Two-way communication system

The present invention relates to a bidirectional communication system including at least two battery-powered systems connected via a network and capable of bidirectional communication of video and audio.

In recent years, various devices that are small in size, have excellent mobility, and operate on batteries for a long time have become widespread. In addition, the spread of wireless LAN has made it possible to use these devices completely cordlessly. Therefore, even in a video / audio two-way communication system, it is desired to use such a battery for a long time and to make it completely cordless.

Patent Document 1 discloses a composite communication terminal device that reduces the power consumption of the device as a whole by supplying power only to necessary functional blocks according to the operating state. However, Patent Document 1 does not mention the power saving of the entire bidirectional communication system including a plurality of systems connected via a network.<patcit num="1"><text>Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 8-149178</text></patcit>

<p> Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a bidirectional communication system capable of saving power as a whole bidirectional communication system composed of a plurality of systems connected via a network.</p>

<p> To solve the above problems, the bidirectional communication system of the present invention includes at least two battery-powered systems connected via a network and capable of bidirectional communication of at least one of video and audio. It is characterized in that power is supplied only to the functional blocks that need to be operated for the functional blocks included in the respective systems by coordinating with each other.</p><p> In the bidirectional communication system of the present invention, each system has a transmission processing unit and a reception processing unit as the functional blocks, and the other system is requested only while a video distribution request is made from one system to the other system. System may supply power to the transmission processing unit to transmit an image, and the one system may supply power to the reception processing unit to display the transmitted image.</p><p> Further, in the two-way communication system of the present invention, each system has a transmission processing unit and a reception processing unit as the functional blocks, and only while a video / audio distribution request is made from one system to the other system. The other system supplies power to the transmission processing unit to transmit video and audio, and the one system supplies power to the reception processing unit to display the transmitted video and generate audio. May be good.</p><p> Further, in the two-way communication system of the present invention, each system has a transmission processing unit and a reception processing unit as the functional blocks, and the voice input from the microphone in the other system is at a predetermined level or higher. The other system may supply power to the transmission processing unit to transmit video and audio, and the other system may supply power to the reception processing unit to display the transmitted video and generate audio.</p><p> Further, in the two-way communication system of the present invention, the other system supplies power to the transmission processing unit to start transmission of video and audio, and the one system supplies power to the reception processing unit to transmit the power. After a certain period of time has passed after displaying the incoming video and generating audio, the other system stops supplying power to the transmission processing unit and stops transmitting video and audio, and the one system stops transmitting video and audio. The power supply to the reception processing unit may be stopped.</p><p> Further, in the two-way communication system of the present invention, while the other system stops supplying power to the transmission processing unit and stops transmitting video and audio, the display unit of the one system displays the above. The last image sent from the other system may remain displayed.</p><p> Further, in the two-way communication system of the present invention, it may be possible to select whether to keep the last image transmitted from the other system displayed, depending on the user's selection and the remaining battery level. In this case, the display unit that keeps displaying the last image may be composed of a chiral nematic liquid crystal.</p><p> Further, in the two-way communication system of the present invention, it may be possible to set so as to determine whether the voice input from the microphone in the other system is at a predetermined level or higher at any time or at regular time intervals.</p><p> Further, in the two-way communication system of the present invention, it is possible to change the time interval for determining whether the voice input from the microphone in the other system is equal to or higher than a predetermined level according to the remaining battery level. May be good.</p><p> Further, in the two-way communication system of the present invention, when the voice input from the microphone in the other system is equal to or higher than a predetermined level, frequency analysis of the voice may be performed to determine that the voice is noisy or noisy. Good.</p>

<p> According to the two-way communication system of the present invention, since the respective systems cooperate with each other to supply power only to the functional blocks that need to be operated for the functional blocks included in the respective systems, it is necessary for the respective systems. The power consumption can be suppressed to the minimum, and the battery of each unit can be used for a long time. As a result, the power saving of the two-way communication system as a whole can be achieved.</p>

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. FIG. 1 shows a two-way communication system 10 which is an embodiment of the present invention. In this two-way communication system 10, a plurality of systems A, B, C, X, and Y located in remote locations (areas) A, B, C, and X are connected via a network 12 such as the Internet or an intranet. It is configured. When each area is connected via the Internet, a router or the like naturally exists for each area.

