JP2002344962A - Image communication equipment and portable telephone - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide image communication equipment that can simultaneously transmit a video image of a sender itself and a surrounding video image with a simple operation and allows a receiver side to select a desired image. SOLUTION: The image communication equipment is provided with an imaging means 8a that images an optical image obtained by collecting a reflected light from a convex revolution-body mirror with a lens, an image data conversion means 3 that converts a circular image obtained by the imaging means 8a into a panoramic image or a perspective image, a transmission means 13 that transmits image data, a display means 5, an operation panel 7, a reception means 1 that receives the image data, and an image data storage means 2a. A transmitter side displays a transmitted surrounding image at a maximum 360-degrees on a monitor and can transmit a video image of a sender itself. A receiver side converts the received image into a panoramic image or a perspective image, selects a desired image and can display the image.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an image communication apparatus for transmitting and receiving image data, and a portable telephone capable of transmitting and receiving image (still and moving images including characters) information and voice information.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, with the digitization of wireless communication and the enhancement of services such as digital cellular telephones and next-generation cordless telephones (PHS), electronic still cameras have been mounted, and images (still images including characters, etc.) have been installed. Images and moving images)
A portable telephone device capable of transmitting and receiving information, voice information, and the like has been commercialized.

A portable telephone equipped with a conventional electronic still camera (hereinafter referred to as a portable telephone equipped with an electronic still camera) will be described below with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 14 is an external view showing the configuration of a conventional mobile phone equipped with an electronic still camera. FIG. 14A is a front view thereof, and FIG. 14B is a rear view thereof.

In FIG. 14, 5 is a color LCD (liquid crystal display) as display means, 7 is an operation panel,
7a is a numeric keypad, 7b is various switches such as a manner key,
Reference numeral 8 denotes an electronic still camera as an imaging unit, 10 denotes a microphone as an audio input unit, 11 denotes a speaker as an audio output unit, and 19 denotes an antenna.

A color LCD 5, an operation panel 7, a numeric keypad 7a, various switches 7b, an electronic still camera 8, a microphone 10 and a speaker 11 are all provided on the front side of the mobile phone. Further, an antenna 19 constituting a part of the communication means is provided at the head end of the mobile phone.

The color LCD 5 is used for displaying an image taken by the electronic still camera 8, displaying a received image received by the receiving means, displaying a menu used for operating the operation panel 7, and the like. The electronic still camera 8 is installed above the color LCD 5 with its front facing. Thus, when the sender is looking at the screen of the color LCD 5, the sender's face is
It is to be reflected in.

The operation panel 7 is provided below the color LCD 5 and includes a numeric keypad 7a capable of accessing a communication line of a mobile phone and various switches 7b. Below that is a microphone 1 as a voice input means.
0 is provided. Further, a speaker 11 is provided above the color LCD 5 and beside the electronic still camera 8 as sound reproducing means.

When the electronic still camera 8 is not used, the portable telephone is placed beside the face and the speaker 1 is placed.
1 is put on the ear, and talking to the microphone 10 to talk with the other party. When the electronic still camera 8 is used, an earphone is connected to an earphone jack (not shown), the earphone is attached to the ear to talk with the other party, and the electronic still camera 8 is shot at the subject.

On the other hand, if the presented image is displayed together with the current position at which the image was taken and the map data around the image, it is possible to check the surroundings of the position at which the image was taken in detail. , The surrounding environment at the imaging position,
Since it is considered that there is an advantage that observation can be performed at a remote place as if the user is at the place, there is a demand that an image to be presented can be displayed together with position information and the like.

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No. HEI 2 (1999) -1995 discloses a configuration capable of displaying such image information and position information in association with each other.
Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 001-8232 describes a video sensor device movably mounted with a mirror for omnidirectional projection and a television camera for capturing an image reflected by the mirror, and stores image data captured by the video sensor device. An omnidirectional imaging apparatus is disclosed that includes a supply center that performs the above-mentioned operations and a terminal device that displays image data stored in the supply center to a user.

In this omnidirectional image apparatus, an image sensor apparatus equipped with a mirror and a television camera captures an omnidirectional image while moving along a predetermined moving path. In addition, a GPS device is mounted on the image sensor device.
The position information of the imaging sensor device is acquired by the device.
Omnidirectional image data and GPS captured by a video sensor device
The position information acquired by the device is transmitted to a supply center by radio or the like, and the supply center stores the omnidirectional image data as an omnidirectional image position file in association with the position information. The omnidirectional image position file stored in the supply center extracts necessary images from the omnidirectional image position file based on viewpoint information specified by the user in the terminal device, and is transmitted to the terminal device installed on the user side. You. The terminal device installed on the user side displays an image transmitted from the supply center.

[0012]

According to the conventional electronic still camera-equipped mobile phone in which the above-mentioned electronic still camera is provided on the installation surface of an LCD or the like, that is, in front of the mobile phone, the caller checks the captured image. The convenience of being able to communicate with the other party is obtained. However, when transmitting a captured image of the surrounding area while talking on the mobile phone, it is necessary to point the front part of the mobile phone on which the camera is installed to the surrounding area, so that the sender is provided in front of the mobile phone. The color LCD 5 cannot be visually recognized, and the operation panel 7 cannot be confirmed. Therefore, a desired key operation and a desired image cannot be selected. Therefore, the image that can be substantially captured and transmitted is limited to the image of the sender itself, and there is a problem that the area around the sender cannot be transmitted as a video.

In order to solve this problem, a portable telephone equipped with an electronic still camera having a camera mounted on the opposite side (back side) of the operation surface has been developed and commercialized. According to this mobile phone, it is relatively easy to send the surrounding video that the sender is watching. However, when trying to send the sender's own image, after imaging the camera, that is, the back of the mobile phone body in his own direction, he turns the operation surface provided on the front side of the mobile phone body in his own direction. You need to perform a send operation. Therefore, for the same reasons as described above,
There is a problem in key operation and image selection operation.

As described above, the conventional mobile phone equipped with an electronic still camera has a problem that the field of view of a transmitted image is still limited.

[0015] Furthermore, the conventional electronic still camera-equipped mobile phone has a problem on the receiving side. That is,
The receiver of the electronic still camera-equipped mobile phone can obtain much information by receiving, reproducing, and confirming the transmitted image. However, there is a problem in that only the sender can select a received image, and the receiver cannot arbitrarily select a desired image. Therefore, for example, when the sender is at a party venue and a receiver at another location talks while watching the state of the people participating in the party, the receiver can select a desired one from a plurality of party participants. Since a person cannot be arbitrarily selected, a sufficiently satisfactory image cannot be obtained.

Furthermore, when the configuration of the omnidirectional video device described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2001-8232 is applied to the above-mentioned portable telephone to display an image accompanied with position information, the video sensor in the omnidirectional video device is used. The mirror of the device and the imaging means corresponding to the television camera are installed in the mobile phone device on the transmitting side, and the configuration of the terminal device in the omnidirectional video device is installed on the mobile phone on the receiving side. However, when the transmitting and receiving mobile phones are configured in this manner, the image data captured by the transmitting mobile phone once becomes
It is transmitted to the supply center and stored. In addition, the receiving-side mobile phone does not have an image conversion function for converting an omnidirectional image into a desired image, and it is necessary to create an image necessary to convert the image into a desired image such as viewpoint information and line-of-sight information. The data is transmitted to the supply center once, and the supply center creates a desired image based on the transmitted image creation data and transmits it to the receiving mobile phone. The receiving mobile phone transmits the data from the supply center. The displayed image is displayed.

