JP4442507B2 - Wireless intercom system - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention is a wireless compatible type configured by connecting a door phone with a camera and an interphone master unit with a signal line, further connecting a wireless adapter to the interphone master unit, and adding an interphone wireless extension master unit. Related to intercom system.

  Patent Document 1 below discloses this type of wireless-compatible intercom system, which includes an interphone master unit in which a camera-equipped doorphone slave unit is connected by a two-wire signal line, and a wireless adapter that is wired to the interphone master unit. And an interphone sub-master device that sends and receives radio signals to and from the interphone master device by sending and receiving radio signals to and from this wireless adapter.

  FIG. 7 is a time chart showing the operation of this type of radio compatible intercom system. In the figure, the target of transfer, compression, and format conversion is only image data, but actually includes an audio signal collected by a camera-equipped door phone.

  In this system, when the call button of the door phone with camera is operated, the camera is driven by receiving power from the interphone main unit to drive the camera, and the visitor video is taken. Transfer to the machine.

  The interphone master unit that has received the transfer compresses the image data and transfers it to the wireless adapter. The wireless adapter that has received the transfer converts the format of the image data into a wireless signal and performs signal reception conversion accumulation processing for accumulating the image data.

  When the accumulation is completed, the wireless adapter performs a call calling process with the interphone wireless extension master unit (in this case, the interphone wireless extension master unit is used instead of the interphone sub-master unit of Patent Document 1). That is, it sends a call signal and waits for a response. If there is a response, the communication condition with the interphone wireless extension base unit is established, so a call call process is performed to send a call call signal and wait for a response.

If there is a response, the stored image data is sent to the interphone wireless extension master unit, and the interphone wireless extension master unit that has received this decompresses the transmitted image data and displays it on the monitor.
FIGS. 8 and 9 are flowcharts showing the operations of the wireless adapter and the interphone wireless extension master in this type of wireless compatible intercom system.

  The flowchart in FIG. 8 shows the operation of the wireless adapter.

  When the power is input (300), the wireless adapter receives a call signal from the interphone master unit (301), receives a video signal from the interphone master unit, converts the format into a radio signal, and stores the signal. Conversion processing is performed (302).

  When the accumulation is completed (303), call calling processing with the interphone wireless extension master unit is performed (305-307). The details of the call calling process have been described above and will not be described. Here, even if a predetermined time elapses while waiting for each response (308, 310), if no response is received, the absence is returned to the intercom base unit (309, 311).

  When there is a response to the call calling process, the stored image data is sent to the intercom wireless extension master unit (312).

  The flowchart of FIG. 9 shows the operation of the interphone wireless extension base unit.

  The intercom wireless extension base unit performs the above-described call call processing with the wireless adapter (400 to 403), and outputs a ringing tone based on the call call signal transmitted from the wireless adapter (404).

Next, when a video signal is transmitted from the wireless adapter during a predetermined time, it is received (406, 407).
JP 2000-224316 A

  By the way, in this type of system, the image data from the interphone master unit to the wireless adapter is transmitted through a wired line connecting both, and the transmission speed is generally slower than when transmitting by wireless signals. ing.

  This is conspicuous when the wired line capacity is small and the image data capacity is large.

  As described above, since the image data transmission speed between the interphone master unit and the wireless adapter is low, it takes time for the image data taken by the door phone slave unit with a camera to reach the interphone wireless extension master unit.

  Further, in this type of system, the wireless adapter converts the image data from the interphone master unit into a wireless format signal and stores it, and after the video signal conversion process is completed for at least one frame of the image data, As a result, the image of the visitor is displayed on the intercom wireless extension master unit after shooting is started with the doorphone slave unit with camera. There was a long delay before starting.

  For this reason, the user of the system is not sure whether the system has broken down because the visitor video shot with the camera doorphone slave unit is not displayed on the interphone radio extension master unit after a call operation is performed on the camera doorphone slave unit. I feel it.

