System and Method for Utilizing a Surface for Remote Collaboration

• US 20140104431A1
• Filed: 10/17/2012
• Published: 04/17/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/17/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Anders Eikenes, Eamonn Shaw, Einar Andreas Hustadnes Hagen, Eivind Danielsen, Eva Min Viktoria Edlund, Kistian Magnus Ostensen
• Inventors: Eikenes, Anders, Hagen, Einar Andreas Hustadnes, Shaw, Eamonn, Danielsen, Eivind, Edlund, Eva Min Viktoria, stensen, Kistian Magnus
• Granted Patent: US 9,426,416 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/159
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/169 Annotation, e.g. comment data or footnotes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/4015 where at least one of the additional parallel sessions is real time or time sensitive, e.g. white board sharing, collaboration or spawning of a subconference
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/142 Constructional details of the terminal equipment, e.g. arrangements of the camera and the display

Abstract

In one embodiment, a method includes receiving, by a processor, a first annotation corresponding to one or more markings made by a first user within a first collaboration region of a first surface. The first surface is remote from a second surface. The method also includes identifying, by the processor, a second collaboration region on the second surface. The second surface is proximate a camera. The method also includes displaying, by the processor, the first annotation in the second collaboration region. The method also includes creating, by the processor, a second annotation corresponding to one or more markings made by a second user within the second collaboration region on the second surface. The method also includes transmitting, by the processor, the second annotation.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

a first camera operable to image at least a portion of a first surface;

a first projector operable to project onto the first surface;

a second camera operable to image at least a portion of a second surface, the second surface remote from the first surface;

a second projector operable to project onto the second surface;

a control system communicatively coupled to the first camera, the first projector, the second camera, and the second projector, the control system operable to;

identify a first collaboration region on the first surface, the first surface proximate the first camera and the first projector;

create a first annotation corresponding to one or more markings made by a first user within the first collaboration region;

identify a second collaboration region on the second surface, the second surface proximate the second camera and the second projector;

control the second projector to project the first annotation onto the second collaboration region;

create a second annotation corresponding to one or more markings made by a second user within the second collaboration region on the second surface; and

control the first projector to project the second annotation onto the first collaboration region.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein creating the second annotation comprises identifying the one or more markings made by the second user by processing an infrared image of the second collaboration region, the infrared image generated by the second camera while the second projector is projecting the first annotation onto the second collaboration region.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein creating the second annotation comprises identifying the one or more markings made by the second user by processing an image of the second collaboration region, the image generated by the second camera while the second projector is not projecting the first annotation onto the second collaboration region.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein creating the first annotation comprises:

detecting a movement of the first collaboration region;

updating the first collaboration region based on the movement; and

identifying the one or more markings made by the first user within the updated first collaboration region.

5. The system of claim 1, further comprising a third camera operable to image at least a portion of the second surface, and wherein creating the second annotation comprises identifying the one or more markings made by the second user, the identification comprising:

processing an infrared image of the second collaboration region, the infrared image generated by the second camera while the second projector is projecting the first annotation onto the second collaboration region; and

processing a color image of the second collaboration region, the color image generated by the third camera while the second projector is not projecting the first annotation onto the second collaboration region.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the control system is further operable to:

identify a third collaboration region on the first surface; and

create a third annotation corresponding to one or more markings made by the first user within the third collaboration region.

7. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a third camera operable to image at least a portion of a third surface, the third surface remote from the first surface and from the second surface;

a third projector operable to project onto the third surface; and

wherein the control system is communicatively coupled to the third camera and the third projector, and is further operable to;

identify a third collaboration region on the third surface, the third surface proximate the third camera and the third projector;

control the third projector to project the first annotation and the second annotation onto the third collaboration region; and

create a third annotation corresponding to one or more markings made by a third user within the third collaboration region.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the control system comprises a first controller and a second controller.

9. A system, comprising:

a camera operable to image at least a portion of a first surface;

a projector operable to project onto the first surface; and

a controller communicatively coupled to the camera and the projector and operable to;

receive a first annotation corresponding to one or more markings made by a first user within a first collaboration region of a second surface, the second surface remote from the first surface;

identify a second collaboration region on the first surface, the first surface proximate the camera and the projector;

control the projector to project the first annotation onto the second collaboration region;

create a second annotation corresponding to one or more markings made by a second user within the second collaboration region on the first surface; and

transmit the second annotation.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein creating the second annotation comprises:

determining whether the second user is marking within the second collaboration region; and

identifying the one or more markings made by the second user by processing an image of the second collaboration region, the image generated by the camera while the second user is not marking within the second collaboration region.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein controlling the projector to project the first annotation comprises:

detecting a movement of the second collaboration region;

updating the second collaboration region based on the movement; and

controlling the projector to project the first annotation onto the updated second collaboration region.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein creating the second annotation comprises identifying the one or more markings made by the second user, the identification comprising:

processing an infrared image of the second collaboration region, the infrared image generated by the camera while the projector is projecting the first annotation onto the second collaboration region; and

processing a color image of the second collaboration region, the color image generated by the camera while the projector is not projecting the first annotation onto the second collaboration region.

13. The system of claim 9, wherein the controller is further operable to:

identify a third collaboration region on the first surface;

create a third annotation corresponding to one or more markings made by the second user within the third collaboration region; and

transmit the third annotation.

14. The system of claim 9, wherein creating the second annotation comprises:

detecting a movement of the second collaboration region;

updating the second collaboration region based on the movement; and

identifying the one or more markings made by the second user within the updated second collaboration region.

15. A method, comprising:

receiving, by a processor, a first annotation corresponding to one or more markings made by a first user within a first collaboration region of a first surface, the first surface remote from a second surface;

identifying, by the processor, a second collaboration region on the second surface, the second surface proximate a camera;

displaying, by the processor, the first annotation in the second collaboration region;

creating, by the processor, a second annotation corresponding to one or more markings made by a second user within the second collaboration region on the second surface; and

transmitting, by the processor, the second annotation.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein creating the second annotation comprises identifying the one or more markings made by the second user by processing a wavelength filtered image of the second collaboration region, the wavelength filtered image generated by the camera while the first annotation is displayed in the second collaboration region.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein creating the second annotation comprises identifying the one or more markings made by the second user by processing an image of the second collaboration region, the image generated by the camera while the first annotation is not displayed in the second collaboration region.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein creating the second annotation comprises:

determining whether the second user is marking within the second collaboration region; and

identifying the one or more markings made by the second user by processing an image of the second collaboration region, the image generated by the camera while the second user is not marking within the second collaboration region.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein the second surface comprises a display device.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the display device comprises one or more of:

a liquid crystal display;

a light emitting diode display;

a cathode ray tube display;

a plasma display;

a computer monitor;

a television; and

electronic paper.