This is the entire AutoAuditorium website in a single page.
It is here as a convenience so you can print out the entire site all at once.
The AutoAuditorium System Home Page is:
http://www.AutoAuditorium.com
Foveal Systems Web Site Changes
Web Site Changes
Major changes:
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Date
|
Page Title
|
Nature of Change.
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| 1 December 2008 | Foveal Systems: Foveal Customizable 2-Axis Fine-Adjustment Camera Mount | Introducing a new Fine-Adjustment Camera Mount with an undrilled Camera Table so you can machine it to meet your needs. Or, if you like, we will drill it to your specifications. |
| 10 September 2008 | Foveal Systems: Press Release - September 10, 2008 | Press Release. AutoAuditorium Recordings Help Improve Student Performance |
| 10 September 2008 | Assessment of Student Performance in an Internet-Based Multimedia Classroom | Added University of Michigan at Flint conference paper. |
| 17 July 2007 | Automatic Video Production of Lectures Using an Intelligent and Aware Environment | Added Foveal conference paper from 2004. |
| 1 February 2006 | Foveal Systems: Press Release - February 1, 2006 | Press Release. AutoAuditorium Systems Celebrate 6 Years at IBM Research |
| 24 August 2005 | Foveal Camera Mounts - T-Slot Mounting Plates | Added web page. |
| 6 June 2005 | Foveal Mounts with Pan and Tilt Protractor Dials | Added web page. |
| 18 January 2005 | Foveal Systems: Foveal FM3_2a Mount for Cognex 5100/5400 Cameras | Introducing a new Fine-Adjustment Camera Mount for Cognex® In-Sight® 5000 series cameras |
| 16 January 2004 | Foveal Systems: Foveal 2-Axis Fine-Adjustment Camera Mount | Introducing a new, less expensive version of the Rigid Camera Mounts |
| 6 January 2004 | Foveal Systems: Press Release - January 6, 2004 | Press Release. AutoAuditorium System Videos Grow 54% at IBM Research in 2003 |
| 9 June 2003 | Foveal Systems: Press Release - June 9, 2003 | Press Release. AutoAuditorium System Videos at IBM Research Grow 22% in 2002 |
| 7 July 2003 | AutoAuditorium Savings Calculator | Added Quick Answers: 4 prototypical cases. |
| 7 May 2003 | Foveal Rigid Camera Mount | Added new,
smaller models, prices, drawings. |
| April 2003 | All | Redesign of the web site. Most of the text and pictures did not change. |
| 13 December 2002 | Video Demonstration | Added a second video titled The Role of Automatic Video Production in Distance Education. |
| 1 November 2002 | AutoAuditorium Savings Calculator | New page. How much money can you save using AutoAuditorium Videos?
|
| 12 October 2002 | AutoAuditorium Presentation At Government Video Expo 2002 | Updated page. |
| 5 June 2002 | Foveal Systems: Press Release - May 6, 2002 | Press Release. Boeing Research Uses the AutoAuditorium System to Span the Miles |
| 2 March 2002 | EMedia Magazine article | Title: Case Study - Foveal and IBM Colloborate on the Science of Streaming |
| 24 January 2002 | Foveal Rigid Camera Mount | Added additional models, prices, drawings. |
Automatic Auditorium,
AutoAuditorium,
and
AutoAud
are licensed trademarks of
Telcordia Technologies, Inc.
Copyright © 2000 - 2008
Foveal Systems, LLC.
All rights reserved.
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|
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www.AutoAuditorium.com/website_changes.html 2008/11/29
AutoAuditorium System Home Page
The Fully Automatic,
Multi-Camera System
that Produces Videos
Without a Crew
The AutoAuditorium System is a fully automatic, multi-camera
system for televising auditorium and classroom presentations.
Once installed in an
auditorium or large meeting room, recording or telecasting any
presentation given in that room is as simple as turning on a switch
and hitting RECORD.
There are no other operator controls.
All the shot selections, video transitions, camera motion, focusing and
zooming, are performed automatically.
The result is often indistinguishable from a program produced by a crew.
Recorded Lectures Help Improve Student Grades!
Read the Story
Make a Video of Every Auditorium Talk
Send them anywhere in the world!
Send videos instead of people!
Good Videos Low Cost
Fully Automatic Production!
No Crew
A Tracking Camera That Really Works!
Ideal for Distance Education
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Did they record or broadcast that talk yesterday?
No?
Too bad you missed it.
It was really great!
It happens all the time ...
People miss talks, presentations and seminars because the cost
and complexity of recording or transmitting the event
are just too high.
In the past,
producing a video of a presentation was a big production.
You either had to use a TV studio,
or roll in a TV crew and their portable equipment.
Now there is a better way.
Foveal Systems presents
The AutoAuditorium System
that turns an ordinary auditorium into one that
automatically
creates videos of lecture-style presentations
for people who could not attend.
The system's intelligence knows when to zoom in on the
presenter, when to focus on the projection screen and when to show both.