The present invention has been proposed in order to solve such problems, and a first object is to delay from the start of shooting with a camera-equipped doorphone slave unit until the visitor video starts to be displayed on the interphone wireless extension master unit. It is to shorten time.
A second object is to eliminate anxiety about the user's failure due to the delay time until the visitor video starts to be displayed on the intercom wireless extension master unit.

In order to achieve the above object, in claim 1, a door phone unit with a camera is connected to an interphone base unit through a signal line, and a wireless adapter is connected to the interphone base unit through another signal line. A wireless compatible interphone system configured by adding an interphone wireless extension base unit for performing wireless communication, wherein the interphone base unit compresses at least a video signal based on a call operation of a door phone slave unit with a camera. And a compression rate control unit for controlling the compression rate of the video compression unit, and the video signal compressed by the video compression unit is sent to the wireless adapter, and the compression rate The control means controls the compression rate of the video compression means so that at least the video for the first frame of the video signal has a predetermined compression rate. Is compressed, the image of the subsequent frame, is compressed at a lower compression ratio than the compression ratio, the wireless adapter, at least, a video signal with the camera-equipped intercom slave unit is taken in response to the call operation, the interphone parent A first transmission processing unit that receives a video signal and performs a video signal conversion process for conversion to a wireless format signal, and wirelessly transmits the wireless format signal stored in the first transmission processing unit to the interphone wireless extension master unit A second transmission processing unit; and a fixed image storage means in which a fixed image is stored in advance. When a call signal based on a call operation of the camera-equipped doorphone slave unit is received from the interphone master unit, the first transmission processing unit is provided. parallel video signal conversion processing by the transmission processing unit, and a phone call process between the interphone wireless extension master station according to the second transmission processing unit Further, the wireless adapter performs the above-described fixed image processing until at least the first frame of the video signal photographed in response to the calling operation is converted to the video signal and wirelessly transmitted. The fixed image is read from the storage means, and is wirelessly transmitted as the wireless format signal.

In claim 2, the intercom base unit is connected to the interphone base unit via a signal line, and the interphone base unit is connected to a radio adapter via another signal line so that the interphone radio can be wirelessly communicated with the radio adapter. A wireless-compatible intercom system configured by adding a master unit, wherein the interphone master unit includes at least a video compression unit that converts a video signal based on a call operation of a door phone slave unit with a camera into a compressed video signal. And a compression rate control means for controlling the compression rate by the video compression means, wherein the video signal compressed by the video compression means is sent to the wireless adapter, and the compression rate control means comprises the video compression By controlling the compression rate of the means, at least the first frame of the video signal is compressed at a predetermined compression rate, and the subsequent frames are compressed. For the video, is compressed at a lower compression ratio than the compression ratio, the wireless adapter, at least, a video signal with the camera-equipped intercom slave unit is taken in response to the call operation receives from the intercom master unit, A first transmission processing unit that performs video signal conversion processing for conversion into a wireless format signal; a second transmission processing unit that wirelessly transmits the wireless format signal stored in the first transmission processing unit to the interphone wireless extension base unit; And when the call signal based on the call operation of the camera-equipped doorphone slave unit is received from the interphone base unit, the video signal conversion process by the first transmission processing unit and the interphone by the second transmission processing unit run the transmission parallel processing performed in parallel with phone call processing between the wireless extension master station, the intercom wireless extension master station is solid Until a call is received from the wireless adapter and the fixed image storage means in which the image is stored in advance, and the door phone with the camera wirelessly receives at least the first frame of the video signal photographed in response to the call operation. Video display control means for reading the fixed picture from the fixed picture storage means and displaying it as a video is provided.

According to a third aspect of the present invention , the interphone master unit includes at least a video compression unit that converts a video signal based on a call operation of a camera-equipped doorphone slave unit into a compressed video signal, and a compression rate control that controls a compression rate by the video compression unit. and means, the video signal compressed by the video compression means have been configured to be sent to the wireless adapter, the compression ratio control means, the compression ratio by the image compression unit, from the first frame of the video signal Control is performed so that the second frame becomes smaller in steps, and a predetermined compression rate is obtained.

  The present invention has the following effects.