As described above, when the configuration of the omnidirectional video device having the above configuration is applied to the mobile phone, the information is transmitted via the supply center regardless of the case of transmission or reception. There is a problem that the number of transmissions of image data increases and it takes a long time to display the image data.

Further, even if the receiving mobile phone is provided with an image conversion function for converting omnidirectional image data transmitted from the transmitting mobile phone into a desired image, If the design constants of mirrors and the like used for the imaging means provided in the mobile phone of each type are different for each model, it is necessary to perform the image conversion process from the beginning each time the image data is transmitted, according to each model. Therefore, there is a problem that it takes a long time.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made to solve such problems of the prior art, and an image communication apparatus capable of selecting and confirming an arbitrary part around a sender as an image on a receiver side. It is a first object to provide a mobile phone having the function. Also, the present invention
An image communication device that can transmit a screen in a wide azimuth, such as simultaneously transmitting a sender's own image and a surrounding image in real time with a simple operation, and displaying the position information together with the image communication device, and the like. A second object is to provide a mobile phone having a function.

Further, even if the design constants of the imaging means used by the image communication device on the transmitting side are different for each model, the design constants for each model can be identified and the image is transmitted. There is no need to perform image processing every time from the beginning,
A third object is to provide an image communication device capable of improving communication efficiency and a portable telephone having the function thereof.

[0021]

An image communication apparatus according to the present invention comprises: image data receiving means for receiving wide-angle image data;
An image data storage unit for storing the image data received by the image data receiving unit; an image data conversion unit for converting the image data into display image data; and a target area for image conversion by the image data conversion unit. It is characterized by comprising conversion image data selection means for selecting from image data, and image display means for displaying an image on a screen based on the display image data.

According to the above arrangement, the image data receiving means receives the wide-angle image data including the image of the sender and the surrounding image, temporarily stores the image data in the image data storage means, and displays the image data. It can be converted into image data (digital data) and displayed on the image display means. Furthermore, the receiver can select a desired image from the received wide-angle image data and display it on the image display unit on the receiver side by the converted image data selection unit.

Preferably, the wide-angle image data received by the image data receiving means is circular image data obtained by imaging reflected light from a convex rotating mirror.

According to the above configuration, a maximum of 36 around the sender can be obtained.
Up to 0 °, it is possible to transmit an image in a wide viewing area. Further, circular image data obtained by imaging reflected light from a convex rotating body mirror such as a two-lobe hyperboloid mirror can be easily converted into perspective image data or panoramic image data.

It is preferable that information on the design of the convex rotary mirror and the lens for condensing the reflected light is included in the wide-angle image data or stored in the image data conversion means.

According to the above arrangement, for the image data picked up by the image pickup means using the convex rotating body mirror of any design, the convex rotating body mirror included in the image data and the reflected light The desired image conversion can be performed by performing image conversion on the circular image data using information on the design of the lens that collects the light as a parameter.

Preferably, the image data conversion means has a function of converting image data into at least one of perspective image data and panoramic image data.

According to the above configuration, it is possible to convert a received image such as a circular image into an easily viewable display image such as a fluoroscopic image or a panoramic image. In addition, monitoring is also easy on the sender side.

It is preferable that the image data conversion means has at least one of a pan / tilt function and a zoom-in / zoom-out function of a display image.

According to the above configuration, it is possible to obtain a more easily viewable image by performing pan / tilt (horizontal rotation / vertical rotation) or zoom-in / zoom-out (enlargement / reduction).

The converted image data selecting means includes a position selecting means for selecting one or two or more arbitrary positions on the circular image, and a storing means for storing image data according to the selected position information. Is preferred.

According to the above configuration, an arbitrary position on the circular image can be selected from the received circular image data, and display image data such as a perspective image at that position can be generated. Independently, the receiver can freely select an arbitrary position on the circular image and easily display a desired image on the image display means.

Preferably, the selected position information is represented by polar coordinate values r and θ with the origin at the center of the circular image.

According to the above configuration, it is possible to create display image data by converting a designated area of received circular image data into a perspective image or the like based on information such as r and θ.
A desired image can be easily displayed on the display means.

It is preferable that the position selecting means is constituted by a cursor key or a touch panel provided on a screen of the display means.

According to the above configuration, the cursor can be moved to a desired position by operating the cursor key displayed on the screen, and then the key can be operated to determine the selected position, thereby easily selecting the position. It is possible to do. Alternatively, the position can be directly specified by the touch panel.

It is preferable that the apparatus further comprises a transmission means for transmitting the image data to the outside.

According to the above configuration, transmission and reception can be performed mutually. For example, it is possible to transmit / receive compressed image data via a communication line by a wireless transmission / reception unit. Further, by enabling transmission of the perspective image data and the panoramic image data converted by the image data conversion means, it is possible for the sender side to select an image desired to be shown to the receiver.

An optical system comprising a convex rotating mirror, and a light receiving element for receiving light reflected by the convex rotating mirror and collected by a lens disposed at a position facing the convex rotating mirror. It is preferable to further include imaging means having the following.

According to the above configuration, it is possible to capture an image of a subject by the light receiving element and communicate the captured image data. Further, it is possible to convert the image data of the sender himself and the image data of up to 360 ° around the sender into digital data by the image data conversion means and transmit the digital data. Further, the transmitted image of 360 ° around the monitor can be displayed on the monitor, and the sender can easily monitor the image.

It is preferable that the image data transmitted from the transmitting means to the outside include information on the design of the convex rotating mirror and the lens for condensing the reflected light.

According to the above-described configuration, the image data picked up by the image pickup means using the convex rotating body mirror of an arbitrary design is compared with the convex rotating body mirror included in the image data on the receiver side. Desired image conversion can be performed by performing image conversion on the circular image data using information on the design of the lens that collects the reflected light as a parameter.

Preferably, the apparatus further comprises transmission means and reception means for voice data.

According to the above configuration, it is possible to transmit and receive audio data together with image data, and to have a conversation while seeing each other's expression and surrounding images, and to obtain more information. is there.

It is preferable that the display means has a function of dividing a display screen into at least one of upper, lower, left and right regions. Further, it is preferable that an image at a different position is selected and displayed from the image data captured by the image capturing means on the divided screen. Further, it is preferable that the plurality of divided screens are two-divided screens, and that one of the screens always displays the image of the sender and the other displays an image at an arbitrary position.

According to the above arrangement, the screen of the display means is divided into at least two upper and lower stages or two right and left,
It is possible to capture and confirm a plurality of images at the same time, and perform bidirectional communication. Therefore, information of a plurality of images having no time delay can be used for both communication, and the information processing efficiency can be improved, and the sense of presence can be further enhanced. Further, for example, it is possible to always display the front image of the transmitting side on one side and select and display an arbitrary position in an image such as a fluoroscopic image or a panoramic image on the other side. It will be easier. Further, it is possible to see the image of the sender on the other hand while viewing the image around the sender along with the explanation of the sender, or to select and view an arbitrary position on the receiver side.

It is preferable that the apparatus further comprises a pixel value replacing means for replacing the image data excluding the circular image portion with a fixed value with respect to the image data picked up by the image pickup means.

According to the above configuration, by replacing unnecessary image data other than the circular image portion with a fixed value, it is possible to greatly improve the data compression ratio and reduce the amount of transmission data. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the communication time and the communication cost by increasing the transmission speed.

