Video conferencing system having focus control

• US 7,559,026 B2
• Filed: 08/29/2003
• Issued: 07/07/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/20/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Grignon, Andrew, Girish, Muthy K., Lindahl, Aram
• Primary Examiner(s): Hong; Stephen
• Assistant Examiner(s): Termanini; Samir
• Application Number:
  US10/651,918
• Publication Number:
  US 20040257432A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,139 Days
• Field of Search: 709/227
• US Class Current: 715/716
• 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

Abstract

Systems and methods for directing pickup of media content by way of user input are disclosed. These systems and methods enable desired media content to be more effectively acquired. The user input can be locally provided or remotely provided. The systems and methods for directing pickup of media content are particularly suitable for video conferencing systems. The media content being directed is, for example, video or audio.

Claims

1. An electronic device, comprising:

a processor for executing an operating system program and a media content presentation program;

a media content pickup device that includes at least a camera and a microphone operatively connected to said processor, said media content pickup device arranged to capture media content input that includes video content by the camera and audio content by the microphone, said media content pickup device arranged to automatically focus on a user-specified region of video interest of the media content input without moving the camera in the media content pickup device and said media content pickup device arranged to automatically focus on a user specified region of audio interest of the media content input independent of the user specified region of video interest;

an auto-focus mechanism of said media content pickup device arranged to automatically focus on said user-specified region of interest in response to a focus command using position coordinates that identify said user-specified region of interest; and

a media output path to receive and to carry the focused media content input.

2. An electronic device as recited in claim 1, wherein the user-specified region of interest is specified by a user through interaction with a graphical user interface.

3. An electronic device as recited in claim 2, wherein the graphical user interface is provided by the media content presentation program that is executed by said processor.

4. An electronic device as recited in claim 2, wherein said media output path carries the focused media content input to be provided to a media output device, the media output device being part of said electronic device or separate from said electronic device.

5. An electronic device as recited in claim 4,

wherein said media output device is a monitor,

wherein the graphical user interface is displayed on said monitor, and

wherein the graphical user interface includes at least a media content display window.

6. An electronic device as recited in claim 5, wherein the user-specified region of interest is specified by the user with reference to the media content display window.

7. An electronic device as recited in claim 4, wherein said media output device is a monitor.

8. An electronic device as recited in claim 4, wherein said media output device is at least one speaker.

9. An electronic device as recited in claim 1, wherein the media content input is at least one of audio content or video content.

10. An electronic device as recited in claim 1, wherein said media content pickup device is at least one of a camera and a plurality of microphones.

11. An electronic device as recited in claim 1, wherein said electronic device is one of a mobile telephone, a personal computer, a personal digital assistant, and a handheld computer.

12. A computer system, comprising:

a processor for executing a video application program;

a media content pickup device including at least a microphone and a camera operatively each connected to said processor, said camera arranged to capture video input in accordance with its field of view associated with the captured video and said microphone arranged to capture audio content in accordance with its field of view associated with the captured audio content, and said camera arranged to automatically focus on a determined region of the field of view associated with the captured video without moving the camera, and said microphone arranged to automatically focus on a determined region of the field of view associated with the captured audio independent of the video, the determined region being determined in accordance with a user input;

an auto-focus mechanism of said microphone and said camera arranged to automatically focus on said determined region of the field of view in response to a focus command using position coordinates that identify said determined region of the field of view; and

a data output means operatively connected to said processor, said data output means operating to provide the focused video input for display.

13. A computer system as recited in claim 12, wherein said processor receives a user input that indicates the determined region of the field of view.

14. A computer system as recited in claim 13, wherein the user input is with respect to a window displayed on said display.

15. A computer system as recited in claim 14, wherein the user input is a user selection of a region of the window.

16. A computer system as recited in claim 12 further comprising:

at least one microphone for sound pickup.

17. A computer system as recited in claim 16, wherein the video application program is an audio-video application, and wherein said processor receives the sound pickup from said at least one microphone and supplies audio output to a speaker.

18. A computer system as recited in claim 17, wherein the speaker is coupled to and associated with said computer system.

