Virtual Background Sharing Through Source Video Segmentation
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional conferencing software lacks the technical capabilities to enable sharing of virtual backgrounds between conference participants, limiting users to selecting from a predefined catalogue or using their own backgrounds without the ability to synchronize or spread a source participant's background to others.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a system that allows for the sharing of virtual backgrounds between conference participants by setting a target participant's background based on a source participant's background, utilizing a VBG software that includes tools for segmentation, replacement, and synchronization across a distributed computing system.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If conventional conferencing software uses a predefined catalogue of virtual backgrounds, then users have limited background options, but the system complexity remains low
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements copying by allowing conference participants to capture and reuse virtual backgrounds from other participants. The system captures the background portion of a source participant's video feed and applies it as a virtual background to target participants, enabling background replication without requiring a predefined catalogue or increasing system complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary mechanism through the conferencing software platform that mediates between participants' video feeds and their virtual background settings. The system acts as an intermediary by capturing background portions from source participants, processing them through image segmentation and replacement tools, and applying them to target participants, thereby enabling background sharing without direct participant intervention
2Productivity
If the system enables virtual background sharing between participants, then user engagement and consistency improve, but processing complexity and computational resources increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies segmentation by dividing the source participant's video feed into foreground (participant) and background portions using image segmentation tools. This segmentation enables the system to extract and apply only the background portion to target participants, reducing processing complexity by avoiding unnecessary computation on the entire video feed
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements extraction by isolating and removing the background portion from the source participant's video feed. The system uses image processing tools to extract the background, separate it from the foreground participant, and apply it independently to target participants, thereby simplifying the overall processing requirements
3Stability of the object's composition
If participants can set backgrounds based on other participants' backgrounds in real-time, then synchronization improves, but network bandwidth and processing load increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies partial action by transmitting and processing only the background portion of video feeds rather than complete video streams. The system captures, segments, and applies only the relevant background portions to target participants, reducing network bandwidth consumption and processing load while maintaining background synchronization
Data Source
AI summary
Managing virtual backgrounds (VBGs) during a virtual conference is disclosed. A background-setting request associated with a target conference participant is received. The background-setting request relates to a source conference participant whose device uses a VBG image. A replacement VBG is obtained based on the VBG image used at the device of the source conference participant. The replacement VBG is then used to set a VBG for the target conference participant.