JPS6165683A - Visual telephone set - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To obtain a visual telephone set capable of communicating fully between persons talking to each other without generating a difference of the line of vision therebetween by constituting by an image pick up device, an image display device and an optical system and making the line of vision of the person coincide with that of the other person's image displayed on the image display device. CONSTITUTION:A translucent mirror 6 is used as an optical system and disposed as shown in the figure, a monitor 2 and a television camera 3 are disposed in a position relation that their respective optical axes are perpendicular to each other, a radiation light of an image from the monitor 2 passes through, an incident light of an image of a person 1 who is talking made incident to the television camera 3 is reflected as shown in the figure to coincide equivalently the optical axes of the monitor 2 and the television camera 3 with each other. The person 1 talking on the telephone can see an image of the monitor 2 through the translucent mirror 6, to the television camera 3, an image of the person 1 straightly looking at the television camera 3 is inputted, thereby the line of visions between the persons talking on the telephone coincide with each other completely.

Description

【発明の詳細な説明】 産業上の利用分野 本発明は、半透明鏡を用いた光学系を備えるテレビ電話
装置に関するものである。DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION FIELD OF INDUSTRIAL APPLICATION The present invention relates to a video telephone device equipped with an optical system using a semi-transparent mirror.

従来例の構成とその問題点 第１図＆　−％−Ｃに、従来のテレビ電話装置における
撮像装置、映像表示装置２通話者の位置関係の概略を示
す。Structure of a conventional example and its problems FIG.

第１図、第２図、第３図において１は通話者（の目）、
２は映像表示装置のモニター、３は撮像装置のテレビカ
メラ、４はモニター２とテレビカメラ３の光軸のなす交
差角、６は通話者１とモニター２間の距離である。上記
説明のモニター２とテレビカメラ３の光軸とは、それぞ
れモニター２の画面から垂直方向に放射される光の軸及
びテレビカメラ３のレンズに垂直方向に入射する光の軸
を示す。In Figures 1, 2, and 3, 1 is the caller's (eyes);
2 is the monitor of the video display device, 3 is the television camera of the imaging device, 4 is the intersection angle between the optical axes of the monitor 2 and the television camera 3, and 6 is the distance between the caller 1 and the monitor 2. The optical axes of the monitor 2 and the television camera 3 in the above description refer to the axis of light vertically emitted from the screen of the monitor 2 and the axis of light vertically incident on the lens of the television camera 3, respectively.

第１図は通話者１の視線（一点鎖線）とモニター２の光
軸が一致した場合を示している。この場合、通話者１は
モニター２上に表示される映像を見ることができるが、
テレビカメラ３は通話者１がいくぶん下向き加減の映像
を撮ることになる。FIG. 1 shows a case where the line of sight of the caller 1 (dotted chain line) and the optical axis of the monitor 2 coincide. In this case, caller 1 can see the image displayed on monitor 2, but
The television camera 3 will take an image of the caller 1 looking somewhat downward.

第２図は通話者１の視線（一点鎖線）とテレビカメラ３
の光軸が一致した場合を示している。この場合、テレビ
カメラ３により通話者１の正面向きの映像が撮れるが通
話者１はモニター２上の映像を見にくい。このように撮
像装置を映像表示装置の周辺に配置して通話者を撮像す
るような従来のテレビ電話では、通話者と撮像装置及び
映像装置間の距離によって定まる撮像装置と映像表示装
置の光軸のなす交差角が、任意の大きさで存在するため
通話者間の視線の不一致は避けられない。この影響を軽
減するためには第３図のように通話者１とモニター２及
びテレビカメラ３の距離を十分とり、モニター２とテレ
ビカメラ３の光軸のなす交差角を小さくすればよいが、
利用上都合が悪い。Figure 2 shows the line of sight of caller 1 (dotted chain line) and TV camera 3.
This shows the case where the optical axes of the two are aligned. In this case, although the television camera 3 can capture a front-facing image of the caller 1, it is difficult for the caller 1 to see the image on the monitor 2. In conventional videophone systems in which an imaging device is placed around a video display device to take an image of a caller, the optical axis of the imaging device and video display device is determined by the distance between the caller, the imaging device, and the video device. Since the intersecting angle formed by the two lines exists at an arbitrary size, mismatch in line of sight between the parties is unavoidable. In order to reduce this effect, it is best to keep a sufficient distance between the caller 1, the monitor 2, and the television camera 3, and to reduce the intersection angle between the optical axes of the monitor 2 and the television camera 3, as shown in Fig. 3.
It is inconvenient to use.

