Method for controlling an audio conferencing system, control device and program for an audio conferencing system

Abstract

This invention provides a control method for a conference system that prevents the remote party from being informed of the audio status on the near end of the system. [Solution] The control method for the audio conferencing system comprises a camera and a user terminal that displays the status related to audio. The control method for the audio conferencing system performs a recognition process to recognize the user terminal from an image captured by the camera, and if the recognition process determines that the user terminal is included in the image, it adjusts the area captured by the camera to an area that does not include the user terminal.

Description

Technical Field

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[0001] One embodiment of the present invention relates to a method for controlling an audio conferencing system and a control device for an audio conferencing system.

Background Art

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a configuration in which when a non-photographing permission area is set, the overlap between the non-photographing permission direction and the photographing range is examined, and if there is any overlap, a black image is superimposed on the portion corresponding to the non-photographing permission area in the camera image.

[0003] Patent Document 2 discloses a configuration in which it is determined whether a playback display device is reflected in a captured image, and when the playback display device is reflected, the photographing direction is changed by driving a motor so that the playback display device is not included in the captured image.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] The invention of Patent Document 1 is to preset a non-photographing permission area, and is not an invention to prevent a specific object from being shown.

[0006] The invention of Patent Document 2 is to prevent a playback display device (an object that one does not want to photograph) from being reflected when photographing a subject that one wants to photograph, and is not an invention to notify the other party of the voice state.

[0007] An object of one embodiment of this invention is to provide a control method and control device for a conference system that prevents the other party at the far end from being informed of the audio status at the near end. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] A control method for an audio conferencing system according to one embodiment of this invention comprises a camera and a user terminal that displays the status related to audio. The control method for the audio conferencing system performs a recognition process to recognize the user terminal from an image captured by the camera, and if the recognition process determines that the user terminal is included in the image, it adjusts the area captured by the camera to an area that does not include the user terminal. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] According to one embodiment of the present invention, in a conference system, the status of the audio on the near end can be prevented from being communicated to the other party on the far end. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0010] [Figure 1] This is a block diagram showing the configuration of audio conferencing system 1. [Figure 2] This is a schematic elevation drawing of the interior. [Figure 3] This is a block diagram showing the configuration of the control device 20. [Figure 4] This is a block diagram showing the configuration of the user terminal 40. [Figure 5] This flowchart shows how to control the conference system. [Figure 6] This figure shows an example of an image taken with camera 50. [Figure 7] This figure shows an example of an image after adjustment. [Figure 8] This is a flowchart showing a control method for a conference system according to the second embodiment. [Figure 9] This figure shows an example of an image after adjustment. [Figure 10]It is a flowchart showing a control method of a conference system according to a combination of a first embodiment and a second embodiment. [Figure 11] It is a flowchart showing a control method of a conference system according to a third embodiment. [Figure 12] It is a flowchart showing a control method of a conference system according to a combination of a first embodiment and a third embodiment. [Figure 13] It is a block diagram showing a configuration of a voice conference system 1A according to a first modification. [Figure 14] It is an elevation schematic diagram of an interior in the first modification. [Figure 15] It is a flowchart showing a control method of a conference system according to a first modification. [Figure 16] It is a block diagram showing a configuration of a user terminal 40A according to a second modification.

MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

[0011] (First Embodiment) FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a voice conference system 1 of the present embodiment. The voice conference system 1 includes a display device 10, a control device 20, a personal computer (PC) 30, a user terminal 40, a camera 50, and a speaker 60.

[0012] The control device 20 is connected to the display device 10, the PC 30, the user terminal 40, the camera 50, and the speaker 60. The control device 20 is connected to the PC 30, for example, by USB. Also, the control device 20 is connected to the display device 10, for example, by HDMI (registered trademark). The control device 20 is connected to the user terminal 40 by Bluetooth (registered trademark). Also, the control device 20 is connected to the camera 50 and the speaker 60 via, for example, a LAN (Local Area Network). Also, the control device 20 is connected to a PC at a remote location via, for example, the Internet. Note that the PC 30 and the user terminal 40 may be connected to the control device 20 via a LAN.