It is preferable that the image pickup means is arranged at a head end of the apparatus main body. Alternatively, it is preferable that the imaging means is arranged at a corner at the head end of the apparatus main body.

According to the above configuration, it is possible to capture images in various fields of view by the image communication device equipped with the imaging means.

It is preferable that the imaging means can be stored in the apparatus main body.

According to the above configuration, it is possible to project the imaging means from the apparatus main body when in use, and to store the imaging means in the apparatus main body when not in use, thereby reducing the size. When the imaging means is not used, the apparatus body can be used as a normal mobile phone or the like. Therefore, it is possible to increase the portability and storage of the image communication device equipped with the imaging unit, and to capture images in various fields of view.

The image pickup means is preferably rotatable back and forth or sideways with respect to the apparatus body.

According to the above configuration, even when the apparatus main body is tilted depending on the use situation when capturing the surrounding image, the imaging means can be tilted from the apparatus main body and kept vertical.
Further, it is possible to capture images in various fields of view by improving the portability and storability of the image communication device equipped with the imaging unit.

It is preferable that the imaging means is extendable and retractable with respect to the apparatus main body. Alternatively, it is preferable that a communication antenna is further provided, and the imaging means is arranged at a tip end of the antenna.

According to the above configuration, the imaging means can be protruded upward by extending the imaging means or extending the antenna, so that a surrounding image can be taken even in a crowded place or the like. Further, it is possible to capture images in various fields of view by improving the portability and storability of the image communication device equipped with the imaging unit.

The transmitting means and the receiving means are configured to be communicable with a GPS or a base station, and include a current position obtained by communicating with the GPS or the base station and a position including map data around the current position. It is preferable that the apparatus further comprises a position information acquisition unit for acquiring information, and the position information acquired by the position information acquisition unit can be transmitted to the outside together with the image data transmitted from the transmission unit. Further, when the receiving means receives position information transmitted together with image data and audio data from another image communication apparatus, it is preferable that the position information is displayed on the display means together with the display image data.

According to the above arrangement, in addition to the image data transmitted from the other image communication device as the transmission partner, the current position of the other image communication device which has transmitted the image data and the map data around the image data are transmitted to the image data. Can be displayed in correspondence with the image communication apparatus, so that the surrounding situation of the image communication apparatus on the transmission side can be grasped in detail.

[0059] It is preferable that the transmitting means adds the identification information of the image communication apparatus on the transmitting side together with the wide-angle image data and transmits the image data. Further, the image data storage means includes a design information storage means for storing the design information, and an identification information storage means for storing identification information relating to another image communication apparatus as a transmission partner, and the design information storage means Means and identification information storage means for, when the receiving means receives wide-angle image data transmitted from another image communication device as a transmission partner, corresponding the design information and the identification information to the transmitted wide-angle image data It is preferable to store them.

According to the above configuration, the design information stored in correspondence with the identification information of the transmitting device can be used. For example, by receiving only omnidirectional image data from the same transmitting device, the design information can be obtained. The amount of information transmission and the time required for transmission can be reduced.

When the receiving means receives the identification information together with the wide-angle image data, the identification information is compared with the identification information already stored in the identification information storage means. When it is determined that the two pieces of identification information are the same, the transmission unit requests the other image communication device that transmits the wide-angle image data to transmit only the wide-angle image data. Is preferably transmitted. Further, it is preferable to further include a transmission request identification unit that identifies that a transmission request for requesting transmission of only the wide-angle image data transmitted from another image communication device has been transmitted.

According to the above configuration, the image communication device on the receiving side can receive only omnidirectional image data from the transmitting device having the same identification information, so that the transmission amount and transmission time of the design information can be reduced. can do.

A portable telephone according to the present invention has the function of the image communication device according to the present invention.

According to the above configuration, the sender's own image and the surrounding image (still image or moving image) can be sent simultaneously with a simple operation, and the receiver side can send the image independently of the sender side. It is possible to realize a portable telephone whose position can be selected. In addition, it is possible to realize a mobile phone with improved operability, portability, storability, imaging performance, and the like.

[0065]

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

(Embodiment 1) FIG. 1 is an external view showing a configuration of an image communication apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 1, reference numeral 5 denotes a color LCD as display means, 7 denotes an operation panel, 7a denotes numeric keys, 7b denotes various switches such as a manner key, 10 denotes a microphone as voice input means, and 19 denotes an antenna.

A color LCD 5 as display means is provided on the front of the main body of the image communication apparatus. The color LCD 5 is used for displaying a received image received by a receiving unit described later, displaying a menu used when operating the operation panel 7, and the like. Further, a touch panel 7c for control input may be formed on the surface of the color LCD 5.

Below the color LCD 5, an operation panel 7 constituting key input means for various control inputs is provided. The operation panel 7 is provided with a numeric keypad 7a capable of accessing a communication line of the portable telephone and various switches 7b. Further below, a microphone 10 is provided as voice input means. Further, an antenna 19 constituting a part of a wireless receiving means is provided at a corner of the main body head.

FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram of the image communication apparatus according to the present embodiment. In FIG. 2, reference numeral 1 denotes image data receiving means for receiving wide-angle image data, 2 denotes image data storage means for storing image data received by the image data receiving means 1, and 3 converts image data to display image data. Image data conversion means 5 and image display means 5 for displaying an image based on the display image data converted by the image data conversion means 3 (corresponding to the color LCD in FIG. 1)
It is. Reference numeral 6 denotes control means for controlling a series of operations of these means, and 4 denotes a conversion image data selection means which is included in the control means 6 and selects a target area for image conversion from the received image data. Key input means (operation panel) for inputting a control signal to the control means 6. The control means 6 includes a display control means 6a for controlling a display image displayed on the display means 5, and the converted image data selection means 4 includes a position selection means 4a for selecting a position to be converted from the image data. include. Further, the image data conversion means 3 includes a converted image storage means 3a for storing the image data after the conversion processing.

As can be seen from this functional block diagram, the image communication device of the present embodiment functions as a wireless portable receiver, and may be, for example, a portable television device. Note that the image communication device according to the present embodiment includes:
It is not limited to a portable type, and may be a stationary type television receiver, a monitoring monitor device, or the like.

In this image communication apparatus, the wide-angle image data sent from the image transmission means provided in another image communication apparatus (not shown) is received by the image data receiving means 1. The received image data is formed into data for each frame and stored in the image data storage unit 2. The image data temporarily stored in the image data storage unit 2 is sent to the image data conversion unit 3. The image data conversion means 3 converts the transmitted image data into display image data for each frame. This is a process of converting circular image data into display image data such as a panorama conversion image and a perspective conversion image, and performing pan / tilt and enlargement / reduction on the converted display image data, as described later. , And a process of converting the image data into signal data or the like for input to the display means 5. The display image data after the conversion processing is stored in the converted image storage unit 3 provided in the image data conversion unit 3.
a is temporarily stored. The conversion image data selection means 4
It is possible to select a target area to be converted from the image data by the control signal from the CPU. In this case, the image data of the selected target area is converted into display image data, sent from the converted image storage unit 3a to the display unit 5, and a desired image is displayed.

Here, the wide-angle image data transmitted from the image transmitting means (not shown) includes parameter information indicating the imaging conditions on the transmitting side. Alternatively, if the parameter indicating the imaging condition on the transmitting side is known in advance, the parameter is incorporated in the image data conversion unit 3.

