Video Teleconferencing (including Access Or Authorization) Patents (Class 348/211.12)
  • Patent number: 11637990
    Abstract: Apparatus, methods, and computer program products for managing video filters are disclosed. One apparatus includes a processor and a memory that stores code executable by the processor. The code is executable by the processor to detect whether a video feed for a user participating in a video conference on a video conferencing platform includes a video filter and, in response to detecting that the video feed includes a video filter, determine whether the video filter is socially suitable for an environment of the video conference. Methods and computer program products that include and/or perform the operations and/or functions of the apparatus are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 8, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2023
    Assignee: Lenovo (Singapore) Pte. Ltd
    Inventors: John C. Mese, Arnold Weksler, Mark Delaney, Nathan Peterson, Russell Speight VanBlon
  • Patent number: 11622070
    Abstract: An apparatus includes an imaging unit configured to capture an image formed by an optical system, a first unit configured to control the optical system to adjust a focal position of the optical system, a second unit configured to control a driving unit configured to change a direction of the imaging unit through pan or tilt driving, and a storage unit configured to store distance information where the direction and a subject distance are in association with each other. The first unit calculates a shift in the subject distance in a process in which the direction is changed from a first direction to a second direction through the pan or tilt driving, based on the stored distance information, and controls the optical system in accordance with the shift in the subject distance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2023
    Assignee: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventor: Masaki Kamba
  • Patent number: 11616883
    Abstract: Systems and methods for efficient management of an audio/video conference are disclosed. The methods comprise recording voice data of a first user connected to a conference while the user is in a first state, determining the first user is talking while in the first state, and initiating playback of the recorded voice data of the first user to a plurality of other users, wherein a playback rate of the recorded voice data is variable.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2023
    Assignee: ROVl GUIDES, INC.
    Inventors: Vikram Makam Gupta, Pooja Srivastava
  • Patent number: 11429933
    Abstract: A method, computer system, and computer program product for dynamic meeting agenda management are provided. The embodiment may include establishing a baseline set of agenda items prior to meeting commencement. The embodiment may also include identifying meeting participants based on actual real-time meeting attendance. The embodiment may further include monitoring an attendance and a participation of the meeting participants. The embodiment may also include identifying the agenda items that meet selection criteria using a coverage triggering mechanism. The embodiment may further include updating the order of the agenda items based on the agenda item that meet selection criteria first. The embodiment may also include displaying real-time meeting agenda items that meet the selection criteria.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2022
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Jeremy R. Fox, Lisa Seacat DeLuca, Kelley Anders, Dana L. Price
  • Patent number: 11196913
    Abstract: This invention provides a control apparatus that controls a pan-head including a drive unit for driving an image capturing device, the control apparatus comprising a control unit that controls the drive unit according to a request received via a communication unit; a determination unit that, in a case in which a connection request is received from a terminal, determines whether a first application program for configuration setting relating to the pan-head or a second application program for remote control of the pan-head is being executed in the terminal; a management unit that manages a terminal authorized for connection; and a decision unit that, in a case in which a new connection request is received, decides whether connection is possible or impossible on the basis of the determination by the determination unit and information managed by the management unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 7, 2021
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Tomoki Kuroda
  • Patent number: 10990828
    Abstract: Techniques for performing key frame extraction, recording, and navigation in collaborative video presentations. The techniques include extracting a plurality of frames from media content at a predetermined rate, removing frame areas that do not correspond to a screen area for displaying electronic meeting/webinar content, de-duplicating the plurality of frames, identifying frames that correspond to the “slide type” or similar type of frames, and extracting key frames from the slide type of frames. The key frames can be recorded in a slide deck or other similar collection of key frames, as well as displayed as clickable thumbnails in a UI. By clicking or otherwise selecting a thumbnail representation of a selected key frame in the UI, or clicking-and-dragging a handle of a key frame locator bar to navigate the thumbnails to the selected key frame, users can quickly and more efficiently access desired slide presentation content from an electronic meeting/webinar.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 27, 2021
    Assignee: LogMeln, Inc.
