VIDEOCONFERENCING TERMINAL AND METHOD OF OPERATION THEREOF TO MAINTAIN EYE CONTACT

• US 20100073456A1
• Filed: 09/25/2008
• Published: 03/25/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/25/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Alcatel-Lucent SA (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Lucent Technologies, Inc. (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Bolle, Cristian A.
• Granted Patent: US 8,593,503 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/14.80
• 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 videoconferencing terminal, a method of videoconferencing and a videoconferencing infrastructure. In one embodiment, the terminal includes: (1) a flat panel display and (2) a camera associated with the flat panel display and configured to receive light from an object through the flat panel display and acquire an image of the object.

Claims

1. A videoconferencing terminal, comprising:

a flat panel display; and

a camera associated with said flat panel display and configured to receive light from an object through said flat panel display and acquire an image of said object.

2. The terminal as recited in claim 1 further comprising:

a backlight associated with said flat panel display; and

a controller coupled to said flat panel display, said backlight and said camera and includes a synchronizer configured to control said flat panel display, said backlight and said camera such that said videoconferencing terminal can operate in;

an intermittent image display mode in which said controller causes said flat panel display to display information and said backlight to brighten, and

an intermittent image acquisition mode in which said controller causes said flat panel display to clarify, said backlight to darken and said camera to acquire said image.

3. The terminal as recited in claim 2 wherein said controller is configured to alternate between said intermittent image display mode and said intermittent image acquisition mode at a video rate.

4. The terminal as recited in claim 2 further comprising a color filter array associated with said flat panel display, said camera configured to receive light from said object through said color filter array and said flat panel display.

5. The terminal as recited in claim 1 wherein said backlight is configured to emit different colors of light during different occurrences of said intermittent image acquisition mode.

6. The terminal as recited in claim 1 wherein said flat panel display includes substantially transparent regions interspersed among pixels thereof and said camera is configured to acquire said image substantially through only said substantially transparent regions.

7. The terminal as recited in claim 1 further comprising:

a camera mount coupled to said camera; and

a controller, including;

an image analyzer configured to analyze said image to determine a position of said object relative to said camera, and

a camera mount controller coupled to said image analyzer and said camera mount and configured to provide a slew signal to said camera mount based on said position.

8. The terminal as recited in claim 1 further comprising:

a microphone associated with said camera and configured to generate an audio signal based on acoustic energy received thereby; and

a speaker associated with said camera and configured to generate acoustic energy based on an audio signal received thereby.

10. The method as recited in claim 8 further comprising:

controlling said flat panel display, a backlight associated with said flat panel display and said camera such that said videoconferencing terminal can operate in;

an intermittent image display mode in which said flat panel display displays information and said backlight brightens, and

an intermittent image acquisition mode in which said flat panel display clarifies, said backlight darkens and said receiving and said acquiring are carried out.

11. The method as recited in claim 10 further comprising alternating between said intermittent image display mode and said intermittent image acquisition mode at a video rate.

12. The method as recited in claim 10 wherein said receiving comprises further receiving said light through said color filter array.

13. The method as recited in claim 10 further comprising causing said backlight to emit different colors of light during different occurrences of said intermittent image acquisition mode.

9. A method of videoconferencing, comprising:

receiving light from an object through a flat panel display into a camera; and

acquiring an image of said object.

14. The method as recited in claim 9 wherein said flat panel display includes substantially transparent regions interspersed among pixels thereof, said acquiring comprising acquiring said image substantially through only said substantially transparent regions.

15. The method as recited in claim 9 further comprising:

analyzing said image to determine a position of said object relative to said camera; and

providing a slew signal to a camera mount coupled to said camera based on said position.

16. The method as recited in claim 9 further comprising:

generating an audio signal based on acoustic energy received by a microphone; and

generating acoustic energy based on an audio signal received by a speaker.

21. The infrastructure as recited in claim 16 wherein said backlight is configured to emit different colors of light during different occurrences of said intermittent image acquisition mode.

17. A videoconferencing infrastructure, comprising:

a plurality of videoconferencing terminals associable with a telecommunications network, each of said terminals including;

a flat panel display,

a camera associated with said flat panel display,

a microphone associated with said camera and configured to generate an audio signal based on acoustic energy received thereby,

a speaker associated with said camera and configured to generate acoustic energy based on an audio signal received thereby, and

a controller coupled to said flat panel display and said camera and configured to control said flat panel display and said camera to cause said camera to receive light from an object through said flat panel display and acquire an image of said object.

18. The infrastructure as recited in claim 17 wherein each of said terminals further include a backlight coupled to said controller and associated with said flat panel display, said controller including a synchronizer configured to control said flat panel display, said backlight and said camera such that said videoconferencing terminal can operate in:

an intermittent image display mode in which said controller causes said flat panel display to display information and said backlight to brighten, and

an intermittent image acquisition mode in which said controller causes said flat panel display to clarify, said backlight to darken and said camera to acquire said image.

19. The infrastructure as recited in claim 18 wherein said controller is configured to alternate between said intermittent image display mode and said intermittent image acquisition mode at a video rate.

20. The infrastructure as recited in claim 17 wherein each of said terminals further include a color filter array associated with said flat panel display, said camera configured to receive light from said object through said color filter array and said flat panel display.

22. The infrastructure as recited in claim 17 wherein said flat panel display includes substantially transparent regions interspersed among pixels thereof and said camera is configured to acquire said image substantially through only said substantially transparent regions.

23. The infrastructure as recited in claim 17 wherein each of said terminals further include:

a camera mount coupled to said camera, said controller including;

an image analyzer configured to analyze said image to determine a position of said object relative to said camera, and

a camera mount controller coupled to said image analyzer and said camera mount and configured to provide a slew signal to said camera mount based on said position.