For example, when the transmitted wide-angle image data is circular image data obtained by capturing the reflected light of the convex rotating mirror, parameter information depending on the design data of the convex rotating mirror is stored in advance on the receiving side. Or when the transmitting side transmits the image data, simultaneously transmits the image data and transmits parameter information depending on the design data of the convex rotary mirror that has captured the image data. I do. As a result, the image data captured by the transmitting side at an arbitrary convex rotating mirror is received by the receiving side, and is converted into display image data by the image communication unit 3 on the receiving side. Can be displayed.

Further, the image data conversion includes a captured image conversion for directly displaying a captured image (a circular image when a convex rotating mirror is used) captured by an image capturing means of another image communication device, and a panoramic image conversion. And a perspective image conversion for displaying a perspective image. The picked-up image and the panoramic image display an image having a maximum of 360 degrees around the periphery, and the perspective image selects image data in a part of the field of view of the image data and selects the field of view from the focal position of the convex rotary mirror. Is displayed. When a convex rotating body mirror having no focal position is used, or when a convex rotating body mirror is not used, the image is distorted and a perspective image cannot be obtained. An image corresponding to the visual field is displayed. In the case of a wide-angle image using a fisheye lens or the like, an image corresponding to the field of view from the camera is displayed.

Further, the panoramic image conversion has a pan function of moving the viewpoint to the left and right. The pan function shifts the position for selecting image data by a predetermined angle Δθ in the θ direction according to a predetermined key operation. This is done by conversion. For perspective image conversion, besides the pan function,
Tilt function to move the viewpoint up and down
It has a reduction function. For example, when an imaging unit using a bilobal hyperboloid mirror, which is one of the convex rotating mirrors, is used, a polar coordinate format (r,
θ), and by performing a conversion by moving a predetermined angle Δθ in the θ direction in response to a predetermined key operation, a panning operation can be performed. Further, the tilt operation can be performed by converting the data into the polar coordinate format by using the conversion formula shown below, and performing the conversion by moving a predetermined angle Δα in the α direction according to a predetermined key operation. Further, by increasing or decreasing the distance R from the focal position to the fluoroscopic image plane, enlargement / reduction becomes possible.

[0076]

(Equation 1) In the above equation, F is the vertical distance from the lens center to the imaging surface of the light receiving element, α is the angle from the horizontal plane including the focal point of the bilobal hyperboloid mirror, and β is the bifocal distance from the imaging surface of the light receiving element. The zenith angle when viewing the incident point on the curved mirror (the angle in the direction of the incident point with respect to the axis of the bilobal hyperboloid mirror (hereinafter, referred to as the Z axis)), and θ is the rotation angle around the Z axis. a, b, and c are mirror constants determined by the curved shape of the hyperboloid mirror, X, Y, and Z are the positions of the subject in space, R is the distance from the focal point of the hyperboloid mirror to the subject, and r Is the distance from the center of the circular image captured on the imaging surface of the light receiving element.

FIG. 3 is a conceptual diagram for explaining the types of these displayed images. FIG. 3D is a diagram showing the image pickup means 8a and objects around it, and FIG. 8
FIG. 3B is a diagram illustrating a captured image captured in a, FIG. 3B is a diagram illustrating a panoramic image, and FIG. 3C is a diagram illustrating a perspective image. As described above, the fluoroscopic image is an image corresponding to the field of view from the mirror focal position, and is an image normally recognized by human eyes.

The operation of the image data converting means 3 and thereafter will be described again with reference to FIG. For example,
In the case of converting a desired region into a perspective image captured, the receiver uses the converted image data selecting unit 4 to select the captured image data transmitted from the image data transmitting unit (not shown) (for example, in the case of a convex rotating body mirror). The user selects a desired area from among circular image data (however, the area can be set even if the wide-angle image data is not circular image data). The selected information is used as a control signal of the image data conversion means 3.

The image data conversion means 3 performs image data conversion processing for converting only the area designated by the control signal into a perspective image. The converted data is stored in the converted image storage unit 3a, and the stored data is output to the display unit 5, so that the receiver can check the perspective converted image obtained by capturing the desired image.

FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining the configuration of the image data conversion means 3. This image data conversion means 3
Are a CPU 15 for controlling the conversion process, an LUT 16 having parameters relating to angle data representing the coordinate position of the circular image data, an arithmetic logic unit 17 for performing the conversion process of the image data, a converted image data storage unit 3a, and a bus line connecting these. 18. LUT16
Has a data configuration as shown in FIG. 13, for example. This is an example of α = −30 ° to −49.9 °.

The image data conversion means 3 performs LU conversion on the area specified by the control signal from the circular image data transmitted from the image transmission means (not shown).
The arithmetic logic unit 17 performs a coordinate conversion process of the image data using the angle data at T16.

For example, regarding the coordinate conversion processing in the case of using an image pickup means using a two-lobed hyperboloidal mirror, which is one of the convex rotating mirrors, the present applicant has filed Japanese Patent Application No.
No. 152208, only the conversion formula is shown here.

[0083]

(Equation 2) In the above equation, x and y are coordinates on the light receiving surface of the imaging means,
X, Y, and Z are the coordinates of the object, b and c are mirror constants, and F is the distance between the lens and the light receiving surface.

On the transmitting side (not shown), parameters depending on the design data of the two-lobed hyperboloidal mirror, which is one of the convex rotating mirrors, and parameters relating to the lens arrangement position (b, c, F, etc.) are fixed. CPU 15 provided in image data converting means 3 on the receiving side shown in FIG.
If the parameters are stored as fixed data in (see FIG. 4), image conversion processing can be easily performed.

The circular image data transmitted from the transmitting side (not shown) includes parameters depending on the design data of the two-sided hyperboloidal mirror on the transmitting side and parameters (b, c, F, etc., described above) relating to the lens arrangement position. If these parameters are present, the parameters are taken into the CPU 15 (see FIG. 4) provided in the image data conversion means 3 on the receiving side shown in FIG. Perform image conversion processing corresponding to the image data,
A display image can be obtained. Then, the converted image data is temporarily stored in the converted image data storage unit 3a.

In the above description, conversion processing is performed on circular image data captured as a wide-angle image data using a bilobal hyperboloid convex rotating mirror.
Panoramic images can also be applied as wide-angle image data. Furthermore, when wide-angle image data is obtained using another optical system, the image is displayed as it is, but the display can be enlarged or reduced.

Next, the converted image data selecting means 4 will be described. In the conversion processing by the image data conversion means 3, the receiver receives a desired area from the picked-up image data (circular image data in the case of a convex rotating body mirror) transmitted from the image transmission means (not shown). It is possible to select That is, at the time of the conversion processing by the image data conversion means 3, the circular image data read from the image data storage means 2 is once displayed on the display means 5 as it is. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a circular image displayed at this time.

Hereinafter, a method of designating a position desired by the receiver on the received circular image will be described. The first method is that, when the receiver specifies a desired position (for example, A0 (r0, θ0)) on the circular image displayed on the display means 5, a fluoroscopic image having a predetermined screen size centering on the position is designated. Is displayed on the display means 5. Specific screen sizes are (r0 ± Δr0, θ0 ± Δθ0)
Specify etc. Here, r represents the distance from the center of the circular image, θ represents the angle from the reference position of the circular image, and the position coordinates of the circular image can be designated by r and θ.

In the second method, a conversion area (for example, A1 (r
1, θ1), A2 (r2, θ2), A3 (r3, θ
3) and A4 (r4, θ4)). At this time, an arbitrary projection plane can be selected.

