A communication system is described herein which provides an indicator that helps hub participants of a meeting (or other environmental setting) determine a direction of attention of a satellite participant (who is not physically present at the meeting). The indicator can be implemented as a mechanical pointer, a solid-state display mechanism, a rotating display mechanism, a display mechanism which presents visual information that reflects directionality, and so on. The communication system can assess the directionality of the satellite participant based on any combination of control inputs from explicit input mechanism(s) and/or implicit input mechanism(s). The communication system can also choose between explicit and/or implicit control of the indicator based on at least one selection criterion.
Legal claims defining the scope of protection, as filed with the USPTO.
1. A communication system, implemented by physical and tangible functionality, for indicating a direction of awareness of a first entity, comprising: an explicit control processing module configured to receive an explicit control input from at least one explicit input mechanism, and in response, provide an explicit control output, the explicit control input reflecting an express indication of the direction of awareness of the first entity; an implicit control processing module configured to receive an implicit control input from at least one implicit input mechanism; and an output mechanism configured to adjust a position of an indicator based on the selected control output, the indicator assisting at least one second entity in determining the direction of awareness of the first entity; wherein the communication system provides a selected control output according to the explicit control output.
2. The communication system of claim 1 , wherein the first entity is a satellite participant of a meeting at a meeting location, and wherein said at least one second entity includes a hub participant who is physically present at the meeting location, and wherein video conferencing technology presents an audio-visual representation of the first entity to said at least one second entity.
3. The communication system of claim 1 , wherein said at least one explicit input mechanism includes at least one of: a knob; a lever; a key input mechanism; a mouse device; and a touch-sensitive input mechanism.
4. The communication system of claim 1 , wherein said at least one explicit input mechanism is configured to receive a manual selection, by the first entity, of a position within a visual representation of an environment that includes said at least one second entity.
5. The communication system of claim 1 , wherein said at least one implicit input mechanism includes one or more of: a head movement detection mechanism; and an eye gaze detection mechanism.
6. The communication system of claim 1 , wherein the communication system provides a selected control output according to the explicit control output and the implicit control output by selecting the implicit control output when explicit control has not been received for a predetermined amount of time.
7. The communication system of claim 1 , wherein the communication system provides a selected control output according to the explicit control output and the implicit control output by selecting the implicit control output when it is determined that the first entity has directed his or her attention at a target object for a predetermined amount of time.
8. The communication system of claim 1 , wherein the communication system provides a selected control output according to the explicit control output and the implicit control output by selecting the explicit control output, or the implicit control output, or both the explicit control output and the implicit control output, or neither the explicit control output nor the implicit control output, based on an express instruction from the first entity.
9. The communication system of claim 1 , wherein the output mechanism comprises one or more of: an indicator motor which receives the selected control output, and a mechanical pointer, coupled to the indicator motor, wherein the communication system is configured to use the selected control output to drive the mechanical pointer to a position corresponding to the direction of awareness of the first entity; a solid-state display mechanism, wherein the communication system is configured to use the selected control output to drive the solid-state display mechanism in a manner that indicates the direction of awareness of the first entity; a display motor which receives the selected control output, and a movable display mechanism, coupled to the display motor, which provides a visual representation of the first entity for said at least one second entity, wherein the communication system is configured to use the selected control output to drive the movable display mechanism to a position corresponding to the direction of awareness of the first entity; and a display mechanism having a display screen, wherein the communication system is configured to use the selected control output to present visual information on the display screen that indicates the direction of awareness of the first entity.
10. A communication system, implemented by physical and tangible functionality, for indicating a direction of awareness, comprising: a display mechanism having a display screen, provided at an environment location, for presenting a visual representation of a satellite participant to a hub participant, the hub participant being physically present at the environment location; a video camera for capturing a visual representation of the hub participant; an attention determination module configured to receive control input from at least one input mechanism, the control input reflecting a direction of awareness of the satellite participant, the attention determination module providing a control output; and an output mechanism which is configured to adjust a position of an indicator based on the control output, the indicator assisting the hub participant in determining the direction of awareness of the satellite participant, the communication system being configured to control the position of the indicator in a manner that is independent of movement of the display mechanism having the display screen, and independent of the video camera, wherein the output mechanism comprises a motor which receives the control output, and a mechanical pointer, the mechanical pointer being coupled to the motor; wherein the communication system is configured to use the control output to drive the mechanical pointer to a position corresponding to the direction of awareness of the satellite participant.
11. The communication system of claim 10 , wherein the motor is configured to move the mechanical pointer in a three-dimensional space.
12. The communication system of claim 10 , wherein the mechanical pointer is placed in physical proximity to the display mechanism having the display screen.
13. The communication system of claim 10 , wherein the communication system is configured to use the control output to present visual information on the display screen that indicates the direction of awareness of the satellite participant.
14. The communication system of claim 13 , wherein the display screen has a curved display surface, and wherein the output mechanism has a projector mechanism for displaying the visual information on the curved display surface.
15. The communication system of claim 10 , wherein the output mechanism is associated with the display mechanism having the display screen, and wherein the display mechanism is configured to be moved, and wherein the output mechanism is configured to adjust the position of the indicator to maintain the direction of awareness pointed at a target object.
16. A method, implemented by physical and tangible functionality, for indicating a direction of awareness, comprising: receiving an implicit control input from at least one implicit input mechanism, and, in response, providing an implicit control output, the implicit control input reflecting an inferred indication of the direction of awareness of a first entity; adjusting a position of an indicator, provided by an output mechanism, based on the implicit control output, the indicator assisting at least one second entity in determining the direction of awareness of the first entity, the output mechanism comprising at least one of: a motor in conjunction with a mechanical pointer; a solid-state display mechanism; and a display mechanism having a display screen for presenting visual information that indicates the direction of awareness of the first entity; receiving an explicit control input from at least one explicit input mechanism, and, in response, providing an explicit control output, the explicit control input reflecting an express indication of a direction of awareness of the first entity; and selecting from the explicit control output and implicit control output, to provide a selected control output for use in driving the output mechanism, wherein said selecting comprises at least one of: selecting the implicit control output when explicit control has not been received for a predetermined amount of time; selecting the implicit control output when it is determined that the first entity has directed his or her attention at a target object for a predetermined amount of time; and selecting the explicit control output, or the implicit control output, or both the explicit control output and the implicit control output, or neither the explicit control output nor the implicit control output, based on an express instruction from the first entity.
17. The method of claim 16 , wherein said at least one implicit input mechanism includes one or more of: a head movement detection mechanism; and an eye gaze detection mechanism.
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April 22, 2013
February 23, 2016
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