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Patent 2350152 Summary

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(12) Patent Application: (11) CA 2350152
(54) English Title: CAMERA-BASED SYSTEM FOR CAPTURING IMAGES OF A TARGET AREA
(54) French Title: SYSTEME PHOTOGRAPHIQUE DE SAISIE D'IMAGES D'UNE ZONE CIBLE
Status: Dead
Bibliographic Data
(51) International Patent Classification (IPC):
  • H04N 7/18 (2006.01)
(72) Inventors :
  • KEENAN, VAUGHN E. (Canada)
  • KROEKER, WALLACE I. (Canada)
  • FLETCHER, MARK A. (Canada)
  • DUCE, SHAWN W. (Canada)
(73) Owners :
  • SMART TECHNOLOGIES ULC (Canada)
(71) Applicants :
  • SMART TECHNOLOGIES INC. (Canada)
(74) Agent: SIM & MCBURNEY
(74) Associate agent:
(45) Issued:
(22) Filed Date: 2001-06-08
(41) Open to Public Inspection: 2002-12-08
Examination requested: 2006-06-08
Availability of licence: N/A
(25) Language of filing: English

Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT): No

(30) Application Priority Data: None

Abstracts

English Abstract





-21-

A camera-based system for capturing images of a target area includes a
boom assembly adapted to extend outwardly from a generally vertical surface.
At
least one digital camera is mounted on the boom assembly at a location spaced
from
the surface. The at least one digital camera is oriented so that the field of
view thereof
encompasses a target area on the surface. A controller is in communication
with the
at least one digital camera. The controller conditions the at least one
digital camera to
acquire an image of the target area. The image acquired by the at least one
digital
camera is conveyed to the controller and is processed to form a digital image
of the
target area. The digital image is published automatically to allow the digital
image to
be accessed by a user through a web client application.


Claims

Note: Claims are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.





-13-

What is claimed is:

1. A camera-based system for capturing images of a target area
comprising:
a generally horizontally extending boom assembly, said boom
assembly being positioned above a target area;
at least one digital camera mounted on said boom assembly at a
location spaced from the plane of said target area, said at least one digital
camera
being oriented so that the field of view thereof encompasses said target area;
and
a controller in communication with said at least one digital camera,
said controller receiving image data from said at least one digital camera and
processing said image data to form a digital image of said target area.

2. A system according to claim 1 wherein said boom assembly is
positioned above the midpoint of said target area.

3. A system according to claim 2 wherein said boom assembly has a
length of from about 30 to 50 inches.

4. A system according to claim 3 wherein said boom assembly includes a
wall mount, a boom extending outwardly from said wall mount and a camera head
on
a distal end of said boom, said camera head supporting said at least one
digital
camera.

5. A system according to claim 4 wherein said wall mount is releasably
coupled to a wall plate secured to a wall surface.

6. A system according to claim 4 wherein said boom assembly is
articulated and is moveable between an extended operating position and a
folded
retracted condition.





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7. A system according to claim 6 wherein said boom assembly includes a
pair of hinges at spaced locations along said boom to enable said boom to fold
over
itself.

8. A system according to claim 7 wherein each of said hinges includes a
locking mechanism to retain said boom assembly in said extended operating
position.

9. A system according to claim 4 wherein said camera head supports a
plurality of digital cameras, each of said digital cameras having a field of
view that
encompasses a distinct section of said target area, fields of view of adjacent
digital
cameras overlapping slightly.

10. A system according to claim 9 wherein said camera head supports a
pair of digital cameras.

11. A system according to claim 9 wherein said camera head supports
three digital cameras.

12. A system according to claim 9 wherein said camera head supports a
single digital camera.

13. A system according to claim 12 wherein said digital camera appliance
is pivotally mounted on said camera head and is moveable about an arc to
capture
images of distinct sections of said target area, images of adjacent distinct
sections of
said target overlapping.

14. A system according to claim 1 wherein said controller is coupled to a
computer network and uses resources of said computer network.

15. A system according to claim 14 wherein said controller uses storage,
printing, distribution and/or remote viewing resources of said computer
network.




-15-

16. A system according to claim 2 wherein said controller has Internet
server capabilities and is coupled to a distributed computer network to allow
said
digital image to be accessed by a user through an Internet browser.

