System and method for enhancing eye gaze in a telepresence system

• US 8,427,523 B2
• Filed: 03/15/2010
• Issued: 04/23/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 04/20/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Harrell, Randy K., Dhuey, Michael J., Wales, Richard T., Marechal, Philip E., Graham, Philip R., Desai, Ashok T., Grunes, Andrew D., Abed, Tark, Lombrozo, Pete, How, Peter H. J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel, Hemant
• Application Number:
  US12/724,092
• Publication Number:
  US 20100171808A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,135 Days
• Field of Search: 348 1401- 1416, 370259-271, 370351-356, 4554121-420, 455/426.1, 455/426.2, 4555501-560, 4555751-5759, 455 901- 903, 709201-207, 709217-248
• US Class Current: 348/14.08
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/144 camera and display on the same optical axis, e.g. optically multiplexing the camera and display for eye to eye contact
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/15 Conference systems

Abstract

A system for enhancing eye gaze in a telepresence system includes a plurality of local cameras coupled to at least one local display. Each local camera is directed to at least one respective local user section and operable to generate an image of the respective local user section. The system also includes a plurality of remote displays. Each remote display is operable to reproduce the local video image of the local user section. Within the system the plurality of remote displays and the plurality of local cameras are aligned such that when a first local user within a local user section looks at a target at least one remote display is operable to reproduce the local video image of the first user section comprising the first local user such that the eye gaze of the reproduced image of the first local user is directed approximately at a corresponding target.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

a plurality of cameras each directed to at least one unique user section of a plurality of user sections of a conference table, each user section comprising a unique portion of the conference table, each user section associated with a unique one of a plurality of local participants, the plurality of cameras operable to generate a local video image of the at least one unique respective local user section to be viewed by a plurality of remote participants;

a first plurality of displays configured to concurrently reproduce remote video images of the plurality of remote participants such that each remote participant is uniquely viewable on a single display of the first plurality of displays;

wherein the plurality of cameras are each positioned a predetermined distance below a top edge of one display of the first plurality of displays;

wherein the first plurality of displays and the plurality of cameras are aligned such that an eye gaze of any user within the plurality of user sections may be captured and accurately reproduced for viewing by the plurality of remote participants as any user within the plurality of user sections views the first plurality of displays; and

at least one additional display configured to reproduce at least one image other than the remote video images of the plurality of remote participants concurrently reproduced by the first plurality of displays;

wherein a central axis of each camera is aligned to be perpendicular with a front edge of the conference table at a center point of the unique user section associated with the camera.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one additional display is coupled to a local conference table.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one additional display is incorporated into a local conference table.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one additional display is positioned to allow any user within the plurality of local user sections to view the at least one additional display while also viewing the first plurality of displays.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one additional display is positioned such that the eye gaze of any user within the plurality of local user sections is captured and accurately reproduced for viewing by the remote participants as any user within the plurality of local user sections views the at least one additional display.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the first plurality of displays are configured to concurrently reproduce fully proportional remote video images of the plurality of remote participants.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the first plurality of displays are aligned to face a common point.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one additional display is configured such that the images displayed by the at least one additional display are not captured by the plurality of cameras.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the plurality of user sections comprises a first number of user sections;

the at least one additional display comprises at least a second number of additional displays equal to the first number of user sections; and

each of the second number of additional displays is configured to reproduce a common image.

19. The system of claim 1, wherein the predetermined distance is based on at least one of:

a size of the first plurality of displays; and

a distance between the local participants and the plurality of cameras.

10. A system comprising:

a conference table comprising a plurality of user sections, each user section comprising a unique portion of the conference table, each user section associated with a unique one of a plurality of local participants;

a first display viewable from at least one user section and configured to reproduce a video image of one or more remote participants captured by one or more remote video cameras, the first display arranged such that the one or more remote participants are arranged horizontally across the first display;

at least one camera directed at the at least one user section and configured such that an eye gaze of at least one local participant is captured for accurate reproduction and viewing by the one or more remote participants as the at least one local participant views the first display, the camera positioned a predetermined distance below a top edge of the first display; and

a secondary display configured to reproduce at least one image other than the video image of the one or more remote participants, the secondary display separate from the first display and configured to allow the at least one local participant to view the secondary display as the at least one local participant views the first display;

wherein a central axis of each camera is aligned to be perpendicular with a front edge of the conference table at a center point of the user section associated with the camera.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the secondary display is coupled to the conference table.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the secondary display is aligned to allow the at least one local participant to view the secondary display while the eye gaze of the at least one local participant is captured for accurate reproduction and viewing by the one or more remote participants.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein the secondary display is configured such that the at least one image displayed by the secondary display is not captured by the at least one camera.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein the secondary display is configured to display computer generated video images.

15. The system of claim 10, wherein the first display is configured to reproduce a fully proportional video image of the one or more remote participants.

16. The system of claim 10, wherein the secondary display is positioned to allow any local participant within the plurality of local user sections to view the secondary display while also viewing the first display.

17. The system of claim 10, wherein:

the at least one user section comprises a first number of user sections;

the secondary display comprises at least a second number of individual displays equal to the first number of user sections; and

each of the second number of individual displays configure to reproduce a common image.

18. A system, comprising:

means for generating, via a plurality of cameras each directed to at least one unique user section of a plurality of user sections of a conference table, a local video image of the at least one unique respective local user section to be viewed by a plurality of remote participants, each user section comprising a unique portion of the conference table, each user section associated with a unique one of a plurality of local participants;

means for concurrently reproducing, via a first plurality of displays, remote video images of the plurality of remote participants such that each remote participant is uniquely viewable on a single display of the first plurality of displays;

wherein the plurality of cameras are each positioned a predetermined distance below a top edge of one display of the first plurality of displays;

wherein the first plurality of displays and the plurality of cameras are aligned such that an eye gaze of any user within the plurality of user sections may be captured and accurately reproduced for viewing by the plurality of remote participants as any user within the plurality of user sections views the first plurality of displays; and

means for reproducing, via at least one additional display, at least one image other than the remote video images of the plurality of remote participants concurrently reproduced by the first plurality of displays;

wherein a central axis of each camera is aligned to be perpendicular with a front edge of the conference table at a center point of the unique user section associated with the camera.