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Image manipulating teleconferencing system

  • US 5,438,357 A
  • Filed: 11/23/1993
  • Issued: 08/01/1995
  • Est. Priority Date: 11/23/1993
  • Status: Expired due to Term
First Claim
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1. A teleconferencing system which enables a conferee at a local terminal to enjoy the appearance of eye contact during a teleconference with a second conferee at a connected remote terminal, the system comprising:

  • a terminal which comprises;

    image display means for displaying an image;

    image pickup means for producing a video signal representative of the image of the first conferee, the image pickup means being placed beyond the outside perimeter of the image on the image display means so as not to interfere with the viewing of the image display;

    audio pickup means to produce an audio signal representative of speech and other sounds produced by the first conferee; and

    audio reproduction means for audibly reproducing an audio signal from the remote terminal, the audio signal representative of speech and other sounds produced by the second conferee such that the first conferee and the second conferee can carry out a conversation;

    digitizing means for creating a digital representation of the video signal from the image pickup means;

    signal transmission means for processing audio and video signals from the local terminal and transmitting them to the remote terminal, and receiving audio and video signals from the remote terminal and processing them for use by the local terminal so that the local terminal is connected to the remote terminal;

    orientation means for deriving data representing a spatial orientation of elements of the image of one of the first conferee, the second conferee, and both conferees from a digital representation of the video signal from their respective terminals so as to determine elements of one of the first conferee'"'"'s gaze, the second conferee'"'"'s gaze and both conferees'"'"' gazes, respectively;

    image manipulation means for using the spatial orientation data to manipulate the digital image representation to create the appearance of eye contact between the first and second conferees to facilitate natural conversation.

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