Systems for facilitating virtual presence

• US 9,330,589 B2
• Filed: 11/16/2011
• Issued: 05/03/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 11/16/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nanolumens Aquisition, Inc. (NanoLumens, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Nanolumens Aquisition, Inc. (NanoLumens, Inc.)
• Inventors: Cope, Richard Craig, Meincke, Drew Fredrick, Bravo, Jorge Perez
• Primary Examiner(s): Anwah, Olisa
• Application Number:
  US13/297,784
• Publication Number:
  US 20130120521A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,630 Days
• Field of Search: 348/14.08, 348/14.16, 348/14.07
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1454 involving copying of the display data of a local workstation or window to a remote workstation or window so that an actual copy of the data is displayed simultaneously on two or more displays, e.g. teledisplay
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2300/0439 Pixel structures
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/20 for presentation of an assembly of a number of characters, e.g. a page, by composing the assembly by combination of individual elements arranged in a matrix no fixed position being assigned to or needed to be assigned to the individual characters or partial characters
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 3/32 semiconductive, e.g. using light-emitting diodes [LED]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/90 Arrangement of cameras or camera modules, e.g. multiple cameras in TV studios or sports stadiums
• 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 7/144 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 7/147 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 virtual presence system includes a display having a structural matrix configured to arrange a plurality of spaced pixel elements. A plurality of spaced pixel elements collectively form an active visual area wherein an image is displayable. At least one image capture device is disposed within the active visual area for capturing an image.

Claims

1. A virtual presence system, comprising:

a display having a structural matrix configured to arrange a plurality of spaced pixel elements,

the plurality of spaced pixel elements collectively forming an active visual area wherein an image is displayable;

said active visual area capable of being continuously active for continuously displaying a display;

at least one image capture device disposed within the active visual area;

said image capture device disposed amongst said spaced pixel elements;

said image capture device capable of being continuously active for continuously capturing an image; and

said spaced pixel elements and said image capture device capable of being simultaneously operative for simultaneously displaying an image and simultaneously capturing an image for processing.

2. The virtual presence system of claim 1, further comprising:

at least one signal processor in communication with the at least one imaging capture device.

3. The virtual presence system of claim 2 including a plurality of image capture devices disposed within the active visual area at varying vertical and horizontal locations and being disposed within the active visual area among or between two or more respective spaced pixel elements.

4. The virtual presence system of claim 3 wherein the plurality of image capture devices capture a respective sub-image, and wherein the plurality of sub-images are combined by the at least one signal processor to form a larger image, and wherein the larger image is displayed (i) on the active visual area creating a mirror effect and/or (ii) at a remote location creating a window effect.

5. The virtual presence system of claim 1, wherein the at least one image capture device captures an image, and wherein the image is displayed (i) on the active visual area creating a mirror effect and/or (ii) at a remote location creating a window effect.

6. The virtual presence system of claim 1, further comprising a signal carrier device including at least one of a fiber optic cable, a waveguide, or a conduit carrying a transmission signal to and from the at least one image capture.

7. A virtual presence system, comprising:

a display having a structural matrix configured to arrange a plurality of spaced pixel elements,

the plurality of spaced pixel elements collectively forming an active visual area for displaying an image;

said active visual area capable of being continuously active for continuously displaying a display;

at least one acoustic and/or infrared transmitter and/or receiver device disposed within the active visual area about or between two or more respective spaced pixel elements for sensing an attribute of an individual located within the active visual area for modifying the image based upon a sensed attribute of the individual;

said transmitter and/or receiver capable of being continuously active for continuously capturing an image; and

said spaced pixel elements and said transmitter and/or receiver capable of being simultaneously operative for simultaneously displaying an image and simultaneously capturing an image for processing.

8. The virtual presence system of claim 7, further comprising:

at least one signal processor in communication with the at least one audio and/or infrared transmitter and/or receiver device.

9. The virtual presence system of claim 7, wherein the at least one acoustic and/or infrared transmitter and/or receiver device transmits and/or receives acoustic and/or infrared waves, and wherein the acoustic and/or infrared waves are projected (i) on the active visual area creating a mirror effect and/or (ii) at a remote location creating a window effect.

10. A virtual presence system, comprising:

a display having a structural matrix configured to arrange a plurality of spaced pixel elements,

the plurality of spaced pixel elements collectively forming an active visual area wherein an image is displayable;

said pixel elements include LED devices carried by a substrate, said LED devices having a predetermined spacing defining a pixel gap between adjacent pixels on a respective substrate, and wherein adjacent substrates having adjacent pixels have a similar sized pixel gap corresponding to the pixel gap within a particular substrate;

said LED devices of said active visual area capable of being continuously active for continuously displaying a display;

at least one image capture device disposed within said pixel gap of said active visual area;

said image capture device disposed amongst said spaced pixel elements;

said image capture device capable of being continuously active for continuously capturing an image; and

said spaced pixel elements and said image capture device capable of being simultaneously operative for simultaneously displaying an image and simultaneously capturing an image for processing.