TV conference communication device and method of controlling the same

• US 5,898,457 A
• Filed: 12/09/1994
• Issued: 04/27/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 12/10/1993
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Inventors: Watanabe, Yoshikazu, Nagao, Seiji
• Primary Examiner(s): WOO, STELLA L
• Application Number:
  US08/352,616
• Time in Patent Office: 1,600 Days
• Field of Search: 379/100, 379/96, 379/93, 379/201, 379/102, 379/104, 379/105, 379/93.17, 379/93.21, 379/102.01, 379/102.02, 379/102.07, 348/13-19, 358/426
• US Class Current: 348/14.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1423 controlling a plurality of local displays, e.g. CRT and flat panel display
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2340/0442 Handling or displaying different aspect ratios, or changing the aspect ratio
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/005 Adapting incoming signals to the display format of the display terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/124 Quantisation
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/132 Sampling, masking or truncation of coding units, e.g. adaptive resampling, frame skipping, frame interpolation or high-frequency transform coefficient masking
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/172 the region being a picture, frame or field
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/46 Embedding additional information in the video signal during the compression process H04N19/517, H04N19/68, H04N19/70 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/587 involving temporal sub-sampling or interpolation, e.g. decimation or subsequent interpolation of pictures in a video sequence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/61 in combination with predictive coding
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/15 Conference systems

Abstract

A method of controlling TV conference communication devices having exchanges of moving picture images therebetween through a network includes sending first moving-picture-image parameters from one of the TV conference communication devices to at least another one of the TV conference communication devices during the exchanges, wherein the first moving-picture-image parameters include information indicating quality of the moving picture images, and transmitting the moving picture images from the at least another one of the TV conference communication devices by using the first moving-picture-image parameters.

Claims

1. A method of controlling TV conference communication devices having exchanges of moving picture images therebetween through a network, said method comprising the steps of:

a) sending first moving-picture-image parameters from one of said TV conference communication devices to at least another one of said TV conference communication devices during said exchanges, said first moving-picture-image parameters including information indicating quality of said moving picture images; and

b) transmitting said moving picture images from said at least another one of said TV conference communication devices by using said first moving-picture-image parameters;

wherein said first moving-picture-image parameters comprise a quantization threshold value and said method farther comprises the steps of;

c) setting said quantization value to a first value for transmitting said moving picture images at a first speed with a first image quality;

d) setting said quantization value to a second value greater than said first value for transmitting said moving picture images at a second speed higher than said first speed with a second image quality lower than said first image quality;

e) setting said first and second values as a function of a user selecting at a control panel one of image quality settings and transmission speed settings at said one of said TV conference communication devices, wherein said first and second values comprise a video balance setting;

f) setting both said one of said TV conference communication devices and said at least another one of said TV conference communication devices with the video balance setting, if the user selects changing the video balance setting for a transmission from said one of said TV conference communication devices; and

g) setting said at least another one of said TV conference communication devices with the video balance setting if the user selects changing the video balance setting for a reception from said at least another one of said TV conference communication devices.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said network comprises ISDN (integrated services digital network).

3. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a step of setting said first moving-picture-image parameters in a video coder/decoder unit of said at least another one of said TV conference communication devices.

4. The method as claimed in claim 3, further comprising a step of setting second moving-picture-image parameters in said TV conference communication devices before said exchanges, so that said exchange can be carried out based on said second moving-picture-image parameters before said first moving-picture-image parameters are used.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

setting said first moving-picture-image parameters during said exchange in a video coder/decoder unit of said one of said TV conference communication devices so as to transmit said moving picture images by using said first moving-picture-image parameters.

6. The method as claimed in claim 5, further comprising a step of setting second moving-picture-image parameters in said TV conference communication devices before said exchanges, so that said exchange can be carried out based on said second moving-picture-image parameters before said first moving-picture-image parameters are used.

7. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a step of setting second moving-picture-image parameters in said TV conference communication devices before said exchanges, so that said exchange can be carried out based on said second moving-picture-image parameters before said first moving-picture-image parameters are used.

8. The method as claimed in claim 7, wherein said network comprises ISDN (integrated services digital network).

9. The method of claim 1, wherein said step setting said first and second values comprises one of:

a user selecting at said control panel said image quality settings including one of a first image quality setting, a second image quality setting, and a third image quality setting; and

a user selecting at said control panel said transmission speed settings include one of a first transmission speed setting, a second transmission speed setting, and a third transmission speed setting.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein said first image quality setting is lower in image quality than said second and third image quality settings, and said second image quality setting is lower in image quality than said third image quality setting;

and

wherein said first transmission speed setting is lower in transmission speed than said second and third transmission speed settings, and said second transmission speed setting is lower in transmission speed than said third transmission speed setting.

11. A TV conference communication device having exchanges of first moving picture images and second moving picture images with at least one of other TV conference communication devices, said TV conference communication device comprising:

an image pickup device picking up said first moving picture images regarding first participants at said TV conference communication device;

a monitor system showing said second moving picture images regarding second participants at said at least one of other TV conference communication devices;

an input device receiving an instruction during said exchanges from said first participants with regard to image quality of said second moving picture images; and

a control device sending first moving-picture-image parameters to said at least one of other TV conference communication devices,

wherein said first moving-picture-image parameters define said image quality so that said at least one of other IV conference communication devices can send said second moving picture images with said image quality; and

wherein said first moving-picture-image parameters comprise a quantization threshold value and said control device sets said quantization value to a first value for transmitting said second moving picture images at a first speed with a first image quality, and said control device sets said quantization value to a second value greater than said fast value for transmitting said moving picture images at a second speed higher than said first speed with a second image quality lower than said first image quality; and

said first and second values are set as a function of said first participants selecting at said input device one of image quality settings and transmission speed settings at said TV conference communication device, wherein said first and second values comprise a video balance setting;

said TV conference communication device and said at least one of other TV conference combination devices a set with the video balance setting, if said first participants select changing the video balance setting for a transmission from said TV conference communication device; and

said at least one of other TV conference communication devices is set with the video balance setting, if said first participants select changing the video balance setting for a reception from said at least one of other TV conference communication devices.

12. The TV conference communication device as claimed in claim 11, wherein said control device sets second moving-picture-image parameters sent from said at least one of other TV conference communication devices, said second moving-picture-image parameters regarding image quality of said first moving picture images, so that said TV conference communication device can send said first moving picture images with said image quality.

13. The TV conference communication device as claimed in claim 12, wherein said first moving picture images, said second moving picture images, and said moving-picture-image parameters are exchanged through ISDN.

14. The TV conference communication device as claimed in claim 12, wherein said input device receives an instruction during said exchanges from said first participants with regard to image quality of said first moving picture images, and said control device changes said image quality of said first moving picture images.

15. The TV conference communication device as claimed in claim 12, wherein said input device can receive an instruction during said exchanges from said first participants with regard to image quality of both said first moving picture images and said second moving picture images.

16. The device according to claim 11, wherein said image quality settings include one of a first image quality setting, a second image quality setting, and a third image quality setting, and said transmission speed settings include one of a first transmission speed setting, a second transmission speed setting, and a third transmission speed setting.

17. The device according to claim 16, wherein said first image quality setting is lower in image quality than said second and third image quality settings, and said second image quality setting is lower in image quality than said third image quality setting;

and

wherein said first transmission speed setting is lower in transmission speed than said second and third transmission speed settings, and said second transmission speed setting is lower in transmission speed than said third transmission speed setting.