Multi-Screen Video Conferencing With Spatial Audio Routing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Hybrid video conferences often result in spatial disconnection between in-room and remote participants, leading to a diminished meeting experience and inequity among participants, with remote participants struggling to engage effectively.
Innovation Solution
A video conference system that assigns each remote client device to a specific in-room client device, managing speaker and microphone interactions to ensure that audio streams are directed through the pinned in-room device, providing a natural spatial experience and representation for remote participants.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If multiple remote participants are connected to a single in-room display, then the system complexity is reduced, but the spatial connection and engagement experience deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the single in-room display into multiple virtual display regions, each assigned to a specific remote participant. This segmentation allows multiple remote participants to be simultaneously connected to a single physical in-room display while maintaining individual spatial relationships and engagement experiences, resolving the contradiction between system simplicity and spatial connection quality.
2Reliability
If audio from all participants is played through all in-room speakers, then complete audio coverage is achieved, but noise interference and difficulty in identifying active speaker increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent enables selective audio routing where audio from each remote participant is played through specific in-room speakers associated with their assigned display region. This local quality approach ensures that in-room participants can clearly identify the active speaker while maintaining comprehensive audio coverage, resolving the contradiction between complete audio coverage and noise interference.
3Ease of operation
If remote participants are displayed on separate in-room devices, then spatial representation is improved, but the quantity of devices required increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a virtual dimension by creating multiple virtual display regions within a single physical display device. This allows the system to provide spatial representation for multiple remote participants without increasing the physical number of devices, effectively resolving the contradiction between spatial representation and device quantity by adding a virtual layer to the physical system.
Data Source
AI summary
Systems and methods for configuring an arrangement of client devices to create a multi-screen video conference in a meeting room. A server can assign each client device of a first set of client devices to a respective client device of a second set of client devices. The server can provide, for presentation on each of the second set of client devices, a respective user interface comprising a region to display a video stream received from the corresponding assigned client device. The server can detect audio input from a first client device of the first set of client devices, wherein the first client device is assigned to a second client device of the second set of client devices. The server can then enable a speaker coupled to the second client device and disable a speaker coupled to a third client device of the second set of client devices.