Navigable telepresence method and system utilizing an array of cameras
First Claim
1. A telepresence system for providing a first user with a first display of an environment and a second user with a second display of the environment, the system comprising:
- an array of cameras, each camera having an associated view of the environment and an associated camera output representing the associated view, the array including at least one camera path;
a first user interface device associated with the first user having first user inputs associated with movement along a first path in the array;
a second user interface device associated with the second user having second user inputs associated with movement along a second path in the array;
at least one processing element coupled to the user interface devices for receiving user inputs, the processing element configured to interpret received first inputs and select outputs of cameras in the first path, and interpret received second inputs and select outputs of cameras in the second path independently of the first inputs, thereby allowing the first user and second user to navigate simultaneously and independently through the array.
0 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A telepresence system for providing a first user with a first display of an environment and a second user with a second display of the environment includes an array of cameras. Each camera has an associated view of the environment and an associated camera output representing the associated view. The array also includes at least one camera path. A first user interface device has first user inputs associated with movement along a first path in the array, and a second user interface device has second user inputs associated with along a second path in the array. The user interface devices are coupled to at least one processing element that receives and interprets the user inputs. The processing element interprets the first inputs and selects outputs of cameras in the first path, and interprets second inputs and selects outputs of cameras in the second path independently of the first inputs, thereby allowing a first user and a second user to navigate simultaneously and independently through the array. In another embodiment, a telepresence system includes at least one processing element that distinguishes between permissible cameras in the array and impermissible cameras in the array.
22 Citations
119 Claims
-
1. A telepresence system for providing a first user with a first display of an environment and a second user with a second display of the environment, the system comprising:
-
an array of cameras, each camera having an associated view of the environment and an associated camera output representing the associated view, the array including at least one camera path;
a first user interface device associated with the first user having first user inputs associated with movement along a first path in the array;
a second user interface device associated with the second user having second user inputs associated with movement along a second path in the array;
at least one processing element coupled to the user interface devices for receiving user inputs, the processing element configured to interpret received first inputs and select outputs of cameras in the first path, and interpret received second inputs and select outputs of cameras in the second path independently of the first inputs, thereby allowing the first user and second user to navigate simultaneously and independently through the array. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21, 23, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53)
-
-
2. The system of claim 1 further including:
-
a first display device associated with the first user and coupled to the processing element; and
a second display device associated with the second user and coupled to the processing element, wherein the processing element is further configured to select a first output based on the received first inputs and send the first output to the first the first display device, the first display device configured to display the view associated with the selected first output, and select a second output based on the received second inputs and send the second output to the second display device, the second display device configured to display the view associated with the selected second output.
-
-
3. The system of claim 2 wherein the processing element is configured to select outputs in real time and the display devices are configure to display views in real time.
-
4. The system of claim 1 wherein the array includes a plurality of navigable camera paths and the first path is different than the second path.
-
5. The system of claim 1 wherein the processing element includes a control processing element and a plurality of mixing processing elements.
-
6. The system of claim 1 wherein the processing element is also coupled to the array.
-
7. The system of claim 1 wherein the processing element includes a plurality of processing elements.
-
8. The system of claim 2 wherein the first user interface device and the first display device are coupled to the processing element by different types of communication links.
-
8-1.
-
8-2.
-
9. The system of claim 1 wherein the user interface device is coupled to the processing element by one of the following communication links:
- an internet link, a microwave link, a satellite link, a wireless link, or a fiber optics link.
-
10. The system of claim 1 wherein the first user interface device and second user interface device are coupled to the processing element by different communication links.
-
11. The system of claim 1 wherein the first user interface device and second user interface device are different.
-
12. The system of claim 1 wherein the array of cameras includes a plurality of modular rails having a male end and a female end, the male end of one rail connectable to the female end of another rail, and a plurality of cameras connectable to each rail.
-
13. The system of claim 1 wherein the array of cameras includes hollow ball joints, each of which houses a camera, and hollow rods interconnecting the ball joints, the rods housing communication paths for the outputs.
-
14. The system of claim 1 wherein the cameras in the array are positioned at a density of approximately one camera every inch.
-
15. The system of claim 1 wherein the view of the first camera overlaps the view of the second camera.
- 16. The system of claim 1 wherein the array includes a first camera having a first output and a second camera having a second output and wherein the processing element is further configured to mix the first and second outputs in accordance with the received first user inputs.
-
16-3.
-
16-4.
-
16-5.
-
16-6.
-
16-7.
-
16-8.
-
16-9.
-
16-10.
-
16-11.
-
16-12.
-
16-13.
-
16-14.
-
29. The system of claim 1 wherein the user interface device includes a keyboard, wherein user inputs are keystrokes.
-
29-15.
-
29-16.
-
54. A method of providing users with real time views of a remote environment, the method comprising:
-
receiving electronic images of the environment from an array of cameras, the array including at least one camera path through the environment;
receiving a first input from a first user interface device associated with a first user, the first input indicating movement along a first path;
receiving a second input from a second user interface device associated with a second user, the second input indicating movement along a second path;
obtaining a first mixed image by mixing, with a first processing element, a first image with a second image in accordance with the first input;
obtaining a second mixed image by mixing, with a second processing element, a third image with a fourth image in accordance with the second input;
providing the first user with the first mixed image in substantially real time, thereby simulating movement along the first path; and
providing the second user with the second mixed image substantially in real time and simultaneous to providing the first user with the first mixed image, thereby independently and simulating movement along the second path. - View Dependent Claims (55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72)
-
-
73. A device for providing a user with a display of an environment, the device comprising:
-
an array of cameras, each camera having an associated view of the environment and an associated camera output representing the associated view; and
at least one processing element coupled to the array, the processing element configured to identify permissible cameras, the outputs of which may be provided to the user, and impermissible cameras, the outputs of which are not provided to the user. - View Dependent Claims (74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 80, 81, 82, 83, 84, 85)
-
-
86. A method for providing a user with views of an environment from a plurality of cameras in accordance with user inputs, the method comprising:
-
electronically receiving user inputs indicative of a view from a desired camera;
identifying permissible cameras, the views from which are capable of being provided to the user; and
determining whether the desired camera is one of the permissible cameras; and
if the desired camera is not one of the permissible cameras, preventing the user from obtaining the view from the desired camera. - View Dependent Claims (87, 88, 89, 90)
-
-
91. A device for providing a user with a display of an environment in response to user inputs, the system comprising:
-
an array of cameras, each camera having an associated view of the environment and an associated camera output representing the associated view;
memory storing an additional source output; and
at least one processing element coupled to the memory for receiving the additional source output, the processing element configured to interpret user inputs and select, based on the user inputs, a camera output to provide to the user, the additional source output to provide to the user, or both a camera view and the additional source output to provide to the user. - View Dependent Claims (92, 93, 94, 95, 96, 97, 98)
-
-
99. A method of providing a user with a view of an environment, the method comprising:
-
receiving electronic images of the environment from an array of cameras;
receiving via a telecommunication link user inputs indicative of movement through the array;
selecting camera images based on the user inputs;
retrieving additional source output from memory based on user input indicating a desire to view the additional source output; and
providing the user with an additional source output at one or more points in the array.
-
-
100. A system for remote seamless viewing of an environment from an array of cameras, each having an output representing an image of the environment, the device comprising:
-
an interface device having inputs for selecting a path through at least a portion of the array from which to view the environment, the path including a sequence of cameras, each camera in the sequence having a different point perspective and a field of view that overlaps that of an adjacent cameras; and
a display device for sequentially displaying the image from each camera in the sequence, thereby providing the user a seamless view of the environment. - View Dependent Claims (101, 102, 103, 104, 105, 106, 107, 108)
-
-
109. A method for seamless viewing of an environment, the method comprising:
-
receiving electronically a first image from an array of cameras, the first image having a first field of view;
receiving electronically a second image from the array, the second image having a second field of view that overlaps the first field of view;
receiving electronically a third image from the array, the third image having a third field of view that overlaps the second field of view;
displaying the first, second, and third images in sequence to obtaining a seamless view through the environment. - View Dependent Claims (110, 111, 112, 113, 114, 115, 116, 117, 118)
-
-
119. A telepresence system for providing a user with a display of an environment, the system comprising:
-
an array of cameras, each camera having an associated view of the environment and an associated camera output representing the associated view;
an electronic storage device; and
at least one processing element coupled to the array for receiving camera outputs, the processing element also coupled to the electronic storage device, the processing element configured to electronically store outputs from cameras and an indication of which camera each output is associated with on the electronic storage device, thereby allowing subsequent retrieval of the stored outputs and viewing of the environment.
-
Specification