And using it couldn't be easier ...
Connect to your teleconferencing network and/or start up your video recorder.
Turn on the AutoAuditorium System.
You are
producing a 4-camera video
without a crew!
See how an AutoAuditorium System can work for you.
Automatic Auditorium,
AutoAuditorium,
and
AutoAud
are licensed trademarks of
Telcordia Technologies, Inc.
Copyright © 2000 - 2008
Foveal Systems, LLC.
All rights reserved.
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|
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www.AutoAuditorium.com/index.html 2008/11/03
AutoAuditorium System Overview
Overview
A large room full of people watching a presentation suggests that
there are other people, unavailable at that time or not at that
location, who would like to see the talk but cannot.
Their absence may be due to travel expense or restrictions,
schedule conflicts,
or a host of other reasons.
Televising that talk,
via broadcast or recording,
could serve those absent people.
An AutoAuditorium System,
featuring
Foveal Systems'
AutoAuditorium Controller,
turns an ordinary auditorium into
one that can automatically make broadcasts and recordings.
The system
is permanently installed in the room and uses optical motion tracking
(television cameras) to be "aware" of what
is happening in the room.
It uses this awareness to televise the
images and sound of the most common form of auditorium talk, a single
person on a stage, speaking with projected visual aids to a local
audience.
Once turned on, the system is completely automatic.
The person on
stage and the people in the local audience may not even be aware that
it is on.
To remote audiences, an AutoAuditorium program
gives the appearance of a professionally produced program
although no camera crew or operator was necessary.
Automatic Tracking of the Speakers on Stage
The AutoAuditorium Tracking Camera is completely automatic,
requires no targets and no transmitters,
and
automatically tracks the person or people on stage without requiring
that they be identified to the system in any way.
Automatic Shot Selection
The AutoAuditorium Director
automatically makes shot selections among multiple cameras,
based on what is happening in the program.
It also controls the timing of transitions and generation of special effects.
Automatic Audio Mixing
The system automatic mixes the audience and presenter audio
to create a complete program sound track
that is meaningful to local and remote audiences.
Most importantly,
the remote audiences have the
ability to hear audience questions and commentary.
When does an AutoAuditorium System work?
In any situation where a group of people come into a room
and watch a presentation
give by someone on a stage
who uses projected visuals.
If there are so many people in that room,
the bet is there are others who could be served with a recording or
broadcast.
Some examples of such presentations are:
-
Distance Education
-
Group Collaboration
-
Sales Seminars
-
New Product Launches
-
Corporate Training
-
Regularly Scheduled Presentations
-
Impromptu Events
-
Confidential and High-Security Presentations
(avoiding camera crew security clearance)
-
Presentation rehearsal and skills development
Using the AutoAuditorium System can bring many benefits;
See
System Benefits.
For an on-line version of our printed brochure
see our
Brochure Page.
To see the AutoAuditorium system in action,
go to our
Video Demonstrations Page.
For answers to the Frequently Asked Questions,
see our
FAQ Page.
You can see pictures of typical system installations on the
AutoAuditorium Rooms page.
To ask us a question,
use our
Information Request Form.
Automatic Auditorium,
AutoAuditorium,
and
AutoAud
are licensed trademarks of
Telcordia Technologies, Inc.
Copyright © 2000 - 2008
Foveal Systems, LLC.
All rights reserved.
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www.AutoAuditorium.com/overview.html 2003/04/10
AutoAuditorium System Benefits
System Benefits
AutoAuditorium Systems . . .
Any lecture-style auditorium presentation can be video recorded or
telecast at a moment's notice.
Because the system is permanently installed in the room,
it is immediately available.
It can be
setup in a few minutes; shutdown in less.
Because one switch turns the system on and off,
the steps to
record a presentation are
-
throw a switch,
-
insert a DVD,
-
press RECORD.
Connecting to a video network can also be as simple
as pushing a button.
Because the system is completely automatic,
an AutoAuditorium program costs much less than one done in
a TV studio or produced using a remote production crew.
The
experience of one company using an AutoAuditorium System was that the
money saved by
not making
6 remote productions in a year
paid for the system.
After that the
cost is just the price of a DVD and/or a distribution network.
Other organizations may find that
reduced travel expense or
employee productivity improvements
quickly pays for the system.
Some may assign a value to improved communications by asking questions like:
-
What is the hidden cost of staff members
missing important communications and information?
-
Can a copy of a the presenter's slides really convey
the full meaning of what was said and discussed?
Because there is
no post production,
programs can be watched in real time,
and
recordings are ready for distribution as soon as the program concludes.
There are fewer things to go wrong
because there are:
-
no targets
for the presenters to wear,
-
no camera controls
for the presenters to understand, carry and operate,
-
no need to identify the presenters
to the Tracking Camera
-
no battery operated devices to fail
(unless a wireless microphone is used).
