Patent · US Expired

Virtual space teleconference system

US4400724A · kind A · utility

174Cited by
6References
17Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventor

Key dates

Filing dateJun 8, 1981
Grant dateAug 23, 1983
Priority date
Expiry dateJun 8, 2001

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH04N7/15
  • WIPO fieldAudio-visual technology
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A teleconference system for N conferees, N being greater than two, includes at least two separate stations. Each station has N conferee positions, confronting a virtual conference space, and corresponding conferee positions at each station have the same relative locations about the virtual conference space. At least one conferee position at each station is adapted to be occupied by a conferee in person. Surrogate conferees, which include a video display, a video camera, and a loudspeaker, occupy each conferee position not adapted to be occupied by a conferee in person. Each video display faces one conferee and displays the image of another conferee at a corresponding position at another station; the loudspeaker reproduces the voice of the other conferee. The video camera forms image signals of the one conferee and couples these signals to the display device of a surrogate conferee at a conferee position corresponding to the position of the one conferee at the other station. The system includes a shared graphic display system. A video display device is positioned at the center of the virtual conference space and has a display screen at about the level of a table top. A target area f…

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.