Granted Patent B2

US 12,323,739 · App. 18/448,416 · Granted Jun 3, 2025

Inventors: Siegfried Fößel (Erlangen, DE); Angela Raguse-Fößel (Erlangen, DE)

Assignee: FRAUNHOFER-GESELLSCHAFT ZUR FÖRDERUNG DER ANGEWANDTEN FORSCHUNG E.V.

H04N7/157

Abstract

Claims (73)

1. A video conference apparatus,

wherein the video conference apparatus is configured to reproduce videos of a plurality of video conference participants in a plurality of video reproduction spaces that are arranged in a spatial virtual reality environment and that can provide different views and depths information for objects or scene by a renderer, and

wherein the video conference apparatus is configured to render the spatial virtual reality environment with the video reproduction spaces to a total image for a single video conference participant;

wherein the video conference apparatus is configured to render the spatial virtual reality environment with the video reproduction spaces viewed from a variable observation point;

wherein the video conference apparatus is configured to adjust the variable observation point depending on observation information or depending on angle information;

wherein the video conference apparatus is configured to adjust the variable observation point depending on observation information or depending on angle information, such that the variable observation point is selectable or displaceable by a user along a predetermined curve in the virtual reality environment,

such that there is a predefined path along which the variable observation point can be moved,

wherein a movement along the predetermined curve is controlled by a one-dimensional user input; and

wherein for each position along the predetermined curve in the virtual reality environment, a corresponding observer viewing direction is defined.

2. The video conference apparatus according to claim 1 ,

wherein the video reproduction spaces are orientated differently.

3. The video conference apparatus according to claim 1 ,

wherein the video conference apparatus is configured to adjust an observer position depending on a user input, and

to render the spatial virtual reality environment with the video reproduction spaces depending on the observer position.

4. The video conference apparatus according to claim 1 ,

wherein the video conference apparatus is configured to adjust an observer viewing direction depending on a user input, and

to render the spatial virtual reality environment with the video reproduction spaces depending on the observer viewing direction.

5. The video conference apparatus according to claim 1 ,

wherein the video conference apparatus is configured to, depending on a user input, selectively render one or several video reproduction spaces that are each associated with other users.

6. The video conference apparatus according to claim 1 ,

wherein the video conference apparatus is configured to arrange the video reproduction spaces along a contour.

7. The video conference apparatus according to claim 1 ,

wherein the video conference apparatus is configured to arrange the video reproduction spaces along a circle or along an oval or along a square or along a rectangle.

8. The video conference apparatus according to claim 1 ,

wherein the video conference apparatus is configured to arrange the video reproduction spaces at user locations in the spatial virtual reality environment.

9. The video conference apparatus according to claim 1 ,

wherein the video conference apparatus is configured to acquire one or several observation parameters, and to render the spatial virtual reality environment with the video reproduction spaces depending on the one or several observation parameters.

10. The video conference apparatus according to claim 9 ,

wherein the observation parameters comprise a rotation angle or a zoom factor.

11. The video conference apparatus according to claim 1 ,

wherein the video conference apparatus is configured to render, with an adjustable viewing direction or an adjustable zoom factor, the spatial virtual reality environment with the video reproduction spaces viewed from a predetermined observation point.

12. The video conference apparatus according to claim 1 ,

wherein the video conference apparatus is configured to adjust the variable observation point depending on observer position information, and

wherein the video conference apparatus is configured to adjust an observer viewing direction depending on the observer position information.

13. The video conference apparatus according to claim 12 ,

wherein the video conference apparatus is configured to adjust the observer viewing direction depending on the observer position information such that

the observer viewing direction is perpendicular, with a tolerance of +/−10 degrees, to a direction along which the variable observation point moves, or

the observer viewing direction is perpendicular, with a tolerance of +/−10 degrees, to a curve along which the variable observation point moves.

14. The video conference apparatus according to claim 12 ,

wherein the video conference apparatus is configured to adjust the observer viewing direction depending on the observer position information such that

the observer viewing direction is directed to an inside of a curve along which the variable observation point moves depending on the observer position information, or

the observer viewing direction is directed to a center of a curve along which the variable observation point moves depending on the observer position information.

15. The video conference apparatus according to claim 12 ,

wherein the video conference apparatus is configured to adjust the observer viewing direction depending on the observer position information such that

the observer viewing direction is directed to a video reproduction area opposite the variable observation point or to a video reproduction space opposite the variable observation point.

16. The video conference apparatus according to claim 1 ,

wherein the video conference apparatus is configured to render acoustic signals from one or several video conference participants according to the arrangement of the video reproduction areas or video reproduction spaces associated with the video conference participants in the spatial virtual reality environment.

17. A video conference method,

wherein the method comprises reproducing videos of a plurality of video conference participants in video reproduction spaces that are arranged in a spatial virtual reality environment and that can provide different views and depths information for objects or scene;

wherein the spatial virtual reality environment with the reproduction spaces is rendered viewed from a variable observation point;

wherein the variable observation point is adjusted depending on observation information or depending on angle information;

wherein the variable observation point is adjusted depending on observation information or depending on angle information, such that the variable observation point is selectable or displaceable by a user along a predetermined curve in the virtual reality environment,

such that there is a predefined path along which the variable observation point can be moved,

wherein a movement along the predetermined curve is controlled by a one-dimensional user input; and

wherein for each position along the predetermined curve in the virtual reality environment, a corresponding observer viewing direction is defined.

18. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing a computing program for performing a video conference method,

wherein the method comprises reproducing videos of a plurality of video conference participants in video reproduction spaces that are arranged in a spatial virtual reality environment, and that can provide different views and depths information for objects or scene;

wherein the spatial virtual reality environment with the reproduction spaces is rendered viewed from a variable observation point;

wherein the variable observation point is adjusted depending on observation information or depending on angle information;

wherein the variable observation point is adjusted depending on observation information or depending on angle information, such that the variable observation point is selectable or displaceable by a user along a predetermined curve in the virtual reality environment,

such that there is a predefined path along which the variable observation point can be moved,

wherein a movement along the predetermined curve is controlled by a one-dimensional user input; and

wherein for each position along the predetermined curve in the virtual reality environment, a corresponding observer viewing direction is defined,

when the computer program is executed on a computer.

19. A video conference apparatus,

wherein the video conference apparatus is configured to reproduce videos of a plurality of video conference participants on a plurality of video reproduction areas or video reproduction spaces that are arranged in a spatial virtual reality environment, and

wherein the video conference apparatus is configured to render the spatial virtual reality environment with the video reproduction areas or video reproduction spaces to a total image for a single video conference participant;

wherein the video conference apparatus is configured to render the spatial virtual reality environment with the video reproduction areas or the video reproduction spaces viewed from a variable observation point;

wherein the video conference apparatus is configured to adjust the variable observation point depending on observer position information, and

wherein the video conference apparatus is configured to adjust an observer viewing direction depending on the observer position information;

wherein the video conference apparatus is configured to adjust the observer viewing direction depending on the observer position information such that

the observer viewing direction is perpendicular, with a tolerance of +/−10 degrees, to a direction along which the variable observation point moves, or

the observer viewing direction is perpendicular, with a tolerance of +/−10 degrees, to a curve along which the variable observation point moves.

Assignments (1)

Continuity (3)

References Cited (19)