Because
the Director
never gets
distracted,
called away
or
tired,
it always responds quickly to program changes.
For example,
when the presenter puts up a new slide,
it is put in the program immediately.
Likewise, since audio mixing is automatic and
doesn't require someone to turn up
the correct volume control,
remote audiences hear every word.
Because the presenters' slides are captured with a camera,
any form of presentation graphic works:
any type of computer projection, 35 mm slides, overhead foils,
or whatever.
If it is readable on the screen, the remote audiences can read it.
(But remember,
an AutoAuditorium system will not make a poor presentation better.
The image quality is only as good as the cameras and transmission channel
can produce.
If people at the back of the room have trouble reading the slides
because of fonts, point sizes, color choices, etc. the people
watching the AutoAuditorium video will have trouble also.)
Because there is no crew, nor portable equipment,
the telecast
does not disrupt the presentation.
The system is unobtrusive when in use
because the cameras and microphones are placed
so as not be be in anyone's sight line.
The local audience and the presenter forget about them.
And because
the system is unobtrusive when not in use,
the auditorium still functions as an ordinary meeting room.
Because the it is easy economical to use,
the system is used often.
Thus programs are recorded or telecast
that
would
have been considered too unimportant to be worth the cost.
One company,
in the first year they used the AutoAuditorium System,
produced
40% more recorded presentations
without any increase in staff.
And, finally,
because many more programs are recorded and telecast,
many more people can
avoid the cost and inconvenience of traveling
to presentations,
or missing them because of a schedule conflicts.
The result?
-
Better communications within and between organizations!
-
Less wasted employee time!
-
Reduced travel expense!
How much can you save?
Put your numbers into the
Savings Calculator
and see for yourself.
For some specific examples of AutoAuditorium savings,
go to
AutoAuditorium Systems Save Money When . . .
To see the AutoAuditorium system in action,
go to our
Video Demonstration Page.
For answers to the Frequently Asked Questions,
see our
FAQ Page.
To ask us a question,
use our
Contact Us.
Automatic Auditorium,
AutoAuditorium,
and
AutoAud
are licensed trademarks of
Telcordia Technologies, Inc.
Copyright © 2000 - 2008
Foveal Systems, LLC.
All rights reserved.
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www.AutoAuditorium.com/benefits.html 2008/06/12
AutoAuditorium Systems Save Money When . . .
AutoAuditorium Systems Save Money When . . .
. . .
People wishing to see presentations avoid traveling.
In a geographically dispersed organization, it is easy to see that
keeping people out of cars,
hotel rooms,
and
airplanes
can quickly
save travel dollars.
But they also save "looking-out-the-window" time.
For example, some
years ago there was a talk in our southern location, and about
a dozen people from the northern office got into cars,
drove 70 miles to the one-hour talk, and then drove back.
That meant 2, maybe 3,
hours of looking-out-the-windshield for 1 hour of productive time.
The following week,
there was a talk at the north location,
in the AutoAuditorium room, and the people down south simply went to one
of their larger conference rooms, maybe a 5 minute walk,
to attend via telecast.
And Time Zones are your enemy.
Everytime someone has to travel across time zones to see a presentaion
not only is there all the actual travel time,
but also that they arrive out-of-sync with the local schedule.
It is hard to be at your best when your internal clock keeps complaining.
How much does avoiding travel save?
Enough to justify your AutoAuditorium investment.
Put your numbers into the
Savings Calculator
and see for yourself.
. . .
People avoid having to choose when schedules conflict.
Time and again we've heard stories of people being "saved" by the
AutoAuditorium System.
A presentation conflicted with some other need.
Knowing that
an AutoAuditorium recording would be available
meant not having to choose.
Just deal with the need that required personal presence,
and then "attend" the presentation when convenient.
The
Savings Calculator
also will show you how quickly that value adds up.
. . .
Scarce resources are stretched too thin.
Time and again we have heard stories of someone running the cameras for
a lecture recording when the pager went off.
"I had no choice but to just set on a single shot
and go deal with the emergency.
It was half-an-hour before I could get back.
The customers of the recording weren't happy, but what could I do?"
The AutoAuditorium System never gets preempted by emergencies.
Nor does it get sick,
go on vacation,
quit,
get fired,
or
forget to show up.
. . .
Talented people get to do what they do best.
Most auditorium lectures are deadly-dull for the people who must
produce video recordings.
When the production crew does not understand the material,
or would rather be elsewhere,
the resulting program suffers.
The audiences who watch it suffer also.
. . .
You make recordings of talks which wouldn't even be considered before.
When an AutoAuditorium System is installed,
every
presentation given
in that room is fair game.
The system can be made available to everyone who books the room.
One customer tells us that their AutoAuditorium lecture hall
"sometimes makes 7 recordings in a 5-day work week.
And why not?
A recording costs next-to-nothing,
our customers are happy,
and we look good!"
Automatic Auditorium,
AutoAuditorium,
and
AutoAud
are licensed trademarks of
Telcordia Technologies, Inc.
