Virtual conference room

• US 7,119,829 B2
• Filed: 07/31/2003
• Issued: 10/10/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 07/31/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DreamWorks Animation LLC (Comcast Corporation), Dreamworks LLC (Comcast Corporation)
• Original Assignee: DreamWorks Animation LLC (Comcast Corporation)
• Inventors: Rubio, Richard F., Beshears, James F., Daitch, Bruce, Chan, Derek, Francisco, Emmanuel C., Leonard, Edwin R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ramakrishnaiah, Melur
• Application Number:
  US10/633,266
• Publication Number:
  US 20050024484A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,167 Days
• Field of Search: 348 1401- 1409, 348/14.1, 348 1411- 1413, 348/14.16, 370/260, 370/261, 709/204, 345/753
• US Class Current: 348/14.16
• 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 7/15 Conference systems

Abstract

An enhanced video conferencing system and method includes at least two conference rooms, the conference rooms connected together electronically to permit the transmission of images and sound from one room to the other room. Each room has a large format display system for projecting images and a camera positioned with respect to the large format display system to capture images of the conference room and its participants while the participants are looking at the large format display system, without obscuring the participants'"'"' view of the display system, so as to provide the perception that the participants in one conference room are looking directly at the participants in the other conference room. The enhanced video conferencing system may also include an additional camera for capturing an image of an item located at a pre-determined location within the conference room for ultimate transmission to the other conference room for viewing.

Claims

1. A video conference system, comprising:

a first conference room and a second conference room, the conference rooms electronically coupled together to permit transmission of images from each room to the other room for viewing, each conference room having;

a large format display system for projecting images; and

a camera positioned with respect to the large format display system to capture an image of the conference room and a participant in the room, without substantially obscuring the participant'"'"'s view of the large format display system, so as to provide the perception that the participant in the room is looking directly at a participant in the other conference room;

wherein the large format display system defines an aperture, the camera located behind the aperture;

wherein the aperture is located so as to coincide with a visually insignificant area of the image of the other conference room as displayed on the large format display system;

wherein the visually insignificant area corresponds to an image of an unobtrusive physical object located in the other conference room.

2. The video conference system of claim 1, wherein the camera is substantially hidden from the view of the participant in the conference room.

3. The video conference system of claim 1, wherein the camera is located substantially medial to the large format display system and at or above eye level of a participant in the conference room, the camera substantially hidden from the view of the participant in the conference room.

4. The video conference system of claim 1 wherein the aperture is located at a height at or about eye level of the participants and at a horizontal position at or near horizontal middle of the large format display system.

5. The video conference system of claim 1 wherein each conference room is electronically coupled to transmit sound to and to receive sound from the other conference room.

6. The video conference system of claim 1 wherein each conference room further comprises:

an audio capture system for capturing audio from the conference room, the audio capture system having a microphone; and

an audio amplification system for projecting audio in the conference room, the audio amplification system having a speaker.

7. The video conference system of claim 6 wherein:

the audio capture system comprises a plurality of microphones distributed throughout the conference room;

the audio amplification system comprises a plurality of speakers distributed around the conference room so the audio seems to emit from an image of a participant on the large format display system, and wherein the audio capture system and the audio amplification system are capable of permitting simultaneous dialog between participants in the first conference room and the second conference room.

8. The video conference system of claim 7 wherein at least one microphone is located in or on a surface of a table located in the conference room.

9. The video conference system of claim 1 wherein the large format display system comprises a projection display device and a projection screen, the screen having a front and a back, the front of the screen facing the conference room, the projection display device located behind the screen, facing the back of the screen.

10. The video conference system of claim 9 wherein the projection screen is substantially the front wall of the room.

11. The video conference system of claim 1 wherein the large format display system displays an approximately life-size image of the other conference room.

12. The video conference system of claim 1 wherein the camera is a high definition camera.

13. The video conference system of claim 1 wherein the first and second conference rooms contain similar furnishings, the furnishings arranged and located whthin the room in a manner to provide the perception of participants sharing a same physical space.

14. The video conference system of claim 1 wherein the first and second conference rooms contain similar wall color and surfaces to provide the perception of participants sharing a same physical space.

15. The video conference system of claim 1 wherein the first and second conference rooms are lighted to provide the perception of participants sharing a same physical space and to optimize the clarity of an image captured.

16. The video conference system of claim 1, wherein at least one conference room further comprises a second camera for capturing with high fidelity resolution an image of an item located at a pre-determined location within the conference room.

17. The video conference system of claim 16 wherein the second camera is a high definition camera.

18. The video conference system of claim 17 wherein the second camera is located where it can focus on the pre-determined location within the conference room, the predetermined location being the place where the item requiring high fidelity resolution image capture may be placed.

