Multi-point visual communication system
First Claim
1. A multi-point visual communication system installed within a visual communication terminal for communicating video information with a plurality of other video sites via a communication network, comprising:
- a filter for operatively producing output video signals having different qualities relative to each other by processing an input video signal to be transmitted to said other video sites;
a coder for converting said output video signals into coded output video signals;
interface means for selectively transmitting said coded output video signals to said other video sites through said communication network and for receiving coded video signals and request signals generated by said other video sites from said communication network;
a decoder for converting coded video signals received from said communication network by said interface means into video signals;
means for synthesizing said video signals converted by said decoder into a field or frame of a video signal; and
a controller for controlling said filter depending upon a request from one of said other sites so as to adapt a quality of said output video signals to said request.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A multi-point visual communication system which includes an adaptive filter part for controlling a spatial frequency characteristic of a video signal, a filter selector for selecting a video quality to be transmitted from its own site on the basis of integrated requests received from sites, and a filter control for adaptively controlling a filter characteristic taking both of a video information quantity and situations of a telecommunication network into consideration, and wherein a video signal processed by the adaptive filter part is subjected to an encoding operation and then transmitted to the telecommunication network. Thereby, the video quality can be selected according to users'"'"' requests, and the video quality of the multi-point visual communication can be improved without incurring an excessive increase of a video information quantity. Further, through the video signal processing taking both the video characteristic and the telecommunication network situations into consideration, a comparatively high quality of video transmission can be realized when viewed from an information quantity.
102 Citations
18 Claims
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1. A multi-point visual communication system installed within a visual communication terminal for communicating video information with a plurality of other video sites via a communication network, comprising:
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a filter for operatively producing output video signals having different qualities relative to each other by processing an input video signal to be transmitted to said other video sites; a coder for converting said output video signals into coded output video signals; interface means for selectively transmitting said coded output video signals to said other video sites through said communication network and for receiving coded video signals and request signals generated by said other video sites from said communication network; a decoder for converting coded video signals received from said communication network by said interface means into video signals; means for synthesizing said video signals converted by said decoder into a field or frame of a video signal; and a controller for controlling said filter depending upon a request from one of said other sites so as to adapt a quality of said output video signals to said request. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 12, 13)
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9. A multi-point visual communication system for communicating video information with a plurality of other sites through a communication network, comprising:
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filter means, having a plurality of variable spatial frequency characteristics, for operatively producing output video signals having different qualities relative to each other based on an input video signal to be transmitted to said other sites; coding means for converting said output video signals into coded output video signals; interface means for selectively transmitting said coded output video signals to said other sites through said communication network and for receiving request signals issued by said other sites from said communication network; means for selecting at least one of said spatial frequency characteristic of said filter means in accordance with the requests from said other sites; and means for adaptively varying the spatial frequency characteristic depending upon a quantity of said coded output video signals to be transmitted and traffic situations of said communication network.
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10. A video signal processing method in a multipoint visual communication system for transmitting video signals to a plurality of other video sites through a communication network, said method comprising the steps of:
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producing at least a series of output video signals from a series of input video signals by controlling a spatial frequency characteristic of said output video signals through a filter circuit; encoding the output video signals to obtain at least a series of coded video signals; transmitting said coded video signals to said other video sites, selectively; receiving a control signal for designating quality of said input signals from one of the other sites; varying the spatial resolution characteristic of said filter circuit in accordance with said control signal so as to produce at least two series of output video signals one of which is to be transmitted to said one site which issued said control signal; and adaptively controlling said spatial frequency characteristic of said filter circuit depending upon a video information quantity of said coded video signals and situations of traffic of said communication network. - View Dependent Claims (11)
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14. A communication terminal with a multi-point visual communication function for distributing video information to a plurality of remote video terminals via a communication network, comprising:
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first means for operatively producing a plural series of output video signals with different video qualities relative to each other, by processing a series of source video signals to be distributed to said remote video terminals; second means for converting said output video signals into coded video signals; third means for selectively distributing said coded video signals to said remote video terminals through said communication network and for receiving through said communication network a control signal issued from one of said remote video terminals, said control signal including request information for designating quality of video signals to be received by said one remote video terminal; control means for controlling said first means depending upon the control signal so that the quality of one of said output video signals adapt to the requested quality. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18)
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Specification