Telepresence method and apparatus for simultaneous use by multiple active/passive users

• US 7,587,747 B2
• Filed: 03/13/2007
• Issued: 09/08/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/23/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Susan C. Maguire
• Original Assignee: Susan C. Maguire
• Inventors: Maguire, Francis J. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Salce; Jason P
• Application Number:
  US11/685,708
• Publication Number:
  US 20070220434A1
• Time in Patent Office: 910 Days
• Field of Search: 348113-115, 348/117, 348/119, 348121-124, 348 47- 48, 348/143, 348/157, 348/159, 434 34- 35, 434 42- 44, 434/365, 463/36, 463/40, 725/32, 725 34- 36, 725/133, 725/141, 725/153, 345 4- 5, 345 7- 8, 345 30- 31, 345/110
• US Class Current: 725/133
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2187 Live feed
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47202 for requesting content on demand, e.g. video on demand
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6587 Control parameters, e.g. trick play commands, viewpoint selection
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/181 for receiving images from a plurality of remote sources

Abstract

A telepresence server is for connection to a telecommunications network for providing access to a reality engine for a plurality of passive users. The reality engine can be controlled by an active user or a professional director through the network or by a local professional director. Active/passive mode displays can be used by the passive users in a passive mode and an active/passive mode display can be used by the active user in an active mode.

Claims

1. Method, comprising:

providing from a server, in response to a reality engine selection signal received over a telecommunications network from an active user, a video signal from among a plurality of reality engines selectable by said active user, said video signal video information for viewing in various attitudes controlled by one or more sensed signals provided by one or more corresponding rotation sensors of a mechanically rotatable display controlled in mechanical rotations by said active user in viewing said video information in said various attitudes, and

said server providing the video signal selected by the active user via said telecommunications network to the mechanically rotatable display controlled in said mechanical rotations by said active user for said viewing in various attitudes by said active user, wherein said reality engine selected by said active user is also selectable by selection signals from a plurality of passive users of a corresponding plurality of mechanically rotatable displays responsive to said video signal and to an actuation signal provided by said server over said telecommunications network for mechanically actuating said plurality of mechanically rotatable displays of passive users in mechanical rotations emulative of said mechanical rotations controlled by the active user for viewing said video information by said passive viewers in emulation of said active viewer in viewing said video information in said various attitudes.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein any one of said plurality of users is able to control said reality engine as said active user, that is, by providing said control signal for controlling said reality engine and, alternatively, to use said reality engine as a passive user, that is, without providing said control signal for controlling said reality engine.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said mechanically rotatable display comprises:

an n-axis display platform, responsive in a passive mode to said actuation signal, for mechanically guiding a head of a passive user to execute said mechanical rotations, and responsive in an active mode to rotational control movements of an active user for providing sensed signals indicative of said rotational control movements; and

a display connected to said n-axis display platform, responsive to a video signal, for displaying images corresponding to said mechanical rotations in said passive mode or to said rotational control movements in said active mode.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein said n-axis display platform comprises:

a first platform part rotatable about a first axis and upon which said display is mounted;

a second platform part within which said first platform part is rotatably mounted for rotation about a second axis; and

at least one of a first motor and first sensor fixed in or to said first platform part for rotationally driving and sensing rotations, respectively, of said first platform part about said first axis.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said control signal is provided over said network by a remote director user for remotely controlling said reality engine.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein users selecting said remotely controlled reality engine controlled by said remote director user do not provide said control signal and are therefore only passive users of said remotely controlled reality engine.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein said control signal is provided by a local director user for locally controlling said reality engine.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein users selecting said locally controlled reality engine controlled by said local director user do not provide said control signal and are therefore only passive users of said locally controlled reality engine.

5. The method of claim, wherein said n-axis display platform further comprises a third platform part within which said second platform part is rotatably mounted for rotation about a third axis.