According to the first and second aspects, the video signal conversion processing by the first transmission processing unit and the call calling processing between the interphone wireless extension master unit by the second transmission processing unit are performed in parallel, and the door phone When there is a call operation from the slave unit, the fixed image stored in advance in the fixed image storage means in the system is sent to the interphone wireless extension master unit in advance of the image taken by the door phone slave unit. After the call operation, the delay time until the visitor video starts to be displayed on the intercom wireless extension master unit can be shortened.

  In particular, according to the first aspect, the fixed image storage means is provided on the wireless adapter side, and the fixed image stored in advance is stored until the accumulation of the video signal received from the interphone master unit is completed for at least one frame. Since the intercom wireless extension master unit displays images stored in advance until a visitor video is received from the interphone master unit, anxiety about user failure due to delay time is displayed. Can be removed.

  Further, in claim 2, since the fixed storage means is provided on the interphone wireless extension master unit side, the fixed image is displayed until the visitor video is received from the interphone master unit. The effect of.

On the other hand, according to the first to third aspects , since the data amount of the first frame is small, the first frame can be transmitted at high speed even when the image data transmission speed between the intercom master and the wireless adapter is low.
That is, according to claim 1, 2, in the intercom master unit, at least the first compression rate of one frame of image data to be sent to the wireless adapter, so larger than the compression ratio of the image data after two frames The image data for the first frame can be displayed on the intercom wireless extension master more quickly.

According to the third aspect of the present invention , since the interphone base unit gradually reduces the compression rate of the image data sent to the wireless adapter for each frame, the intercom wireless extension is performed for the first one frame of image data. The display delay time in the master unit can be shortened, and when a call is started, there is an advantage that the image data is gradually displayed more clearly as the second and subsequent frames become later frames.

  Embodiments of the present invention will be described below. Here, a television interphone is used as the interphone, but the present invention can also be configured by an interphone without a monitor.

FIG. 3 is a more specific block diagram of the first inventive system. In this system, a TV interphone master unit 2 is connected to a door phone with camera 1 via a signal line L2, and a radio adapter 3 is connected to the TV interphone master unit 2 via a signal line L1, and wireless communication with the radio adapter 3 is performed. The TV intercom wireless extension base unit 4 is installed and configured.

  The intercom 1 with camera includes a signal processing unit 10, a speaker amplifier A1 that amplifies the level of the audio signal output to the speaker SP, a microphone amplifier A2 that amplifies the level of the audio signal input from the microphone MIC, the camera 11, A call button 12 is provided.

  The intercom base unit 2 includes a signal processing unit 20, a speaker amplifier A1 that amplifies the level of the audio signal output to the speaker SP, a microphone amplifier A2 that amplifies the level of the audio signal input through the microphone MIC, a monitor 21, and operation buttons. 22.

  The wireless adapter 3 stores a signal processing unit 30 having an adapter control means 30A for controlling the wireless adapter 3, a first transmission processing unit 31, a second transmission processing unit 32 having an antenna 32, and a fixed image fixed in advance. Fixed image storage means 33 is provided.

The intercom wireless extension base unit 4 includes a signal processing unit 40 and an antenna ANT. The wireless communication unit 41 that performs the above-described call calling process with the wireless adapter 3 and the level of the audio signal output to the speaker SP are set. The first transmission processing unit 31 of the wireless adapter 3 that includes the speaker amplifier A1 that amplifies, the microphone amplifier A2 that amplifies the level of the audio signal input from the microphone MIC, the monitor 42, and the operation button 43 performs video signal conversion processing. The video signal received from the interphone master unit 2 and photographed by the camera-equipped doorphone slave unit 1 is converted into a radio signal format and stored.

  Further, the second transmission processing unit 32 performs a call calling process with the interphone wireless extension base unit 4 based on the call signal received from the interphone base unit 2, and if there is a response, the first transmission processing unit 31. The video signal stored in the terminal is sent to the intercom wireless extension base unit 4 through the antenna ANT.

