Establishing eye contact in video conferencing
AssigneeMicrosoft Corporation
InventorsTimothy Andrew Large, Daniel Rosenfeld, Neil Emerton
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A video-conferencing system includes a display panel configured to form a display image for viewing by a local video conferencer, a camera configured to acquire a facial image of the local video conferencer and having an aperture oriented toward the display panel, and an array of partly reflective facets aligned in parallel against a plane disposed parallel to and forward of the display panel, each facet positioned to transmit a portion of the display image from the display panel through that facet to the local video conferencer, and to reflect a portion of the facial image of the local video conferencer to the aperture.
Claims20
A video-conferencing system comprising:
- a display panel configured to form a display image for viewing by a local video conferencer;
- a camera configured to acquire a facial image of the local video conferencer and having an aperture oriented toward the display panel;
- and
- an array of partly reflective facets disposed parallel to and forward of the display panel, each facet positioned to transmit a portion of the display image from the display panel through that facet to the local video conferencer, and to reflect a portion of the facial image of the local video conferencer to the aperture.
A monitor for video conferencing, the monitor comprising:
- a display panel configured to form a display image;
- and
- an array of partly reflective facets configured to transmit the display image from the display panel to a local video conferencer in a first direction normal to the display panel, and to reflect a facial image of the local video conferencer in a second direction oblique to the first direction, each facet aligned in a third direction orthogonal to the first and second directions, and aligned against a plane disposed forward of the display panel and normal to the first direction.
A video-conferencing system comprising:
- a display panel configured to form a display image for view by a local video conferencer, the display panel comprising a light valve configured to form the display image by attenuating light from a light source, and a filter optically coupled to the light valve and configured to transmit light from the light source incident on the filter in a first direction, normal to the display panel, and to block light from the light source incident on the filter in a second direction oblique to the first direction;
- an array of partly reflective facets configured to transmit the display image from the display panel to a local video conferencer in the first direction, and to reflect a facial image of the local video conferencer in the second direction, each facet aligned in a third direction orthogonal to the first and second directions, and aligned against a plane disposed forward of the display panel and normal to the first direction;
- and
- a camera having an aperture oriented toward the display panel and configured to acquire the facial image of the local video conferencer as reflected by the array of partly reflective facets.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.