Copyright © 2000 - 2008
Foveal Systems, LLC.
All rights reserved.
|
|
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www.AutoAuditorium.com/savings.html 2008/06/12
AutoAuditorium System Savings Calculator
Savings Calculator
How Much Money Can You Save Using AutoAuditorium Systems?
Requiring some audience members to travel
in order to attend a presentation
incurs losses from unproductive hours and travel expenses.
These Travel Costs can be saved
when folks view the presentation via the AutoAuditorium System!
Also consider the value of having an informed organization.
We assume that the
time spent attending a talk is productive, so there are costs for those
people who would not or could not travel to a presentation.
We call these
Uninformed People Costs.
Also consider that not all travel has to be "long distance".
Even when the "other location" is just a "few miles" and a "few minutes" away
the travel costs and times can add up
and the decisions not to attend can multiply.
This calculator helps you determine how much you can save.
Fill in the fields with typical values for your organization.
(Fractional values, such as 1.5, are accepted.)
Then click the Calculate Savings button
to see how quickly your AutoAuditorium System will pay back your investment.
When filling in the fields,
consider if you want to use loaded salaries, which include overhead costs and
taxes paid by the company.
The default "Cost per Mile" for driving is the amount the Internal Revenue
Service uses for deductible travel.
Is that value appropriate for your case?
Quick Answers
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Click one of these prototypical cases, or fill in the form below.
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2 Presentations per month.
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4 Presentations per month.
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8 Presentations per month.
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20 Presentations per month.
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This link looks at the mathematics of this calculator.
Automatic Auditorium,
AutoAuditorium,
and
AutoAud
are licensed trademarks of
Telcordia Technologies, Inc.
Copyright © 2000 - 2008
Foveal Systems, LLC.
All rights reserved.
|
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www.AutoAuditorium.com/calculator.html 2008/07/11
AutoAuditorium System Brochure
Brochure
Produce Videos
Without A Crew?
Absolutely!
Just push the button.
Now You Are Using The
The Fully Automatic, Multi-Camera System
that Televises
Auditorium and Classroom Presentations
Without A Crew!
Broadcast and record your presentations
without the traditional costs and complexities.
The AutoAuditorium System Is Fully Automatic!
It is more than cameras, more than microphones.
The
AutoAuditorium System
uses cameras and microphones intelligently
to capture presentations as video telecasts and recordings.
It is built into your
lecture room or auditorium,
ready to use in a moment,
without a crew!
Once it is turned on,
there is
nothing to do
until it's time to turn it off.
The AutoAuditorium System has . . .
... automatic camera tracking ...
which follows the person making the presentation.
... automatic video switching ...
which
selects and mixes
the Tracking Camera
with
several stationary cameras.
... automatic audio mixing ...
which ensures that the speakers on stage and
questions from the audience are heard clearly
by those watching the video.
The AutoAuditorium System is . . .
...
as easy as pushing a button ...
requiring only a moment to set up or shut down.
No technical training is necessary.
Anyone who can insert a disk in a DVD recorder
and press a start button
can use the AutoAuditorium System.
It is that easy!
... always available ...
making it ideal
for producing videos of unscheduled events.
... unobtrusive ...
to the presenter, the local audience and the video viewers.
Everyone concentrates on the presentation,
not the distractions of making a TV program.
With the AutoAuditorium System . . .
...
the presenter is free to move ...
anywhere on stage!
And there are
no devices to wear or carry,
and no "target identification" process!
The motion-sensitive
Tracking Camera
follows each presenter from the moment he or she arrives on the stage.
... the program is mixed in real time ...
for live transmission
on your video network or recording.
All image selections and
audio mixing are performed automatically;
there is never any need for post-production.
... you can afford to make many more videos ...
since you don't have to set aside expensive studio space nor
schedule and hire production crews.
The cost of recording a session is only the price of a DVD,
or hard disk space;
the cost of a transmission is only the price of the medium.
And because the AutoAuditorium System equipment is out of the way,
the room is still available for non-video uses.
And the
AutoAuditorium System
is
missing
all those things you don't want ...
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-
No
big budget.
-
No
hours of preparation.
-
No
production crew.
-
No
dedicated studio space.
-
No
portable equipment.
-
No
post production.
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Turn Your Ordinary Auditorium into an AutoAuditorium!
An AutoAuditorium System is permanently installed in your
auditorium or lecture room.
A typical System has
three or four cameras installed over and behind the audience,
strategically placed microphones,
a small equipment rack
(containing
a system control computer,
a video mixer,
and
automatic audio mixers),
and
a video recorder located someplace convenient for your users.
In addition to video recording,
the AutoAuditorium Program signals
can be connected to:
-
your analog video network for in-house transmission,
-
your digital video network for streaming transmission,
-
your digital video recording system to support video-on-demand,
-
all your other video distribution systems.
AutoAuditorium Technology Produces Programs That Look Professional!
An AutoAuditorium System is entirely automatic
due to the patented technology of the AutoAuditorium Controller.
The Controller's
Tracking Camera
and
Director
modules
create programs that look professional
without using a crew.
The AutoAuditorium Tracking Camera Module
automatically follows the presenter
wherever he or she is on the stage.
And the presenter does not have to wear any sort of target or be
identified to the System.
If you are the person on the stage, you are the person tracked.
Pacing around?
The Tracking Camera zooms out for a wider shot
so the viewers don't get sea-sick.
Staying put?
The Tracking Camera zooms in tight.
The Tracking Camera module
operates with several popular robotic cameras.
The AutoAuditorium Director Module
automatically selects the appropriate camera and video effect, . . .
. . . whether it's an establishing shot of the stage, . . .
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. . . the Projection Screen, . . .
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. . . the Tracking Camera following the presenter, . . .
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. . . or the Projection Screen and Tracking Camera together.
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Throughout the program
the Director module chooses the right shot and effect for the program viewers.
The selections and transition effects
are tuned
to your choice of video mixer
and
your directorial preferences.
Optionally, you can choose one of several customized directorial styles
for each program.
The AutoAuditorium Controller
gives you flexibility to design your video production system to your needs.
It controls the Tracking Camera and Video Mixer,
but does not interfere with the video or audio signals.
The equipment supported ranges
from very economical to the highest quality.
Some customers have found they already own equipment
the Controller can command.
Everyone Wins When It's An AutoAuditorium Program!
-
For Producers
...
it's an affordable,
versatile and trouble-free communications tool.
-
For Presenters
...
it's the freedom to move and concentrate on the presentation.
-
For The Local Audience
...
it's a presentation free of studio and crew distractions.
-
For Video Viewers
...
it's the same presentation the local audience saw.
Your AutoAuditorium System Is Ideal For . . .
-
Distance Education
-
Group Collaboration
-
Sales Seminars
-
New Product Launches
-
Corporate Training
-
Regularly Scheduled Presentations
-
Impromptu Events
-
Confidential and High-Security Presentations
(avoiding the need for camera crew security clearance)
-
Presentation Rehearsal and Skill Development
|
So Go Ahead.
Push The Button!
You're
Producing
an
AutoAuditorium Video!
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To get a 4-page glossy version of this brochure,
use our Information Request Form.
To see the AutoAuditorium System in action,
go to our
Video Demonstration Page.
You can see pictures of typical system installations on the
AutoAuditorium Rooms page.
For answers to the Frequently Asked Questions,
see our
FAQ Page.
Also look at our
Web Site Map.
Automatic Auditorium,
AutoAuditorium,
and
AutoAud
are licensed trademarks of
Telcordia Technologies, Inc.
Copyright © 2000 - 2008
Foveal Systems, LLC.
All rights reserved.
|
|
|
www.AutoAuditorium.com/brochure.html 2008/07/11
AutoAuditorium System FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)
Frequently Asked Questions
The minimum system uses 3 cameras:
2 static
(that is, non-moving, non-zooming, fixed focus)
cameras, and 1 AutoAuditorium Tracking Camera
with a full range of automated pan, tilt and zoom functionality.
-
The static camera that looks at the entire stage area is
sometimes referred to as the "front-of-the-room" camera.
-
The static camera that looks at the projection screen is
referred to as the "slide" camera.
This camera sees whatever is being projected to the screen.
Projected sources could include
computers,
slide projectors,
document cameras
or
overhead transparency projectors.
-
The Tracking Camera is the one that follows the person giving the talk.
An optional fourth camera would provide an additional cover shot.
It is typically mounted above the corner of the stage furthest from the lectern
and pointed across the stage.
Having more than one "covering" shot used
while the Tracking Camera repositions itself makes for a more interesting
program.
The front-of-the-room and the optional across-the-stage cameras
are used when the system transitions from
the Tracking Camera's shot
of just the person to
the combination slide-and-person shot.
The AutoAuditorium Tracking Camera subsystem uses a
patented optical motion tracking technology to
keep the person on stage in sight.
The "front of room" camera serves as a "spotting camera",
looking at the entire stage area,
watching for the person giving the talk.
The Foveal Systems' AutoAuditorium Controller
then drives the Tracking Camera
to follow that person as they move around.
Because the Tracking Camera follows whoever is on the stage,
there is no need to have that person carry or wear a tag or target,
as some other systems require.
There are other tracking camera systems that follow a person (or other target)
because they are wearing a specific color.
That color must be identified
to the camera system during an initialization step.
There is no "initialization step" for the AutoAuditorium Tracking Camera.
It begins tracking any person on the stage as soon as the system starts.
The AutoAuditorium Tracking Camera does
not require any initialization or
identification of the person to be tracked.
So, if I am speaking on stage and finish my talk,
I might leave the stage by the stairs on the right.
Since you are the next speaker, you may come up on the stage on the left.
