Adaptable teleconferencing eye contact terminal

• US 6,710,797 B1
• Filed: 12/27/2001
• Issued: 03/23/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 09/20/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Videotronic Systems
• Original Assignee: Videotronic Systems
• Inventors: Machtig, Jeffrey S., McNelley, Steve H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ramakrishnaiah, Melur
• Application Number:
  US10/033,655
• Time in Patent Office: 817 Days
• Field of Search: H04/N.714, 348/14-1-, 348/14.1, 348/14-1-, 348/14.16, 348/335, 348/835, 359/296, 313/478, 313/474
• US Class Current: 348/14.16
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 30/56 by projecting aerial or floating images
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 15/10 using back-projection, i.e. blending artificial background with real foreground
• 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

The present invention enables eye contact between conferees during a teleconference using a terminal equipped with a beam-splitter. The camera is positioned behind the viewing side of the beam-splitter to capture the conferee'"'"'s image through the beam-splitter. The reflection of the video display appears to be positioned in a room environment with common room objects, serving to associate the position of the reflection in the room environment. The transparent quality of the beamsplitter is used not only for capturing eye contact images from one direction, but also revealing the room environment by enabling the conferee to see-through the beamsplitter. The invention can be configured to create the appearance that a life-size teleconference image of a remote conferee appears in the same room as the local conferee viewing the reflection and appears to be sitting on the other side of the desk or table.

Claims

1. An eye contact teleconferencing terminal for allowing a first conferee to maintain eye contact with a second conferee imaged by the teleconferencing terminal, the teleconferencing terminal comprising:

an image display with an image bearing surface;

a semireflective transparent panel forming an angle of between about 30 and 60 degrees with the image display for viewing by the first conferee a reflection of the image bearing surface of the image display on the semireflective transparent panel;

a video camera disposed on a side of the semireflective transparent panel opposite the image display, the video camera capturing, through the semireflective transparent panel, an image of the first conferee who is disposed on the image display-side of the semireflective transparent panel; and

a positioning mechanism means so that the reflection of the image bearing surface is adjustable in a location it resides; and

a room environment with common objects, providing visual reference to the residing location of the reflection within the room environment, the room environment viewed by the first conferee through the semireflective transparent panel.

2. The teleconferencing terminal of claim 1 wherein the positioning mechanism means alters the placement of at least one of the image display and the semireflective transparent panel.

3. The teleconferencing terminal of claim 1 wherein the positioning mechanism means operates by a motorized control altering the placement of least one of the image display and the semireflective transparent panel.

45. The teleconferencing terminal of claim 1 wherein the television image is used for teleconferencing and the computer image is used for data collaboration during the teleconference.

4. An eye contact teleconferencing terminal for allowing a first conferee to maintain eye contact with a second conferee imaged by the teleconferencing terminal, the teleconferencing terminal comprising:

an image display with an image bearing surface;

a semireflective transparent panel forming an angle of between about 30 and 60 degrees with the image display for viewing by the first conferee a reflection of the image bearing surface of the image display on the semireflective transparent panel;

a second conferee image isolated in a black background displayed on the image bearing surface;

a video camera disposed on a side of the semireflective transparent panel opposite the image display, the video camera capturing, through the semireflective transparent panel, an image of the first conferee who is disposed on the image display-side of the semireflective transparent panel; and

a room environment with common objects providing visual reference to a residing location of the reflection within the room environment when the room environment is viewed by the first conferee through the semireflective transparent panel and its reflection of the black background.

5. An improved teleconferencing terminal for allowing a first conferee to maintain visual contact with a second conferee imaged by the teleconferencing terminal, the teleconferencing terminal comprising:

an image display;

a semireflective transparent panel forming an angle of between about 30 and 60 degrees with the image display for viewing by the first conferee a reflection of an image bearing surface of the image display on the semireflective transparent panel;

a video camera for capturing an image of the first conferee who is disposed on the image display-side of the semireflective transparent panel; and

a room environment with common objects providing visual reference to a residing location of the reflection within the room environment when the room environment is viewed by the first conferee through the semireflective transparent panel and its reflection of the black background.

