PHYSICAL OBJECT-BASED VISUAL WORKSPACE CONFIGURATION SYSTEM

• US 20200137316A1
• Filed: 11/27/2019
• Published: 04/30/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 10/26/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Zavesky, Eric, Liu, Zhu, Gibbon, David Crawford, Renger, Bernard S., Shahraray, Behzad, Xu, Tan
• Granted Patent: US 10,827,132 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/262 Studio circuits, e.g. for mixing, switching-over, change of character of image, other special effects ; Cameras specially adapted for the electronic generation of special effects
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/147 Communication arrangements, e.g. identifying the communication as a video-communication, intermediate storage of the signals selecting H04Q

Abstract

A processing system having at least one processor may establish a communication session between a first communication system of a first user and a second communication system of a second user, the communication session including first video content of a first physical environment of the first user and second video content of a second physical environment of the second user, determine a first visualization action for a first physical object in the first physical environment in accordance with a first configuration setting of the first user for the communication session, obtain the first video content from a first camera of the first communication system, detect the first physical object in the first video content, and perform the first visualization action to modify the first video content. The processing system may then transmit first visualization information including the first video content that is modified to the second communication system.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

establishing, by a processing system including at least one processor, a communication session between at least a first communication system of a first user and a second communication system of a second user, the communication session including first video content of a first physical environment of the first user and second video content of a second physical environment of the second user;

determining, by the processing system, at least a first visualization action for a first physical object in the first physical environment in accordance with a first configuration setting of the first user for the communication session, wherein the first configuration setting indicates that a non-essential object should be blocked in the first video content;

obtaining, by the processing system, the first video content from at least a first camera of the first communication system;

detecting, by the processing system, the first physical object in the first video content;

determining, by the processing system in accordance with an image salience detection algorithm, that the first physical object is deemed to be the non-essential object;

performing, by the processing system, the at least the first visualization action to modify the first video content, wherein the at least the first visualization action comprises blocking the first physical object in the first video content in accordance with the first configuration setting when it is determined that the first physical object is the non-essential object; and

transmitting, by the processing system, first rendering information including the first video content that is modified to the second communication system of the second user.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the second communication system is to render a second user interface for the second user in accordance with the first video content that is modified.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least the first visualization action is in accordance with at least one of:

a capability of the first communication system;

a capability of the second communication system;

a capability of the processing system;

or

a capability of a network supporting the communication session.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining at least a second visualization action for a second physical object in the second physical environment in accordance with a second configuration setting for the second user for the communication session;

obtaining the second video content from at least a second camera of the second communication system;

detecting the second physical object in the second video content;

performing the at least the second visualization action to modify the second video content.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising at least one of:

transmitting second rendering information including the second video content that is modified to the first communication system of the first user, wherein the first communication system is to render a first user interface for the first user in accordance with the second video content that is modified;

or

rendering the first user interface for the first user in accordance with the second video content that is modified.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the communication session further comprises:

first user interface content of the first user; and

second user interface content of the second user.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the first configuration setting comprises at least a third visualization action for the first user interface content for the communication session, wherein the transmitting the first rendering information further comprises:

transmitting the first rendering information including the first user interface content that is modified in accordance with the at least the third visualization action.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the at least the third visualization action comprises at least one of:

removing at least a portion of the first user interface content;

blocking at least a portion of the first user interface content;

obfuscating at least a portion of the first user interface content;

or

altering a location of at least a first portion of the first user interface content with respect to at least a second portion of the first user interface content.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the first configuration setting comprises at least a fourth visualization action for the second user interface content for the communication session, wherein the method further comprises:

obtaining the second user interface content; and

performing the at least the fourth visualization action to modify the second user interface content.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising at least one of:

transmitting second rendering information including the second user interface content that is modified to the first communication system of the first user, wherein the first communication system is to render a first user interface for the first user in accordance with the second user interface content that is modified;

or

rendering the first user interface for the first user in accordance with the second user interface content that is modified.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

rendering a first user interface for the first user, wherein the rendering comprises;

presenting the second video content via at least one display device of the first communication system.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the rendering further comprises:

obtaining the second video content from the second communication system.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the rendering further comprises:

presenting first user interface content of the first communication system.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the first configuration setting comprises at least a fifth visualization action for a third physical object in the second video content for the communication session.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the rendering further comprises:

performing the at least the fifth visualization action to modify the second video content, wherein the presenting the second video content comprises presenting the second video content that is modified.

16. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a request to establish the communication session from at least one of the first communication system or the second communication system.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein the first configuration setting is associated with at least one of:

a location of the first physical environment;

a time of day;

a presence of at least one other individual besides the first user in the first physical environment;

or

a type of task for the communication session.

18. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions which, when executed by a processing system including at least one processor, cause the processing system to perform operations, the operations comprising:

establishing a communication session between at least a first communication system of a first user and a second communication system of a second user, the communication session including first video content of a first physical environment of the first user and second video content of a second physical environment of the second user;

determining at least a first visualization action for a first physical object in the first physical environment in accordance with a first configuration setting of the first user for the communication session, wherein the first configuration setting indicates that a non-essential object should be blocked in the first video content;

obtaining the first video content from at least a first camera of the first communication system;

detecting the first physical object in the first video content;

determining, by the processing system in accordance with an image salience detection algorithm, that the first physical object is deemed to be the non-essential object;

performing the at least the first visualization action to modify the first video content, wherein the at least the first visualization action comprises blocking the first physical object in the first video content in accordance with the first configuration setting when it is determined that the first physical object is the non-essential object; and

transmitting first rendering information including the first video content that is modified to the second communication system of the second user.

19. A device comprising:

a processing system including at least one processor; and

a computer-readable medium storing instructions which, when executed by the processing system, cause the processing system to perform operations, the operations comprising;

establishing a communication session between at least a first communication system of a first user and a second communication system of a second user, the communication session including first video content of a first physical environment of the first user and second video content of a second physical environment of the second user;

determining at least a first visualization action for a first physical object in the first physical environment in accordance with a first configuration setting of the first user for the communication session, wherein the first configuration setting indicates that a non-essential object should be blocked in the first video content;

obtaining the first video content from at least a first camera of the first communication system;

detecting the first physical object in the first video content;

determining, by the processing system in accordance with an image salience detection algorithm, that the first physical object is deemed to be the non-essential object;

performing the at least the first visualization action to modify the first video content, wherein the at least the first visualization action comprises blocking the first physical object in the first video content in accordance with the first configuration setting when it is determined that the first physical object is the non-essential object; and

transmitting first rendering information including the first video content that is modified to the second communication system of the second user.

20. The device of claim 19, wherein the second communication system is to render a second user interface for the second user in accordance with the first video content that is modified.