Abstract: A peer-to-peer modular presentation system is disclosed for providing improved presentations. The system includes a plurality of displays. Each display is associated with an input device, processor and input/output port. The plurality of displays may include static or mobile wherein each display is aware of the displays immediately surrounding it or of the displays in a remote site during a teleconference. A propagation direction may be configured for at least two of the displays in the system. Propagation may be initiated for multiple displays by generating a gesture input at one display. The gesture input will cause content to be presented in the particular display, and initiate propagation of content along the configured direction in neighboring displays. Content may be fed to a particular display through a stack or other memory that is associated with the display.

Abstract: Methods and systems for transferring media between media source devices and media sink devices are disclosed. Remote control units are used to indicate the media sink and media source devices for transferring media data between these elements.

Abstract: A system is provided where a number of representative video snapshots are displayed on a timeline indicating a position to jump to in a video using control buttons, such as fast forward, reverse, or a timeline scroll bar. The video snapshots are obtained by opening a low resolution connection to a video server to receive forward looking video segments. The forward looking video segments are summarized and the representative video snapshots are selected and displayed to provide a reference frame for the user to select a timeline position, or snapshots directly linked to positions in the higher resolution video. Backward looking video segments may be similarly summarized from the low resolution connection, or alternatively from video previously played. As the video progresses, new forward looking video segments are received and new representative video snapshots are summarized and displayed in close proximity with the video being played.

Abstract: A computer assisted meeting capture system in which camera selection, camera control and sensor notification of candidate activity event for camera image changes are integrated. The information is displayed on a representation of a room layout. Camera switch suggestions are notified to the operator through the use of low-overhead cognitive cues such as changeable human sensible display characteristics.

Abstract: When a hardware or software problem reoccurs, a customer is rarely able to remember and repeat the process that was performed by a customer service representative to correct the problem the first time. By capturing desktop events and/or one or more other available data streams during the first customer service engagement, and making a document containing that data available to the customer, the customer can solve a reoccurrence of the problem without having to contact the customer service center. The captured data is integrated into a single multimedia document, which has an indexing capability, highlights critical information, and includes annotations and/or comments. The integrated multimedia document can be distributed to the customer by the customer service representative during an engagement, over a customer accessible network site visited by the customer, or in a CD-ROM provided with the product.

Abstract: Video recordings of meetings and scanned paper documents are natural digital documents that come out of a meeting. These can be placed on the Internet for easy access, with links generated between them by matching scanned documents to a segment of the video referencing the scanned document. Furthermore, annotations made on the paper documents during the meeting can be extracted and used as indexes to the video. An orthonormal transform, such as a Digital Cosine Transform (DCT) is used to compare scanned documents to video frames.

Abstract: Optimal summaries of a linear media source are automatically produced by parameterizing a linear media source. The parameterized linear media source is used to create a similarity array in which each array element includes the value of a similarity measurement between a two portions of the parameterized media signal. A segment fitness function, adapted for measuring the similarity between a segment of the parameterized media signal and the entire parameterized media signal, is optimized to find an optimal segment location. The portion of the linear media source corresponding to the optimal segment location is selected as the optimal summary. This method produces optimal summaries of any type of linear media, such as video, audio, or text information.

Abstract: A camera array captures plural component images which are combined into a single scene from which “panning” and “zooming” within the scene are performed. In one embodiment, each camera of the array is a fixed digital camera. The images from each camera are warped and blended such that the combined image is seamless with respect to each of the component images. Warping of the digital images is performed via pre-calculated non-dynamic equations that are calculated based on a registration of the camera array. The process of registering each camera in the arrays is performed either manually, by selecting corresponding points or sets of points in two or more images, or automatically, by presenting a source object (laser light source, for example) into a scene being captured by the camera array and registering positions of the source object as it appears in each of the images.

Abstract: Methods and systems for transferring media between media source devices and media sink devices are disclosed. Remote control units are used to indicate the media sink and media source devices for transferring media data between these elements.

Abstract: A peer-to-peer modular presentation system is disclosed for providing improved presentations. The system includes a plurality of displays. Each display is associated with an input device, processor and input/output port. The plurality of displays may include static or mobile wherein each display is aware of the displays immediately surrounding it or of the displays in a remote site during a teleconference. A propagation direction may be configured for at least two of the displays in the system. Propagation may be initiated for multiple displays by generating a gesture input at one display. The gesture input will cause content to be presented in the particular display, and initiate propagation of content along the configured direction in neighboring displays. Content may be fed to a particular display through a stack or other memory that is associated with the display.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for providing multi-resolution video to multiple users under hybrid human and automatic control. Initial environment and close-up images are captured using a first camera and a PTZ camera. The initial images are then stored in memory. Current environment and close-up images are captured and the an estimated difference between the initial and current images and the true image is determined. The estimated differences are weighted and compared and the stored images are updated. A close-up image is then provided to each user of the system. The close-up camera is then directed to a portion of the environment image having high distortion, and current environment and close-up images are captured again.

Abstract: When a hardware or software problem reoccurs, a customer is rarely able to remember and repeat the process that was performed by a customer service representative to correct the problem the first time. By capturing desktop events and/or one or more other available data streams during the first customer service engagement, and making a document containing that data available to the customer, the customer can solve a reoccurrence of the problem without having to contact the customer service center. The captured data is integrated into a single multimedia document, which has an indexing capability, highlights critical information, and includes annotations and/or comments. The integrated multimedia document can be distributed to the customer by the customer service representative during an engagement, over a customer accessible network site visited by the customer, or in a CD-ROM provided with the product.

Abstract: A computer assisted meeting capture system in which camera selection, camera control and sensor notification of candidate activity event for camera image changes are integrated. The information is displayed on a representation of a room layout. Camera switch suggestions are notified to the operator through the use of low-overhead cognitive cues such as changeable human sensible display characteristics.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for providing multi-resolution video to multiple users under hybrid human and automatic control. Initial environment and close-up images are captured using a first camera and a PTZ camera. The initial images are then stored in memory. Current environment and close-up images are captured and the an estimated difference between the initial and current images and the true image is determined. The estimated differences are weighted and compared and the stored images are updated. A close-up image is then provided to each user of the system. The close-up camera is then directed to a portion of the environment image having high distortion, and current environment and close-up images are captured again.

Abstract: Optimal summaries of a linear media source are automatically produced by parameterizing a linear media source. The parameterized linear media source is used to create a similarity array in which each array element includes the value of a similarity measurement between a two portions of the parameterized media signal. A segment fitness function, adapted for measuring the similarity between a segment of the parameterized media signal and the entire parameterized media signal, is optimized to find an optimal segment location. The portion of the linear media source corresponding to the optimal segment location is selected as the optimal summary. This method produces optimal summaries of any type of linear media, such as video, audio, or text information.

Abstract: A system is provided where a number of representative video snapshots are displayed on a timeline indicating a position to jump to in a video using control buttons, such as fast forward, reverse, or a timeline scroll bar. The video snapshots are obtained by opening a low resolution connection to a video server to receive forward looking video segments. The forward looking video segments are summarized and the representative video snapshots are selected and displayed to provide a reference frame for the user to select a timeline position, or snapshots directly linked to positions in the higher resolution video. Backward looking video segments may be similarly summarized from the low resolution connection, or alternatively from video previously played. As the video progresses, new forward looking video segments are received and new representative video snapshots are summarized and displayed in close proximity with the video being played.

Abstract: A media browser, graphical user interface and method for browsing a media file wherein a user selects at least one feature in a media file and is provided with information regarding the existence of the selected feature in the media file. Based on the information, the user can identify and playback portions of interest in a media file.