6. An eye contact teleconferencing terminal for allowing a first conferee to maintain eye contact with a second conferee imaged by the teleconferencing terminal, the teleconferencing terminal comprising:

an image display with an image bearing surface;

a semireflective transparent panel forming an angle of between about 30 and 60 degrees with the image display for viewing by the first conferee a reflection of the image bearing surface of the image display on the semireflective transparent panel;

a video camera disposed on a side of the semireflective transparent panel opposite the image display, the video camera capturing, through the semireflective transparent panel, an image of the first conferee who is disposed on the image display-side of the semireflective transparent panel; and

a video camera concealment system so that the video camera is substantially prevented from being viewed by the first conferee by at least one of a reduction of the size of the camera, a painted bezel of the camera to blend with the room environment, an increase in the luminance of the image display, a second semireflective transparent panel for capturing the image of the first conferee, an anti-reflective layer disposed to a lens of the video camera, and a blending of the camera in with common objects in the room environment so that it is not readily associated as a video camera.

7. An eye contact teleconferencing terminal for allowing a first conferee to maintain eye contact with a second conferee imaged by the teleconferencing terminal, the teleconferencing terminal comprising:

an image display with an image bearing surface;

a semireflective transparent panel forming an angle of between about 30 and 60 degrees with the image display for viewing by the first conferee a reflection of the image bearing surface of the image display on the semireflective transparent panel;

a video camera disposed on a side of the semireflective transparent panel opposite the image display, the video camera capturing, through the semireflective transparent panel, an image of the first conferee who is disposed on the image display-side of the semireflective transparent panel; and

a controlled room environment for controlling the effects of the room environment on video camera capturing, the controlling from at least one of adjusting the luminance a room lighting, a direction of a room lighting, a positioning of common objects in the room environment, a color of the room environment, a polarization of the room environment in conjunction with a second polarizer between the first conferee and the camera.

8. An eye contact teleconferencing terminal for allowing a first conferee to maintain eye contact with a second conferee imaged by the teleconferencing terminal, the teleconferencing terminal comprising:

an image display with an image bearing surface;

a semireflective transparent panel forming an angle of between about 30 and 60 degrees with the image display for viewing by the first conferee a reflection of the image bearing surface of the image display on the semireflective transparent panel;

a video camera disposed on a side of the semireflective transparent panel opposite the image display, the video camera capturing, through the semireflective transparent panel, an image of the first conferee who is disposed on the image display-side of the semireflective transparent panel; and

a controlled room environment for controlling the effects of the room environment on viewing the reflection by the first conferee, the controlling selected from at least one of adjusting the luminance of a room lighting, a direction of a room lighting, a positioning of common objects in the room environment, a color of the room environment, and a polarization of the room environment in conjunction with a second polarizer between the reflection and the first conferee.

9. An eye contact teleconferencing terminal for allowing a first conferee to maintain eye contact with a second conferee imaged by the teleconferencing terminal, the teleconferencing terminal comprising:

an image display with an image bearing surface;

a semireflective transparent panel forming an angle of between about 30 and 60 degrees with the image display for viewing by the first conferee a reflection of the image bearing surface of the image display on the semireflective transparent panel;

a video camera disposed on a side of the semireflective transparent panel opposite the image display, the video camera capturing, through the semireflective transparent panel, an image of the first conferee who is disposed on the image display-side of the semireflective transparent panel; and

a computerized image manipulating system for image manipulating to black a background of a video image of at least one of the first and the second conferees captured by at least one of the camera and a camera capturing an image of the second conferee for production upon the image bearing surface, the black background permitting the first conferee to view a room environment with common objects through the semireflective transparent panel.

10. An eye contact teleconferencing terminal for allowing a first conferee to maintain eye contact with a second conferee imaged by the teleconferencing terminal, the teleconferencing terminal comprising:

an image display with an image bearing surface;

a semireflective transparent panel forming an angle of between about 30 and 60 degrees with the image display for viewing by the first conferee a reflection of the image bearing surface of the image display on the semireflective transparent panel;

a video camera disposed on a side of the semireflective transparent panel opposite the image display, the video camera capturing, through the semireflective transparent panel, an image of the first conferee who is disposed on the image display-side of the semireflective transparent panel; and

an adhesion means for attaching the semireflective transparent panel to a substrate.