このように、従来のテレビ電話では通話者間の視線にち
がいが生じ、このために音声情報のみによる表現力不足
を補なうことができ、さらには通話者の親近感を増し、
より深い理解の助けとなり意思疎通を深めるために利用
するテレビの利点がなくなる問題点があった。これは今
だにテレビ電話装置の普及が遅れている原因の１つにな
っている。In this way, in conventional videophone calls, there is a difference in the line of sight between the callers, and this can compensate for the lack of expressiveness provided by only voice information, and it also increases the sense of intimacy between the callers.
There was a problem in that the benefits of television, which is used to aid deeper understanding and deepen communication, were lost. This is one of the reasons why the spread of videophone devices is still slow.

発明の目的 本発明はこのような従来の欠点を除去するものであり、
テレビ電話のモニターを見ていても通話者間の視線にち
がいを生じることがなく意思疎通が十分に図れるテレビ
電話装置を提供するものである。OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION The present invention obviates these conventional drawbacks,
To provide a videophone device which allows parties to communicate sufficiently without causing any difference in their line of sight even when they are looking at a videophone monitor.

発明の構成 本発明のテレビ電話装置は、撮像装置と映像表示装置と
光学系により構成され、前記光学系により、前記撮像装
置で通話者が前記撮像装置を直視する像を撮像でき、か
つ前記通話者の視線と前記映像表示装置に表示される前
記通話者の相手の像の視線を一致させるようにしたもの
である。Composition of the Invention The videophone device of the present invention includes an imaging device, a video display device, and an optical system, and the optical system allows the imaging device to capture an image that the caller looks directly at the imaging device, and The line of sight of the caller is made to match the line of sight of the image of the other party of the caller displayed on the video display device.

実施例の説明 以下本発明の実施例を第２図ａ、ｂを用いて説明する。Description of examples Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS. 2a and 2b.

第４図、第５図は本発明の実施例の構成図で、第１図〜
第３図と同一物は同一番号を付して説明する。１は通話
者（の目）、２は映像表示装置のモー＃−１３は撮像装
置のテレビカメラ、４はモニター２とテレビカメラ３の
光軸のなす角、６は半透明鏡、７は反射鏡である。さら
に上記説明の光軸とは従来例の説明のところで前述した
とおり　　□である。FIGS. 4 and 5 are configuration diagrams of embodiments of the present invention, and FIGS.
Components that are the same as those in FIG. 3 will be explained using the same numbers. 1 is the caller's eyes, 2 is the image display device mode #13 is the imaging device television camera, 4 is the angle between the optical axes of the monitor 2 and the television camera 3, 6 is the translucent mirror, and 7 is the reflection It's a mirror. Furthermore, the optical axis in the above description is □ as described above in the description of the conventional example.

第４図は、半透明鏡６を１個用い光学系として図のよう
に配置したもので、モニター２とテレビカメラ３は、互
いにそれぞれの光軸が垂直になる位置関係で配置されて
いるが、半透明鏡６により、モニター２からの映像の放
射光は透過し、テレビカメラ３に入射する通話者１の像
の入射光は図のように反射されモニター２とテレビカメ
ラ３の光軸は等価的に一致していることになる。つまり
通話者１は半透明鏡６を通して七゛ニター２の映像を見
ることができ、テレビカメラ３には、テレビカメラ３を
直視した通話者１の像が入力されることになり、通話者
間の視線が完全に一致することになる。FIG. 4 shows an optical system using one semi-transparent mirror 6 arranged as shown in the figure, and a monitor 2 and a television camera 3 are arranged in a positional relationship such that their optical axes are perpendicular to each other. , the image emitted from the monitor 2 is transmitted through the semi-transparent mirror 6, and the incident light of the image of the caller 1 that enters the television camera 3 is reflected as shown in the figure, so that the optical axis of the monitor 2 and the television camera 3 is This means that they are equivalently matched. In other words, the caller 1 can see the image of the 7-unit monitor 2 through the semi-transparent mirror 6, and the image of the caller 1 looking directly at the TV camera 3 is input to the TV camera 3. Their lines of sight will be completely aligned.

