Lab window collaboration

• US 20040155902A1
• Filed: 09/14/2001
• Published: 08/12/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 09/14/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Accenture Global Services Limited (Accenture PLC)
• Original Assignee: Accenture Global Services GmbH (Accenture PLC)
• Inventors: Singh, Mitu, Dempski, Kelly L.
• Granted Patent: US 7,007,236 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/757
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/017 Gesture based interaction, e.g. based on a set of recognized hand gestures interaction based on gestures traced on a digitiser G06F3/04883
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04815 Interaction with a metaphor-based environment or interaction object displayed as three-dimensional, e.g. changing the user viewpoint with respect to the environment or object
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/15 Conference systems

Abstract

This invention is a method for manipulating virtual objects displayed on a video conference broadcast by generating a computerized three dimensional image of an object to be superimposed on a first video broadcast signal from a local video camera for display on a remote video monitor, and superimposing the same object on a second video broadcast signal from a remote video camera for display on a local video monitor, grabbing a portion of the three dimensional image by placing a hand in close proximity to the portion of the image moving the hand while maintaining the hand in close proximity to the image and regenerating the three dimensional image to a new perspective view corresponding to the movement of the image with the hand to create the appearance that the hand is manipulating a virtual object displayed over the video broadcast signal.

Claims

1. A system for manipulating virtual objects displayed on a video conference broadcast, the system comprising:

at least two video monitors;

a video camera associated with each monitor;

a manual input device associated with each monitor; and

a computer processor system associated with each monitor and communicatively connected to a high bandwidth communication network;

wherein each processor system displays a three-dimensional virtual object over the video image on each associated monitor, is adapted to receive a signal from each associated manual input device and transmit a signal representative of the signal from the input device to the other of the processor systems, and to manipulate the virtual object in response to the signal from the input device and the signal from the other processor system.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein said manual input device is at least one of a mouse, a joystick, a trackball, a touch screen, or a video gesture recognition system.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein said manual input device is a touch screen integrated with said video monitor.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein each processor system has a video input card, and each camera is connected to said video input card in each associated processor system.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the computer processor system further includes voice recognition software for receiving voice commands for manipulating the displayed virtual objects.

6. A system for manipulating virtual objects displayed on a video conference broadcast, the system comprising:

at least two video monitors;

a video camera associated with each monitor;

a manual input device associated with each monitor;

a video processor system coupled to each of said monitor, and corresponding associated video camera and input device,

a computer processor system communicatively connected to a high bandwidth communication network and each video processor system, wherein the processor system displays a three-dimensional virtual object over the video image on each monitor and is adapted to receive a signal from each manual input device and to manipulate the virtual object in response thereto.

7. The system of claim 6 wherein the manual input device is a touch sensitive screen integrated with the video monitor.

8. The system of claim 7 wherein the video monitor is a flat panel display of sufficient size and the associated video camera is of sufficient focal length and positioning with respect to the video monitor to display apparent life size views of participants from a first location a seen from the perspective of participants at a second location.

9. The system of claim 6 further comprising a voice recognition system and a voice activated command structure for assisting the manipulation of the virtual object.

10. A method for manipulating a virtual object displayed on a video conference broadcast at a local and a remote location, the method comprising:

a) generating with a remote processor a three-dimensional image of the virtual object overlaying a first video broadcast signal from a local video camera for display on a remote video monitor;

b) generating with a local processor a three-dimensional image of the virtual object overlaying a second video broadcast signal from a remote video camera for display on a local video monitor;

c) grabbing a portion of the virtual object displayed at one of the local and remote locations by placing a real object in close proximity to the portion of the displayed image to activate a touch-sensitive screen; and

d) moving the real object while maintaining the real object in active coupling with the touch sensitive screen; and

e) regenerating the three-dimensional image at each of the local and remote locations to correspond to the movement of the real object thereby providing the appearance to viewers at the local and remote locations that the real object is manipulating a virtual object.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein said real object is a person'"'"'s hand, said person located in front of one of said remote or local video monitors and within view of one of said remote or local video cameras.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the three dimensional image is repositioned for a movement of the real object of at least 0.5 centimeters.

13. The method of claim 11 wherein the three dimensional image is regenerated a sufficient number of times to provide an animated translation and/or rotation of the three dimensional image.

14. The method of claim 10 further comprising displaying on the video broadcast signal at least one menu of a plurality of commands in response to a manual or voice input.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein said commands are activated by voice input or manually touching the command on the display.

16. The method of claim 10 further comprising displaying on both the local video monitor and remote video monitors substantially simultaneously the lines corresponding to lines drawn on one of the local or remote video monitors by the tracing of a real object along the touch sensitive screen, wherein the lines are FIGUREs, drawings, letters, numerals or other indicia.

17. The method of claim 10 wherein the portion of the image that is grabbed changes colors to a predesignated color to indicate that image had been grabbed by an individual.

18. The method of claim 10 further comprising the step of preventing the image from being grabbed by a second real object when said image is moving.

19. The method according to claim 18 wherein the image is prevented from being grabbed for a period of at least one second after completion of the moving of the image.