Method and Design for Optimum Camera and Display Alignment of Center of the Room Video Conferencing Systems

摘要

Systems for videoconferencing are designed for where people are seated around a video conferencing system. The systems include a camera so the far site can see the local participants and the systems include displays that show the far site. The displays are properly aligned with the cameras so that when people at the far site view the displayed images of the near site, it looks like they have eye contact with the near site. Obtaining the alignments of the camera and the displays to provide this apparent eye contact result requires meeting a series of different constraints relating to the various sizes and angles of the components and the locations of the participants.

主权项

1. A videoconferencing unit comprising:
a base structure adaptable for placement on a planar surface; a camera device coupled to the base structure, the camera device having a first height along a first line orthogonal to the base structure; a first display surface having a central region, the central region having a second height along a second line parallel to the first line, the second height shorter than the first height, wherein the camera device is configured to capture image data such that when the eyes of a participant are at a point within a predetermined distance from the central portion of the first display surface, and a third line orthogonal to the display surface forms an acute angle with a fourth line from the camera device intersecting the point, the captured image data corresponding to the eyes is renderable to a second display surface so as to be perceivable as making eye contact with a viewer; and the angle so formed is greater than zero degrees and less than or equal to twenty degrees.