17. A system according to claim 16 wherein said controller is a dedicated
appliance.

18. A system according to claim 16 wherein said controller is a personal
computer.

19. A system according to claim 16 wherein said controller sends said
digital image to a designated secondary storage location in said distributed
computer
network.

20. A system according to claim 16 wherein said controller includes a
display to present the digital image.

21. A system according to claim 16 wherein said controller processes
image data received from said at least one digital camera to yield high
contrast pen
strokes on a white or empty background.

22. A system according to claim 21 wherein said pen strokes are in colour.

23. A camera-based system for capturing images of a target area
comprising:
a boom assembly adapted to extend outwardly from a generally
vertical surface;
at least one digital camera mounted on said boom assembly at a
location spaced from said surface, said at least one digital camera being
oriented so
that the field of view thereof encompasses said target area; and
a controller in communication with said at least one digital camera,
said controller conditioning said at least one digital camera to acquire an
image of




-16-

said target area, said image acquired by said at least one digital camera
being
conveyed to said controller and processed to form a digital image of said
target area,
said digital image being accessible to a user through a web client
application.

24. A system according to claim 23 wherein said controller automatically
publishes said digital image.

25. A system according to claim 24 wherein said controller also sends said
digital image to a designated secondary storage location.

26. A system according to claim 24 wherein said controller processes
image data received from said at least one digital camera to reduce the size
of said
digital image.

27. A system according to claim 26 wherein said image data is processed
to yield high contrast pen strokes on a white or empty background.

28. A system according to claim 27 wherein said controller saves said
digital image in a selected format.

29. A system according to claim 28 wherein said selected format is a
.JPEG format.

30. A system according to claim 27 wherein said controller includes a
display to present the digital image.

31. A system according to claim 23 wherein said boom assembly includes
a wall mount, a boom extending outwardly from said wall mount and a camera
head
on a distal end of said boom, said camera head supporting said at least one
digital
camera.





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32. A system according to claim 31 wherein said wall mount is releasably
coupled to a wall plate secured to said surface.

33. A system according to claim 31 wherein said boom assembly is
articulated and moveable between an extended operating position and a folded
retracted condition.

34. A system according to claim 33 wherein said boom assembly includes
a pair of hinges at spaced locations along said boom to enable said boom to
fold over
itself.

35. A system according to claim 34 wherein each of said hinges includes a
locking mechanism to retain said boom assembly in said extended operating
position.

36. A system according to claim 31 wherein said camera head supports a
plurality of digital cameras, each of said digital cameras having a field of
view that
encompasses a distinct section of said target area, fields of view of adjacent
digital
cameras overlapping slightly.

37. A system according to claim 36 wherein said camera head supports a
pair of digital cameras.

38. A system according to claim 36 wherein said camera head supports
three digital cameras.

39. A system according to claim 36 wherein said camera head supports a
single digital camera.

40. A system according to claim 39 wherein said digital camera is
pivotally mounted on said camera head and is moveable about an arc to capture
images of distinct sections of said target area, images of adjacent distinct
sections of
said target overlapping.





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41. A system according to claim 31 wherein said boom assembly has a
length of from about 30 to 50 inches.

42. A camera-based system for capturing images of a target surface
comprising:
a board mounted on a wall and having a surface on which information
is to be recorded;
a boom assembly positioned above said board and extending outwardly
from said wall in a generally horizontal disposition;
at least one digital camera mounted on said boom assembly at a
location spaced from said wall, said at least one digital camera being
oriented so that
the field of view thereof encompasses a target area of said surface; and
a controller in communication with said at least one digital camera and
having Internet server capabilities, said controller being responsive to user
input and
conditioning said at least one digital camera to acquire an image of said
target area,
said image acquired by said at least one digital camera being conveyed to said
controller and processed to form an electronic image of said target area, said
electronic image being published automatically to allow said electronic image
to be
accessed by a user through a web client application.

43. A system according to claim 42 wherein said target area corresponds to
said surface.

44. A system according to claim 43 wherein said controller also sends said
electronic image to a designated secondary storage location.

45. A system according to claim 44 wherein said controller processes
image data received from said at least one digital camera to reduce the size
of said
digital image.




-19-

46. A system according to claim 45 wherein said image data is processed
to yield high contrast pen strokes on a white or empty background.