The third method is a method of designating only two types of angles θ1 and θ2 as shown in FIG. This method is effective when the upper and lower limits of the conversion area are specified in advance.

At this time, the position selecting means 4a shown in FIG. 2 is used as a means for designating the position. As a position selection method by the position selection means 4a, a method using the circular image data (using circular image data) and a method using panoramic image data (using panoramic image data).
There are two methods.

First, the circular image data utilization type will be described. This method is further classified into two methods depending on the method of inputting the selected position information. The first method is to display the cursor keys together with the received circular image on the same screen of the display means 5 and operate the keys on the operation panel 7 which constitutes a part of the key input means, thereby changing the cursor keys to a circular shape. This is a method in which a receiver on an image is moved to a desired position and key coordinates are operated at that position to detect the position coordinates. The second method is a method of directly designating a position desired by the recipient using the touch panel 7c formed on the display unit 5. Thus, a desired area is selected from the circular image data, and the selected information is sent to the CPU 15 of the image data conversion means 3 and used as a control signal.

Next, the panoramic image data utilization type will be described. In this method, after the circular image data read from the image data storage unit 2 is converted into a panoramic image by the image data conversion unit 3 and displayed on the display unit 5,
This is a method of selecting an area to be converted into a perspective image from this state.

FIG. 7 is a diagram for explaining the position designation method at that time. Also in this case, it is further classified into two methods depending on the position selection method. The first method is a method of specifying the center position, and the second method is a method of specifying the angles (θ1, θ2) of both sides. Furthermore, the position designation method is also the same as the above-mentioned circular image data utilization type,
A method using a cursor key and a method using a touch panel can be used.

The image displayed on the display means 5 is
Further, based on an input from the key input means (operation panel) 7 or an input from the touch panel 7c (input for controlling position designation, panorama image, perspective image, pan / tilt, enlargement / reduction, etc.), the display control means 6a Is sent to the image data conversion means 3 and the display means 5 to enable enlargement / reduction or pan / tilt operations, as well as change of the display screen size and position.

Although the case where the image data transmitted from the image transmitting means (not shown) is circular image data has been described above, the transmitted image data is a converted image data. It may be data or an image from a general imaging unit (camera). In this case, the image data received by the image data receiving unit 1 is temporarily stored in the image data storage unit 2 and then sent to the display unit 5 without being converted by the image data conversion unit 3. Needless to say, they can be displayed.

(Embodiment 2) FIG. 8A is an external view showing a configuration of an image communication apparatus according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention. A color LCD 5 as display means is provided on the front of the main body of the image communication apparatus. This color LC
D5 is used when displaying a received image received by a receiving unit described later, displaying an image captured by the image capturing unit or an image converted by the image data converting unit, and operating the operation panel 7 as an input unit. Used for displaying a menu to be used. Further, a touch panel 7c for control input may be formed on the surface of the color LCD 5.

Below the color LCD 5, an operation panel 7 constituting key input means for various control inputs is provided. The operation panel 7 is provided with a numeric keypad 7a capable of accessing a communication line of the portable telephone and various switches 7b. Further below, a microphone 10 constituting a part of the voice input means is provided. Further, an antenna 19 constituting a part of a wireless receiving means is provided at a corner of the main body head.

Further, at a position above the color LCD 5,
A speaker 11, which constitutes a part of the audio output means, is provided, and an imaging means 8a including a convex rotating body mirror is provided beside the speaker.

FIG. 9 is a functional block diagram of the image communication apparatus according to the present embodiment. In FIG. 9, reference numeral 12 denotes a receiving unit. The receiving unit 12 includes an image data receiving unit 1 for receiving wide-angle image data, and an audio data receiving unit 9 for receiving audio data. 2a denotes image data or audio data received by the image data receiving means 1 or the audio data receiving means 9, or an image capturing means 8 described later.
a image / sound data storage means for temporarily storing image data from a or sound data from the sound input means 10; and 3, an image data conversion means for converting image data into display image data or a format suitable for transmission. Reference numeral 5 denotes display means for displaying an image based on the converted image data. 6
Is control means for controlling a series of operations of these means, 4 is included in the control means 6, and converted image data selection means for selecting a target area for image conversion from the image data, 7 is the control image data Key input means (operation panel) for inputting a control signal to the means 6. Control means 6
Includes a display control means 6a for controlling an image displayed on the display means 5, and the converted image data selecting means 4 includes a position selecting means 4a for selecting a position of an image to be converted. Further, the image data conversion means 3 includes a conversion image data storage means 3a for storing the image data after the conversion processing, and an image value replacement for converting a pixel value to a constant value except for a necessary part of a captured image (circular image). Means 14 are included.
Further, 8a is an imaging means, 10 is an audio input means (microphone in FIG. 8), 11 is an audio output means (speaker in FIG. 8), and 13 is an image / audio transmission means.

As can be seen from the functional block diagram, the image communication apparatus of the present embodiment functions as a wireless portable transmitting / receiving apparatus, and may be, for example, a portable telephone. Further, a portable television device, a portable personal computer, a portable information device, or the like may be used.
It may be a stationary television device, a stationary personal computer, a stationary monitoring device, or the like.

The operation of the image communication apparatus at the time of transmission will be described below. In the imaging means 8a, an optical system using a convex rotating body mirror having a focal point such as a spherical surface, a radiation surface, an elliptical surface, and a conical surface, and further having a focal point such as a bilobal hyperboloidal shape, a CCD or a CMOS. A solid-state imaging device such as an imager, and converts an optical image obtained through the convex rotating mirror (an optical image obtained by condensing reflected light of the convex rotating mirror with a lens) into a solid image. The light is received by the image sensor and converted into image data.

The image information (circular image information in the case of a convex rotating mirror) picked up by the image pickup means 8a is converted into digital data, sent to the image / audio data storage means 2a, and temporarily stored. Is done. The image data temporarily stored in the image / audio data storage unit 2a is sent to the image data conversion unit 3. Then, the image data conversion means 3
In, whether the image data is converted into a panoramic image or a perspective image by operating the operation panel 7 by the sender,
The image is panned / tilted or enlarged / reduced, or stored as it is in the converted image data storage unit 3a.

The image data temporarily stored in the converted image data storage means 3a is sent to the display means 5 for display, and is also sent to the image / sound transmission means 13, where the format conversion means Is converted into a format suitable for transmission and transmitted.

When transmitting captured image data (circular image data in the case of a convex rotating body mirror), the circular image data temporarily stored in the converted image data storage means 3a is used to reduce the amount of transmission. The image data is converted to a constant value by a pixel value replacement unit 14 provided in the image data conversion unit 3 except for a circular image portion required for image conversion. As a result, the circular image data whose data amount is greatly reduced is sent to the image / sound transmitting means 13 and the image / sound transmitting means 1
After being converted into a compression format or the like suitable for transmission by the format conversion means provided in 3, the data is transmitted. The image displayed on the display means 5 is used as a monitor image. Further, it is desirable that the image data transmitted from the image / sound transmitting unit 13 include parameter information indicating the imaging conditions on the transmitting side.

