JP2022034941A - Moving image communication system - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a moving image communication system suitable for viewing a moving image distributed in real time, on a comparatively small screen without stress.SOLUTION: The system comprises imaging means 12 and a first terminal 26. The imaging means includes: an imaging unit 14 capable of imaging a moving image and a still image; a storage unit 18 capable of recording photographed moving image data and still image data; a control unit 20 which processes the photographed moving image data to have lower image quality to create moving image data for transmission; and a communication unit 24 which outputs the moving image data for transmission to a connection device. The first terminal includes: a communication unit 38 capable of receiving the moving image data for transmission; a display unit 28 capable of displaying the received moving image data for transmission; and a control unit 34 for performing processing to reproduce the moving image data for transmission on the display unit 28.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

The present invention relates to a video communication system that enables a moving image taken by an imaging means to be viewed in real time on a terminal different from the imaging means, and in particular, a moving image taken by a photographing means that performs spherical photography. The present invention relates to a video communication system suitable for distribution.

As a technique that enables real-time viewing of a moving image taken by an imaging means at a remote location or the like, those disclosed in Patent Document 1 are known. The technique disclosed in Patent Document 1 is that a moving image taken by an imaging means can be streamed in real time, and a still image can be acquired by performing a predetermined operation from a moving image receiving terminal. be. The outline is that a moving image taken by an imaging means is sent to a management server via a network, and the moving image or a still image is distributed from this management server to a terminal for viewing.

However, in recent years, there have been an increasing number of imaging means capable of shooting high-quality moving images having a large recording capacity and spherically-typed moving images. Such a moving image has a large data capacity, and when the technique disclosed in Patent Document 1 is used, the moving image may not be smoothly received and viewed. In view of such a situation, a technique for streaming distribution of a moving image taken by using an imaging means capable of spherical photography as disclosed in Patent Document 2 has been proposed.

The technique disclosed in Patent Document 2 is a technique for distributing a low-quality tile obtained by compressing an entire spherically photographed moving image and a high-quality tile obtained by horizontally dividing the spherically photographed moving image into high-quality tiles. Is. Here, the high-quality tile is a tile that can display an image divided into an area including a vertex portion and an area other than the apex portion by a regular distance cylindrical projection.

In Patent Document 2, one high-quality tile and a low-quality tile are distributed according to an angle (viewing range) specified by the viewing terminal, and the specified viewing range exceeds the display area of the high-quality tile. In some cases, the high-quality tiles to be delivered are switched to those that match the field of view while complementing with low-quality tiles.

Japanese Patent No. 5962200 Japanese Patent No. 6688367

According to the technique disclosed in Patent Document 2, the distribution capacity can be suppressed as compared with the case of distributing a high-quality spherical moving image. However, the video distribution technology as disclosed in Patent Document 2 distributes both the divided high-quality video and the spherical low-quality video, rather than distributing the high-quality video. There is still the possibility that the capacity will increase.

In addition, videos viewed in real time are not always viewed on a large screen, and are often enjoyed on a relatively small screen such as a mobile terminal. In view of such circumstances, it is an object of the present invention to provide a moving image communication system suitable for viewing a moving image delivered in real time on a relatively small screen without stress.

The moving image communication system according to the present invention for achieving the above object has an imaging unit capable of capturing moving images and still images, a storage unit capable of recording captured moving image data and still image data, and captured moving image data. An image pickup means having a control unit for creating video data for transmission by performing low image quality processing and a communication unit for outputting the video data for transmission to a connected device, and a communication unit capable of receiving the video data for transmission. A first terminal having a display unit capable of displaying received moving image data for transmission and a control unit for performing processing for reproducing the moving image data for transmission on the display unit. do.

Further, in the moving image communication system having the above-mentioned characteristics, the first terminal is provided with an operation unit for outputting an operation signal for capturing a still image to the image pickup means, and the image pickup means is provided. By receiving the operation signal, a still image may be captured by the imaging unit via the control unit, and the captured still image data may be transmitted to the first terminal. With such a feature, a viewer who watches a moving image by the first terminal can take a still image at an arbitrary scene and confirm the details thereof.