47. A system according to claim 46 wherein said controller saves said
electronic image in a selected format.

48. A system according to claim 47 wherein said controller includes a
display to present the electronic image.

49. A system according to claim 42 wherein said boom assembly includes
a wall mount, a boom extending outwardly from said wall mount and a camera
head
on a distal end of said boom, said camera head supporting said at least one
digital
camera appliance.

50. A system according to claim 49 wherein said boom assembly has a
length of from about 30 to 50 inches.

51. An image publication and distribution method comprising the steps of:
acquiring an image of a target area that includes information recorded
on said target area;
processing said image to form an electronic black on white image of
the information recorded on said target area; and
automatically publishing said electronic image to allow said electronic
image to be accessed by a user through a web client application.

52. The method of claim 51 further comprising the step of forwarding said
electronic image to a secondary location for storage.

53. The method of claim 51 wherein during said processing said image
data is processed to yield high contrast pen strokes on a white or empty
background.



-20-

54. The method of claim 53 further comprising the step of presenting said
electronic image on a display device while said electronic image is being
posted.
55. The method of claim 53 wherein said high contrast pen strokes are in
colour.

Description

Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.


CA 02350152 2001-06-08
CAMERA-BASED SYSTEM FOR CAPTURING IMAGES OF A TARGET
AREA
Field Of The Invention
The present invention relates generally to image acquisition and in
particular to a camera-based system for capturing images of a target area. The
present
invention also relates to a camera-based system for automatically publishing
digital
images of a target area thereby allowing the images to be accessed through a
web
client application such as an Internet browser.
Background Of The Invention
During meetings, boards such as whiteboards, chalkboards, flipchart
pads, and tackboards are commonly used to record information. In collaborative
environments, several users may view, supplement and/or edit information
recorded
on the boards. In situations where the boards are passive, it is difficult and
cumbersome to transfer information recorded on the boards to other media that
facilitates storage and retrieval of the recorded information.
To deal with the above problem, automated capture systems to capture
information recorded on a board have been considered. These automated capture
systems include for example, automated copyboards, flipchart scanners, active
or
specialized pen systems based on acoustic time-of flight, electromagnetic
detection,
or laser scanning as well as analog resistive whiteboards. Although these
automated
capture systems have permitted information recorded on a board to be
transferred to
other media types, these automated capture systems suffer disadvantages.
For example, automated copyboards and flipchart scanners rely on
moving parts that require significant power. This of course reduces long term
reliability and creates noise in the work environment. Also, automated
copyboards
and flipchart scanners are restricted to dry-erase ink. Furthermore, the
electronic
capture, image processing and distribution capabilities of automated
copyboards and
flipchart scanners are generally limited to the creation of bitmap (.bmp)
files that are
communicated to a personal computer over an RS-232 interface.
Acoustic time-of flight and electromagnetic pen systems make use of
battery powered dry-erase pen jackets to record information on a board. As a
result,
these dry-erase pen jackets require periodic maintenance (i.e. battery
replacement)
and are prone to damage if mishandled. Also, in order to capture information

CA 02350152 2001-06-08
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recorded on a board, acoustic time-of flight and electromagnetic pen systems
must be
fully operational prior to use of the jacketed pens.
In the case of acoustic time-of flight pen systems, during writing or
drawing on a board, users must apply enough pressure using the jacketed pens
and
keep the jacketed pens relatively perpendicular to the board surface to ensure
the
drawing or writing is captured. Even experienced users fail to maintain the
necessary
pressure and orientation with every pen stroke, making acoustic time-of flight
pen
systems prone to information loss. In addition, users must also avoid blocking
the
signal path with an object or body part when recording information on the
board
surface. Furthermore, ambient acoustical noise from environment HVAC systems
and/or other transient acoustical events may interfere with the proper
operation of
acoustic time-of flight pen systems.
Laser scanning detection pen systems make use of bar-coded dry-erase
pens and erasers to record information on a board. These dry-erase pens and
erasers
are typically only available from the system suppliers, which often leads to
increased
costs. Also, in order to capture information recorded on a board, laser
scanning
detection pen systems must be fully operational before the information is
recorded.
Furthermore, the mechanical tolerances that must be maintained to enable laser
scanning detection pen systems to determine when a pen or eraser is in contact
with
the board and when it is not, so that natural writing can be captured
reliably, are very
onerous. This problem increases in severity as the size of the board
increases. As a
result, periodic re-alignment of systems of this nature are often required to
maintain
the mechanical tolerances.
Analog resistive whiteboards also must be fully operational before
information is recorded on the board using dry-erase ink pens if the
information is to
be captured. Also, users must apply enough pressure to the board using the
pens to
ensure pen strokes are detected and captured. Even experienced users fail to
apply
sufficient pressure to the board during writing and as a result, these systems
can be
prone to information loss. In addition, analog resistive whiteboards require a
supplementary system to keep track of the type of tool being used to record
information on the board. These supplementary system require users to be
trained,
leading inevitably to user errors, which translate into information capture
errors.

