information in one recording medium. The purpose is to do.

[0006]

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides (1) an image transmission apparatus for transmitting and receiving an image and a sound through a communication line, in which a stereoscopic image captured by two lenses is input or An image pickup unit that stereoscopically picks up an image with two lenses, a recording unit that synchronously and synchronously records a received stereoscopic image sent from a partner and a transmitted stereoscopic image sent to the partner, and when reproducing the recorded medium. A read-out means for reading out stereoscopic images of both transmission and reception, and further,
(2) In the above (1), first identification means for identifying a left-eye image and a right-eye image of the transmission stereoscopic image, and stereoscopic identification information for identifying a left-eye image and a right-eye image of the transmission stereoscopic image by a partner are added. Having adding means and second identifying means for identifying a left-eye image and a right-eye image of the reception stereoscopic image, and (3) in (1) or (2), the reception stereoscopic image and the transmission stereoscopic image. There is provided output means for alternately combining the images in a time sequence and outputting as one television signal, and switching means for switching between a received stereoscopic image and a transmission stereoscopic image when reproducing the medium on which the output television signal is recorded. The reception stereoscopic image and the transmission stereoscopic image are displayed.

[0007]

The stereoscopic image captured by the two lenses is input or the image is stereoscopically captured by the two lenses, and the received stereoscopic image sent from the other party and the transmitted stereoscopic image transmitted to the other party are simultaneously recorded and recorded. Since the stereoscopic image of both transmission and reception is read when reproducing the recorded medium, the signals of the 2 system and the like are divided for each field or frame, or for each line or pixel to manage each. By recording on a recording device such as a VTR, it is possible to record on both the transmitting side and the receiving side on one recording medium.

[0008]

Embodiments will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a block diagram for explaining an embodiment (Claim 1) of an image transmission apparatus according to the present invention.
Is a twin-lens stereoscopic camera for stereoscopically capturing a subject, 3
Is a sync separation circuit, 4 is a stereoscopic image assembling circuit for assembling a stereoscopic image for each field, 5 is a transmission / reception synchronization circuit for synchronizing the stereoscopic image on the transmitting side and the stereoscopic image on the receiving side,
Reference numeral 6 is a recording / reproducing device for recording the communication contents of the transmitting side and the receiving side as a minutes, 7, 8 are monitors, and 9 is a subject.

Now, when the object is imaged by the twin-lens stereoscopic cameras 1 and 2, the sync separation circuit 3 separates the synchronization of the video signals. This is done because the two-lens stereoscopic cameras 1 and 2 are not always synchronized. The right-eye image and the left-eye image that have been synchronously separated are combined by the stereoscopic image assembling circuit 4 into one video signal. As a stereoscopic video signal, the video on the transmission side and the video on the reception side are synchronized by the transmission / reception synchronization circuit 5 and simultaneously recorded on the recording / reproducing device 6. When the recording device is an analog signal, two heads are provided in the VTR or the like to record stereoscopic images of both transmission and reception.

When recording as digital data, the data is A / D converted at the same timing and then recorded in a memory or the like. At this time, two screens can be recorded at the same time by doubling the data width at the same address for dots located at the same position on the screen. Regarding the reading of data, in the case of reproduction of a VTR or the like, the transmitted and received images are reproduced separately by using two heads, for example, transmitted to a monitor and displayed on the monitor. Further, when recorded as digital data, if it is assumed that the upper bits of the memory address are transmission data and the lower bits are reception data, the data is read at the same address, and the data is divided into upper and lower regions, and then the data is divided into D / After A-converting and converting into an analog signal, each signal is displayed on a separate monitor.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing another embodiment (claim 2) of the image transmission apparatus according to the present invention, in which 11 and 12 are 2
Eye stereoscopic camera, 13 is a transmission left / right image identification circuit that identifies whether the video signal is an image of the right eye or the left eye, 14 is a sync separation circuit, 15 is a transmission image I / F (interface) circuit, and 16 is a transmission image A left / right image identifier addition circuit for allowing the other terminal to identify which is the left / right image, and 17 is the right-eye image of the received stereoscopic image.
A reception left / right image identification circuit for identifying which of the left-eye images, 18 is a reception image I / F circuit, 19 is a monitor, 20
Is a control unit, 21 is a synchronization adding circuit, 22 is a recording / reproducing device,
Reference numeral 23 is a codec section for compressing / decompressing / encoding / decoding transmitted / received image data, and 24 is a communication interface connecting a terminal and a communication line.

