Mutually-immersive mobile telepresence system with user rotation and surrogate translation

• US 6,920,376 B2
• Filed: 10/31/2002
• Issued: 07/19/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Jouppi, Norman Paul, Thomas, Vaughan Stanton
• Primary Examiner(s): Black, Thomas G.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Marc, McDieunel
• Application Number:
  US10/285,726
• Publication Number:
  US 20040088077A1
• Time in Patent Office: 992 Days
• Field of Search: 700/245, 700/246, 700/250, 700/251, 700/253, 700257-259, 700/262, 348/159, 348/103
• US Class Current: 700/259
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04815 Interaction with a metaphor-based environment or interaction object displayed as three-dimensional, e.g. changing the user viewpoint with respect to the environment or object
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/142 Constructional details of the terminal equipment, e.g. arrangements of the camera and the display

Abstract

A system and method of mobile telepresencing includes providing a surrogate capable of viewing outward and of translational movement, displaying the views outward for a user and sensing rotation of a user in a direction of a view outward and a user translation instruction for causing translation of the surrogate in the direction relative to the view outward.

Claims

1. A method of mobile telepresencing comprising:

providing a surrogate capable of providing views outward and of movement in translation;

displaying the views outward for a user; and

sensing rotation of a user in a direction of a view outward and a user translation instruction for causing the translation of the surrogate in the direction relative to the view outward.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1 additionally comprising:

controlling the speed of translation of the surrogate.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1 additionally comprising:

viewing the user;

displaying a view of an image of the head of the user on the surrogate; and

determining hip line direction of the user to determine the direction of translation of the surrogate.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1 additionally comprising:

providing the surrogate includes providing a surrogate'"'"'s camera for viewing outward; and

moving an angle of the surrogate'"'"'s camera relative to the direction of translation of the surrogate.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1 wherein:

sensing rotation of the user includes a lazy update policy for steering applied before beginning translation of the surrogate.

6. A method of mobile telepresencing comprising:

providing a surrogate capable of providing views outward 360 degrees and of movement in translation;

displaying the views outward 360 degrees for a user;

determining the hip line direction of a user; and

sensing rotation of the hip line direction of the user in a direction perpendicular to a view outward and a user translation instruction for causing the translation of the surrogate in the direction relative to the view outward perpendicular to the hip line direction of the user.

7. The method as claimed in claim 6 additionally comprising:

controlling the forward speed of translation of the surrogate.

8. The method as claimed in claim 6 additionally comprising:

viewing the user;

isolating a view of the head of the user;

displaying the view of an image of the head of the user on the surrogate; and

determining hip line direction of the user to determine the direction of translation of the surrogate.

9. The method as claimed in claim 6 additionally comprising:

moving an angle of the surrogate'"'"'s cameras relative to the direction of translation of the surrogate.

10. The method as claimed in claim 6 wherein:

sensing rotation of the user includes a lazy update policy for steering applied before beginning translation of the surrogate.

11. A mobile telepresence system for a user comprising:

a surrogate having a plurality of surrogate'"'"'s cameras with outward views, the surrogate having a steerable drive arrangement for movement in translation;

a display screen for displaying the outward views of the surrogate'"'"'s cameras; and

a mechanism responsive to rotation of the user in a direction of an outward view on the display screen and a user translation instruction for turning the steerable drive arrangement and causing the translation of the surrogate in the direction relative to the outward view.

12. The mobile telepresence system as claimed in claim 11 wherein:

the mechanism includes a user motion control for controlling the speed of translation of the surrogate.

13. The mobile telepresence system as claimed in claim 11 additionally comprising:

a plurality of user'"'"'s cameras viewing the user;

a plurality of face display panels on the surrogate displaying an image of the head of the user; and

a hip line sensor on the user to determine the direction of translation of the surrogate.

14. The mobile telepresence system as claimed in claim 11 wherein:

the surrogate includes a mechanism for moving an angle of the surrogate'"'"'s cameras relative to the steerable drive arrangement.

15. The mobile telepresence system as claimed in claim 11 wherein:

the steerable drive arrangement includes a control for leaving the steerable drive arrangement unchanged from a previous steering direction until a new translation of the surrogate is instructed.

16. A mobile telepresence system for a user comprising:

a surrogate having a plurality of surrogate'"'"'s cameras with 360 degrees outward views, the surrogate having a steerable drive arrangement for movement in translation;

a display screen for displaying the 360 degrees outward views of the surrogate'"'"'s cameras;

a sensor for determining the hip line direction of the user; and

a mechanism responsive to rotation of the hip line direction of the user in a direction perpendicular to an outward view on the display screen and a user translation instruction for turning the steerable drive arrangement over a range of 360 degrees and causing the translation of the surrogate in the direction relative to the outward view perpendicular to the hip line direction of the user.

17. The mobile telepresence system as claimed in claim 16 wherein:

the mechanism includes a user forward motion control for controlling the speed of translation of the surrogate.

18. The mobile telepresence system as claimed in claim 16 additionally comprising:

a plurality of user'"'"'s cameras viewing the user;

a system for isolating the head of the user;

a plurality of face display panels on the surrogate displaying an image of the head of the user; and

a hip line sensor on the user to determine the direction of translation of the surrogate.

19. The mobile telepresence system as claimed in claim 16 wherein:

the steerable drive arrangement includes a control for leaving the steerable drive arrangement unchanged from a previous steering direction until a new translation of the surrogate is instructed; and

the steerable drive arrangement includes wheels and a synchronous drive for the wheels.

20. The mobile telepresence system as claimed in claim 16 wherein:

the steerable drive arrangement includes;

a plurality of wheels and

a chain synchronized drive for steering the plurality of wheels; and

the wheel drive includes a chain synchronized drive for driving the plurality of wheels.