Further, the video communication system having the above-mentioned characteristics includes a second terminal that is connected to the first terminal via a communication network and can receive the transmission video data transmitted to the first terminal. The second terminal may have a display unit capable of displaying the moving image data for transmission. With such a feature, it is possible to view a moving image taken by the imaging means even at a place far away from the imaging means.

Further, in the video communication system having the above-mentioned characteristics, the second terminal is provided with an operation unit for outputting the operation signal via the first terminal, and the first terminal is the second terminal. When the operation signal is received from the terminal, the operation signal may be output to the image pickup means, and the received still image data may be transmitted to the second terminal. With such a feature, even when viewing a moving image via a second terminal, a still image can be taken at an arbitrary scene and the details thereof can be confirmed.

Further, in a video communication system having the above-mentioned characteristics, it is desirable that the display units of the first terminal and the second terminal have a size having a resolution of 55 dpi or more when the video data for transmission is displayed. .. With such a feature, it is possible for the viewer to recognize that even the moving image data that has been processed to reduce the image quality is fine.

According to the video communication system having the above-mentioned characteristics, it is possible to watch the video delivered in real time without stress.

It is a schematic diagram which shows an example of the appearance structure of the moving image communication system which concerns on 1st Embodiment. It is a block diagram which shows the schematic structure of the image pickup means which concerns on embodiment. It is a block diagram which shows the schematic structure of the 1st terminal which concerns on embodiment. It is a flow diagram for demonstrating the flow in the case of viewing a moving image on a 1st terminal in the moving image communication system which concerns on 1st Embodiment. It is a flow diagram for demonstrating the flow at the time of taking a still image while watching a moving image in the moving image communication system which concerns on 1st Embodiment. It is a correlation diagram for demonstrating the relationship between the moving image and still image taken by the image pickup means, and the transmission moving image data and still image transmitted to a 1st terminal. It is a schematic diagram which shows an example of the appearance structure of the moving image communication system which concerns on 2nd Embodiment.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the video communication system of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. It should be noted that the embodiments shown below are a part of a suitable embodiment for carrying out the present invention, and are a part of the present invention even if a part of the configuration is changed as long as the effect is exhibited. Can be regarded as.

[First Embodiment]
First, the moving image communication system according to the first embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 3. In the drawings, FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an outline of an example of the appearance configuration of the moving image communication system according to the first embodiment. Further, FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of the imaging means, and FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of the first terminal.

The moving image communication system 10 according to the present embodiment is basically composed of an image pickup means 12 and a first terminal 26. The image pickup means 12 may include at least an image pickup unit 14, a sound collection unit 16, a storage unit 18, a control unit 20, an operation unit 22, and a communication unit 24.

The image pickup unit 14 is an element for shooting a moving image or a still image, and is preferably capable of so-called spherical shooting in which both the horizontal and vertical angles of view are 360 degrees. .. The resolution of the moving image to be shot is preferably so-called Full HD (Full High Definition) or higher, preferably equivalent to so-called 4K (UHD: Ultra High Definition). In addition, the full HD here means the image quality of 1920p × 1080p in the number of pixels, 2,073,600 pixels in the number of pixels, and 4K means the image quality of about 4096p × 2160p in the number of pixels and 8,294,400 pixels in the number of pixels. do. This is because in recent years, there has been an increasing demand for devices capable of recording high-definition moving images for recording.

The sound collecting unit 16 is an element that has a function as a so-called microphone, and is an element for recording a sound incidental to a moving image to be shot. The sound collecting unit 16 may be configured to selectively connect desired sensitivity and directivity via an external terminal (not shown), and if it has a configuration capable of adding such a function, it does not necessarily have an image pickup. It does not have to be mounted inside the means 12.

The storage unit 18 is an element that plays a role of recording moving image data and still image data taken through the imaging unit 14, audio data acquired via the sound collecting unit, and programs necessary for various controls. be. Here, the storage unit 18 may be provided with an internal memory built inside the image pickup means 12 and an external memory that can be easily switched as needed. With such a configuration, the internal memory records programs required for control, and the external memory records data that is sequentially added, such as moving image data, still image data, and audio data. can do.

