Two-way video conferencing system

• US 8,675,038 B2
• Filed: 09/28/2010
• Issued: 03/18/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Wessling, Cynthia
• Primary Examiner(s): El-Zoobi, Maria
• Application Number:
  US12/892,650
• Publication Number:
  US 20120075407A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,267 Days
• Field of Search: 348 1401- 1409
• 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 video conferencing device that includes a camera and display system captures video of local participants and displays incoming video feeds from remote locations. For example, incoming video feeds of the remote participants may be displayed on an outward-facing circular screen mounted on a central pedestal. One or more cameras are also mounted on the pedestal in order to capture video of the local participants. The incoming video feed can be arranged or organized in various ways on the display based in part on the quantity of incoming feeds and/or the needs of the conference-room participants.

Claims

1. An apparatus for video conferencing, comprising:

a camera for capturing video frames of local participants in a video conference;

a cylindrical display for displaying video feeds received from different remote locations for the video conference on a surface of the cylindrical display such that each of the different video feeds that are each associated with at least one different remote participant and that are received from the different remote locations are displayed in sequential order on the cylindrical display, wherein the cylindrical display is physically coupled to the camera; and

controls that are configured to perform operations for video conferencing, wherein the controls are physically coupled to the camera and the cylindrical display.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the camera is mounted at approximately a same level on the cylindrical display of at least one of the displayed video feeds.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the cylindrical display is approximated by an n-sided prism.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the camera is a 360-deg panorama camera.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the cylindrical display is provided on a base of the video conferencing apparatus.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the camera is mounted behind a display surface of the cylindrical display.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the camera is mounted on the display surface of the cylindrical display.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the camera is integrated on the surface of the cylindrical display.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a pedestal, wherein the camera and the cylindrical display are mounted on the pedestal.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein a height of the camera and the cylindrical display are adjustable on the pedestal.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the video frames are shown as rotating around the cylindrical display.

12. A system for video conferencing, comprising:

a memory;

a cylindrical display having a display surface around a circumference of the cylindrical display;

a camera that is physically coupled to the cylindrical display and that is configured to capture frames of video;

a processor coupled to the memory and the camera, and configured to execute a video conferencing application, the video conferencing application performing steps comprising;

receiving video frames from the camera;

receiving incoming video feeds from external locations;

displaying each of the incoming video feeds received from the different external locations sequentially on the cylindrical display; and

encoding the video frames from the camera for subsequent transmission to a video conferencing device; and

a communication device configured to transmit the encoded frames to the video conferencing device over a network.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein displaying the incoming video feeds on the cylindrical display comprises processing the incoming video feeds to be displayed on the cylindrical display and determining an active speaker and distinguishing a display of the active speaker from the other incoming video feeds on the cylindrical display.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein displaying the incoming video feeds on the cylindrical display comprises animating a display of the incoming video feeds.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein animating the display of the incoming video feeds comprises rotating the display of the incoming video feeds around the cylindrical display.

16. The system of claim 12, wherein the camera is mounted at approximately a same level the circular display.

17. A method for interacting with a video conferencing device that includes a cylindrical display and a camera, comprising:

receiving video frames from the camera;

receiving incoming video feeds from one or more external locations;

displaying each of the incoming video feeds received from the one or more external locations one after another on the cylindrical display of the video conferencing device;

encoding the video frames from the camera that is physically coupled to the cylindrical display for subsequent transmission to another video conferencing device; and

transmitting the encoded frames to the another video conferencing device over a network.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein displaying the incoming video feeds on the cylindrical display comprises determining an active speaker and distinguishing a display of the active speaker from the other incoming video feeds on the cylindrical display.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein displaying the incoming video feeds on the cylindrical display comprises animating a display of the incoming video feeds.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein animating the display of the incoming video feeds comprises at least one of:

rotating the display of the incoming video feeds around the cylindrical display;

tiling the incoming video feeds;

expanding one of the incoming video feeds having an active speaker; and

duplicating one of the incoming video feeds.