CA 02350152 2001-06-08
-3-
In addition to the automated capture systems described above, camera-
based systems to capture information recorded on a board have been considered.
For
example, U.S. Patent No. 5,529,290 to Saund discloses a device for
transcribing
markings drawn on a whiteboard or blackboard into an electronic form using a
camera-based board scanner. 'The scanner is in the form of a video camera
mounted
on a computer controlled pan/tilt head suspended from the ceiling or mounted
to one
side of the board. The camera is directed successively at small regions
(tiles) of the
board and snapshots of the tiles are captured until a complete image of the
entire
board is obtained.
U.S. Patent No. 5,581,637 to Cass et al discloses a device for
transcribing markings drawn on a whiteboard or blackboard into an electronic
form
using a camera-based board scanner. A registration light pattern is projected
onto the
surface of the board to be imaged. The projected pattern is selected to suit
the
properties of the camera and the imaging environment. The camera is directed
successively at tiles of the board and snapshots of the tiles are captured.
The pattern
markings are processed using perspective transformations to determine the
overlap
properties of the tiles and the distortion of each tile. The resulting data is
used to
combine the tiles to produce an undistorted image of the entire board.
Unfortunately, the use of a pan-tilt-zoom camera makes the tile image
capture process slow. Also, the position of the camera in these systems
requires the
user to move to get out of the field of view of the camera as the succession
of tile
images are captured. In addition, since the pan-tilt-zoom camera is suspended
from
the ceiling or mounted to the side of the board, a unique set of perspective
correction
parameters obtained through a post installation calibration system is required
for each
captured tile. As will be appreciated improvements to systems for capturing
information recorded on a board are desired.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a novel
camera-based system for capturing images of a target area.
Summarx Of The Invention
According to one aspect of the present invention there is provided a
camera-based system for capturing images of a target area comprising:

CA 02350152 2001-06-08
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a generally horizontally extending boom assembly, said boom
assembly being positioned above a target area;
at least one digital camera mounted on said boom assembly at a
location spaced from the plane of said target area, said at least one digital
camera
being oriented so that the field of view thereof encompasses said target area;
and
a controller in communication with said at least one digital camera,
said controller receiving image data from said at least one digital camera and
processing said image data to form a digital image of said target area.
According to another aspect of the present invention there is provided
a camera-based system for capturing images of a target area comprising:
a boom assembly adapted to extend outwardly from a generally
vertical surface;
at least one digital camera mounted on said boom assembly at a
location spaced from said surface, said at least one digital camera being
oriented so
that the field of view thereof encompasses said target area; and
a controller in communication with said at least one digital camera,
said controller conditioning said at least one digital camera to acquire an
image of
said target area, said image acquired by said at least one digital camera
being
conveyed to said controller and processed to form a digital image of said
target area,
said digital image being accessible to a user through a web client
application.
According to yet another aspect of the present invention there is
provided a camera-based system for capturing images of a target surface
comprising:
a board mounted on a wall and having a surface on which information
is to be recorded;
a boom assembly positioned above said board and extending outwardly
from said wall in a generally horizontal disposition;
at least one digital camera mounted on said boom assembly at a
location spaced from said wall, said at least one digital camera being
oriented so that
the field of view thereof encompasses a target area of said surface; and
a controller in communication with said at least one digital camera and
having Internet server capabilities, said controller being responsive to user
input and
conditioning said at least one digital camera to acquire an image of said
target area,