[0013] Figure 2 is a schematic elevation view of the interior. The display device 10 is installed on the wall surface of the interior as an example. The control device 20 is installed on the lower surface of the display device 10 as an example. The camera 50 is installed on the upper surface of the display device 10 as an example. The speakers 60 are installed on the right and left surfaces of the display device 10 as an example. There are a plurality of users (users u1, u2) around the desk. A PC 30 is installed on the desk in front of user u1. A user terminal 40 is installed on the desk in front of user u2.

[0014] Figure 3 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the control device 20. The control device 20 includes a communication interface (I / F) 21, a control unit 22, a flash memory 23, and a RAM 24.

[0015] The communication I / F 21 is an I / F such as LAN, USB, HDMI (registered trademark), or Bluetooth (registered trademark). The communication I / F 21 is connected to the PC 30 by, for example, USB. Also, the communication I / F 21 is connected to the display device 10 by, for example, HDMI (registered trademark). Also, the communication I / F 21 is connected to the user terminal 40 by, for example, Bluetooth (registered trademark). Also, the communication I / F 21 is connected to the camera 50 and the speakers 60 by, for example, LAN. Also, the communication I / F 21 is connected to a PC at a remote location via the Internet, for example.

[0016] The flash memory 23 is a storage medium that stores the operation program of the control unit 22. The control unit 22 reads the operation program from the flash memory 23 and performs various operations. Note that the program does not necessarily have to be stored in the flash memory 23. For example, the program may be stored in a storage medium of an external device such as a server. In this case, the control unit 22 may read the program from the server and execute it each time.

[0017] The control unit 22 receives an audio signal from the user terminal 40 via the communication interface 21. The control unit 22 transmits the received audio signal to the PC at the remote location via the communication interface 21. The control unit 22 also receives an audio signal from the PC at the remote location via the communication interface 21. The control unit 22 also outputs the audio signal received from the PC at the remote location to the speaker 60. The speaker 60 emits sound based on the audio signal output from the control unit 22. As a result, users of the control device 20 can conduct audio conferences with users at the remote location.

[0018] The control unit 22 receives the video signal from the camera 50 via the communication interface 21. The control unit 22 transmits the received video signal to the PC at the remote location via the communication interface 21. The control unit 22 also receives the video signal from the PC at the remote location via the communication interface 21. The control unit 22 outputs the received video signal to the display device 10. The display device 10 displays the video based on the video signal received from the control unit 22. This allows users of the control device 20 to conduct video conferences with users at the remote location.

[0019] Figure 4 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the user terminal 40. The user terminal 40 includes a communication interface 41, a control unit 42, flash memory 43, RAM 44, a user interface 45, an LED 46, and a microphone 47.

[0020] The control unit 42 comprehensively controls the operation of the user terminal 40 by reading the operating program from the flash memory 43 into the RAM 44. Note that the program does not need to be stored in the device's own flash memory 43. The control unit 42 may download the program from a server, for example, each time and read it into the RAM 44.

[0021] Microphone 47 acquires sound signals related to the user's voice. Control unit 42 receives the sound signals acquired by microphone 47. Control unit 42 transmits the received sound signals to control device 20. Microphone 47 may be a single microphone unit or multiple microphone units.

[0022] Furthermore, the control unit 42, or the control unit 22 of the control device 20, may perform predetermined sound processing on the sound signal acquired by the microphone 47. For example, the control unit 22 may perform beamforming using multiple sound signals acquired by multiple microphone units in the microphone 47. Beamforming is a process that combines multiple sound signals with a delay to form a sound-collecting beam with directionality directed in a predetermined direction. The sound-collecting beam can also form a directionality that focuses at a predetermined position. As a result, the sound-collecting beam is directed towards the user who is near the user terminal 40. The user's position information relative to the user terminal 40 may be, for example, pre-input or obtained based on the video signal acquired by the camera 50. The control unit 22 recognizes the user terminal 40 and the user's face from the image of the camera 50 using a trained algorithm that has been trained to recognize the user terminal 40 and the user's face from the image contained in the video signal of the camera 50 using a predetermined algorithm such as a neural network. Alternatively, the control unit 22 may obtain the location information of the user terminal 40 by referring to a table or function that defines the relationship between the image of the user terminal 40 on the image acquired by the camera 50 and the location information of the user terminal 40.

