Teleconferencing method and system for providing face-to-face, non-animated teleconference environment
First Claim
1. A video mirror system for use in a video conference, comprising a plurality of stations comprising:
- a display; and
an imager coupled to said display for generating a superimposed image which is not a cartoon animation, said superimposed image comprising at least a portion of one of said plurality of stations combined with an image of at least one participant from said one of said plurality of stations and also for causing said display to display said superimposed image such that when said superimposed image is displayed at a non-remote station having a predetermined motif during the video conference the at least one participant appears life-size and face-to-face in the presence of a participant at the non-remote station.
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0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A method and system provides a face-to-face video conference utilizing a video mirror. The method and apparatus comprise a first station having a first predetermined sensory setting; a second station having a second predetermined sensory setting; and an imaging system for capturing an image or sub-image at the first station, displaying at least a portion of the image or sub-image at the second station such that it becomes generally visually integrated with the second predetermined sensory setting. Also, disclosed is apparatus and method for effecting a face-to-face presence environment regardless of whether the first and second predetermined sensory settings are the same or different. The stations may be portable and/or modular such that they can be easily constructed or assembled. The stations may also be architectured and/or decorated to further enhance the face-to-face environment created by the video conferencing system and method.
128 Citations
85 Claims
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1. A video mirror system for use in a video conference, comprising a plurality of stations comprising:
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a display; and an imager coupled to said display for generating a superimposed image which is not a cartoon animation, said superimposed image comprising at least a portion of one of said plurality of stations combined with an image of at least one participant from said one of said plurality of stations and also for causing said display to display said superimposed image such that when said superimposed image is displayed at a non-remote station having a predetermined motif during the video conference the at least one participant appears life-size and face-to-face in the presence of a participant at the non-remote station. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3)
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4. A teleconferencing method comprising the steps of:
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capturing image data corresponding to an image; processing the image data to provide differentiated image data, said differentiated image data corresponding to a portion of said image; transmitting said differentiated image data to a teleconferencing station defining a motif; and displaying a non-cartoon animated differentiated image corresponding to said differentiated image data at said teleconferencing station such that said image complements said motif of said teleconferencing station so that subjects in the image appear to be physically present at said teleconferencing station. - View Dependent Claims (5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29)
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30. A teleconferencing method comprising the steps of:
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generating image data corresponding to an image, said image not being a cartoon animation; transmitting at least a portion of said image data corresponding to at least a portion of said image to a teleconferencing station defining a motif; and displaying said at least a portion of said image at said teleconferencing station during a teleconference such that at least a portion of said image complements said motif and objects in said image appear to be in the presence of participants situated at the teleconferencing station. - View Dependent Claims (31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58)
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59. A teleconferencing system comprising:
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generating means for generating image data corresponding to an image; transmitting means coupled to said generating means for transmitting at least a portion of said image data corresponding to at least a portion of said image to a teleconferencing station defining a motif; and display means situated at said teleconferencing station for receiving said at least a portion of said image data and also for displaying a non-cartoon animated transmitted image corresponding to said at least a portion of said image at said teleconferencing station during a teleconference such that when said transmitted image is displayed at the teleconferencing station, at least a portion of said image complements said motif and any participants in the image appear in the presence of the participants at the teleconferencing station. - View Dependent Claims (60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 80, 81, 82, 83, 84, 85)
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Specification