    Inventors: Nikolay Avrionov, Alexander John Huitric, Nilesh Mishra
  • Patent number: 10991108
    Abstract: A densely composited single camera signal may be formed from a panoramic video signal having an aspect ratio of substantially 2.4:1 or greater, captured from a wide camera. Two or more sub-scene video signals are subsampled at respective bearings of interest, and may be composited side-by-side to form a stage scene video signal having an aspect ratio of substantially 2:1 or less. 80% or more of the area of the stage scene video signal may be subsampled from the panoramic video signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 1, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 27, 2021
    Assignee: OWL LABS, INC
    Inventors: Mark Steven Schnittman, Maksim Makeev
  • Patent number: 10959100
    Abstract: Gateway hardware/software (such as associated with a router in a subscriber domain) provides multiple communication devices access to a remote network. During operation, the gateway hardware establishes a secured tunnel between the gateway hardware and a remote communication device over a shared communication link. The gateway hardware also establishes a non-secure channel over the shared communication link. The gateway hardware analyzes communications received from multiple communication devices; the communications are destined for delivery to recipients in the remote network. Depending on attributes of the received communications, the gateway hardware selectively forwards each of the received communications over the secured tunnel or the non-secure channel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 23, 2021
    Assignee: Charter Communications Operating, LLC
    Inventor: Kevin A. Nelson
  • Patent number: 10848668
    Abstract: In a system for 360 degree video capture and playback, 360 degree video may be captured, stitched, encoded, decoded, rendered, and played-back. In one or more implementations, a decoding device receives a 360 degree video stream as input and decodes the 360 degree video stream, and a memory device stores the 360 degree video stream and viewing history data associated with the 360 degree video stream. A rendering device may render the decoded stream using view angles from the viewing history data. In one or more implementations, an object tracking device tracks one or more objects in the decoded 360 degree video stream and provides one or more tracking angles associated with the objects. The rendering device may render the decoded 360 degree video stream using the one or more tracking angles to keep at least one object in the 360 degree video stream for one or more rendered frames.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 24, 2020
    Assignee: Avago Technologies International Sales Pte. Limited
    Inventors: Minhua Zhou, Xuemin Chen, Brian A. Heng
  • Patent number: 10805615
    Abstract: A technique for synchronizing video receivers with a video stream already in progress includes caching a key frame in a transport protocol component of a video communication system and providing the key frame on demand to any receiver attempting to join the stream and/or to rejoin the stream after an error, such as a dropped packet. Once a receiver obtains the key frame, the receiver requests that the source of the video stream issue a new sync-point frame, where the sync-point frame depends on the key frame but on no other frame for its content. The receiver may then proceed to display rendered video beginning with the sync-point frame.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 13, 2020
    Assignee: LogMeln, Inc.
    Inventors: Steffen Schulze, Eugen Wige
  • Patent number: 10636154
    Abstract: With reference to panoramic video, sub-scenes at bearings of interest within a wide or panoramic video signal substantially coincident with an acoustic sensor array are associated with bearings of interest identified localization of acoustic recognitions and visual recognitions, and widths of the sub-scene video signals may be set according to a signal characteristic of the acoustic recognition or the visual recognition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 1, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 28, 2020
    Assignee: OWL LABS, INC.
    Inventors: Mark Steven Schnittman, Maksim Makeev
  • Patent number: 10433002
    Abstract: Various devices, systems, products and methods for synchronizing video displayed on multiple display devices are presented. The systems, methods, devices and products described herein optionally utilize one or more techniques for synchronizing two or more displays of video of an event filmed from two or more cameras. Synchronization signals are optionally used to allow the video displays to be matched precisely to account for differences in display time, transmission time, delivery time and processing time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 18, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 1, 2019
    Assignee: DISH Ukraine L.L.C.
