JP2016015663A - Information processing apparatus and conference system - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an information processing apparatus which facilitates image processing so as to improve visibility, even on a display target different from a high-priority display target, in a conference system or the like.SOLUTION: The information processing apparatus, which receives an image from a first information processing apparatus comprises: communication means for communication with the first information processing apparatus; reception image processing means for performing image processing on the received image; display means for displaying the processed image; and selection means for selecting an at least partial area of the displayed image. When the selection means selects the at least partial area, the reception image processing means performs first image processing on the image of the selected area.

Description

  The present invention relates to an information processing apparatus and a conference system.

  2. Description of the Related Art A video conference system that performs a conference with a remote place via a communication network such as the Internet is known. In such a video conference system, a participant's image, sound, or the like is acquired using a video conference device or the like, and transmitted to a communication destination video conference device or the like. In addition, an image received from a video conference device as a communication destination is displayed on a display device such as a display or a projector, and the received audio is output as audio from a speaker or the like. Thereby, the participant of a video conference system can hold a conference in a state close to an actual conference between remote locations.

  In such a video conference system, subjects such as participants' faces and whiteboards are extracted from the conference image so that the image distortion of the highest priority among the plurality of extracted subjects is reduced. A technique for performing distortion correction is known (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

  In the technique disclosed in Patent Document 1, predetermined image processing is performed on a target having the highest priority among the plurality of extracted targets. In this way, when image processing such as brightness adjustment is performed on an object with a high priority, for example, when a white board is subjected to image processing, the image of a person becomes dark and facial expressions are difficult to understand. In some cases, the visibility of the subject was affected. Thus, for example, in a video conference system or the like, it has been difficult to perform image processing so as to improve the visibility even for a display object different from a display object with a high priority.

  The embodiment of the present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and in a conference system or the like, image processing is performed so as to improve visibility even for a display object different from a display object with a high priority. It is an object of the present invention to provide an information processing apparatus that makes it easy to perform.

  In order to solve the above problem, an information processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention is an information processing apparatus that receives an image from a first information processing apparatus, and communication means that communicates with the first information processing apparatus; Received image processing means for performing image processing on the received image, display means for displaying the image processed image, and selection means for selecting at least a partial area of the image to be displayed, The received image processing means performs first image processing on the image of the selected area when the selection means selects the at least a part of the area.

  According to an embodiment of the present invention, an information processing apparatus that facilitates image processing so as to enhance visibility even for a display target different from a display target with high priority in a conference system or the like. Can be provided.

It is a figure showing an example of composition of a video conference system which is a conference system concerning one embodiment. It is a figure which shows the hardware structural example of the video conference apparatus which concerns on one Embodiment. It is a functional lineblock diagram of a video conference system concerning one embodiment. It is a functional block diagram of the video conference apparatus which concerns on one Embodiment. It is a figure which shows an example of the utilization scene selection screen which concerns on one Embodiment. It is a flowchart which shows the flow of a process of the video conference apparatus (transmission side) which concerns on one Embodiment. It is a flowchart which shows the flow of a process of the video conference apparatus (reception side) which concerns on one Embodiment. It is a figure for demonstrating the outline | summary of the process of the video conference system which concerns on 1st Embodiment. It is a flowchart which shows the flow of a process of the video conference apparatus (reception side) which concerns on 1st Embodiment. It is a figure for demonstrating the outline | summary of the process of the video conference system which concerns on 2nd Embodiment. It is a flowchart which shows the flow of a process of the video conference apparatus (reception side) which concerns on 2nd Embodiment.

  Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

<System configuration>
FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a configuration example of a video conference system which is a conference system according to an embodiment. The video conference system (conference system) 100 includes, for example, a plurality of video conference apparatuses 101-1 to 101-4 connected to a network 103 such as the Internet, and a server apparatus 102. In the following description, “video conference device 101” is used to indicate an arbitrary video conference device among the plurality of video conference devices 101-1 to 101-4.

  The video conference apparatus 101 is a terminal device corresponding to the video conference system 100, and is an example of an information processing apparatus. The video conference apparatus 101 may be a general-purpose information processing apparatus such as a PC (Personal Computer), a tablet terminal, or a smartphone, or may be a dedicated terminal for the video conference system 100, for example. When the video conference apparatus 101 is a general-purpose information processing apparatus, each function of the video conference apparatus 101 is realized by, for example, an application program installed in the information processing apparatus.

  The server apparatus 102 is, for example, a monitor of connection status as to whether or not it is connected to the video conference apparatuses 101-1 to 101-4, connection control at the start / end of the video conference, images (video) during the video conference, Controls data transmission / reception such as voice.

  The video conference apparatus 101 transmits data such as images and sounds to be transmitted to the server apparatus 102, and the server apparatus 102 distributes the received data such as images and sounds to the other video conference apparatuses 101 participating in the conference. . In addition, the video conference apparatus 101 participating in the conference receives data such as images and sounds distributed from the server apparatus 102.

  For example, when a conference is performed using the video conference apparatuses 101-1, 101-2, and 101-3 in FIG. 1, the data transmitted by the video conference apparatus 101-1 is transmitted via the server apparatus 102 to 101-3 is not transmitted to the video conference apparatus 101-4. Similarly, the data transmitted by the video conference apparatus 101-2 is transmitted to the video conference apparatuses 101-1 and 101-3 via the server apparatus 102, and is not transmitted to the video conference apparatus 101-4. In this way, for example, the user of the video conference device 101-1 performs a video conference with the users of the other video conference devices 101-2 to 101-4 via images and sounds transmitted and received in real time. be able to.

