Method and apparatus for controlling a remote video camera in a video conferencing system

• US 6,614,465 B2
• Filed: 09/13/2001
• Issued: 09/02/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 01/06/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Alexander, Theresa A., Rothrock, Lewis V.
• Primary Examiner(s): Eng, George
• Application Number:
  US09/982,675
• Publication Number:
  US 20020044201A1
• Time in Patent Office: 719 Days
• Field of Search: 348/14-1-, 348/14.05, 348/14-7-, 348/143, 348/152, 348/169, 348/211.12, 348/214, 348/240, 348/722, 379/102-1-1, 379/202, 382/103-104, 382/106, 382/153-154, 382/190, 382/194-195, 382/203, 345/640, 345/660, 345/788, 345/798, 345/800
• US Class Current: 348/14.05
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/142 Constructional details of the terminal equipment, e.g. arrangements of the camera and the display
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/15 Conference systems

Abstract

An apparatus for use within a video conferencing system comprising an image analysis circuit and a control circuit is presented. As described herein, the image analysis circuit is operative to analyze at least a video frame of video conferencing signals of a video conference. The control circuit, coupled to the image analysis circuit, is operative to control a remote video camera of a remote conferencing apparatus communicatively coupled to the video conferencing apparatus to conduct the video conference, responsive to the results of said analysis.

Claims

1. A teleconferencing apparatus comprising:

an analysis module capable of determining a focused image, the focused image comprising a subset of pixels of a single video image stored in a capture buffer, by iteratively enlarging the focused image until a level of disparity between the pixels of the focused image exceeds a threshold value; and

a control module capable of controlling a remote video camera to adjust the camera to the focused image.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein a user input causes the single video image to be stored in the capture buffer.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the user input further includes pixel coordinates that determine a position of the focused frame that is iteratively enlarged by the analysis module.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the user input comprises activating an event on a pointing device, wherein the image displayed when the event was activated comprises the single video image to be stored in the capture buffer, and the position of the pointing device at when the event was activated comprises the pixel coordinates.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the pointing device comprises a mouse and the event on the mouse comprises a double-click.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the single video image comprises one frame of a video data stream comprising sequential frames of video data.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the level of disparity between the pixels of the focused frame comprises a measure of the standard deviation of one or more pixel attributes.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the one or more pixel attributes comprise at least one of pixel color, pixel hue, pixel brightness, and pixel texture.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the control module adjusts the remote video camera by adjusting a focal length of the remote video camera.

10. A computer readable medium having stored thereon instructions which when executed by a processor cause the processor to:

cause an analysis module to determine a focused image, the focused image comprising a subset of pixels of a single video image stored in a capture buffer, by iteratively enlarging the focused image until a level of disparity between the pixels of the focused image exceeds a threshold value; and

cause a control module to adjust a remote video camera to the focused image.

11. The computer readable medium of claim 10, wherein a user input causes the single video image to be stored in the capture buffer.

12. The computer readable medium of claim 11, wherein the user input further includes pixel coordinates that determine a position of the focused frame that is iteratively enlarged by the analysis module.

13. The computer readable medium of claim 10, wherein the user input comprises activating an event on the pointing device, wherein the image displayed when the event was activated comprises the single video image to be stored in the capture buffer, and the position of the pointing device at when the event was activated comprises the pixel coordinates.

14. The computer readable medium of claim 10, wherein the pointing device comprises a mouse and the event on the mouse comprises a double-click.

15. The computer readable medium of claim 10, wherein the single video image comprises one frame of a video data stream comprising sequential frames of video data.

16. The computer readable medium of claim 10, wherein the level of disparity between the pixels of the focused frame comprises a measure of the standard deviation of one or more pixel attributes.

17. The computer readable medium of claim 10, wherein the one or more pixel attributes comprise at least one of pixel color, pixel hue, pixel brightness, and pixel texture.

18. A method performed by a teleconferencing apparatus, the method comprising:

determining a focused image, the focused image comprising a subset of pixels of a single video image stored in a capture buffer, by iteratively enlarging the focused image until a level of disparity between the pixels of the focused image exceeds a threshold value; and

adjusting a remote video camera to the focused image.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising receiving a user input, and storing the single video image in the capture buffer in response to the user input.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the user input includes pixel coordinates that determine a position of the focused frame that is iteratively enlarged.