When I am no longer within the spotting camera's view
(see above)
and you are seen by the spotting camera,
then you will become the person to follow.
The Tracking Camera will be aimed at you and will follow you while you are
on stage.
The system installation includes steps that align the spotting
and tracking cameras.
The installer defines a
"Search Area"
and an
"Extraneous Motion Area"
in the image taken by the spotting camera.
See the illustration.
The Search Area defines the portion of the spotting camera image where
motion will be considered significant.
It is set so that people seated, or, if possible, standing, in front of the
stage are not considered as targets for the Tracking Camera.
Likewise, the Extraneous Motion Area is defined around the projection screen.
For motion within the Extraneous Motion Area to be considered significant it
must be adjacent to motion outside that area, and still within the Search Area.
Generally, when the speaker stands in front of the screen,
the slide is not changing, so the Tracking Camera only responds to her.
Even if there is motion in the slide while she is standing in front of the
screen, the tracking camera just zooms out to include her and the screen,
which generally looks OK.
Also, a minimum target size and maximum target size is defined,
which helps keep the Tracking Camera subsystem from being distracted by
things much smaller and much larger than a person.
These concepts are discussed a bit more in
a paper
presented at the
1998 NIST Smart Spaces Conference.
When the system identifies one moving target inside
the Search Area,
the system labels it as "significant"
and
the Tracking Camera follows it.
If a second moving target is identified,
the system remains aware of it,
but the Tracking Camera does not follow it right away.
For instance,
if someone comes in late and walks into the Search Area but then immediately
sits down, the Tracking Camera ignores that person.
However, if that second target stays around for a period of time,
say 10 seconds or more,
then that second target is labeled as "significant".
Now there are two significant targets, so the Tracking Camera zooms out
so that both can be seen.
Additional targets are treated the same way.
They become "significant" only after they remain identified
for a period of time.
As with the Tracking Camera,
the patented AutoAuditorium Director uses information
from camera images to determine what is going on.
The camera pointed at the projection screen sees the images that are shown
there.
If there is nothing on the screen,
then the Director knows it should not show
that camera, as it contains nothing that would be interesting to the
audiences.
However, as soon as an image is projected on the screen,
the Director detects its presence and selects that camera to be part of the
program.
Should the image on the screen stay there for a long time
(which is a tunable parameter)
the Director figures that the audiences have had a good chance to read
and understand what is there and thus it may choose to cut away from the
screen.
It will then cycle between showing and not showing the screen until:
-
There is motion on the screen, such as when the slide changes or the
speaker points to the screen,
in which case it shows the screen immediately, or
-
The screen goes blank, in which case it will stop showing the screen at all.
The design of the audio system is very important to the production of a high quality program and should not be overlooked. The audio system must be designed to serve two very different audiences:
- The local audience, in the same room as the person presenting the talk.
For them the room's sound system provides most of the audio assistance.
- The remote audiences watching the program via broadcast or recording.
They need to hear the same sound picked up by the room's sound system, but they also want to hear the questions from members of the local audience.
An AutoAuditorium System installation is likely to have
at least one wireless microphone and a microphone built into the lectern.
If being installed into an existing room,
then use of the existing public address system may provide a number of microphones,
especially wireless microphones,
as part of the basic system.
To be able to pickup audience questions and commentary,
your choices range from as simple as "passing around a hand-held wireless mic"
to strategically placing microphones in the ceiling.
Some facilities may lend themselves to use of wired conference mics.
Audio and video signals flow independently so you are assured that the sound
and image quality of your program will be unaffected by the AutoAuditorium
Controller.
A well designed audio system will only serve to enhance the effectiveness of
programs produced using an AutoAuditorium System.
The best audio system design has much to do with the variety of
acoustical and architectural considerations unique to a given venue.
Several AutoAuditorium installations follow this model:
-
To serve the local audience,
the stage sound system is enhanced
by placing microphones over the stage area.
These microphones automatically select the strongest signal
and put them into the room's sound system.
If the speaker is wearing a wireless microphone,
that is usually the strongest sound source.
But if the wireless microphone is turned off,
goes dead,
is not desirable for some reason,
or cannot be found,
then the overhead microphones will provide
adequate pickup so both the local and remote audiences
can hear the person on stage.
-
Likewise,
so the remote audiences
to hear the local audience's questions and reactions,
ceiling microphones are also placed over the audience's head
and
automatic audio mixers combine their sound
with the sound from the stage.
A special subsystem keeps the room's sound system from being
"heard" by the audience microphones.
This prevents the "bottom of the barrel" sound often heard
when ceiling microphones pick up the stage audio through
the public address system.
Because the AutoAuditorium Controller
operates independently of the system's audio signals,
you have the maximum flexibility to design a system
that will best meet the needs of both your local and your remote audiences.
If you are unsure of your sound system requirements,
please contact
Foveal Systems.
