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Automatically tracking user movement in a video chat application

  • US 9,628,755 B2
  • Filed: 10/14/2010
  • Issued: 04/18/2017
  • Est. Priority Date: 10/14/2010
  • Status: Active Grant
First Claim
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1. A method for automatically tracking movement of a user participating in a video chat application executing in a computing device, the method comprising:

  • receiving a capture frame comprising one or more depth images of a capture area from a depth camera connected to a computing device, the one or more depth images comprising pixels for one or more objects where each pixel has a depth value representing a distance to the one or more objects in the capture area from the depth camera;

    determining if the capture frame includes a user in a first location in the capture area by analyzing edges of the capture frame by comparing the depth values associated with adjacent pixels of the capture frame;

    identifying a sub-frame of pixels in the capture frame, the sub-frame of pixels including a position of a head, neck and shoulders of the user in the capture frame;

    displaying the sub-frame of pixels including only the position of the head, neck and shoulders of the user to a remote user at a remote computing system;

    automatically tracking the position of the head, neck and shoulders of the user to a next location within the capture area;

    identifying a next sub-frame of pixels, the next sub-frame of pixels including a position of the head, neck and shoulders of the user in the next location, wherein the next sub-frame of pixels is included in a next capture frame of the capture area;

    displaying the next sub-frame of pixels to the remote user in the remote computing system;

    detecting and identifying more than one user in the capture area;

    identifying individual sub-frames and next sub-frames of pixels for each of the more than one user, each of the individual sub-frames and next sub-frames including only the position of the head, neck and shoulders; and

    automatically adjusting the individual sub-frames of pixels or the individual next sub-frame of pixels to include the head, neck and shoulders of each of the users and displaying the individual sub-frame of pixels or the individual next sub-frame of pixels to the remote user, wherein each of the more than one user in the capture area is at a different location within the capture area.

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