11. The teleconferencing terminal of claim 10 wherein the substrate is transparent.

12. The teleconferencing terminal of claim 10 wherein a antireflective layer is disposed on the side of the substrate to reduce an undesirable reflection captured by the camera.

13. The teleconferencing terminal of claim 10 wherein the semireflective transparent panel is chemically hardened.

14. An eye contact teleconferencing terminal for allowing a first conferee to maintain eye contact with a second conferee imaged by the teleconferencing terminal, the teleconferencing terminal comprising:

an image display with an image bearing surface;

a semireflective transparent panel forming an angle of between about 30 and 60 degrees with the image display for viewing by the first conferee a reflection of the image bearing surface of the image display on the semireflective transparent panel;

a video camera disposed on a side of the semireflective transparent panel opposite the image display, the video camera capturing, through the semireflective transparent panel, an image of the first conferee who is disposed on the image display-side of the semireflective transparent panel; and

a reflection reduction means for reducing an undesirable reflection captured by the camera upon the side of the semireflective transparent panel opposite the fist conferee by at least one of an antireflective layer disposed to the camera side of the semireflective transparent panel, a shield to block the undesirable reflection, a camera housing to block the undesirable reflection, an adjustment of the angle of the semireflective transparent panel, an adjustment to the color of a reflection source, an adjustment to the luminance intensity of the reflection source, and a first and a second polarizer in conjunction reduces the reflection.

15. An eye contact teleconferencing terminal for allowing a first conferee to maintain eye contact with a second conferee imaged by the teleconferencing terminal, the teleconferencing terminal comprising:

an image display with an image bearing surface;

a semireflective transparent panel forming an angle of between about 30 and 60 degrees with the image display for viewing by the first conferee a reflection of the image bearing surface of the image display on the semireflective transparent panel;

a video camera disposed on a side of the semireflective transparent panel opposite the image display, the video camera capturing, through the semireflective transparent panel, an image of the first conferee who is disposed on the image display-side of the semireflective transparent panel;

a layer of image blocking film disposed between the image bearing surface and the semireflective transparent panel allowing the image of the second conferee to pass through and reflect from the semireflective panel while blocking a direct view of the image display from the first conferee; and

lamination adhesion layer for laminating the image blocking film to at least one of the image bearing surface, a antireflective layer adhered to a side of the image blocking film facing the image bearing surface, a antireflective layer adhered to a side of the image blocking film facing the semireflective transparent panel, a rigid transparent substrate facing the image bearing surface, a rigid transparent substrate facing the semireflective transparent panel, an antireflective coated rigid transparent substrate facing the image bearing surface and an antireflective coated rigid transparent substrate facing the semireflective transparent panel.

16. An eye contact teleconferencing terminal for allowing a first conferee to maintain eye contact with a second conferee imaged by the teleconferencing terminal, the teleconferencing terminal comprising:

an image display with an image bearing surface;

a semireflective transparent panel forming an angle of between about 30 and 60 degrees with the image display for viewing by the first conferee a reflection of the image bearing surface of the image display on the semireflective transparent panel;

a video camera disposed on a side of the semireflective transparent panel opposite the image display, the video camera capturing, through the semireflective transparent panel, an image of the first conferee who is disposed on the image display-side of the semireflective transparent panel; and

a mounting bracket system for attaching to a first edge side of the semireflective panel, the panel being rigid and self-supporting without a surrounding frame.

17. The teleconferencing terminal of claim 16 wherein the system supports a second edge side of the semireflective transparent panel.

18. The teleconferencing terminal of claim 16 wherein the system supports a third edge side of the semireflective transparent panel.

19. The teleconferencing system of claim 16 wherein the system has a quick detach mechanism for removing the semireflective transparent panel.