CA 02350152 2001-06-08
- 5 -
said image acquired by said at least one digital camera being conveyed to said
controller and processed to form an electronic image of said target area, said
electronic image being published automatically to allow said electronic image
to be
accessed by a user through a web client application.
According to still yet another aspect of the present invention there is
provided an image publication and distribution method comprising the steps of:
acquiring an image of a target area that includes information recorded
on said target area;
processing said image to form an electronic ink on white image of the
information recorded on said target area; and
automatically publishing said electronic image to allow said electronic
image to be accessed by a user through a web client application.
The present invention provides advantages in that since the boom
assembly is positioned above the target area and is short, a user recording
information
on the target area typically remains outside of the field of view of the at
least one
digital camera. Thus, images of the target area can be acquired without
requiring the
user to move away from the target area during image capture. As a result,
complete
unobscured images of the target area can be captured more quickly than has
been
achievable in the past and in a user friendly manner. In addition, no special
tools are
required to mark the target area. Depending on the nature of the target area,
a user
may use any color and/or thickness of ink, chalk, dry-erase marker, flipchart
marker
or erasing tool, including fingers or whiteout. Furthermore, the controller
does not
need to be operational when information is being recorded on the target area.
The
controller can be activated after the target area has been marked.
Brief Description Of The Drawings
Embodiments of the present invention will now be described more
fully with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:
Figure 1 is an isometric view of a camera-based system for capturing
images of a target area in accordance with the present invention;
Figure 2 is an exploded isometric view of a boom assembly forming
part of the camera-based system illustrated in Figure 1;

CA 02350152 2001-06-08
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Figure 3 is a block diagram of a digital camera forming part of the
boom assembly illustrated in Figure 2;
Figure 4a is a front elevational view of a controller forming part of the
camera-based system illustrated in Figure 1;
Figure 4b is an isometric view of the controller illustrated in Figure 4a;
Figure 5 is a block diagram of the controller internal circuitry;
Figures 6a and 6b are screen displays of a personal computer (PC)
based Internet browses accessing digital images captured and published by the
camera-based system illustrated in Figure l;
Figures 7a and 7b are screen displays showing controller configuration
options that are accessible through the PC-based Internet browses;
Figure 8 is a side elevational view of an alternative boom assembly for
the camera-based system illustrated in Figure l; and
Figure 9 is an isometric view of an alternative embodiment of a
camera-based system for capturing images of a target area in accordance with
the
present invention.
Detailed Description Of The Preferred Embodiments
The present invention relates generally to a camera-based system for
capturing images of a target area. Images of the target area are captured by
one or
more digital cameras after information has been recorded on the target area
and raw
image data output by the one or more digital cameras is conveyed to a
controller over
a high speed serial data communications link. The controller processes the raw
image
data to yield digital image files that are simplified to high contrast
coloured pen
strokes on a white or empty background. The controller also includes Internet
server
capabilities allowing the controller to publish the digital image files
thereby to make
the digital image files accessible to users through Internet browsers.
Turning now to Figure 1, a camera-based system for capturing images
of a target area and automatically posting digital images of the target area
to an
Internet accessible site in accordance with the present invention is shown and
is
generally identified by reference numeral 20. As can be seen, the system 20
includes
a whiteboard 22 mounted on a wall surface. In this embodiment, the whiteboard
22

CA 02350152 2001-06-08
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includes a generally planar rectangular board surface 22a bordered by a frame
22b.
An elongate tool tray 24 is disposed slightly below the whiteboard 22 and
supports
tools in the form of dry-erase ink pens and an eraser. Using the pens and
eraser,
information can be recorded on the whiteboard 22, as well as edited and
erased.
A boom assembly 26 is also mounted on the wall surface slightly
above the midpoint of the whiteboard 22. The boom assembly 26 extends
outwardly
from the wall surface in a generally horizontal disposition a distance equal
to about 30
to 50 inches. A controller 30 is also mounted on the wall surface to one side
of the
whiteboard 22 and communicates with the boom assembly 26 and with a
distributed
computer network 40.
Figure 2 better illustrates the boom assembly 26 and as can be seen,
boom assembly 26 includes a wall mount 50 receiving one end of an elongated
boom
52. Wall mount SO has a plurality of slots 54 formed in its rear surface. The
slots 54
releasably receive complimentary tabs 56 on a mounting plate 58 that is
secured to the
1 S wall surface by suitable fasteners (not shown). The wall mount 50 also
includes a
pivoting cap 60 that can be moved to expose a pair of plug-in high speed
serial data
communication ports (not shown). One of the data communication ports receives
a
cable 62 that extends to the controller 30. The other data communication port
is
designed to receive a cable leading to the wall mount of an adjacent boom
assembly
when a number of whiteboards and boom assemblies are chained together as shown
in
Figure 9.
A camera head 68 is disposed on the opposite end of the boom 52 and
supports three digital cameras 70a to 70c . The digital cameras 70a to 70c are
aimed
back towards the whiteboard 22, with each digital camera being fitted with an
appropriate field-of view lens so that it captures a different section (tile)
of the
whiteboard. The field-of view lenses are however selected so that there is a
small
overlap in the images captured by adjacent digital cameras. Since the boom
assembly
26 is positioned above the whiteboard 22 and is short, a user standing in
front of the
whiteboard typically remains outside of the fields of view of the digital
cameras 70a
to 70c. As a result, the digital cameras 70a to 70c typically have an
unobscured view
of the whiteboard 22.

