JPH1051762A - Intercom - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an interphone by which a visit and a visitor are recognized even in the case of absence of a user. SOLUTION: When a visitor operates a switch 11 of a slave set 10, a camera 12 provided to the slave set 10 picks up an image of the visitor and when no reply is made by a master set 20, a video signal from the camera 12 is compressed by an image compression means 32 and a communication controller 33 sends the image to a portable equipment 40. Then the video signal received by the portable equipment 40 is expanded by an image expansion means and the resulting image is displayed on a monitor 48.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an interphone, and more particularly, to an interphone that allows a visitor or his / her history to be known from an external portable device.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A conventional interphone as shown in FIG. 8 is known. In the figure, reference numeral 10 denotes a slave unit attached to an entrance or a gate, and reference numeral 20 denotes a master unit attached indoors. The slave unit 10 includes a switch 11, a camera 12 such as a CCD, a speaker 13, and a microphone 14,
Base unit 20 includes buzzer 24, speaker 25, microphone 2
6. It has a monitor television 27 and a switch 28.

When a visitor presses the switch 11 of the slave 10, the buzzer 24 of the master 20
Sounds and the switch 28 is closed. Therefore, if the visitor photographed by the camera 12 is displayed on the monitor television 27, the words spoken by the visitor to the microphone 14 are pronounced from the speaker 25, and if the family member speaks to the microphone 26 and responds. That word is speaker 1
3 is pronounced.

[0004]

However, in the above-described conventional intercom, when a family member is away, not only the visitor but also the presence or absence of the visitor cannot be known. There is a problem. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and has as its object to provide an interphone capable of knowing whether there is a visitor and who the visitor is even when the user is away.

[0005]

In order to achieve the above object, an interphone according to the present invention is provided with a subunit provided with a switch and a camera which starts photographing by turning on the switch, and is connected to the subunit. A master unit provided with a signal compression unit for compressing a video signal output from the camera of the slave unit and a communication unit for transmitting the video signal compressed by the signal compression unit, and communicating with the communication unit of the master unit Communication means, a signal expansion means for receiving the compressed signal compressed by the signal compression means by the communication means, and expanding the compressed signal; and displaying an image captured by the camera based on the video signal expanded by the signal expansion means. And a portable device provided with a display means for displaying.

Preferably, the interphone according to the present invention includes an image storage means for storing compressed video data in the master unit, and reads out the video data stored in the image storage means in response to a video request from the portable device. A personal identification number storage means is provided in at least the base unit, and whether or not the personal identification number stored in the personal identification number storage means and the personal identification number transmitted from the portable device match each other. And transmitting the video data only when they match, and further superimposing the data of the shooting date and time (visit date and time) on the video data to be transmitted to the portable device or the video data to be stored, and It is configured to be identifiable.

[0007] The slave unit is attached to an entrance or a gate and connected to the master unit by wire or wirelessly, and a microphone, a speaker and a push button are provided on a front surface, or a handset and a hook switch are provided. As the switch, a hook switch of the handset, a push button pressed by a visitor, an interpersonal sensor using infrared rays or the like is used. The camera is composed of a well-known CCD digital (video) camera or the like, and starts photographing when a switch is turned on, and performs photographing for a predetermined time from the switch on period or the switch on.

[0008] Similar to the above-described conventional interfont, the master unit includes a buzzer, a monitor television (display means), a microphone,
A video processing unit for processing a video signal of the slave unit, a communication unit with the portable unit,
A signal compression means for compressing the video signal, an image storage means for storing the video signal, and a control unit comprising a well-known CPU and the like, and a mode selection switch capable of switching between an answering mode and a home mode are provided as necessary. Can be

The buzzer is directly connected to the switch of the slave unit, and sounds for a predetermined time or intermittently when the switch of the slave unit is turned on. The monitor television is composed of a CRT, a liquid crystal, or the like, and displays an image based on an image signal of a camera. A handset or the like is used as necessary for the microphone and speaker, and a hook switch or the like of the handset is used for the switch. The mode selection switch is set by switching between an answering mode for outputting a response message prepared in advance and a home mode for responding to a family member.

[0010] The video processing section comprises a video signal decoder for A / D converting the video signal, a video signal encoder for D / A conversion, and the like when the video signal output from the camera of the slave unit is an analog signal. Video signals include general-purpose digital RGB signals, digital YCrCb signals, and analog R signals.
GB signal, NTSC composite signal, PAL signal, S
ECAM signals and the like. The video processing unit superimposes data such as the date and time of shooting on the video signal as needed. The signal compression means is achieved by, for example, executing a data compression program stored in the storage device by a CPU or the like of the control unit. JPEG,
MPEG-1,2, H. 261, H .; 263 and the like.

