Aligning Video Conference Speaker Windows with Camera Position
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Solution Overview
Problem
Video conferencing systems often fail to maintain digital eye contact between participants, leading to a poor user experience as the camera and speaker window alignment vary, causing participants to appear inattentive despite being engaged.
Innovation Solution
A method that determines the camera position and aligns the speaker participant window with it, ensuring that participants can appear to maintain eye contact by synchronizing the camera's line of sight with their view of the speaker, using a video conference alignment system that dynamically locks the speaker window to the camera's position.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the camera position is fixed and the speaker window position is variable, then the system flexibility is improved, but the digital eye contact alignment deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies dynamics by making the speaker window position adjustable rather than fixed. The system dynamically determines the optimal window position based on camera location and participant arrangement, allowing the window to move adaptively to maintain alignment with the camera while providing system flexibility for different configurations.
Solution Approach 2:
The system incorporates feedback mechanisms to detect camera position and participant window locations, then uses this information to automatically adjust and align the speaker window with the camera. This closed-loop approach ensures continuous maintenance of digital eye contact alignment while adapting to different system configurations.
2Ease of operation
If the speaker window is positioned to maximize visibility, then the viewing experience is improved, but the alignment with camera position deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the position parameter of the speaker window dynamically based on the camera position and participant arrangement. By adjusting the window position parameter to match the camera's spatial location, the system simultaneously optimizes viewing experience and maintains precise alignment, eliminating the trade-off between these two factors.
3Quantity of substance
If multiple participant windows are displayed, then the information density is improved, but the alignment precision with camera deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments the display into multiple participant windows while applying alignment precision selectively to the active speaker window. By dividing the display space into separate windows for different participants, the system can maintain high information density while ensuring that the currently active speaker window remains precisely aligned with the camera position.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies local quality by providing different display characteristics to different windows. While all windows display participant information, the active speaker window receives enhanced alignment treatment to ensure it is positioned precisely relative to the camera, while other windows can be positioned for optimal information density without compromising alignment precision.
Data Source
AI summary
In one example, a video conferencing method to align video conference participant windows is disclosed. The method determines a position of a camera that captures images of a video conference participant. The method determines which one of multiple participant windows is a speaker participant window and aligns the speaker participant window with the position of the camera. The method may capture user-input parameters of an area adjacent to the camera to position the speaker participant window.