Video conferencing lighting system

• US 7,893,953 B2
• Filed: 06/19/2006
• Issued: 02/22/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/19/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Steelcase Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Steelcase Development Corporation (Steelcase Incorporated)
• Inventors: Mead, Matthew A., Stanfield, Joel, Branc, Joseph R., Krestakos, Robert G., Forslund, Carl V. III
• Primary Examiner(s): Ramakrishnaiah; Melur
• Application Number:
  US11/424,967
• Publication Number:
  US 20070291466A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,709 Days
• Field of Search: 348 1401- 1416, 379/309, 379/274, 463/12, 463/13, 463/40, 463/46, 463/25, 36221701-21709, 362/217.1, 362/223, 362/282
• US Class Current: 348/14.01
• 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

A system for lighting at least one individual positioned about a piece of furniture during a video recording process includes a piece of furniture having a work surface and at least one non-work surface. A lighting source is arranged along either the work surface or the non-work surface of the piece of furniture to project non-visible light away from the piece of furniture toward an individual positioned proximate to the piece of furniture to light the individual or recording during a video recording process.

Claims

1. A system for lighting at least one individual positioned about a piece of furniture during a video recording process comprising:

a piece of furniture having a work surface and at least one non-work surface; and

a lighting source arranged along at least one of the work surface and the non-work surface of the piece of furniture to project non-visible light away from the piece of furniture toward an individual positioned proximate to the piece of furniture to light the individual for recording during a video recording process.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the piece of furniture includes at least one of a desk and a podium and wherein the lighting source is arranged along at least one of the work surface and a beveled edge extending from the work surface.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the lighting source is configured to emit infrared light.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the lighting source includes light emitting diodes configured to emit light in a non-visible range.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the work surface includes a peripheral edge and the non-work surface extends from the peripheral edge and wherein the lighting source extends along at least a portion of the at least one of the work surface and the non-work surface proximate to the peripheral edge.

6. The system of claim 5 wherein the lighting source extends along substantially the entire peripheral edge.

10. The system of claim 5 wherein the lighting source is arranged to project light upward and laterally from the peripheral edge.

11. The system of claim 1 wherein the video recording process includes a video teleconference process.

12. The system of claim 1 wherein the piece of furniture includes a conference table, and the lighting source is arranged along a beveled edge extending from the work surface to project light up from the beveled edge into a face of a plurality of individuals seated about the conference table.

13. The system of claim 1 further comprising a diffusing layer formed over the lighting source configured to diffuse light projected from the light source to distribute the light substantially evenly across at least a portion of the individual.

14. The system of claim 13 wherein the diffusing layer includes at least one of a light scattering lens and a filter configured to distribute the light substantially evenly across at least a portion of the individual.

15. The system of claim 1 wherein the piece of furniture includes at least one of a table and a desk having a top surface and wherein the lighting source is embedded within the top surface and configured to project light from the top surface radially outward from the edges of the top surface to light the individual.

16. The system of claim 1 further comprising a sensor configured to determine an intensity of light about the light source to determine if light projected away from the piece of furniture is being impeded.

17. The system of claim 1 wherein the lighting source is arranged along at least one of the work surface and the non-work surface and forms at least one of a decorative inlay in and a seamless continuation of at least one of the wok surface and the non-work surface.

7. The system of clam 6 wherein the lighting source is arranged along at least one of the work surface and the non-work surface.

8. The system of claim 7 wherein the light source includes a plurality of individual lights arranged in clusters about at least one of the work surface and the non-work surface.

9. The system of claim 7 wherein the light source includes a plurality of individual lights arranged in substantially even intervals about at least one of the work surface and the non-work surface.

18. A system for lighting at least one individual positioned about a piece of furniture during a video recording process comprising:

a piece of furniture having at least one substantially planar surface; and

light source arranged along the substantially planar surface of the piece of furniture configured to emit non-visible light and direct the non-visible light away from the piece of furniture toward an individual positioned proximate to the piece of furniture to light the individual for recording in a video recording process.

19. The system of claim 18 wherein the light source is an infrared light source.

20. The system of claim 18 wherein the piece of furniture includes at least one of a desk, a table, a chair, and a podium and wherein the substantially planar surface extends along a beveled edge having an angle configured to cast the non-visible light emitted by the light source toward a face of the individual to compensate for light emitted from an over-head light positioned above the individual.

21. The system of claim 18 wherein the light source is configured to control the non-visible light based on operations in the video recording process.

22. The system of claim 18 wherein the substantially planar surface forms a top of at least one of a desk and tabletop, and wherein the light source is embedded within the top and configured to project light from the top radially toward edges of the top to light the individual.

23. The system of claim 18 wherein the light source includes at least one of a focusing layer, diffuser, and a filter configured to project the non-visible light toward the individual in a pattern designed to reduce shadows created about the individual by at least one of ambient light and over-head light.

24. The system of claim 18 wherein the video recording process includes a video teleconferencing process.

25. A video teleconferencing system comprising:

a piece of furniture configured to present a work surface for an individual positioned proximate thereto;

a video conferencing device at least partially supported by the piece of furniture; and

an infrared lighting source supported by at least one of the piece of furniture and the video conferencing device, wherein the infrared lighting source is configured to project infrared light onto the individual to light the individual during a video teleconferencing process.

26. The system of claim 25 wherein the video conferencing device includes a computer system having a keyboard, a display, and a computer supported by the piece of furniture and wherein the lighting source is arranged proximate to at least one of a frame surrounding the keyboard, a frame surrounding the display, and a housing surrounding the computer to project infrared light from the computer system onto the individual to light the individual during a teleconferencing process.

27. The system of claim 25 wherein the video conferencing device includes a laptop computer having a display integrated therein and a keyboard, and wherein the infrared lighting source is arranged proximate to an edge of the display extending from the laptop computer and proximate to a camera lens receiving video processed during the video teleconferencing process so that the infrared light projected by the infrared lighting source is directed generally upward from the laptop toward a face of the individual from a position located above a space in which hands of the individual reside during operation of the keyboard.

28. The system of claim 25 wherein the infrared lighting source is arranged in a portable component of the video conferencing device.

29. The system of claim 28 wherein the video conferencing device includes a speakerphone configured to be centrally disposed on the work surface of the piece of furniture and wherein the portable component includes the speakerphone such that, when the portable component is centrally disposed on the work surface, the speakerphone is positioned to receive audio projected from individuals seated about the work surface and the infrared lighting source is positioned to project light from the speakerphone radially toward the individuals seated about the work surface.

30. The system of claim 25 wherein the infrared lighting source is configured to compensate for light projected onto the individual from an over-head light to evenly light the individual during the video teleconferencing process.