20. An eye contact teleconferencing terminal for allowing a first conferee to maintain eye contact with a second conferee imaged by the teleconferencing terminal, the teleconferencing terminal comprising:

an image display with an image bearing surface;

a semireflective transparent panel forming an angle of between about 30 and 60 degrees with the image display for viewing by the first conferee a reflection of the image bearing surface of the image display on the semireflective transparent panel;

a video camera disposed on a side of the semireflective transparent panel opposite the image display, the video camera capturing, through the semireflective transparent panel, an image of the first conferee who is disposed on the image display-side of the semireflective transparent panel; and

a second display observed by the local conferee for collaborating data, the second display positioned between the local conferee and the semireflective transparent panel and positioned so as to not obstruct the first conferee from viewing the reflection of the image bearing surface.

21. The teleconferencing terminal of claim 20 wherein the second display includes interactive input means.

22. The teleconferencing terminal of claim 20 wherein the second display is wireless in at least one of a image signal and a interactive communication means.

23. The teleconferencing terminal of claim 20 wherein the second display includes a computer.

24. The teleconferencing terminal of claim 20 wherein the second display is built into a structure that includes the image display.

25. An eye contact teleconferencing terminal for allowing a first conferee to maintain eye contact with a second conferee imaged by the teleconferencing terminal, the teleconferencing terminal comprising:

an image display with an image bearing surface;

a semireflective transparent panel forming an angle of between about 30 and 60 degrees with the image display for viewing by the first conferee a reflection of the image bearing surface of the image display on the semireflective transparent panel;

a video camera disposed on a side of the semireflective transparent panel opposite the image display, the video camera capturing, through the semireflective transparent panel, an image of the first conferee who is disposed on the image display-side of the semireflective transparent panel; and

a connecting mechanism means so that the semireflective transparent panel closes toward the image bearing surface revealing the camera-side of the semireflective transparent panel facing upward and serves as a usable working surface.

26. The teleconferencing terminal of claim 25 wherein on the camera-side of the semireflective transparent panel is laminated a rigid transparent substrate.

27. The teleconferencing terminal of claim 25 wherein the camera is mounted separate of the semireflective transparent panel.

28. The teleconferencing terminal of claim 25 in which at least one of the image display, the semireflective transparent panel and the camera are constructed into a housing.

29. The teleconferencing terminal of claim 25 wherein the image display is mounted at an angle in order to block the first conferee'"'"'s view of the image bearing surface.

30. The teleconferencing terminal of claim 25 wherein a support structure supporting at least the image display and the semireflective transparent panel is constructed upon a wheel arrangement so that the terminal may be easily rolled about.

31. An eye contact teleconferencing terminal for allowing a first conferee to maintain eye contact with a second conferee imaged by the teleconferencing terminal, the teleconferencing terminal comprising:

an image display with an image bearing surface;

a semireflective transparent panel forming an angle of between about 30 and 60 degrees with the image display for viewing by the first conferee a reflection of the image bearing surface of the image display on the semireflective transparent panel;

a video camera disposed on a side of the semireflective transparent panel opposite the image display, the video camera capturing, through the semireflective transparent panel, an image of the first conferee who is disposed on the image display-side of the semireflective transparent panel;

a support structure with a usable working surface side and on the opposing side is mounted the semireflective transparent panel; and

a connecting mechanism means so that the semireflective transparent panel-side of the support structure closes upon the image display leaving the usable working surface exposed to the first conferee.

32. The teleconferencing terminal of claim 31 in which the terminal is constructed into a housing.

33. The teleconferencing terminal of claim 31 wherein the image display is mounted at an angle in order to block the first conferee'"'"'s view of the image bearing surface.

34. The teleconferencing terminal of claim 31 wherein the support structure is constructed upon a wheel arrangement so that the terminal may be easily rolled about.

