Television – Two-way video and voice communication – User positioning
Reexamination Certificate
1998-03-04
2001-01-09
Kuntz, Curtis A. (Department: 2743)
Television
Two-way video and voice communication
User positioning
C348S026000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06172703
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
(a) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a video conference system and control method thereof and, more particularly, to a video conference system and control method thereof which allows conferencees to communicate by making eye contact with each other.
(b) Description of the Related Art
In today's technological society, computers have become as an essential office machine. Although at first it has been used only for word processing and data management, it is now being used more and more as a communication medium. Computers were first used merely to send and receive email. Recently, they have been used as Internet phone. Now, video conference using computers is predicted to be the next revolutionary use of computers.
A video conference system is shown in FIG.
11
. The system has a camera
91
placed on top
94
a
of a monitor
94
. The camera
91
may also be placed on top-right
93
a
of a main frame
93
or top-left
93
b
of the main frame
93
. A microphone
92
is usually placed on the right side of the main frame
93
. The video conference system may also use an input device which includes both a microphone
101
and a camera lens
102
, whereby a video signal and an audio signal are output together by the input device.
In the video conference system, the camera
91
is placed above, on the monitor
94
, or below, on the main frame
93
, of the line of vision of a user. Therefore, a person on the other end would see the user's image which is looking down or up and not making eye contact with the person. As a result, video conferencees would feel that their counterparts are talking to someone else and not to them.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
A primary object of the present invention is to solve the problems associated with the above-referenced related art.
It is another object to provide an improved video conference system.
It is still another object to provide a video conference system which provides realistic feel of communication between video conferencees by allowing them to make eye contact.
A video conference system constructed as an embodiment of the present invention include an input device for detecting images and outputting a first video signal, the input device being adjustable to align it to the line of vision of a user; a main frame for transmitting the first video signal output by the input device to a computer on the other end, and for receiving a second video signal from the computer on the other end and outputting a video control signal to enable reproduction of the second video signal; and a monitor for receiving the video control signal of the main frame and reproducing images corresponding to the second video signal on its display area.
According to anther aspect of the present invention, a video conference system includes a stand-type input device for detecting images and outputting a first video signal, the stand-type input device which may be moved to align it to the line of vision of a user; a main frame for transmitting the first video signal output by the input device to a computer on the other end, and for receiving a second video signal from the computer on the other end and outputting a video control signal to enable reproduction of the second video signal; and a monitor for receiving the video control signal of the main frame and reproducing images corresponding to the second video signal on a display area of the monitor not blocked by the stand-type input device.
According to yet another aspect of the present invention, a video conference system includes a retractable input device for detecting images and outputting a first video sign, the retractable input device whose length may be adjusted to align it to the line of vision of a user; a main frame for transmitting the first video signal output by the input device to a computer on the other end, and for receiving a second video signal from the computer on the other end and outputting a video control signal to enable reproduction of the second video signal; and a monitor for receiving the video control signal of the main frame and reproducing images corresponding to the second video signal on its display area.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5318257 (1994-06-01), Tani
patent: 5404182 (1995-04-01), Nomura
patent: 5557663 (1996-09-01), Huang et al.
patent: 5612733 (1997-03-01), Flohr
patent: 5815197 (1998-09-01), Kakii
Eng George
Kuntz Curtis A.
Robert E. Bushnell, Esq.
Samsung Electronics Co,. Ltd.
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