The area indicates a local area, and the system arranged in each area and each area are connected by a wireless or wired LAN. When the system is connected by wireless LAN in the area, there is a wireless access point or the like in the area. In addition, one system A, B, C may be arranged in each area as in areas A, B, and C, or two (or more) systems X as in area X. , Y may be arranged.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a system arranged in each area. Each system includes a transmission processing unit 14 including a camera, a microphone, an AV processing unit including an image CODEC and an audio CODEC, a receiving processing unit 16 including a display unit, a speaker, and the AV processing unit, an operation unit 18, and a battery. It has a power control unit 20 including an AC adapter and a transfer unit 22 including a wired LAN and a wireless LAN, and each of these functional blocks 14, 16, 18, 20, 22 has a CPU 26 and a RAM 28 via a bus line 24. , ROM30 respectively.

The display unit is composed of, for example, a liquid crystal panel. The operation unit 18 can be composed of input keys such as buttons provided on the system main body, a touch panel, a remote controller, and the like. Each system in this embodiment is assumed to be small and highly mobile so that it can be used anywhere. Therefore, the power control unit 20 is supplied with power from the battery, and the transfer unit 22 uses a wireless LAN. This allows each system to be used in a completely cordless state.

When transmitting and receiving only video between each system, as shown in FIG. 3, the transmission processing unit 14 is configured to include only the camera and the image CODEC, and the reception processing unit 16 includes only the display unit and the image CODEC. It may be included and configured.

Next, the operation of the bidirectional communication system 10 of the present embodiment having the above configuration will be described. The judgment here and the commands to the functional blocks 14, 16, 18, 20, and 22 are made by the CPU 26.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart in the case where at least one system (for example, system X) manually requests the distribution of video and audio from a certain system (for example, system A). When the user of the system X makes a video / audio distribution request to the system A by the operation of the operation unit 18, the system X transmits the video / audio distribution request to the system A (step S301). Here, as an operation of the operation unit 18 in the system X, for example, it is conceivable to press the "system A video ON button" on the liquid crystal touch panel or the remote controller.

System A, which has received the video / audio distribution request, determines whether the transmission processing unit 14 is in the suspend mode (that is, the power supply is temporarily stopped) (step S302), and the transmission processing unit 16 is in the suspend mode. If so, cancel suspend mode (step S303). As a result, power supply from the battery to the camera, the microphone, and the AV processing unit is started, and the video captured by the camera and the sound input to the microphone are compressed by the AV processing unit and then transmitted from the transfer unit 22.

Subsequently, in the system X, when it is detected that the video / audio is received from the system A, it is determined whether the reception processing unit 16 is in the suspend mode (step S304), and if it is in the suspend mode, the reception is received. Cancel the suspend mode of the processing unit 16 (step S305). As a result, power supply from the battery to the display unit, the speaker, and the AV processing unit is started, and after the received video / audio is expanded by the AV processing unit, the video is displayed on the display unit and the sound is generated by the speaker. At this time, it is possible to further reduce the power consumption of the liquid crystal panel, which is the display unit, by first starting the power supply to the liquid crystal module and then starting the power supply to the liquid crystal backlight after a certain period of time has elapsed. become.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart when the video / audio distribution of the system A is manually stopped in the system X. When the video / audio distribution stop of system A is requested by the operation of the operation unit 18 by the user of system X, it is determined whether the reception processing unit 16 of system X is in suspend mode (step S401), and the system X is in suspend mode. If not, the suspend mode of the reception processing unit 16 is started (step S402). Then, the system X transmits a request to stop the video / audio distribution to the system A (step S403).

Upon receiving the request to stop the video / audio distribution, the system A determines whether the transmission processing unit 14 is in the suspend mode (step S404), and if it is not in the suspend mode, is the video / audio being distributed to other than the system X? (Step S405). That is, it is determined whether the video / audio of the system A is required by a system other than the system X. If it is determined that the video / audio is not being distributed to other than system X, the suspend mode of the transmission processing unit 14 is started (step S406). As a result, the power supply from the battery to the camera, the microphone, and the AV processing unit is stopped, and the video / audio transmission from the transfer unit 22 is stopped.

As described above, the power consumption of the battery in system A is reduced by switching the suspend mode of the transmission processing unit 14 of system A in response to a video / audio distribution request from system X in a remote location to a certain system A. can do. At the same time, the power consumption of the battery in the system X can be reduced by switching the suspend mode of the reception processing unit 16 in the system X as well. In this way, each system cooperates with each other to supply power only to the functional blocks that need to be operated for the functional blocks included in each system, so that the minimum power consumption required for each system can be suppressed. The battery of each unit can be used for a long time. As a result, the power saving of the two-way communication system as a whole can be achieved.

