Telepresence communications system and method

• US 9,160,965 B2
• Filed: 12/02/2011
• Issued: 10/13/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/01/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: InterDigital CE Patent Holdings SAS (InterDigital, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Thomson Licensing (Vantiva SA)
• Inventors: Redmann, William Gibbens, Huber, Mark J., Walker, Mark Leroy
• Primary Examiner(s): Ramakrishnaiah, Melur
• Application Number:
  US14/131,528
• Publication Number:
  US 20140139620A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,411 Days
• Field of Search: 348 1401- 1416
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4223 Cameras H04N23/00 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4402 involving reformatting operations of video signals for household redistribution, storage or real-time display details of conversion of video standards at pixel level H04N7/01; video transcoding H04N19/40; adapting incoming signals to the display format of the display terminal G09G5/005; media handling at the source in data packet switching networks H04L65/764
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4788 communicating with other users, e.g. chatting arrangements for providing for computer conferences, e.g. chat rooms, to substation in data switching networks H04L12/1813; distributed application using peer-to-peer [P2P] networks H04L67/104
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/141 between two video terminals, e.g. videophone telephonic communication systems combined with television receiver for reception of entertainment or information matter H04M11/085
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/144 camera and display on the same optical axis, e.g. optically multiplexing the camera and display for eye to eye contact
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/15 Conference systems

Abstract

The sharing an image of a local participant in a group with at least one other participant in that group commences by establishing, for that local participant, orientation information indicative of an orientation of the communication channel local participant relative to a display screen and a video camera. The local participant sends his or her image of the local participant along with the orientation information to at least one other participant. The orientation information enables display of the image of the local participant with a common orientation recognized by the at least one other participant.

Claims

1. A method for sharing images of participants in a group, comprising the steps of:

establishing, for a local participant seeking to share its image, orientation information indicative of an orientation of the local participant relative to a video display device screen and a video capture device;

sending the image of the local participant along with the orientation information to at least one remote participant so that image of the local participant will have a common orientation recognized by the at least one remote participant.

2. The method according to claim 1 wherein the establishing step comprises the step of accessing stored orientation information in a database.

3. The method according to claim 1 wherein the establishing step comprises the step of prompting the local participant to manually enter the orientation information.

4. The method according to claim 3 wherein the prompting step includes the step of visually displaying instructions to the local participant.

5. The method according to claim 3 further including the step of storing the user-entered orientation information in a database.

6. The method according to claim 1 wherein the sending step further includes the steps of:

exchanging orientation information of the local participant and the at least one remote participant;

comparing the orientation information of the local participant with the orientation information of the at least one remote participant;

to determine whether the local participant and the at least one participant have common facing, and if so;

altering the orientation of the image of the local participant prior to sending the image to the at least one remote participant.

7. The method according to claim 1 wherein the sending step further includes the steps of:

exchanging orientation information of the local participant and the at least one remote participant;

comparing the orientation information of the local participant with the orientation information of the at least one remote participant;

to determine whether the local participant and the at least one participant have common facing, and if not;

sending the image of the local to the at least one remote participant without image alteration.

8. The method according to claim 1 wherein the sending step further includes the steps of:

exchanging orientation information of the local participant and the at least one remote participant;

comparing the orientation information of the local participant with the orientation information of the at least one remote participant;

to determine whether the local participant and the at least one participant have common facing, and if so;

sending the image of the local to the at least one remote participant without image alteration when the local participant has a given facing.

9. The method according to claim 1 wherein the sending step further includes the steps of:

exchanging orientation information of the local participant and the at least one remote participant;

comparing the orientation information of the local participant with the orientation information of the at least one remote participant;

to determine whether the local participant and the at least one participant have common facing, and if not;

altering the orientation of the image of the local prior to sending to the at least one remote participant when the local participant has a given facing.

10. A telepresence system sharing an image of a local participant with at least one remote participant, comprising:

a video capture device for capturing the image of the local participant;

a video display device for displaying the image of the at least one remote participant; and

a communications device coupled to the video display device and the video capture device for establishing orientation information indicative of an orientation of the local participant relative to the video display device and the video capture device and for sending the image of the local participant along with the orientation information to at least one remote participant so that image of the local participant will have a common orientation recognized by the at least one remote participant.

11. The apparatus according to claim 10 wherein the communications device comprises a set-top-box.

12. The apparatus according to claim 11 wherein the communications device establishing the orientation information by accessing orientation information stored in a database.

13. The apparatus according to claim 11 the communications device establishes the orientation information by prompting the local participant to manually enter the orientation information.

14. The apparatus according to claim 11 wherein the communications device prompts the local user to manually enter the orientation information by sending instructions for visual display on the visual display device.

15. The apparatus according to claim 11 further including a database for storing user-entered orientation information.

16. The apparatus according to claim 11 wherein the communications sends the orientation information by (a) exchanging orientation information of the local participant and the at least one remote participant;

(c) comparing the orientation information of the local participant with the orientation information of the at least one remote participant;

to determine whether the local participant and the at least one participant have common facing, and if so;

(d) altering the orientation of the image of the local participant prior to sending the image to the at least one remote participant.

17. The apparatus according to claim 11 wherein the communications sends the orientation information by (a) exchanging orientation information of the local participant and the at least one remote participant;

(b) comparing the orientation information of the local participant with the orientation information of the at least one remote participant;

to determine whether the local participant and the at least one participant have common facing, and if not;

(c) sending the image of the local to the at least one remote participant without image alteration.

18. The apparatus according to claim 11 wherein the communications sends the orientation information by (a) exchanging orientation information of the local participant and the at least one remote participant;

(b) comparing the orientation information of the local participant with the orientation information of the at least one remote participant;

to determine whether the local participant and the at least one participant have common facing, and if so;

(c) sending the image of the local to the at least one remote participant without image alteration when the local participant has a given facing.

19. The apparatus according to claim 11 wherein the communications sends the orientation information by (a) exchanging orientation information of the local participant and the at least one remote participant;

(b) comparing the orientation information of the local participant with the orientation information of the at least one remote participant;

to determine whether the local participant and the at least one participant have common facing, and if not;

(c) altering the orientation of the image of the local prior to sending to the at least one remote participant when the local participant has a given facing.