第５図は、モニター２とテレビカメラ３を図のようにそ
れぞれの光軸が平行になるように配置した場合で、それ
らの光軸が等価的に一致するように半透′明鏡６と反射
鏡７を１個ずつ用いた光学系を図のように配置している
。この場合も同図ａの場合と同様にして、通話者間の視
線が完全に一致することになる。なおモニター２及びテ
レビカメラ３の位置関係は、半透明鏡あるいは半透明鏡
と反射鏡を組み合わせた光学系により、第４図、第５図
以外の位置関係だけでなく所望の位置関係にできること
は言うまでもない０また半透明鏡としては、金属半透明
鏡、干渉式半透明鏡、多層膜半透明鏡等があるが、波長
特性がフラットなものが望まれる。Fig. 5 shows a case where the monitor 2 and the television camera 3 are arranged so that their respective optical axes are parallel as shown in the figure. An optical system using one mirror 7 is arranged as shown in the figure. In this case as well, the lines of sight between the parties are completely aligned, similar to the case shown in FIG. It should be noted that the positional relationship between the monitor 2 and the television camera 3 can be made into a desired positional relationship, not only the positional relationship other than those shown in Figures 4 and 5, by using a semitransparent mirror or an optical system that combines a semitransparent mirror and a reflecting mirror. Needless to say, examples of semitransparent mirrors include metal semitransparent mirrors, interference type semitransparent mirrors, multilayer film semitransparent mirrors, etc., but one with flat wavelength characteristics is desired.

発明の効果 以上のように本発明のテレビ電話装置は、撮像装置と映
像表示装置と光学系とにより構成され、前記光学系によ
り、前記撮像装置で通話者が前記撮像装置を直視する像
を撮像でき、かつ前記通話者の視線と前記映像表示装置
に表示される前記通話者の相手の像の視線を一致させる
ようにしたことを特徴とし、従来のように撮像装置を映
像表示装置の周辺に配置して撮像するようにしても通話
者間の視線にちがいが生じることなく、あたかも間近で
話をしている感じを与え十分に意思疎通を図ることので
きるものであり、今後のテレビ電話の普及の拡大に大い
に役立ちが期待できるものである。Effects of the Invention As described above, the videophone device of the present invention includes an imaging device, a video display device, and an optical system, and the optical system allows the imaging device to capture an image that the caller looks directly at the imaging device. The line of sight of the caller and the line of sight of the image of the other party of the caller displayed on the video display device are made to coincide with each other, and the imaging device is not placed in the vicinity of the video display device as in the past. Even if the image is captured in the same position, there will be no difference in the line of sight between the callers, and it will give the impression that they are talking up close, allowing for sufficient communication. This can be expected to be of great help in expanding its use.

【図面の簡単な説明】[Brief explanation of the drawing]

第１図、第２図、第３図はそれぞれ従来のテレピ電話装
置での通話者、撮像装置のテレビカメラ。 映像装置のモニターの位置関係を示す図、第４図。 第５図はそれぞれ本発明の実施例における通話者。 撮像装置のテレビカメラ、映像装置のモニター。 及び光学系の位置関係を示す図である。 １・・・・・・通話者、２・・・・・・モニター、３・
・・・・・テレビカメラ、６・・・・・・半透明鏡、７
・・・・・・反射鏡。 代理人の氏名　弁理士　中　尾　敏　男　ほか１名第１
図FIGS. 1, 2, and 3 show a caller using a conventional television telephone device and a television camera as an imaging device, respectively. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the positional relationship of the monitors of the video device. FIG. 5 shows callers in each embodiment of the present invention. Television camera for imaging equipment, monitor for video equipment. and a diagram showing the positional relationship of the optical system. 1... Caller, 2... Monitor, 3.
...TV camera, 6...Semi-transparent mirror, 7
······Reflector. Name of agent: Patent attorney Toshio Nakao and 1 other person No. 1
figure

Claims (1)

【特許請求の範囲】[Claims] 撮像装置と映像表示装置と光学系とにより構成され、前
記光学系により、前記撮像装置で通話者が前記撮像装置
を直視する像を撮像でき、かつ前記通話者の視線と前記
映像表示装置に表示される前記通話者の相手の像の視線
を一致させる手段を設けたテレビ電話装置。It is constituted by an imaging device, a video display device, and an optical system, and the optical system allows the imaging device to capture an image that the caller looks directly at the imaging device, and displays the image in the line of sight of the caller and on the video display device. The video telephone device is provided with means for aligning the lines of sight of the image of the other party of the caller.