Reflected backdrop for communications systems

• US 7,057,637 B2
• Filed: 07/23/2004
• Issued: 06/06/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 04/21/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Telepresence Technologies LLC (Buffalo Pacific LLC)
• Original Assignee: Peter Mcduffie White
• Inventors: White, Peter McDuffie
• Primary Examiner(s): Ramakrishnaiah, Melur
• Application Number:
  US10/897,453
• Publication Number:
  US 20050237381A1
• Time in Patent Office: 683 Days
• Field of Search: 348 1401- 1409, 348/14.1, 348/14.11, 348/14.12, 348/14.13, 348/14.16, 353/79, 353/122, 353/15, 353/77, 353/98, 359/460
• US Class Current: 348/14.16
• 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

A video conferencing system has a two-way mirror, which is between the observer and the display device, positioned at an angle to reflect a backdrop surface. The backdrop surface, which is further away from the two-way mirror than the image plane of the image display device, appears superimposed in a position behind the image of a person from the remote location. A camera is located in the backdrop at a position along the line of sight of the transmitted image so that a perceived eye contact is achieved.

Claims

1. A communication system comprising:

an image display device having an exposed image area being positioned substantially within a first plane, the first plane positioned for viewing by a user in an observation zone;

a two-way mirror positioned between said observation zone and said image display device and angled to reflect a backdrop;

said backdrop being positioned so that its reflection in said two-way mirror appears substantially within a reflected second plane, the reflected second plane being parallel with the first plane and positioned further away from said two-way mirror than the said first plane; and

a camera located in said backdrop, such that said camera views said observation zone as a reflection off said two-way mirror.

2. The communication system of claim 1, further comprising:

a reflective minor located behind an aperture in said backdrop in the view of said camera so that the camera views said observation zone as a reflection off the two-way mirror and the reflective mirror.

3. The communication system of claim 1 further comprising:

a light-absorbing panel positioned on a side of said two-way mirror opposite said camera and located in the view of said camera through said two-way mirror as said camera is aligned to view said reflection of said observation zone off said two-way mirror.

4. The communication system of claim 1 wherein said camera view is substantially aligned with a user'"'"'s line of sight when said user looks at the eyes of an image of a person displayed on said image display device.

5. The communications system of claim 1 wherein a black non-reflective material matching the width of said backdrop is positioned behind said two-way mirror to match the position of the superimposed image of the reflected backdrop.

6. The communications system of claim 5 wherein the area surrounding said black non-reflective material is illuminated and visible to the user through the two-way mirror and the area surrounding the backdrop is comprised of a dark material or is not illuminated and is substantially not visible to the user as a reflection in the two-way mirror.

7. The communications system of claim 1 wherein the backdrop is comprised of a combination of colors, patterns, textures and/or an undulation or variation in depth within the surface area of the backdrop.

8. The communications system of claim 1 wherein the backdrop is comprised of multiple levels that extend behind the reflected second plane.

9. The communications system of claim 1, wherein, the backdrop is positioned below the two-way mirror.

10. The communications system of claim 1, wherein, the backdrop is positioned above the two-way mirror.

11. The communications system of claim 1, wherein the backdrop, two-way mirror, and light-absorbing panel fold into a supporting structure when not in use.

12. A communication system for allowing a user located in an observation zone to communicate with a person using a communications system at another location, the communication system comprising:

an image display device having an exposed image area substantially surrounded by a black non-reflective enclosure, the image area being positioned substantially within a first plane, the first plane positioned for viewing by said user in said observation zone;

a two-way mirror positioned between said user and said image display device with said two-way mirror angled to reflect a backdrop;

said backdrop being positioned so that its reflection in said two-way mirror appears substantially within a reflected second plane, the reflected second plane being positioned parallel with the first plane and appearing further away from said two-way mirror than said first plane, said backdrop further having both the left and right sides positioned so that the respective reflections of said left and right sides off said two-way are superimposed upon left and right sides of the first plane of said black non-reflective enclosure of the image display device when viewed through the two-way mirror;

a camera positioned to view said observation zone as a reflection off said two-way mirror; and

a light-absorbing panel positioned on a side of said two-way mirror opposite said camera and located in the view of said camera through said two-way mirror as said camera is aligned to view said reflection of said observation zone off said two-way mirror.

13. The communication system of claim 12 further comprising:

a reflective mirror located behind an aperture in said backdrop in the view of said camera so that the camera views said observation zone as a reflection off the two-way mirror and the reflective mirror.

14. The communication system of claim 12 wherein said camera view is substantially aligned with a user'"'"'s line of sight when said user looks at the eyes of an image of a person displayed on said image display device.

15. The communications system of claim 12 wherein a black non-reflective material matching the width of said backdrop is positioned behind said two-way mirror at a location to match the position of the superimposed image of the reflected backdrop.

16. The communications system of claim 15 wherein the area surrounding said black non-reflective material is illuminated and visible to the user through the two-way mirror and the area surrounding the backdrop is comprised of a dark material or is not illuminated and is substantially not visible to the user as a reflection off the two-way mirror.

