US6507357B2
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Method and apparatus for maintaining eye contact in teleconferencing using reflected images
Assignee: Applied Invention LLC
•
Filing: 2001-05-09
•
Granted: 2003-01-14
•
Expires: 2021-05-09
Abstract
Abstract The image of a local user is captured from a beam splitter disposed in front of a video display. By canting the beam-splitter away from the surface of the video display, the bore-sight of the video camera is made to coincide with the line of sight from the local user to the center of the video display. This enables the arrangement to convey eye-contact from one user to another user using the same type of apparatus at a remote location.
Inventors
- 👤 William Daniel Hillis
- 👤 Bran Ferren
- 👤 Clinton Blake Hope
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-28 08:59
CPC Classifications
H; H04; H04N; H04N7/00; H04N7/14; H04N7/141; H04N7/142; H04N7/144
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 22
Claim 1
Independent Claim
142 words
A method for conveying eye contact from one video teleconference participant to another, comprising the steps of: presenting a video signal comprising an image of a remote participant onto a display screen; positioning a beam-splitter in front of said display screen, the beam-splitter offset from the front surface of said display by an angle of less than about 45°; capturing an image of a local participant reflected from the beam-splitter together with a portion of the video signal presented on the display screen; clipping and morphing the video signal so that it corresponds to the portion of the video signal presented on the display screen and captured; and subtracting the clipped and morphed video signal from the captured image of the local participant and portion of the video signal presented on the display screen to create a resultant local participant image signal.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
142 words
A method for conveying eye contact from one video teleconference participant to another, comprising the steps of: presenting a video signal comprising an image of a remote participant onto a display screen; positioning a beam-splitter in front of said display screen, the beam-splitter offset from the front surface of said display by an angle of less than about 45°; capturing an image of a local participant reflected from the beam-splitter together with a portion of the video signal presented on the display screen; clipping and morphing the video signal so that it corresponds to the portion of the video signal presented on the display screen and captured; and subtracting the clipped and morphed video signal from the captured image of the local participant and portion of the video signal presented on the display screen to create a resultant local participant image signal.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
45 words
The method of claim 1 , further comprising the steps of: sending the resultant local participant image signal to a remote site; and displaying the resultant local participant image signal on a display at the remote site as a video signal of a remote participant.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
47 words
The method of claim 1 , further comprising the step of: imposing a plurality of targets onto the video signal comprising an image of the remote participant to ensure coincident subtraction of the clipped and morphed video signal from the video signal created by the video camera.
Claim 5
Independent Claim
119 words
A method for conveying eye contact from one video teleconference participant to another, comprising the steps of: presenting a video signal comprising an image of a remote participant onto a display screen; capturing an image of a local participant reflected from the surface of the display screen together with a portion of the video signal presented on the display screen; clipping and morphing the video signal so that it corresponds to the portion of the video signal presented on the display screen and captured; and subtracting the clipped and morphed video signal from the captured image of the local participant and portion of the video signal presented on the display screen to create a resultant local participant image signal.
Claim 6
Independent Claim
119 words
A method for conveying eye contact from one video teleconference participant to another, comprising the steps of: presenting a video signal comprising an image of a remote participant onto a display screen; capturing an image of a local participant reflected from the surface of the display screen together with a portion of the video signal presented on the display screen; clipping and morphing the video signal so that it corresponds to the portion of the video signal presented on the display screen and captured; and subtracting the clipped and morphed video signal from the captured image of the local participant and portion of the video signal presented on the display screen to create a resultant local participant image signal.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
45 words
The method of claim 4 , further comprising the steps of: sending the resultant local participant image signal to a remote site; and displaying the resultant local participant image signal on a display at the remote site as a video signal of a remote participant.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
27 words
The method of claim 4 , further comprising the step of: imposing a plurality of targets onto the video signal comprising an image of the remote participant.
Claim 9
Independent Claim
199 words
An apparatus for conveying eye contact from one video teleconference participant to another, comprising: a video display that presents a video signal received from a remote location; a beam-splitter disposed in front of the video display and oriented at an angle of less than about 45° relative to a display surface of said video display; a video camera that captures a reflected image of a local user from the beam-splitter together with a portion of the image displayed on the video display and creates a local video signal comprising these images; an image processing element that receives the video signal from the remote location and clips the signal and morphs the signal to result in a video signal that corresponds to the portion of the image captured by the video camera that is displayed on the video display; and a summation unit having an inverting input and a non-inverting input and that receives the clipped and morphed video signal from the image processing element at the inverting input and the local video signal created by the video camera and subtracts the signal arriving at the inverting input from the signal arriving at the non-inverting input in a coincident manner.
