Patent ID: 6522325
Filing Date: 2003-02-18
Classification: G03B,G06F,H04N

Abstract:
A telepresence system for providing a first user with a first display of an environment and a second user with a second display of the environment, the system comprising:an array of cameras, each camera having an associated view of the environment and an associated camera output representing the associated view, the array including at least one camera path wherein each path is defined by a series of cameras having progressively different perspectives of the environment; a first user interface device associated with the first user having first user inputs associated with movement along a first path in the array; a second user interface device associated with the second user having second user inputs associated with movement along a second path in the array; at least one processing element coupled to the user interface devices for receiving user inputs, the processing element configured to: interpret received first user inputs and select outputs of cameras in the first path, mix the outputs of cameras in the first path in accordance with the received first user inputs by sequentially mosaicing the selected outputs of cameras in the first path and interpret received second inputs and select outputs of cameras in the second path independently of the first inputs, mix the outputs of cameras in the second path in accordance with the received second user inputs by sequentially mosaicing the selected outputs of cameras in the second path, thereby allowing the first user and second user to navigate simultaneously and independently through the array.