Video conference system with symmetric reference

• US 20080266380A1
• Filed: 04/30/2007
• Published: 10/30/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Gorzynski, Mark E., McKinney, David R.
• Granted Patent: US 8,330,791 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/14.08
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/15 Conference systems

Abstract

A video conference system includes a first video conference environment, and a second video conference environment linked to the first video conference environment. Each video conference environment has a conference view direction and a reference view direction, the reference view directions being symmetrically oriented with respect to the conference view directions.

Claims

1. A video conference system, comprising:

a first video conference environment; and

a second video conference environment linked to the first video conference environment, each video conference environment including a conference view direction and a reference view direction, the reference view directions being symmetrically oriented with respect to the conference view directions.

2. A video conference system in accordance with claim 1, wherein the first video conference environment includes a reference display on a right side of the conference view direction, and the second video conference environment includes a reference display on a left side of the conference view direction.

3. A video conference system in accordance with claim 1, wherein at least one of the video conference environments includes more than one reference view direction.

4. A video conference system in accordance with claim 1, wherein at least one of the video conference environments includes more than one video conference camera, whereby the conference view direction can be varied.

5. A video conference system in accordance with claim 4, wherein at least one video conference camera in at least one video conference environment is oriented toward a reference view direction.

6. A video conference system in accordance with claim 1, further comprising at least one additional video conference environment linked to the first and second video conference environments, the at least one additional video conference environment including a conference view direction and a reference view direction, the reference view direction being symmetrically oriented with respect to the conference view direction of at least one of the first and second video conference environments.

7. A video conference system in accordance with claim 6, further comprising a moveable video display, associated with at least one of the first, second, or third video conference environments, whereby a position of the conference view direction and the reference view direction can be interchanged to maintain symmetry.

8. A video conference system in accordance with claim 6, wherein at least one of the video conference environments is ambidextrous, having reference displays on a right side and left side of the conference view direction, the reference displays being selectively useable as video conference displays.

9. A video conference system in accordance with claim 6, wherein a video conference image from at least one of the first and second video conference environments is horizontally inverted in the video conference display of the at least one additional video conference environment, to maintain symmetry.

10. A video conference system in accordance with claim 6, comprising at least four video conference environments interconnected with roundtable symmetry.

11. A method for remote collaboration, comprising the steps of:

interconnecting at least two video conference environments having a video conference view direction and a reference direction; and

actuating a reference display positioned in the reference direction, such that the video conference view direction and reference direction are symmetrical between the at least two video conference environments.

12. A method in accordance with claim 11, further comprising the step of manipulating at least one of the video conference view direction and the reference direction, such that the video conference view direction and reference direction are symmetrical between the at least two video conference environments.

13. A method in accordance with claim 12, wherein the step of manipulating at least one of the video conference view direction and the reference direction comprises a step selected from the group consisting of:

switching at least one of a video conference display position and reference display position in an ambidextrous video conference environment;

positioning a moveable video conference display on a different side of the reference display; and

horizontally inverting at least one video conference image of a video conference participant.

14. A method in accordance with claim 11, wherein the step of interconnecting the at least two video conference environments comprises:

interconnecting at least three video conference environments, each environment having a video conference view direction and at least one reference direction;

actuating a reference display positioned in the reference direction between a first two of the three video conference environments that are opposite handed; and

manipulating at least one of the video conference view direction and the reference direction of a third video conference environment, such that the video conference view direction and reference direction are symmetrical between the third environment and first two video conference environments.

15. A method in accordance with claim 11, wherein the step of interconnecting the at least two video conference environments comprises:

interconnecting at least three video conference environments, each environment having a video conference view direction with roundtable symmetry with respect to the other video conference environments, and at least one reference direction;

actuating a reference display positioned in the reference direction between any two of the video conference environments that are opposite handed; and

manipulating at least one of the video conference view direction and the reference direction of each video conference interconnection between environments that are not opposite handed, such that the video conference view direction and reference direction are symmetrical between all of the at least three video conference environments.

16. A method for remote collaboration, comprising the computer implemented steps of:

interconnecting at least two remote video conference environments;

providing video conference display data from each video conference environment to a first display in each video conference environment;

providing common reference data to a second display in each video conference environment, the respective positions of the first and second displays defining a handedness of each environment; and

causing each connection between each of the at least two video conference environments to be opposite handed.

17. A method in accordance with claim 16, wherein the step of causing each connection between each of the at least two video conference environments to be opposite handed further comprises:

detecting the handedness of each video conference environment; and

manipulating at least one of the first and second displays between any two video conference environments that are like-handed, such that the any two environments appear to be opposite handed.

18. A method in accordance with claim 17, wherein the step of manipulating at least one of the first and second displays comprises a step selected from the group consisting of:

switching at least one of a video conference display position and reference display position in an ambidextrous video conference environment;

actuating a moveable video conference display positioned on a different side of the reference display; and

horizontally inverting at least one video conference image of a video conference participant.

19. A method in accordance with claim 16, further comprising the step of actuating a video conference camera in at least one video conference environment to take an image of a reference display in the at least one video conference environment.

20. A method in accordance with claim 16, wherein the step of interconnecting at least two remote video conference environments comprises interconnecting at least three video conference environments, each environment having a video conference view direction with roundtable symmetry with respect to the other video conference environments.