Next, the operation of the image communication apparatus at the time of reception will be described. Other image transmission means (not shown)
Is received by the image data receiving means 1 in the receiving means 12. The received image data is temporarily stored in the image / audio data storage unit 2a,
After that, it is sent to the image data conversion means 3. The image data conversion means 3 converts the transmitted image data into a panoramic image or a perspective image based on the control signal input to the position control means 4a of the control means 6 by operating the operation panel 7 by the receiver. The image is panned / tilted or enlarged / reduced. The display image data after the conversion processing is stored in the converted image storage unit 3 provided in the image data conversion unit 3.
a, and a necessary image is displayed by the display means 5 in accordance with a control signal from the control means 6. Display means 5
Displays a received partner's camera image at the time of reception, and displays menus and setting values for operating the operation panel 7. Here, the control input by the control means 6 is performed by various key switches on the operation panel 7.

Further, the receiver can select a fluoroscopic image at an arbitrary position from the circular image received by the converted image data selecting means 4, and the method is the same as in the first embodiment.

As described above, according to the present embodiment, image transmission and reception can be performed in real time, and a panoramic image and a fluoroscopic image can be obtained in real time.

Further, by operating a key switch on the operation panel 7 to divide the display screen into two (or into three or more parts), the image data to be transmitted is monitored as shown in FIG. The user can also see the image of the other party received together. FIG. 10A shows a screen divided vertically into two parts, and FIG. 10B shows a screen divided into two parts right and left.

Further, when it is not necessary to monitor the image data to be transmitted, while watching the expression of the other party received on one screen, the other or the desired position of the receiver on the other side can be adjusted according to the explanation of the other party. Images can also be selected and displayed. Further, the received circular image is displayed, and the operation panel 7 is displayed.
, The desired position of the receiver can be designated by the cursor keys, and the fluoroscopic image can be displayed, and further, the enlarged / reduced display can be performed. It goes without saying that pan / tilt and enlargement / reduction can be performed by the same operation.

If a color LCD as the display means 5 provided with a touch panel 7c is used, a color LCD
It is also possible to directly designate a desired position of the receiver with the touch panel 7 c on the circular image displayed on the color image 5 and display the perspective image on the color LCD 5.

Further, in this embodiment, it is possible to receive and listen to an audio signal from another image communication apparatus. The audio data received by the audio data receiving means 9 in the receiving means 12 is temporarily stored in the image / audio data storage means 2a. After that, it is sent to the audio output means 11 to be reproduced / output.

Further, in the present embodiment, it is possible to simultaneously transmit and receive an image in parallel. in this case,
The image data picked up by the image pickup means 8a and the data sent and received from other senders are temporarily stored in separate storage means (a plurality of storage areas) in the image / voice storage means 2a, respectively. The data conversion means 3 can perform the image conversion processing in a time-division manner. Alternatively, a plurality of data conversion units capable of processing image data captured by the imaging unit 8a and data received from another image communication device in parallel are provided in the image data conversion unit 3. The conversion processing may be performed individually in parallel. When the image conversion processing is performed in a time-division manner, the circuit scale is small, which is suitable for miniaturization of the apparatus. On the other hand, when image conversion processing is performed in parallel, the circuit scale becomes large, but high image quality can be maintained because the processing speed does not decrease.

In this embodiment, the imaging means 8a may be provided at the head end (upper end) of the apparatus main body.
As shown in (a), it may be arranged at the corner of the head end of the apparatus main body. In this case, a wide-angle image can be easily captured.

Further, as shown in FIG. 8B, when used as a movable type, it may be arranged so as to protrude from the apparatus main body when used and to be extendable and contractible. In this case, an obstacle can be avoided by extending, and the viewable field of view can be further expanded.

When the imaging means 8a is in use, it is projected from the main body of the apparatus.
May be stored in the apparatus body as shown in FIG. In this case, portability and storability can be improved.

When the image pickup means 8a is projected from the apparatus main body at the time of use, and as shown in FIG.
It may be arranged so that it can be bent (rotated) by 0 °. In this case, the field of view that can be captured can be further expanded, and a celestial sphere image can be obtained by combining a plurality of images.

Further, as shown in FIGS. 10 and 12, an imaging means 8a may be arranged at the tip of the antenna 19 for wireless communication. In this case, the maximum circumference is 360
° images can be obtained instantly, and the field of view can be expanded by extending the antenna.

In the second embodiment, an example of a portable telephone in which a transmitting device and a receiving device are mounted has been described. However, the present invention relates to an image communication system in which an image transmitting device and an image receiving device are separated. It is also possible to apply as an image receiving device. For example, a circular image (360 ° maximum circumference) transmitted from a television image pickup apparatus equipped with image pickup means using a convex rotating body mirror as an optical system.
Omnidirectional video) is received by the television receiver to which the present invention is applied, and the receiver can enjoy a fluoroscopic image in an arbitrary azimuth by using image conversion means mounted on the television receiver. As a result, it is possible to enjoy baseball, landscapes, movies, and the like with a sense of presence as if they were at the shooting site.

Further, by applying the present invention to a security image receiving apparatus for monitoring a plurality of images transmitted from a monitoring camera, a wide field of view can be monitored, and it goes without saying that the monitoring function can be improved. No. In addition, the above-described circular image (omnidirectional image) data is mounted on a server, and the content such as a game (a game image is created as an omnidirectional image) associated with the circular image (omnidirectional image) data is described above. By distributing to a receiving means such as a personal computer to which the present invention is applied having such an image converting means, it is possible to give a more realistic feeling, and it is also clear that the content and related products can be promoted. It is.

(Embodiment 3) As shown in FIG. 15, an image communication apparatus according to Embodiment 3 includes communication means (hereinafter simply referred to as communication means) including a receiving means 12, an image / audio transmitting means 13, and the like. ) Via an external GPS (Globa
l Positioning System) 30 or a base station 40, and
Position information acquired by communicating with S30 or the base station 40 can be displayed. In addition, image data or the like is transmitted or received to another image communication device via the communication line 20.

Further, when the image communication apparatus of the third embodiment is used as a transmission-side apparatus, the image / audio transmission means 13 transmits image data and audio data to another image communication apparatus when the image / audio data is transmitted to the other image communication apparatus. In addition to the data and the audio data, a configuration is provided in which mirror design information such as a mirror constant of a mirror such as a convex rotating mirror provided in the imaging means and identification information for identifying the device can be transmitted. On the other hand, when the image communication apparatus is used as a receiving-side apparatus, the image communication apparatus receives another image communication apparatus when receiving image data and audio data transmitted from the other image communication apparatus. Has a configuration capable of receiving mirror design information and identification information transmitted together with image data and audio data.

Since the external configuration of the image communication apparatus according to the third embodiment is the same as that of the image communication apparatus according to the second embodiment, a detailed description will be given with reference to FIG. 8 showing the configuration of the image communication apparatus according to the second embodiment. Is omitted.

FIG. 15 is a functional block diagram of the image communication apparatus according to the third embodiment. In FIG. 15, the control means 6 controls each component such as the receiving means 12, etc.
For example, it is composed of a computer CPU, an MPU, and the like.

The control means 6 has a display control means 6a for controlling the display means 5 and an image data conversion program. The omnidirectional image data is converted into a desired image on the basis of the conversion information inputted by the key input means 7. In addition to the converted image data selecting means 4 for converting to data, the receiving means 12
The apparatus includes a position information acquisition unit 6b that communicates with the GPS 30 or the base station 40 and acquires position information including the current position of the apparatus and map data around the apparatus.

Further, the control means 6 of the image communication apparatus according to the third embodiment is provided with a transmission-side apparatus identification means 6d.
When this device functions as a receiving device, the transmitting device identifying means 6d identifies the type of an external transmitting device and transmits a transmission request signal necessary for the transmitting device that transmits image data. Is output. Further, the control means 6 includes a transmission request identification means 6c, and when the apparatus functions as a transmission apparatus, a transmission request transmitted by a reception apparatus which receives image data transmitted by the apparatus. And outputs a required transmission request signal to the image data conversion means 3 in the apparatus.