19. A computer system as recited in claim 12 further comprising:

a plurality of microphones for sound pickup, said microphones having a known positional relationship to one another,

wherein said microphones are integral with said camera.

20. A computer system as recited in claim 19, wherein said processor receives audio input from each of said microphones and processes the audio input to emphasize audio sound from the determined region that has been determined in accordance with the user input.

21. A method for altering a focus location for a media content pickup device having at least a camera and a microphone coupled to a computing apparatus, said method comprising:

receiving video input from the camera;

displaying the video input in a video viewing window of a monitor;

receiving an identification of a focus region that has been specified by a user by selecting an area of the video viewing window;

sending a video focus command to an auto-focus mechanism of said camera independent of an audio focus command to an auto focus mechanism of said microphone;

sending position coordinates identifying said focus region to said video and said audio auto-focus mechanism ; and

causing the camera and the microphone to focus on the focus region without moving the camera.

22. A method as recited in claim 21, wherein the user moves a curser image over the video viewing window using a pointing device to an area of interest, and then selects the focus region by clicking on the area of interest.

23. A method as recited in claim 22, wherein the user performs a button press to select the focus region.

24. A method as recited in claim 23, wherein the button press is with respect to a pointing device.

25. A method as recited in claim 24, wherein the pointing device is a mouse, trackball or a trackpad.

26. A method as recited in claim 21, wherein the user moves a position reference image over the video viewing window using a pointing device to an area of interest, and then selects the focus region by clicking on the area of interest.

27. A method as recited in claim 21, wherein the focus region is an area of interest specified by the user.

28. A method as recited in claim 21, wherein said receiving of the video input is supplied from a first computing apparatus to a second computing apparatus, and said displaying of the video input and said receiving of the focus region are performed on the second computing apparatus.

29. A method as recited in claim 21, wherein the computing apparatus is one of a mobile telephone, a personal computer, a personal digital assistant, and a handheld computer.

30. A video conferencing system operable over a network, said video conferencing system comprising:

a first computer system including at least a first processor for executing a first operating system program and a first video application program, a first media capture device having at least a first microphone and a first camera to capture first video input, and a first monitor; and

a second computer system operatively connectable to said first computer system via the network, said second computer system including at least a second processor for executing a second operating system program and a second video application program, a second media capture device having at least a second microphone and a second camera to capture video input, and a second monitor;

an auto-focus mechanism of said second media capture device arranged to automatically focus on a selected region of interest, said auto-focus mechanism being arranged to automatically focus using position coordinates that identify said selected region of interest;

wherein when said first computer system and said second computer system are involved in a video conference, said first monitor displays the second video input provided by said second camera via the network, and said second monitor displays the first video input provided by said first camera via the network,

wherein when a first user interacts with a window including the second video input presented on said first monitor to select said region of interest with respect to the second video input, said second media capture device then automatically focuses itself using said auto-focus mechanism so that the second video input and said second microphone are focused on the region of interest without moving said second camera,

wherein the first microphone and the first camera operate independent of each other, and wherein the second microphone and the second camera operate independent of each other.

31. A video conferencing system as recited in claim 30, wherein the first user interfaces with the first graphical user interface by moving a graphical indicator over the window to identify the region of interest and then indicating its selection.

32. A video conferencing system as recited in claim 30,

wherein said first computer system further includes at least a first plurality of microphones and a first speaker,

wherein said second computer system further includes at least a second plurality of microphones and a second speaker,

wherein second audio input obtained by said second plurality of microphones is provided to said first computer system via the network and then output to said first speaker,

wherein first audio input obtained by said first plurality of microphones is provided to said second computer system via the network and then output to said second speaker, and

wherein said second multimedia computer system performs processing on the second audio input based on the region of interest selected by the first user, whereby the second audio input is processed so as to emphasize audio sound from the region of interest.

33. A video conferencing system as recited in claim 30,

wherein said first plurality of microphones are internal to a housing of said first camera, and

wherein said second plurality of microphones are internal to a housing of said second camera.