    Inventor: Andrey Kuplevakhsky
  • Patent number: 10271031
    Abstract: A broadcast module for a modular video camera is disclosed. The broadcast module is configured to generate a plurality of data streams formatted for broadcast purposes. Each data stream can represent a reduced-resolution representation of the video data captured with the video camera or each data stream can represent a fraction of a full-resolution portion of the video data captured with video camera. The broadcast module can apply color processing to a raw digital video stream to enable real-time previews on one or more monitors of captured video data. The broadcast module can also apply color processing to a raw digital video stream to enable storage of processed video data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2019
    Assignee: RED.COM, LLC
    Inventors: James H. Jannard, Peter Jarred Land, Mark W. Rossman, Matthew S. Biederman, Uday Mathur
  • Patent number: 10250803
    Abstract: A video generating system includes: a storage device, a camera device, and a processor. The camera device obtains a 360-degree panoramic video. The processor determines a plurality of meaningful angles of the 360-degree panoramic video, separates the 360-degree panoramic video into a plurality of durations according to the meaningful angles, and generates a normal video according to the durations associated with the meaningful angles. Each duration corresponds to one of the meaningful angles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2019
    Assignee: HTC Corporation
    Inventor: Kuan-Wei Li
  • Patent number: 10216177
    Abstract: A method of deriving autonomous control information involves receiving one or more sets of associated environment sensor information and device control instructions. Each set of associated environment sensor information and device control instructions includes environment sensor information representing an environment associated with an operator controllable device and associated device control instructions configured to cause the operator controllable device to simulate at least one action taken by at least one operator experiencing a representation of the environment generated from the environment sensor information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 26, 2019
    Assignee: Kindred Systems Inc.
    Inventors: Suzanne Gildert, George Samuel Rose, Graham William Taylor, James Bergstra
  • Patent number: 9794516
    Abstract: A system for telepresencing is provided with a user station at a remote user's location and a telepresence device at a local subject's location. Distance of objects around the local subject is sensed such that a selected distance between the telepresence device and the local subject is maintained. Eye features and gazes of the local subject and the remote user are sensed. The height of the telepresence device's display is adjusted automatically such that the eye level of the local subject matches with the eye level of the user's image in the display. When an intended eye contact is sensed, positions of the telepresence device, its display and a sensor hub that houses cameras and other sensors are adjusted, and a face image may be recreated at a different viewing angle to resemble an eye contact between the local subject and the remote user while preserving all other facial expressions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2017
    Inventor: Raja Singh Tuli
  • Patent number: 9451135
    Abstract: Drive unit that consists of two or more strings that are with one end attached to a shaft of a driving motor, and with the other end directly or indirectly coupled to an image capturing device, which is supported by means that allow rotation is disclosed. The twisting strings produce a pulling force on the ends of the strings, which generates a motion of the image capturing device. The invented drive unit does not use gears, belts, pulleys or the like, which reduces the weight, lowers the generated noise, and reduces the parts costs. The invented drive unit including the control unit achieves wide range of motion performances ranging from precise positioning to fast motion, including performance equivalent to a human eye.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2016
    Inventors: Ivan Godler, Yasuomi Sato, Hiroyuki Miyamoto
  • Patent number: 9449583
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention provide a control method and an electronic apparatus. The control method is applied to an electronic apparatus that includes an array of image display components and an array of image collecting components. The method includes displaying a first window by the array of image display components; obtaining the position of a first region in the first window; turning on the image collecting components corresponding to the first region in the first window in the array of image collecting components according to the position of the first region, wherein the number of the image collecting components corresponding to the first region is less than or equal to the number of the image collecting components in the array of image collecting components; and obtaining a first image by the image collecting components corresponding to the first region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2016
    Assignees: LENOVO (BEIJING) CO., LTD., BEIJING LENOVO SOFTWARE LTD.