The control unit 20 executes or stops shooting moving images and still images, recording audio, and the like by executing a program recorded in the storage unit 18, as well as recording moving image data, still image data, audio data, and the like. It is an element for reading, transferring, image processing, and the like. Various controls by the control unit 20 are performed based on operation signals input via the operation unit 22 and the communication unit 24, the details of which will be described later. Further, the control unit 20 according to the embodiment reads out the moving image data recorded in the storage unit 18 and performs low image quality processing to create moving image data for transmission. Here, the video data for transmission that has been processed to reduce the image quality may be, for example, video data having a resolution of about SD (Standard Definition) to HD (High Definition). The SD here means an image quality of 720p × 480p in the number of pixels and 345,600 pixels in the number of pixels, and HD means an image quality of about 1280p × 720p in the number of pixels and 921,600 pixels in the number of pixels. ..

The operation unit 22 is an element for performing operations for shooting and file management, selection of image quality of moving image data and still image data to be recorded, setting of wireless connection with an external device, and the like. The action for the operation of the operation unit 22 may be managed by the program recorded in the storage unit 18.

The communication unit 24 is an element for exchanging various signals including data and operation signals by connecting to an external device. The communication unit 24 is provided with a module for wireless communication, and is capable of exchanging data, operation signals, and the like by wireless communication with an external device. The communication unit 24 according to the present embodiment employs a radio wave module for a short-range wireless communication standard such as Wi-Fi, but the module for wireless communication is for a short-range wireless communication standard. It is not limited to.

The first terminal 26 may include at least a display unit 28, a loudspeaker unit 30, a storage unit 32, a control unit 34, an operation unit 36, and a communication unit 38. The display unit 28 is an element for visually displaying the moving image data and the still image data transmitted from the image pickup means 12 described above, and may be a so-called display. The first terminal 26 according to the present embodiment may be a mobile terminal such as a high-performance mobile phone (so-called smartphone) or a tablet terminal, and its display unit is relatively large, for example, from 4.5 inches to 10 inches. A small screen is good. When viewing on a terminal having such a relatively small screen display unit 28, it is possible to keep the dpi at the time of viewing high even if the video data has a reduced communication capacity by reducing the number of pixels. can. That is, it is possible to improve the apparent image quality. In addition to moving images and still images, the display unit 28 can also display an operation screen or the like.

Generally, it is said that the dpi of a moving image that humans visually perceive as high-definition is about 55 dpi or more, and in the present embodiment, when the low-quality image-processed moving image data for transmission is displayed, It is preferable to adopt the first terminal 26 having a display unit 28 capable of securing a dpi of 55 dpi or more. The dpi when the HD format moving image data is viewed on a 10-inch display is approximately 147 dpi. Further, even in the case of SD format moving image data, approximately 87 dpi can be secured. Therefore, it is considered that the viewer who views the moving image via the first terminal 26 does not feel a great stress in both the communication speed and the definition of the image quality.

The loudspeaker 30 is an element for outputting the audio data transmitted from the image pickup means 12 described above as sound, and may be a so-called speaker. Like the sound collecting unit 16 of the image pickup means 12, the loudspeaker unit 30 may be configured to selectively connect desired objects via an external terminal (not shown), and may have a configuration capable of adding such a function. For example, it does not necessarily have to be mounted inside the first terminal 26.

The storage unit 32 is an element that temporarily stores moving image data, still image data, audio data, and the like transmitted from the image pickup means 12, and also records programs necessary for various controls.

The control unit 34 plays / stops video data, still image data, and audio data by executing a program recorded in the storage unit 32, various operations performed via the operation unit 36, and the image pickup means 12. It is an element for outputting an operation signal and the like.

The operation unit 36 is an element for reproducing moving image data, still image data, audio data, and the like, and for outputting an operation signal to the image pickup means 12. The operation unit 36 may be configured to be provided with a keyboard, a mouse, or the like, but the display unit 28 may be a touch panel type and may be operated by touching the display screen. Here, as the operation signal via the operation unit 36, for example, a signal to start and stop shooting a moving image, to shoot a still image, and the like can be mentioned.

The communication unit 38 is an element for exchanging data and operation signals by connecting to an external device. The communication unit 38 is provided with a module for wireless communication, and makes it possible to exchange data and operation signals by wireless communication with an external device. In the communication unit 38 according to the present embodiment, in addition to a radio wave module for short-range wireless communication standards such as Wi-Fi, a mobile phone that communicates with a relay base such as LTE (Long Term Evolution), 4G, or 5G. It shall also be equipped with a radio wave module of the communication line standard for use.