[0023] Note that the microphone 47 does not need to be built into the user terminal 40. For example, the microphone 47 may be installed on the ceiling of the room. In this case, the control unit 22 may direct the sound-collecting beam in the direction of the user terminal 40 based on the location information of the user terminal 40. In this case as well, the sound-collecting beam will be directed towards the user who is near the user terminal 40.

[0024] The control unit 42 receives user input via the user interface 45. The user interface 45 has, for example, an operator for receiving input to change the volume of the speaker 60, an operator for receiving input to change the framing of the camera 50, an operator for receiving input to mute the microphone 47 on / off, or an operator for receiving input to change the sensitivity of the microphone 47. These operators may be physically separate operators or may be the same operator.

[0025] LED 46 is an example of a display unit and displays the status related to audio according to the control unit 42. LED 46 displays the status related to audio, for example, whether the mute is on or off. When the control unit 42 receives a mute-on operation from the user via the user interface 45, it lights up LED 46 in red. Alternatively, when the control unit 42 receives a mute-off operation from the user via the user interface 45, it lights up LED 46 in green. Furthermore, as an example of displaying the status related to audio, when the microphone 47 is muted off, the control unit 42 may further control the brightness of LED 46 according to the sensitivity of the microphone 47. For example, LED 46 becomes brighter the higher the sensitivity of the microphone 47, and dimmer the lower the sensitivity of the microphone 47.

[0026] Next, Figure 5 is a flowchart showing the control method of the conference system performed by the control device 20. The control unit 22 of the control device 20 performs recognition processing to recognize the user terminal 40 from the image captured by the camera 50 (S11). The control unit 22 recognizes the user terminal 40 from the image of the camera 50 using a trained algorithm that has been trained to recognize the user terminal 40 from the image contained in the video signal of the camera 50 using a predetermined algorithm such as a neural network.

[0027] The control unit 22 determines whether the user terminal 40 is included in the image from the camera 50 (S12). If the control unit 22 determines that the user terminal 40 is included in the image from the camera 50 (if S12 is Yes), it adjusts the area captured by the camera 50 to an area that does not include the user terminal 40 (S13). If the control unit 22 determines that the user terminal 40 is not included in the image from the camera 50 (if S12 is No), it skips the process in S13.

[0028] Figure 6 shows an example of an image captured by camera 50, and Figure 7 shows an example of an adjusted image. In the example in Figure 6, the image from camera 50 includes the user terminal 40. The control unit 22 determines that the image from camera 50 includes the user terminal 40 and adjusts the area captured by camera 50 to an area that does not include the user terminal 40. For example, as shown in Figure 7, the control unit 22 zooms in on the area captured by camera 50 to adjust it to an area that does not include the user terminal 40. The control unit 22 may adjust the area captured to an area that does not include the user terminal 40 not only by zooming, but also by panning or tilting.

[0029] Furthermore, it is preferable that the control unit 22 adjusts the area to be captured by panning, tilting, or zooming so that the image from the camera 50 includes the user's face but does not include the user terminal 40.

[0030] As described above, the control device 20 of this embodiment can prevent the remote party in the conference system from being notified of the audio status of the near party. The user terminal 40 of the above embodiment is equipped with an LED 46 as an example of a display unit that indicates the audio status. The LED 46 lights up red when the microphone 47 is muted. When the image of the camera 50 includes the user terminal 40, the display color of the LED 46 is visible to the remote party in the conference system. However, when the control device 20 of this embodiment determines that the image of the camera 50 includes the user terminal 40, it adjusts the area captured by the camera 50 to an area that does not include the user terminal 40. Therefore, the display color of the LED 46 becomes invisible to the remote party in the conference system, and the remote user cannot know the audio status of the user terminal 40. As a result, the near party in the conference system can obtain a new customer experience in which they can prevent their own voice (for example, the conversation between user u1 and user u2) from being transmitted to the remote party without notifying them that they are muted.

[0031] Furthermore, the control unit 22 of the control device 20 may perform a recognition process in the S11 process to recognize the user terminal 40 from the image captured by the camera 50, and may also perform a process to recognize the display state of the LED 46. In addition, even if the user terminal 40 is included in the image from the camera 50, the control unit 22 may skip the S13 process if the display state of the LED 46 is in the mute-off state. In other words, the control unit 22 may adjust the area captured by the camera 50 to an area that does not include the user terminal 40, but only if the image from the camera 50 includes the user terminal 40 and the display state of the LED 46 is in the mute-on state.

