Two-way interactive system, terminal equipment and image pickup apparatus having mechanism for matching lines of sight between interlocutors through transmission means

Abstract

A two-way interactive system that includes an apparatus for matching the line of sight of interlocutors in order to enhance communication through a transmission means when the interlocutors are located in remote areas. Terminal equipment, located at the site of each interlocutor, includes a display unit, a position regulator means and an image pickup apparatus. The display unit includes a monitor that displays an image of a partner interlocutor. The position regulating means regulates the position of the interlocutor with respect to the monitor. The image pickup apparatus includes an image pickup unit which captures an image of the interlocutors and a support means which sets the image pickup unit in a predetermined position between the interlocutor and a monitor of the display unit. More particularly, the image pick up unit is positioned in a line-of-sight matching area defined by the distance from the interlocutor to the monitor and a parallactic angle formed by the lines of sight of the interlocutor to the image of the partner interlocutor and the image pickup unit.

Description

[0001]This is a continuation of application Ser. No. 08 / 606,044, filed Feb. 16, 1996 now U.S. Pat. No. 5,815,197.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0002]1. Field of the Invention[0003]The present invention relates to a two-way interactive system having a mechanism for matching lines of sight between interlocutors through a transmission means, and a terminal equipment and an image pickup apparatus constituting the system and, more particularly, to a counseling system which realizes a two-way interactive operation between, e.g., a doctor and a patient or a counselor and a client in remote areas through a transmission means and is mainly oriented to a one-to-one two-way interactive operation, and an apparatus constituting the system.[0004]2. Related Background Art[0005]Conventionally, counseling in the field of education, medical service, psychology, or the like is generally performed between interlocutors directly facing each other while establishing an intimate reliability relationship betw...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0015]It is an object of the present invention to provide a two-way interactive system and an apparatus constituting the system which has a mechanism for matching lines of sight between interlocutors through a transmission means to minimize the sense of incompatibility during an interactive operation between interlocutors in remote areas. Particularly, the two-way interactive system according to the present invention has as its object to create an organic relationship between interlocutors (realize close communication) and provide an ideal counseling environment by integrally processing voice information (including a background music (BGM), character / graphic information, and the like, in-addition to the images of the interlocutors.

[0043]The card-shaped external recording medium such as an IC card may also be used to reserve an interactive operation, authenticate the designated partner interlocutor, or authenticate and control interactive operation conditions, including a reserved interactive operation start time and an interactive operation time set in advance. The recording medium can also be used as an electronic fee settlement means. By using the recording medium to record the summary of an interactive operation of pending questions, these pieces of information can be conveniently used in next counseling or communication. When data such as the interactive operation start time or a partner for an interactive operation (an interlocutor on the partner side) is input in advance to the recording medium such as an IC card, the partner-side terminal equipment can be searched on a network such as a BBS on the basis of the data. On the basis of the search result, terminal equipments at first and second specific points can be lined-connected independently of the present positions of the first interlocutor and the second interlocutor, so that an interactive operation environment between the first and second interlocutors can be formed. When the name, face (image data), and interactive operation items (theme of an interactive operation) of an interlocutor on the partner side are input to the recording medium (e.g., on IC card), and these pieces of information are displayed for the interlocutor on the monitor for predetermined period (e.g., about 30 seconds) before an interactive operation is started, the interlocutor can mentally prepare for the interactive operation, so the interlocutor can easily shift to the theme of the interactive operation. At this time, if a BGM or voice is output in an interlocked manner, a more comfortable interactive operation environment can be provided or the interlocutor. Such monitor display can also be effectively performed during and / or after the interactive operation as needed. Particularly, when monitor display is performed after the interactive operation is completed, the interlocutor can smoothly progress settlement of the interactive operation and the like (the time of monitor display after completion of the interactive operation corresponds is a mental preparation time from completion of the interactive operation to the next operation for the interlocutor).

Problems solved by technology

Inevitably, a large space is required to accommodate such a large mirror.

Particularly, it is difficult to manufacture an apparatus with a screen size of 40 inches or more.

In addition, since a half mirror is used, an image picked up by the image pickup apparatus arranged at a position offset from the screen where an interlocutor's image is displayed is darkened, so no ideal counseling environment can be realized.

The second prior art using a special display apparatus for selecting reflection / transmission of light cannot be incorporated in a commercially available mass-produced TV set.

For this reason, to realize a system using this principle, a dedicated machine must be developed, resulting in an increase in cost of the apparatus.

Therefore, the picked-up image of the interlocutor is darkened, so no ideal counseling environment can be realized.

To obtain a large field angle, the reflecting mirror must have a size larger than that of the small-size camera, and person's image display on the display apparatus is interfered with this large reflecting mirror.

If the position of the person to be picked up changes, the small-size camera cannot follow up the movement because the image pickup direction cannot be changed.

Therefore, matching of the lines of sight between interlocutors cannot always be ensured.

Images