Apparatus, system and method for enabling eye-to-eye contact in video conferences

• US 6,882,358 B1
• Filed: 10/02/2002
• Issued: 04/19/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 10/02/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Terabeam Corporation (Proxim Wireless Corporation)
• Inventors: Schuster, John, Bajorins, David, Pierce, Robert
• Primary Examiner(s): Chan, Wing F.
• Application Number:
  US10/263,865
• Time in Patent Office: 930 Days
• Field of Search: 348 1401- 1416, 348/211.12, 348/211.13, 348/744, 359/15, 353/28, 353/79
• 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, system, and method for enabling eye-to-eye contact in video conferences. In general, the system and apparatus employ means for generating video images corresponding to real images that would be produced if a video camera were disposed at or behind a video display having a field of view directed toward a target object such as a participant. An image (either real, reflected, or holographic) is formed based on light reflected off of the target object, and object light corresponding to the image is received by the video camera, which produces a video signal containing the image. Typically, the means for generating the video images employs direct imaging, reflective imaging, or holographic imaging. The means for generating the video images are also configured in such a manner as to be substantially transparent to video conference participants viewing the display images on the video display. A similar configuration is deployed at two or more conference rooms, thereby enabling participants to communicate with one another using eye-to-eye contact.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a video display means; and

means, including a video camera, for generating a video signal corresponding to an image of an object or objects generally located opposite the video display means, wherein the image corresponds to a real image that would be effectively produced if the video camera was located relative to the video display means such that the video camera has a field of view (FOV) directed toward said object or objects and originating at a screen of the video display means or behind the screen of the video display means and passing through a central portion thereof,

wherein the means for generating the video signal further comprises a holographic optical element (HOE) disposed in front of a central portion of the video display and configured to receive object light reflected off of the object or object(s) and redirect a portion of the object light having selected wavelengths to form a holographic image in an FOV of the video camera.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the video display means comprises a video projector and projection screen.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the holographic image is generated by a holographic optical element (HOE) collector disposed in front of the video display means.

4. A method for performing a video conference, comprising:

disposing a partially-reflective plate in front of a video display in a first conference room, said partially-reflective plate to reflect a portion of light received on a front side thereof and enable light received on a backside thereof to pass through the plate without substantial attenuation, thereby enabling a local conference participant in a first conference room to view video images of a remote conference participant in a second conference room produced by the video display and corresponding to a received video signal generated by a second video camera disposed in the second conference room and directed toward the remote conference participant;

directing a first video camera to receive light reflected by the partially-reflective plate so as to capture a reflected image of the local participant in the first conference room such that the reflected image corresponds to a real image that would be obtained if the video camera was disposed behind the video display and had a field of view passing through a central portion of the video display and directed toward the local participant;

disposing a first polarizing component between said one or more local participants and the video display in the first conference room and disposing a second polarizing component between the first polarizing component and the first video camera, the first polarizing component comprising a linear polarizer and a circular polarizer;

generating a video signal via the first video camera corresponding to the reflected image and sending the video signal from the first conference room to the second conference room; and

displaying a video image corresponding to the sent video signal on a video display located in the second conference room to be viewed by the remote conference participant.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the video camera is directed at the partially-reflective plate such that an extended field of view for the video camera passing through the partially-reflective plate does not include a display screen portion of the video display.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising providing a non-reflective surface to which the extended field of view is directed.

7. The method of claim 4, wherein the partially-reflective plate comprises a partially-silvered mirror.

8. The method of claim 4, wherein the partially-transparent plate comprises a sheet of Cellulose Acetate Butyrate (CAB) configured to provide linear and circular polarization, disposed over a transparent plate.

9. The method of claim 4, further comprising directing the first video camera at a mirror that is positioned to receive light reflected off of the partially-reflective plate corresponding to the reflected image.

10. The method of claim 4, wherein the first video camera is operatively coupled to a ceiling in the first conference room.