[Action: Normal playback]
Next, with reference to FIG. 4, shooting of a moving image by the imaging means 12 and viewing of the moving image in real time via the first terminal 26 will be described. In the moving image communication system 10 having the above configuration, first, the operation units 22 and 36 of both are operated so that the image pickup means 12 and the first terminal 26 are in a state where data communication is possible. For the communication connection between the image pickup means 12 and the first terminal 26, for example, a short-range wireless communication standard such as Wi-Fi may be used (step 10).

Next, arbitrary moving image shooting is performed via the imaging means 12 (step 20). The captured moving image data (moving image data) is recorded in the storage unit 18, and the image quality is lowered to create the moving image data for transmission (step 30). Next, the control unit 20 transmits the transmission moving image data to the first terminal 26 via the communication unit 24 (step 40).

In the first terminal 26 that has received the low-quality transmission moving image data, the control unit 34 activates the program recorded in the storage unit 32, and a reproduction process of displaying the moving image on the display unit 28 is performed. When audio data is attached to the moving image data for transmission, a process of outputting audio from the loudspeaker 30 is also performed at the same time (step 50).

[Action: Still image shooting]
Next, with reference to FIG. 5, a process for outputting an operation signal to capture a still image via the operation unit 36 while viewing a moving image by the first terminal 26 will be described. If you want to see a detailed image of a specific location while watching a video shot by the first terminal 26 as described above, a still image is shot via the operation unit 36 of the first terminal 26. An operation signal to that effect is output (step 60).

The image pickup means 12 that has received the operation signal for shooting a still image from the first terminal 26 outputs a control signal for shooting a still image to the image pickup unit 14 via the control unit 20, and shoots the still image. Is performed (step 70). The captured still image data is recorded in the storage unit 18 and transmitted to the first terminal 26 via the communication unit 24 (step 80).

In the first terminal 26 that has received the still image data from the image pickup means 12, the control unit 34 temporarily suspends the reproduction of the moving image, and displays the received still image on the display unit 28 for a predetermined time. Do (step 90). When a predetermined time elapses after the still image is displayed on the display unit 28, the control unit 34 cancels the display of the still image and automatically restarts the video reproduction process. The operation from the unit 36 may be performed to return to the reproduction of the moving image.

[effect]
According to the video communication system 10 having the above configuration, it is possible to easily watch a video delivered in real time without stress. Further, as shown in FIG. 6, even if the moving image is processed to have a low image quality, the display unit 28 of the viewing terminal (first terminal 26) is made relatively small, so that the dpi of the viewing image can be reduced. Can be improved. Therefore, it is possible to give the viewer the impression that he / she is enjoying a relatively fine moving image while suppressing the communication capacity. Further, as for the still image, the data taken with high image quality is transmitted as it is. Therefore, there is no concern that the image quality will be rough even if the image is partially enlarged and displayed.

[Second Embodiment]
Next, a second embodiment according to the video communication system of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. 7. The image pickup means 12 and the first terminal 26 in the video communication system 10A according to the present embodiment may be the same as the image pickup means 12 and the first terminal 26 in the video communication system 10 according to the first embodiment. can. Therefore, the parts having the same configuration are designated by the same reference numerals in the drawings, and detailed description thereof will be omitted.

The moving image communication system 10A according to the present embodiment is characterized by including a second terminal 40 in addition to the first terminal 26. The second terminal 40 is configured to be connected to the first terminal 26 via a communication network (cloud). With such a configuration, the second terminal 40 can view a moving image in real time via the first terminal 26 even at a place away from the image pickup means 12. The configuration of the second terminal 40 may be the same as the configuration of the first terminal shown in FIG.

Here, a server (cloud server 50) capable of temporarily storing data is provided on the cloud. With such a configuration, even when the first terminal 26 and the second terminal 40 are connected not in a one-to-one relationship but in a one-to-many relationship, it is possible to simultaneously distribute video data. Become.

