JPH05167712A - Visual telephone set - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Abstract] [Purpose] An object of the present invention is to enable a visual telephone to be used as a monitoring device when absent. [Structure] If the security mode is M = 1 (see FIG. 3,
(S1, YES) It is determined whether or not it is the shooting timing for every one minute (S3), and if it is the shooting timing, the camera is operated to shoot the indoor state (S4). Then, it is determined whether or not the image captured one minute ago and the image captured this time match (S5), and if they do not match, a predetermined telephone number is automatically dialed (S7). When the person who receives this call makes a phone call at home and inputs a predetermined personal identification number, the visual telephone side determines whether or not the personal identification number sent is the same as the personal identification number stored in the memory ( If the personal identification numbers match, the motor unit is driven to photograph the situation around the telephone with the camera, and the photographed image is transmitted to the caller (S12).

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a visual telephone capable of transmitting and receiving voice and images.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Videophones capable of transmitting and receiving still images together with voice are known. In addition, a videophone with a recording function is also considered in which an image sent from a caller can be stored together with a voice when the user is away, and can be reproduced later.

However, since the above-mentioned videophone needs to be equipped with a camera for taking an image, a transmission / reception circuit for image data, a recording device, etc., the cost is much higher than that of a telephone for transmitting / receiving only voice. There was a drawback.

[0004]

OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to allow a camera and a recording device of a visual telephone to be used for purposes other than communication and to eliminate the feeling of overpricedness of the visual telephone.

[0005]

The gist of the present invention is to take a picture of the surroundings of a telephone with a camera every predetermined time and store the image, and compare the image taken a predetermined time ago with the image taken at present. When there is a certain difference between the two, a call is made to a pre-determined telephone number, and when the other party who called at that time sends a predetermined secret code following the calling signal, the area around the telephone is Taking a picture and transmitting the taken picture to the calling party.

[0006]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a circuit configuration diagram of a visual telephone according to an embodiment of the present invention.

The incoming call signal, the received data signal such as ID, the voice signal, the video signal, etc. sent via the telephone line are demodulated by the demodulation circuit 1, and the incoming call signal and the received data signal are sent to the main control section 2. The video signal is sent to the image controller 3, and the audio signal is sent to the speaker driver 4.

When the main control section 2 detects the incoming call signal sent from the demodulation circuit 1, it drives the ringing tone drive section 5 to ring the ringer 6. When the handset (not shown) having the speaker 7 and the microphone 8 built therein is picked up at the receiving side in response to the ringing sound of the ringer 6, a hook switch (not shown)
Turns on and the line is connected.

When the line is connected, the voice signal sent from the caller is demodulated by the demodulation circuit 1 and output to the speaker drive unit 4 controlled by the main control unit 2, and is output as voice from the speaker 7 of the handset. Is output. The video signal is demodulated by the demodulation circuit 1 and sent to the monitor 9 via the video control unit 3 to be displayed as a received image.

At this time, the video signal on the called side taken by the camera 11 is sent to the modulation circuit 13 via the image control unit 3, and the audio signal input from the microphone 8 of the handset is sent via the drive unit 14. It is sent to the modulation circuit 13. The modulation circuit 13 modulates the video and audio under the control of the main control unit 2 and transmits the video and audio to the calling party via a telephone line.

The camera 11 is arranged on the motor unit 12 which can rotate within a range of about 180 °, and by rotating the motor unit 12 in response to a signal from the main control unit 2, a state around the telephone can be seen. You can shoot. The image memory 10 is a memory that stores image data captured by the camera 11.

The input key section 15 is composed of a dial key for inputting a telephone number and the like, a mode switch 15a for switching between a normal mode and a security mode described later, and the like.

A memory 16 composed of a RAM or the like has a structure as shown in FIG. 2. The memory 16 has an area 16a for storing ID data, and an external telephone call to indicate the surroundings of the telephone by the camera 11. An area 16b for storing a personal identification number for shooting with, an area 16c for storing a telephone number of a pager company, an area 16d for storing an identification number of a pager, and a mode register M for storing a numerical value corresponding to an operation mode. Is provided.

