Virtual Roundtable System Using Spatialized Audio and Video
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current video conferencing techniques require dedicated physical space and permanent equipment, leading to high installation and maintenance costs, and do not provide an immersive experience for remote participants.
Innovation Solution
The virtual roundtable (VRT) system allows geographically separated participants to collaborate using standard workstations, employing image morphing techniques and head-related transfer functions (HRTFs) to deliver spatialized video and audio streams, creating an immersive experience without the need for costly technology upgrades.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If dedicated physical space and permanent video conferencing equipment are used, then video conference calling can be conducted, but installation and maintenance costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a virtual copy of a physical conference room environment using software-based virtual reality technology. Instead of requiring actual physical conference rooms and dedicated hardware, the system renders a virtual 3D environment that replicates the collaborative experience, thereby eliminating the need for expensive physical infrastructure while maintaining the core functionality of face-to-face communication
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical/physical system of dedicated conference rooms and permanent equipment with a software-based virtual reality system. The virtual environment is generated through computer graphics and can be accessed from any standard workstation, substituting physical infrastructure with digital simulation
2Ease of manufacture
If standard workstations are used for virtual collaboration, then equipment costs are reduced, but immersive experience is compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from traditional 2D video conferencing interfaces to a full 3D virtual reality environment. By adding the third dimension and spatial depth, participants are immersed in a realistic conference room setting where avatars are positioned around a virtual table, creating a much more engaging and natural collaborative experience that standard 2D screens cannot provide
Solution Approach 2:
The patent fundamentally changes the spatial and visual parameters of the user interface by implementing a 360-degree virtual environment with dynamic camera angles, spatial audio, and realistic lighting. These parameter changes transform the ordinary workstation experience into an immersive virtual presence, making participants feel as though they are truly in the same physical space
3Ease of operation
If spatialized video and audio streams are delivered using image morphing and HRTFs, then immersive collaboration is achieved, but processing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent pre-calculates and stores head-related transfer functions (HRTFs) for various spatial positions before runtime. These pre-computed audio filters are then applied in real-time based on the user's head orientation and avatar positions, significantly reducing the computational burden during actual video conferences while maintaining high-fidelity spatial audio immersion
Data Source
AI summary
Systems and methods for virtual collaboration between participants in remote locations are provided. A system can include a computing device, a display, a plurality of cameras, a microphone, at least one speaker or headset, a sensor, and a computer-readable medium having software stored thereon for generating a virtual roundtable experience for the user.