[0032] (Second Embodiment) Figure 8 is a flowchart showing the control method for the conference system according to the second embodiment. The configuration of the conference system in the second embodiment is the same as that shown in Figures 1 to 4, so its description is omitted. In addition, the same reference numerals are used in Figure 8 for processes that are the same as those in the flowchart shown in Figure 5, and their descriptions are omitted.

[0033] If the control unit 22 determines that the user terminal 40 is included in the image from the camera 50 (if S12 is Yes), it applies image adjustment processing to the portion of the image from the camera 50 that contains the user terminal 40 (S23).

[0034] Figure 9 shows an example of an adjusted image. In the example shown in Figure 6, the image from camera 50 includes the user terminal 40. When the control unit 22 according to the second embodiment determines that the image from camera 50 includes the user terminal 40, it performs a process, for example, to reduce the brightness of the portion of the image from camera 50 that contains the user terminal 40 so that it is less noticeable.

[0035] As a result, the display color of LED46 becomes difficult for the other party at the far end of the conference system to see, and the user at the far end is unable to know the audio status of the user terminal 40. This allows the user at the near end of the conference system to have a new customer experience in which they can prevent their voice from being transmitted without informing the other party at the far end that they are muted.

[0036] Furthermore, the image adjustment process may include not only brightness adjustment but also, for example, color adjustment. For instance, the control unit 22 may change the portion of the image from the camera 50 corresponding to the LED 46 of the user terminal 40 from red to green. This allows the display color of the LED 46 to be perceived by the other party at the far end of the conference system as a mute-off state. In this case as well, the user at the near end of the conference system can obtain a new customer experience in which their voice is not transmitted without informing the other party at the far end that they are muted on.

[0037] Furthermore, the image adjustment process may include filtering such as blurring. In this case as well, the display color of LED46 will be difficult for the other party at the far end of the conference system to see. In this case as well, the user at the near end of the conference system can obtain a new customer experience in which they can prevent their voice from being transmitted without informing the other party at the far end that they are muted.

[0038] In the second embodiment as well, the control unit 22 of the control device 20 may perform a recognition process in the S11 process to recognize the user terminal 40 from the image captured by the camera 50, and further perform a process to recognize the display state of the LED 46. Furthermore, even if the user terminal 40 is included in the image from the camera 50, the control unit 22 may skip the S23 process if the display state of the LED 46 is in the mute-off state. In other words, the control unit 22 may perform image adjustment processing on the portion of the image from the camera 50 that includes the user terminal 40, but only if the image from the camera 50 includes the user terminal 40 and the display state of the LED 46 is in the mute-on state.

[0039] (Combination of the first and second embodiments) Figure 10 is a flowchart showing a control method for a conference system based on a combination of the first and second embodiments.

[0040] In the example shown in Figure 10, the control unit 22 recognizes the user terminal 40 and the user's face from the image of the camera 50, for example, using a trained algorithm (S101). If the control unit 22 determines that the user terminal 40 is included in the image of the camera 50 (if S12 is Yes), it adjusts the area captured by the camera 50 to an area that does not include the user terminal 40 (S13).

[0041] Furthermore, the control unit 22 determines whether the user's face will no longer be visible if the area captured by the camera 50 is adjusted to exclude the user terminal 40 (S102). If the control unit 22 determines that the user's face will no longer be visible if the area captured by the camera 50 is adjusted to exclude the user terminal 40 (if S102 is Yes), it applies image adjustment processing to the portion of the camera 50 image that includes the user terminal 40 (S23). If the control unit 22 determines that the user's face will still be visible even if the area captured by the camera 50 is adjusted to exclude the user terminal 40, it skips the process in S23. Also, if the control unit 22 determines that the user terminal 40 is not included in the image from the camera 50 (if S12 is No), it skips the processes in S13 and S23.

[0042] Thus, in the combination of the first and second embodiments, even when it is necessary to photograph the user terminal 40 in order to photograph the user's face, the image adjustment process makes it possible to prevent the other party from being notified that the device is muted.

[0043] In addition, in the combination of the first and second embodiments, the control unit 22 of the control device 20 may perform a recognition process in the S101 process to recognize the user terminal 40 from the image captured by the camera 50, and further perform a process to recognize the display state of the LED 46. Furthermore, even if the user terminal 40 is included in the image from the camera 50, the control unit 22 may skip the processing from S13 onwards if the display state of the LED 46 is in the mute-off state. In other words, the control unit 22 may perform the processing from S13 onwards only if the user terminal 40 is included in the image from the camera 50 and the display state of the LED 46 is in the mute-on state.

[0044] (Third embodiment) Figure 11 is a flowchart showing the control method for the conference system according to the third embodiment. The configuration of the conference system in the third embodiment is the same as that shown in Figures 1 to 4, so its description is omitted. In addition, the same reference numerals are used in Figure 11 for processes that are the same as those in the flowchart shown in Figure 5, and their descriptions are omitted.

[0045] If the control unit 22 determines that the user terminal 40 is included in the image from the camera 50 (if S12 is Yes), it sends control information to the recognized user terminal 40 and adjusts the operation of the user terminal 40 (S33).

[0046] The control information includes, for example, information to change the display mode of the LED 46, which is a display unit. The control unit 22 transmits control information to the user terminal 40, for example, to change the display color of the LED 46 on the user terminal 40 to the color of the mute-off state (for example, green). As a result, the display color of the LED 46 is visible to the other party at the far end of the conference system as mute-off. Alternatively, the control unit 22 transmits control information to the user terminal 40, for example, to reduce the brightness of the LED 46. As a result, the display color of the LED 46 becomes difficult to see to the other party at the far end of the conference system, making it impossible to know the audio status of the user terminal 40.

[0047] Therefore, users on the near end of the conferencing system can enjoy a new customer experience where they can prevent their voice from being transmitted to the other party at the far end without informing them that they are muted.

[0048] (Combination of the first and third embodiments) Figure 12 is a flowchart illustrating the control method of a conference system according to a combination of the first and third embodiments. Processes common to Figure 10 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and their descriptions are omitted.

[0049] In the example shown in Figure 12, if the control unit 22 determines that the user's face will not be captured when the area captured by the camera 50 is adjusted to exclude the user terminal 40 (if S102 is Yes), it sends control information to the recognized user terminal 40 and controls the operation of the user terminal 40 (S33).

[0050] Thus, in the combination of the first and third embodiments, even when it is necessary to photograph the user terminal 40 in order to photograph the user's face, the color and brightness of the LED 46 can be controlled relative to the user terminal 40 to prevent the other party from being notified that the device is muted.

[0051] (Variation 1) Figure 13 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the audio conferencing system 1A according to Modification Example 1. Components common to the audio conferencing system 1 in Figure 1 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and their explanations are omitted.

[0052] The audio conferencing system 1A according to Modification 1 includes multiple user terminals. The audio conferencing system 1A shown in Figure 13 includes, as an example, user terminal 40 and user terminal 70. User terminal 70 has the same configuration as user terminal 40. User terminal 70 is connected to the control device 20 by, for example, Bluetooth®.

[0053] Figure 14 is a schematic elevation view of the room in the first modified example. The user terminal 70 is placed on the desk in front of the display device 10. That is, the user terminal 70 is located in front of the camera 50.

[0054] Figure 15 is a flowchart showing the control method of the conference system according to Modified Example 1. Processes identical to those in the flowchart shown in Figure 11 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and their explanations are omitted.

[0055] If the control unit 22 of the control device 20 determines that the user terminal 40 is included in the image from the camera 50 (if S12 is Yes), it identifies the user terminal that was recognized in the recognition process of S11 (S301).

[0056] As described above, the location information of the user terminal can be obtained, for example, by being pre-entered, or by using a table, function, or trained algorithm. In the voice conferencing system 1A, the user terminal 70 is located in front of the camera 50. Therefore, the control unit 22 identifies the user terminal that is visible in front of the camera 50 as the user terminal 70.

[0057] The control unit 22 transmits control information to the user terminal (user terminal 70) identified in S301 (S302).