As the image storage means, a storage device having a capacity capable of storing at least one frame of video data, for example, a well-known semiconductor storage device, a storage device using a magnetic disk, or a memory card is used. P
It has an interface such as CMCIA. If the video signal is an analog signal, the image storage means converts the video signal into a digital signal and stores the digital signal, or stores the video data compressed by the image compression means. The image storage means controls the writing and reading of the video data by the control means, and stores the video data when the family member does not respond to the visitor or when the mode selection switch is set to the absence mode. Also, when there is a request for video from a portable device or the like, video data is output.

When communicating with the portable unit via a general telephone line, the communication unit is composed of a well-known telephone circuit such as a branch bell circuit, and is connected to the portable unit via a mobile communication network or the like. This communication unit outputs compressed video data or data indicating only the presence or absence of a visitor to a portable device when there is a visitor (when a switch of a child device is operated), or an image from the portable device. The request is received, and the compressed video signal is transmitted to the portable device in response to the video request. As a desirable mode,
This communication unit stores data such as a personal identification number for portable device identification, compares it with a personal identification number transmitted from the portable device, and performs transmission only when the personal identification numbers match. The control unit is CP
A well-known device in which U, ROM, and RAM are connected by a data bus or the like is used. This control unit includes a video processing unit, a communication unit,
It connects to and controls the image compression means and the image storage means.

As the portable device, a pager having a communication function, a portable telephone or a portable personal computer (so-called book personal computer), or a dedicated terminal is used, and these are provided with display means such as a liquid crystal display monitor. This portable device has a program for data decompression in a semiconductor memory device or the like connected to the CPU of the control unit by a data bus, similarly to the above-described master device, and the CPU executes the program to execute the video data reception. To display the image on the liquid crystal display.

In the intercom according to the present invention, when the visitor operates the switch of the child device, the camera starts photographing and photographs the visitor. When the family member does not respond to the master unit within a predetermined time, or when the mode selection switch is set to the absence mode, the video signal is converted into a digital signal and compressed, and the compressed video The data is transmitted to the portable device every time shooting is performed, or when data is stored in the image storage means and a video request is input from the portable device by communication. Then, the portable device expands the video data and displays a video or the like of the visitor on a display means such as a monitor. Therefore, even when the user is away, it is possible to know whether there is a visitor and who the visitor is.

[0015]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an interphone according to the first embodiment of the present invention.
Note that portions common to the above-described intercom shown in FIG.

In FIG. 1, 10 is a slave unit, 20 is a master unit,
Reference numeral 40 denotes a portable device. Slave device 10 has switch 11, camera 12, speaker 13 and microphone 14, which are connected to master device 20 by cables. The switch 11 is a push button switch or the like, the camera 12 is a CCD video camera or the like for outputting an analog video signal, and the speaker 13 and the microphone 14 are well-known ones. The camera 12 has a switch 11
If there is no response from the master unit 20 to the operation of, shooting is performed for a predetermined time after the operation of the switch 11, and
When there is a response from the master unit 20 to the operation 1, the camera performs imaging at a response time.

The master unit 20 includes a response unit 20A, a video processing unit 2
A response unit 20A includes a buzzer 24, a speaker 25, a microphone 26, a monitor 27, a switch 28, and a reception button 34. Buzzer 24
Is connected to the switch 11 of the slave 10 and the switch 11
Is operated while the switch 11 is operated or for a predetermined time after the switch 11 is operated. The speaker 25 and the microphone 26 are configured as a well-known handset, and are connected to the microphone 14 and the speaker 13 of the child device 10 via the switch 28, respectively. The monitor 27 is composed of a liquid crystal display or a CRT.
And a switch 28.

The switch 28 is connected to the monitor 27 and the camera 1
2. It has a contactor interposed between the microphone 26 and the speaker 13 and between the speaker 25 and the microphone 14, and these contactors close when the receiving button 34 is turned on. The receiving button 34 is constituted by a hook switch of the handset or a response push button provided on the base unit case. The receiving button 34 is closed by an off-hook of the handset, or closed by a pressing operation of a push button, and is opened when a predetermined time elapses after the operation of the on-hook or the push button of the handset.

