Videoconferencing with enhanced illusion of physical presence in a common space
AssigneeHewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
InventorsJeffrey Thielman, Mark E Gorzynski
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Abstract
A technique for enhancing the illusion of physical presence in a common space during a multipoint video conference is disclosed. The technique may include controlling the appearance of a first portion of the video images separately from an appearance of a second portion of the video images to achieve a consistent image appearance across the multipoint videoconference.
Claims20
A method of enhancing the illusion of physical presence in a common space in a multipoint videoconferencing system comprising:
- a) measuring video characteristics of a first portion of a video image from a videoconference site;
- b) controlling the appearance of the first portion of the video image separately from a second portion of the video image to achieve an image appearance consistent with at least one other image from at least one other videoconference site within the multipoint videoconferencing system;
- and
- c) transmitting the video image from the videoconference site to the at least one other videoconference site.
A multipoint videoconferencing system to enhance an illusion of physical presence in a common space for multipoint videoconferencing comprising:
- a) a plurality of videoconference sites each being capable of direct communication with at least one other videoconference site to exchange video images in a multipoint videoconference, and
- b) a video adjustment subsystem coupled to at least one of the videoconference sites so as to control the appearance of a first portion of the video images separately from a second portion of the video images to achieve an image appearance consistent with at least one other image from the at least one other videoconference site within across the multipoint videoconferencing system.
A method of making a multipoint videoconferencing system to enhance an illusion of physical presence in a common space for multipoint videoconferencing comprising:
- a) installing video equipment at a videoconferencing site, the video equipment including at least a video camera and a video transmitter, the video equipment being capable of establishing a videoconference link with at least one other videoconference site to exchange video images;
- b) adjusting the video equipment to control the appearance of a first portion of the video images separately from a second portion of the video images;
- and
- c) providing an image appearance consistent with at least one other image from the at least one other videoconference site within the multipoint videoconferencing system.
A videoconference site for a multipoint videoconferencing system to enhance an illusion of physical presence in a common space during a multipoint videoconference comprising:
- a) means for communication with at least one other videoconference site to exchange video images to form a multipoint videoconference;
- and
- b) means for controlling the appearance of a first portion of the video images separately from a second portion of the video images by adjusting a lighting level of a corresponding area of the videoconference site separately from a lighting level in a foreground area of the videoconference site to an image appearance consistent with at least one other image from the at least one other videoconference site within the multipoint videoconferencing system.
A computer readable medium having computer readable instructions embodied thereon for enhancing the illusion of physical presence in a common space during a multipoint video conference comprising:
- a) computer readable instructions for communicating with at least one other videoconference site to exchange video images to form a multipoint videoconference at videoconference site;
- and
- b) computer readable instructions for controlling the appearance of a first portion of the video images separately from a second portion of the video images by adjusting a lighting level of a corresponding area of the videoconference site separately from a lighting level in a foreground area of the videoconference site to achieve an image appearance consistent with at least one other image from the at least one other videoconference site within the multipoint videoconferencing system.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.