Eye contact apparatus employing a directionally transmissive layer for video conferencing

• US 5,612,734 A
• Filed: 11/13/1995
• Issued: 03/18/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 11/13/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Regents of the University of California (University of California)
• Original Assignee: Bell Communications Research, Inc. (Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson)
• Inventors: Vaning, Barry R., Nelson, Terence J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Chan, Wing F.
• Application Number:
  US08/557,591
• Time in Patent Office: 491 Days
• Field of Search: 348/14, 348/15, 348/20, 348/335, 348/835, 348/834, 359/296, 313/478, 313/474
• US Class Current: 348/14.16
• 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

Apparatus for establishing eye contact between communicating parties during video conferencing comprises mirrors, a directionally transmissive layer, such as a louver assembly, and a camera are positioned, with respect to one another such that more intimate communication is realized between the parties without substantially reducing the transmissivity of the apparatus. Internal to this apparatus, the louver assembly is located in front of the terminal screen and passes an image of the distant party radiated from the terminal screen which is substantially parallel to microlouvers of the louver assembly. A first mirror, which is partially silvered, reflects the image of the local party and transmits the image of the distant party that is radiated from the terminal screen and passed by the louver assembly. The reflected image of the local party is directed toward a second mirror located below the first mirror. The second mirror is positioned to capture the image of the local party from the first mirror and to reflect this image into a miniature camera. An outstanding advantage of our inventive apparatus is that improved contrast at the camera between the desired image of the local party and the undesired image of the remote party, is achieved. This advantage is achieved without significantly compromising the transmissivity of the image radiated from the terminal screen and viewed by the local party and the transmissivity of the image of the local party captured by the camera. Prior apparatuses employing polarizers tradeoff transmissivity for improved contrast.

Claims

1. A video conferencing terminal without polarizers for allowing eye contact between a local party viewing a terminal screen and the image of a distant party on said screen, said terminal including

a camera module for capturing the image of the local party for transmission to a distant party and

a partially silvered mirror for transmitting the image of the distant party on said screen to the local party and for reflecting the image of the local party to said camera module,

said terminal further comprising means for concurrently increasing the transmission of light from said screen to the local party, for improving the contrast at said camera module between the image of the local party and the light radiated from said screen, and for increasing the transmission of light from the local party to said camera module, said means comprising a louver assembly having microlouvers, said louver assembly being positioned on said screen and between said screen and said camera module.

2. A video conferencing terminal in accordance with claim 1 wherein said microlouvers of said louver assembly are oriented between said screen and the local party so that light from said screen that is radiated at an angle substantially parallel to the microlouvers is passed through to the local party while light from said screen that is radiated at an angle that is substantially perpendicular to said microlouvers is absorbed by said louver assembly and thus prevented from being transmitted by said partially silvered mirror to said camera module.