  Note that the configuration in FIG. 1 is merely an example. For example, the number of video conference apparatuses 101 constituting the video conference system 100 may be an arbitrary number of two or more. Further, the video conference apparatus 101 may be capable of peer-to-peer connection for communicating with other video conference apparatuses 101 without using the server apparatus 102. Furthermore, the server apparatus 102 may be configured by a plurality of information processing apparatuses.

<Hardware configuration>
FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a hardware configuration example of the video conference apparatus according to an embodiment. The video conference apparatus 101 has a general computer configuration. For example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 201, a memory 202, a recording apparatus 203, a communication I / F (Interface) unit 204, a camera unit 205, a microphone A unit 206, a speaker unit 207, a display unit 208, an operation unit 209, an external I / F unit 210, a bus 211, and the like.

  The CPU 201 is an arithmetic device that implements each function included in the video conference device 101 by reading a program or data from the recording device 203 or the like and executing processing. For example, the CPU 201 executes a program for the video conference apparatus 101 to perform various functions such as overall control of the video conference apparatus 101, video conference control, image processing of images to be transmitted and received, and voice processing of audio to be transmitted and received. Realize.

  The memory 202 includes a storage device such as a RAM (Random Access Memory) and a ROM (Read Only Memory). The RAM is a volatile memory used as a work area for the CPU 201. The ROM is, for example, a non-volatile memory that stores a startup program for the video conference apparatus 101, setting values, and the like. The recording device 203 is a storage device in which programs such as device control and video conference control executed by the CPU 201, data, and the like are recorded, for example, HDD (Hard Disk Device), SSD (Solid State Drive), flash ROM, etc. Etc.

  The communication I / F unit 204 is a communication unit for connecting the video conference apparatus 101 to the network 103 and transmitting / receiving data to / from other video conference apparatuses 101, the server apparatus 102, and the like. The communication I / F unit 204 is an interface such as a wired LAN (Local Area Network) that supports 10Base-T, 100Base-TX, and 1000Base-T, and a wireless LAN that supports 802.11a / b / g / n. Etc.

  The camera unit 205 is, for example, an imaging unit that captures images of participants in a video conference. The camera unit 205 converts the captured conference image or the like into predetermined image data, and transmits the image data to the CPU 201 or the like via the bus 211 or the like. At this time, the camera unit 205 can change, for example, the brightness of the captured image based on the set camera parameter or the like. The camera unit 205 has default camera parameters, for example, and the values of the camera parameters can be dynamically changed by a program or the like that operates on the CPU 201.

  For example, the microphone unit 206 acquires the voice of the conference participant, converts the voice into predetermined voice data, and transmits the voice data to the CPU 201 or the like via the bus 211 or the like. The microphone unit 206 includes, for example, a plurality of directional microphones.

  For example, the speaker unit 207 converts predetermined audio data received from the CPU 201 or the like into audio and outputs the audio.

  The display unit 208 is a display unit that displays image data received from the CPU 201 or the like, for example, and is a display device such as an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) display or a projector.

  The operation unit 209 is a means for the video conference apparatus 101 to accept a user operation, such as an operation button or a keyboard.

  The external I / F unit 210 is connected to other information processing apparatuses, external devices, and the like, and transmits and receives data (for example, images). For example, USB (Universal Serial Bus), HDMI (registered trademark) (High- Definition Multimedia Interface).

  The bus 211 transmits, for example, an address signal, a data signal, various control signals, and the like.

  In FIG. 2, the camera unit 205, the microphone unit 206, the speaker unit 207, the display unit 208, and the like may be external devices that are partly connected to the outside of the main body of the video conference apparatus 101. Alternatively, a display device (display unit 208) connected to the video conference device 101 may incorporate a camera unit 205, a microphone unit 206, a speaker unit 207, and the like.

<Functional configuration>
(Functional configuration of the video conference system)
FIG. 3 is a functional configuration diagram of the video conference system according to the embodiment. FIG. 3 shows an example of a functional configuration when an image is transmitted from the video conference apparatus 101-1 to the video conference apparatus 101-2.

  In FIG. 3, the video conference apparatus 101-1 on the transmission side includes an imaging unit 301, a transmission image processing unit 302, a transmission unit 303, a change unit 304, and a reception unit 305. The transmission unit 303 and the reception unit 305 may be a single communication unit 306 or the like.

  The video conference device 101-2 on the reception side includes a reception unit 307, a reception image processing unit 308, a display unit 309, a display control unit 310, a selection unit 311, an image acquisition unit 312, and a transmission unit 313. The receiving unit 307 and the transmitting unit 313 may be a single communication unit 314 or the like.

  The imaging unit 301 is a unit that captures a conference image such as a conference participant, a whiteboard, and a projection image of a projector, and is realized by, for example, the camera unit 205 in FIG.

  The transmission image processing unit 302 performs image processing such as brightness adjustment on the image captured by the imaging unit 301. The transmission image processing means 302 is realized by, for example, a program that operates on the CPU 201 in FIG. Alternatively, the transmission image processing unit 302 may be an image processing unit such as a camera DSP (Digital Signal Processor) included in the camera unit 205 of FIG. Note that the image processing performed by the transmission image processing unit 302 includes processing for substantially changing the brightness of the image, such as brightness adjustment, contrast adjustment, and gamma adjustment.

  The transmission unit 303 transmits the image (image data) subjected to the image processing by the transmission image processing unit 302 to the communication destination video conference apparatus 101-2 via the server apparatus 102. The transmission unit 303 can also transmit information other than the image data, for example, communication control information and usage scene information. The transmission unit 303 is realized by, for example, the communication I / F unit 204 of FIG. 2 and its control program.

