Multi-point motion picture encoding and decoding apparatus

Claim 2

A terminal for displaying a plurality of video images on a display screen, comprising: a receiver for receiving video data packets from a plurality of video sources in a time sharing manner, each of said video data packets including coded video information for representing a partial image contained within one of a plurality of blocks constituting a video frame, attribute information for indicating at least a location of a block corresponding thereto within the video frame and identification information of the video source; a decoder connected to said receiver for decoding the coded video information extracted from each of said video data packets and for outputting a partial image corresponding to one of said blocks in the video frame; a set of frame memories for assembling partial images into video frames, each of said frame memories having a plurality of image areas located in a predetermined layout defined therein, a set of said image areas each located at a same location within respective said frame memories being associated with a same video source with respect to each other; a recorder for writing each partial image derived from said decoder into one of said image areas within one of said frame memories which is specified in accordance with the identification information extracted from a video data packet related to the partial image and a utilization status of said image areas; and a selector for selectively outputting contents of said frame memories on a display screen by changing over said frame memories depending upon a display position on the display screen thereby to present a plurality of video frames at a plurality of image areas on the display screen.

Claim 3

A terminal as claimed in claim 1, further comprising: a memory for keeping therein status information for each of said image areas, said recorder operating by referencing said memory so as to write said partial image into one of said set of image areas which is specified by the identification information and as indicated in a status available for a write operation by said status information, and said selector operating by referencing said memory so as to selectively output the contents of one of said image areas which is indicated by said status information in an output waiting status or in an output execution status.

Claim 4

A terminal as claimed in claim 1, wherein said decoder comprises a memory for storing said coded video information for each video source until an amount of the coded video information sufficient to produce one partial image is prepared in the decoder.

Claim 5

A terminal as claimed in claim 1, wherein said receiver means is connected so as to receive said video data packets transmitted from at least one remote terminal through a communication network.

Claim 6

A terminal as claimed in claim 1, wherein said decoder comprises an extra-frame reproducer for producing partial images from first coded video information coded through an intra-frame encoding, and an inter-frame reproducer for producing partial images from second coded video information coded through an inter-frame encoding.

Claim 7

A terminal for displaying a plurality of video images on a display screen comprising: a packet supplier for sequentially supplying video data packets each of which includes coded video information related to one of a plurality of blocks constituting a video frame, attribute information for indicating a location of a block corresponding thereto within the video frame and identification information of a video source; a decoder connected so as to receive said video data packets for decoding the coded video information extracted from each of said video data packets to output a partial image; a set of frame memories for assembling partial images into video frames; a memory for storing control information for indicating a status of each of a plurality of video areas defined within each of said frame memories in a predetermined layout and correlation between the video areas and video sources; a recorder for writing the partial image output from said decoder into one of said video areas within one of said frame memories specified by the control information in the memory and the identification information extracted from the video data packet related to the partial image; and a selector for selectively outputting the contents of said frame memories on a display screen by changing over said frame memories depending upon a status of said video areas thereby to present a plurality of video frames at a plurality of video areas on the display screen.

Claim 8

A terminal for displaying a plurality of video images on a display screen comprising: a packet supplier for sequentially supplying video data packets each of which includes coded video information related to one of a plurality of blocks constituting a video frame, attribute information for indicating a location of a block corresponding thereto within the video frame and identification information of a video source; a decoder connected so as to receive said video data packets for decoding the coded video information extracted from each of said video data packets to output a partial image; a set of frame memories for assembling partial images into video frames; a memory for storing control information for indicating a status of each of a plurality of video areas defined within each of said frame memories in a predetermined layout and correlation between the video areas and video sources; a recorder for writing the partial image output from said decoder into one of said video areas within one of said frame memories specified by the control information in the memory and the identification information extracted from the video data packet related to the partial image; and a selector for selectively outputting the contents of said frame memories on a display screen by changing over said frame memories depending upon a status of said video areas thereby to present a plurality of video frames at a plurality of video areas on the display screen.

Claim 9

A terminal as claimed in claim 6, wherein said decoder comprises a buffer memory for storing said coded video information for each video source until an amount of the coded video information necessary to produce one partial image is prepared in said decoder.