    Inventors: Weizhi Lin, Yu Chen, Lei Zhao
  • Patent number: 9342992
    Abstract: A device and method for simultaneously capturing a combination of content video, content audio, presenter video and presenter audio, as well as distributing a combination of content video, content audio, presenter video and presenter audio to a digital sink via an HDMI connection. Video sources are automatically routed to the digital sink depending on the source configuration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 15, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2016
    Inventor: Daniel Jackson
  • Patent number: 9237305
    Abstract: Some embodiments provide a video conferencing application for execution by a first electronic device. The video conferencing application is for conducting a video conference between the first electronic device and a second electronic device. The video conferencing application presents, in a first display area, a video captured by the first electronic device. In an at least partially transparent second display area that is superimposed on a portion of the video in the first display area, the video conferencing application presents a set of user selectable items for configuring the video conferencing application.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 12, 2016
    Assignee: APPLE INC.
    Inventors: Angela Guzman, Patrick Coffman, Stephen O. Lemay
  • Patent number: 9171181
    Abstract: Certain embodiments of the disclosed technology allow users who are photographed to control those photographs, even when the photographs are taken from a third party's mobile device. Other aspects of the disclosed technology facilitate candid photographs to be taken of users that want them.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 17, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 27, 2015
    Inventors: Sangeetha Balusu, Suraj K. Balusu
  • Patent number: 9117147
    Abstract: A method for tracking pedestrians in a video sequence, where each image frame of the video sequence corresponds to a time step, includes using marginal space learning to sample a prior probability distribution p(xt|Zt?1) of multi-person identity assignments given a set of feature measurements from all previous image frames, using marginal space learning to estimate an observation likelihood distribution p(zt|xt) of the set of features given a set of multi-person identity assignments sampled from the prior probability distribution, calculating a posterior probability distribution p(xt|Zt) from the observation likelihood distribution p(zt|xt) and the prior probability distribution p(xt|Zt?1), and using marginal space learning to estimate the prior probability distribution p(xt+1|Zt) for a next image frame given the posterior probability distribution p(xt|Zt) and a probability p(xt+1|xt), where the posterior probability distribution of multi-person identity assignments corresponds to a set of pedestrian detectio
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 2012
    Date of Patent: August 25, 2015
    Assignees: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft, Rutgers University
    Inventors: Vinay Damodar Shet, Dorin Comaniciu, Sushil Mittal, Peter Meer, Cheng-Hao Kuo
  • Patent number: 9071831
    Abstract: A monoscopic camera comprising one or more image sensors and a depth sensor may generate video based on two-dimensional image data captured via the one or more image sensors and corresponding depth information captured via the depth sensor. The camera may process corresponding audio for the generated video based on the captured depth information. The audio processing may comprise mitigating noise in the corresponding audio, enhancing voice quality in the corresponding audio, and/or enhancing audio quality of the corresponding audio. The camera may be operable to determine, based on the captured depth information, one or more sound paths between a source of the corresponding audio and a microphone utilized to capture the corresponding audio emanating from the source. The processing of the audio may comprise removing portions of the captured audio arriving at the microphone via one or more reflection paths.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 30, 2015
    Assignee: Broadcom Corporation
    Inventors: Nambi Seshadri, Jeyhan Karaoguz, Chris Boross, Xuemin Chen
  • Patent number: 8899757
    Abstract: A portable video production system includes a stand, a prompter portion, a mirror, a piece of glass, and a measuring device. The stand includes a table and a plurality of legs, and is configured to adjust a height of the legs based on a height of a user. The prompter portion includes a plurality of legs and a plurality of supports, and the supports extend between the legs of the prompter portion. The mirror is connected between first and second supports of the plurality of supports, and is configured to reflect a display of a laptop. The piece of glass is connected between third and fourth supports of the plurality of supports, and reflects the reflection of the display from the mirror to provide a reflected image to the user and to enable a video to be filmed through the glass without the reflected image appearing in the video. The measuring component is connected to the table, and extends from the table and being of a first specific length to indicate a first distance for the user to stand from the table.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 2, 2014
    Assignee: Wizards of Ads, SunPop Studios Ltd.
