Conference recording device, conference recording method, and design method and storage media storing programs

• US 7,466,335 B2
• Filed: 11/15/2004
• Issued: 12/16/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/10/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Fuji Xerox Company Limited (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Fuji Xerox Company Limited (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Miyazaki, Jun, Hirata, Kazutaka
• Primary Examiner(s): Ramakrishnaiah; Melur
• Application Number:
  US10/987,002
• Publication Number:
  US 20050248651A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,492 Days
• Field of Search: 348 1401- 1409, 348/14.1, 348 1411- 1416, 386/46, 386/117, 386/52, 362/260, 362/233, 315/312, 715/717
• US Class Current: 348/14.08
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/155 involving storage of or access to video conference sessions tracking arrangements for later retrieval of a computer conference content or participants activities H04L12/1831

Abstract

A conference recording device includes plural photographing units, a generating unit that generates photographing area information representative of a photographing area of each of the photographing units so that each of the photographing units cooperatively photographs a photographing object, and a control unit that controls the photographing area of each of the photographing units by based on the photographing area information generated by the generating unit.

Claims

1. A conference recording device comprising:

a plurality of photographing units that photograph a picture and/or record a video of conference information;

a generating unit that generates photographing area information representative of a photographing area of each of the photographing units so that each of the photographing units cooperatively photographs a photographing object; and

a control unit that controls the photographing area of each of the photographing units based on the photographing area information generated by the generating unit.

2. The conference recording device according to claim 1, further comprising a plurality of lighting units,

wherein the generating unit generates lighting area information representative of a lighting area of each of the lighting units so that each of the lighting units cooperatively lights a photographing object, and

the control unit controls the lighting area of each of the lighting units based on the lighting area information generated by the generating unit.

3. The conference recording device according to claim 2, further comprising a plurality of sound recording units,

wherein the generating unit generates sound recording area information representative of a sound recording area of each of the sound recording units so that each of the sound recording units cooperatively records sound information, and

the control unit controls the sound recording area of each of the sound recording units based on the sound recording area information.

4. The conference recording device according to claim 2,

wherein the generating unit generates the photographing area information, the lighting area information, and the sound recording area information to exclusively control each of the photographing units, each of the lighting units, and each of the sound recording units in terms of time, respectively.

5. The conference recording device according to claim 3,

wherein the generating unit generates the photographing area information, the lighting area information, or the sound recording area information by use of an evaluation function including a function to represent redundancy.

6. The conference recording device according to claim 3,

wherein the generating unit generates the photographing area information, the lighting area information, or the sound recording area information based on a video photographed by each of the photographing units.

7. The conference recording device according to claim 6,

wherein the generating unit generates the photographing area information, the lighting area information, or the sound recording area information, based on an area where a figure in the video exists.

8. The conference recording device according to claim 6,

wherein the generating unit detects a situation of mutual gaze of a plurality of figures in the video or the gaze of a figure into a whiteboard, and generates the photographing area information, the lighting area information, or the sound recording area information based on the situation detected by the generating unit.

9. The conference recording device according to claim 3,

wherein the generating unit generates the photographing area information, the lighting area information, or the sound recording area information based on the sound information recorded by each of the sound recording units.

10. The conference recording device according to claim 9,

wherein the generating unit generates the photographing area information, the lighting area information, or the sound recording area information based on a sound source position estimated by the sound information recorded by the sound recording unit.

11. The conference recording device according to claim 9,

wherein the generating unit detects a situation of a discussion or soliloquy from the sound information based on voice recognition technology, and, generates the photographing area information, the lighting area information, or the sound recording area information.

12. The conference recording device according to claim 3,

wherein the generating unit generates the photographing area information, the lighting area information, or the sound recording area information based on at least one of a position of a conference participant, a posture of the conference participant, a position and a direction of head of the conference participant, visible and audible range of the conference participant, and movable range of the conference participant.

13. The conference recording device according to claim 3,

wherein the generating unit generates the photographing area information, the lighting area information, or the sound recording area information based on position information of each of the photographing units, position information of the lighting units, or position information of the sound recording units.

14. The conference recording device according to claim 3,

wherein the generating unit uses the photographing area information, the lighting area information, and the sound recording area information at a first point to generate the photographing area information, the lighting area information, or the sound recording area information at a second point next to the first point.

15. The conference recording device according to claim 3,

wherein the generating unit generates the photographing area information, the lighting area information, or the sound recording area information based on information about furniture placed in a conference room.

16. The conference recording device according to claim 15,

wherein the information about furniture includes at least one of a table, a whiteboard, a chair and a desk, and also, a position, a direction, a size, a shape, and a color of them.

17. The conference recording device according to claim 3,

wherein the photographing area information, the lighting area information, or the sound recording area information include at least one of an identifier, a coordinate, an angle formed with a normal, an azimuth, a solid angle, a specification, and a distance to an object of each of the photographing units, each of the lighting units, or each of the sound recording units.

18. The conference recording device according to claim 3,

wherein the control unit is provided for each of the photographing units, each of the lighting units, and each of the sound recording devices, respectively.

19. The conference recording device according to claim 3,

wherein the generating unit is provided for each of the photographing units, each of the lighting units, and each of the sound recording devices, respectively.

20. The conference recording device according to claim 19,

wherein the conference recording device further comprises a communication unit that transmits and receives the photographing area information, the lighting area information, and the sound recording area information generated by each of the generating units to and from other generating units.

