Automated online broadcasting system and method using an omni-directional camera system for viewing meetings over a computer network
First Claim
1. An automated event presentation system for capturing and viewing an event having event participants, comprising:
- an omni-directional camera system that captures a seamless omni-directional image of the event and that automatically tracks event participants simultaneously to determine the event participants that are speaking using audio-based tracking techniques including a microphone-array sound source localization technique to alleviate camera view switching delays;
an automated online broadcasting system including a tracker module that controls and uses the omni-directional camera system and video-based tracking techniques to monitor and keep track of each of the tracked event participants simultaneously;
a virtual director module that receives as input audio and video tracking results and uses probabilistic rules to automatically select at least a portion of the omni-directional image as an output view; and
a viewer platform in communication with the automated online broadcasting system that allows a viewer to view the output view of the broadcasted event.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
An automated system and method for broadcasting meetings over a computer network. The meeting is filmed using an omni-directional camera system and capable of being presented to a viewer both live and on-demand. The system of the present invention includes an automated camera management system for controlling the camera system and an analysis module determining the location of meeting participants in the meeting environments. The method of the present invention includes using the system of the present invention to broadcast an event to a viewer over a computer network. In particular, the method includes filming the event using an omni-directional camera system. Next, the method determines the location of each event participant in the event environment. Finally, a viewer is provided with a user interface for viewing the broadcast event. This user interface allows a viewer to choose which event participant that the viewer would like to view.
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Citations
38 Claims
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1. An automated event presentation system for capturing and viewing an event having event participants, comprising:
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an omni-directional camera system that captures a seamless omni-directional image of the event and that automatically tracks event participants simultaneously to determine the event participants that are speaking using audio-based tracking techniques including a microphone-array sound source localization technique to alleviate camera view switching delays;
an automated online broadcasting system including a tracker module that controls and uses the omni-directional camera system and video-based tracking techniques to monitor and keep track of each of the tracked event participants simultaneously;
a virtual director module that receives as input audio and video tracking results and uses probabilistic rules to automatically select at least a portion of the omni-directional image as an output view; and
a viewer platform in communication with the automated online broadcasting system that allows a viewer to view the output view of the broadcasted event. - View Dependent Claims (22, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30)
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2-17. -17. (canceled)
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18. A method for displaying at least a portion of an omni-directional image capturing an event occurring within an event environment, comprising:
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capturing the event and automatically tracking multiple event participants simultaneously using audio and video processing techniques and a single omni-directional camera system having a single camera to produce the omni-directional image;
transmitting the omni-directional image from a broadcasting platform to a viewer platform using a computer network;
using probabilistic rules that receive as input audio and video tracking results from the audio and video processing techniques to automatically select which portion of the omni-directional image to view;
using the viewer platform to allow a viewer to select which portion of the omni-directional image the viewer would like to view and displaying this selected portion of the omni-directional image to the viewer. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 31, 32)
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21. (canceled)
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23. (canceled)
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33. A computer-implemented method for capturing and viewing over a computer network an event having event participants, comprising:
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capturing an omni-directional image of the event;
determining a number of the event participants and automatically tracking each of the event participants simultaneously within the omni-directional image using audio-based tracking techniques and video-based tracking techniques to obtain audio and video tracking results;
automatically selecting at least a portion of the omni-directional image for use as an output view using a first set of probabilistic rules based on the audio and video tracking results; and
displaying the output view to a viewer. - View Dependent Claims (34, 35, 36, 37, 38)
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Specification