Moving picture real-time communications terminal, control method for moving picture real-time communications terminal, and control program for moving picture real-time communications terminal

1. A moving picture real-time communications terminal, comprising:

an input unit which inputs an RGB video image signal;

a conversion unit which converts the RGB video image signal into a YUV video image signal including Y, U and V video image signals;

a compression and encoding unit which digitally converts the YUV video image signal outputted from the conversion unit into moving picture data, and compresses and encodes the moving picture data;

a communications unit which sends and receives the moving picture data compressed and encoded by the compression and encoding unit, in real time, to and from a communications terminal of another party connected through a network;

a bandwidth estimation unit which estimates change in a bandwidth of the network;

a switching circuit which connects and disconnects output paths of the U and V video image signals from the conversion unit to the compression and encoding unit; and

a switching control unit which disconnects the output paths of the U and V video image signals by operating the switching circuit, in response to the change in the bandwidth estimated by the bandwidth estimation unit,

wherein the compression and encoding unit increases a bit rate of compression and encoding of the Y signal, in accordance with disconnection of the output paths of the U and V video image signals.

2. The moving picture real-time communications terminal as defined in claim 1 , wherein:

the conversion unit converts the RGB video image signal into the YUV video image signal having a YUV 4:2:0 format; and

the compression and encoding unit increases the bit rate of the compression and encoding of the Y signal, up to a maximum of 1.5 times, in accordance with the disconnection of the output paths of the U and V video image signals.

3. A control method for a moving picture real-time communications terminal, comprising: an input unit which inputs an RGB video image signal; a conversion unit which converts the RGB video image signal into a YUV video image signal including Y, U and V video image signals; a compression and encoding unit which digitally converts the YUV video image signal outputted from the conversion unit into moving picture data, and compresses and encodes the moving picture data; a communications unit which sends and receives the moving picture data compressed and encoded by the compression and encoding unit, in real time, to and from a communications terminal of another party connected through a network; a bandwidth estimation unit which estimates change in a bandwidth of the network; and a switching circuit which connects and disconnects output paths of the U and V video image signals from the conversion unit to the compression and encoding unit, the method comprising the steps of:

disconnecting the output paths of the U and V video image signals by operating the switching circuit, in response to the change in the bandwidth estimated by the bandwidth estimation unit; and

increasing a bit rate of compression and encoding of the Y signal by the compression and encoding unit, in accordance with the disconnecting of the output paths of the U and V video image signals.

4. A computer readable medium having embodied thereon a control program for performing a moving picture real-time communications control by a moving picture real-time communications terminal comprising: an input unit which inputs an RGB video image signal; a conversion unit which converts the RGB video image signal into a YUV video image signal including Y, U and V video image signals; a compression and encoding unit which digitally converts the YUV video image signal outputted from the conversion unit into moving picture data, and compresses and encodes the moving picture data; a communications unit which sends and receives the moving picture data compressed and encoded by the compression and encoding unit, in real time, to and from a communications terminal of another party connected through a network; a bandwidth estimation unit which estimates change in a bandwidth of the network; and a switching circuit which connects and disconnects output paths of the U and V video image signals from the conversion unit to the compression and encoding unit, the control program comprising:

a first code segment for a step of disconnecting the output paths of the U and V video image signals by operating the switching circuit, in response to the change in the bandwidth estimated by the bandwidth estimation unit; and

a second code segment for a step of increasing a bit rate of compression and encoding of the Y signal by the compression and encoding unit, in accordance with the disconnecting of the output paths of the U and V video image signals.