System and Method for Providing Videoconferencing Among a Plurality of Locations

• US 20120176465A1
• Filed: 01/11/2011
• Published: 07/12/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 01/11/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Baker Hughes Holdings LLC (Baker Hughes Company)
• Original Assignee: Baker Hughes Incorporated (Baker Hughes Company)
• Inventors: Triplett, Clifton N. B., Findley, Bryce M.
• Granted Patent: US 8,384,757 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/14.07
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/562 where the conference facilities are distributed
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/567 Multimedia conference systems
• 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

A method of displaying images among a plurality of spaced apart locations is provided, which method, in one exemplary embodiment, includes displaying an image associated with a first location on a first surface at a central location, displaying an image associated with a second location on a second surface at the central location, and displaying an image associated with the central location and the image associated with the first location at a common surface at the second location.

Claims

1. A method of displaying images at a plurality of spaced apart locations, comprising:

displaying an image associated with a first location on a first surface at a central location;

displaying an image associated with a second location on a second surface at the central location; and

displaying a common image associated with two of the first location, second location and the central location at a common surface at one of the first location and the second location.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the common image creates an effect of two locations, one behind the other with a glass wall between such two locations.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises displaying a first common image of the first location and the central location at the second location and a second common image of the second location and the central location at the first location.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the first surface and the second surface are on opposite sides of the central location.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the common image comprises an image of the central location and one of the images from the first surface and the second surface.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing audio associated with the first location and second location at the central location, audio associated with the first location and central location at the second location and audio associated with the second location and central location at the first location, thereby providing videoconferencing among the first location, second location and the central location.

7. The method of claim 3, wherein the first common image is obtained by a first device at the central location and a second device at the first location and the second common image is taken by the first device at the central location and a third device at the second location.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising displaying a common image on at least one surface of the central location.

9. A system for providing videoconferencing among at least three locations, comprising:

a first device configured to provide an image of a first location;

a second device configured to provide an image of a second location;

a third device configured to display the image of the first location on a first surface at a central location and the image of the second location at a second surface at the central location; and

a fourth device configured to provide a common image of the central location and the image of the first location for display at the second location.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the first surface and the second surface are at one of:

(i) on different walls of the central location; and

(ii) on opposite walls of the central location.

11. The system of claim 9 further comprising an audio device associated with the first location, second location and central location configured to provide:

audio associated with the first location at the central location and the second location;

audio associated with the second location at the central location and the first location; and

audio associated with the central location at the first location and second locations, thereby providing videoconferencing among the first location, second location and the central location.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein the first common image corresponds to an image of the central location and the first location being next to each other with a glass wall between the central location and the first location.

13. The system of claim 9 further comprising a server associated with the central location configured to send the common image to the first location via a selected route.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the selected route is one of:

(i) the Internet; and

(ii) a remote server.

15. The system of claim 9 further comprising a server configured to receive the common image and transmit the such image to the second location.

16. The system of claim 9, wherein the common image is a perspective view of the central location and the first location with a glass wall between the central location and the first location.