  The wireless adapter 3 controls the video signal conversion processing by the first transmission processing unit 31 and the call calling processing by the second transmission processing unit 32 in parallel to perform so-called transmission parallel processing. Further, when a response to the call calling process comes from the intercom wireless extension base unit 4, it is determined whether at least one frame of image data is stored in the first transmission processing unit 31. The processing unit 32 is controlled to send the image stored in the fixed image storage unit 33.

  The fixed image storage means 33 may be configured to store fixed audio data together and send it together with the fixed image. In addition, the fixed image can be configured to display a system start-up screen that displays that the call has been made, the current time and calendar screen, an arbitrary still image, a favorite image that the user has taken with a digital camera, and the like. .

According to such a configuration, the following basic operation is performed.
In other words, if there is a call at the camera-equipped doorphone slave unit 1, the voltage value of the signal line L 2 fluctuates. Therefore, the intercom base unit 2 detects this fluctuation and recognizes that the call has been received.

  Then, the interphone master unit 2 performs a calling operation, supplies the drive power of the camera-equipped doorphone slave unit 1 to drive the camera, and sends a calling signal to the wireless adapter 3 and the wired extension master unit 5.

  The wireless adapter 3 performs video signal conversion processing by the first transmission processing unit 31. At the same time, on the basis of the call signal received from the interphone base unit 2, the second transmission processing unit 32 performs call calling processing with the interphone wireless extension base unit 4, and if there is a response, the first transmission processing unit The video signal stored in 31 is sent to the intercom wireless extension base unit 4.

  Here, when there is a response to the call calling process, if the first transmission processing unit 31 has not completed the accumulation of the video signal for at least one frame, the fixed image stored in advance in the wireless adapter 3 is displayed as a video. A signal is sent to the intercom wireless extension base unit 4.

  The intercom wireless extension base unit 4 outputs a ringing tone in response to a call calling process with the wireless adapter 3. At the same time, the visitor video is displayed on the monitor based on the video signal received from the wireless adapter 3. If a fixed image stored in advance in the wireless adapter 3 is received between the response and the reception of the video signal, the image data is displayed on the monitor.

  FIG. 1 is a time chart showing such a basic operation. It should be noted that the audio signals collected by the camera doorphone slave unit 1 are included in the operations, transfer, compression, and format conversion of the camera doorphone slave unit 1 and interphone master unit 2 according to the related art. This is the same as FIG. 7 shown in the description.

  In the wireless adapter 3, when at least image data is transmitted as a video signal from the intercom base unit 2, the first transmission processing unit receives this and performs video signal conversion processing.

  In parallel with the signal reception conversion process, a call call process is performed with the interphone wireless extension master unit 4 based on the call signal transmitted from the interphone master unit 2. The details of the call calling process have also been described above and will not be described.

  That is, in the wireless adapter 3, when a call operation is performed on the camera-equipped doorphone slave unit 1, image data captured by the camera-equipped doorphone slave unit 1 is received from the interphone master unit 2, converted into a radio signal, and stored. While performing the video signal conversion process, the intercom wireless extension base unit 4 is called by calling a call.

  The transmission processing control means 30A determines whether or not the first transmission processing unit 31 has accumulated at least one frame of image data when there is a response after performing a call calling process with the interphone wireless extension base unit 4.

  If it is determined that the image data for one frame is stored, the stored image data is sent to the intercom wireless extension base unit 4, but it is determined that the image data for one frame is not stored. In this case, the fixed image stored in advance is sent out, and when the accumulation of the image data for one frame is completed, the image data from the intercom base unit 2 is sent out sequentially.

  After receiving a response to the wireless adapter 3, the interphone wireless extension base unit 4 displays a monitor image when a fixed image stored in advance in the wireless adapter 3 is received, and subsequently receives the interphone parent transmitted from the wireless adapter 3. The image data from the machine 2 is displayed on the monitor.

  The flowchart of FIG. 2 shows an example of the basic operation of the wireless adapter 3 (the first transmission processing 31 and the second transmission processing unit 32 are configured by a one-chip CPU). The basic operation of the intercom wireless extension base unit 4 is the same as that in the flowchart of FIG.

