SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR USING BIOMETRICS TECHNOLOGY IN CONFERENCING

• US 20060259755A1
• Filed: 07/31/2006
• Published: 11/16/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/20/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Polycom Incorporated (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: KENOYER, MICHAEL
• Granted Patent: US 8,218,829 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/32 using biometric data, e.g. fingerprints, iris scans or voiceprints
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/1053 Employment or hiring

Abstract

A system and method are provided which utilize biometrics technology in a conference environment. A biometrics engine detects facial images of a user, generates biometrics of the detected facial images, and compares the generated biometrics with biometrics information of authorized users. If a match is found, then the user is authorized and is automatically logged into the conference network. Once logged in, conferences may be automatically established, the user may be tracked by at least one video sensor, user preferences may be automatically set, and/or conference content may be easily accessed and shared with remote conference participants.

Claims

1. A video conferencing system comprising:

at least one audio sensor adapted to capture audio of local video conference participants;

at least one video sensor adapted to capture live video images of local video conference participants;

an image processing engine connected to receive video images from the at least one video sensor and produce processed images, the image processing engine including an image processor and a biometrics engine; and

a communication interface connected to receive the processed images and the captured audio and coupled to a communication network to enable transmission of the processed images and the captured audio over the communication network; and

wherein the biometrics engine is configured to detect and recognize faces of one or more local video conference participants and control movement and focus of the at least one video sensor to track a recognized face.

2. The video conferencing system of claim 1 wherein the biometrics engine is further configured to detect and recognize faces of one or more remote video conference participants in video images received from a remote video conference system via the communication network through the communication interface.

3. The video conferencing system of claim 2 wherein the biometrics engine is further configured to set video conference preferences automatically based on the recognized one or more remote video conference participants.

4. The video conferencing system of claim 2 wherein the biometrics engine is further configured to display a name label near the recognized one or more remote video conference participants.

5. The video conferencing system of claim 1 wherein the biometrics engine is further configured to detect and recognize faces of one or more video conference participants and cause the video conferencing system to access at least one of a conference schedule and a contacts database corresponding to a recognized local participant.

6. The videoconferencing system of claim 5 wherein the biometrics engine is further configured to automatically initiate a video conference identified in the conference schedule.

7. The videoconferencing system of claim 5 wherein the biometrics engine is further configured to automatically initiate a video conference identified in the conference schedule with one or more participants identified in the user contact database.

8. The videoconferencing system of claim 1 wherein the biometrics engine is further configured cause the video conferencing system to set one or more video conference preferences automatically based on the one or more recognized local participants.

9. The videoconferencing system of claim 2 wherein the biometrics engine is further configured cause the video conferencing system to set one or more video conference preferences automatically based on the one or more recognized local participants.

10. The videoconferencing system of claim 5 wherein the biometrics engine is further configured cause the video conferencing system to set one or more video conference preferences automatically based on the one or more recognized local participants.

11. The video conferencing system of claim 1 wherein the biometrics engine is configured to detect and recognize faces of one or more video conference participants and cause the video conferencing system to set one or more video conference preferences automatically based on the one or more recognized participants.

12. A method for using biometrics technology in a video conference, the method comprising:

detecting a facial image of a user;

recognizing the detected facial image; and

controlling movement and focus of the a video sensor to track the recognized facial image.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the detecting a facial image of a user comprises detecting a facial image of a remote user in a video image received from a remote video conference system.

14. The method of claim 13 further comprising displaying a name label near the recognized remote user.

15. The method of claim 13 further comprising setting one or more video conference preferences automatically based on the recognized remote user.

16. A method for using biometrics technology in a video conference, the method comprising:

detecting a facial image of a user in a video image received from a remote video conference system; and

recognizing the detected facial image.

17. The method of claim 16 further comprising displaying a name label near the recognized remote user.

18. The method of claim 16 further comprising setting one or more video conference preferences automatically based on the recognized remote user.

19. A video conferencing system comprising:

at least one audio sensor adapted to capture audio of local video conference participants;

at least one video sensor adapted to capture live video images of local video conference participants;

an image processing engine connected to receive video images from the at least one video sensor and produce processed images, the image processing engine including an image processor and a biometrics engine;

a communication interface connected to receive the processed images and the captured audio and coupled to a communication network to enable transmission of the processed images and the captured audio over the communication network; and

wherein the biometrics engine is configured to detect and recognize faces of one or more remote video conference participants in video images received from a remote video conference system via the communication network through the communication interface.

20. The videoconferencing system of claim 19 wherein the video conferencing system is further configured to set video conference preferences automatically based on the recognized one or more remote video conference participants.

21. The videoconferencing system of claim 20 wherein the video conferencing system is further configured to display a name label near the recognized one or more remote video conference participants.

22. The videoconferencing system of claim 19 wherein the video conferencing system is further configured to display a name label near the recognized one or more remote video conference participants.