Patent EP0493893A2 successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
EP0493893A2
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EP
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Improved video display system
Assignee: AT&T Inc
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Filing: 1991-12-05
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2011-12-05
Abstract
Abstract Direct eye-to-eye contact and compactness are achieved in a video display system including a camera positioned behind, or opposite the viewing side of, a display screen having first and second modes of operation. As a result, the camera and the person or persons viewing the display are on opposite sides of the display screen. The display screen is controlled to switch from the first or image display mode to the second or substantially transparent mode. When the display screen is in the substantially transparent mode, the camera is controlled to record images appearing on the viewing side of the screen.
Inventors
- 👤 Richard D. Gitlin
- 👤 John F. Ribera
- 👤 Clark Woodworth
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-09 18:30
CPC Classifications
H; H04; H04N; H04N7/00; H04N7/14; H04N7/141; H04N7/142; H04N7/144
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 10
Claim 1
Independent Claim
152 words
A display system for providing video images to a viewer and for collecting images of the viewer, the system characterized by display means (1) having first and second controllable modes of operation, the display means having a front (13) and back (14) surfaces, the front surface for viewing the video images, image sensing means (3) for generating a video representation of the viewer image, the image sensing means being located adjacent to the back surface of the display means, and synchronizing means (5 to 11) connected to said display means for controlling the display means to switch to the first mode of operation during a first time interval so that the video image is displayed by the display means, the display means being controllable to switch to the second mode of operation during a second time interval so that viewer images are recorded by the image sensing means through the display means.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
32 words
The display system as defined in claim 1, characterized in that the synchronizing means serves to control the display means, and in that the first and second modes of operation are controllable.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
31 words
The display system as defined in claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the display means comprises a substantially flat panel display, optionally selected from liquid crystal, plasma, and ferro-electric displays.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
29 words
The display system as defined in claim 1, 2 or 3, characterized in that the image sensor means includes a video camera (3), optionally including a charge-coupled device array.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
56 words
The display system as defined in claim 1,2,3, or 4, characterized in that the display system further includes a frame buffer for storing a next video image, the frame buffer being responsive to the synchronizing means for transferring the stored next video image to the display means substantially at the beginning of the first time interval.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
116 words
The display system as defined in claim 1, further characterized by shutter means (4) interposed between the image sensing means and the back surface of the display means and having first and second modes of operation, the first mode of operation for scattering light impinging thereon and the second mode of operation for transmitting light therethrough so that images are transmitted to the image sensing means, and the synchronizing means (6) connected to the shutter means for controlling the shutter means to switch to the first mode of operation during the first time interval, and the synchronizing means for controlling the shutter means to switch to the second mode of operation during the second time interval.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
31 words
The display system as defined in any one preceding claim, further characterized by illumination means (2) positioned adjacent to the back surface of the display means for backlighting the display means.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
71 words
The display system as defined in claim 7 wherein the illumination means is switchably controllable to an "ON" state and to an "OFF" state, and the synchronizing means is connected to the illumination means for controlling the illumination means to switch to the "ON" state during substantially the first time interval, the synchronizing means for controlling the illumination means to switch to the "OFF" state during substantially the second time interval.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
27 words
The display system as defined in claim 7 wherein the shutter means includes an electrooptic device, such as a Kerr Cell, or includes a liquid crystal cell.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
141 words
A display system for providing video images to a viewer and for collecting images of the viewer, the system comprising, display means having first and second modes of operation, the display means having a front and back surfaces, the front surface for viewing the video images, image sensing means for generating a video representation of the viewer image, the image sensing means being located adjacent to the back surface of the display means, and synchronizing means connected to said display means for controlling the display means to switch to the first mode of operation during a first time interval so that the video image is displayed by the display means, said display means automatically reverting to the second mode of operation during a second time interval so that viewer images are recorded by the image sensing means through the display means.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
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