Image communication apparatus
First Claim
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1. An image communication apparatus comprising:
- an accumulation device for accumulating video or audio bit streams, and an accumulation processing unit for accumulating data of each frame of bit stream and encoding end time in said accumulation device, wherein when accumulating bit streams in said accumulation device, said accumulation processing unit stores the data of each frame and encoding end time in said accumulation device while distinguishing between audio and video, and wherein at the time of reproduction processing, audio and video are synchronized by determining the take-out timing of video and audio bit streams on the basis of the difference in the required time of video and audio encoding being read out from said accumulation device.
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Abstract
In an image communication apparatus such as television conference system, when transmitting a dynamic image in real time, it is sometimes changed over to an accumulated image on the way, and a long waiting time is often experienced at the reception side until reproduction of the accumulated image is started depending on the relation between the time information TR of the bit stream of the dynamic image immediately before changeover and the time information TR possessed by the accumulated image. The invention comprises means for correcting the time information existing in every frame of the bit stream by force when sending out the video bit stream being read out from a video accumulation device. As a result, the time from display start point of the final frame of the real-time dynamic image until display start point of bit stream of accumulated image can be kept constant by force, so that reproduction of accumulated image is started immediately regardless of the changeover timing.
14 Citations
7 Claims
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1. An image communication apparatus comprising:
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an accumulation device for accumulating video or audio bit streams, and an accumulation processing unit for accumulating data of each frame of bit stream and encoding end time in said accumulation device, wherein when accumulating bit streams in said accumulation device, said accumulation processing unit stores the data of each frame and encoding end time in said accumulation device while distinguishing between audio and video, and wherein at the time of reproduction processing, audio and video are synchronized by determining the take-out timing of video and audio bit streams on the basis of the difference in the required time of video and audio encoding being read out from said accumulation device.
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2. An image communication apparatus for receiving and accumulating video and audio bit streams sent from other communication terminal, comprising:
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an accumulation device for accumulating video or audio bit streams, and an accumulation processing unit for accumulating data of each frame of bit stream and reception time of frame beginning position in said accumulation device, wherein when accumulating received bit streams in said accumulation device, said accumulation processing unit stores the data of each frame and reception time of each frame beginning position in said accumulation device while distinguishing between audio and video, and wherein at the time of reproduction processing, audio and video are synchronized by determining the take-out timing of video and audio bit streams on the basis of the difference in the reception time of video and audio frame beginning position being read out from said accumulation device.
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3. An image communication apparatus comprising:
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a video encoder for generating a video encoding bit stream, an audio encoder for generating an audio encoding bit stream, a video accumulation device for accumulating encoded video data, an audio accumulation device for accumulating encoded audio data, a video transmission path changeover switch for changing over between a path for directly sending out the real-time video bit stream from said video encoder, and a path for sending out the video bit stream being read out from said video accumulation device, an audio transmission path changeover switch for changing over between a path for directly sending out the real-time audio bit stream from said audio encoder, and a path for sending out the audio bit stream being read out from said audio accumulation device, a multiplexer for multiplexing said video bit stream and audio bit stream, a time counter having a first value read out at an end of the video encoding bit stream and stored in the video accumulation device as take-out information of the video encoding bit stream, and a second value read out at an end of the audio-encoding bit stream and stored in the audio accumulation device as take-out information of the audio encoding bit stream, a time information correction unit for replacing the time information existing in every frame in the video bit stream being read out from said video accumulation device with a specified value, and transferring to said multiplexer, and a transmitter for transmitting the bit stream multiplexed by said multiplexer. - View Dependent Claims (4)
a time difference calculator for calculating the difference (time difference (γ
)=time information a−
time information b) of the time information (b) of the video encoder, and time information (a) of the first frame of accumulated data when a changeover signal is generated for changing over the communication path from the encoder to the accumulation device, anda time information replacing unit for rewriting the time information portion of the frame issued from said video accumulation device on the basis of the time difference obtained from said time difference calculator.
