User experience for conferencing with a touch screen display

Abstract

A video conference system includes two cameras placed on opposite sides of a touch screen display. Multimedia processing is performed in order to automatically switch between the cameras and to display items on the touch screen display based on user position or user interactions with the system.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A computer-implemented method of controlling a conferencing system with a touch sensitive display device and a plurality of user input/output (user I/O) mechanisms, the method comprising:
 detecting a user's presence;   powering up only a subset of the touch sensitive display device and the user I/O mechanisms, the user I/O mechanisms including first and second cameras mounted on longitudinally opposite sides of the touch sensitive display device;   detecting a user interaction relative to the conferencing system; and   performing an action in the conferencing system based on the user interaction.   
     
     
         2 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1  wherein powering up only a subset comprises:
 powering up the touch sensitive display device without powering up a backlight on the touch sensitive display device. 
 
     
     
         3 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 2  wherein detecting a user interaction comprises:
 detecting the user approaching the touch sensitive display device, and wherein performing an action comprises powering up the backlight for the touch sensitive display device. 
 
     
     
         4 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1  wherein detecting a user interaction comprises:
 detecting a user location relative to the touch sensitive display device and wherein performing an action comprises performing the action based on the user location. 
 
     
     
         5 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 4  wherein performing the action based on the user location comprises:
 controlling powering up of user I/O mechanisms in the conferencing system based on the user location. 
 
     
     
         6 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 5  wherein detecting a user's presence comprises:
 detecting a light, in a room where the conferencing system is located, being turned on. 
 
     
     
         7 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 5  wherein detecting a user's presence comprises:
 detecting the user entering a room where the conferencing system is located. 
 
     
     
         8 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1  wherein detecting a user interaction comprises:
 detecting the user touching the touch sensitive display device or one of the user I/O mechanisms. 
 
     
     
         9 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1  wherein detecting a user interaction comprises:
 detecting the user plugging a user device into the conferencing system. 
 
     
     
         10 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1  wherein detecting a user's presence comprises:
 determining that a presentation or conference call, with an identified leader, is scheduled; and 
 performing facial recognition on the user to obtain an identity of the user, and wherein powering up comprises identifying the user as the leader, based on the identity of the user, and, in response to identifying the user as the leader, powering up. 
 
     
     
         11 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1  and further comprising:
 detecting a power down scenario; and 
 powering down the conferencing system. 
 
     
     
         12 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 11  wherein detecting a power down scenario comprises:
 detecting that the user is no longer present. 
 
     
     
         13 . A computer-implemented method of controlling displays on a conferencing system, comprising:
 detecting a user position relative to a touch sensitive display screen in the conferencing system;   identifying display locations on the touch sensitive display screen, for displayed items, based on the detected user position; and   displaying the displayed items based on the identified display locations.   
     
     
         14 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 13  and further comprising:
 detecting that the user position relative to the touch sensitive display screen has changed to an updated user location; and 
 performing the steps of identifying display locations and displaying the displayed items, based on the updated user location. 
 
     
     
         15 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 13  wherein identifying display locations for displayed items comprises:
 identifying an incoming video display location based on the detected user position, and wherein displaying the displayed items comprises displaying incoming video images at the incoming video display location. 
 
     
     
         16 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 13  wherein identifying display locations for displayed items comprises:
 identifying a controls display location based on the detected user position; and 
 displaying touch sensitive controls at the controls display location on the touch sensitive display screen. 
 
     
     
         17 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 16  wherein identifying a controls display location comprises:
 detecting a user height; and 
 identifying the controls display location on the touch sensitive display screen based on the user height. 
 
     
     
         18 . A computer-implemented method of selecting one of a first camera and a second camera for providing outgoing video in a conferencing system, comprising:
 automatically detecting a user location relative to a touch sensitive display screen in the conferencing system and relative to the first and second cameras, the first and second cameras being mounted on horizontally opposite sides of the touch sensitive display screen;   automatically detecting a plurality of sensed parameters; and   automatically selecting one of the first and second cameras to provide the outgoing video based on the user location and the plurality of sensed parameters.   
     
     
         19 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 18  wherein automatically detecting a plurality of sensed parameters comprises:
 automatically detecting whether either of the first or second cameras has a field of view that is substantially blocked. 
 
     
     
         20 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 18  wherein automatically selecting one of the first and second cameras comprises:
 displaying a visual indicator to identify the selected camera; 
 activating a speaker proximate the selected camera to provide incoming audio for the conferencing system; and 
 activating a motion sensor proximate the selected camera.