Videoconferencing with enhanced illusion of physical presence in a common space

• US 7,924,306 B2
• Filed: 09/15/2006
• Issued: 04/12/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/15/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Thielman, Jeffrey, Gorzynski, Mark E
• Primary Examiner(s): Ramakrishnaiah; Melur
• Application Number:
  US11/521,634
• Publication Number:
  US 20080068443A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,670 Days
• Field of Search: 348 1401- 1416, 345/207, 362/33
• US Class Current: 348/14.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/147 Communication arrangements, e.g. identifying the communication as a video-communication, intermediate storage of the signals selecting H04Q
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/15 Conference systems

Abstract

A technique for enhancing the illusion of physical presence in a common space during a multipoint video conference is disclosed. The technique may include controlling the appearance of a first portion of the video images separately from an appearance of a second portion of the video images to achieve a consistent image appearance across the multipoint videoconference.

Claims

1. A method of enhancing the illusion of physical presence in a common space in a multipoint videoconferencing system comprising:

a) measuring video characteristics of a first portion of a video image from a videoconference site;

b) controlling the appearance of the first portion of the video image separately from a second portion of the video image to achieve an image appearance consistent with at least one other image from at least one other videoconference site within the multipoint videoconferencing system; and

c) transmitting the video image from the videoconference site to the at least one other videoconference site.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein measuring video characteristics of the first portion of the video image comprises comparing a background portion of the video image to a desired background image.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein measuring video characteristics of the first portion of the video image comprises indirectly measuring a characteristic of the first portion of the video image.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein controlling the appearance of the first portion of the video image separately from the second portion comprises adjusting a lighting level of a corresponding area of the videoconference site separately from a lighting level in a foreground area of the videoconference site.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the first portion of the video image is a background portion of the video image, the corresponding area of the videoconference site is a back wall of the videoconference site, and the second portion of the video image is a foreground portion of the video image.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein controlling the appearance of the first portion of the video image separately from the second portion comprises adjusting a lighting color on a back wall of the videoconference site separately from a lighting color in a foreground area of the videoconference site.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein controlling the appearance of the first portion of the video image separately from the second portion comprises electronically modifying the first portion of the video image while leaving the second portion unmodified.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein controlling the appearance of the first portion of the video image separately from a second portion comprises adjusting a foreground portion of the video image to achieve a desired characteristic.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein controlling the appearance of the first portion of the video image separately from a second portion is controlled by a calibration studio located remotely from the videoconference site.

10. A multipoint videoconferencing system to enhance an illusion of physical presence in a common space for multipoint videoconferencing comprising:

a) a plurality of videoconference sites each being capable of direct communication with at least one other videoconference site to exchange video images in a multipoint videoconference, and

b) a video adjustment subsystem coupled to at least one of the videoconference sites so as to control the appearance of a first portion of the video images separately from a second portion of the video images to achieve an image appearance consistent with at least one other image from the at least one other videoconference site within across the multipoint videoconferencing system.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein a videoconference site further comprises:

a video camera for capturing outgoing video images within videoconference site;

a video transmitter to transmit the outgoing video images to at least one other videoconference site;

a video receiver to receive incoming video images from at least one other videoconference site; and

a video display to display the incoming video images from at least one other videoconference site.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the video adjustment subsystem comprises an electronic video editor coupled to either one of the video transmitter or the video receiver.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein the video adjustment subsystem is coupled to at least one light positioned to light a back wall of the videoconference site.

14. A method of making a multipoint videoconferencing system to enhance an illusion of physical presence in a common space for multipoint videoconferencing comprising:

a) installing video equipment at a videoconferencing site, the video equipment including at least a video camera and a video transmitter, the video equipment being capable of establishing a videoconference link with at least one other videoconference site to exchange video images;

b) adjusting the video equipment to control the appearance of a first portion of the video images separately from a second portion of the video images; and

c) providing an image appearance consistent with at least one other image from the at least one other videoconference site within the multipoint videoconferencing system.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein the first portion is a background portion and the second portion is a foreground portion.

16. The method of claim 14 further comprising defining a desired background image for use across the multipoint videoconferencing system.

17. The method of claim 14, further comprising controlling the adjustment of the video equipment using a calibration studio located remotely from the videoconference site.

18. A videoconference site for a multipoint videoconferencing system to enhance an illusion of physical presence in a common space during a multipoint videoconference comprising:

a) means for communication with at least one other videoconference site to exchange video images to form a multipoint videoconference; and

b) means for controlling the appearance of a first portion of the video images separately from a second portion of the video images by adjusting a lighting level of a corresponding area of the videoconference site separately from a lighting level in a foreground area of the videoconference site to an image appearance consistent with at least one other image from the at least one other videoconference site within the multipoint videoconferencing system.

19. A computer readable medium having computer readable instructions embodied thereon for enhancing the illusion of physical presence in a common space during a multipoint video conference comprising:

a) computer readable instructions for communicating with at least one other videoconference site to exchange video images to form a multipoint videoconference at videoconference site; and

b) computer readable instructions for controlling the appearance of a first portion of the video images separately from a second portion of the video images by adjusting a lighting level of a corresponding area of the videoconference site separately from a lighting level in a foreground area of the videoconference site to achieve an image appearance consistent with at least one other image from the at least one other videoconference site within the multipoint videoconferencing system.

20. The computer readable medium of claim 19, wherein the computer readable instructions for controlling the appearance of a first portion of the video images separately from a second potion of the video images comprises computer readable instructions for adjusting a lighting level of a back wall area of the videoconference site.