21. The conference recording device according to claim 3,

wherein the conference recording device further comprises a driving unit that drives each of the photographing units, each of the lighting units, or each of the sound recording units.

22. The conference recording device according to claim 3,

wherein the conference recording device further comprises a unit that displays a graphical user interface that controls each of the photographing units, each of the lighting units, or each of the sound recording units.

23. The conference recording device according to claim 22,

wherein the graphical user interface includes at least one of an icon to set the conference room, an icon to set the furniture, an icon to set the photographing unit, an icon to set the lighting unit, an icon to set the sound recording unit, a work area in which these icons are dragged and dropped for a operation, an icon to set the photographing area by the photographing unit, an icon to set the lighting area by the lighting unit, and an icon to set the sound recording area by the sound recording unit.

24. The conference recording device according to claim 23,

wherein the work area represents each of the icons on a two-dimensional or three-dimensional space.

25. The conference recording device according to claim 1,

wherein the generating unit generates the photographing area information so that each of the photographing units photographs a different space on a three-dimensional space.

26. A conference recording device comprising:

a plurality of lighting units;

a generating unit that generates lighting area information representative of a lighting area of each of the lighting units so that each of the lighting units cooperatively lights a photographing object; and

a control unit that controls the lighting area of each of the lighting units based on the lighting area information generated by the generating unit.

27. The conference recording device according to claim 26,

wherein the generating unit generates the lighting area information so that each of the lighting units lights a different space on a three-dimensional space.

28. The conference recording device according to claim 26, wherein the generating unit generates the lighting area information according to illumination or luminance in the conference room.

29. A conference recording device comprising:

a plurality of sound recording units;

a generating unit that generates sound recording area information representative of a sound recording area of each of the sound recording units so that each of the sound recording units cooperatively records sound information; and

a control unit that controls the sound recording area of each of the sound recording units based on the sound recording area information generated by the generating unit.

30. The conference recording device according to claim 29,

wherein the generating unit generates the sound recording area information so that each of the sound recording units records sound information generated on a different space on a three-dimensional space.

31. A conference recording method comprising:

generating photographing area information representative of a photographing area of each of a plurality of photographing units so that the plurality of photographing units cooperatively photograph a photographing object;

generating lighting area information representative of a lighting area of each of a plurality of lighting units so that the plurality of lighting units cooperatively light a photographing object;

generating sound recording area information representative of a sound recording area of each of a plurality of sound recording units so that the plurality of sound recording units cooperatively record sound information; and

controlling the photographing area of each of the photographing units, the lighting area of each of the lighting units, and the sound recording area of each of the sound recording units based on the photographing area information, the lighting area information, and the sound recording area information wherein the photographing unit photographs the photographing object by photographing a picture and/or recording a video.

32. A storage medium readable by a computer, the storage medium storing a program executed by the computer, the program comprising:

generating photographing area information representative of a photographing area of each of a plurality of photographing units so that the plurality of photographing units cooperatively photograph a photographing object;

generating lighting area information representative of a lighting area of each of a plurality of lighting units so that the plurality of lighting units cooperatively light a photographing object;

generating sound recording area information representative of a sound recording area of each of a plurality of sound recording units so that the plurality of sound recording units cooperatively record sound information; and

controlling the photographing area of each of the photographing units, the lighting area of each of the lighting units, and the sound recording area of each of the sound recording units based on the photographing area information, the lighting area information, and the sound recording area information wherein the photographing unit photographs the photographing object by photographing a picture and/or recording a video.

33. A design method comprising:

setting conference room information according to a conference room icon dragged and dropped in a work area within a graphical user interface;

setting furniture information according to a furniture icon dragged and dropped in the work area;

setting photographing device information according to a photographing device icon dragged and dropped in the work area;

setting conference participant'"'"'s information according to a conference participant icon dragged and dropped in the work area;

setting participant'"'"'s attribute information according to an operation of a proper attribute icon;

designing a design object according to the set information; and

displaying the design object.

34. The design method according to claim 33, further comprising:

setting lighting device information according to a lighting device icon dragged and dropped in the work area;

setting sound recording device information according to a sound recording device icon dragged and dropped in the work area; and

setting equipment information according to an equipment icon dragged and dropped in the work area.

35. The design method according to claim 33,further comprising, setting at least one of a position of conference participant, view range of the conference participant, posture of the conference participant, visible and audible range of the conference participant, and movable range of the conference participant according to an operation of a proper attribute icon.

36. The design method according to claim 33,

wherein the setting conference room information sets a conference room size, a shape, a color, a spectral distribution, and a reflection factor or permeability.

37. The design method according to claim 33,

wherein the setting furniture information sets at least one of a furniture size, a shape, and a color, a spectral distribution, and a reflection factor and permeability.

38. The design method according to claim 33,

wherein the design object is furniture including at least one of a conference room, a whiteboard, a table and a chair.

39. A storage medium readable by a computer, the storage medium storing a program executed by the computer, the program comprising:

setting conference room information according to a conference room icon dragged and dropped in a work area in a graphical user interface;

setting furniture information according to a furniture icon dragged and dropped in the work area;

setting photographing device information according to a photographing device icon dragged and dropped in the work area;

setting conference participant'"'"'s information according to a conference participant icon dragged and dropped in the work area;

setting participant'"'"'s attribute information according to an operation of a proper attribute icon; and

designing a design object according to the set information.