    Inventor: Roy H. Williams, IV
  • Patent number: 8860777
    Abstract: A system is configured to receive a request to set up a first video conference and another request to set up a second video conference, where the request is received from a client device and where the other request is received from another client device; obtain first information associated with an enterprise with which the client device is associated and second information associated with another, different enterprise with which the other client device is associated; determine whether the first information permits the client device to set up the first video conference and whether the second information permits the other client device to set up the second video conference; establish the first video conference when the first information permits the client device to set up the first video conference; and establish the second video conference when the second information permits the other client device to set up the second video conference.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 14, 2014
    Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Inc.
    Inventors: Heath W. Hendrickson, Jeffrey Haltom, Jeffrey J. Reger, Mark E. Stallcup
  • Patent number: 8817117
    Abstract: A camera system having a plurality of camera pairs is provided. Each pair may have a camera control unit and a camera head unit respectively connected together by way of an asynchronous transmission network. The camera system may also have a central processing unit configured to obtain a video signal delay amount, representative of a time delay between a respective camera control unit and its respective camera head unit, for each of the plurality of camera pairs, and to adjust the video signal delay amount between at least one said camera control unit and its respective camera head unit to be equal to a selected video signal delay amount of another said camera control unit and its respective camera head unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 26, 2014
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Hiroaki Takahashi, Satoshi Tsubaki, Tamotsu Munakata, Eisaburo Itakura, Hideaki Murayama
  • Patent number: 8803988
    Abstract: In a method of controlling an image capturing device using a computing device, sounds coming from a monitored area are detected in real-time using sound receivers that are electronically connected to the computing device. The detected sounds are analyzed using an acoustic source localization (ASL) device of the computing device to determine the direction of the apparent origin of the detected sounds in the monitored area. A command is sent to the image capturing device to view or focus on the origin of the sounds in the monitored area. The computing device controls a lens of the image capturing device to capture images of the source of the sounds in the monitored area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 12, 2014
    Assignee: Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hou-Hsien Lee, Chang-Jung Lee, Chih-Ping Lo
  • Patent number: 8752138
    Abstract: A system and machine-implemented method for providing access to one or more shared objects to a user participating in a collaboration session, including receiving a request from a user to receive access to one of one or more shared objects within a collaboration session, each shared object having a corresponding access control list including one or more authorized users having access to the shared object, determining whether the user has access to the one of the one or more shared objects by referencing the access control list in response to receiving the request and adding the user as an authorized user within the access control list for each of the one or more shared objects when it is determined that the user does not have access to the one of the one or more shared objects, such that the user is provided access to the one or more shared objects.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 10, 2014
    Assignee: Google Inc.