11. The method of claim 4, wherein the first video camera is operatively coupled to the partially-reflective plate.

12. A method for performing a video conference, comprising:

deploying video conference equipment at respective locations including;

a beam-splitting means, a video camera, and a video display, the beam-splitting means comprising one of a reflection holographic optical element or a transmission holographic optical element disposed in front of the video display to redirect a portion of light received on a front side thereof and enable a substantial portion of light received on a backside thereof to pass through, thereby enabling conference participants at the respective locations to view video images of conference participants at other locations; and

performing operations at each location, including;

directing the video camera to receive light redirected by the beam-splitting means so as to capture an image of one or more participants at the location, said image corresponding to a real image that would be obtained if the video camera was disposed behind the video display and had a field of view passing through a central portion of the video display and directed toward said one or more participants;

generating a video signal via the video camera corresponding to the image and sending the video signal to at least one other location; and

displaying a video image corresponding to a video signal received from at least one other location,

whereby video conference participants at the respective locations are enabled to communicate with one another using eye-to-eye contact.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the video signals are sent between locations over a computer network.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the video signals are sent between locations using dedicated communication links.

15. An apparatus comprising:

a polarized plate to reflect a portion of light received on a front side thereof and enable light received on a backside thereof to pass through the plate without substantial attenuation;

a support member coupled to the partially-reflective plate to hold the polarizing plate at an angle relative to a video display screen when deployed in front of a video display; and

a polarizing component disposed between the polarized plate and the video camera,

the polarized plate further to receive object light reflected off of one or more objects generally disposed opposite the video display and reflect a portion of the received object light toward a video camera so as to produce a reflected image of said one or more objects by which a video image may be generated while enabling light corresponding to display images generated by the video display to be pass through to be viewed by a viewer generally located opposite the video display,

wherein at least one of the polarized plate and the polarizing component comprises a circular polarizer and linear polarizer.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the polarized plate comprises a linear polarizer and a circular polarizer.

17. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the polarized plate comprises a sheet of Cellulose Acetate Butyrate (CAB) disposed over a transparent plate.

18. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the support member is configured to be coupled to a video display.

19. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the support member comprises a transparent member configured to vertically-disposed in front of the video display.

20. The apparatus of claim 15, further comprising a camera support arm, operatively coupled to at least one of the support member or video display, including a camera mount to which a video camera may be mounted.

21. The apparatus of claim 20, further comprising a non-reflective surface operatively coupled to at least one of the polarizing plate and the video display to be disposed in an extended field of view of a video camera coupled to the support arm that passes through the polarizing plate.

22. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the camera mount is pivotally-coupled to the camera support arm to enable a video camera mounted thereto to be tilted.

23. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the support member comprises a transparent member vertically-disposed in front of the video display and coupled to the camera support arm.

24. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the camera support arm is operatively coupled to the video display such that the support arm, support member and polarizing plate may be pivotally rotated about a vertical axis substantially passing through or parallel to the video display to support a pan function.

25. A method for enabling eye-to-eye contact in a video conference, comprising:

providing first and second conference rooms with respective first and second video cameras and first and second video display means;

generating a first video signal with the first video camera from which a first participant of the video conference located in the first conference room can be viewed via a video image displayed on the second video display means in the second conference room, said first video signal effectively containing an image of the first participant corresponding to a real image that would be produced if the first video camera had a field of view (FOV) originating at a screen of the first video display means or behind the screen of the first video display means and passing through a central portion thereof, the video image corresponding to the first video signal being generated from a holographic image produced from object light of selected wavelengths reflected off of the first participant, said holographic image being directed toward an FOV of the first video camera;

sending the first video signal to the second conference room;

displaying a video image corresponding to the first video signal on the second video display means to enable a second participant in the second conference room to view the first video participant;

while at substantially the same time,

generating a second video signal with the second video camera from which the second participant can be viewed via a video image displayed on the first video display means in the first conference room, said second video signal effectively containing an image of the second participant corresponding to a real image that would be generated if the second video camera had a field of view (FOV) originating at or behind a screen of the second video display means and passing through a central portion thereof;

sending the second video signal to the first conference room; and

displaying a video image corresponding to the second video signal on the first video display means to enable the first participant to view the second video participant,

whereby, from their respective perspectives, the first and second video participants appear to be looking at each other eye-to-eye.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the holographic image is generated by a holographic optical element collector disposed in front of the first video display means.