Systems and Methods for Enhancing Teleconferencing Collaboration
An advanced video teleconferencing system facilitates an engaging and realistic video conferencing experience. Key design elements and video, audio, and control capabilities are provided for a video conferencing experience that cannot be attained with conventional methods, which elements and capabilities include careful design of the table and room at each site, supplementary displays showing imagery in a mirrored manner, networked environmental control, an AutoDirector with keyword and gesture recognition, and audio reflection from a display or beam splitter.
1 . A one-person video teleconferencing station, comprising:
a display;
a beam splitter positioned within said station in front of said display to reflect an image of a local participant;
a video camera positioned above said beam splitter to capture said image of a local participant as reflected from a front surface of said beam splitter;
wherein said participant views said display through said beam splitter; and
a speaker mounted such that sound emanating from said speaker is reflected by said beam splitter towards said participant, providing an illusion that said sound originates from the center of said video display, coincident with imagery of remote participants.