Video telephone headset

• US 5,886,735 A
• Filed: 01/14/1997
• Issued: 03/23/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 01/14/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Cambridge Technology Development Incorporated (Novanta Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Edward T. Bullister
• Inventors: Bullister, Edward T
• Primary Examiner(s): Chan, Wing F.
• Application Number:
  US08/783,483
• Time in Patent Office: 798 Days
• Field of Search: 348/14-20, 348/373, 348/375, 348/376, 348/222, 348/241, 379/90.01, 379/110.01, 379/93.17, 379/93.21, 379/93.23, 379/93.37, 379/419, 379/428, 379/430, 379/431, 379/433, 379/434
• US Class Current: 348/14.16
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2007/145 Handheld terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/142 Constructional details of the terminal equipment, e.g. arrangements of the camera and the display

Abstract

A video telephone headset device includes a foundation which supports an image capture device, a support arm, and a convex mirror. When the foundation is held adjacent to a user'"'"'s head, the support arm positions the convex mirror in a fixed position in front of the user'"'"'s face. The mirror reflects the full facial image to the image capture device. This arrangement makes it possible to construct a video telephone headset which is simple and small in size yet able to capture the full face and facial expressions using very little bandwidth.

Claims

1. A method for generating a transformed signal in a videoconferencing device which corrects for perspective distortions, said method comprising the steps of:

a) collecting an optical signal through an image capture device, said image capture device positioned at a first perspective point a first distance in front of a user'"'"'s face and said image capture device having a view angle of greater than 52 degrees;

b) generating a first electrical signal corresponding to said optical signal;

c) inputting said first electrical signal into a distortion corrector;

d) inputting a second electrical signal into said distortion corrector, said second electrical signal corresponding to a set of predetermined transform factors stored electronically which are based on the physical contours of a human face and which correspond to the geometric transforms for shifting the perspective of an image;

e) applying transformations to first electrical signal corresponding to translating the locations of elements of the optical signal from a first distribution corresponding to the distribution from a first perspective viewed from said first perspective point to a second distribution corresponding to the distribution from a second perspective viewed from a second perspective point, said second perspective point being a second distance from said user'"'"'s face, said second distance being greater than said first distance; and

f) presenting said transformed first electrical signal as a transformed digital signal;

such that the said transformed digital signal corresponds to a perspective viewed from a location in front of said user'"'"'s face at said second location, and the angle subtended by the image of said user'"'"'s face viewed from said second location is less than 52 degrees.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

a) inputting said transformed digital signal into an electronic processor;

b) applying data compression algorithms to said transformed digital signal; and

c) presenting a transformed compressed digital signal.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said image capture device is part of a video telephone headset.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said image capture device is part of a video telephone handset.

5. A videoconferencing device, comprising:

a) a foundation,

b) an image capture device that is supported by said foundation such that, when said foundation is held in an operating position adjacent to said user'"'"'s head and said image capture device is in a first position with respect to said foundation, image capture paths exist between substantially the entire expressive area of the surface of said user'"'"'s face and said image capture device;

c) coupled to said image capture device, a signal generator that generates a first electrical signal that corresponds to an image captured by said image capture device; and

,

d) a distortion corrector that generates a signal that corresponds to a transformation of said image captured by said image capture device, said transformation shifting the perspective of said captured image from a first perspective point to a second a perspective point, wherein said first perspective point does not coincide with said second perspective point.

6. The videoconferencing device of claim 5, wherein when said foundation is held in an operating position adjacent to said user'"'"'s head, said different perspective point is more distant from said user'"'"'s face than said first perspective point.

7. The videoconferencing device of claim 5, wherein when said foundation is held in an operating position adjacent to said user'"'"'s head, said first point is proximal to the user'"'"'s face and said different perspective point is distal from said user'"'"'s face.

8. The videoconferencing device of claim 5, wherein said foundation and said image capture device comprise a video telephone headset.

9. The videoconferencing device of claim 5, wherein said foundation and said image capture device comprise a video telephone handset.

10. The videoconferencing device of claim 5, wherein said image capture device has a view angle of greater than 52 degrees.

11. The videoconferencing device of claim 5, wherein said device performs the following steps:

a) collects an optical signal thorough said image capture device;

b) generates a first electrical signal corresponding to said optical signal;

c) inputs said first electrical signal into said distortion corrector;

d) inputs a second signal into said distortion corrector, said second signal having components which correspond to geometrical transform factors;

e) generates a third signal which corresponds to an image transformed such that its perspective is changed.

12. The videoconferencing device of claim 11, wherein said geometrical transform factors have components which are based on contours of the human face.

13. The videoconferencing device of claim 11, wherein said said distortion corrector applies transformations to first electrical signal corresponding to translating the locations of elements of the optical signal from a first distribution corresponding to the distribution from a first perspective viewed from said first perspective point to a second distribution corresponding to the distribution from a second perspective viewed from a second perspective point, said second perspective point being a second distance from said user'"'"'s face, said second distance being greater than said first distance, such that the angle subtended by the image of said user'"'"'s face when view from said second perspective point is less than 52 degrees.