Tabletop Camera System for Meeting Document Retrieval
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current document management systems fail to efficiently retrieve and provide relevant documents and person information in a meeting or office setting, particularly when participants lack access to computers or devices, leading to cumbersome processes for printing or sharing documents.
Innovation Solution
A system utilizing a fisheye lens camera for people recognition and a high-resolution camera for document capture, processing images to generate queries for a database, and producing interactive visualizations of ranked lists of people and documents based on two-mode networks, allowing for easy access and retrieval of documents without needing a computer.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If traditional document management systems are used, then documents can be stored and retrieved from a database, but participants without computer access cannot easily retrieve or share documents during meetings
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary system consisting of cameras, processors, and display devices that mediate between the document management database and meeting participants. The camera system captures images of documents and participants, the processor analyzes these images to identify documents and people, and the display presents relevant information to participants without requiring direct computer access. This intermediary layer enables document retrieval and sharing functionality for participants who would otherwise be excluded.
Solution Approach 2:
The system enables self-service document retrieval by automatically detecting documents and participants in the meeting environment. The camera system continuously monitors the meeting area, the processor automatically identifies documents and extracts text, and the system automatically determines relevant documents based on participant identities and document content. This eliminates the need for participants to manually navigate computer systems to find documents, as the system serves itself by autonomously identifying and presenting relevant information.
2Productivity
If physical copies of documents are printed for meetings, then all participants can access documents, but the process is cumbersome when additional copies are needed during the meeting
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary action by continuously capturing images of documents and participants before the meeting needs additional documents. The camera system is actively monitoring the meeting environment, the processor is pre-analyzing document content and participant identities, and the system is pre-determining which documents are most relevant. When a participant needs a document during the meeting, the system can immediately retrieve and display relevant documents without requiring time-consuming preparation, as all this work has been completed in advance.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical process of physically printing and distributing document copies with a digital system that uses cameras, processors, and display devices. Instead of mechanically producing physical copies through printers, the system optically captures document images, digitally processes and analyzes the content, and electronically presents the documents to participants. This substitution eliminates the time-consuming physical printing process and enables instantaneous document retrieval and sharing.
3Measurement precision
If deep learning face detection algorithms are used, then faces at different poses and with distortion can be detected, but the system cannot easily recognize participants in typical meeting configurations
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by using different detection and recognition strategies for different elements in the image. For document text, the system uses optical character recognition (OCR) specifically optimized for reading text content. For participant identification, the system uses face detection and recognition algorithms specifically tuned for meeting configurations. This localized approach allows each component to be optimized for its specific function rather than using a single universal algorithm, improving both measurement precision and ease of operation.
Data Source
AI summary
Systems and methods directed to utilizing a first camera system to capture first images of one or more people in proximity to a tabletop; utilizing a second camera system to capture second images of one or more documents in proximity to the tabletop; generating a query for a database derived from people recognition conducted on the first images and text extraction on the second images; determining a first ranked list of people and a second ranked list of documents based on results of the query, the results based on a calculated ranked list of two-mode networks; and providing an interface on a display to access information about one or more people from the first ranked list of people and one or more documents from the second ranked list of documents.