Claim 10
Independent Claim
199 words
An apparatus for conveying eye contact from one video teleconference participant to another, comprising: a video display that presents a video signal received from a remote location; a beam-splitter disposed in front of the video display and oriented at an angle of less than about 45° relative to a display surface of said video display; a video camera that captures a reflected image of a local user from the beam-splitter together with a portion of the image displayed on the video display and creates a local video signal comprising these images; an image processing element that receives the video signal from the remote location and clips the signal and morphs the signal to result in a video signal that corresponds to the portion of the image captured by the video camera that is displayed on the video display; and a summation unit having an inverting input and a non-inverting input and that receives the clipped and morphed video signal from the image processing element at the inverting input and the local video signal created by the video camera and subtracts the signal arriving at the inverting input from the signal arriving at the non-inverting input in a coincident manner.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
46 words
The apparatus of claim 7 , further comprising: a video transmitter that receives the output of the summation device and directs that video output to a remote location and a video display at the remote location that displays the video signal received from the video transmitter.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
57 words
The apparatus of claim 7 , further comprising: a target insertion unit that imposes a plurality of targets onto the video signal received from the remote location and wherein the summation unit uses the plurality of targets to ensure coincident subtraction of the clipped and morphed video signal from the video signal created by the video camera.
Claim 13
Independent Claim
184 words
An apparatus for conveying eye contact from one video teleconference participant to another, comprising: a video display that presents a video signal received from a remote location; a beam-splitter disposed in front of the video display and oriented at an angle of less than about 45° relative to a display surface of said video display; a video camera that captures a reflected image of a local user from said beam-splitter together with a portion of the image displayed on the video display and that creates a local video signal comprising these images; an image processing element that receives the video signal from said remote location and that processes said signal to produce a video signal that corresponds to the portion of the image captured by the video camera that is displayed on the video display; and a combining unit that receives said processed signal from the image processing element and the local video signal created by the video camera and that processes said processed signal and said local video signal to produce a signal that contains only the reflected image of the local user.
Claim 14
Independent Claim
184 words
An apparatus for conveying eye contact from one video teleconference participant to another, comprising: a video display that presents a video signal received from a remote location; a beam-splitter disposed in front of the video display and oriented at an angle of less than about 45° relative to a display surface of said video display; a video camera that captures a reflected image of a local user from said beam-splitter together with a portion of the image displayed on the video display and that creates a local video signal comprising these images; an image processing element that receives the video signal from said remote location and that processes said signal to produce a video signal that corresponds to the portion of the image captured by the video camera that is displayed on the video display; and a combining unit that receives said processed signal from the image processing element and the local video signal created by the video camera and that processes said processed signal and said local video signal to produce a signal that contains only the reflected image of the local user.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
46 words
The apparatus of claim 10 , further comprising: a video transmitter that receives the output of the combining unit and directs that video output to a remote location and a video display at the remote location that displays the video signal received from the video transmitter.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
56 words
The apparatus of claim 10 , further comprising: a target insertion unit that imposes a plurality of targets onto the video signal received from the remote location and wherein the combining unit uses the plurality of targets to ensure coincidence of a clipped and morphed video signal from the video signal created by the video camera.
Claim 17
Independent Claim
107 words
A method for conveying eye contact from one video conference participant to another, comprising the steps of: presenting an image of a remote participant on a local display; positioning a beam splitter in front of said display at an angle of less than about 45° relative to a display surface of said display; capturing an image of a local participant that is reflected from said beam splitter when said local participant is viewing said local display along with at least a portion of the remote participant image presented on said local display; and subtracting at least a portion of a remote participant image from said capture image.
Claim 18
Independent Claim
107 words
A method for conveying eye contact from one video conference participant to another, comprising the steps of: presenting an image of a remote participant on a local display; positioning a beam splitter in front of said display at an angle of less than about 45° relative to a display surface of said display; capturing an image of a local participant that is reflected from said beam splitter when said local participant is viewing said local display along with at least a portion of the remote participant image presented on said local display; and subtracting at least a portion of a remote participant image from said capture image.
Claim 19
Independent Claim
128 words
An apparatus for conveying eye contact from one video teleconference participant to another, comprising: a first display for presenting a video signal comprising an image of a remote participant onto a display screen; a camera for capturing an image of a local participant reflected from the surface of the display screen together with a portion of the video signal presented on the display screen; a processor for clipping and morphing the video signal so that it corresponds to the portion of the video signal presented on the display screen and captured; and said processor subtracting the clipped and morphed video signal from the captured image of the local participant and portion of the video signal presented on the display screen to create a resultant local participant image signal.
Claim 20
Independent Claim
128 words
An apparatus for conveying eye contact from one video teleconference participant to another, comprising: a first display for presenting a video signal comprising an image of a remote participant onto a display screen; a camera for capturing an image of a local participant reflected from the surface of the display screen together with a portion of the video signal presented on the display screen; a processor for clipping and morphing the video signal so that it corresponds to the portion of the video signal presented on the display screen and captured; and said processor subtracting the clipped and morphed video signal from the captured image of the local participant and portion of the video signal presented on the display screen to create a resultant local participant image signal.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
48 words
The apparatus of claim 14 , further comprising: means for sending the resultant local participant image signal to a remote site; and a second display for displaying the resultant local participant image signal on a display at the remote site as a video signal of a remote participant.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
26 words
The apparatus of claim 14 , further comprising: said processor imposing a plurality of targets onto the video signal comprising an image of the remote participant.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 2006-01-13 | 2006-07-15 | 2007-01-14 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2010-01-13 | 2010-07-15 | 2011-01-14 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2014-01-13 | 2014-07-15 | 2015-01-14 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |