The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Mar. 22, 2011
Filed:
Apr. 20, 2007
William J. Garrison, Warminster, PA (US);
Albert Fitzgerald Elcock, Havertown, PA (US);
William J. Garrison, Warminster, PA (US);
Albert Fitzgerald Elcock, Havertown, PA (US);
General Instrument Corporation, Horsham, PA (US);
Abstract
An arrangement for simulating a short depth of field in a captured videophone image is provided in which the background portion of the image is digitally segregated and blurred to render it indistinct. Thus, the displayed video of a user in the foreground is kept in focus while the background appears to be out of focus. Image tracking or fixed templates are used to segregate an area of interest that is kept in focus from the remaining captured video image. Image processing techniques are applied to groups of pixels in the remaining portion to blur that portion of the captured video image. Such techniques include the application of a filter that are alternatively selected from convolution filters in the spatial domain (e.g., mean, median, or Gaussian filters), or frequency filters in the frequency domain (e.g., low-pass or Gaussian filters). User-selectable control is optionally implemented for controlling the type of foreground/background segregation technique utilized (i.e., dynamic face-tracking or fixed template shape), degree of blurring applied to the background, and on/off control of the background blurring.