Patent ID: 6680745
Filing Date: 2004-01-20
Classification: H04N

Abstract:
A method of conducting a video conference among multiple participants, each at a location equipped with a camera and a display, respective locations being interconnected by a transmission network having finite bandwidth, comprising the steps of:generating in each camera an image defined within a frame, evaluating an image from said camera and automatically determining a location, within said image, of each face, and a relative size of said face within said image; automatically adjusting camera pointing direction and zoom, based upon a result of said face location determining step; automatically adjusting size of said face to substantially fill a frame generated by said camera; automatically optimizing brightness and contrast of a resulting image of said face, according to predetermined criteria; transmitting said optimized image to another participant in said video conference; and further comprising the steps of pointing multiple cameras at a face, evaluating resulting images from said multiple cameras according to predetermined criteria, and selecting a best one of said resulting images for transmission to said other participant.