    Inventors: David Scrymgeour Bennett, Brian David Marsh, David H. Owens, Christopher David Vander Mey
  • Patent number: 8749650
    Abstract: Embodiments of the invention compensate for the movement of a meeting capture device during a live meeting when performing speaker indexing of a recorded meeting. In one example, a first position of a capture device is determined. A second position of the capture device is determined after the capture device has been moved from the first position to the second position. The movement data associated with movement of the capture device from the first position to the second position is determined. The movement data is outputted and used in speaker indexing of the recorded meeting.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 10, 2014
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventor: Ross G. Cutler
  • Patent number: 8687076
    Abstract: A moving image photographing apparatus that recognizes the shape of a speaker's mouth, and/or recognizes the speaker's voice to detect a speaker area, and selectively performs image signal processing with respect to the detected speaker area, and a moving image photographing method using the moving image photographing apparatus. The moving image photographing apparatus may selectively reproduce a moving image by generating a still image including the speaker area and using the still image as a bookmark.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 1, 2014
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Eun-young Kim, Seung-a Yi
  • Patent number: 8688783
    Abstract: A computer-implemented method of selecting a real time collaboration application can include associating each of a plurality of real time collaboration applications with a plurality of performance statistics, receiving a request for a real time collaboration session from a personal productivity application, and identifying a data type to be shared through one of the plurality of real time collaboration applications. One of the plurality of real time collaboration applications can be selected according to the data type to be shared and the plurality of performance statistics. The selected real time collaboration application can be output.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 28, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 1, 2014
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: James P. Galvin, Amy D. Travis, Sara Weber
  • Patent number: 8648894
    Abstract: Included are systems and methods for a virtual inmate visitation. Some embodiments include providing a scheduling user interface for a visitor to schedule a video visitation, receiving a visitor scheduling request for the video visitation with an inmate, and determining a visitor type for the visitor. Some embodiments include providing, based on the visitor type, a scheduling option, providing a visitor payment mechanism that depends on the visitor type, and providing a video visitation user interface to the visitor for conducting the video visitation between the visitor and the inmate. Still some embodiment include in response to receiving a visitor input, conduct the video visitation between the visitor and the inmate, determining whether the video visitation includes an unacceptable activity and performing a preventative measure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 4, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2014
    Assignee: Eyconix, LLC
    Inventors: Alan Laney, William Watson, Jared Laney, Leslie Laney, Julie Collinsworth
  • Patent number: 8626127
    Abstract: A computing device implemented method, apparatus, and computer program product to generate dynamic voice response messages in a mobile computing device. In response to receiving an incoming call from a caller, the process displays a list of response messages in a set of response messages. In response to receiving a selection of a response message from the list of response messages, the process sends the selected response message to the caller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 7, 2014
    Inventors: David P. Kuiken, David J. Patschke
  • Patent number: 8587677
    Abstract: A remote instruction system includes an attention image outputting portion that projects an annotation image and an attention image from a projecting portion onto a captured area of an image capturing portion that captures an image of an object, the annotation image being created on the basis of the image captured, the attention image being provided for attracting attention to the annotation image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2013
    Assignee: Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Jun Shingu
  • Patent number: 8570330
    Abstract: To control screen display using moving pictures for a plurality of users. Respective moving pictures for a plurality of users are acquired, and each of the acquired moving pictures are displayed on a screen. Display content for the screen is controlled in response to content of each moving picture. At this time, it is also possible to move a specified movement image on the screen according to display position of each moving picture on the screen and content of each moving picture, or to change a display region of the moving picture on the screen according to content of each moving picture.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2013
    Assignees: Sony Corporation, Sony Computer Entertainment Inc.
    Inventors: Tomokazu Kake, Yasushi Okumura
  • Patent number: 8487977
    Abstract: A video conference system provides “in the room” telepresence to near end participants. The video conference system includes a frameless or bezelless display device placed in front of a front wall for displaying edge-to-edge 3D images of far end participants. Color of the near end front wall is configured to be the same as the color of the far end rear wall. As a result, images displayed on the display device can merge or blend into the near end front wall, giving the near end participants the perception that the far end participants are actually in the near end conference room. Brightness of the faces/bodies of the near end participants can also be adjusted to match the brightness of the face/bodies of the images of the far end participants as they appear on the display device—therefore enhancing the in the room perception of the far end participants.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2013
    Assignee: Polycom, Inc.
    Inventors: Youssef Saleh, Gopal Paripally
  • Patent number: 8427557
    Abstract: A combined video display and image capture system and method are disclosed. In one embodiment the system alternates between the capture period of the camera (306) and the image display (302) period to isolate the camera (306) from the display (302). Various methods are disclosed to achieve the alternation in the capture and the display periods of the system. Distortions in the captured image can be corrected using an image correction subsystem.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 25, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2013
    Assignee: I2iC Corporation
    Inventors: Udayan Kanade, Balaji Ganapathy
  • Patent number: 8429703
    Abstract: A video distribution system which is enhanced in flexibility in distribution mode switching. In a camera server connected to a viewer via a network, a video capture board captures a video image. A CPU processes the captured video image according to an electronic PTZ mode for cutting out a part of the captured video image and a mechanical PTZ emulation mode for cutting out parts of the captured video image and interpolating the cut-out images. The CPU distributes the processed video image to the viewer via the network. The CPU performs mode switching between the electronic PTZ mode and the mechanical PTZ emulation mode based on control information transmitted from the viewer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 2006
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2013
    Assignee: Canon Kabushi Kaisha
    Inventor: Takahiro Kurosawa
  • Patent number: 8422953
    Abstract: To provide a center device for accommodating a variety of situations which may occur when a home-use game machine, or the like, is used, in which a plurality of users use their own controller devices such as an input device. A center device communicates with a plurality of devices in either a wired or radio manner, receives an instruction operation from a user of each device, and carries out a process based on the instruction operation, the plurality of devices each having unique identifier, including: a unit that obtains an identifier of a device; a unit that provides information concerning the device, the identifier of the device is not associated with the identifier of the user; and a unit that associates the identifier of the device selected by the user, the identifier of the user is already associated with the identifier of another device, with the identifier of the user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2013
    Assignees: Sony Corporation, Sony Computer Entertainment Inc.
    Inventors: Mariko Hino, Satoshi Hashimoto, Ken Kutaragi
  • Patent number: 8416305
    Abstract: A portable Wi-Fi digital video camcorder includes a battery, a wireless network unit, an LCD unit, a video-stream capturing unit and a processing unit. The battery supplies power to the portable Wi-Fi digital video camcorder. The video-stream capturing unit captures a present video stream. The processing unit is electrically connected with the wireless network unit, the LCD unit and the video-stream capturing unit. The processing unit includes an LCD driving module and a video-stream transmitting module. The LCD driving module drives the LCD unit. The video-stream transmitting module utilizes the wireless network unit to transmit the present video stream.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2013
    Assignee: Chicony Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Wei-Cheng Huang, Mei-Yi Tsai, Chih-Liang Chou
  • Patent number: 8330787
    Abstract: Embodiments of the invention compensate for the movement of a meeting capture device during a live meeting when performing speaker indexing of a recorded meeting. In one example, a first position of a capture device is determined. A second position of the capture device is determined after the capture device has been moved from the first position to the second position. The movement data associated with movement of the capture device from the first position to the second position is determined. The movement data is outputted and used in speaker indexing of the recorded meeting.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2012
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventor: Ross G. Cutler
  • Patent number: 8320257
    Abstract: Equipment and network resources are automatically tested in advance of scheduled telepresence meetings in order to discover problems before the actual telepresence meeting. When a meeting between telepresence sites is scheduled, a test time is automatically scheduled for performing a test in advance of a scheduled time of the telepresence meeting. At the test time, performing the test to determine whether equipment functions at telepresence sites involved in the telepresence meeting and network resource availability are sufficient to support the telepresence meeting.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2012
    Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Aseem Srivastava, John Monaghan
  • Patent number: 8229359
    Abstract: To provide a center device for accommodating a variety of situations which may occur when a home-use game machine, or the like, is used, in which a plurality of users use their own controller devices such as an input device. A center device communicates between a plurality of controller devices, receives an instructing operation carried out by the user of each controller device, and executes processing according to the instructing operation. The center device selects at least one of the controller devices as a controller device to be authenticated from among the plurality of controller devices by utilizing communication with each of the plurality of controller devices, and conducts authentication processing relative to each of the controller devices while communicating with each of the selected controller device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 10, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 24, 2012
    Assignee: Sony Computer Entertainment Inc.