Claim 10

A terminal as claimed in claim 6, wherein said packet supplier for sequentially supplying said video data packets is connected so as to receive video data packets transmitted from at least one remote terminal through a communication network.

Claim 11

A terminal as claimed in claim 6, wherein said decoder comprises an intra-frame reproducer for producing partial images from first coded video information coded through an intra-frame encoding, and an inter-frame reproducer means for producing partial images from second coded video information coded through an inter-frame encoding.

Claim 12

A multi-point video conference system, comprising: a network; a plurality of terminals interconnected via said network, with each terminal comprising: a camera for capturing a video image; a coding and packeting arrangement for coding and packetizing said video images into video data packets; a receiver for receiving video data packets from other ones of said terminals in a time sharing manner, each of said video data packets including coded video information for representing a partial image contained within one of a plurality of blocks constituting a video frame, attribute information for indicating at least a location of a block corresponding thereto within the video frame and identification information of a terminal source; a decoder connected to said receiver means for decoding the coded video information extracted from each of said video data packets and for outputting a partial image corresponding to one of said blocks in the video frame; a set of frame memories for assembling partial images into video frames, each of said frame memories having a plurality of window areas located in a predetermined layout defined therein, a set of said window areas each located at a same location within respective said frame memories being associated with a same terminal source with respect to each other; a recorder for writing each partial image derived from said decoder into one of said window areas within one of said frame memories which is specified in accordance with the identification information extracted from a video data packet related to the partial image and a utilization status of said window areas; and a selector for selectively outputting contents of said frame memories on a display screen by changing over said frame memories depending upon a display position on the display screen thereby to present a plurality of video frames at a plurality of window areas on the display screen.

Claim 13

A multi-point video conference system, comprising: a network; a plurality of terminals interconnected via said network, with each terminal comprising: a camera for capturing a video image; a coding and packeting arrangement for coding and packetizing said video images into video data packets; a receiver for receiving video data packets from other ones of said terminals in a time sharing manner, each of said video data packets including coded video information for representing a partial image contained within one of a plurality of blocks constituting a video frame, attribute information for indicating at least a location of a block corresponding thereto within the video frame and identification information of a terminal source; a decoder connected to said receiver means for decoding the coded video information extracted from each of said video data packets and for outputting a partial image corresponding to one of said blocks in the video frame; a set of frame memories for assembling partial images into video frames, each of said frame memories having a plurality of window areas located in a predetermined layout defined therein, a set of said window areas each located at a same location within respective said frame memories being associated with a same terminal source with respect to each other; a recorder for writing each partial image derived from said decoder into one of said window areas within one of said frame memories which is specified in accordance with the identification information extracted from a video data packet related to the partial image and a utilization status of said window areas; and a selector for selectively outputting contents of said frame memories on a display screen by changing over said frame memories depending upon a display position on the display screen thereby to present a plurality of video frames at a plurality of window areas on the display screen.

Claim 14

A video conference system as claimed in claim 10, further comprising: a memory for keeping therein status information for each of said window areas, said recorder operating by referencing said memory so as to write said partial image into one of said set of window areas which is specified by the identification information and as indicated in a status available for a write operation by said status information, and said selector operating by referencing said memory so as to selectively output the contents of one of said window areas which is indicated by said status information in an output waiting status or in an output execution status.

Claim 15

A video conference system as claimed in claim 10, wherein said decoder comprises a memory for storing said coded video information for each terminal source until an amount of the coded video information sufficient to produce one partial image is prepared in the decoder.

Claim 16

A video conference system as claimed in claim 10, further comprising a transmitter for transmitting said video data packets to at least one remote terminal through said network.

Claim 17

A video conference system as claimed in claim 10, wherein said decoder comprises an intra-frame reproducer for producing partial images from first coded video information coded through an intra-frame encoding, and an inter-framed reproducer for producing partial images from second coded video information coded through an inter-frame encoding.

