VIDEO COMMUNICATION SYSTEM AMONG MULTI-POINTS

PURPOSE:To attain efficient video image transfer for a loop transmission line by providing a node for conference service to the system, introducing the function of reducing and coding a video image to each terminal equipment, and allowing each conference node to decode and synthesis the video image, to encode a synthesized pattern again and to distribute the result to each terminal equipment. CONSTITUTION:A video signal from plural cameras are selected by a switcher 34, digitized by a conversion circuit 33, and reduced at a reduction circuit 32 by interleaving picture elements in the vertical and horizontal directions. Then the reduction signal is coded by a video coder 31 and given to an access node 22 and sent to a conference node 24. On the other hand, the video signal synthesized by the conference node 24 is received by a video coder 31 via the access node 22 and converted into an analog signal by the conversion circuit 33 and outputted to a video monitor. Furthermore, the voice synthesis signal from a microphone is digitally converted into a digital signal by a voice converter in the coder 31 and sent to the conference node 24 via the access node 22.