Movable Audio/Video Communication Interface System

Abstract

A system that includes a desk top assembly of a display and sensors mounted on a robotic arm. The arm moves the assembly so that it remains within position and orientation tolerances relative to the user's head as the user looks around. Near-field speaker arrays supply audio and a microphone array senses a user's voice. Filters are applied to head motion to reduce latency for arm's tracking of the head. The system is full duplex with other systems allowing immersive collaboration. Lighting and sound generation take place close to the user's head. A haptic interface device allows the user to grab the display/sensor array and move it about. Motion acts as a planar selection device for 3D data. Planar force feedback allows a user to “feel” the data. Users see not only each other through display windows, but can also see the positions and orientations of each others' planar selections of shared 3D models or data.

1 . A system, comprising: multiple input/output systems coupled together to provide a view of a common scene from perspectives of each of the systems, each system comprising:
 a display/sensor assembly presenting the view to a viewer and sensing a user position and user viewpoint;   a robotic arm coupled to the assembly and providing display position and orientation information; and   a computer determining the view responsive to the user position and viewpoint, producing a display responsive to the position and viewpoint, comparing the user position to position range limits and producing robot motion control information to keep the user position within the range limits, the robotic arm moving and orienting the assembly responsive to the motion control information.   
   
   
       2 . A system as recited in  claim 1 , wherein each assembly includes a video sensor array capturing a multiple view image of a first user and the system displays the image of the first user via the assembly of a second user. 
   
   
       3 . A system as recited in  claim 2 , wherein the image displayed via the assembly of the second user comprises a compound portraiture of the face of the first user. 
   
   
       4 . A system as recited in  claim 1 , wherein each assembly includes a sound sensor array and a speaker array and said system captures a sound of a first user via the sound sensor array and projects the sound of the first user to a second user via the speaker array. 
   
   
       5 . A system as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the assembly can be moved by a hand of a user to a manual position and the computer adjusts the view of the common scene responsive to the manual position. 
   
   
       6 . A system as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the view of the common scene includes a cut plane view of objects in the scene. 
   
   
       7 . A system as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the view of the common scene comprises an autostereo three-dimensional view. 
   
   
       8 . A system as recited in  claim 1 , further comprising a full duplex communication system connecting the input/output systems. 
   
   
       9 . A system as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the arm is hollow and the view is projected through the arm. 
   
   
       10 . An input/output interface, comprising:
 a display providing a three dimensional view of a scene;   speakers attached to the display and providing a stereo sound;   tracking sensors attached to the display and tracking viewer head motion and eye position;   sound sensors attached to the display and detecting sound direction;   a handle attached to the display and allowing a user to control position and orientation of the display; and   an I/O control interface attached to the handle.   
   
   
       11 . A process, comprising:
 sensing a position of a user relative to a virtual scene; and   adjusting a view into the virtual scene responsive to the position using a computer.   
   
   
       12 . A system, comprising:
 an autostereo display;   a mechanical arm coupled to the display and providing display position and orientation information; and   a computer determining autostereo views responsive to the display position and viewpoint.   
   
   
       13 . A system, comprising:
 a display/sensor assembly presenting a view to a viewer and sensing a user position and user viewpoint;   a robotic arm coupled to the assembly and providing display position and orientation information; and   a computer determining the view responsive to the user position and viewpoint, producing a display responsive to the position and viewpoint, comparing the user position to position range limits of sensor and display components and producing robot motion control information to keep the user position within the range limits, the robotic arm moving and orienting the assembly responsive to the motion control information.   
   
   
       14 . A system, comprising:
 multiple input/output systems coupled together to provide a view of a common scene from perspectives of each of the systems, each system comprising:   a display/sensor assembly presenting the view to a viewer and sensing a user;   a mechanical arm coupled to the assembly and providing display position and orientation information; and   a computer determining the view responsive to the display position and orientation.