Voice-following video system
First Claim
1. A system comprising:
- a video camera;
a plurality of sound-activated position signal generators that indicate locations of the position signal generators by emitting respective position signals only when corresponding sound signals are detected, and not emitting the position signals when the corresponding sound signals are not detected, each of the position signal generators including;
a sound detector that detects a sound signal, anda position signal emitter coupled to the sound detector that emits a position signal only when the sound detector detects the sound signal;
a position signal detector capable of detecting the position signals from any of the position signal generators; and
a video camera positioning device that points the video camera in a direction of a position signal detected by the position signal detector, the positioning device positioning the video camera to follow the locations of the position signal generators as the locations of the position signal generators change.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A voice-following video system for dynamically capturing the view of an active speaker includes a video camera, a position control system for the video camera, and one or more voice-activated emitters. A voice-activated emitter is associated with each potential speaker. As a person talks, the associated voice-activated emitter transmits a position signal. The position control system uses the position signal as a beacon to determine the location of the active speaker. The position control system then adjusts the pan and/or tilt of the video camera to bring the active speaker into the field of view and tracks that person'"'"'s movements. In this manner, as one person stops speaking and another starts, the video camera is automatically repositioned, capturing the view of the active speaker.
381 Citations
42 Claims
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1. A system comprising:
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a video camera; a plurality of sound-activated position signal generators that indicate locations of the position signal generators by emitting respective position signals only when corresponding sound signals are detected, and not emitting the position signals when the corresponding sound signals are not detected, each of the position signal generators including; a sound detector that detects a sound signal, and a position signal emitter coupled to the sound detector that emits a position signal only when the sound detector detects the sound signal; a position signal detector capable of detecting the position signals from any of the position signal generators; and a video camera positioning device that points the video camera in a direction of a position signal detected by the position signal detector, the positioning device positioning the video camera to follow the locations of the position signal generators as the locations of the position signal generators change. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A system for controlling a video camera, comprising:
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a plurality of sound-activated position signal generators, the position signal generators emitting position signals to indicate locations of respective position signal generators only when corresponding sound signals are detected and not emitting the position signals when the corresponding sound signals are not detected, each of the position signal generators including; a) a sound detector that detects the sound signal, and b) a position signal emitter emitting the position signal only when the sound detector detects sound signal; a position signal detector capable of detecting the position signals from any of the position signal generators; and a video camera positioning device that points the video camera in a direction of a position signal detected by the position signal detector, the positioning device positioning the video camera to follow one of the locations of the position signal generators as the one of the locations of the position signal generators changes. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. A system that automatically positions a video camera to follow an active speaker, comprising:
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position signal emitting means for emitting position signals only when corresponding voice signals of active speakers are detected and not emitting the position signals when the corresponding voice signals of the active speakers are not detected, the position signal emitting means including; a) sound signal detecting means for detecting a voice signal of an active speaker, b) emitting means coupled to the sound signal detecting means for emitting the position signals only when the sound signal detecting means detects the voice signal of the active speaker; position signal detecting means for detecting any of the position signals; and video camera positioning means for pointing the video camera in a direction of a position signal detected by the position signal detection means and for maintaining the active speaker in a field of view of the video camera by tracking the position signal as a location of the position signal changes.
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21. A method for operating a system that controls a video camera, the method comprising:
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receiving emitted position signals which were emitted by position signal generators only when the position signal generators detected sound signals; detecting the emitted position signals emitted from any of the position signal generators; and pointing the video camera in a direction of a position signal detected by the detecting step such that the video camera is positioned to follow a location of one of the position signal generators as the location of one of the position signal generators changes. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31)
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32. A system for use with a video camera, comprising:
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a plurality of position signal generators that indicate locations of the position signal generators by emitting respective position signals only when sense signals are input to the position signal generators, each of the position signal generators including; a detector that detects a sense signal, and a position signal emitter coupled to the detector that emits a position signal only when the detector detects the sense signal; a position signal detector capable of detecting position signals from any of the position signal generators; and a video camera positioning device that points the video camera in a direction of one of the position signals detected by the position signal detector, the positioning device positioning the video camera to follow a location of one of the position signal generators as the location changes. - View Dependent Claims (33, 34, 35, 36, 37)
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38. A method for operating a system that controls a video camera, the method comprising:
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receiving emitted position signals which were emitted by position signal generators only when sensory inputs are detected; detecting the emitted position signals from any of the position signal generators; and pointing the video camera in a direction of a position signal detected by the detecting step such that the video camera is positioned to follow a location of one of the position signal generators as the location changes. - View Dependent Claims (39, 40, 41, 42)
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Specification