  The changing unit 304, when receiving usage scene information designating at least one usage scene among a plurality of predetermined usage scenes, performs image processing performed by the transmission image processing unit 302 according to the received usage scene information. Change the processing contents of. For example, the changing unit 304 changes the processing content, parameters, and the like of a program that functions as a transmission image processing unit according to the received usage scene information, and changes the brightness of the captured image. Alternatively, the changing unit 304 changes the camera parameters of the camera unit 205 (for example, the setting value of the camera DSP of the camera unit 205) according to the received usage scene information, and changes the brightness of the captured image. It may be changed. The usage scene will be described later.

  Further, when the changing unit 304 receives different types of usage scene information from the plurality of video conference apparatuses 101 as communication destinations, the changing unit 304 changes the content of the image processing of the transmission image processing unit 302 to the processing content corresponding to the plurality of usage scenes. Change to Furthermore, the changing unit 304 requests the video conference apparatus 101 that transmitted the usage scene information to perform additional image processing on the transmitted image based on the received usage scene information and the processing content of the transmission image processing.

  Here, the image processing performed by the transmission image processing unit 302 and the additional image processing requested to the video conference apparatus 101 that transmitted the usage scene information will be described with specific examples.

  For example, in a conference using a projector, one site focuses on the image projected by the projector, and the other site possesses the image projected by the projector as electronic data. It shall be. When the usage scenes are different in this way, the transmission image processing means such as when the brightness is optimized for the projection image of the projector, the person's face becomes dark, and when the optimization is made for the person's face, the projection image of the projector will be blown out. It is difficult to deal with different usage scenes only by the process 302.

  Therefore, the changing unit 304 changes the processing content of the transmission image processing unit 302 to, for example, common image processing corresponding to two pieces of usage scene information. For example, the brightness adjustment of “+5” is necessary based on the usage scene information received from the video conference apparatus 101-2, and the brightness adjustment of “+10” is necessary based on the usage scene information received from the video conference apparatus 101-3. It shall be. In this case, the changing unit 304 changes the processing content of the transmission image processing unit 302 so that brightness correction of “+5” is performed as common image processing.

  Furthermore, the changing unit 304 requests additional image processing from the video conference apparatuses 101-2 and 101-3 on the receiving side as necessary. In the above example, while the brightness correction of “+10” is necessary based on the usage scene information received from the video conference apparatus 101-3, the transmission image processing unit 302 performs only the brightness correction of “+5”. It has been broken. In this case, the changing unit 304 requests the video conference apparatus 101-3 to perform “+5” brightness correction as additional image processing. In response to this request, the video conference apparatus 101-3 performs brightness correction of “+5” on the received image.

  In this way, the video conference apparatus 101-1 according to the present embodiment performs appropriate image processing on the conference images transmitted to the video conference apparatuses 101-2, 101-3, etc., which have different usage scenes. Will be able to.

  At this time, by performing common image processing corresponding to a plurality of pieces of usage scene information in the transmitting-side video conference apparatus 101-1, the load relating to the image processing of the plurality of receiving-side video conference apparatuses 101 is reduced. At the same time, it is possible to reduce whiteout or blackout of the transmitted image.

  Returning to FIG. 3, the description of the functional configuration of the video conference system 100 will be continued. Receiving means 305 and 307 are means for receiving data and information such as conference images and usage scene information transmitted from the video conference apparatus 101 of the communication destination. The receiving units 305 and 307 are realized by, for example, the communication I / F unit 204 in FIG. 2 and its control program.

  The received image processing unit 308 is a unit that performs image processing on the image received by the receiving unit 307, and is realized by, for example, a program executed by the CPU 201 in FIG.

  The display unit 309 is a unit that displays the conference image processed by the received image processing unit 308, and is realized by, for example, the display unit 208 in FIG. 2 or a program executed by the CPU 201 in FIG.

  For example, the display control unit 310 displays a plurality of predetermined usage scenes on the display unit 309 in a selectable manner in accordance with a user operation or the like. In addition, the display control unit 310 transmits usage scene information corresponding to the usage scene selected by the user to the video conference device 101-1 as the communication destination via the transmission unit 313 and the server device 102. The display control unit 310 is realized by, for example, a program that runs on the CPU 201 in FIG.

  The selection unit 311 is a unit that selects an area for image processing from the images displayed on the display unit 309. For example, when the image displayed on the display unit 309 includes a whiteboard and a person's face, and the person's face image is to be brightened, the area including the person's face is selected by the selection unit 311. At this time, the area selection method may be selected using an operation device such as a mouse or a touch panel. Alternatively, the determination may be made automatically by image recognition processing or the like. The selection unit 311 is realized by, for example, a program that operates on the CPU 201 in FIG.

  When the selection unit 311 selects an area for image processing, the received image processing unit 308 performs predetermined image processing (first image processing) on the image in the selected area. For example, when an area including a person's face is selected, the received image processing unit 308 adjusts the brightness of the image in the selected area and performs image processing so that the facial expression of the person is easy to see. Further, the image of the selected area subjected to the image processing is combined (for example, superimposed) with the image received from the video conference apparatus 101-1, and an image displayed by the display unit is generated. The process for changing the brightness of the image in the selected area is an example of a predetermined image process (first image process).

  As another example of the predetermined image processing (first image processing), a predetermined image may be displayed in a selected area. For example, when the conference image received from the video conference apparatus 101-1 includes a projector display area, and the received conference image is subjected to image processing with an emphasis on human facial expressions, the projector display area is viewed. It may be difficult. In such a case, the display area of the projector may be selected by the selection unit 311 and the display image of the projector acquired by the PC screen sharing function may be displayed in the selected area. The received image processing means 308 may perform image processing such as brightness adjustment of the selected area when displaying a predetermined image in the selected area.