The video processing unit 20B includes a video signal decoder 2
9. Frame memory 30 and video signal encoder 31
Having. The video signal decoder 29 is connected to the camera 12 of the slave 10, converts an analog video signal output by the camera 12 into a digital signal, and outputs the digital signal to the frame memory 30. The frame memory 30 is a so-called frame buffer for storing one frame of video data, and is connected to the data bus B1 of the control unit 20C. The frame memory 30 controls writing (accumulation) and reading of video data by the CPU of the control unit, stores the digitally converted signal by the video signal decoder, and controls the digital video signal with the video signal encoder 31. Output to the unit periodically. The video signal encoder 31 converts the video signal stored in the memory 30 into an analog signal and outputs the analog signal to the monitor 27.

The control unit includes a CPU 21, a ROM 22, an RA
M23, image compression means 32 and communication control device 33 are connected by a data bus B1. As is well known, R
The OM 22 stores a program for realizing the interphone function and the like, and the CPU 21 executes the program of the ROM 22. The image compression means 32 is composed of a memory or the like in which a data compression program is stored, and the CPU 21 reads out and executes this data compression program. The communication control device 33 includes various circuits and a modem for connecting to a general telephone line, and is controlled by the CPU 21. The communication control device 33 includes a portable device 40 via a general telephone line.
And outputs it to the CPU 21 and the like,
Further, the compressed video signal is transmitted to the portable device 40 through a general telephone line.

The portable device 40 includes a CPU 41, a ROM 42,
The RAM 43, the communication control device 44, the image decompression means 45, and the frame memory 46 are connected by the data bus B2, and the monitor 4 is connected to the frame memory 46 via the video signal decoder 47.
8 and a data input device (not shown). The communication control device 44 includes various circuits for realizing the mobile communication function, a modem, and the like. The communication control device 44 is controlled by the CPU 41 and transmits data such as a video request and a password input by the data input device, and receives a compressed video signal and outputs it to the data bus B2. Similarly to the image compression unit 32 of the master unit 20, the image expansion unit 45 includes a data expansion program or the like stored in a memory or the like, and the CPU 41 executes the data expansion program to expand the received video signal.

The frame memory 46 is a so-called frame buffer similar to the frame memory 30 described above, and stores one frame of video data and periodically outputs it to the video encoder 47. The video signal encoder 47
The video digital signal output from the frame memory 46 is converted into an analog signal and output to the monitor 48. The monitor 48 includes a liquid crystal display or the like, and displays an image based on a video signal output from the video signal encoder 47.

In the intercom according to this embodiment, when the visitor operates the switch 11 of the slave unit 10, the camera 12 takes a picture of the visitor. And the parent machine 20
The buzzer 24 sounds when the switch 11 of the slave unit 10 is operated, and the switch 28 is closed to display the visitor on the monitor 27 (see FIG. 3A). Here, when the visitor does not respond within a predetermined time after operating the switch 11, or when the mode selection switch is set to the absence mode, the video signal of the camera 12 is output by the video signal decoder 29. At least one frame of video data is fetched via the frame memory 30 after being digitally converted, compressed, and temporarily stored in the RAM 23 or the like.

Thereafter, master device 20 transmits the compressed video data to portable device 40 by communication control device 33, and the video data is received by portable device 40. Then, the portable device 40 expands the received image signal, converts the image signal into an analog signal, and displays the image signal on the monitor 48 (see FIG. 3A). Therefore, even if the user is away, it is possible to know whether or not there is a visitor and who the visitor is.

FIG. 2 is a schematic block diagram showing an interphone according to a second embodiment of the present invention. In addition,
In this embodiment and the embodiment to be described later, the same parts as those of the interphone according to the above-described first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and description thereof will be omitted.

In the second embodiment, a reproduction button 37 is provided on the master unit 20, an image storage unit 35 and an image decompression unit 36 are provided, and a video request function is added to the portable unit 40. . The image storage means 35 is composed of a hard disk or a memory card, and has a general-purpose interface,
For example, it has SCSI, SCSI2 or PCMCIA. The image storage means 35 is connected to the data bus B1, and stores and stores the video data compressed by the image compression means 32. The image expansion unit 36 is connected to the data bus B and expands a video signal fetched from the frame memory 30 in the same manner as the image expansion unit 45 of the portable device 40 described above. The play button 37 is connected to the CPU 21.

In the second embodiment, the image data of the camera 12 when there is a visitor is compressed and stored in the image storage means 35. When the play button 37 is operated, for example, when the family member returns home, the image storage means 36
Read out the image data stored in the
And outputs it to the frame memory 30 to monitor 2
7 displays an image of the visitor. When a family member operates the portable device 40 on the road to send a video request, FIG.
As shown in (2), the master device 20 that has received the video request transmits all the stored image data to the portable device 40, and transmits an image transmission end signal after transmitting all the image data. Then, the portable device 40 expands the received image signal, converts the image signal into an analog signal, and displays it on the monitor 48 (see FIG. 3A). For this reason, even if the user is out of the office, it is possible to know whether or not there is a visitor from the destination and who the visitor is.

FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing an interphone according to a third embodiment of the present invention. In the third embodiment, a clock (clock) 3 for outputting a time signal is used.
8 is provided in the base unit 20, the shooting date and time are superimposed on the video signal and stored, and the shooting date and time (date and time of visit) are displayed together with the image of the visitor as shown in FIG. 3B. Therefore, the visit date and time of the visitor can also be specified. In addition,
Other configurations are the same as those in the above-described embodiment.

FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing an interphone according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention. In the fourth embodiment, a password storage device 39 is provided in the base unit 20, and a password storage unit 49 is also provided in the portable device 40. When transmitting an image request from the portable device 40, the password is stored. The master device 20 transmits the video data to the portable device 40 only when the passwords are collated and matched. For this reason, it is possible to prevent data such as the presence or absence of a visit from leaking to a third party.

In this embodiment, when video data is transmitted from master device 20, master device 20 transmits the video data as shown in FIG.
a series of processes shown in the flowchart of FIG.
The portable device 40 executes the processing shown in the flowchart of FIG. 7B. That is, in the base unit 20, first,
In step P1, a password transmission request is transmitted.
2 waits for the transmission of the personal identification number from the portable device 40,
When the personal identification number is received from 0, it is determined whether or not the personal identification number stored in Steps P3 and P4 matches the received personal identification number. If the passwords do not match in step P4, the process from step P1 is repeated again. If the passwords match, the portable device 4 permits transmission of the image transmission request.
0, and prepares for reception of an image transmission request in step P6.

In the portable device 40, step Q
In step 1, when a password transmission request is received from the base unit 20 in step Q2, a password is read from the password storage unit 49 in step Q3, and the password is read in step Q4. And prepares for transmission from master device 20 in step Q5. Then, in step Q6, it is determined whether or not the signal transmitted from base unit 20 is a transmission request for a password transmission request or an image transmission request again. If the transmission request for a password is received, the process from step Q3 is performed. Repeat again, and if the transmission of the image transmission request is permitted, the image transmission request is transmitted.

[0032]

As described above, according to the interphone according to the present invention, a visitor is photographed by the camera of the slave unit, the image data of this camera is compressed and transmitted to the portable unit, and the monitor of the portable unit is monitored. , It is possible to know not only the presence or absence of a visitor but also who the visitor is, even when the user is away. In particular, the interphone according to the present invention provides an image storage unit in the master unit, stores the compressed video data in the image storage unit, and stores the stored video data in the portable device in response to a request from the portable device. By transmitting, the presence or absence of a visitor can be known at an appropriate time, which is more convenient. Further, the interphone according to the present invention makes it possible to easily know the date and time of a visit by superimposing the date and time of shooting on the video data, and it becomes easier to deal with later visitors.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an interphone according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of an interphone according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

3A is a diagram schematically showing a video of a visitor projected on a monitor of the intercom, and FIG. 3B is a diagram schematically showing a video superimposed on the video of the visitor and displaying a shooting date and time. .

FIG. 4 is a timing chart illustrating the operation of the interphone.

FIG. 5 is a block diagram of an interphone according to a third embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a block diagram of an interphone according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing a control process of the interphone, wherein a shows a control process of a parent device and b shows a control process of a child device.

FIG. 8 is a block diagram of a conventional intercom.

[Explanation of symbols]

 Reference Signs List 10 slave unit 11 switch 12 camera 13 speaker 14 microphone 20 master unit 21 CPU 27 monitor 32 image compression unit 33 communication control unit 34 reception button 35 image storage unit 36 image expansion unit 38 clock 39 personal identification number storage device 40 portable device 41 CPU 44 Communication control device 45 Image decompression means 48 Monitor 49 Password storage device

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A slave provided with a switch and a camera which starts shooting by turning on the switch, a signal compression means connected to the slave and compressing a video signal output from the camera of the slave, and A base unit provided with a communication unit for transmitting the video signal compressed by the signal compression unit; a communication unit for communicating with the communication unit of the base unit; and a compression signal received by the signal compression unit by the communication unit. And a portable device provided with a signal decompressing means for decompressing the compressed signal and a display means for displaying a picture taken by the camera based on the video signal decompressed by the signal decompressing means. Intercom.