Versatile teleconferencing eye contact terminal

• US 7,209,160 B2
• Filed: 02/24/2004
• Issued: 04/24/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/20/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Videotronic Systems
• Original Assignee: Jeffrey S. Machtig, Steve H. Mcnelley
• Inventors: McNelley, Steve H., Machtig, Jeffrey S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ramakrishnaiah, Melur
• Application Number:
  US10/785,820
• Publication Number:
  US 20040165060A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,155 Days
• Field of Search: 348 1401- 1409, 348 1411- 1416, 348/335, 348/835, 348/14.1, 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: 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

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 70 degrees with the image bearing surface 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 bearing surface, the video camera capturing, through the semireflective transparent panel, an image of the first conferee who is disposed on the image bearing surface-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.

2. 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 70 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;

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; and

A portable background positioned in the room environment and disposed on the side of the semireflective transparent panel opposite the image display for providing a color controlled area with dark colors enabling at least one of enhancement to the contrast of the reflection of the image bearing surface and increased brightness of the reflection of the image bearing surface.

3. The teleconferencing terminal of claim 2 wherein the portable background is substantially the size of the reflection of the second conferee and positioned in the room environment so that first conferee views the portable background through the reflection of the second conferee image.

4. The teleconferencing terminal of claim 2 wherein the portable background has a selectable variability between states of transparency and opaqueness.

5. The teleconferencing terminal of claim 2 wherein the portable background substantially conceals the camera.

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 consisting of a projector and a front projection screen;

a semireflective transparent panel forming an angle of between about 30 and 70 degrees with the front projection screen for viewing by the first conferee a reflection of the front projection screen on the semireflective transparent panel;

a second conferee image isolated in a black background displayed on the front projection screen;

a video camera disposed on a side of the semireflective transparent panel opposite the front projection screen, the video camera capturing, through the semireflective transparent panel, an image of the first conferee who is disposed on the front projection screen-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.

7. The teleconferencing terminal of claim 6 wherein a support structure holds in position at least the front projection screen and the semireflective transparent panel and the support structures rests on a working surface that the first conferee is seated at and utilizing.

8. The teleconferencing terminal of claim 6 wherein the first conferee views the reflection through a projection beam of the projector the beam not intersecting the semireflective transparent panel and the video camera capturing through the projection beam the image of the first conferee.

9. The teleconferencing terminal of claim 6 wherein the first conferee views the reflection through a projection beam of the projector the beam intersecting the semireflective transparent panel and the video camera capturing through the projection beam the image of the first conferee.

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 consisting of a projector-and a front projection screen;

a semireflective transparent panel forming an angle of between about 30 and 70 degrees with the front projection screen for viewing by the first conferee a reflection of the front projection screen on the semireflective transparent panel;

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

a projection path means so that the first conferee views the reflection through a projection beam of the projector, the beam not intersecting the semireflective transparent panel and the video camera capturing through the projection beam the image of the first conferee.

11. The teleconferencing terminal of claim 10 wherein a support structure holds in position at least the front projection screen and the semireflective transparent panel and the support structures rests on a working surface that the first conferee is seated at and utilizing.

12. The teleconferencing terminal of claim 10 wherein an opaque material is disposed on the side of the semi reflective transparent panel opposite the image display for improving a quality of the reflection.

13. 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 70 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 flexible substrate forming the semireflective transparent panel made flat by at least one of attaching to a frame and shrinking, attaching to a frame and stretching, the substrate having a flat memory and will unroll flat and maintain that flatness mounted in a frame, and the flexible substrate affixed to a rigid transparent substrate.

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 70 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 remote terminal control system operated by the second conferee to command the image display to select the type of image on the image bearing surface by controlling at least one of a computer image, a video image, a picture in picture image, simultaneous imaging of both computer and video images in differing parts of the image bearing screen, and a transparency overlay of the computer image and the video image.

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 70 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 light absorbing substrate disposed on the side of the semireflective transparent panel opposite the image display for darkening the color black in the reflection, the substrate consisting of black fibers serving as light traps to reduce light from reflecting upon the light absorbing substrate.

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 70 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 horizontal terminal size reduction means for enabling the terminal to be transported through doorways by at least one of repositioning as a part of a supporting structure the image bearing surface to increase its vertical angle, the image bearing display to increase its vertical angle, and the semireflective transparent panel to increase its vertical angle.

17. The teleconferencing terminal of claim 16 wherein the terminal is constructed upon a wheel arrangement so that the terminal may be easily rolled about.

18. 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 70 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 second display for observation by the local conferee, 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; and

an interactive input means integral to the second display and controlled by the first conferee for controlling at least one of a collaborative computer hardware and software, a videoconferencing communication hardware and software, a speaker, a microphone, a light, the image display and its image bearing surface, and the camera.

19. The teleconferencing terminal of claim 18 wherein at least the second display is wireless and the interactive input means is wireless.

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 70 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 image blocking means by orienting the image bearing surface in angular relation to the semireflective transparent panel so that the reflection of the image bearing surface is substantially vertical and the image bearing surface is angled substantially away from the first conferee so that the first conferee can not view the image bearing surface.

21. 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 70 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 removable black opaque shield resting on the camera side of the semireflective transparent panel for increasing a quality of the reflection of the image bearing surface.

22. 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 70 degrees with the image display for viewing by the first conferee a reflection of the image bearing surface of the image display on the semi reflective 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 supporting structure holding in position the image display and the semireflective transparent panel, the panel and the display having a separation space between them so that a room environment on the camera side of the semireflective transparent panel is visible by the first conferee through the separation space.