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5. An image communication apparatus of which reception unit comprises:
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a video reproduction processing unit, a video decoder for decoding video data from video encoding bit stream, an audio decoder for decoding audio data from audio encoding bit stream, an audio reproduction processing unit, a receiver for receiving a multiplexed bit stream, a demultiplexer for separating the multiplexed bit stream into video and audio encoding bit streams, a video reception path changeover switch for changing over between a path for receiving and directly sending out the video bit stream being issued from the demultiplexer, and a path for sending out the video bit stream being read out from a video accumulation device, an audio reception path changeover switch for changing over between a path for receiving and directly sending out the audio bit stream being issued from the demultiplexer, and a path for sending out the audio bit stream being read out from an audio accumulation device, an audio accumulation device for accumulating audio data, a video accumulation device for accumulating video data, a video accumulation processing unit, an audio accumulation processing unit, a time counter having a first value read out at an end of the video encoding bit stream and stored in the video accumulation device as take-out information of the video encoding bit stream, and a second value read out at an end of the audio-encoding bit stream and stored in the audio accumulation device as take-out information of the audio encoding bit stream, and a time information correction unit for replacing the time information existing in every frame in the video bit stream being read out from said video accumulation device with a specified value, and transferring to a video decoder. - View Dependent Claims (6)
a time difference calculator for calculating the time difference (time difference (γ
)=time information a−
time information b) of the time information (b) of said video decoder, and time information (a) of the first frame of accumulated data when a changeover signal is generated for changing over the communication path from said demultiplexer to said video accumulation device, anda time information replacing unit for rewriting the time information portion of the frame issued from said video accumulation device on the basis of the time difference obtained from said time difference calculator.
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7. An image communication apparatus consisting of a transmission unit and a reception unit,
wherein said transmission unit comprises: -
a video encoder for generating video encoding bit stream, an audio encoder for generating audio encoding bit stream, a video accumulation device for accumulating encoded video data, an audio accumulation device for accumulating encoded audio data, a video transmission path changeover switch for changing over between a path for directly sending out the real-time video bit stream from said video encoder, and a path for sending out the video bit stream being read out from said video accumulation device, an audio transmission path changeover switch for changing over between a path for directly sending out the real-time audio bit stream from said audio encoder, and a path for sending out the audio bit stream being read out from said audio accumulation device, a first time counter having a first value read out at an end of the video encoding bit stream and stored in the video accumulation device as take-out information of the video encoding bit stream, and a second value read out at an end of the audio encoding bit stream and stored in the audio accumulation device as take-out information of the audio encoding bit stream, a first time information correction unit for replacing the time information existing in every frame in the video bit stream being read out from said video accumulation device with a specified value, a multiplexer for multiplexing video bit stream and audio bit stream, and a transmitter for transmitting the bit stream multiplexed by said multiplexer; and
said reception unit comprises;
a video reproduction processing unit, a video decoder for decoding video data from video encoding bit stream, an audio decoder for decoding audio data from audio encoding bit stream, a demultiplexer for separating multiplexed bit stream into video and audio encoding bit streams, an audio accumulation device for accumulating audio data, a video accumulation device for accumulating video data, a video reception path changeover switch for changing over between a path for receiving and directly sending out the video bit stream being issued from said demultiplexer, and a path for sending out the video bit stream being read out from said video accumulation device, a second time counter, an audio reception path changeover switch for changing over between a path for receiving and directly sending out the audio bit stream being issued from said demultiplexer, and a path for sending out the audio bit stream being read out from said audio accumulation device, and a second time information correction unit for replacing the time information existing in every frame in the video bit stream being read out from said video accumulation device with a specified value.
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Specification
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Current AssigneeMatsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
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Original AssigneeMatsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
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InventorsTanaka, Yosuke
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Primary Examiner(s)Kelley, Chris
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Assistant Examiner(s)SENFI, BEHROOZ M
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Application NumberUS09/464,097Time in Patent Office1,622 DaysField of Search379/93.21, 348/423.1, 348/512, 386/68, 386/33, 386/111, 386/112, 725/95, 725/94, 725/96, 725/117, 725/118, 375/138, 375/141, 375/220, 375/240, 375/240.26US Class Current375/240.26CPC Class CodesH04N 21/2368 Multiplexing of audio and v...H04N 21/242 Synchronization processes, ...H04N 21/4302 Content synchronisation pro...H04N 21/4341 Demultiplexing of audio and...