The storage means 2 of the image communication apparatus according to the third embodiment
Then, as shown in FIG. 16, the image data storage means 2a for storing the image data received by the image data receiving means 1 of the receiving means 12, and the audio data receiving means 9 of the receiving means 12
There is provided an audio data storage means 2b for storing the audio data received at. Mirror design information for storing mirror design information such as a mirror constant of a mirror such as a convex rotator included in an imaging unit of another image communication device that transmits image data and audio data is stored in the storage unit 2. A storage unit 2c, an identification information storage unit 2d for storing transmission-side device identification information for identifying an imaging unit used by the external image communication device for capturing image data, and a transmission by the external image communication device A position information storage unit 2e for storing position information indicating the position information of an external image communication device that is transmitted together with the image data.

The communication means comprises, for example, an antenna for transmitting a radio signal, a modem, a radio signal conversion unit, a communication line connection unit, etc., and transmits or receives omnidirectional image data and design information or position information.

The other configuration is the same as that of the image communication apparatus according to the second embodiment, and a detailed description is omitted.

In the transmission operation of the image communication apparatus of the third embodiment, the operation of transmitting image data and audio data is performed by substantially the same operation as that of the image communication apparatus of the second embodiment. In addition, the same is true when transmitting image data and audio data from the image / audio transmission unit 13 in that parameter information representing imaging conditions such as mirror design information on the transmission side is included. Differences from the image communication apparatus according to the second embodiment will be described in detail.

In the image communication apparatus according to the third embodiment, the position information including the current position of the apparatus and the map data around the apparatus transmitted by the GPS 30 or the base station 40 via the communication means is transmitted to the position information of the control means 6. The information is acquired and stored by the acquiring means 6b. The position information stored in the position information acquisition unit 6b is transmitted together with the parameter information when the image / audio transmission unit 13 transmits the image data and the audio data. The parameter information is transmitted including identification information for identifying parameter information indicating imaging conditions such as mirror design information on the transmission side.

In the image communication apparatus according to the third embodiment,
When the reception unit 12 receives a transmission request transmitted from the image communication device of the transmission partner that has transmitted image data, audio data, and the like, the transmission request is transmitted to the transmission request identification unit 6d of the control unit 6 and transmitted. The transmission request identification unit 6d to which the request has been transmitted instructs the image / audio transmission unit 13 to transmit only the omnidirectional image data without transmitting the parameter information in response to the transmitted transmission request. When there is no transmission request from the image communication device of the transmission partner, the image / audio transmission unit 13 is instructed to transmit parameter information such as design information in addition to the omnidirectional image data.

Thus, when parameter information such as design information is already stored in another image communication apparatus to be transmitted, only omnidirectional image data necessary for creating image data is transmitted. Therefore, the amount of information to be transmitted and the time required for transmission can be reduced.

Next, the operation of the image communication apparatus according to the third embodiment at the time of reception will be described. Note that the third embodiment
The operation of the image communication device for receiving the image data and the audio data is the same as the operation of the image communication device of the above-described second embodiment, and the description thereof will be omitted.

In the image communication apparatus according to the third embodiment, position information transmitted together with image data and audio data from another image communication apparatus as a transmission partner is stored in the position information storage unit 2e of the storage unit 2. . The position information stored in the position information storage unit 2e is displayed on the display unit 5 by the display control unit 6a of the control unit 6 in association with the display image converted from the image data.

[0136] This makes it easier to grasp the surroundings of the image displayed on the image transmitting device on the receiving side based on the position information displayed on the display means 5 corresponding to the image.

Further, in the image communication apparatus according to the third embodiment,
The device identification information transmitted from another image communication device to be transmitted and received by the receiving unit 12 is stored in the transmitting-side device identification information storage unit 2d of the storage unit 2. The identification information stored in the transmission-side device identification information storage means 2d is transmitted to the transmission-side device identification means 6d of the control means 6, and the identification information is transmitted to the transmission-side device identification means 6d. It is compared with the previously received identification information already stored in the identification information storage unit 2d to determine whether the same model has received image data in the past.
If image data has been received by the same model in the past, the transmitting-side device identification means 6d of the control means 6
Transmits transmission request information via the image / audio transmitter 13 to another image communication device as a transmission partner so as to transmit only image data, audio data, etc., and Then, an instruction is issued to receive only the image data.

Thus, when parameter information such as design information is already stored in another image communication apparatus to be transmitted, only omnidirectional image data necessary for creating image data is received. Therefore, the amount of information to be transmitted and the time required for transmission can be reduced.

[0139]

According to the conventional portable telephone or television set equipped with an electronic still camera, it is not possible to select an image that can be received on the receiving side, and it is not possible to obtain any desired image information. According to the above, the receiver side that has received a wide-angle image such as an omnidirectional image data or a panoramic image selects an image in an arbitrary direction from the received image data and converts the image into a perspective image or an enlarged image. ,
A desired image can be obtained from the video around the sender.

Further, in a conventional mobile phone equipped with an electronic still camera, the viewing angle range is limited, and when a plurality of images are transmitted using one image capturing means, an image in a specific direction is captured. Subsequently, it is necessary to repeat a series of operations of transmitting an image and then changing the direction of the imaging means (camera) on the transmission side a plurality of times, and there is a problem that the operation is complicated and troublesome. Further, one image capturing unit cannot capture a plurality of videos at the same time, and cannot transmit a plurality of videos at the same time as image data.
According to the present invention, wide-angle or omnidirectional (up to a maximum of 36
0 °), and image data of an arbitrary range can be generated from the captured image data and transmitted and displayed. Therefore, a plurality of images at the same time can be captured, and real-time operation can be performed in a simple operation. Can be sent.

Further, by providing the imaging means at the head end (for example, at the head end corner), it is possible to contribute to downsizing of the apparatus. In addition, since the image pickup means has a rotatable or expandable and contractible structure, it is possible to enhance storage efficiency and to further easily capture a wide-angle image.

According to the image communication apparatus of the present invention, G
Since the current position of the transmitting device obtained by communicating with the PS or the base station and the position information including the map data around the transmitting device can be displayed in association with the display image, the surrounding situation of the transmitting device can be described in detail. You can check. Further, together with the wide-angle image data transmitted from the transmitting device, identification information for identifying the transmitting device is transmitted, and the image communication device on the receiving side that receives the identification information,
The time required to receive the identification information and convert it into image data of a desired shape can be reduced. In this case, the transmission-side image communication apparatus may further include transmission request identification means for identifying that a transmission request for requesting to transmit only the wide-angle image data transmitted from another image communication apparatus has been transmitted. This prevents unnecessary image data from being created in the image communication device on the transmission side, and reduces the amount of image data transmitted and the time required for transmission.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a front view illustrating a configuration of an image communication device according to a first embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram illustrating a configuration of the image communication device according to the first embodiment.

FIGS. 3A to 3D are conceptual diagrams for explaining types of images.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram for explaining a configuration of image data conversion means in the image communication device of FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is a diagram for explaining a method of selecting a position on a circular image.

FIG. 6 is a diagram for explaining a method of selecting a position on a circular image.

FIG. 7 is a diagram for explaining a position selection method on a panoramic image.