[0058] The control device 20 according to Modification 1 adjusts the color and brightness of the LED 46 for the user terminal 70, but does not adjust the color and brightness of the LED 46 for user terminal 40 that is not included in the image of the camera 50. Even when there are multiple user terminals, the control device 20 according to Modification 1 can determine which user terminal to control and how to control it, thereby achieving an optimal setting that does not inform users at the far end of the audio status and does not affect users at the near end of the device.

[0059] (Modification 2) Figure 16 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the user terminal 40A according to modified example 2. Components identical to those shown in Figure 4 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and their descriptions are omitted.

[0060] The user terminal 40A according to Modification 2 includes a drive unit 48. The drive unit 48 includes, for example, wheels or propellers. The drive unit 48 drives the wheels or propellers according to the control of the control unit 22. In other words, the user terminal 40A according to Modification 2 functions as an unmanned vehicle or unmanned aircraft.

[0061] In the process of S33 in Figure 11 or Figure 12, the control unit 22 transmits control information to the user terminal 40 to move the user terminal 40. For example, the control unit 22 moves the user terminal 40 to a position where it is not included in the image of the camera 50.

[0062] As a result, the user terminal 40 is no longer included in the image of the camera 50, and the other party at the far end of the conference system cannot know the audio status of the user terminal 40. Therefore, the user at the near end of the conference system can obtain a new customer experience in which they can prevent their voice from being transmitted without informing the other party at the far end that they are muted.

[0063] (Other examples) If the control unit 22 determines during the recognition process that the user terminal is included in the image from the camera 50, it may notify the user by emitting sound from the speaker 60, flashing the LED 46, or displaying an image on the display device 10, prompting the user to make adjustments. In this case, by prompting the user to make adjustments, the user may adjust, for example, the pan, tilt, or zoom of the camera 50 to ensure that the user terminal 40 is not captured in the image. Alternatively, the user may, for example, change the color, brightness, or apply a filter to the position of the user terminal 40 in the image from the camera 50. Alternatively, the user may, for example, change the color or brightness of the display on the user terminal 40. The user may also move the position of the user terminal 40 to ensure that it is not captured in the image.

[0064] The control unit 22 may accept settings for user terminals to be recognized and user terminals not to be recognized in the recognition process of S11 or S101. In this case, the control unit 22 recognizes only the user terminals that have been set as targets for recognition in the process of S11 or S101. For example, in Modification 1, if the setting is accepted to recognize user terminal 40 and not to recognize user terminal 70, the control unit 22 adjusts the image of the camera 50 so that only user terminal 40 is not visible or is not conspicuous. This makes it possible to prevent the other party from being notified that only a specific user terminal is muted in an audio conferencing system with multiple user terminals.

[0065] If the control unit 22 determines during the recognition process that the image from the camera 50 includes a user terminal, it may make adjustments according to the user's input. The control unit 22 may perform voice recognition processing on the sound signal acquired by the microphone 47 and accept voice input from the user, or it may accept input from the user through an application program executed on the PC 30, for example.

[0066] In this case, the control unit 22 performs the adjustment process shown in the first to third embodiments according to the user's instructions. Therefore, since the user on the near end has instructed the adjustment process, the adjustment process shown in the first to third embodiments is performed, preventing malfunctions caused by the user on the near end noticing the adjustment (for example, mistakenly believing that the display shows the mute off state when the mute is actually on).

[0067] The control unit 22 of the control device 20 may perform a recognition process to recognize the state of the LED 46 during the processing of S11. Then, during the processing of S12, the control unit 22 may determine that the user terminal 40 is included in the image of the camera 50 only if the state of the LED 46 is muted or the sensitivity of the microphone 47 is very low (the sensitivity of the microphone 47 is below a predetermined value).

[0068] The description of this embodiment should be considered in all respects to be illustrative and not restrictive. The scope of the invention is indicated by the claims, rather than by the embodiments described above. Furthermore, the scope of the invention includes the scope equivalent to the claims. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0069] 1: Audio conferencing system, 1A: Audio conferencing system, 10: Display device, 20: Control device, 21: Communication interface, 22: Control unit, 23: Flash memory, 24: RAM, 40: User terminal, 40A: User terminal, 41: Communication interface, 42: Control unit, 43: Flash memory, 44: RAM, 45: User interface, 46: LED, 47: Microphone, 48: Drive unit, 50: Camera, 60: Speaker, 70: User terminal

Claims

1. A control method for an audio conferencing system comprising a camera and a user terminal that displays audio status, A recognition process is performed to recognize the user terminal from the image captured by the aforementioned camera. If the recognition process determines that the image includes the user terminal, The area to be captured by the aforementioned camera is adjusted to an area that does not include the user terminal. Control method.