CA 02350152 2001-06-08
_ g _
Turning now to Figure 3 the digital cameras 70a to 70c within the
camera head 68 are shown. As can be seen, each digital camera includes a lens
system 72 and an image sensor 74. A digital signal processor (DSP) engine 76
is
connected to the image sensor 74 and to the high-speed serial data
communication
ports by cables (not shown) running through the boom 52.
Turning now to Figures 4a to 4b, the controller 30 is better illustrated.
As can be seen, controller 30 includes a housing 80 having a liquid crystal
display
screen 82 and a series of user selectable controls in the form of depressable
buttons.
In this particular embodiment, the buttons include a session open button 84, a
session
close button 86 and a capture image button 88. A pair of scroll buttons 90a
and 90b
allow a user to scroll through features presented on the display screen 82.
Buttons
92a to 92d allow features presented on the display screen 82 to be selected.
Figure 5 illustrates the internal circuitry 98 within the housing 80. As
can be seen, the internal circuitry 98 includes a central processing unit
(CPU) 100
communicating with a high speed serial data communication port 102, a printer
interface 104, an LCD video display and a keypad driver 106, a network
interface
controller 108 and memory 110. High-speed data communication port 102 receives
the cable 62 leading to the wall mount 50 of the boom assembly 26. LCD video
display and keypad driver 106 drives the display screen 82 and the buttons 84
to 92d.
Printer driver 104 is coupled to a port accessible through the housing 80 that
is
designed to receive a cable extending to an external printer. Printer driver
104 is also
coupled to the network interface controller 108.
The central processing unit 100 includes Internet server capabilities
and executes software loaded in the memory 110 so that image data output by
the
digital cameras 70a and 70c can be processed, converted into digital images in
.JPEG
format and made accessible to users through the distributed computer network
40. In
this manner, users can access the digital images through web client
applications such
as web browsers. Further specifics concerning the operation of the system 20
will
now be described.
Using the system 20 is very simple regardless of the technical skill
level of the user. The controller 30 does not need to be operational prior to
drawing
or writing on the surface 22a of the whiteboard 22. Once information is
recorded on

CA 02350152 2001-06-08
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the surface 22a of the whiteboard 22, images of the recorded information can
be
acquired provided a session is open. If a session is not open, the user must
press the
session open button 84 to open a session. When the session open button is
pressed,
the CPU 100 creates a session so that all images captured within the open
session are
stored collectively. With a session open, in order to capture images, the user
simply
needs to press the capture image button 88. When the capture image button 88
is
pressed, the CPU 100 signals each digital camera causing each digital camera
to
capture an image of the section of the whiteboard 22 within its field of view.
As
mentioned previously, because the boom assembly 26 is short and is positioned
close
to the whiteboard 22 and slightly above it, the user recording information on
the
whiteboard is rarely in the fields of view of the digital cameras. As such,
the user
typically does not need to move away from the whiteboard when images of the
whiteboard 22 are being acquired by the digital cameras 70a to 70c.
During imaging, the DSP engine 76 of each digital camera acquires
I 5 raw image data from the image sensor 74 and conveys the raw image data to
the CPU
100 over a high speed data communications link via the cable 62. When the CPU
100
receives the raw image data, the CPU converts the raw image data into
electronic
colour images of the whiteboard sections and then stitches the electronic
images
together to form an electronic image of the entire whiteboard 22. The manner
by
which the electronic images are stitched to form a complete image of the
whiteboard
is disclosed in U.S. Patent No. 5,528,290 to Saund. Once the electronic image
is
generated, the CPU 100 further processes the complete image to remove
background
shades of white created in various lighting conditions so that only high
contrast colour
pen strokes on a white or empty background remain in the electronic image.
This
ensures the size of the digital image remains manageable. The CPU 100 then
saves
the digital image in a desired format, in this embodiment "JPEG format.
With the electronic image processed as above, the CPU 100 also
conditions the LCD video display and keyboard driver 106 to present the
electronic
image on the display screen 82 to provide quick visual feedback to the user. A
copy
of the digital image may also be sent to a designated secondary storage
location such
as a personal computer forming part of the distributed computer network 40.

