WO2001024521A1 - Video communications terminal and control circuit for the terminal - Google Patents
Video communications terminal and control circuit for the terminal Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- WO2001024521A1 WO2001024521A1 PCT/JP2000/006498 JP0006498W WO0124521A1 WO 2001024521 A1 WO2001024521 A1 WO 2001024521A1 JP 0006498 W JP0006498 W JP 0006498W WO 0124521 A1 WO0124521 A1 WO 0124521A1
- Authority
- WO
- WIPO (PCT)
- Prior art keywords
- image pick
- view angle
- image
- data
- angle
- Prior art date
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Classifications
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
- H04N—PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION
- H04N7/00—Television systems
- H04N7/14—Systems for two-way working
- H04N7/141—Systems for two-way working between two video terminals, e.g. videophone
- H04N7/142—Constructional details of the terminal equipment, e.g. arrangements of the camera and the display
Definitions
- the present invention relates to a video communications terminal, such as a portable telephone terminal having a TV phone function, capable of picking up an image and transmitting/receiving video data and a control circuit for the same.
- a terminal of a conventional mobile communications system a terminal equipped with an electronic camera and having the function of transmitting a picked-up image to a communication party.
- Such a video communications terminal has a mechanism for rotating an image pick-up section, etc., and, by doing so, switching an image pick-up direction.
- a different view angle is required between the case where an image is picked up with an image pick-up section facing a user side and the case where a snap shot is taken with the image pick-up section facing a side opposite to the user side while confirming a picked-up image on a display section. If, therefore, a picture is taken of the user with, for example, a horizontal view angle of 50° as a view angle suitable to a snap shot, then the user's face alone will be shot to a overly covered image range due to the user-to-camera distance being about 30 cm and, even if an image pick-up direction is slightly displaced, it is not possible to obtain a desired composition.
- Disclosure of Invention It is accordingly the object of the present invention to provide a video communications terminal capable of, even if an image is picked up with the image pick-up direction of an image pick-up section switched, picking up an image at a view angle desirable relative to that direction, and a control circuit for the video communications terminal.
- the video communications terminal according to the present invention and control circuit of the video communications terminal detect an image pick-up direction of an image pick-up means through an image pick-up direction detecting means and allow a view angle control means to switch an image pick-up view angle of image pick-up data obtained by the image pick-up means in accordance with a result of that detection.
- FIG. 1 is a circuit block diagram showing an arrangement of a video communications terminal according to one embodiment of the present invention
- FIG. 2 shows an outer appearance of the video communications terminal shown in FIG. 1
- FIG. 3 is a concept diagram for explaining wide angle conversion processing by a view angle conversion processing section of the video communications terminal shown in FIG. 1;
- FIG. 4 is a concept diagram for explaining narrow angle conversion processing by the view angle conversion processing section of the video communications terminal shown in FIG. 1; and FIG. 5 is a flow chart for explaining wide angle conversion control by the view angle conversion processing section of the video communications terminal shown in FIG. 1. Best Mode of Carrying Out the Invention
- FIG. 1 shows an arrangement of a video communications terminal according to one embodiment of the present invention.
- This video communications terminal includes a camera 10, view-angle switching processing section 20, image coding/decoding processing section 30, display section 40, camera direction detecting section 50, voice inputting/outputting section 60, radio communications section 70 having an antenna 71, keying- in section 80 and controller 100.
- the camera 10 is comprised of an electronic camera for picking up an image of a CIF format (352 horizontal * 288 vertical pixels) at a horizontal view angle of about 70° with the use of a single focus lens and data obtained by the picked up image is output to a view angle switching processing section 20. Further, the camera 10 is, as shown in FIG. 2 for instance, provided at an upper section of the video communications terminal and allows its image pick-up direction to be manually 180°-moved by a rotation mechanism in a non-stepped way and hence allows a picture taking to be obtained over a range from a display section 40 side as will be described below to a direction of a back surface opposite to the display section of the terminal.
- a CIF format 352 horizontal * 288 vertical pixels
- the view-angle switching processing section 20 allows wide angle processing or narrow angle processing to be selectively performed in response to an instruction from the controller to be later described and, by doing so, allows image picked-up data of the CIF format which is input by the camera 10 to be converted to a QCIF format (176 horizontal * 144 vertical pixels ) .
- the output of the switching processing section 20 is supplied to the image coding/decoding processing section 30.
