Adaptive Zoom Control in Digital Meetings
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for managing remote zoom in real-time communication sessions in communications networks do not effectively control who can zoom into what objects and to what extent, leading to potential privacy issues and poor video quality due to pixelation.
Innovation Solution
A method and apparatus that control the zoom level of a video stream by determining the type of digital meeting and identifying faces and objects in the stream, allowing or denying zoom requests based on predefined criteria to ensure privacy and maintain video quality.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If digital zoom is used to zoom into video streams, then the ability to view detailed content is improved, but video quality deteriorates due to pixelation
Solution Approach 1:
The video stream is segmented into multiple quality levels (first quality level and second quality level) corresponding to different zoom levels. The system transmits a first video stream at the first quality level for normal viewing and a second video stream at the second quality level for zoomed-in viewing, allowing users to select the appropriate quality level without degrading overall video quality.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically changes the quality parameter of the video stream based on the requested zoom level. When zoom is requested, the system switches to transmitting a second video stream with higher quality parameters (higher resolution) than the first video stream, thereby maintaining video quality while enabling detailed viewing.
2Manufacturing precision
If automatic adaptive zoom is implemented, then video quality is preserved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The encoding device automatically determines when to transmit different quality levels based on zoom requests without requiring manual intervention. The system self-manages the switching between first and second video streams based on detected zoom actions, reducing the need for complex user interfaces while maintaining quality.
Solution Approach 2:
The system prepares multiple video streams at different quality levels in advance. The encoding device encodes video at both the first quality level and the second (higher) quality level, so when zoom is requested, the higher quality stream is already available for immediate transmission without delay.
3Adaptability or versatility
If remote zoom control is allowed for any object, then user flexibility is improved, but privacy issues arise
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies different quality levels to different regions of the video stream. When zoom is requested on a specific region (e.g., a person's face), the system provides enhanced quality for that local region while maintaining appropriate quality for the rest of the stream, allowing selective zoom control without compromising overall privacy.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses feedback from the decoding device about which regions require zooming to dynamically adjust the transmission strategy. Based on this feedback, the encoding device determines whether to transmit higher quality streams for specific regions, thereby controlling privacy exposure based on actual user needs rather than allowing unrestricted zoom.
Data Source
AI summary
A video stream is provided by a first meeting device. The video stream is displayed at least in a second meeting device in a visual digital meeting. The video stream is provided by a camera targeted towards an environment of a user of the first meeting device. A message is received from the second meeting device. The message includes a request for zooming the displayed video stream to be displayed at the second meeting device. A type of the visual digital meeting determined and any face and/or object present anywhere in the video stream provided by the camera is identified. It is then decided whether the request for zooming fulfils a first criteria based on the determined type and any identified face and/or object present. When the request fulfils the first criteria the requested zooming is allowed, and when the request does not fulfil the requested zooming is denied.