  The image acquisition unit 312 has a screen sharing function for capturing a PC screen used in the video conference into the video conference apparatus 101-2. For example, the first PC and the projector are used to project the conference material at the base A where the video conference apparatus 101-1 is installed, and the second PC at the base B where the video conference apparatus 101-2 is installed is Assume that the display screen (projected image) of the first PC is shared by sharing the PC screen. At this time, the video conference apparatus 101-2 is connected to the second PC via an external I / F 210 such as a USB interface or an HDMI interface, and acquires a display image (projected image of the projector) of the first PC. The received image processing means 308 of the video conference apparatus 101-2 displays the acquired projection image of the projector, for example, in the display area of the projector selected from the display screen.

  The transmission unit 313 is a unit that transmits a conference image, usage scene information, and the like to the video conference apparatus 101-1 through the server apparatus 102. The transmission unit 313 includes, for example, the communication I / F unit 204 of FIG. 2 and its control program. The receiving unit 307 and the transmitting unit 313 may be a single communication unit 314.

  With the above configuration, the video conference device 101-1 on the transmission side performs image processing on the image captured by the image capturing unit 301 by the transmission image processing unit 302, and the processed image is transmitted to the communication destination via the server device 102. To the video conference device 101-2. Furthermore, when the video conference apparatus 101-1 receives the usage scene information from the communication destination video conference apparatus 101-2, according to the received usage scene information, the processing content of the image processing by the transmission image processing unit 302 ( For example, the image brightness setting or the like is changed.

  In addition, the receiving-side video conference apparatus 101-2 displays an image received from the communication destination video conference apparatus 101-1 via the server apparatus 102 on the display unit 309. In addition, the received image processing unit 308 performs image processing on the received conference image in response to a request from the video conference apparatus 101-1 as the communication destination. Further, the display control unit 310 of the video conference apparatus 101-2 displays a plurality of predetermined usage scenes on the display unit 309 so as to be selectable, and transmits the usage scene information of the usage scene selected by the user to the transmission unit 313. To the video conference apparatus 101-1.

  Accordingly, in the video conference system 100, an image that has been image-processed so that a predetermined target such as a display area of a projector, a whiteboard, and a person's facial expression is easy to see according to the usage scene information is received on the video conference device on the receiving side. 101-2.

  Furthermore, in the present embodiment, the selection unit 311 can select at least a partial area of the image displayed by the display unit 309 and perform predetermined image processing on the selected area.

  For example, when the image processing on the transmission side is performed so that the display area of the projector is easy to see by selecting the usage scene, and the face of the person is dark and the expression is difficult to understand, the selection unit 311 selects the area including the face of the person. You can select and change the brightness of the selected area. Thereby, in the video conference system 100, it is possible to realize the video conference system 100 in which both the display area of the projector and the facial expression of the person are easy to see.

  Alternatively, when image processing on the transmission side is performed so that the facial expression of a person is easy to see by selecting a use scene and it is difficult to see the image of the projector, the display area of the projector is selected by the selection means 311 and the selected area is selected. A predetermined image can be displayed on the screen. Preferably, the display image of the projector is acquired from a PC or the like sharing the display image of the projector by sharing the PC screen or the like, and is displayed in the area selected by the selection unit 311. Thereby, in the video conference system 100, the video conference system 100 can realize image processing in which both the display area of the projector and the human facial expression are easy to see.

(Functional configuration of video conferencing equipment)
FIG. 4 is a functional configuration diagram of the video conference apparatus according to an embodiment. In the video conference system 100, conference images are generally transmitted and received in both directions. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 4, the video conference apparatus 101 desirably has each means on the transmission side and the reception side in FIG. 3.

  4, the video conference apparatus 101 includes an imaging unit 301, a transmission image processing unit 302, a changing unit 304, a received image processing unit 308, a display unit 309, a display control unit 310, a selection unit 311, an image acquisition unit 312, Communication means 314 and the like. The transmission image processing unit 302 and the reception image processing unit 308 may be a single image processing unit.

<Use scene selection screen>
Here, the usage scene selection screen displayed by the display control unit 310 will be described.

  FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating an example of a usage scene selection screen according to an embodiment. In the example of FIG. 5, the display control unit 310 includes a conference room environment 502, a conference room environment (with a whiteboard) 503, a backlight environment 504, a projector environment 505, and a projector environment (shown as a usage scene selection screen) on the display screen 501. The use scenes such as expression 506) are displayed in a selectable manner.

  When the conference room environment 502 is selected from the usage scene selection screen displayed on the display screen 501, image processing is performed so that an image optimal for a general conference room environment is obtained. For example, the image is adjusted to a standard brightness.

  When the conference room environment (with whiteboard) 503 is selected, image processing is performed so that the contents described in the whiteboard can be easily identified in a general conference room environment. For example, a process of adjusting the brightness of the entire image so that the brightness of the image portion of the whiteboard is within a predetermined range is performed.

  When the backlight environment 504 is selected, image processing is performed so that the facial expression of the participant (speaker) of the communication destination is easily understood even in a backlight environment in which backlight is viewed when viewing the display image. For example, processing for increasing the brightness of the image, processing for increasing the contrast, and the like are performed.

  When the projector environment 505 is selected, image processing is performed so that an image displayed on the projector is easy to see. For example, in order to reduce the whiteout of the projected image, a process of adjusting the brightness of the image in the display area of the projector to be equal to or lower than a predetermined brightness is performed.