FIGS. 8A and 8B are front views illustrating the configuration of an image communication apparatus according to a second embodiment.

FIG. 9 is a functional block diagram illustrating a configuration of an image communication device according to a second embodiment.

FIGS. 10A and 10B are front views for explaining a configuration of another image communication apparatus according to the second embodiment.

FIG. 11 is a front view illustrating the configuration of another image communication apparatus according to the second embodiment.

FIG. 12 is a front view illustrating the configuration of another image communication apparatus according to the second embodiment.

FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating an example of a lookup table used in the embodiment.

14A and 14B are external views for explaining the configuration of a conventional mobile phone equipped with an electronic still camera, where FIG.
(B) is a rear view.

FIG. 15 is a functional block diagram illustrating a configuration of an image communication device according to a third embodiment.

FIG. 16 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of a storage unit of the image communication device according to the third embodiment.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 image data receiving means 2 image data storing means 2a image / audio data storing means 3 image data converting means 3a converted image data storing means 4 converted image data selecting means 4a position selecting means 5 display means (color LCD) 6 control means 6a display Control means 6b Position information acquisition means 6c Transmission request identification means 6d Transmission side device identification means 7 Operation panel (key input means) 7a Numeric keypad 7b Various key switches 7c Touch panel 8 Imaging means (electronic still camera) 8a Imaging means 9 Audio receiving means 10 Voice input means (microphone) 11 Voice output means 12 Reception means 13 Image / voice transmission means 14 Pixel value replacement means 15 CPU 16 LUT 17 Calculation logic means 18 Bus line 19 Antenna 20 Communication line 30 GPS (Global Positioning)
System) 40 base station

 ──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page (72) Inventor Masayuki Nagahiro 22-22, Nagaikecho, Abeno-ku, Osaka City, Osaka Inside (72) Inventor Toshiaki Yamano 22-22, Nagaikecho, Abeno-ku, Osaka City, Osaka In-house F term (reference) 5B057 AA20 BA02 BA11 BA15 BA24 BA26 CD05 CE09 CH11 CH18 DA16 DA17 5C022 AA01 AA12 AB68 AC03 AC42 AC51 5C023 AA02 AA10 AA38 BA15 CA01 DA01 5C054 AA01 CE08 DA09 EA01 EA05 FC12 AE07 FC02 FD07 FF01 FF22 GG00 MM17

Claims (29)

[Claims] 1. Image data receiving means for receiving wide-angle image data, image data storing means for storing image data received by the image data receiving means, and image data conversion for converting the image data into display image data Means, conversion image data selection means for selecting a target area for image conversion by the image data conversion means from the image data, and image display means for displaying an image on a screen based on the display image data. An image communication device, comprising: 2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the wide-angle image data received by the image data receiving means is circular image data obtained by imaging reflected light of a convex rotating mirror. Image communication device. 3. The wide-angle image data contains information on the design of a convex rotating mirror and a lens for condensing the reflected light, or is stored in the image data converting means. The image communication device according to claim 2. 4. The image data conversion means according to claim 1, wherein said image data conversion means has a function of converting the image data into at least one of perspective image data and panoramic image data. An image communication device according to any one of the above. 5. The image data conversion means according to claim 1, wherein said image data conversion means has at least one of a pan / tilt function and a zoom-in / zoom-out function of a display image. An image communication device according to claim 1. 6. The conversion image data selection means includes: a position selection means for selecting one or more arbitrary positions on the circular image; and a storage means for storing image data according to the selected position information. The image communication device according to claim 2, further comprising: 7. The image communication device according to claim 6, wherein the selected position information is represented by polar coordinate values r and θ with the center of the circular image as an origin. 8. The image communication apparatus according to claim 6, wherein said position selecting means comprises a cursor key or a touch panel provided on a screen of said display means. 9. The image communication apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a transmission unit for transmitting image data to an external device. 10. An optical system comprising a convex rotating mirror, and light reflected by the convex rotating mirror and condensed by a lens disposed at a position facing the convex rotating mirror. The image communication device according to claim 9, further comprising an imaging unit having a light receiving element. 11. The image data transmitted from the transmitting means to the outside includes information on the design of a convex rotating mirror and a lens for condensing the reflected light. An image communication device according to claim 1. 12. The image communication apparatus according to claim 10, further comprising a transmission unit and a reception unit for audio data. 13. The display device according to claim 10, wherein said display means has a function for dividing a display screen into at least one of upper, lower, left, and right regions. An image communication device according to claim 1. 14. The image communication apparatus according to claim 13, wherein an image at a different position is selected and displayed from the image data imaged by the imaging means on the divided screen. 15. The method according to claim 14, wherein the plurality of divided screens are two-divided screens, and one screen always displays an image of a sender and the other displays an image at an arbitrary position. An image communication device according to claim 1. 16. The image processing apparatus according to claim 10, further comprising a pixel value replacing unit that replaces the image data excluding the circular image portion with a constant value for the image data captured by the image capturing unit. Item 16. The image communication device according to any one of Items 15. 17. The image communication apparatus according to claim 10, wherein said imaging means is arranged at a head end of the apparatus main body. 18. The image communication apparatus according to claim 10, wherein said image pickup means is arranged at a corner of a head end of the apparatus main body. 19. The image communication apparatus according to claim 17, wherein said imaging means can be housed in an apparatus main body. 20. An image communication apparatus according to claim 17, wherein said imaging means is rotatable back and forth or sideways with respect to the apparatus main body. 21. The apparatus according to claim 17, wherein said imaging means is extendable and retractable with respect to the apparatus main body.
10. The image communication device according to any one of 9. 22. The image communication apparatus according to claim 11, further comprising a communication antenna, wherein said imaging means is arranged at a tip of said antenna. 23. The transmitting means and the receiving means, wherein:
Or configured to communicate with a base station and obtained by communicating with a GPS or base station,
The apparatus further includes position information acquisition means for acquiring position information including a current position and map data around the current position, and the position information acquired by the position information acquisition means, together with image data transmitted from the transmission means, The image communication apparatus according to any one of claims 9 to 11, wherein the image communication apparatus can be transmitted outside. 24. When the receiving means receives position information transmitted together with image data and audio data from another image communication device, the position information is displayed on the display means together with the display image data. The image communication device according to claim 23, wherein: 25. The image processing apparatus according to claim 23, wherein the transmission unit transmits the wide-angle image data together with identification information of the image communication apparatus serving as a transmission side.
Or the image communication device according to 24. 26. The image data storage means comprises: design information storage means for storing the design information; and identification information storage means for storing identification information relating to another image communication apparatus to be transmitted. The design information storage means and the identification information storage means, when the receiving means receives wide-angle image data transmitted from another image communication device as a transmission partner, the design information and the identification information are transmitted to the transmitted wide-angle image data. The image communication device according to claim 25, wherein the information is stored in association with the information. 27. When the receiving means receives the identification information together with the wide-angle image data, the identification information is compared with the identification information already stored in the identification information storage means, and the comparison result is obtained. When it is determined that the two pieces of identification information are the same, the transmission unit requests the other image communication device that transmits the wide-angle image data to transmit only the wide-angle image data. The image communication apparatus according to any one of claims 23 to 26, wherein is transmitted. 28. The image processing apparatus further comprising transmission request identification means for identifying that a transmission request for requesting transmission of only wide-angle image data transmitted from another image communication apparatus has been transmitted. 28. The image communication device according to 27. 29. A portable telephone having the function of the image communication device according to claim 1. Description: