Visual teleconferencing apparatus

• US 20040021764A1
• Filed: 01/03/2003
• Published: 02/05/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 01/28/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Be Here Corporation
• Original Assignee: Be Here Corporation
• Inventors: Furlan, John L. W., Driscoll, Edward C. Jr.
• Application Number:
  US10/336,244
• Publication Number:
  US 20040021764A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/14.08
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 13/06 Panoramic objectives; So-called "sky lenses" including panoramic objectives having reflecting surfaces

Abstract

An audio/visual conference station that includes a panoramic lens to capture an image of the panoramic scene surrounding the lens. The station also includes communication mechanisms to compress the panoramic image for transmission to a remote audio/visual conference station for display. Thus, people around the remote audio/visual conference station are able to both hear and see those at the local audio/visual conference station and vice versa. The audio/visual conference stations can also communicate through a server system to increase the number of visual conference stations exchanging or sharing images. In addition the server system can off-load some of the image processing steps from the visual conference stations.

Claims

1. A visual conference station comprising:

a housing containing;

a control processor;

a memory coupled to said control processor;

a communications processor in communication with said control processor;

an audio output processor, in communication with said control processor, configured to prepare received audio information for presentation;

a display processor, in communication with said control processor, configured to prepare received visual information for presentation;

an audio input processor, in communication with said control processor, configured to prepare captured audio information captured near said housing for transmission;

an image sensor, in communication with said control processor, said control processor further configured to prepare captured visual information from said image sensor for transmission; and

a panoramic lens in optical communication with said image sensor and configured to capture a scene around the panoramic lens.

2. The visual conference station of claim 1 further comprising:

at least one visual display in communication with said display processor configured to present said received visual information;

at least one speaker in communication with said audio output processor; and

at least one microphone in communication with said audio input processor.

3. The visual conference station of claim 1 wherein said captured visual information is transmitted using said communications processor.

4. The visual conference station of claim 1 wherein said received visual information is received using said communications processor.

5. The visual conference station of claim 1 further comprising a telephone line interface and said received visual information is received using said telephone line interface.

6. The visual conference station of claim 1 wherein said control processor is configured to transform said captured visual information into a rectangular panoramic image prior to transmission.

7. The visual conference station of claim 1 wherein the panoramic lens is a wide-angle lens.

8. The visual conference station of claim 1 wherein the panoramic lens is a catadioptric lens.

9. The visual conference station of claim 1 wherein the panoramic lens has a field-of-view that extends through a horizon line.

10. The visual conference station of claim 1 wherein the panoramic lens is mounted on the housing.

11. The visual conference station of claim 1 wherein said received visual information has been sent from a second visual conference station.

12. The visual conference station of claim 1 wherein said received visual information has been sent from a visual conference server.

13. A method comprising steps of:

receiving visual information from a first visual conference station;

identifying a conference to which said first visual conference station belongs;

identifying a second visual conference station in said conference; and

distributing said visual information to said second visual conference station.

14. The method of claim 13 further comprising transforming said visual information from a non-rectangular image into a panoramic image for distribution.

15. The method of claim 14 further comprising distributing said panoramic image to said first visual conference station.

16. The method of claim 13 further comprising steps of:

establishing said conference responsive to one of said first visual conference station and said second visual conference station;

maintaining said conference; and

terminating said conference.

17. The method of claim 13 further comprising steps of:

receiving audio information from said first visual conference station; and

distributing said audio information to said second visual conference station.

18. A visual conference server comprising:

a receiving mechanism configured to receive visual information from a first visual conference station;

a first identification mechanism configured to identify a conference to which said first visual conference station belongs;

a second identification mechanism, responsive to the first identification mechanism, configured to identify a second visual conference station in said conference; and

a distribution mechanism, responsive to the second identification mechanism, configured to distribute said visual information to said second visual conference station.

19. The visual conference server of claim 18 further comprising a transformation mechanism, responsive to the receiving mechanism, configured to transform said visual information from a non-rectangular image into a panoramic image for distribution.

20. The visual conference server of claim 19 wherein the distribution mechanism is further configured to distribute said panoramic image to said first visual conference station.

21. The visual conference server of claim 18 further comprising:

a conference initiation mechanism configured to establish said conference responsive to one of said first visual conference station and said second visual conference station;

a conference maintenance mechanism configured to maintain said conference; and

a conference termination mechanism configured to terminate said conference.

22. The visual conference server of claim 18 further comprising:

an audio reception mechanism configured to receive audio information from said first visual conference station; and

an audio distribution mechanism, responsive to the audio reception mechanism, configured to distribute said audio information to said second visual conference station.

23. A computer program product comprising:

a computer usable data carrier having computer readable code embodied therein for causing a computer to operate as a visual conference server, said computer readable code including;

computer readable program code configured to cause said computer to effect a receiving mechanism configured to receive visual information from a first visual conference station;

computer readable program code configured to cause said computer to effect a first identification mechanism configured to identify a conference to which said first visual conference station belongs;

a second identification mechanism, responsive to the first identification mechanism, configured to identify a second visual conference station in said conference; and

computer readable program code configured to cause said computer to effect a distribution mechanism, responsive to the second identification mechanism, configured to distribute said visual information to said second visual conference station.

24. The computer program product of claim 23 further comprising computer readable program code configured to cause said computer to effect a transformation mechanism, responsive to the receiving mechanism, configured to transform said visual information from a non-rectangular image into a panoramic image for distribution.

25. The computer program product of claim 24 wherein the distribution mechanism is further configured to distribute said panoramic image to said first visual conference station.

26. The computer program product of claim 23 further comprising:

computer readable program code configured to cause said computer to effect a conference initiation mechanism configured to establish said conference responsive to one of said first visual conference station and said second visual conference station;

computer readable program code configured to cause said computer to effect a conference maintenance mechanism configured to maintain said conference; and

computer readable program code configured to cause said computer to effect a conference termination mechanism configured to terminate said conference.

27. The computer program product of claim 23 further comprising:

computer readable program code configured to cause said computer to effect an audio reception mechanism configured to receive audio information from said first visual conference station; and

a computer readable program code configured to cause said computer to effect n audio distribution mechanism, responsive to the audio reception mechanism, configured to distribute said audio information to said second visual conference station.