  When the projector environment (emphasis on facial expression) 506 is selected, image processing or the like is performed in an environment in which an image is displayed on the projector so that the facial expression of the communication participant can be easily seen. For example, in order to reduce the blackout of the participant's image, a process for adjusting the brightness of the image portion of the participant to be equal to or higher than a predetermined brightness is performed.

  The user of the video conference apparatus 101 can select a usage scene from the plurality of usage scenes using the operation unit 209 in FIG. 2, for example, a pointing device such as a mouse, a touch panel, or the like. The display control unit 310 transmits usage scene information indicating the selected usage scene to the video conference apparatus 101 of the communication destination by the transmission unit 303 or 310 or the like.

  The image processing settings corresponding to the plurality of usage scenes are stored in advance in the recording device 203 of the video conference apparatus 101 at the time of shipment, for example, table information in which each usage scene is associated with the image processing content. And good.

  Or the table information etc. which matched each use scene and the image processing content may be what can be acquired from the server apparatus 102 grade | etc.,. This makes it easy to add a new usage scene, update image processing contents, and the like.

  Furthermore, the content of the image processing corresponding to each usage scene may be one in which a parameter is dynamically determined based on, for example, a captured image.

  Note that the plurality of usage scenes shown in FIG. 5 are merely examples. For example, the plurality of usage scenes may select a configuration of a display device such as a projector or a display, or may select a conference form such as a conference mode or a presentation mode. Further, the plurality of usage scenes may be ones for selecting a usage environment such as a bright conference room, a dark conference room, a large conference room, a small conference room, and the outdoors.

<Basic processing flow>
Here, a basic processing flow of the video conference system 100 will be described.

  FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating a process flow of the video conference apparatus (transmission side) according to the embodiment. When the conference starts, the video conference device on the transmission side, for example, the video conference device 101-1 in FIG. 1, receives a conference image captured using default camera parameters or a conference image subjected to default image processing. Then, the data is transmitted to the communication destination video conference apparatus (step S601).

  In step S602, the video conference apparatus 101-1 determines whether or not the conference has ended. If the conference has not ended, that is, if the conference continues, another video conference in the conference. It is confirmed whether or not there is a request for use scene information received from a device, for example, the video conference device 101-2 (step S603). On the other hand, if the conference is ended in step S802, the video conference apparatus 101-1 ends the process.

  If there is received usage scene information in step S603, the video conference apparatus 101-1 determines whether or not the requested usage scene information is one type (step S604). In step S804, when there is only one type of usage scene information, transmission image processing (for example, brightness change) corresponding to the usage scene information is performed, and the conference image on which transmission image processing has been performed is sent to the video conference device as the communication destination. Transmit (step S605).

  On the other hand, in step S804, when the usage scene information is not one type, that is, when there are two or more types of usage scene information, the video conference apparatus 101-1 performs transmission image processing corresponding to a plurality of usage scene information. (Step S606).

  For example, +5 brightness correction is necessary for the captured image based on the usage scene information received from the video conference apparatus 101-2 in FIG. 1, and +3 based on the usage scene information received from the video conference apparatus 101-3. It is assumed that brightness correction is necessary. In this case, the changing unit 304 of the video conference apparatus 101-1 changes the transmission image processing so as to include, for example, +3 brightness correction as the common processing corresponding to the two usage scene information. Subsequently, the video conference apparatus 101-1 transmits the image subjected to the transmission image processing to the communication destination video conference apparatus.

  Furthermore, the video conference apparatus 101-1 has an image on each of the video conference apparatuses 101 that transmitted the usage scene information based on the requested usage scene information and the processing content of the transmission image processing corresponding to the plurality of usage scenes. An image processing request including the processing information of the processing is transmitted (step S607).

  For example, as described above, +5 brightness correction is required based on the usage scene information from the video conference apparatus 101-2, and +3 brightness correction is required based on the usage scene information from the video conference apparatus 101-3. Suppose that Also, it is assumed that +3 brightness correction is performed by the transmission image processing unit 302 as a common process corresponding to two pieces of usage scene information. In this case, the changing unit 304 of the video conference apparatus 101-1 performs image processing including additional brightness correction of +2 for the video conference apparatus 101-2 that has transmitted use scene information that requires brightness correction of +5. Request. On the other hand, the changing unit 304 of the video conference apparatus 101-1 has already completed the brightness correction for the video conference apparatus 101-3 that has transmitted the usage scene information that requires +3 brightness correction. For example, the image processing is not requested. Alternatively, the changing unit 304 of the video conference apparatus 101-1 may be one that requests default image processing from the video conference apparatus 101-3.

  Through the above processing, the video conference device 101-1 on the transmission side performs transmission image processing according to a plurality of usage scene information, and performs additional image processing on the video conference device 101-2 that requires additional image processing. Request.

  FIG. 7 is a flowchart illustrating a process flow of the video conference apparatus (reception side) according to the embodiment. The video conference device on the receiving side, for example, the video conference device 101-2 performs image processing on the received conference image with default settings (step S701). At this time, the image processing based on the default setting may be one that passes through the image without performing any image processing.

  In step S702, the video conference apparatus 101-2 determines whether or not the conference has ended. If the conference has not ended, the video conference request and information are received from the video conference apparatus 101-1 or the like of the communication destination. It is determined whether or not there is (step S703). On the other hand, if the conference is ended in step S902, the video conference device 101-2 ends the process.