  When the wireless adapter 3 is turned on (100) and receives a call signal based on the call operation of the door phone with camera 1 from the intercom base unit 2, the second transmission processing unit 32 performs call call processing. And a call signal is sent to the intercom wireless extension master unit 4 (103). At the same time, the first transmission processing unit 31 receives the video signal transmitted from the intercom base unit 2 and performs a video signal conversion process for converting and storing the video signal into a wireless signal (102).

  In the second transmission processing unit 32, if the response to the call signal and the responses (104 to 106) to the call calling signal are within the predetermined time (107, 109), respectively, the first transmission processing unit 31 at least for one frame. It is determined whether the video signal has been accumulated (111). If completed, the video signal stored in the first transmission processing unit 31 is sent to the intercom wireless extension base unit 4 (112).

  On the other hand, if the first transmission processing unit 31 has not completed the accumulation of at least one frame (111), the fixed image stored in the fixed image storage means 33 is transmitted (113, 114).

  If a response to each of the call signal and the call call signal cannot be obtained within a predetermined time (107, 109), the absence is returned to the intercom base unit 2 (108, 110).

  FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing another example of the basic configuration of the first inventive system.

  According to this configuration, the fixed image storage means provided in the wireless adapter 3 in the first aspect of the present invention is provided in the interphone wireless extension base unit 4, and the signal processing unit 40 has the video in the interphone wireless extension base unit 4. And video display control means 40A for controlling audio output.

  In such a configuration, the intercom wireless extension base unit 4 operates as follows. The flowchart in FIG. 6 shows an example of the basic operation of the intercom wireless extension master unit 4.

  The intercom wireless extension base unit 4 performs the above-described call calling process with the wireless adapter 3 (200 to 203), and outputs a ringing tone based on the call calling signal sent from the wireless adapter (204).

  Next, until the video signal is received from the wireless adapter 3 (205, 206) or until a predetermined time elapses (207), the video display control means 40A reads out the image in the fixed image storage means 45 and monitors it. It is displayed (208).

  In this way, since the fixed image is managed on the intercom wireless extension base unit 2 side, the wireless adapter 3 does not need to perform the processing of steps 113 and 114 in the flowchart of FIG. The software processing can be reduced.

  In this example as well, fixed audio data may be stored in the fixed image storage means 45 together with the fixed image, and sound may be output when the fixed image is displayed.

  FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of the main part of the second system of the present invention.

  In the second present invention system, in the interphone master unit 2, the signal processing unit 20 includes a video compression unit 20A and a compression rate control unit 20B. Since other configurations are the same as those of the first system of the present invention, the same reference numerals are given and description thereof is omitted.

  This second invention system is characterized in that the compression rate is changed for each frame of the video signal by the compression rate control means 20B.

  The video compression unit 20A receives the control of the compression rate control unit 20B, and compresses the visitor video shot by the camera-equipped doorphone slave unit 1 at a predetermined compression rate.

  The compressed visitor video is sent to the wireless adapter 3 through the signal line L as described above.

  The compression rate control means 20B has a counter (not shown), manages the video signal to be sent to the wireless adapter 3 on a frame basis, and controls the video compression means 20A to compress only the first frame at a predetermined compression rate. Although the control is performed, the subsequent video signal is controlled to be compressed at a compression rate smaller than the compression rate.

  Note that the compression rate may be controlled to decrease step by step from the first frame to the second frame.

  Further, in the figure, the video compression means 20A and the compression rate control means 20B are provided corresponding to the system of FIG. 3, but the same operational effects can be achieved even if the video compression means 20A is adapted to the system of FIG.