19. The video conference system of claim 1, the aperture having an anti-reflective, transparent cover.

20. The video conference system of claim 1, wherein a surface of the physical object facing the camera has a dark coloration and the view transmitted from the other conference room shows a physical object of a dark coloration.

21. A method of video conferencing between a first conference room and a second conference room, comprising:

receiving in the first conference room an image of the second conference room;

projecting the image onto a first large format display system in the first conference room at or near life size;

capturing an image of the first conference room and a participant in the first conference room, without substantially obscuring the participant'"'"'s view of the first large format display system, so as to provide the perception that the participant in the first conference room is looking directly at a participant in the second conference room; and

transmitting the captured image to the second conference room for viewing;

wherein the first large format display system defines an aperture, a camera for capturing the image of the first conference room being located behind the aperture, wherein the aperture is located so as to coincide with a visually insignificant area of the image of the second conference room as displayed on the first large format display system, and wherein the visually insignificant area corresponds to an image of an unobtrusive physical object located in the second conference room.

22. The method of video conferencing of claim 21 further comprising projecting the captured image onto a second large format display system in the second conference room at or near life size.

23. The method of video conferencing of claim 21 further comprising:

receiving in the first conference room sound from the second conference room;

projecting the received sound into the first conference room;

capturing sound in the first conference room; and

transmitting the captured sound to the second conference room for projection in the second conference room.

24. The method of video conferencing of claim 21 further comprising:

capturing a high fidelity resolution image of an item at a pre-determined location within the second conference room;

transmitting the captured high fidelity resolution image to the first conference room;

receiving in the first conference room the captured high fidelity resolution image; and

projecting in the first conference room the captured high fidelity resolution image for viewing.

25. A method of video conferencing between a first conference room and a second conference room, comprising:

receiving in the first conference room an image of the second conference room;

projecting the image onto a first large format display system in the first conference room at or near life size;

capturing an image of the first conference room and a participant in the first conference room using a camera located at a position within the first conference room that is substantially medial to the first large format display system and at or about eye level of a participant, the camera substantially hidden from the view of the participant in the conference room; and

transmitting the captured image to the second conference room for viewing;

wherein at least one of the rooms contains;

a plurality of overhead indirect lighting fixtures which do not direct light towards the display system and create a shadow zone in front of the display system, thereby increasing image contrast of the display system;

a plurality of side indirect lighting fixtures;

a table; and

a light source underneath the table.

26. The method of video conferencing of claim 25, further comprising providing a table in at least one of the rooms and a light source underneath the table which includes lighting along underside edges of the table.

27. A method of making a video conference system between two rooms, the method comprising:

placing a large format display system in each room;

placing a first camera in each room in a position within the room that is substantially medial to the large format display system and at or about eye level of a participant in the room, the camera substantially hidden from the view of the participant in the room; and

electronically coupling the two rooms together to bidirectionally communicate audio and video information;

wherein each large format display system defines an aperture, the first camera in each room being located behind the aperture, wherein the aperture is located so as to coincide with a visually insignificant area of the image of the other room as displayed on the large format display system, and

wherein the usually insignificant area corresponds to an image of an unobtrusive physical object located in the other conference room.

28. The method of claim 27, further comprising:

furnishing the rooms with substantially similar furnishings, the furnishings arranged in a substantially similar manner, including similar furniture, lights, wall color and wall surfaces.

29. A method of making a video conference system between two rooms, the method comprising:

placing a large format display system in each room, the large format display system having a projection screen disposed along or into a wall of the room;

placing a camera in a position within each room so that a participant in the room has a line of sight to a medial portion of the large format display system, the line of sight being within the field of view of the first camera in the room, the camera substantially hidden from the view of the participant in the room;

electronically coupling the two rooms together to bidirectionally communicate audio and video information; and

placing in each room;

a plurality of overhead indirect lighting fixtures which do not direct light towards the display system and create a shadow zone in front of the display system, thereby increasing image contrast of the display system.

30. The method of claim 29, further comprising:

furnishing the rooms with substantially similar furnishings, the furnishings arranged in a substantially similar manner, including similar furniture, lights, wall color and wall surfaces.

31. The method of claim 29 further comprising placing in each room a table and a light source underneath the table which includes lighting along underside edges of the table.

32. A video conference system, comprising:

a first conference room and a second conference room, the conference rooms electronically coupled together to permit transmission of images from each room to the other room for viewing, each conference room having;

a large format display system for projecting images; and

a camera positioned with respect to the large format display system to capture an image of the conference room and a participant in the room, without substantially obscuring the participant'"'"'s view of the large format display system, so as to provide the perception that the participant in the room is looking directly at a participant in the other conference room,

further comprising in each conference room;

a plurality of overhead indirect lighting fixtures which do not direct light towards the display system and create a shadow zone in front of the display system, thereby increasing image contrast of the display system.