Method of lighting

• US 8,446,450 B2
• Filed: 04/30/2008
• Issued: 05/21/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Mauchly, J. William
• Primary Examiner(s): KUNTZ, CURTIS A
• Assistant Examiner(s): Joshi, Sunita
• Application Number:
  US12/112,037
• Publication Number:
  US 20090273661A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,847 Days
• Field of Search: 348 1401- 1416, 348/370, 348/371, 348/376, 455/412.2, 345102-104
• US Class Current: 348/14.01
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/56 provided with illuminating means
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/74 by influencing the scene brightness using illuminating means
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/142 Constructional details of the terminal equipment, e.g. arrangements of the camera and the display

Abstract

In one embodiment, a method of lighting is disclosed which includes apportioning a video display screen into a content portion and at least one light portion. The content portion displays video content and the light portion provides auxiliary lighting when energized to illuminate a subject adjacent the video display screen.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

apportioning a video display screen into a content portion which displays video content, wherein a content lighting level is provided by the content portion;

providing auxiliary lighting when at least one light portion is energized to illuminate a subject adjacent the video display screen, wherein the auxiliary lighting is provided as long as the video display screen displays the video content; and

calibrating, to a predetermined desired lighting level, the auxiliary lighting by measuring the content lighting level adjacent the video display screen with a video camera when the video display screen displays a predetermined test image and adjusting the auxiliary lighting until the predetermined desired lighting level is obtained.

2. The method of claim 1, which includes apportioning the video display screen in an arrangement wherein the content portion is bordered by the light portion.

3. The method of claim 1, which includes:

determining the content lighting level provided by the content portion of the video display screen;

comparing the content lighting level with the predetermined desired lighting level to be provided by the whole of the video display screen;

determining a required auxiliary lighting level which is the difference between the content lighting level and the desired lighting level; and

suitably energizing the light portion of the video display screen to provide the auxiliary lighting level.

4. The method of claim 3, which includes comparing the content lighting level with the predetermined desired lighting level as the video content changes and dynamically adjusting the energization of the light portion so as to strive for the continued desired lighting level.

5. The method of claim 3, which includes adjusting the color balance of the auxiliary lighting to produce the desired color balance for the desired lighting level.

6. The method of claim 3, which includes adjusting the luminescence of the auxiliary lighting to produce the desired luminescence for the desired lighting level.

7. The method of claim 3, which includes calculating intensity values for color components of the content portion of the video display screen as the content is displayed and comparing the calculated color component intensity values with predetermined desired color component intensity values for the whole of the video display screen and energizing color components of the light portion to produce a combination of color with intensity values which are supplemental to that which is produced by the content portion of the video display screen to achieve the predetermined desired lighting level for the whole of the video display screen.

8. The method of claim 3, which includes displaying secondary content on the light portion of the video display screen while keeping the auxiliary lighting level as required.

9. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

recording video of a subject adjacent the video display screen with a video camera; and

transmitting the video via a communications network.

10. The method of claim 9, which includes adjusting one of the exposure, the white balance or the automatic gain control of the video camera in response to change in the determined content lighting level and auxiliary lighting level.

11. An apparatus comprising:

a video signal composer which composes a video signal containing video content to be transmitted to a video display screen to be received and displayed thereby; and

logic controller which is operable to control the composition of the video signal so that when the video signal is received and displayed by the video display screen, the video display screen is apportioned into a content portion which displays the video content and at least one light portion which provides variable auxiliary lighting when energized to illuminate a subject adjacent the video display screen, wherein the variable auxiliary lighting is provided as long as the video display screen displays the video content.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the logic controller is operable to compose the video signal so that the video display screen is apportioned in an arrangement wherein the content portion is bordered by the light portion.

13. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the logic controller is operable to control the composition of the video signal by:

determining a content lighting level which will be provided by the content portion of the video display screen when displayed;

comparing the content lighting level with a predetermined desired lighting level to be provided by the whole of the video display screen;

determining a required auxiliary lighting level which is the difference between the content lighting level and the desired lighting level; and

composing the signal so that the video content is displayed by the content portion of the video display screen and the light portion of the video display screen is suitably energized to provide the auxiliary lighting level.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the logic controller is operable to compare the content lighting level with the predetermined desired lighting level as the video content changes and to dynamically adjust the composition of the signal so that the auxiliary lighting level is adjusted so that the whole of the display screen strives for the continued desired lighting level.

15. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the logic controller is operable to adjust the video signal so that the color of the auxiliary lighting level will be such that the desired color for the desired lighting level is obtained.

16. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the logic controller is operable to adjust the video signal so that the luminescence of the auxiliary lighting level will be such that the desired luminescence for the desired lighting level is obtained.

17. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the logic controller is operable to calculate the intensity values for color components of the content portion of the video display screen and to compare the calculated color component intensity values with predetermined desired color component intensity values for the whole of the video display screen and adjust the signal so that the color components of the light portion of the video display screen will produce a combination of color with intensity values which are supplemental to that which is produced by the content portion of the video display screen to achieve the desired color component intensity values for the desired lighting level for the whole of the video display screen.

18. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the logic controller is operable to adjust the video signal so that secondary content will be displayed on the light portion of the video display screen while keeping the auxiliary lighting level as required.

19. A method comprising:

recording video of a subject adjacent a video display screen with a video camera;

apportioning the video display screen into a content portion which displays video content and at least one light portion which provides variable auxiliary lighting when energized;

measuring the lighting level adjacent the video display screen with the video camera;

dynamically adjusting the luminescence and color of the auxiliary lighting emitted from the light portion of the video display screen so that the lighting level adjacent the video display screen strives towards a predetermined desired lighting level, wherein the dynamically adjusted auxiliary lighting is provided as long as the video display screen displays the video content; and

transmitting the video via a communications network.