Combined Video Display and Camera System

• US 20070120879A1
• Filed: 10/16/2006
• Published: 05/31/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 10/17/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: I2IC Corporation
• Original Assignee: I2IC Corporation
• Inventors: Kanade, Udayan, Ganapathy, Balaji
• Granted Patent: US 8,022,977 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 346/107.200
• 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

Abstract

A method and combined video display and camera system are disclosed. In one embodiment, the system comprises a first sheet and a second sheet oriented parallel to the first sheet, the second sheet including a light diffuser. A light source is placed along an edge of the second sheet, wherein the second sheet diffuses light generated by the light source. One or more cameras are placed behind the second sheet to capture an image through the second sheet and the first sheet.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

a first sheet;

a second sheet oriented parallel to the first sheet, the second sheet including a light diffuser;

a light source placed along an edge of the second sheet, wherein the second sheet diffuses light generated by the light source; and

one or more cameras placed behind the second sheet to capture an image through the second sheet and the first sheet.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the second sheet includes light diffuser particles that minimally scatter and absorb light traveling towards the one or more cameras.

3. The system of claim 1, further comprising a mirror between the second sheet and the one or more cameras, wherein the mirror is substantially transparent in an area in front of the one or more cameras.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the second sheet includes a greater concentration of light diffuser particles in the area in front of the one or more cameras.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more cameras are configured to capture the image during a capture period and not capture the image during a display period.

6. The system. of claim 5, wherein the capture period and the display period overlap.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the first sheet is a display and the second sheet is a backlight.

8. The system of claim 6, wherein the light source is configured to emit light during the display period and not emit light during the capture period.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the light source is one of a fluorescent light and one or more LEDs.

10. The system of claim 8, further comprising a light blocking mechanism that blocks the light from the light source during the capture period.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the image is displayed on the first sheet.

12. The system of claim 1, further comprising an image corrector that corrects defects in the image caused by the second sheet.

13. The system of claim 1, further comprising an image corrector that corrects defects in the image caused by the first sheet.

14. The system of claim 1, further comprising a second light diffuser between the first sheet and the second sheet configured to be transparent when the one or more cameras is capturing the image.

15. The system of claim 1, further comprising a capture indicator that indicates when the one or more cameras are capturing the image.

16. A method, comprising:

reducing defects in an image captured by a camera caused by a flat panel screen of a display including;

calculating an occlusion map as a function of pixel transparency; and

estimating the image with the occlusion map and a captured image.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein calculating the occlusion map comprises estimating a time-average transparency of a pixel during a camera exposure.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein estimating the image comprises dividing one or more pixel values of the captured image by values of the occlusion map.