17. The communications system of claim 12 wherein the backdrop is comprised of a combination of colors, patterns, textures and/or an undulation or variation in depth within the surface area.

18. The communications system of claim 12 wherein the backdrop is comprised of multiple depth cues that extend behind the reflected second plane.

19. The communications system of claim 12 wherein the backdrop is positioned below the two-way mirror.

20. The communications system of claim 12, wherein, the backdrop is positioned above the two-way mirror.

21. The communications system of claim 12, wherein the backdrop, two-way mirror, and light-absorbing panel fold into a supporting structure when not in use.

22. A communication system for allowing a user located in an observation zone to communicate with a person using a communications system at another location, the communication system comprising:

an image display device having an exposed image area surrounded by a black non-reflective enclosure to contain the image display device with the image area being positioned substantially within a first plane, the first plane positioned for viewing by said user in said observation zone and further said black enclosure extending into a second plane that is parallel with the first plane and is further away from the said user than the said first plane, wherein the width of the black enclosure in the second plane is wider than width of said black enclosure in the first plane so that the left and right sides of said black enclosure in the second plane are within the view of the user in said observation zone;

a two-way mirror positioned between said user and said image display device with said two-way mirror angled to reflect a backdrop;

said backdrop being positioned so that its reflection in said two-way mirror appears substantially within a reflected third plane, the reflected third plane being parallel with the second plane and being positioned further away from said two-way mirror than said second plane, said backdrop further having both the left and right sides, the respective reflections of which left and right sides appear to extend forward from the reflected third plane to the reflected second plane to match the superimposed position of the left and right sides of the second plane of said black non-reflective enclosure of the image display device when viewed through said two-way mirror by the user in the observation zone;

a camera positioned to view said observation zone as a reflection off said two-way mirror; and

a light-absorbing panel positioned on a side of said two-way mirror opposite said camera and located in the view of said camera through said two-way mirror as said camera is aligned to view said reflection of said observation zone off said two-way mirror.

23. The communication system of claim 22, further comprising:

a reflective mirror located behind an aperture in said backdrop in the view of said camera so that the camera views said observation zone as a reflection off the two-way mirror and the reflective mirror.

24. The communication system of claim 22 wherein said camera view is substantially aligned with a user'"'"'s line of sight when said user looks at the eyes of an image of a person displayed on said image display device.

25. The communications system of claim 22 wherein a black non-reflective material matching the width of said backdrop is positioned in said second plane in a location to match the position of the superimposed image of the reflected backdrop.

26. The communications system of claim 25 wherein the area surrounding said black non-reflective material is illuminated and visible to the user through the two-way mirror and the area surrounding the backdrop is comprised of a dark material or is not illuminated and is substantially not visible to the user as a reflection off the two-way mirror.

27. The communications system of claim 22 wherein the backdrop is comprised of a combination of colors, patterns, textures and/or an undulation or variation in depth within the surface area.

28. The communications system of claim 22 wherein the backdrop is comprised of multiple depth cues that extend behind the reflected second plane.

29. The communications system of claim 22, wherein, the backdrop is positioned below the two-way mirror.

30. The communications system of claim 22, wherein, the backdrop is positioned above the two-way mirror.

31. The communications system of claim 22, wherein the backdrop, two-way mirror, and light-absorbing panel fold into a supporting structure when not in use.

32. An image display system for allowing a user located in an observation zone to view an image on an image display device to appear in front of a reflected backdrop, the image display system comprising:

an image display device having an image area substantially surrounded by a black non-reflective enclosure, the image area in a first plane being positioned substantially within a vertical plane, the first plane positioned for viewing by the user in an observations zone;

a two-way mirror positioned between said observations zone and said image display device and angled to reflect a backdrop;

said backdrop being positioned adjacent to said two-way mirror in a second plane further away from the two way mirror than the first plane to be reflected in the two way mirror to be parallel with the first plane in a location further away from the first plane as viewed from the observation zone;

said backdrop in the second plane to have left and right edges that project forward to match the width of the left and right edges of the black enclosure and are positioned so that a reflection of a left edge and a right edge of said backdrop in said two-way mirror substantially align from said observation zone.

33. The image display system of claim 32 wherein the black non-reflective enclosure extends from the first plane to a second plane that is parallel with the first plane and is further away from the said user than the first plane;

wherein the width of the enclosure in the second plane is wider than the width of the black enclosure in the first plane so that left and right sides of said enclosure in the second plane are within the view of a user in said observation zone and wherein the backdrop is positioned so that the reflection of said backdrop in said two-way mirror appears partially within a reflected third plane, the reflected third plane being parallel with the second plane and being positioned further away from said two-way mirror than said second plane, said backdrop further having left and right sides, the respective reflections of which left and right side appear to extend forward from the reflected third plane to the reflected second plane to match the superimposed position of the left and right sides, respectively, of the second plane of said enclosure when viewed through said two-way mirror by user in the observation zone.