Time chart showing an example of the basic operation of the first present invention The flowchart which shows an example of the basic operation | movement of the wireless adapter in 1st this invention The block diagram which shows an example of the basic composition of the 1st present invention The block diagram which shows the other examples of the basic composition of 1st this invention The flowchart which shows an example of the basic operation | movement of the interphone radio | wireless expansion main | base station in the structure of FIG. The block diagram which shows an example of the basic composition of the 2nd present invention Time chart showing the basic operation of a conventional wireless-compatible intercom system Flow chart showing basic operation of wireless adapter in conventional system Flowchart showing the basic operation of the intercom wireless extension master unit in the conventional system

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Door phone subunit | mobile_unit with a camera 2 Interphone main | base station 3 Wireless adapter 4 Interphone radio | wireless expansion main | base station 20A Image | video compression means 20B Compression rate control means 31 1st transmission process part 32 2nd transmission process part 33,45 Fixed image storage means 40A Image | video display Control means L1, L2 Signal line

Claims (3)

Connect the intercom base unit to the intercom base unit with a signal line, connect the wireless adapter to the intercom base unit with another signal line, and add the interphone wireless extension base unit that performs wireless communication with the wireless adapter. Wireless intercom system configured as
The interphone master unit includes at least a video compression unit that converts a video signal based on a call operation of a camera-equipped doorphone slave unit into a compressed video signal, and a compression rate control unit that controls a compression rate by the video compression unit. The video signal compressed by the video compression means is sent to the wireless adapter,
The compression rate control means controls the compression ratio of the video compression means to compress at least the first frame of the video signal at a predetermined compression rate. Compress at a compression rate lower than the compression rate,
The wireless adapter is at least
A first transmission processing unit that performs a video signal conversion process for receiving a video signal captured by the door intercom unit with a camera in response to a call operation from the interphone master unit and converting the received video signal into a wireless format signal;
A second transmission processing unit that wirelessly transmits the wireless format signal stored in the first transmission processing unit to the intercom wireless extension master unit;
Fixed image storage means for storing fixed images in advance,
When a call signal based on the call operation of the camera doorphone slave unit is received from the interphone master unit, the video signal conversion process by the first transmission processing unit, and the interphone wireless extension master unit by the second transmission processing unit Execute the transmission parallel processing to execute the call call processing between
Further, the wireless adapter reads out the fixed image from the fixed image storage means until at least the first frame of the image signal photographed in response to the calling operation is converted and wirelessly transmitted. A wireless compatible intercom system, wherein the wireless format signal is transmitted wirelessly. Connect the intercom base unit to the intercom base unit with a signal line, connect the wireless adapter to the intercom base unit with another signal line, and add the interphone wireless extension base unit that performs wireless communication with the wireless adapter. Wireless intercom system configured as
The interphone master unit includes at least a video compression unit that converts a video signal based on a call operation of a camera-equipped doorphone slave unit into a compressed video signal, and a compression rate control unit that controls a compression rate by the video compression unit. The video signal compressed by the video compression means is sent to the wireless adapter,
The compression rate control means controls the compression ratio of the video compression means to compress at least the first frame of the video signal at a predetermined compression rate. Compress at a compression rate lower than the compression rate,
The wireless adapter is at least
A first transmission processing unit that performs a video signal conversion process for receiving a video signal captured by the door intercom unit with a camera in response to a call operation from the interphone master unit and converting the received video signal into a wireless format signal;
A second transmission processing unit that wirelessly transmits the wireless format signal stored in the first transmission processing unit to the interphone wireless extension master unit;
When a call signal based on the call operation of the camera doorphone slave unit is received from the interphone master unit, the video signal conversion process by the first transmission processing unit, and the interphone wireless extension master unit by the second transmission processing unit Executes transmission parallel processing that performs call call processing between
The above intercom wireless extension base unit is
Fixed image storage means for storing fixed images in advance;
After the telephone call is made from the wireless adapter, the fixed image is read from the fixed image storage means until at least the first frame of the video signal photographed in response to the calling operation by the door phone with camera is wirelessly received. A wireless compatible intercom system provided with video display control means for displaying as video. In claims 1 and 2,
The intercom base unit is at least
Video compression means for converting a video signal based on a call operation of a camera-equipped doorphone slave unit into a compressed video signal, and a compression rate control means for controlling a compression rate by the video compression means, and compressed by the video compression means It is configured to send video signals to the wireless adapter,
The compression rate control means controls the compression rate by the video compression means to be gradually decreased from the first frame to the second and subsequent frames of the video signal so that a predetermined compression rate is obtained. Wireless compatible intercom system.

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