Next, the operation of the embodiment having the above configuration will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. Step S
At 1, it is determined whether the value of the mode register M is "1", that is, whether the operation mode is the security mode. In addition, M
The normal mode (= 0) and the security mode (M = 1) are switched by the user using the mode switch 1 of the input key unit 15.
This is done by operating 5a.

If M = 0 in the determination in step S1, it means the normal mode. In this case, the process in the normal mode in step S2 is required, that is, when the call is received or when the call is made. Execute the corresponding process.

If M = 1 in the determination in step S1, it is a security mode. This security mode is a mode for detecting whether or not a suspicious person has entered the room. Take a picture of the room at 11,
The intrusion of a suspicious person is detected based on whether or not the captured image has changed.

When the operation mode is set to the security mode, the process proceeds to step S3, and it is determined whether or not one minute has passed since the last photographing. When one minute has passed from the previous shooting, the camera 11 is driven to shoot an image of the surroundings of the telephone in step S4. And step S
In step 5, the still image captured this time is compared with the still image captured 1 minute ago and stored in the image memory 10, and it is determined whether or not they match.

If there is no one at home, the camera 11
The brightness of the image captured every minute changes and the image itself hardly changes. Therefore, if the images basically match, it is judged that there is no abnormality and the still image captured this time is stored in the image memory. Store in 10.

On the other hand, if the images do not match, it is determined that someone has entered the room, and the memory 1 is stored in step S7.
The telephone number and identification number of the pager company stored in 6 are automatically dialed to call a specific pager.

The person carrying the pager calls home at this call. If more ID data is input during a call, steps S1 and S3 are performed, and then step S
Since the determination of whether the incoming call is 8 is YES, and the determination of whether the ID data are the same in step S9 is YES, the process proceeds to step S10 and the line is connected.

When the caller inputs the personal identification number in this state, it is determined in step S11 whether or not the received personal identification number and the personal identification number in the memory 16 match. Therefore, in step S12, the motor unit 12 is operated. Drive the camera 1
1 is rotated by 180 °, an image around the telephone, that is, a state of the room is photographed and the image is sent to the caller.

That is, in the security mode, the situation around the telephone is photographed by the camera at every predetermined time (for example, every minute), and whether there is a certain difference or more between the current image and the image one minute before. It is determined whether or not. If there is a difference between the captured images, a predetermined telephone number is called to notify the abnormality.

A person called by telephone can call the house and enter a specific personal identification number to photograph the inside of the house with the camera 11 and send the image, so that the person can go out and so on. You can check the situation in the house at.

Therefore, the visual telephone can be used as a monitoring device for monitoring the state of the room when the user is away.
You can enhance security when you are out of office and enhance the utility value of your visual telephone.

[0025]

According to the present invention, when a visual telephone is used to monitor the situation in the house when the user is away and any abnormality is detected, a specific telephone number such as a pager can be called to notify the abnormality. .. Further, the person who receives the call can input a predetermined personal identification code so that the inside of the house is photographed by the camera and the photographed image can be transmitted. Therefore, it is possible to easily check whether or not a suspicious person has entered the house on the go. As a result, the visual telephone can be used as a monitoring device, so that the application of the visual telephone can be further expanded.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a circuit configuration diagram of a visual telephone according to an embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram of a memory.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing the operation of the embodiment.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 demodulation circuit 2 main control unit 3 image control unit 10 image memory 11 camera 13 modulation circuit 16 memory

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A camera means for photographing every predetermined time, an image storing means for storing an image photographed by the camera means, and an image at least the image before the predetermined time and stored at present in the image storing means. As a result of the comparison between the image comparing means for comparing the photographed image and the image comparing means, when there is a certain difference or more between the image before the predetermined time and the current image, a predetermined telephone number is used. And a transmitting means for transmitting an image of the surroundings with the camera means and transmitting the image to the caller when a predetermined secret code is sent after the calling signal. A visual telephone featuring. 2. The visual telephone according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined telephone number is a telephone number for calling a paging receiver.