- the wide angle processing allows pixel data to be extracted from a vertical * horizontal pixel array at every other pixel interval as shown in FIG. 3 and, by doing so, allows the video data of the CIF format to be converted to a QCIF format.
- the number of pixels is 48 vertical * 36 horizontal for simplification of the drawing.
- the narrow angle processing allows pixel data to be extracted at a rate of two pixels for three pixels from pixel data (264 vertical * 216 horizontal) at a central section left by eliminating an outer peripheral section of the CIF format by 1/8 in vertical and horizontal directions as shown in FIG. 4 and, by doing so, allows the video data of a CIF format to be converted to data of a QCIF format.
- FIG. 3 the wide angle processing allows pixel data to be extracted from a vertical * horizontal pixel array at every other pixel interval as shown in FIG. 3 and, by doing so, allows the video data of the CIF format to be converted to a QCIF format.
- the image coding/decoding processing section 30 allows the video data of the QCIF format which comes from the view-angle switching processing section 20 to be output to the display section 40 as it is and the above-mentioned video data is subjected to coding processing so that it is output to the radio communications section 70.
- the image coding/decoding processing section 30 decodes a signal coming from the radio communications section 70 via the antenna 71 and outputs it to the display section 40.
- the display section 40 is comprised of a liquid crystal panel, etc., to visually show the video data as a video to the user.
- the display section 40 shows a video taken by the camera 10 on the basis of the video data input from the image coding/decoding processing section 30, or, after a signal sent from a communication party has been decoded by the image coding/decoding processing section 30, the display section 40 receives it as video data and display it.
- the camera direction detecting section 50 detects the image pick-up direction of the camera 10 and the detected camera direction information is output to the controller 100.
- the voice inputting/outputting section 60 includes a microphone and speaker to allow a user ' s talking voice which is input from the microphone to be coded and output to a radio communications section 70 and allows talking voice data which comes from the communications party to be decoded and output from the speaker.
- the radio communications section 70 establishes a communication link relative to a communication party via a base station connectable to a public network to allow voice data and video data to be transmitted and received.
- the keying-in section 80 comprises various keys, such as ten keys and on-hook/off-hook key and provides a man-machine interface for receiving a user ' s request and instruction through the keying-in operation.
- the controller 100 includes, for example, a microcomputer as a main controller and is adapted to generally control each parts set out above to allow the video and voice communication to be conducted relative to the communication party.
- controller 100 has a view-angle switching control function as a new control function.
- This control function imparts an instruction for performing wide-angle processing or narrow-angle processing to the view-angle switching processing section 20 in accordance with camera direction information given from the camera direction detecting section 50.
- FIG. 5 is a flow chart of this processing done by the controller 100.
- step 5a camera direction information is received from the camera direction detecting section 50 and control goes to step 5b.
- step 5f it is decided, by the camera direction information obtained by step 5a, whether the camera 10 faces a display section 40 side or an opposite back side. If the camera faces the display section 40 side, then control goes to step 5c. If, on the other hand, the camera faces the opposite back side, then control goes to step 5d.
- an instruction for performing the wide-angle processing is imparted to the view-angle switching processing section 20.
- an instruction for performing the narrow angle processing is imparted to the view-angle switching processing section 20.
- the video communications terminal is such that, when the user gives an instruction to pick up an image, by such processing, with the camera facing the display section 40 side for example, then the controller 100 imparts an instruction for performing the wide-angle processing to the view-angle switching processing section 20.
- picked-up image data of a CIF format is subjected by the view-angle switching processing section 20 to wide angle processing to provide data of a QCIF format and it is possible to obtain video data taken at a horizontal view angle of about 70°.
- the video data is output to the display section 40 where it is displayed as it is .
- the video data is subjected by the image coding/decoding processing section 30 to coding processing and then transmitted via the radio communications section 70 to a communication party.
- the controller 100 instructs the view-angle switching processing section 20 to perform narrow-angle processing.
- picked-up image data of a CIF format is subjected by the view-angle switching processing section 20 to narrow angle processing to provide picked-up image data of a QCIF format and it is possible to obtain image data taken at a horizontal view angle of about 50°.
- the picked up image data is output to the display section 40 and displayed as it is. On the other hand, it is, after being subjected by the image coding/ decoding processing section 30 to coding processing, transmitted via the radio communications section 70 to a communication party.
