Video conference system and a method for providing an individual perspective view for a participant of a video conference between multiple participants

• US 7,616,226 B2
• Filed: 04/05/2005
• Issued: 11/10/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 04/22/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sound View Innovations, LLC (Sound View Innovation Holdings, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Alcatel SA (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Roessler, Horst, Szabo, Peter, Hoche, Michael Walter
• Primary Examiner(s): Ramakrishnaiah; Melur
• Application Number:
  US11/098,562
• Publication Number:
  US 20050237376A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,680 Days
• Field of Search: 348 1401- 1409, 348/14.1, 348 1411- 1416, 709/204, 709/205
• US Class Current: 348/14.04
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/21805 enabling multiple viewpoints, e.g. using a plurality of cameras
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/15 Conference systems

Abstract

The present invention relates to a video conference system (SC, SE, VI) comprising at least one visual scan means (SC), a mediating Server entity (SE) and a at least one visual presentation means (VI) for presenting a scanned perspective view connected via a network, where the visual scan means (SC) comprises change means for changing the perspective view, and the video conference system (SC, SE, VI) comprises further mediating means (SE), storage means (MO), and control means that are adapted to process individual visual perspectives for the at least one visual presentation means, where the mediating means are adapted to aggregate multiple scanned views, where the storage means buffer the aggregate multiple scanned views, where the control means are adapted to instruct the change means for selecting a scan perspective, and where retrieval means are adapted to extract a requested individual perspective view out of the aggregated multiple scanned views. The invention further relates to a mediating media server, a client device, a computer software product, and a method for providing an individual perspective view for a participant of a videoconference between multiple participants.

Claims

1. A video conference system comprising:

at least one visual scan module;

at least one visual presentation module; and

a mediating module, a storage module, a control module, and a retrieval module, configured to render an individual perspective view for the at least one visual presentation module,

wherein;

the at least one visual scan module and the at least one visual presentation module are connected via a network;

the at least one visual scan module comprises a change module that changes a perspective view scanned by the at least one visual scan module;

the mediating module is configured to aggregate multiple perspective views scanned by the at least one visual scan module;

the storage module buffers the aggregated multiple perspective views scanned by the at least one visual scan module;

the control module is configured to control the change module to change the perspective view scanned by the at least one visual scan module; and

the retrieval module is configured to extract the individual perspective view requested by a video conference participant and rendered using the aggregated multiple perspective views scanned by the at least one visual scan module.

2. The video conference system according to claim 1, wherein the request for the individual perspective view is derived from a participant'"'"'s eye movements.

3. The video conference system according to claim 1, wherein the presentation module is configured to present a synchronized audio perspective to said individual perspective view, such that audio presentation is adapted to the individual perspective view.

4. The videoconference system according to claim 1, wherein the individual perspective view comprises a time-shifted perspective.

5. The video conference system according to claim 1, wherein the storage module comprises a retrieval module that is configured to provide stored video sequences for the individual perspective view in such a way that the conference participants have control over the video clip to adapt the scenes to the conversation.

6. A method for providing an individual perspective view for a participant of a video conference between multiple participants, the method comprising:

visually scanning the multiple participants at different sites by a visual scanning module,

aggregating views scanned by the visual scanning module into at least one visual model,

visually presenting at least one portion of the at least one visual model to a participant,

wherein said method further comprises;

interpreting a request to change an individual perspective view of a participant and adapting the scanning, the aggregating, and the presenting such that the scanning module provides the necessary information for the at least one visual model to provide the requested individual perspective view.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein the request for the individual perspective view is derived from a participant'"'"'s eye movements.

8. The method according to claim 6, wherein the individual perspective view comprises an audio perspective.

9. The method according to claim 6, wherein the individual perspective view comprises a time-shifted perspective.

10. A computer software product that is configured to perform the method according to claim 6.

11. A mediating media server system in a network, comprising interfaces to clients providing visual information and to clients receiving visual information, wherein said mediating media server system comprises a mediating module that is configured to aggregate multiple visual information from the clients providing visual information into at least one visual model, a storage module to buffer the at least one visual model, and a control module that is configured to render individual perspective views for the clients receiving visual information.

12. The mediating media server according to claim 11, wherein the control module is configured to instruct a client providing visual information to change the perspective view of the provided visual information, based on an individual perspective view requested by a client receiving visual information.