Adaptive Video Capture for Privacy and Context
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current video communication systems are not adequately optimized for residential environments, lacking in user interface improvements, image capture technology, and privacy management, which hinders seamless and adaptive video conferencing experiences in dynamic home settings.
Innovation Solution
A video communication system that includes image capture devices capable of wide and narrow field of view capture, an audio subsystem, a privacy interface for managing local scene privacy, and a contextual interface for managing image capture, enabling user identification and adaptive adjustments based on scene analysis algorithms to ensure privacy and contextually appropriate image transmission.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If video communication systems use wide field of view capture to capture more environmental context, then the contextual information is improved, but privacy sensitivity increases due to capturing more personal spaces
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the field of view into multiple zones (first field of view and second field of view) with different privacy levels. The first field of view captures broader environmental context while the second field of view focuses on more personal spaces. This segmentation allows the system to capture contextual information selectively without unnecessarily capturing privacy-sensitive areas, thus resolving the contradiction between contextual information and privacy sensitivity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies different image capture qualities and processing to different spatial zones. High-resolution capture is applied to areas requiring detail while lower resolution or obscured capture is applied to privacy-sensitive zones. This local differentiation allows the system to maintain contextual awareness through varied capture strategies without uniformly compromising privacy across the entire field of view.
2Reliability
If video communication systems capture detailed image data for better communication quality, then the communication quality is improved, but the data processing complexity and bandwidth requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts only the essential visual information needed for effective communication by identifying and capturing key elements within the field of view. Rather than transmitting complete high-resolution images of entire scenes, the system extracts and transmits only the necessary visual data portions, thereby maintaining communication quality while reducing processing complexity and bandwidth requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements partial image capture by focusing on specific regions of interest within the broader field of view. The system captures detailed images only of areas containing relevant communication elements while using lower resolution or selective capture for other areas, thus achieving adequate communication quality without the excessive processing burden of capturing and processing complete high-definition scenes.
3Adaptability or versatility
If video communication systems use multiple cameras to capture different fields of view, then the adaptability is improved, but the system cost and complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a single camera system capable of performing multiple functions that would traditionally require separate devices. The camera can dynamically adjust its field of view, capture different zones with different privacy settings, and adapt to various communication scenarios without requiring multiple physical cameras. This multi-functionality achieves field of view adaptability while avoiding the cost and complexity of multiple camera systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs dynamic field of view adjustment where a single camera can change its capture parameters, focal length, and viewing angle in real-time based on communication needs. This dynamic capability allows the system to adapt between wide environmental context capture and focused personal space capture, providing the versatility of multiple cameras through a single adaptable device, thereby reducing system complexity while maintaining adaptability.
Data Source
AI summary
Video communication systems and methods for operating the same are provided with the method determining privacy settings for a video communication event; establishing a video communication link with a video communication system at a remote site; capturing video images of a field of view of at least one image capture device; determining a video context based at least in part upon a determined contextual classification for the communication event; analyzing the captured video images to identify privacy sensitive areas in the captured video images, using a scene analysis algorithm which examines a content of the video images and image context characteristics of the video images based upon the determined privacy settings; modifying the image characteristics in identified privacy sensitive image areas of captured video images, to control the image and image context characteristics to an extent consistent with the determined privacy settings; and transmitting the modified video images.