Video Conferencing System

Abstract

A video conferencing system includes a camera and a display within a room. The camera is directed towards participants in a foreground against a background. The room has lighting defining at least foreground luminance. The display defines maximum display luminance, and the display and flare of the room define minimum display luminance. The camera, the display, and/or the room are adapted to provide one or more of the following. First, that the maximum display luminance is greater than the foreground luminance but less than the foreground luminance times a first constant. Second, that the maximum display luminance is greater than the minimum display luminance by more than a second constant. Third, that illumination color of foreground images displayed on the display substantially match illumination color of the foreground. Fourth, that a color of background images displayed on the display substantially matches a color of the background.

1 . A video conferencing system comprising:
 a camera within a room and directed towards one or more participants in a foreground against a background, the room having lighting defining at least a foreground luminance; and,   a display within the room and defining a maximum display luminance, the display and flare of the room defining a minimum display luminance,   wherein one or more of the camera, the display, and the room are adapted to provide one or more of:
 the maximum display luminance being greater than the foreground luminance but less than the foreground luminance times a first constant; 
 the maximum display luminance being greater than the minimum display luminance by more than a second constant; 
 illumination color of foreground images displayed on the display substantially matching illumination color of the foreground; and, 
 a color of background images displayed on the display substantially matching a color of the background. 
   
     
     
         2 . The video conferencing system of  claim 1 , wherein the foreground is defined by a focal plane of the camera. 
     
     
         3 . The video conferencing system of  claim 1 , wherein the lighting within the room further defines a background luminance, the background luminance being less than the foreground luminance. 
     
     
         4 . The video conferencing system of  claim 1 , wherein the background comprises a back wall having a substantially solid color. 
     
     
         5 . The video conferencing system of  claim 1 , wherein one or more walls surrounding the display are illuminated by the lighting less than other parts of the room to decrease the flare. 
     
     
         6 . The video conferencing system of  claim 5 , wherein the background comprises a back wall having a color with lightness less than a lightness of a color of the walls surrounding the display to compensate for lesser illumination by the lighting of the walls surrounding the display as compared to the back wall. 
     
     
         7 . The video conferencing system of  claim 1 , wherein the camera, the display, and the room are adapted to provide at least the maximum display luminance being greater than the foreground luminance but less than the foreground luminance times the first constant. 
     
     
         8 . The video conferencing system of  claim 7 , wherein the first constant is at least about two. 
     
     
         9 . The video conferencing system of  claim 1 , wherein the camera, the display, and the room are adapted to provide at least the maximum display luminance being greater than the minimum display luminance by more than the second constant. 
     
     
         10 . The video conferencing system of  claim 9 , wherein the second constant is at least about 150. 
     
     
         11 . The video conferencing system of  claim 1 , wherein the camera, the display, and the room are adapted to provide at least the illumination color of foreground images displayed on the display substantially matching the illumination color of the foreground. 
     
     
         12 . The video conferencing system of  claim 11 , wherein the video conferencing system is communicatively connected to a camera at a remote location directed towards one or more remote participants in a remote foreground against a remote background at the remote location, such that the foreground images displayed on the display are of the remote foreground at the remote location. 
     
     
         13 . The video conferencing system of  claim 1 , wherein the camera, the display, and the room are adapted to provide at least the color of the background images displayed on the display substantially matching the color of the background. 
     
     
         14 . The video conferencing system of  claim 13 , wherein the video conferencing system is communicatively connected to a camera at a remote location directed towards one or more remote participants in a remote foreground against a remote background, such that the background images displayed on the display are of the remote background at the remote location. 
     
     
         15 . A method comprising:
 directing a camera of a video conferencing system towards one or more participants in a foreground of a room against a background of the room, the room having lighting defining at least a foreground luminance;   situating a display of the video conferencing system within the room such that the participants are able to view the display, the display defining a maximum display luminance, the display and flare of the room defining a minimum display luminance; and,   adapting one or more of the camera, the display, and the room to provide one or more of:   the maximum display luminance being greater than the foreground luminance but less than the foreground luminance times a first constant;   the maximum display luminance being greater than the minimum display luminance by more than a second constant;   illumination color of foreground images displayed on the display substantially matching illumination color of the foreground; and,   a color of background images displayed on the display substantially matching a color of the background.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein adapting one or more of the camera, the display, and the room comprises adapting one or more of the camera, the display, and the room to provide at least the maximum display luminance being greater than the foreground luminance but less than the foreground luminance times the first constant. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein adapting one or more of the camera, the display, and the room comprises adapting one or more of the camera, the display, and the room to provide at least the maximum display luminance being greater than the minimum display luminance by more than the second constant. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein adapting one or more of the camera, the display, and the room comprises adapting one or more of the camera, the display, and the room to provide at least the illumination color of foreground images displayed on the display substantially matching the illumination color of the foreground. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein adapting one or more of the camera, the display, and the room comprises adapting one or more of the camera, the display, and the room to provide at least the color of the background images displayed on the display substantially matching the color of the background. 
     
     
         20 . A video conferencing system comprising:
 first means for electronically capturing at least images of one or more participants in a foreground of a room against a background of the room, the room having lighting defining at least a foreground luminance; and,   second means for at least displaying captured images of one or more remote participants to the participants, the second means defining a maximum display luminance, the second means and flare of the room defining a minimum display luminance,   wherein one or more of the first means, the second means, and the room are adapted to provide one or more of:
 the maximum display luminance being greater than the foreground luminance but less than the foreground luminance times a first constant; 
 the maximum display luminance being greater than the minimum display luminance by more than a second constant; 
 illumination color of foreground images displayed by the second means substantially matching illumination color of the foreground; and, 
 a color of background images displayed by the second means substantially matching a color of the background.