10. Apparatus, comprising:

a reality engine for providing a video signal in response to a control signal received over a telecommunications network from a mechanically rotatable display of an active user, said video signal containing video information for viewing in various attitudes controlled by said control signal, said control signal comprising one or more sensed signals provided over said telecommunications network to said reality engine by one or more corresponding rotation sensors of said mechanically rotatable display controlled in mechanical rotations by said active user in viewing said video information in said various attitudes, and

a server, responsive to said video signal and to said control signal from said mechanically rotatable display for providing an actuation signal and responsive to selection signals from a plurality of users via said telecommunications network, for providing said video signal to said mechanically rotatable display of said active user and also to a plurality of mechanically rotatable displays of said plurality of users via said telecommunications network, said plurality of mechanically rotatable displays responsive to said video signal and to said actuation signal provided by said server over said telecommunications network for executing mechanical rotations emulative of said mechanical rotations controlled by said active user for viewing said video information by said plurality of users in passive emulation of said active user in viewing said video information in said various attitudes.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein at least one of said plurality of mechanically rotatable displays of said plurality of users comprises:

an n-axis display platform, responsive in a passive mode to said actuation signal, for mechanically guiding a passive user'"'"'s head to execute said mechanical rotations, and responsive in an active mode to attitudinal movements of a head of said active user for providing said one or more sensed signals; and

a display connected to said n-axis display platform, responsive to said video signal, for displaying images corresponding to said attitudinal movements.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein said n-axis display platform comprises:

a first platform part rotatable about a first axis and upon which said display is mounted;

a second platform part within which said first platform part is rotatably mounted for rotation about a second axis; and

at least one of a first motor and first sensor fixed in or to said first platform part for rotationally driving and sensing rotations, respectively, of said first platform part about said first axis.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising a third platform part within which said second platform part is rotatably mounted for rotation about a third axis.

14. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein said control signal can come from any one of said plurality of users any one of which is also able to use said reality engine as a passive user, that is, without providing said control signal for controlling said reality engine while another user of said plurality of users provides said control signal.

15. Apparatus, comprising:

means, responsive to a control signal received over a telecommunications network, for providing a video signal and, said control signal for controlling video information contained in said video signal for viewing in various attitudes, said control signal comprising one or more sensed signals provided by one or more corresponding rotation sensors of a mechanically rotatable display controlled in mechanical rotations by an active user in viewing said video information in said various attitudes; and

means, responsive to said video signal and to said control signal for providing an actuation signal, for providing said video signal via said telecommunications network to said mechanically rotatable display of said active user and also to a plurality of mechanically rotatable displays of a plurality of passive users via said telecommunications network, said plurality of mechanically rotatable displays of said plurality of passive users responsive to said video signal and to said actuation signal provided over said telecommunications network for executing mechanical rotations emulative of said mechanical rotations controlled by said active user for viewing said video information by said passive users in emulation of said active user in viewing said video information in said various attitudes.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein at least one of said plurality of passive users is also able to use said reality engine as an active user, that is, by providing said control signal for controlling said reality engine and, alternatively, to use said reality engine as a passive user, that is, without providing said control signal for controlling said reality engine.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein at least one of said plurality of mechanically rotatable displays comprises:

an n-axis display platform, responsive in a passive mode to said actuation signal, for mechanically guiding a users head to execute said mechanical rotations, and responsive in an active mode to control movements of a user for providing said sensed signal indicative of said control movements; and

a display connected to said n-axis display platform, responsive to said video signal, for displaying images corresponding to said mechanical rotations or control movements.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein at least one of said plurality of mechanically rotatable displays further comprises hand grips for use by said user in providing said control movements.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein at least one of said plurality of mechanically rotatable displays comprises display viewports on said display for use by a user in placing eyes thereon for viewing said video information.

20. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein said n-axis display platform comprises:

a first platform part rotatable about a first axis and upon which said display is mounted;

a second platform part within which said first platform part is rotatably mounted for rotation about a second axis;

at least one of a first motor and first sensor fixed in or to said first platform part for rotationally driving and sensing rotations, respectively, of said first platform part about said first axis; and

a third platform part within which said second platform part is rotatably mounted for rotation about a third axis.