35. An eye contact teleconferencing terminal for allowing a first conferee to maintain eye contact with a second conferee imaged by the teleconferencing terminal, the teleconferencing terminal comprising:

an image display with an image bearing surface;

a semireflective transparent panel forming an angle of between about 30 and 60 degrees with the image display for viewing by the first conferee a reflection of the image bearing surface of the image display on the semireflective transparent panel;

a video camera disposed on a side of the semireflective transparent panel opposite the image display, the video camera capturing, through the semireflective transparent panel, an image of the first conferee who is disposed on the image display-side of the semireflective transparent panel; and

a structure mounting in position the image display, the semireflective panel, and the camera, the structure affixed to wheels so that the terminal can easily be rolled about.

36. An eye contact teleconferencing terminal for allowing a first conferee to maintain eye contact with a second conferee imaged by the teleconferencing terminal, the teleconferencing terminal comprising:

an image display with an image bearing surface;

a semireflective transparent panel forming an angle of between about 30 and 60 degrees with the image display for viewing by the first conferee a reflection of the image bearing surface of the image display on the semireflective transparent panel;

a video camera disposed on a side of the semireflective transparent panel opposite the image display, the video camera capturing, through the semireflective transparent panel, an image of the first conferee who is disposed on the image display-side of the semireflective transparent panel; and

a free standing housing constructed as at least one of a desk, a table, a credenza, a speaker'"'"'s podium and a coffee table, the housing providing support for the semireflective transparent panel.

37. The teleconferencing terminal of claim 36 wherein the camera-side of the semireflective transparent panel is laminated to a rigid transparent substrate.

38. The teleconferencing terminal of claim 36 wherein the camera is mounted separate of the semireflective transparent panel.

39. The teleconferencing terminal of claim 36 wherein the image display is mounted at an angle in order to block the first conferee'"'"'s view of the image bearing surface.

40. The teleconferencing terminal of claim 36 wherein the housing is constructed upon a wheel arrangement so that the terminal may be easily rolled about.

41. The teleconferencing terminal of claim 36 wherein a room environment with common objects provides visual reference to a residing location of the reflection within the room environment when the room environment is viewed through the semireflective transparent panel by the first conferee.

42. The teleconferencing terminal of claim 36 wherein a usable working surface extension is mounted between the housing and the first conferee, the extension being adjustable to be removed from an extension area it resides when extended.

43. An eye contact teleconferencing terminal for allowing a first conferee to maintain eye contact with a second conferee imaged by the teleconferencing terminal, the teleconferencing terminal comprising:

an image display with an image bearing surface;

a semireflective transparent panel forming an angle of between about 30 and 60 degrees with the image display for viewing by the first conferee a reflection of the image bearing surface of the image display on the semireflective transparent panel;

a video camera disposed on a side of the semireflective transparent panel opposite the image display, the video camera capturing, through the semireflective transparent panel, an image of the first conferee who is disposed on the image display-side of the semireflective transparent panel; and

a selectably dimmable shutter means for permitting the first conferee to select between the range of a clear mode for observation through and beyond the semireflective transparent panel and an opaque mode for enhancing contrast of the reflection of the image bearing surface on the semireflective panel.

44. An eye contact teleconferencing terminal for allowing a first conferee to maintain eye contact with a second conferee imaged by the teleconferencing terminal, the teleconferencing terminal comprising:

an image display with an image bearing surface;

a semireflective transparent panel forming an angle of between about 30 and 60 degrees with the image display for viewing by the first conferee a reflection of the image bearing surface of the image display on the semireflective transparent panel;

a video camera disposed on a side of the semireflective transparent panel opposite the image display, the video camera capturing, through the semireflective transparent panel, an image of the first conferee who is disposed on the image display-side of the semireflective transparent panel; and

an electronically changeable image display for selecting between a computer image and a television image.

46. An eye contact teleconferencing terminal for allowing a first conferee to maintain eye contact with a second conferee imaged by the teleconferencing terminal, the teleconferencing terminal comprising:

an image display with an image bearing surface;

a semireflective transparent panel forming an angle of between about 30 and 60 degrees with the image display for viewing by the first conferee a reflection of the image bearing surface of the image display on the semireflective transparent panel;

a video camera disposed on a side of the semireflective transparent panel opposite the image display, the video camera capturing, through the semireflective transparent panel, an image of the first conferee who is disposed on the image display-side of the semireflective transparent panel; and

a mechanical height adjustment system for raising and lowering the camera relative to the reflection of the image bearing surface.