[Action]
In the moving image communication system 10A having such a configuration, the moving image data captured by the imaging means 12 is converted into the moving image data for transmission and transmitted to the first terminal 26. The first terminal 26 transmits the received moving image data for transmission to the cloud server 50. The cloud server 50 stores the video data for transmission transmitted by the first terminal 26 for a predetermined time, and also stores the second terminal 40 connected to the first terminal 26 via the communication network (the second terminal 40 is 1). Deliver saved videos to (whether multiple or multiple).

In the second terminal 40, the transmission moving image data distributed from the cloud server 50 is displayed on the display unit 28 and is reproduced, so that the real-time moving image can be viewed. In the cloud server 50, by repeating the storage and distribution of the moving image data for transmission for a predetermined time, it is possible to deliver the moving image without delay.

When an operation signal for shooting a still image is output from the second terminal 40, the operation signal is transmitted to the first terminal 26 via the cloud server 50 and transmitted to the image pickup means 12. Then, the still image data acquired based on the operation signal is transmitted to the cloud server 50 via the first terminal 26, and is sent to the second terminal 40 that outputs the operation signal.

[effect]
Even with the moving image communication system 10A having such a configuration, it is possible to easily watch the moving image delivered in real time without stress.

In the above embodiment, the first terminal 26 and the second terminal 40 have been described as mobile terminals, but they do not necessarily have to be mobile terminals and may be fixed terminals.
Further, in the above embodiment, it is described that the moving image is simply distributed and the moving image is viewed on the first terminal 26 or the like. However, in the technique according to the above embodiment, viewing of a moving image on the first terminal 26 or the second terminal 40 may be viewed on a VR (Virtual Reality) display. This is because a VR headset (VR goggles) or the like to which the high-performance mobile phone (so-called smartphone) mentioned as an example of the first terminal 26 can be applied as it is is also on the market.

In general, the VR display has the effect of displaying the image displayed on the display unit 28 separately for the right eye and the left eye, and enlarging the displayed image via the lens to make the angle of view feel wider. I'm playing. For this reason, it is often felt that the image quality is inferior to that of a normal moving image display. In addition, due to the large communication capacity of moving images and the influence of image processing speed, it is often difficult to smoothly view moving images in real-time distribution. However, according to the application of the technique according to the present invention, although there is some deterioration in image quality, it is possible to watch a moving image delivered in real time without stress even in a VR display.

10 ………… Video communication system, 12 ………… Imaging means, 14 ………… Imaging unit, 16 ………… Sound collecting unit, 18 ………… Storage unit, 20 ………… Control unit, 22 ………… Operation unit , 24 ………… Communication unit, 26 ………… First terminal, 28 ………… Display unit, 30 ………… Loudspeaker unit, 32 ………… Storage unit, 34 ………… Control unit, 36 ………… Operation unit , 38 ……… Communication department, 40 ……… Second terminal, 50 ……… Cloud server.

Claims (5)

An image pickup unit that can shoot moving images and still images, a storage unit that can record shot video data and still image data, and a control unit that creates video data for transmission by processing the shot video data to lower image quality. An image pickup means having the communication unit for outputting the transmission moving image data to the connected device, and
It has a communication unit that can receive the transmission video data, a display unit that can display the received transmission video data, and a control unit that performs processing for reproducing the transmission video data on the display unit. A video communication system characterized by comprising a first terminal. The first terminal is provided with an operation unit for outputting an operation signal to the effect of capturing a still image to the image pickup means.
The claim is characterized in that, by receiving the operation signal, the image pickup means captures a still image by the image pickup unit via the control unit and transmits the captured still image data to the first terminal. The moving image communication system according to 1. A second terminal connected to the first terminal via a communication network and capable of receiving the transmission moving image data transmitted to the first terminal is provided.
The moving image communication system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the second terminal has a display unit capable of displaying the moving image data for transmission. The second terminal is provided with an operation unit for outputting the operation signal via the first terminal.
When the first terminal receives the operation signal from the second terminal, the first terminal outputs the operation signal to the image pickup means and transmits the received still image data to the second terminal. The moving image communication system according to claim 3, which cites claim 2. The video communication system according to claim 3 or 4, wherein the display unit of the first terminal and the second terminal has a size having a resolution of 55 dpi or more when the video data for transmission is displayed.

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