CA 02350152 2001-06-08
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If desired, a user can select a print command using the option buttons
on the housing 80. When the CPU 100 receives a print command, the CPU 100
outputs the electronic image to the printer driver 104 which in turn outputs
the
electronic image either to a printer coupled to the printer driver port or to
the network
interface controller 108 so that the electronic image can be printed by a
network
printer in the distributed computer network 40.
When the user is finished a session, the user simply needs to push the
close session button 86. If the user wishes to continue using the system 20, a
new
session must be opened by pushing the open session button 84. Images captured
during the new session are saved and posted separately.
When a user accesses the controller 30 through a web client
application such as a web browser executing on a personal computer, links to
various
sessions created by the controller 30 are presented within a browser window.
Selecting a session allows the user to view thumbnails of all of the digital
images
1 S captured during the session as shown in Figure 6a. Each thumbnail image
can be
selected and presented individually in a browser window as shown in Figure 6b.
Through the web browser, a user can also configure the system. As
can be seen in Figure 7a, a number of options displayed as links to underlying
pages
are available to the user allowing the user to add or remove frames in
captured
images, configure administration and session passwords, configure time and
date
particulars, configure network printers, configure the image-saving software
to enable
copies of the digital images to be stored at a designated secondary storage
site such as
a personal computer in the distributed computer network 40 and to configure
the
network. Selecting the configure network option opens a page that allows the
IP
address of the controller 30 to be modified (see Figure 7b;).
The options available to the user through the web browser to configure
the system are also available through the controller 30. These options can be
displayed on the display screen 82 and selected using the scroll and option
buttons on
the housing 80.
Although the controller 30 is described as being a wall mounted
device, a personal computer executing appropriate software may be used to
interface
the digital cameras and the distributed computer network 40. Also, although
the

CA 02350152 2001-06-08
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camera-based system is described with reference to a whiteboard, those of
skill in the
art will appreciate that the digital cameras can capture information recorded
on
virtually any target surface such as for example, chalkboards, flipchart pads
and
tackboards.
As will be appreciated, the camera-based system 20 provides a "walk
up and use" interface that requires minimal or no training to enable
electronic capture,
storage, distribution, electronic publishing or printing of whiteboard,
chalkboard,
flipchart and tack board inforniation. The mounting plate 28 and wall mount
design
allows the boom assembly to be easily installed on the wall surface and
facilitates the
temporary removal of the boom assembly when necessary to accommodate pull-down
screens or to transport the boom assembly to a different location.
Turning now to Figure 8, an alternative boom assembly 126 for the
camera-based system 20 is shown. In this embodiment, the boom assembly 126 is
articulated. As can be seen, the boom 152 is coupled to the wall mount 154 via
a
hinge 200 and also includes a second hinge 202 intermediate its ends. The
hinges 200
and 202 allow the boom 152 to pivot in a horizontal plane about a generally
vertical
axis. This of course allows the boom 152 to be moved from an extended elongate
orientation to a retracted condition where the boom 152 is folded over itself
and lies
against the wall surface. This of course accommodates pull-down screens
without
requiring removal of the boom assembly from the wall surface. Folding of the
boom
152 in this manner prior to shipping also facilitates transportation.
Preferably the
hinges 200 and 202 include locking mechanisms to maintain the boom in the
extended
elongate orientation. The locking mechanisms may include detents on the hinges
or
locking pins that move into position to inhibit pivoting of the hinges once
the boom
assumes the elongate orientation.
Turning now to Figure 9, another embodiment of a camera-based
system for capturing images of a target area in accordance with the present
invention
is shown and is generally identified by reference numeral 220. In this
embodiment,
the camera-based system includes a plurality of whiteboards 222 and boom,
assemblies 226 arranged in series. Similar to the first embodiment, the
controller 230
receives image data from the digital cameras on each boom assembly and
processes

