Telepresence system with automatic preservation of user head size

• US 20040170300A1
• Filed: 02/27/2003
• Published: 09/02/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 02/27/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hewlett Packard Enterprise Development LP (Hewlett-Packard Enterprise Company)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Jouppi, Norman Paul
• Granted Patent: US 7,388,981 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 382/103
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/161 Detection; Localisation; Normalisation
• 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 7/147 Communication arrangements, e.g. identifying the communication as a video-communication, intermediate storage of the signals selecting H04Q

Abstract

A method and system for mutually immersive telepresencing are provided. A user is viewed at a user'"'"'s location to provide a user'"'"'s image. The size of the user'"'"'s head is determined in the user'"'"'s image. A surrogate having a surrogate'"'"'s face display about the size of the user'"'"'s head is provided. The user'"'"'s image is processed based on the size of the surrogate'"'"'s face display to provide an about life-size image of the user'"'"'s head. The about life-size image is displayed on the surrogate'"'"'s face display.

Claims

1. A method for mutually-immersive telepresencing comprising:

viewing a user at a user'"'"'s location to provide a user'"'"'s image;

determining the size of the user'"'"'s head in the user'"'"'s image;

providing a surrogate having a surrogate'"'"'s face display about the size of the user'"'"'s head;

processing the user'"'"'s image based on the size of the surrogate'"'"'s face display to provide an about life-size image of the user'"'"'s head; and

displaying the about life-size image on the surrogate'"'"'s face display.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein:

determining the size of the user'"'"'s head includes determining the location of the user'"'"'s head at the user'"'"'s location.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein:

determining the size of the user'"'"'s head in the user'"'"'s image includes determining a scale of the user'"'"'s head;

displaying the about life-size image in a classic portrait style.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein:

processing the user'"'"'s image includes cropping to provide a close-up image of the face of the user.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein:

displaying the about life-size image includes exponential time weighted averaging of a plurality of the user'"'"'s images to display the about life-size image.

6. A method for mutually-immersive telepresencing comprising:

viewing a user at a user'"'"'s location to provide a user'"'"'s image;

determining the size of the user'"'"'s head in the user'"'"'s image using a distance of the user'"'"'s head from where the user is viewed and a width of the user'"'"'s head in the image;

providing a surrogate having a surrogate'"'"'s face display about the size of the user'"'"'s head;

processing the user'"'"'s image based on the size of the surrogate'"'"'s face display to provide an about life-size image of the user'"'"'s head; and

displaying the about life-size image on the surrogate'"'"'s face display.

7. The method as claimed in claim 6 wherein:

determining the size of the user'"'"'s head includes determining the location and orientation of the user'"'"'s head at the user'"'"'s location.

8. The method as claimed in claim 6 wherein:

determining the size of the user'"'"'s head in the user'"'"'s image includes determining a scale of the user'"'"'s head; and

displaying the about life-size image in a classic portrait style with a clearance between a top of the surrogate'"'"'s face display and the about life-size image.

9. The method as claimed in claim 6 wherein:

determining the size of the user'"'"'s head in the user'"'"'s image includes determining the location and orientation of the user'"'"'s head at the user'"'"'s location; and

processing the user'"'"'s image includes cropping to provide a close-up image of the face of the user selected from a group consisting of;

cropping both sides of the about life-size image of the user'"'"'s head when viewing the user from within 45 degrees on either side of the face of the user,

cropping the backside of the about life-size image of the user'"'"'s head when viewing a profile of the user,

cropping both sides of the about life-size image of the user'"'"'s head when viewing the back of the user'"'"'s head, and

cropping both top and bottom of the about life-size image of the user'"'"'s head when viewing the user'"'"'s head providing a life-size image of the user'"'"'s head which is taller than will fit in the surrogate'"'"'s face display.

10. The method as claimed in claim 6 wherein:

displaying the substantially life-size image includes exponential time weighted averaging of head position and scale computed from a plurality of the user'"'"'s images before displaying the about life-size image.

11. A system for mutually-immersive telepresencing comprising:

a camera set for viewing a user at a user'"'"'s location to provide a user'"'"'s image;

a computer for determining the size of the user'"'"'s head in the user'"'"'s image;

a surrogate having a surrogate'"'"'s face display about the size of the user'"'"'s head; and

a processor for processing the user'"'"'s image based on the size of the surrogate'"'"'s face display to provide an about life-size image of the user'"'"'s head and for displaying the about life-size image on the surrogate'"'"'s face display.

12. The system as claimed in claim 11 wherein:

the computer has components for determining the location of the user'"'"'s head at the user'"'"'s location.

13. The system as claimed in claim 11 wherein:

the computer includes means for determining a scale of the user'"'"'s head;

the surrogate'"'"'s face display displays the about life-size image in a classic portrait style.

14. The system as claimed in claim 11 wherein:

the processor includes means for cropping to provide a close-up image of the face of the user.

15. The system as claimed in claim 11 wherein:

the processor includes means for exponential time weighted averaging of a plurality of the user'"'"'s images to display the about life-size image.

16. A system for mutually-immersive telepresencing comprising:

a camera set for viewing a user at a user'"'"'s location to provide a user'"'"'s image;

a computer for determining the size of the user'"'"'s head in the user'"'"'s image using a distance of the user'"'"'s head in the image from where the user is viewed and a width of the user'"'"'s head in the image;

a surrogate having a surrogate'"'"'s face display about the size of the user'"'"'s head; and

a processor for processing the user'"'"'s image based on the size of the surrogate'"'"'s face display to provide an about life-size image of the user'"'"'s head and for displaying the about life-size image on the surrogate'"'"'s face display.

17. The system as claimed in claim 16 wherein:

the computer has components for determining the location and orientation of the user'"'"'s head at the user'"'"'s location.

18. The system as claimed in claim 16 wherein:

the computer includes means for determining a scale of the user'"'"'s head; and

the processor includes means for displaying the about life-size image in a classic portrait style with a clearance between a top of the surrogate'"'"'s face display and the about life-size image.

19. The system as claimed in claim 16 wherein:

the computer has components for determining the location and orientation of the user'"'"'s head at the user'"'"'s location; and

the processor includes means for cropping to provide a close-up image of the face of the user selected from a group consisting of;

both sides cropped of the about life-size image of the user'"'"'s head when the camera set views the user from within 45 degrees on either side of the face of the user,

the backside cropped of the about life-size image of the user'"'"'s head when the camera set views a profile of the user,

both sides cropped of the about life-size image of the user'"'"'s head when the camera set views the back of the user'"'"'s head, and

both top and bottom cropped of the about life-size image of the user'"'"'s head when the camera set views the user'"'"'s head providing a life-size image of the user'"'"'s head which is taller than will fit in the surrogate'"'"'s face display.

20. The system as claimed in claim 16 wherein:

the processor includes means for exponential time weighted averaging of head position and scale computed from a plurality of the user'"'"'s images before displaying the about life-size image.