  In step S703, when there is an image processing request and information from the video conference device 101-1 or the like of the communication destination, the received conference image is subjected to image processing based on the received information and displayed on the display unit 309. . On the other hand, if there is no request for image processing in step S703, the process returns to step S702 and the process is repeated.

  In the above description, it is assumed that when the video conference device 101-1 on the transmission side requests image processing from the video conference device 101-2 on the reception side, the image processing information is transmitted together with the image processing request. This is just an example. For example, the video conference device 101-1 on the transmission side may transmit only a request for image processing. In this case, the video conference device 101-2 or the like on the receiving side may store information such as image processing parameters corresponding to the image processing request in advance in the own device or the server device 102. For example, the server apparatus 102 detects an image processing parameter from a database of the server apparatus 102 based on an image processing request from the video conference apparatus 101-1, and transmits the detected parameter to the video conference apparatus 101-2. It may be.

  With the above processing, the video conference system 100 can perform appropriate image processing on the captured conference image for a plurality of communication destinations having different usage scenes.

  Next, a process of performing predetermined image processing on an image in an area selected from a display image in the video conference device 101-2 on the receiving side will be described.

[First Embodiment]
<Outline of processing>
FIG. 8 is a diagram for explaining an overview of processing of the video conference system according to the first embodiment. FIG. 8 is an example of a conference image 801 imaged by the imaging unit 301 in FIG. 3, and includes a whiteboard 802, a person A 803, and a person B 804. For the conference image 801, for example, when the conference room environment (with whiteboard) 503 in FIG. 5 is selected as the usage scene, the whiteboard 802 is displayed by the transmission image processing unit 302, the reception image processing unit 308, and the like. Image processing is performed for easy viewing. For example, the transmission image processing unit 302, the reception image processing unit 308, and the like perform image processing so that the brightness of the entire image is darkened so that the whiteboard 802 can be easily seen. By this processing, for example, the faces of the person A 803 and the person B 804 may become dark and the expression may be difficult to understand.

  In this embodiment, in this case, for example, the user of the video conference apparatus 101-2 selects the area including the person A803, the person B804, or the person A803, the person B804, etc. by the selection unit 311 and displays the image. Processing can be requested. At this time, as a method for the user to select an area, for example, an area including a person A 803, a person B 804, and the like is selected using a pointing device such as a mouse or a touch panel (for example, the operation unit 209 in FIG. 2). It may be a thing.

  As another suitable example, the selection unit 311 of the video conference apparatus 101-2 detects an area with insufficient brightness such as a person A803 or a person B804 by image recognition processing or the like, and automatically performs image processing. You may select as an area.

<Process flow>
FIG. 9 is a flowchart illustrating a process flow of the video conference apparatus (reception side) according to the first embodiment.

  When the video conference device 101-2 on the receiving side in FIG. 3 starts communication with the video conference device 101-1, it performs image processing with the default settings on the received conference image and displays it on the display means (step S901). . At this time, the image processing based on the default setting includes a process of passing through the image without performing any image processing.

  In step S902, the video conference apparatus 101-2 determines whether or not the conference has ended. If the conference has ended, the video conference apparatus 101-2 ends the processing. On the other hand, if the conference has not ended in step S902, it is determined whether an area is selected by the selection unit 311 (step S903). In the present embodiment, predetermined image processing (first image processing) is performed on an area selected by the selecting unit 311 in the display image, and predetermined image processing (non-selected area) is performed on the unselected area. The first image processing) is not performed.

  If the area is not selected by the selection unit 311 in step S903, the video conference apparatus 101-2 determines whether there is a request for the above-described additional image processing (second image processing) from the video conference apparatus 101-1. Is determined (step S904). If there is no request for additional image processing (second image processing) from the video conference apparatus 101-1 in step S904, the process returns to step S902. On the other hand, in step S904, if there is a request for additional image processing (second image processing) from the video conference apparatus 101-1, the received image processing unit 308 performs default image processing on the received image. Change to processing (second image processing). As a result, the video conference apparatus 101-2 performs additional image processing (second image processing) on the image received by the received image processing unit 308, displays the image on the display unit 309 (step S905), and proceeds to step S902. Return.

  On the other hand, if an area is selected by the selection unit 311 in step S903, the video conference apparatus 101-2 determines whether there is a request for additional image processing (second image processing) from the video conference apparatus 101-1. Is determined (step S906).

  In step S906, when there is a request for additional image processing (second image processing) from the video conference apparatus 101-1, the video conference apparatus 101-2 performs default image processing on the received image. Change to (second image processing) and perform image processing (step S907). In addition, the video conference device 101-2 performs predetermined image processing (first image processing) on the image of the selected area (step S908).

  The predetermined image processing (first image processing) includes processing for changing the brightness of the image of the area selected by the selection unit 311 in the present embodiment. For example, when the luminance of the image in the selected area (for example, the average value of the luminance of each pixel) is lower than a predetermined value, the first image processing is performed so as to increase the luminance of each pixel. On the other hand, when the image brightness of the selected area (for example, the average value of the brightness of each pixel) is higher than a predetermined value, the first image processing is performed so that the brightness of each pixel is lowered. Note that the above-described processing for changing the brightness is merely an example, and the predetermined image processing (first image processing) is, for example, gamma adjustment, contrast adjustment, etc., which substantially changes the brightness of the image, other than the brightness change. It may be the process. Furthermore, the predetermined image processing (first image processing) may be image processing other than brightness change as long as it is an image processing that improves the visibility of the image of the area selected by the selection unit 311.

  Next, the video conference apparatus 101-2 synthesizes (for example, superimposes) the image (the entire image) that has been subjected to the second image processing and the image of the selected area that has been subjected to the first image processing. The information is displayed on the display unit 309 (step S909). Thereafter, the process returns to step S902.

