Pointing direction calibration in video conferencing and other camera-based system applications

An apparatus for use in performing a calibration of a pointing direction for a user in a camera-based system, the apparatus comprising:

• a plurality of cameras;
• and
• a processing system coupled to the plurality of cameras, the processing system being operative:
• (i) to direct the user to point separately at each point in a set of two or more points at different positions in the camera-based system;
• (ii) to detect for each of the points pointed to by the user a location of a pointing finger of the user in an image generated by each of at least a subset of the plurality of cameras, such that for each of the points the location of the pointing finger and the corresponding point specify a line;
• and (iii) to compute pointing direction calibration information for the user based at least in part on the lines associated with the two or more points.

An article of manufacture comprising a storage medium for storing one or more programs for use in performing a calibration of a pointing direction for a user in a camera-based system, wherein the one or more programs when executed by a processor implement the steps of:

• directing the user to point separately at each point in a set of two or more points at different positions in the system;
• detecting for each of the points pointed to by the user a location of a pointing finger of the user in an image generated by each of one or more cameras of the system, such that for each of the points the location of the pointing finger and the corresponding point specify a line;
• and
• computing pointing direction calibration information for the user based at least in part on the lines associated with the two or more points.