MULTI-CAMERA RESIDENTIAL COMMUNICATION SYSTEM

• US 20080297587A1
• Filed: 05/31/2007
• Published: 12/04/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/31/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Monument Peak Ventures, LLC (Dominion Harbor Enterprises, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
• Inventors: Kurtz, Andrew F., Border, John N.
• Granted Patent: US 8,154,578 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/14.08
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/20 Movements or behaviour, e.g. gesture recognition recognition of facial expressions G06V40/16
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/142 Constructional details of the terminal equipment, e.g. arrangements of the camera and the display
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/15 Conference systems

Abstract

Video communication devices and methods are provided. The device has an image display device; a first image capture device that acquires video images depicting a wide field of view within the local environment; a second image capture device that acquires video images depicting a narrow field of view within the wide field of view; a communication system that is adapted to use a communication network to transmit outgoing video images; and a computer causing the capture of video images during a communication event, and further being adapted to identify a video context for the communication event; wherein said computer uses a scene analysis algorithm to examine concurrent video images from the image capture device based upon the identified video context to determine the extent to which video images from the first image capture device and the second image capture device are to be incorporated into the outgoing video images.

Claims

1. A video communication device comprising:

an image display device;

a first image capture device that acquires video images depicting a wide field of view within the local environment;

a second image capture device that acquires video images depicting a narrow field of view within the wide field of view;

a computer in operative communication with the image display device and the image capture devices with said computer causing the first image capture device and the second image capture device to capture video images during the communication event, and with said computer further being adapted to identify a video context for the communication event; and

a communication system that is adapted to use a communication network to transmit outgoing video images;

wherein said computer uses a scene analysis algorithm to examine the concurrent video images from both the first image capture device and the second image capture device based upon the identified video context to determine the extent to which video images from the first image capture device and the second image capture device are to be incorporated into the outgoing video images transmitted by the communication device.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the scene analysis algorithm monitors the wide field of view video images based upon image content data, contextual cues, and scene analysis rules, relative to the identified video context, to determine an image field of view provided in the outgoing video images.

3. The system according to claim 2, wherein the scene analysis rules determine whether video images from outside image field of view provided in the outgoing video images correlates with the defined video context.

4. The system according to claim 2, wherein the scene adjustment rules determine the manner in which adjustments in the image field of view of the outgoing video images are to be made.

5. The system according to claim 1, wherein the video context is identified defined by sensing a user input.

6. The system according to claim 1, wherein the scene analysis algorithm defined the video context using an assessment of prior image content relative to defined contextual cues.

7. The system according to claim 5 wherein the video context is determined from identified contextual cues that include event classifications, user classifications, user identity, user gestures, user behaviors, or user privacy settings.

8. The system according to claim 7, wherein the video context is determined from identified contextual cues for a scene that are assessed using both current and prior video images.

9. The system according to claim 1, which further includes a privacy interface which enables users to apply privacy settings that limit video capture for either the first image capture device or second image capture device.

10. A video communication device comprising:

an image display device;

a first camera which acquires video images from a wide field of view of a local environment and any individuals therein;

a second camera which acquires video images from a narrow field of view that is at least partially included within the wide field of view;

an audio system having an audio capture device which acquires audio data from an audio field of view; and

a computer, which includes a privacy interface, a contextual interface, and an image processor; and

a communication controller which transmits video images and audio data across a network from the local environment to a remote viewer;

wherein said computer uses a scene analysis algorithm to examine the concurrent video images from both the first image capture device and the second image capture device based upon the identified video context to determine the extent to which video images from the first image capture device and the second image capture device are to be incorporated into the outgoing video images transmitted by the communication device; and

wherein the computer uses the privacy interface to obtain privacy settings that allow the computer to identify contextually restricted content in the wide field of view that is not to be communicated and causes the narrow field of view to provide video images of specific contextual content that is within wide field of view other than the identified contextually restricted content.

11. The system according to claim 10, wherein the contextual interface employs scene analysis algorithms that examine the wide field of view images captured by the first camera to identify individuals or activities occurring outside the narrow field of view captured by the second camera.

12. The system according to claim 10, wherein the contextual interface employs scene analysis algorithms that examine both current and prior video images from the first or second cameras view to identify individuals or activities occurring outside the narrow field of view captured by the second camera.

13. The system according to claim 10, wherein the contextual interface employs scene analysis algorithms that examine the audio data from the audio field of view to identify individuals or activities occurring outside the narrow field of view captured by the second camera.

14. The system according to claim 10, wherein the contextual interface employs scene analysis algorithms to determine when to provide an outgoing video signal that includes individuals or activities occurring outside the narrow field of view captured by the second camera.

15. The system according to claim 10, wherein the computer causes the image display device to provide a split screen image, wherein one portion of the image display device shows video images of the local environment which were acquired by either the first or second camera.

16. The system according to claim 14, wherein the wide field of view captured by the first camera spans a full angular width of at least a 60 degrees, or of at least 170 degrees, or spanning 360 degrees.

17. The system according to claim 12, wherein the device further comprises at least a second narrow field of view camera one of which is imaging through the image display device, and one of which is not imaging through the display device and has automatic pan, tilt, or optical zoom adjustment capabilities.

18. The system according to claim 12, wherein the remote viewer directs the image capture provided by a camera.

19. The system according to claim 12, wherein the second camera images through the image display device.

20. The system according to claim 12, wherein the second camera has pan, tilt, or optical zoom capabilities.

21. A method for operating a video communication system comprising the steps of:

acquiring images from a wide field of view of a first field of view within the local environment with a first image capture device;

acquiring images from a narrow field of view of a second field of view within the first field of view of the local environment with a second image capture device;

acquiring audio content from the local environment with an audio system;

transmitting outgoing video images from at least a portion of a current field of view acquired by either the first or second image capture device to a remote viewer; and

using a scene analysis algorithm to examine concurrent video images from both the first image capture device and the second image capture device based upon the identified video context to determine the extent to which video images from the first image capture device and the second image capture device are to be incorporated into the outgoing video images transmitted.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the scene analysis algorithm monitors the wide field of view video images based upon image content data, contextual cues, and scene analysis rules, relative to the identified video context, to determine an image field of view provided in the outgoing video images.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein the scene analysis algorithm further analyzes audio content acquired by the audio system concurrently with the concurrent video image in determining the extent to which video images from the first image capture device and the second image capture device are to be incorporated into the outgoing video images transmitted.