47. The teleconferencing terminal of claim 46 wherein in the mechanical height adjustment system is motorized.

48. The teleconferencing terminal of claim 46 wherein the mechanical height adjustment system is independent of the position of the semireflective transparent panel.

49. The teleconferencing terminal of claim 46 wherein the mechanical height adjustment system raises and lowers at least one of the image display and the semireflective transparent panel.

50. An eye contact teleconferencing terminal for allowing a first conferee to maintain eye contact with a second conferee imaged by the teleconferencing terminal, the teleconferencing terminal comprising:

an image display with an image bearing surface;

a semireflective transparent panel forming an angle of between about 30 and 60 degrees with the image display for viewing by the first conferee a reflection of the image bearing surface of the image display on the semireflective transparent panel;

a video camera disposed on a side of the semireflective transparent panel opposite the image display, the video camera capturing, through the semireflective transparent panel, an image of the first conferee who is disposed on the image display-side of the semireflective transparent panel;

a tinted layer for increasing the contrast of the reflected image by at least one of a layer disposed on a camera-side of the semireflective transparent panel, a layer being incorporated into the panel, and a layer being including in a reflective optical coating disposed on the image display-side of the semireflective transparent panel; and

a non-tinted camera capture zone so that the camera captures images of the local conferee unaffected by the tint layer.

51. An eye contact teleconferencing terminal for allowing a first conferee to maintain eye contact with a second conferee imaged by the teleconferencing terminal, the teleconferencing terminal comprising:

an image display with an image bearing surface;

a semireflective transparent panel forming an angle of between about 30 and 60 degrees with the image display for viewing by the first conferee a reflection of the image bearing surface of the image display on the semireflective transparent panel;

a video camera disposed on a side of the semireflective transparent panel opposite the image display, the video camera capturing, through the semireflective transparent panel, an image of the first conferee who is disposed on the image display-side of the semireflective transparent panel;

terminal housing supporting the image display, the semireflective transparent panel and the video camera;

a remotely located appliance teleconferencing system for at least processing incoming and outgoing audio and video signals; and

a cable management system for transferring functions from the remotely located teleconferencing system and transferring those functions, in at least one of, to and through the terminal housing.

52. An eye contact teleconferencing terminal for allowing a first conferee to maintain eye contact with a second conferee imaged by the teleconferencing terminal, the teleconferencing terminal comprising:

an image display with an image bearing surface;

a semireflective transparent panel forming an angle of between about 30 and 60 degrees with the image display for viewing by the first conferee a reflection of the image bearing surface of the image display on the semireflective transparent panel;

a video camera disposed on a side of the semireflective transparent panel opposite the image display, the video camera capturing, through the semireflective transparent panel, an image of the first conferee who is disposed on the image display-side of the semireflective transparent panel;

a terminal housing supporting the image display, the semireflective transparent panel and the video camera;

a remotely located teleconferencing personal computer system for at least processing incoming and outgoing audio and video signals; and

a cable management system for transferring functions from the remotely located teleconferencing personal computer system and transferring those functions, in at least one of, to and through the terminal housing.

53. An eye contact teleconferencing terminal for allowing a first conferee to maintain eye contact with a second conferee imaged by the teleconferencing terminal, the teleconferencing terminal comprising:

an image display with an image bearing surface;

a semireflective transparent panel form an angle of between about 30 and 60 degrees with the image display for viewing by the first conferee a reflection of the image bearing surface of the image display on the semireflective transparent panel;

a video camera disposed on a side of the semireflective transparent panel opposite the image display, the video camera capturing, through the semireflective transparent panel, an image of the first conferee who is disposed on the image display-side of the semireflective transparent panel; and

a monetary transaction system for collecting fees for temporary use by the first conferee of the image display, semireflective transparent panel and the video camera for a teleconference session.