Now, the right and left eye images input from the twin-lens stereoscopic cameras 11 and 12 are separated by the synchronization separation circuit 14 after the transmission left and right image identification circuit 13 determines which of the left and right images. , Is input to the transmission image I / F circuit 15. A / D converted by the transmission image I / F circuit 15,
The left and right images are temporarily stored. This image data is input to the codec unit 23 by the transmission left and right image identifier adding circuit 16 by attaching an identifier to each of the right eye image and the left eye image for each screen. The image data input to the codec section 23 is data-compressed and high-efficiency coded, then multiplexed by the communication interface 24 and transmitted to the partner terminal via the communication line.

The data sent via the communication line is
Separated by the communication interface 24, the codec unit 23
It is decompressed and decoded by and input to the reception left / right image identification circuit 17. In the reception left / right image identification circuit 17, the identifiers of the right-eye image and the left-eye image added by the transmission side terminal in the transmission left / right image identifier adding circuit 16 are identified by the transmission side terminal, and are input to the reception image I / F circuit 18 and D / A converted. Sent to the monitor 19 after
The right-eye image and the left-eye image are displayed alternately on each screen.

Further, the stereoscopic image to be transmitted is transmitted image I / F.
By inputting from the circuit 15 to the received image I / F circuit 18, it can be displayed on the monitor 19 as an own image. When the transmission image and the reception image are recorded as the minutes, the time is adjusted by the synchronization adding circuit 21 from the transmission image I / F circuit 15 and the reception image I / F circuit 18, and then V
It is sent to a recording device such as TR and recorded.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing still another embodiment (claim 3) of the image transmitting apparatus according to the present invention, in which 31 and 32 are shown.
Is a twin-lens stereoscopic camera, 33 is a transmission left / right image identification circuit for identifying whether the video signal is an image for the right eye or the left eye, 3
Reference numeral 4 is a sync separation circuit, 35 is a recording system output I / F circuit for recording image data, and 36 is a transmission left / right image identifier for allowing the partner terminal to identify whether the transmission image is a left or right image. An additional circuit, 37 is a reception left / right image identification circuit for identifying which of the right-eye image and left-eye image of the received stereoscopic image is received, and 38 is a signal reproduced from the recording / reproducing device for a transmission stereoscopic image and a reception stereoscopic image separately. A transmission / reception separating circuit for outputting, 39 is a monitor, 40 is a control unit, 41
Is a synchronization adding circuit, 42 is a recording / reproducing device, 43 is a codec section for compressing / decompressing / encoding / decoding transmitted / received image data, 44 is a communication interface connecting a terminal to a communication line,
Reference numeral 45 is an input I / F unit, 46 is a right-eye camera, 47 is a left-eye camera, 48 is a switch for selecting one of the memories 46 and 47 to switch between the right-eye image and the left-eye image, and 49 is an output I / F.
/ F section, 50 is a monitor, 52 is a changeover switch for outputting a transmission stereoscopic image and a reception stereoscopic image as one signal,
Reference numeral 53 is a reception right-eye memory for capturing this image data when the image data from the partner terminal is a right-eye image, 54 is a reception left-eye memory for capturing this image data when the image data from the partner terminal is a left-eye image, 55 is a switch for selecting either the memory 53 or 54 to switch the right-eye image and the left-eye image from the partner terminal, 56 is a transmission image monitor for displaying the reception image separated by the transmission / reception separation circuit 38, and 57 is transmission / reception separation It is a received image monitor for displaying the received image separated by the circuit 38.

Now, the right-eye image and the left-eye image input from the twin-lens stereoscopic cameras 31 and 32 are transmitted left and right image identifying circuit 3
After determining which of the left and right images is in 3, the sync separation circuit 34 separates the synchronization, the input I / F circuit 45 adjusts the level, and the A / D conversion processing is performed. Right eye camera 31
The right-eye image captured in (1) is captured in the transmission right-eye memory 46, and the left-eye image captured by the left-eye camera 32 is captured in the transmission left-eye memory 47. These image data are switched by the switch 48 to switch between the right-eye image and the left-eye image to be called by the transmission left and right image identifier adding circuit 36, and the right-eye image and the left-eye image are assigned an identifier for each screen data to the codec section 43. Is entered. The image data input to the codec unit 43 is data-compressed and high-efficiency coded, then multiplexed by the communication interface 44 and transmitted to the partner terminal via the communication line.