23. 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 70 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 viewing angle means by shaping the semireflective transparent panel as a trapezoid with a narrow side closest to the image bearing surface and a widest side farthest away from the image bearing surface.

24. 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 70 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, wherein the adhesion attaches at least one of the following two sets of combinations

     1) a film coated with a semireflective transparent coating attached to a transparent glass substrate and

     2) a semireflective transparent panel constructed of glass and attached to a transparent safety film substrate.

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 70 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;

an image blocking means by orienting the image bearing surface in angular relation to the semireflective transparent panel so that the reflection of the image bearing surface is substantially vertical and the image bearing surface is angled substantially away from the first conferee so that the first conferee can not view the image bearing surface; and

a floor resting support structure supporting the camera, the image display and the semireflective transparent panel, wherein the image display is a flat panel display mounted with the image bearing surface aimed upward, the image display forming a canopy over a floor.

26. The teleconferencing terminal of claim 25 wherein a component rack integral with the support structure is located between the floor and the canopy of the image display.

27. The teleconferencing terminal of claim 25 wherein a component rack separate form the support structure docks in a location between the floor and the canopy of the image display.

28. The teleconferencing terminal of claim 25 Wherein the component rack is moveable upon wheels.

29. The teleconferencing terminal of claim 25 wherein the support structure is moveable upon wheels.

30. The teleconferencing terminal of claim 25 wherein the support structure can be raised from a substantially usable table height to a usable podium height.

31. The teleconferencing terminal of claim 29 wherein the support structure contains a removable front controlled reflection shield positioned to block a reflection of the floor in the semireflective transparent panel from the view of the first conferee.

32. An eye contact teleconferencing terminal for allowing a group of first conferees to maintain eye contact with a second conferee(s) 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 70 degrees with the image display for viewing by the first conferees a reflection of the image bearing surface of the image display on the semireflective transparent panel;

a flexible substrate forming the semireflective transparent panel made flat by at least one of attaching to a frame and shrinking, attaching to a frame and stretching, the substrate having a flat memory and will unroll flat and maintain that flatness mounted in a frame, and the flexible substrate affixed to a rigid transparent substrate; and

a plurality of video cameras disposed on a side of the semireflective transparent panel opposite the image display, the video cameras capturing, through the semireflective transparent panel, images of the first conferees who are disposed on the image display-side of the semireflective transparent panel.

33. The teleconferencing terminal of claim 32 wherein the image display consists of multiple displays.

34. The teleconferencing terminal of claim 32 wherein at least one of the plurality of cameras is mounted upon a linear actuator track for positioning the plurality of cameras for various modes of use.

35. An eye contact teleconferencing terminal for allowing a first conferee(s) to maintain eye contact with a group of second conferees imaged by the teleconferencing terminal, the teleconferencing terminal comprising:

a plurality of image displays with an image bearing surfaces;

a semireflective transparent panel forming an angle of between about 30 and 70 degrees with the image displays for viewing by the first conferee(s) a reflection of the image bearing surfaces of the image displays on the semireflective transparent panel;

a flexible substrate forming the semireflective transparent panel made flat by at least one of attaching to a frame and shrinking, attaching to a frame and stretching, the substrate having a flat memory and will unroll flat and maintain that flatness mounted in a frame, and the flexible substrate affixed to a rigid transparent substrate; and

a video camera disposed on a side of the semireflective transparent panel opposite the image displays, the video camera capturing, through the semireflective transparent panel, an image of the first conferee(s) who is/are disposed on the image displays-side of the semireflective transparent panel.

36. The teleconferencing terminal of claim 35 wherein the plurality of image displays forms an arc.

37. The teleconferencing terminal of claim 35 wherein the displays share the same projection screen.

38. The teleconferencing terminal of claim 35 wherein the camera is one of a plurality of cameras disposed on a side of the semireflective transparent panel opposite the image displays.

39. The teleconferencing terminal of claim 35 wherein at least one of the plurality of cameras is mounted upon a linear actuator track for positioning the plurality of cameras for various modes of use.

40. A teleconferencing terminal for allowing a first conferee to view an image of a second conferee amongst the first conferee'"'"'s room environment, the teleconferencing terminal comprising:

an image display with an image bearing surface;

a semireflective transparent panel forming an angle of between about 30 and 70 degrees with the image bearing surface 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 capturing an image of the first conferee; 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.

41. A teleconferencing terminal for allowing a first conferee to view an image of a second conferee amongst the first conferee'"'"'s room environment, the teleconferencing terminal comprising:

a projector with a semi-transparent projection screen;

a second conferee image isolated in a black background displayed on the semi-transparent projection screen;

a video camera capturing an image of the first conferee; and

a room environment with common objects providing visual reference to a residing location of the second conferee image on the semi-transparent projection screen within the room environment when the room environment is viewed by the first conferee through the semi-transparent projection screen and the black background projected upon the semi-transparent projection screen.

42. The teleconferencing terminal of claim 41 wherein a semireflective transparent panel is located in front of the semi-transparent projection screen and angled so that the camera can capture an eye contact image of the first conferee.

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 70 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;

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;

a support structure holding in position at least the image display and the semireflective transparent panel;

a background shield disposed on the side of the semireflective transparent panel opposite the image display and held in position by the support structure for improving a quality of the reflection, the shield blocking a portion of the room environment viewed by the first conferee through the semireflective transparent panel.

44. The teleconferencing terminal of claim 43 wherein the background shield is substantially the size of the reflection of the second conferee.

45. The teleconferencing terminal of claim 43 wherein the background shield has a selectable variability between states of transparency and opaqueness.

46. The teleconferencing terminal of claim 43 wherein the background shield substantially conceals the camera.