CA 02350152 2001-06-08
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and stitches the image data to generate a digital image of the entire
whiteboard
surfaces.
Although the camera-based system is described as having three digital
cameras on the camera head disposed at the end of the boom, those of skill in
the art
will appreciate that depending on the size of the board different numbers of
digital
cameras may be used. For example, the camera head may include a pair of
digital
cameras or a single digital camera. If a single digital camera is used and the
size of
the board is significant, the digital camera can be pivotally mounted within
the camera
head so that it sweeps in an arc under software control in order to acquire
images of
the entire board.
Although preferred embodiments of the present invention have been
described, those of skill in the art will appreciate that variations and
modifications
may be made without departing from the spirit and scope thereof as defined by
the
appended claims.

Representative Drawing
A single figure which represents the drawing illustrating the invention.
Administrative Status

For a clearer understanding of the status of the application/patent presented on this page, the site Disclaimer , as well as the definitions for Patent , Administrative Status , Maintenance Fee  and Payment History  should be consulted.

Administrative Status

Title Date
Forecasted Issue Date Unavailable
(22) Filed 2001-06-08
(41) Open to Public Inspection 2002-12-08
Examination Requested 2006-06-08
Dead Application 2010-09-13

Abandonment History

Abandonment Date Reason Reinstatement Date
2009-09-11 R30(2) - Failure to Respond
2010-06-08 FAILURE TO PAY APPLICATION MAINTENANCE FEE

Payment History

Fee Type Anniversary Year Due Date Amount Paid Paid Date
Registration of a document - section 124 $100.00 2001-06-08
Application Fee $300.00 2001-06-08
Maintenance Fee - Application - New Act 2 2003-06-09 $100.00 2003-04-22
Maintenance Fee - Application - New Act 3 2004-06-08 $100.00 2004-01-30
Maintenance Fee - Application - New Act 4 2005-06-08 $100.00 2005-02-15
Maintenance Fee - Application - New Act 5 2006-06-08 $200.00 2006-02-06
Request for Examination $800.00 2006-06-08
Maintenance Fee - Application - New Act 6 2007-06-08 $200.00 2007-05-29
Maintenance Fee - Application - New Act 7 2008-06-09 $200.00 2008-06-09
Registration of a document - section 124 $100.00 2009-02-02
Maintenance Fee - Application - New Act 8 2009-06-08 $200.00 2009-06-03
Owners on Record

Note: Records showing the ownership history in alphabetical order.

Current Owners on Record
SMART TECHNOLOGIES ULC
Past Owners on Record
DUCE, SHAWN W.
FLETCHER, MARK A.
KEENAN, VAUGHN E.
KROEKER, WALLACE I.
SMART TECHNOLOGIES INC.
Past Owners that do not appear in the "Owners on Record" listing will appear in other documentation within the application.
Documents

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Document
Description 
Date
(yyyy-mm-dd) 
Number of pages   Size of Image (KB) 
Representative Drawing 2002-03-04 1 5
Claims 2001-06-08 8 259
Drawings 2001-06-08 10 271
Abstract 2001-06-08 1 22
Description 2001-06-08 12 651
Cover Page 2002-11-29 1 37
Drawings 2001-09-19 10 232
Prosecution-Amendment 2008-06-18 1 26
Correspondence 2001-07-11 1 24
Assignment 2001-06-08 3 107
Assignment 2001-09-04 6 136
Prosecution-Amendment 2001-09-19 11 255
Fees 2003-04-22 1 49
Fees 2004-01-30 1 52
Fees 2005-02-15 1 54
Fees 2006-02-06 1 51
Prosecution-Amendment 2006-06-08 1 50
Fees 2007-05-29 1 53
Fees 2008-06-09 1 59
Assignment 2009-02-02 8 308
Prosecution-Amendment 2009-03-11 3 125
Fees 2009-06-03 1 60