The data sent via the communication line is
The codec unit 43 is separated by the communication interface 44.
It is decompressed, decoded, and input to the reception left / right image identification circuit 37. In the reception left / right image identification circuit 37, the identifier of the right eye image and the left eye image added by the transmission side terminal in the transmission left / right image identifier adding circuit 36 is identified, and the switch 55 is switched to the reception right eye memory 53 in the case of right eye image data. If the image data is left-eye image data, it is taken into the reception left-eye memory 54. The captured image data can be switched between the right-eye image and the left-eye image for each screen by the switch 51 and the switch 50.
After passing through the output I / F section 49, the output I / F section 49 performs D / A conversion, level adjustment, and other processing, and then is sent to the monitor 39 to alternately display the right-eye image and the left-eye image for each screen.

By switching the stereoscopic image switch 50 for transmission, the transmission image from the switch 48 can be displayed on the monitor 39 via the output I / F section 49 as an own image. When recording the transmission image and the reception image as minutes, by switching the switch 52 in time division, the recording system output I / F is output as one signal.
It is output to the circuit 35. The recording system output I / F circuit 35 performs D / A conversion, and after processing such as level adjustment, a synchronization signal is added by a synchronization adding circuit 41 and output to a recording / reproducing device 42 such as a VTR for recording. It

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an image when one video signal is actually recorded. In FIG. 4, time elapses from left to right, where “sending right” is the sending right-eye image, “sending left” is the sending left-eye image, “receiving right” is the receiving right-eye image, and “receiving left” is the receiving left-eye image. Indicates that it has been done. Each segment indicates the time for each field or frame. By recording one video signal as described above, one stereoscopic image transmitted / received by one recording device can be recorded at the same time and can be saved as a minutes during communication. The transmission / reception stereoscopic image recorded in the recording / reproducing device 42 cannot be displayed by itself, so that the transmission / reception separation circuit 38 outputs the transmission image and the reception image as separate signals to the transmission image monitor 56 and the reception image monitor 57.

[0020]

As is apparent from the above description, the present invention has the following effects. An image pickup means for inputting a stereoscopic image picked up by two lenses or for picking up an image stereoscopically with two lenses; and a recording means for synchronously recording a received stereoscopic image sent from a partner and a sent stereoscopic image sent to the partner simultaneously. Since it has a reading means for reading out stereoscopic images of both the transmitting side and the receiving side when reproducing the recorded medium, the image and the sound are transmitted and received using the communication line, and both information are recorded at the same time, and the respective signals are also recorded. Can be simultaneously recorded on one medium by performing thinning out in units of fields and switching between signals in units of fields and frames.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram for explaining an embodiment of an image transmission device according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing another embodiment of the image transmission device according to the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing still another embodiment of the image transmission device according to the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an image when recording one video signal according to the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a configuration diagram of a conventional image transmission device.

[Explanation of symbols]

1, 2 ... Two-lens stereoscopic camera for stereoscopically capturing a subject, 3 ... Synchronous separation circuit, 4 ... Stereoscopic image assembling circuit for assembling a stereoscopic image for each field, 5 ... Stereoscopic image on transmitting side and stereoscopic image on receiving side A transmission / reception synchronization circuit for synchronizing images, 6 ... A recording / reproducing device for recording the communication contents of the transmission side and the reception side as a minutes, 7, 8 ... Monitors, 9 ... Subjects.

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. An image transmission device for transmitting and receiving an image and a voice through a communication line, wherein an image pickup means for inputting a stereoscopic image picked up by two lenses or for picking up an image stereoscopically by two lenses, and a reception sent from a partner. Recording means for synchronously recording the stereoscopic image and the transmission stereoscopic image to be transmitted to the other party,
An image transmission apparatus comprising: a reading unit that reads out stereoscopic images of both transmission and reception when reproducing a recorded medium. 2. A first identifying means for identifying a left-eye image and a right-eye image of the transmission stereoscopic image, and an addition means for adding stereoscopic identification information for identifying a left-eye image and a right-eye image of the transmission stereoscopic image by a partner. The image transmission apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a second identification unit that identifies a left-eye image and a right-eye image of the received stereoscopic image. 3. Output means for alternately combining the reception stereoscopic image and the transmission stereoscopic image in a time sequence to output as one television signal, and a reception stereoscopic image when reproducing the medium recorded with the output television signal. 3. The image transmitting apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: a switching unit that switches the transmission stereoscopic image unit, and displays the reception stereoscopic image and the transmission stereoscopic image.