Gesture Collaboration System Bandwidth Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current network collaboration systems face challenges in accurately simulating a face-to-face conference room setting due to bandwidth requirements and limitations in describing visual data, making it difficult for geographically separated users to collaborate effectively.
Innovation Solution
A collaboration input/output system that generates and transmits image data of a sensorless input object's location and orientation relative to a background surface, allowing superimposition of user gestures over common visual data across remote locations, using a gesture image system and transceiver to facilitate simultaneous collaboration.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If instant messaging, voice, and video data are transmitted for network collaboration, then users can communicate at remote locations, but large amounts of bandwidth are required
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts only the essential collaboration elements (gesture positions and orientations) from the complete visual scene, transmitting only this critical data rather than full video streams. This selective extraction reduces bandwidth consumption while preserving the core collaboration functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The system creates simplified graphical representations (copies) of gesture input objects that are superimposed on the shared display. These graphical copies convey the essential spatial information needed for collaboration without requiring transmission of complex video data.
2Adaptability or versatility
If instant messaging and video transfer are used for collaboration, then users can communicate remotely, but a lot of time and effort are required to describe visual data references
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical/verbal process of describing visual references with an automated graphical system. Gesture positions and orientations are automatically captured and displayed as graphical representations, eliminating the need for manual description and reducing communication time.
Solution Approach 2:
The system introduces graphical representations of gestures as an intermediary between the physical gesture and the shared visual data. This intermediary automatically conveys spatial reference information, replacing the need for verbal or text-based descriptions.
3Adaptability or versatility
If multiple users collaborate on the same visual data remotely, then geographical separation is enabled, but the collaboration cannot accurately simulate a face-to-face conference room setting
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses color-coded graphical representations to differentiate between multiple users' gestures. Each user's gesture is displayed with distinct visual characteristics, providing clear spatial information about each participant's actions and improving the fidelity of the remote collaboration experience.
Solution Approach 2:
The system adds spatial dimensionality to the collaboration interface by displaying gesture positions and orientations in the same visual space as the shared data. This creates a multi-dimensional representation that more closely simulates the spatial awareness of a physical conference room.
4Adaptability or versatility
If video data is transmitted for all users, then remote presence is achieved, but the amount of space available on computer monitors is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts only the essential spatial information (position and orientation) from each user's visual field and transmits only this data. This selective extraction allows multiple users to be represented simultaneously on limited display space without requiring full video feeds for each participant.
Solution Approach 2:
The system applies different levels of visual representation to different parts of the display. Full visual data is shown in the central workspace area, while user presence is represented by simplified graphical indicators at the periphery, optimizing the use of limited display real estate.
Data Source
AI summary
A system and method is provided for a collaboration input/output (I/O) system. The collaboration I/O system may comprise a display screen and a gesture image system. The gesture image system may be configured to generate image data associated with a location and an orientation of a first sensorless input object relative to a background surface. The collaboration I/O system may also comprise a transceiver. The transceiver could be configured to transmit the image data to at least one additional collaboration I/O system at at least one remote location. The transceiver can be further configured to receive image data from each of the at least one additional collaboration I/O system, such that the display screen can be configured to display the image data associated with a location and orientation of a sensorless input object associated with each of the at least one additional collaboration I/O system superimposed over a common image of visual data.