Eye contact apparatus employing a directionally transmissive layer for

Abstract

Apparatus for establishing eye contact between communicating parties during video conferencing comprises mirrors, a directionally transmissive layer, such as a louver assembly, and a camera are positioned, with respect to one another such that more intimate communication is realized between the parties without substantially reducing the transmissivity of the apparatus. Internal to this apparatus, the louver assembly is located in front of the terminal screen and passes an image of the distant party radiated from the terminal screen which is substantially parallel to microlouvers of the louver assembly. A first mirror, which is partially silvered, reflects the image of the local party and transmits the image of the distant party that is radiated from the terminal screen and passed by the louver assembly. The reflected image of the local party is directed toward a second mirror located below the first mirror. The second mirror is positioned to capture the image of the local party from the first mirror and to reflect this image into a miniature camera. An outstanding advantage of our inventive apparatus is that improved contrast at the camera between the desired image of the local party and the undesired image of the remote party, is achieved. This advantage is achieved without significantly compromising the transmissivity of the image radiated from the terminal screen and viewed by the local party and the transmissivity of the image of the local party captured by the camera. Prior apparatuses employing polarizers tradeoff transmissivity for improved contrast.