Reflected backdrop display and telepresence network

• US 20060181607A1
• Filed: 03/16/2006
• Published: 08/17/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/20/1995
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Videotronic Systems
• Original Assignee: Videotronic Systems
• Inventors: Machtig, Jeffrey, McNelley, Steve H.
• Granted Patent: US 8,199,185 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/14.80
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 30/56 by projecting aerial or floating images
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/144 camera and display on the same optical axis, e.g. optically multiplexing the camera and display for eye to eye contact
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/15 Conference systems

Abstract

The present invention enables eye contact between conferees during a teleconference using a terminal equipped with a beamsplitter for reflecting an image of a conferee. In one embodiment the image of the conferee appears to be in a backdrop. The display is positioned behind the viewing side of the beam-splitter so that the conferee views the display through the beamsplitter. The invention can be configured to create the appearance that a life-size teleconference image of a remote conferee appears in the same room as the local conferee apparently sitting on the other side of the desk or table—creating the experience of telepresence with eye contact. Additional embodiments include adaptable features of the present invention which enable it to be configured into many specific types of eye contact display products. The invention further teaches the design of a telepresence network, linking numerous terminals sharing a commonality in configuration. The invention also includes many additional versatility embodiments for desktop and group videoconferencing, as well as other videoconferencing applications.

Claims

1. An eye contact teleconferencing terminal for allowing a first conferee to maintain eye contact with a second conferee imaged by the teleconferencing terminal, the teleconferencing terminal comprising:

an image display with an image bearing surface;

a semireflective transparent panel forming an angle of between about 30 and 70 degrees with the image display for viewing by the first conferee the image bearing surface through the semireflective transparent panel;

a video camera disposed on a side of the semireflective transparent panel opposite the image display, the video camera capturing a reflection on the semireflective transparent panel of the first conferee who is disposed on a camera-side of the semireflective transparent panel;

a light absorbing camera contrast shield disposed on a side of the semireflective transparent panel opposite the camera, the camera aimed toward the shield through the semireflective panel to increase the reflectivity of the first conferee on the semireflective transparent panel; and

a second display observed by the local conferee for collaborating data, the second display positioned between the local conferee and the semireflective transparent panel and positioned so as to not obstruct the first conferee from viewing the image bearing surface through the semireflective transparent panel.

2. An eye contact teleconferencing terminal for allowing a group of first conferees to maintain eye contact with a second conferee(s) imaged by the teleconferencing terminal, the teleconferencing terminal comprising:

an image display with an image bearing surface;

a semireflective transparent panel forming an angle of between about 30 and 70 degrees with the image display for viewing by the first conferee the image bearing surface through the semireflective transparent panel;

a plurality of video cameras disposed on a side of the semireflective transparent panel opposite the image display, the video cameras capturing a reflection on the semireflective transparent panel images of the first conferees who are disposed on a camera-side of the semireflective transparent panel; and

a light absorbing camera contrast shield disposed on a side of the semireflective transparent panel opposite the cameras, the cameras aimed toward the shield through the semireflective panel to increase the reflectivity of the first conferee on the semireflective transparent panel.

3. A telepresence network system for connecting a local conferee in his home with a distant conferee, the system comprising:

a local telepresence terminal, residing in the local conferees home, having a first codec for encoding video and audio of the local conferee and decoding video and audio of the distant conferee, a first image display for producing a substantially life-size image of the distant conferee, a first microphone to capture the voice of the local conferee, a first speaker to produce the voice of the distant conferee, a first video camera capturing an image of the local conferee, and a first eye contact means to create the appearance that the local conferee is looking into the first camera while the local conferee is looking into the eyes of the distant conferee on the first image display;

a distant telepresence terminal, configured in commonality with the local telepresence terminal, having a second codec for encoding video and audio of the distant conferee and decoding video and audio of the local conferee, a second image display for producing a substantially life-size image of the local conferee, a second microphone to capture the voice of the local conferee, a second speaker to produce the voice of the local conferee, a second video camera capturing an image of the local conferee, and a second eye contact means to create the appearance that the distant conferee is looking into the second camera while the local conferee is looking into the eyes of the local conferee on the second image display; and

a network connecting the local and the remote terminals for transmitting encoded and decoded video and audio between the local terminal and the distant terminal.

4. The telepresence network system of claim 3 wherein the network is connected to a telepresence network operation center for routing the network through the network operations center and thereby have a centralized connection of the local terminal, distant terminal and a plurality of distant terminals and all terminals sharing commonality in configuration.

5. The telepresence network system of claim 3 wherein the network system provides at least one of a live operator service center, a bridging service, a multipoint service, a translation service, a connectivity assistance service, and a scheduling service.

6. The teleconferencing terminal of claim 5 wherein the image display consists of multiple displays.

7. The teleconferencing terminal of claim 6 wherein at least one of the plurality of cameras is mounted upon a linear actuator track for positioning the plurality of cameras for various modes of use.

8. The telepresence network system of claim 3 wherein the network further transmits data collaboration between the local terminal and the distant terminal.

9. The telepresence network system of claim 3 wherein a second network connected to the local terminal and the distant terminal further transmits data collaboration between the local terminal and the distant terminal.

10. The telepresence network system of claim 3 wherein at least one of the local terminal and the distant terminal has a collaboration image display for viewing data collaboration content.

11. The telepresence network system of claim 3 wherein at least one of the displayed distant conferee image and the displayed local conferee image are superimposed upon a backdrop.

12. An eye contact teleconferencing terminal for allowing a first conferee(s) to maintain eye contact with a group of second conferees imaged by the teleconferencing terminal, the teleconferencing terminal comprising:

a plurality of image displays with an image bearing surfaces;

a semireflective transparent panel forming an angle of between about 30 and 70 degrees with the image displays for viewing by the first conferee(s) the image bearing surfaces through the semireflective transparent panel;

a video camera disposed on a side of the semireflective transparent panel opposite the image displays, the video camera capturing a reflection on the semireflective transparent panel of the first conferee(s) who is/are disposed on a camera-side of the semireflective transparent panel; and

a light absorbing camera contrast shield disposed on a side of the semireflective transparent panel opposite the camera, the camera aimed toward the shield through the semireflective panel to increase the reflectivity of the first conferee on the semireflective transparent panel.

13. An eye contact teleconferencing terminal for allowing a first conferee to maintain eye contact with a second conferee imaged by the teleconferencing terminal, the teleconferencing terminal comprising:

an image display with an image bearing surface;

a semireflective transparent panel forming an angle of between about 30 and 70 degrees with the image display for viewing by the first conferee the image bearing surface through the semireflective transparent panel; and

a video camera disposed on a side of the semireflective transparent panel opposite the image display, the video camera capturing a reflection on the semireflective transparent panel of the first conferee who is disposed on a camera-side of the semireflective transparent panel;

a light absorbing camera contrast shield disposed on a side of the semireflective transparent panel opposite the camera, the camera aimed toward the shield through the semireflective panel to increase the reflectivity of the first conferee on the semireflective transparent panel; and

a room environment viewable by the first conferee through the semireflective transparent panel in at least one of to the left, the right, the bottom, and the top of the image display.

14. The teleconferencing terminal of claim 13 wherein the image display is built integral to a surrounding housing.

15. A eye contact teleconferencing terminal for allowing a first conferee to maintain eye contact with a second conferee imaged by the teleconferencing terminal, the teleconferencing terminal comprising

an image display with an image bearing surface mounted substantially vertically and displaying the image of the second conferee;

a semireflective transparent panel forming an angle of between about 30 and 70 degrees with the image display for viewing by the first conferee the image bearing surface through the semireflective transparent panel;

a video camera disposed on a side of the semireflective transparent panel opposite the image display, the video camera capturing a reflection on the semireflective transparent panel of the first conferee who is disposed on a camera-side of the semireflective transparent panel;

a light absorbing substrate on a image display-side of the transparent panel opposite the camera-side, for increasing the reflectivity of the first conferee on the semireflective transparent panel; and

a backdrop on the camera-side of the semireflective transparent panel and reflected upon the semireflective transparent panel superimposing the backdrop with the image bearing surface displaying the image of the second conferee.

16. The teleconferencing of claim 15 wherein the backdrop is dark colored and located on the camera-side of the semireflective transparent panel to minimize visible reflections on the semireflective transparent panel viewable by the first conferee.

17. The teleconferencing terminal of claim 15 wherein the backdrop is at least one of back lit illuminated, front lit illuminated, an image display, and a plurality of image displays.

18. The teleconferencing terminal of claim 15 wherein the backdrop is at least one of two dimensional and three dimensional in form.

19. The teleconferencing terminal of claim 15 wherein the video camera captures the reflection of the first conferee on the semireflective transparent panel and a second mirror.

20. The teleconferencing terminal of claim 15 wherein the video camera reflection capturing is aligned with the eyes of the second conferee on the image bearing surface so that the first conferee transmits eye contact to the second conferee.

21. The teleconferencing terminal of claim 15 wherein a room environment that the terminal resides in can be viewed through the semireflective transparent panel by the first conferee.

22. The teleconferencing terminal of claim 15 wherein the second conferee'"'"'s image is isolated in a substantially black color on the image bearing surface.

23. The teleconferencing terminal of claim 15 wherein a image signal of the video camera capturing of the first conferee'"'"'s reflection is isolated in a substantially black color.

24. The teleconferencing terminal of claim 15 wherein a computerized image manipulating system for image manipulating to black a background of a video image of at least one of the first and the second conferees.

25. The teleconferencing terminal of claim 15 wherein at least of the camera, the backdrop, and the semireflective transparent panel are repositionable to reduce the overall size of the terminal for storage and moving.

26. The teleconferencing terminal of claim 15 wherein the teleconferencing terminal is affixed to a set of wheels for ease of moving.

27. The teleconferencing terminal of claim 15 wherein the backdrop reflection viewable by the first conferee is at least one of at a first plane behind the image bearing surface, at a second plane identical to the image bearing surface, and at a third plane in front of the image bearing surface.

28. The teleconferencing terminal of claim 15 wherein the image display is surrounded by dark colored housing to increase the brightness of the reflection of the backdrop.

29. The teleconferencing terminal of claim 15 wherein the image display is surrounded by a dark colored housing and the housing is shaped to at least one of to align with a plane(s) of the backdrop reflection and to an edges of the backdrop reflection.

30. The teleconferencing terminal of claim 15 wherein the backdrop can be selectively altered by the first conferee between a substantial dark color mode and a substantially full color mode.