# US 8,542,943 B2 · Digitally-generated lighting for video conferencing applications > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 8,542,943 B2 - Document ID: US8542943B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 13/303,325 - Filed: 2011-11-23 - Published: 2012-03-22 - Granted: 2013-09-24 - Earliest claimed: 2001-02-01 - Assignees: AT&T Intellectual Property II, L.P. - Applicants: Andrea Basso; Eric Cosatto; David Crawford Gibbon; Hans Peter Graf; Shan Liu - Inventors: Andrea Basso; Eric Cosatto; David Crawford Gibbon; Hans Peter Graf; Shan Liu - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8542943B2 ## CPC - G06T 15/50: Lighting effects - G06F 3/012: {Head tracking input arrangements} - G06T 7/246: using feature-based methods, e.g. the tracking of corners or segments - G06T 17/00: Three-dimensional [3D] modelling for computer graphics - G06V 40/161: {Detection; Localisation; Normalisation} - G06V 40/171: {Local features and components; Facial parts (eye characteristics G06V40/18); Occluding parts, e.g. glasses; Geometrical relationships} - H04N 7/147: {Communication arrangements, e.g. identifying the communication as a video-communication, intermediate storage of the signals (selecting H04Q)} - H04N 7/15: Conference systems - G06T 2200/08: involving all processing steps from image acquisition to 3D model generation - G06T 2207/10152: Varying illumination - G06T 2207/30201: Face - G06T: IMAGE DATA PROCESSING OR GENERATION, IN GENERAL - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) - G06V: IMAGE OR VIDEO RECOGNITION OR UNDERSTANDING - H04N: PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION ## Abstract A method of improving the lighting conditions of a real scene or video sequence. Digitally generated light is added to a scene for video conferencing over telecommunication networks. A virtual illumination equation takes into account light attenuation, lambertian and specular reflection. An image of an object is captured, a virtual light source illuminates the object within the image. In addition, the object can be the head of the user. The position of the head of the user is dynamically tracked so that an three-dimensional model is generated which is representative of the head of the user. Synthetic light is applied to a position on the model to form an illuminated model. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method comprising: capturing, via a processor, an image of an object; modifying, independent of a camera position, a real light source associated with the image with a virtual light source to yield a combined light source, where a virtual position of the virtual light source is based at least in part on a movement of the object; and illuminating the image using the combined light source. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the illuminating yields a virtually illuminated image and the method further comprises communicating the virtually illuminated image to a video conference system. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising tracking the movement of the object. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The method of claim 3, wherein tracking the movement of the object yields a position information, the method further comprising creating a three-dimensional model of the object based on the position information. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The method of claim 4, wherein the three-dimensional model is an ellipsoid. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising creating a two-dimensional plane of the object. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the illuminating further comprises illumination by a virtual diffused light. ### Claim 8 A system comprising: a processor; and a computer-readable storage medium having instructions stored which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform a method comprising: capturing an image of an object; modifying, independent of a camera position, a real light source associated with the image with a virtual light source to yield a combined light source, where a virtual position of the virtual light source is based at least in part on a movement of the object; and illuminating the image using the combined light source. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The system of claim 8, wherein the illuminating yields a virtually illuminated image and the computer-readable storage medium stores additional instructions which result in the method further comprising communicating the virtually illuminated image to a video conference system. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The system of claim 8, the computer-readable storage medium storing additional instructions which result in the method further comprising tracking the movement of the object. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The system of claim 10, the computer-readable storage medium storing additional instructions which result in the method further comprising creating a three-dimensional model of the object based on the tracking. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The system of claim 11, wherein the three-dimensional model is an ellipsoid. ### Claim 13 (depends on 8) The system of claim 8, the computer-readable storage medium storing additional instructions which result in the method further comprising creating a two-dimensional plane of the object. ### Claim 14 (depends on 8) The system of claim 8, wherein the illuminating further comprises illumination by a virtual diffused light. ### Claim 15 A computer-readable storage device having instructions stored which, when executed by a computing device, cause the computing device to perform a method comprising: capturing an image of an object; modifying, independent of a camera position, a real light source associated with the image with a virtual light source to yield a combined light source, where a virtual position of the virtual light source is based at least in part on a movement of the object; and illuminating the image using the combined light source. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The computer-readable storage device of claim 15, wherein the illuminating yields a virtually illuminated image and the computer-readable storage device stores additional instructions which result in the method further comprising communicating the virtually illuminated image to a video conference system. ### Claim 17 (depends on 15) The computer-readable storage device of claim 15 storing additional instructions which result in the method further comprising tracking the movement of the object. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The non-transitory computer-readable storage device of claim 17 storing additional instructions which result in the method further comprising creating a three-dimensional model of the object based on the position information. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The non-transitory computer-readable storage device of claim 18, wherein the three-dimensional model is an ellipsoid. ### Claim 20 (depends on 15) The non-transitory computer-readable storage device of claim 15, wherein the illuminating further comprises illumination by a virtual diffused light.