  On the other hand, if there is no request for additional image processing (second image processing) from the video conference device 101-1 in step S906, the video conference device 101-2 performs predetermined image processing (first image processing) on the image in the selected area. 1 image processing) is performed (step S910). The video conference apparatus 101-2 combines (for example, superimposes) the received image and the image of the selected area that has been subjected to the predetermined image processing (first image processing), and displays the combined image as display means. It is displayed on 309 (step S911). Thereafter, the process returns to step S902.

  The above process is repeated until the conference ends.

  As described above, according to the video conference apparatus 101-2 according to the present embodiment, for example, among the display images optimized for the whiteboard 802 by the transmission image processing on the transmission side, the second image processing on the reception side, and the like. , An area including the person A 803 and the person B 804 can be selected. In addition, first image processing (for example, processing for adjusting the brightness of the image) is performed so that the image of the selected area is easy to see. Accordingly, the video conference apparatus 101-2 performs image processing so that the visibility can be easily increased even for a display target (for example, a person) different from a display target (for example, a whiteboard) having a high priority. Will be able to.

[Second Embodiment]
<Outline of processing>
FIG. 10 is a diagram for explaining an overview of processing of the video conference system according to the second embodiment. FIG. 10 is an example of a display image 1001 displayed on the display unit 309 of FIG. 3, for example, and includes a person 1002, a table 1003, a projector 1004, a display area 1005 of a projector such as a screen, and the like. The projector display area 1005 indicates the range of an image projected by the projector 1004 at the communication destination.

  For example, when the projector environment (facial expression emphasis) 506 in FIG. 5 is selected as the usage scene for this display image 1001, the facial expression of the person 1002 can be easily seen by the transmission image processing means 302, the reception image processing means 308, and the like. Thus, image processing is performed. For example, the transmission image processing unit 302, the reception image processing unit 308, and the like perform image processing so that the brightness of the entire image is increased so that the facial expression of the person 1002 is easy to see. By this processing, the image in the display area of the projector may become too bright, and the display content may be difficult to visually recognize.

  In this embodiment, in such a case, for example, the user of the video conference apparatus 101-2 selects the display area 1005 of the projector from the display image using the selection unit 311 and displays a predetermined image on the display area 1005. Can be requested. Preferably, the predetermined image displayed in display area 1005 in response to a request is an image displayed by projector 1004 in display area 1005 of the projector.

  For example, the video conference apparatus 101-2 acquires the display screen of the projector 1004 by the image acquisition unit 312 from the second PC sharing the screen with the first PC that outputs the display screen of the projector 1004. Then, it is displayed on the display area 1005 of the projector. Thus, the display image can be image-processed so that both the facial expression of the person 1002 and the display area 1005 of the projector are easy to see.

  Alternatively, when the image displayed in the display area 1005 of the projector is a conference material distributed in advance, the received image processing unit 308 performs the conference by using the image acquisition unit 312 from the PC displaying the conference material. What acquires the display image of a document etc. may be sufficient.

  FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing the flow of processing of the video conference apparatus (reception side) according to the second embodiment.

  When the video conference device 101-2 on the receiving side in FIG. 3 starts communication with the video conference device 101-1, it performs image processing on the received conference image with default settings and displays it on the display means (step S1101). . At this time, the image processing based on the default settings includes processing that does not perform any image processing, passes through the image, and the like.

  In step S1102, the video conference apparatus 101-2 determines whether or not the conference has ended. If the conference has ended, the video conference apparatus 101-2 ends the process. On the other hand, if the conference has not ended in step S1102, it is determined whether or not the display area 1005 of the projector is selected by the selection unit 311 (step S1103).

  Whether or not the area selected by the selection means 311 is the display area of the projector is determined based on the user's operation by prompting the user to select the area by selecting an option when selecting the area, for example. Also good. As another example, the received image processing unit 308 may determine a display area of a projector or the like by image recognition processing.

  If the display area 1005 of the projector is not selected by the selection unit 311 in step S1103, the video conference apparatus 101-2 receives a request for the above-described additional image processing (second image processing) from the video conference apparatus 101-1. It is determined whether or not there is (step S1104). If there is no request for additional image processing (second image processing) from the video conference apparatus 101-1 in step S1104, the process returns to step S1102. On the other hand, if there is a request for additional image processing (second image processing) from the video conference apparatus 101-1 in step S1104, the received image processing unit 308 adds additional image processing (second image processing) to the received image. ) And return to step S1102.

  On the other hand, if the selection unit 311 designates the display area 1005 of the projector in step S1103, it is determined whether or not there is a request for additional image processing (second image processing) from the video conference apparatus 101-1. S1106).

  If there is a request for additional image processing (second image processing) from the video conference apparatus 101-1 in step S1106, the requested additional image processing (second image processing) is performed on the entire received image (step S1106). Step S1107).

  Further, the display image of the projector 1004 is synthesized (for example, superimposed) on the received image on which the additional image processing (second image processing) has been performed, and the synthesized image is displayed on the display unit 309 (step S1108). . Thereafter, the process returns to step S1102.

  On the other hand, if there is no request for additional image processing (second image processing) from the video conference apparatus 101-1 in step S1106, the display image of the projector 1004 is combined with the received image subjected to the default image processing (for example, , Superimposed) and the synthesized image is displayed on the display means 309 (step S1109). Thereafter, the process returns to step S1102.

  The above process is repeated until the conference ends.