    Inventors: Mariko Hino, Satoshi Hashimoto, Ken Kutaragi
  • Patent number: 8203592
    Abstract: Apparatus having corresponding computer-readable media comprises: a recording module adapted to record audio and video streams of a videoconference; a storage module adapted to store a media file associated with the videoconference; and a command module adapted to generate a command file comprising records for events that occur during the videoconference, wherein at least one of the records comprises a time of occurrence in the videoconference of an event associated with the media file, and a reference to the media file.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2007
    Date of Patent: June 19, 2012
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Steve Nelson, Victor Ivashin
  • Patent number: 8189030
    Abstract: Computer-readable media having corresponding apparatus and methods embodies instructions executable by a computer to perform a method comprising: receiving a request to stream a video recording; selecting one of a plurality of user types based on the request; selecting one of a plurality of content filters for the video recording based on the selected user type, wherein at least one of the content filters identifies one or more portions of the video recording to be omitted; and streaming the video recording, except for the one or more portions of the video recording to be omitted.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 4, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 29, 2012
    Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation
    Inventors: Victor Ivashin, Steve Nelson
  • Patent number: 8135699
    Abstract: A server-side summarization system includes a function for acquiring material to be summarized, along with source information about the material, a converter for converting the acquired material to machine-readable form, if not in that form when acquired, a summarizer for creating a summary from the acquired material, and a storage function for storing a copy of the acquired material and the summary created as separate files, associated and cross-referenced using the source information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 13, 2012
    Inventors: Puneet K. Gupta, Mark A. Boys
  • Patent number: 8115819
    Abstract: A camera for connection to an authorised user via a network. The camera has a processor arranged to execute a communications client program and an image data decoding program. The camera further has means for capturing image data including encoded login data, the image data being supplied to the image data decoding program, the image data decoding program being arranged to decode the image data and to supply the login data decoded from the image data to the communication client program to set up the camera as an authorised device accessible by the user via the network.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2007
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2012
    Assignee: Skype Limited
    Inventor: Ian Anderson
  • Patent number: 8081738
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, an apparatus accommodates a telephone terminal and an emergency call terminal, wherein the telephone terminal is associated with the first video camera and a first display, the emergency call terminal is associated with a second video camera and a second display, and the apparatus further includes a determination processor determines whether or not a call generated from the telephone terminal is an emergency call, a visual link former forms an image communication link between the first video camera and the second display to display an image captured by the first video camera on the second display if the determination processor determines the call is the emergency call, and a voice link former forms a voice communication link between the telephone terminal and the emergency call terminal when the emergency call terminal performs a response to the call after the image communication link is formed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 20, 2011
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Nobuyuki Takeda, Yasumasa Sasaki, Koji Shima
  • Patent number: 8069206
    Abstract: Disclosed herein are teleconferencing devices having remote access monitoring and control functions, and network systems and methods including and using the same. Also disclosed herein are methods for interacting with teleconferencing devices over an HTTP or other network service utilizing a persistent network connection and systems which implement the methods. Also disclosed are systems that permit clients to select which types of information to be updated in real-time to conserve bandwidth. Detailed information on various example embodiments of the inventions are provided in the Detailed Description below, and the inventions are defined by the appended claims.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2005
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2011
    Assignee: Clearone Communications, Inc.
    Inventor: Rex E. McDonald, Jr.
  • Patent number: 8064827
    Abstract: To provide a center device for accommodating a variety of situations which may occur when a home-use game machine, or the like, is used, in which a plurality of users use their own controller devices such as an input device. A center device communicates between a plurality of controller devices, receives an instructing operation carried out by the user of each controller device, and executes processing according to the instructing operation. The center device selects at least one of the controller devices as a controller device to be authenticated from among the plurality of controller devices by utilizing communication with each of the plurality of controller devices, and conducts authentication processing relative to each of the controller devices while communicating with each of the selected controller device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 2006
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2011
    Assignee: Sony Computer Entertainment Inc.
    Inventors: Mariko Hino, Satoshi Hashimoto, Ken Kutaragi