3D video conferencing

• US 7,525,565 B2
• Filed: 03/11/2004
• Issued: 04/28/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 03/14/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Pendragon Wireless LLC (Pendrell Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Van Geest, Bartolomeus Wilhelmus Damianus
• Primary Examiner(s): Kuntz, Curtis
• Assistant Examiner(s): El-Zoobi, Maria
• Application Number:
  US10/548,846
• Publication Number:
  US 20060209181A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,874 Days
• Field of Search: 348/0.14, 348 42- 50, 348/E13.014, 342/22, 345/418
• US Class Current: 348/14.1
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 30/24 involving temporal multiplexing, e.g. using sequentially activated left and right shutters
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/194 Transmission of image signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/337 using polarisation multiplexing
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/341 using temporal multiplexing
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/15 Conference systems

Abstract

A 3D video conferencing station (200, 300, 500, 700) comprises: a camera (104) for acquiring a first (604) and second (602) image of a first user (110); and optical means for visualizing stereo images of a second user, the optical means comprising glasses for the first user (110). The station (200, 300, 500, 700) is arranged to acquire the first image (604) at a first moment at which the left eye of the first user (110) is better observable by the camera (104) than a second moment and to acquire the second image (602) at the second moment at which the right eye of the first user (110) is better observable by the camera (104) than at the first moment. The station further comprises combining means (714) for combining a first portion of the first image (604) and a second portion of the second image (602) into a third image (606) in which the left eye and the right eye of the first user (110) are relatively well visible.

Claims

1. A 3D video conferencing station (200,300,500,700), comprising:

a camera (104) for acquiring a first image (604) of a first user (110) and a second image (602) of the first user (110);

receiving means for receiving stereo images of a second user;

optical means for visualizing the stereo images, the optical means comprising glasses for the first user (110), characterized in that the station is arranged to acquire the first image (604) at a first moment at which the left eye of the first user (110) is more clearly visible by the camera (104) than at a second moment and to acquire the second image (602) at the second moment at which the right eye of the first user (110) is more clearly visible by the camera (104) than at the first moment and that the station comprises computing means (714) for computing a third image (606) on basis of a first portion of the first image (604) corresponding to the left eye of the first user (110) and a second portion of the second image (602) corresponding to the right eye of the first user (110).

2. A 3D video conferencing station (300) as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the station comprises:

a display device (102) for displaying the stereo images;

a first electro-optical shutter (114) being disposed in the left part of the glasses, the first electro-optical shutter (114) having a first open state enabling the first user (110) to view the display device (102) with the left eye and a first closed state disabling the first user (110) to view the display device (102) with the left eye;

a second electro-optical shutter (112) being disposed in the right part of the glasses, the second electro-optical shutter (112) having a second open state enabling the first user (110) to view the display device (102) with the right eye and a second closed state disabling the first user (110) to view the display device (102) with the right eye; and

synchronizing means (220) to acquire the first image (604) when the first electro-optical shutter (114) is in the first open state and to acquire the second image (602) when the second electro-optical shutter (112) is in the second open state.

3. A 3D video conferencing station (200) as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the station comprises:

a display device (102) for displaying the stereo images;

a first polarization means (108) being disposed in front of the display device (102) and being arranged to switch between a first polarization state in which the first polarization means (108) is substantially translucent for light with a first polarization direction and substantially opaque for light with a second polarization direction and a second polarization state in which the first polarization means (108) is substantially translucent for light with the second polarization direction and substantially opaque for light with the first polarization direction;

a second polarization means (114) being disposed in the left part of the glasses and being substantially translucent for light with the first polarization direction and substantially opaque for light with the second polarization direction;

a third polarization means (112) being disposed in the right part of the glasses and being substantially translucent for light with the second polarization direction and substantially opaque for light with the first polarization direction;

a fourth polarization means (206) being disposed in front of the camera (104) and being arranged to switch between a third polarization state in which the fourth polarization means (206) is substantially translucent for light with the first polarization direction and substantially opaque for light with the second polarization direction and a fourth polarization state in which the fourth polarization means (206) is substantially translucent for light with the second polarization direction and substantially opaque for light with the first polarization direction; and

synchronizing means (220) to acquire the first image (604) when the fourth polarization means (206) is in the third polarization state and to acquire the second image (602) when the fourth polarization means (206) is in the fourth polarization state.

4. A 3D video conferencing station (200) as claimed in claim 3, characterized in that the first polarization means (108) and the fourth polarization means (206) are combined.

5. A 3D video conferencing station (500) as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the station comprises:

a display device (102) for displaying the stereo images;

a first polarization means (530) being disposed in front of a first part (510) of the display device (102) and being substantially translucent for light with a first polarization direction and substantially opaque for light with a second polarization direction;

a second polarization means (532) being disposed in front of a second part (512) of the display device (102) and being substantially translucent for light with the second polarization direction and substantially opaque for light with the first polarization direction;

a third polarization means (114) being disposed in the left part of the glasses and being substantially translucent for light with the first polarization direction and substantially opaque for light with the second polarization direction;

a fourth polarization means (112) being disposed in the right part of the glasses and being substantially translucent for light with the second polarization direction and substantially opaque for light with the first polarization direction;

a fifth polarization means (502) being disposed in front of the camera (104) and being arranged to switch between a first polarization state in which the fifth polarization means (502) is substantially translucent for light with the first polarization direction and substantially opaque for light with the second polarization direction and a second polarization state in which the fifth polarization means (502) is substantially translucent for light with the second polarization direction and substantially opaque for light with the first polarization direction; and

synchronizing means (220) to acquire the first image (604) when the fifth polarization means (502) is in the first polarization state and to acquire the second image (602) when the fifth polarization means (502) is in the second polarization state.

6. A 3D video conferencing station (200,300,500,700) as claimed in claim 3, characterized in that the station comprises a light source (120) being arranged to create light with the first polarization direction at the first moment and to create light with the second polarization direction at the second moment.

7. A 3D video conferencing station as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the combining means (714) are arranged to compute the third image (606) on basis of a difference between the first image (604) and the second image (602).

8. A 3D video conferencing station as claimed in claim 7, characterized in that the combining means (714) are arranged:

to compute an intermediate image by computing the difference between the first image (604) and the second image (602);

to segment the intermediate image to detect a first region (612) corresponding to the first portion;

to extract the first portion from the first image (604) on basis of the first region (612); and

to combine the first portion with the second portion of the second image (602).