Claim 18

A multi-point video conference system, comprising: a network; a plurality of terminals interconnected via said network, with each terminal comprising: a camera for capturing a video image; a coding and packeting arrangement for coding and packetizing said video images into video data packets; a sequencer for sequentially supplying said video data packets each of which includes coded video information related to one of a plurality of blocks constituting a video frame, attribute information for indicating a location of a block corresponding thereto within the video frame and identification information of a terminal source; a decoder connected so as to receive said video data packets from other ones of said terminals for decoding the coded video information extracted from each of said video data packets to output a partial image; a set of frame memories for assembling partial images into video frames; a memory for storing control information for indicating a status of each of a plurality of video areas defined within each of said frame memories in a predetermined layout and correlation between the video areas and terminal sources; a recorder for writing the partial image output from said decoder into one of said video areas within one of said frame memories specified by the control information in the memory and the identification information extracted from the video data packet related to the partial image; and a selector for selectively outputting the contents of said frame memories on a display screen by changing over said frame memories depending upon a status of said video areas thereby to present a plurality of video frames at a plurality of video areas on the display screen.

Claim 19

A multi-point video conference system, comprising: a network; a plurality of terminals interconnected via said network, with each terminal comprising: a camera for capturing a video image; a coding and packeting arrangement for coding and packetizing said video images into video data packets; a sequencer for sequentially supplying said video data packets each of which includes coded video information related to one of a plurality of blocks constituting a video frame, attribute information for indicating a location of a block corresponding thereto within the video frame and identification information of a terminal source; a decoder connected so as to receive said video data packets from other ones of said terminals for decoding the coded video information extracted from each of said video data packets to output a partial image; a set of frame memories for assembling partial images into video frames; a memory for storing control information for indicating a status of each of a plurality of video areas defined within each of said frame memories in a predetermined layout and correlation between the video areas and terminal sources; a recorder for writing the partial image output from said decoder into one of said video areas within one of said frame memories specified by the control information in the memory and the identification information extracted from the video data packet related to the partial image; and a selector for selectively outputting the contents of said frame memories on a display screen by changing over said frame memories depending upon a status of said video areas thereby to present a plurality of video frames at a plurality of video areas on the display screen.

Claim 20

A terminal system as claimed in claim 15, wherein said decoder comprises a buffer memory for storing said coded video information for each video source until an amount of the coded video information necessary to produce one partial image is prepared in said decoder.

Claim 21

A terminal system as claimed in claim 15, wherein said sequencer for sequentially supplying said video data packets is connected so as to receive video data packets transmitted from at least one remote terminal through said network.

Claim 22

A terminal system as claimed in claim 15, wherein said decoder comprises a means for producing partial images from first coded video information coded through an intra-frame encoding, and a means for producing partial images from second coded video information coded through an inter-frame encoding.

Claim 25

A method as claimed in claim 19, comprising the further steps of: storing status information for each of said image areas, referencing stored said status information so as to write said partial image into one of said set of image areas which is specified by the identification information and as indicated in a status available for a write operation by said status information, wherein said selectively outputting step references stored said status information so as to selectively output the contents of one of said image areas which is indicated by said status information in an output waiting status or in an output execution status.

Claim 26

A method as claimed in claim 19, wherein said decoding step includes the substep of storing said coded video information for each video source until an amount of the coded video information sufficient to produce one partial image is prepared.

Claim 27

A method as claimed in claim 19, wherein in said receiving step, said video data packets are received after being transmitted from at least one remote terminal through a communication network.

Claim 28

A method as claimed in claim 19, wherein said decoding step includes alternative substeps of producing partial images from first coded video information coded through an intra-frame encoding, and producing partial images from second coded video information coded through an inter-frame encoding.

Claim 31

A method as claimed in claim 24, wherein said receiving step includes storing said coded video information for each video source in a buffer memory until an amount of the coded video information necessary to produce one partial image is prepared.

Claim 32

A method as claimed in claim 24, wherein in said sequentially supplying step, said video data packets are transmitted from at least one remote terminal through a communication network.

Claim 33

A method as claimed in claim 24, wherein said receiving step includes alternative substeps of producing partial images from first coded video information coded through an intra-frame encoding, and producing partial images from second coded video information coded through an inter-frame encoding.