Apparatus and method for avoiding invalid camera positioning in a video conference
AssigneeVTEL Corporation
InventorsMichael G. Lambert, Pi Sheng Chang
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method for avoiding invalid camera positioning in a video conference establishes a boundary within the view of a camera, such that when a request is made to direct the camera to a point outside of the boundary, the camera positioning module transforms the request to one requesting the camera to be directed to a point just within the boundary. In one embodiment, the boundary includes a maximum extent and a minimum extent, corresponding respectively to the maximum and the minimum expected heights of a speaker.
Claims16
In a video conference, a method for avoiding invalid positioning of a camera, comprising:
- establishing a boundary outside of which said camera is prohibited from being positioned;
- receiving a new position for focusing said camera, said new position corresponding to a position of an active speaker;
- determining if said new position is outside of said boundary;
- and
- directing said camera to said new position, when said new position is within said boundary, and directing said camera to an adjusted position within said boundary, when said new position is outside of said boundary.
A video conference system, comprising:
- a plurality of microphones and a camera positioned in a predetermined configuration, each microphone providing an audio signal representative of sound received at said microphone;
- a position determination module, based on said audio signals of said microphones and said predetermined configuration, providing a new position of said sound source;
- and
- a camera control module directing said camera towards said sound source using said new position of said sound source, when said new position corresponds to a position outside a predetermined boundary, said camera control module directs said camera to an adjusted position within said boundary.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.