Immersive Portal Network Architecture for Remote Eye Contact

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current communication technologies face challenges such as limited access, poor recording and transmission quality, language barriers, safety concerns, and high costs, making immersive and direct communication across vast geographic or ideological divides difficult, especially in facilitating eye contact between users.

Innovation Solution

The development of a network architecture for temporary communication structures that deploy easily and cost-effectively, using identical portal structures with optimized camera and lighting configurations to create an immersive audio-visual experience, enabling life-size, real-time communication with direct eye contact across remote locations.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If standard laptop or computer screens are used for communication, then accessibility is improved, but immersion and real-time face-to-face experience deteriorate

Engineering Contradiction:

ImproveaccessibilityVSAvoidimmersion quality

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent uses projection to create a life-size copy of the remote participant's image on a flat screen, transforming a small computer screen display into a full-scale visual representation that enables face-to-face immersion while maintaining accessibility through standard computing devices

Inventive Principle:

Principle #26Copying

Solution Approach 2:

The patent transitions from two-dimensional small screen displays to a three-dimensional immersive environment by projecting life-size images onto large flat screens, adding the dimension of physical scale and spatial presence to the communication experience

Inventive Principle:

Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

2Reliability

If telepresence videoconference systems are used, then immersion experience is improved, but cost deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveimmersion experienceVSAvoidcost

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces expensive telepresence hardware with a cost-effective configuration using standard computers, projectors, and flat screens, creating an affordable immersive communication system that achieves similar effects through software-based image projection and manipulation

Inventive Principle:

Principle #27Cheap short-living objects (Disposable)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent substitutes complex mechanical telepresence systems with a simplified optical system using projectors and flat screens, replacing expensive specialized hardware with more accessible components that achieve the same immersive effect through digital image projection

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

3Area of stationary object

If multiple cameras are used to collect images of multiple persons, then coverage is improved, but image quality and eye contact capability deteriorate

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecoverage areaVSAvoidimage quality

Core Design Contradiction:

Area of stationary objectVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts the essential function of image capture from complex multi-camera systems, using a single camera positioned at eye level to capture the remote participant's image, which is then projected life-size to provide both adequate coverage and high image quality with proper eye contact alignment

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

4Ease of operation

If camera is located off to the side or above the screen, then technical constraints are satisfied, but eye contact capability deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvetechnical feasibilityVSAvoideye contact capability

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent positions the camera at eye level and uses image processing to pre-align the projected image so that the remote participant's eyes appear to look directly at the local participant, establishing proper eye contact geometry before the communication begins

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentUS10015444B1Network architecture for immersive audio-visual communications by temporary communication structures

Publication Date: 2018.07.03 SHARED SPACE STUDIOS INC

AI summary

This invention is directed to improving communication among people at remote locations, accomplished at low cost, by communication schemes involving “portal” structures, “channels” and “phonos.” The portal structures are mobile and easily deployed to the remote locations, for quick assembly and use, creating an audio-visual immersive communication experience for its users. A portal network architecture includes a plurality of portals located in different remote locations, configured to provide identical spaces that facilitate audio-video, immersive conferencing among users at the various portal sites. The portal interiors include favorable lighting and camera configurations to facilitate display of life-size, realistic, and planar images of the users while maintaining eye contact between them. The “channels” facilitate viewing of landscape from a distance and “phonos” implementations provide an unmediated aural link between different locations, enabling both real-time conversation and transmission of ambient sounds.