- the video communications terminal thus structured, as set out above, when an image is picked up with the camera facing the display section 40 side corresponding to the user side, a wide angle shot is carried out.
- a narrow angle shot is carried out. That is, an image pick-up angle is switched in accordance with an image pick-up direction of the camera 10.
- the video communications terminal thus structured, therefore, even if the user does not switch the image pick-up view angle, it is possible to switch the image pick-up view angle in accordance with the image pick-up direction of the camera and hence to pick up an image in a way suited to the image pick-up direction.
- the present invention is not restricted to the above-mentioned embodiment.
- the range over which partly cutting processing is performed on the data initially picked up at the wide angle with the use of many pixels is made variable
- a camera is equipped with a zoom lens to allow an image pick-up view angle to be made variable and, by doing so, the zoom lens has its driving controlled in accordance with the direction of * * the camera 10 to allow the image pick-up view angle to be variably controlled. This also obtains the same advantage.
- the controller 100 imparts a view angle switching instruction to the view angle switching processing section 20 in accordance with a detection result of the camera direction detecting section 50
- a result of detection of the camera direction detecting section 50 is directly input to the view angle switching processing section 20 to allow a view angle switching to be done based on the detection result.
- the partly cutting rate of the partly cutting processing is set to be 1/2 and 2/3, it may be set to be 3/4 so that it is possible to obtain an image picked up at a still narrower angle. Still further, the partly cutting rate can be made to allow any given image pick-up view angle to be set in accordance with the image pick-up direction and this is done so by receiving a change request from the user through the keying input section 80.
- Table 1 shows a relation of a focal length f calculated in terms of that of a 35 mm film camera to the horizontal view angle.
- a focal length fitted to a snap short on the 35 mm film camera is generally about 35 mm to 38 mm and it is found that the horizontal view angle of 52° is a view angle suitable to the snap shot.
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- Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- Multimedia (AREA)
- Signal Processing (AREA)
- Two-Way Televisions, Distribution Of Moving Picture Or The Like (AREA)
- Studio Devices (AREA)
Abstract
Description
Claims
Priority Applications (1)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
EP00961182A EP1133872A1 (en) | 1999-09-29 | 2000-09-22 | Video communications terminal and control circuit for the terminal |
Applications Claiming Priority (2)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
JP27683199A JP2001103438A (en) | 1999-09-29 | 1999-09-29 | Video communication terminal |
JP11/276831 | 1999-09-29 |
Publications (1)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
---|---|
WO2001024521A1 true WO2001024521A1 (en) | 2001-04-05 |
Family
ID=17575020
Family Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
PCT/JP2000/006498 WO2001024521A1 (en) | 1999-09-29 | 2000-09-22 | Video communications terminal and control circuit for the terminal |
Country Status (3)
Country | Link |
---|---|
EP (1) | EP1133872A1 (en) |
JP (1) | JP2001103438A (en) |
WO (1) | WO2001024521A1 (en) |
Citations (3)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
WO1997026744A2 (en) * | 1996-01-17 | 1997-07-24 | Garry Douglas Robb | Multifunctional portable telephone |
US5764277A (en) * | 1995-11-08 | 1998-06-09 | Bell Communications Research, Inc. | Group-of-block based video signal combining for multipoint continuous presence video conferencing |
EP0884905A2 (en) * | 1997-06-13 | 1998-12-16 | Nokia Mobile Phones Ltd. | A method for producing an image to be transmitted from a terminal and the terminal |
-
1999
- 1999-09-29 JP JP27683199A patent/JP2001103438A/en active Pending
-
2000
- 2000-09-22 WO PCT/JP2000/006498 patent/WO2001024521A1/en not_active Application Discontinuation
- 2000-09-22 EP EP00961182A patent/EP1133872A1/en not_active Withdrawn
Patent Citations (3)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US5764277A (en) * | 1995-11-08 | 1998-06-09 | Bell Communications Research, Inc. | Group-of-block based video signal combining for multipoint continuous presence video conferencing |
WO1997026744A2 (en) * | 1996-01-17 | 1997-07-24 | Garry Douglas Robb | Multifunctional portable telephone |
EP0884905A2 (en) * | 1997-06-13 | 1998-12-16 | Nokia Mobile Phones Ltd. | A method for producing an image to be transmitted from a terminal and the terminal |
Also Published As
Publication number | Publication date |
---|---|
JP2001103438A (en) | 2001-04-13 |
EP1133872A1 (en) | 2001-09-19 |
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