  As described above, the video conference apparatus 101-2 according to the present embodiment uses, for example, the projector 1004 from the display image optimized for the facial expression of the person 1002 by the transmission image processing on the transmission side, the first image processing on the reception side, and the like. Display area 1005 can be selected. In addition, the image acquired via the image acquisition unit 312 can be displayed in the display area 1005 of the selected projector 1004. Preferably, the image displayed on display area 1005 of selected projector 1004 is an image displayed by projector 1004. The video conference apparatus 101-2 can acquire an image displayed by the projector 1004 by connecting to a PC that shares the image displayed by the projector 1004 through an interface such as USB or HDMI.

  As a modification, a display area for displaying a display image of a predetermined display device (for example, the projector 1004 in FIG. 10) has little influence on the progress of the conference, such as the table 1003 in FIG. The area may be set (movable). Accordingly, for example, in FIG. 10, when a part of the face of the person 1002 overlaps the display area of the projector 1004, an image of a predetermined display device is displayed in an area that does not affect the display of the face of the person 1002. It can be displayed.

  Note that the second embodiment may be implemented in combination with the first embodiment.

<Summary>
The information processing apparatus (video conference apparatus 101-2) according to each of the embodiments is a second information processing apparatus (video conference apparatus 101-2) that receives an image from the first information processing apparatus (video conference apparatus 101-1). And it has the communication means 314 which communicates with a said 1st information processing apparatus. Further, the information processing apparatus (video conference apparatus 101-2) includes a received image processing unit 308 that performs image processing on the received image, a display unit 309 that displays the image processed image, and an image that is to be displayed. Selection means 311 for selecting at least a part of the area. The received image processing unit 308 performs first image processing on the image of the selected area when the selection unit selects the at least some area.

  Thereby, for example, the video conference device 101-2 selects another display target (for example, a person) for an image that has been subjected to image processing so that a display target (for example, a whiteboard) with high priority is easily visible. The first image processing can be performed on the selected display target. Therefore, according to each of the above-described embodiments, an information processing apparatus (video conference apparatus 101-) that facilitates image processing so as to improve visibility even for a display object different from a display object with high priority. 2) can be provided.

  As a preferred example, the first image processing includes processing for changing the brightness of the image of the selected area. As a result, for example, when the brightness of the received image is adjusted to a display object with a high priority, the brightness of the entire image is maintained, and an area including a display object with a low priority is maintained. Image processing such as brightness change can be performed.

  As another preferred example, the first image processing includes processing for displaying a predetermined image in a selected area.

  Preferably, the selected area is a display area of a predetermined display device (for example, a projector), and the received image processing unit 308 selects a display image based on an image displayed on the predetermined display device. Display in the selected area. Thereby, for example, even when the received image is adjusted in accordance with the facial expression of a person, an easy-to-see projection image or the like can be displayed in the display area of a predetermined display device.

100 Video conferencing system (conference system)
101 Video conferencing equipment (information processing equipment)
101-1 TV conference device (first information processing device)
101-2 video conference device (information processing device or second information processing device)
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 102 Server apparatus 301 Imaging means 302 Transmission image processing means 303 Transmission means 304 Change means 308 Reception image processing means 309 Display means 310 Display control means 311 Selection means 312 Image acquisition means 306, 314 Communication means

JP 2013-16933 A

Claims (10)

An information processing apparatus that receives an image from a first information processing apparatus,
Communication means for communicating with the first information processing apparatus;
Received image processing means for performing image processing on the received image;
Display means for displaying the image processed image;
Selecting means for selecting at least a partial area of the image to be displayed;
Have
The received image processing means includes
An information processing apparatus that performs first image processing on an image of the selected area when the at least some area is selected by the selection unit. The first image processing includes
The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a process of changing brightness of an image in the selected area. The first image processing includes
The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a process of displaying a predetermined image in the selected area. The first image processing includes
When a display area of a predetermined display device is designated as the selected area,
The information processing apparatus according to claim 3, further comprising a process of displaying a display image based on an image displayed on the predetermined display apparatus in the selected area. Image acquisition means for acquiring an image displayed by the predetermined display device from an information processing device sharing the screen of the image displayed by the predetermined display device;
The information processing apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the image acquisition unit acquires an image displayed on the predetermined display device via a USB interface or an HDMI interface. When receiving information requesting second image processing for the received image from the first information processing apparatus,
The received image processing means includes
The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the requested second image processing is performed on the received image. The received image processing means includes
The information processing apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the image to be displayed is generated by combining the image of the selected area that has been subjected to the first image processing with the image that has been subjected to the second image processing. Display control means for displaying a plurality of predetermined usage scenes on the display means in a selectable manner;
The information processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein usage scene information corresponding to a usage scene selected from the plurality of usage scenes is transmitted to the first information processing apparatus. An information processing apparatus that transmits an image to a first information processing apparatus,
The information processing apparatus includes:
Transmission image processing means for performing image processing on an image to be transmitted to the first information processing apparatus;
Changing means for changing the processing content of the transmission image processing means in accordance with usage scene information received from the first information processing apparatus;
Have
An information processing apparatus that requests image processing from the first information processing apparatus based on the usage scene information received from the first information processing apparatus and processing contents of the transmission image processing means. A conference system including a first information processing device that transmits an image and a second information processing device that receives the image,
The first information processing apparatus
Transmission image processing means for performing transmission image processing on the image to be transmitted;
The second information processing apparatus
Received image processing means for performing image processing on the received image;
Display means for displaying the image processed image;
Selecting means for selecting at least a partial area of the image to be displayed;
Have
The received image processing means includes
When the at least some area is selected by the selection means, the conference system performs predetermined image processing on the image of the selected area.

Images