Next, a case where video / audio distribution is automatically selected by using audio as a trigger will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. First, in system A, it is determined whether or not the conversation is in progress (step S501). The method of determining whether a conversation is in progress will be described in detail later. The judgment as to whether or not the conversation is in progress may be made at any time, at regular intervals, or the time interval for making the judgment may be changed. If it is determined in the system A that a conversation is in progress, steps S502 to 505 similar to steps S302 to 305 in FIG. 3 are executed.

On the other hand, if it is not determined that the conversation is in progress in the system A, that is, if the conversation is interrupted, the system A notifies the system X of the start of the suspend mode (step S506). Based on the suspend mode start notification from the system A, the system X determines whether the reception processing unit 16 is in the suspend mode (step S507), and if it is not in the suspend mode, the system X starts the suspend mode of the reception processing unit 16. (Step S508). As a result, the power supply to the display unit of the system X is stopped.

Subsequently, the system A determines whether the transmission processing unit 14 is in the suspend mode (step S509), and if it is not in the suspend mode, starts the suspend mode of the transmission processing unit 14 (step S510). As a result, the power supply to the camera, the microphone, and the AV processing unit is stopped, and the video / audio distribution is stopped.

As described above, the power consumption of the battery in the system A can be reduced by switching the suspend mode of the transmission processing unit 14 of the system A when there is no conversation in the system A. At the same time, the power consumption of the battery in the system X can be reduced by switching the suspend mode of the reception processing unit 16 in the system X as well. In this way, each system cooperates with each other to supply power only to the functional blocks that need to be operated for the functional blocks included in each system, so that the minimum power consumption required for each system can be suppressed. The battery of each unit can be used for a long time. As a result, the power saving of the two-way communication system as a whole can be achieved.

Here, a method of determining whether or not the conversation is in progress in step S501 will be described. If the voice input from the microphone is N or more, it is judged that the conversation is in progress. The voice N indicates the trigger level at which the voice input is started.

Next, the trigger level for starting voice input will be described in detail. The user of each system can preset the trigger level of voice input start in his / her own system. Of course, in the initial state, it is set to the default value. The trigger level for starting voice input is set by storing the voice input level that the user normally speaks in the RAM 28 of the system.

As a specific method of storing, for example, there is a voice input level setting button. This button is installed on the system body or can be operated with a remote control. The merit of being able to set with the remote controller is that the trigger level for starting voice input can be set while bidirectional communication is being performed.

More specifically, in a video conferencing system or the like, it is considered that the person often sits around the system. If you approach the system and input voice to set the trigger level for starting voice input, it may be set louder than in the actual meeting. Therefore, by setting the trigger level for starting voice input using the remote controller from the same seating position as in the actual conference, it is possible to set the trigger level for starting voice input similar to that in the actual conference. By setting a more appropriate trigger level for starting voice input in this way, efficient power saving can be realized.

The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications can be made. For example, when the voice input from the microphone is N or more, it is also possible to perform frequency analysis of the voice to determine whether the voice is a human voice or noise or noise. The voice may be advanced to the next step S502 only when it is determined to be the voice of.

In addition, the suspend mode was released / started in each system by determining whether the conversation was in progress, but even during the conversation, after a certain period of time (for example, 10 seconds) has passed, the process proceeds to step S506 to suspend. You may want to start the mode. In this case, the fixed time may be changed according to the remaining battery level.

Furthermore, when the sound input from the microphone is N or more, and only when the sound level is particularly high (for example, several times or more of N, that is, when the speech is emphasized), the suspend mode is canceled and the image is displayed. Audio may be distributed and displayed. In this case, the value of several times N may be changed according to the remaining battery level.

Furthermore, when the transmission processing unit 14 of the system A starts the suspend mode, the system X may keep the last image transmitted from the system A displayed on the display unit. In this case, the system X user may be able to choose whether to keep the last image displayed on the display, depending on the user's choice and the battery level. When the last image is left displayed on the display unit, if the display unit is configured with a chiral nematic liquid crystal, power supply is not required during the same image display, and power consumption can be suppressed.

<figref num="1">The whole block diagram of the bidirectional communication system which is one Embodiment of this invention.</figref><figref num="2">A block diagram of the system located in each area.</figref><figref num="3">Another block diagram of the system located in each area.</figref><figref num="4">Flowchart when manually requesting video / audio distribution.</figref><figref num="5">Flowchart when manually stopping video / audio distribution.</figref><figref num="6">Flowchart for automatically selecting video / audio distribution with audio as a trigger.</figref>

Code description

10 ... Two-way communication system 12 ... Network 14 ... Transmission processing unit 16 ... Reception processing unit 18 ... Operation unit 20 ... Power control unit 22 ... Transfer unit 24 ... Bus line 26 ... CPU28 ... RAM30 ... ROM