Single Wide Camera Videoconferencing Telepresence Alignment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional telepresence systems using multiple cameras often experience misalignment and variations in camera parameters over time, leading to a non-seamless composite image at the far end, which can be distracting for participants.
Innovation Solution
A videoconferencing system employing a single high-resolution, wide aspect ratio camera with a wide angle lens captures a full frame image, which is then divided into non-overlapping portions encoded by multiple codecs, ensuring alignment and uniformity, even with changes in camera orientation, and controlled by a controller that adjusts camera properties and encodes images for display on adjacent screens.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Area of moving object
If multiple cameras are used to capture all participants, then the field of view coverage is improved, but image alignment and seamlessness deteriorate over time due to camera mount orientation changes
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the full-frame image from a single camera into multiple non-overlapping portions, each assigned to a separate codec for independent encoding. This segmentation allows the system to maintain alignment by processing discrete regions from a stable source rather than relying on multiple physical cameras that drift apart.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent combines multiple encoded portions from a single camera source into a unified composite image displayed across multiple screens. By merging data from one stable camera rather than synchronizing multiple independent cameras, the system achieves seamless alignment while maintaining comprehensive field of view coverage.
2Manufacturing precision
If multiple cameras are mounted on fixed mounts, then the initial image alignment is improved, but reliability deteriorates over time due to vibrations, temperature changes, and physical contact altering camera orientation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a single full-frame image capture from one camera that serves as the master source, then generates multiple encoded versions of portions of this same image. This copying approach ensures all displayed portions originate from the same stable source frame, eliminating drift issues that affect systems relying on multiple independent camera mounts.
3Area of moving object
If multiple cameras are used, then the coverage of all participants is improved, but device complexity increases due to multiple camera mounts and alignment mechanisms
Solution Approach 1:
The patent makes a single camera perform the function of multiple cameras by capturing a full-frame image that encompasses the entire conference room. This universal approach allows one camera to replace several cameras, reducing device complexity while maintaining comprehensive coverage through the full-frame capture and multi-portion encoding strategy.
4Adaptability or versatility
If camera parameters are adjusted over time, then adaptability to different scenes is improved, but manufacturing precision deteriorates as focus, lens settings, and gain differ between cameras
Solution Approach 1:
The patent ensures homogeneity across all displayed portions by encoding them from a single full-frame image captured with uniform camera parameters. Since all portions originate from the same source frame with consistent focus, lens settings, and gain, the resulting composite image maintains uniform color, brightness, and quality across all regions, eliminating the heterogeneity that arises from adjusting multiple independent cameras.
Data Source
AI summary
A videoconferencing system for enhanced telepresence employs a single wide aspect ratio high resolution camera for capturing video images of near end conference participants. Captured video image can be divided into adjacent portions, where video images corresponding to each portion is separately encoded and sent to a far end videoconferencing system to be displayed on adjacently placed display devices. Misalignment in displayed images at the far end can be mitigated by selecting portions that are non-overlapping and horizontally aligned. Number and size of the portions can be determined based on configuration information of the far end videoconferencing system.