2. A control method for an audio conferencing system comprising a camera and a user terminal that displays audio status, A recognition process is performed to recognize the user terminal from the image captured by the aforementioned camera. If the recognition process determines that the image includes the user terminal, Image adjustment processing is applied to the portion of the image corresponding to the user's terminal. Control method.

3. A control method for an audio conferencing system comprising a camera and a user terminal that displays audio status, A recognition process is performed to recognize the user terminal from the image captured by the aforementioned camera. If the recognition process determines that the image includes the user terminal, The system transmits control information to the recognized user terminal and adjusts the operation of the user terminal. Control method.

4. If the aforementioned audio conferencing system includes multiple user terminals, The user terminal recognized in the recognition process is identified, and the control information is transmitted to the identified user terminal. The control method according to claim 3.

5. The user terminal is equipped with a display unit that displays the status related to the voice, The control information includes information that changes the display mode of the display unit. The control method according to claim 3.

6. The control information includes information to change the color or brightness of the display unit. The control method according to claim 5.

7. The aforementioned image adjustment process includes a process to change color, a process to change brightness, or a filter process. The control method according to claim 2.

8. The image captured by the aforementioned camera is subjected to face recognition processing to recognize the user's face. If the area captured by the aforementioned camera is changed to an area that does not include the user terminal, and the user's face is no longer captured, Image adjustment processing is applied to the portion of the image corresponding to the user's terminal, or The system transmits control information to the recognized user terminal and controls the operation of the user terminal. The control method according to claim 1.

9. If the recognition process determines that the image contains the user terminal, the user is notified. The control method according to any one of claims 1 to 8.

10. If the recognition process determines that the image includes the user terminal, the adjustment is performed according to the user's input. The control method according to any one of claims 1 to 8.

11. A control device for controlling an audio conferencing system that includes a camera and a user terminal that displays the status related to audio, A recognition process is performed to recognize the user terminal from the image captured by the aforementioned camera. If the recognition process determines that the image includes the user terminal, The area to be captured by the aforementioned camera is adjusted to an area that does not include the user terminal. Equipped with a control unit, Control device.

12. A control device for controlling an audio conferencing system that includes a camera and a user terminal that displays the status related to audio, A recognition process is performed to recognize the user terminal from the image captured by the aforementioned camera. If the recognition process determines that the image includes the user terminal, Image adjustment processing is applied to the portion of the image corresponding to the user's terminal. Equipped with a control unit, Control device.

13. A control device for controlling an audio conferencing system that includes a camera and a user terminal that displays the status related to audio, A recognition process is performed to recognize the user terminal from the image captured by the aforementioned camera. If the recognition process determines that the image includes the user terminal, The system transmits control information to the recognized user terminal and adjusts the operation of the user terminal. Equipped with a control unit, Control device.

14. A control device for controlling an audio conferencing system that includes a camera and a user terminal that displays audio status, A recognition process is performed to recognize the user terminal from the image captured by the aforementioned camera. If the recognition process determines that the image includes the user terminal, The area to be captured by the aforementioned camera is adjusted to an area that does not include the user terminal. A program that executes a process.

15. A control device for controlling an audio conferencing system that includes a camera and a user terminal that displays audio status, A recognition process is performed to recognize the user terminal from the image captured by the aforementioned camera. If the recognition process determines that the image includes the user terminal, Image adjustment processing is applied to the portion of the image corresponding to the user's terminal. A program that executes a process.

16. A control device for controlling an audio conferencing system that includes a camera and a user terminal that displays audio status, A recognition process is performed to recognize the user terminal from the image captured by the aforementioned camera. If the recognition process determines that the image includes the user terminal, The system transmits control information to the recognized user terminal and adjusts the operation of the user terminal. A program that executes a process.

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