We will discuss your specific needs
or put you in touch with an authorized AutoAuditorium Systems Contractor
with the expertise to analyze your requirements.
The AutoAuditorium System captures a presentation as
"base-band video and audio"
in either NTSC or PAL format.
Since a video recorder is generally included in the installation,
a DVD recording is the easiest way to capture a talk.
Camera video is used only as a reference
to make intelligent and professional program decisions.
Video signals flow independently
and are unaffected by the AutoAuditorium Controller.
Therefore,
you may use any of the common video formats
including some of the newer digital video recorders.
The base-band video and audio can be sent to a video network
using any of the common base-band converters,
but such converters are
not
part of an AutoAuditorium System.
If requested,
we will help customers make the connections to video networks,
but the cost and engineering of those networks are their responsibility.
Likewise,
the base-band video and audio of an AutoAuditorium program could be
recorded and/or transmitted digitally over a computer network.
Again,
if requested,
we will help customers make the connections to such digital networks,
but the cost and engineering of those networks are their responsibilities.
Absolutely.
Please
contact us.
The economies that an AutoAuditorium system offers derive largely from the
fact that it is permanently installed in a room.
That means it is always there,
ready for use on very short notice.
Getting ready takes less than 10 minutes.
(Turn the AutoAuditorium Start switch ON,
slide in the DVD,
and press RECORD.
Give your presentation.)
However,
the actual installation requires
considerable planning and effort
to figure out the most advantageous places to put the cameras and microphones.
The installers must then
align and tune
the Tracking Camera and Director image analysis subsystems.
Finally,
the Audio Mixers are interconnected with the
existing room's sound system.
To make a reasonable and effective portable installation
would require some time and effort placing and cabling the cameras and
microphones,
and require considerable expertise
in the subtle ways an AutoAuditorium system interacts with its environment.
Then,
once the programs were finished,
all the system
components would have to be taken down and packed up.
The amount of time and effort would probably be as much as
or greater than having a crew set up a normal remote production.
The fully automatic features of the final installation must be a
compelling factor to warrant creating and repeatedly installing
and removing a portable system.
However,
we can imagine situations where the underlying technologies
of the AutoAuditorium system could be used in applications which are
not lectures given to audiences.
Please contact us if you are still convinced a
portable AutoAuditorium system is what you want
or
if you have a problem that you think might benefit from using the
AutoAuditorium Tracking Camera,
or
Director.
For information on how you can own an AutoAuditorium system,
please contact us ...
Automatic Auditorium,
AutoAuditorium,
and
AutoAud
are licensed trademarks of
Telcordia Technologies, Inc.
Copyright © 2000 - 2008
Foveal Systems, LLC.
All rights reserved.
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www.AutoAuditorium.com/faq.html 2008/06/12
AutoAuditorium System Scenarios
Scenarios
The following scenarios demonstrate how the
AutoAuditorium System
can work for you.
You can see pictures of typical system installations on the
AutoAuditorium Installations page.
Uses at Telcordia Technologies
The AutoAuditorium system and its predecessor
experimental prototypes, known as
I-See-You Camera Control and
I-See-You Director, were in use at Telcordia Technologies' Morristown NJ Auditorium since
1993.
Since the late 1990s, when it became a commerical offering,
it was used regularly by Telcordia Technologies' employees.
-
Many talks and presentations given in the
Telcordia Technologies Auditorium in Morristown NJ
were telecast and recorded automatically.
The recordings were loaned to people who could not attend the events
and cataloged in the company libraries for circulation.
-
For several years Telcordia Technologies had an experimental
desktop video conferencing system, known as
Cruiser, that at its
peak served about 100 people.
AutoAuditorium recordings of some talks were
placed on a video-on-demand server and watched later through the
Cruiser
system.
The
Cruiser Talk of the Week was a popular service.
-
Rehearsing presentations in the AutoAuditorium
environment
let speakers see and hear how their material comes across,
which helped them refine the content and presentation style.
-
To see what a digitized AutoAuditorium
video looks like, go to our
Video Demonstration
page.
The system can be useful in many other environments.
Large corporations have situations that suggest
AutoAuditorium uses.
The simple example is telecasting and/or
recording any
presentations in the company auditorium.
If it's important enough to attract an audience that big or to call for that
formal a presentation space, then it's important enough to share with those
who were on-the-road, ill, or otherwise occupied at the time.
Which of the possible distribution channels
to use is an open question,
but with low cost of blank DVDs
there is almost no expense to making another recording.
Corporate training
is an important part of keeping employees sharp and up-to-date.
But how many
times have you been at a course and seen someone drop out because they
suddenly had an emergency back at the office?
Do you think they ever get
to make up the days they miss?
With an AutoAuditorium system scaled down to classroom size,
a recording of the missed days would allow those who
were called away to catch up on the material they missed.
Not all presentations need to be seen by the largest possible audience.
Sometimes, the
the event is a
presentation of sensitive information
and it is inappropriate for a video production crew to see and hear
the material.
In that case,
an AutoAuditorium recording is the ideal solution.
Anyone can put the blank video in the VCR and press the AutoAuditorium
START button before the presentation.
Press STOP and EJECT, and you now have a fully produced, ready-to-watch
recording that has not been seen by anyone else.
A hospital, especially a teaching hospital,
is an example of organization that can rarely bring everyone together
for a meeting.
There is always someone who must be on duty and thus miss
an important activity.
In this environment, the AutoAuditorium
system can
capture events for those too busy to
attend.
For those who have to be at the nurse's stations,
they could be telecast on the in-house cable TV system
or over the computer network
(if it can handle multimedia traffic).
Telecasts could be sent to other
locations, on DVD,
via teleconferencing connections, or as computer files,
saving people at associated hospitals the need to travel to attend talks.
Hospitals also have to serve some of the
social needs of its patients.
For example, religious services performed
in the auditorium could be televised over the in-house cable system to
patients unable to attend in person.
Similarly, a hospital often sponsors
events for the community
they serve.
Talks given on current
health and medical topics could be made available as recordings available
at local public libraries
or over public access cable TV channels.
In each of these cases, using the AutoAuditorium
system to capture the event would reduce the opportunity and personnel
costs of creating the telecast.
Because the system is as simple as turning
on the power and hitting RECORD, it will be used often.
The cost of creating
the next telecast quickly becomes very small.
Educational institutions are facing the challenges
of a mobile population.
Many schools offering
continuing education courses
and
degrees for employed
students
find that their pupils have difficulty keeping regular
class hours because of job pressures.
Using AutoAuditorium techniques to capture classes for students,
recordings can be made available
through the mails on DVD,
via community cable TV,
via satellite,
or over the Internet;
in fact, AutoAuditorium programs can be sent
on any medium that carries television.
Also, school systems with
distributed campuses
can use AutoAuditorium systems to share events among
their students and faculty.
A presentation made by a national figure can
be shared with all the campuses.
A seminar on teacher's issues can be shared
with the dispersed faculty.
Situation Rooms where people respond to emergencies
could benefit from a presentation area with AutoAuditorium capabilities.
Broadcasting
up-to-the-second information
could be made much easier if no
one had to work the cameras and run the systems.
It would be as simple
as
-
preparing the visuals,
-
walking to the podium,
-
turning on the projector,
-
pressing a
BROADCAST
button,
-
and present vital information to viewers.
For information on how you can own an AutoAuditorium system,
please contact us ...
Automatic Auditorium,
AutoAuditorium,
and
AutoAud
are licensed trademarks of
Telcordia Technologies, Inc.
Copyright © 2000 - 2008
Foveal Systems, LLC.
All rights reserved.
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|
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www.AutoAuditorium.com/scenarios.html 2008/06/16
AutoAuditorium System Installations
Rooms with AutoAuditorium Systems
While it is called
The AutoAuditorium System,
as you can see in some of these pictures
it also works in rooms not necessarily considered
"auditoriums".
|
Formal Auditorium
-
280 seats, fixed.
-
Front projection.
-
AutoAuditorium System controlled from the "back room".
-
Wireless microphone for the presenter.
-
3 AutoAuditorium cameras:
Spotting Camera,
Slide Camera,
Tracking Camera (shown, wide zoom).
|
|
Formal Auditorium
-
190 seats, fixed.
-
Front projection.
-
AutoAuditorium System controlled from the "back room".
-
Wireless microphone for the presenter.
-
3 AutoAuditorium cameras:
Spotting Camera (shown),
Slide Camera,
Tracking Camera.
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Formal Lecture Hall
-
113 seats, fixed.
-
Rear projection.
-
AutoAuditorium Start Button on the console touch panel.
-
AutoAuditorium VCR available to all users.
-
Wireless microphone for the presenter.
-
Ceiling microphones over the audience.
-
3 AutoAuditorium cameras:
Spotting Camera (shown),
Slide Camera,
Tracking Camera.
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Multi-Purpose Room
-
80 - 100 seats, moveable.
-
Rear projection.
-
AutoAuditorium System controlled from the "back room".
-
Ceiling microphones over the stage.
-
Wireless microphone optional for the presenter.
-
Ceiling microphones over the audience.
-
4 AutoAuditorium cameras:
Spotting Camera (shown),
Slide Camera,
Tracking Camera,
Side-Shot Camera (looks across stage from audience-right towards lectern).
|
|
Informal Lecture Room
-
50 seats.
-
Front projection.
-
AutoAuditorium System controlled from the "back room".
-
Ceiling microphones over the stage.
-
Wireless microphone optional for the presenter.
-
Ceiling microphones over the audience.
-
3 AutoAuditorium cameras:
Spotting Camera (shown),
Slide Camera,
Tracking Camera.
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|
Class Room
-
35 seats.
-
Front projection.
-
AutoAuditorium System controlled from the "back room".
-
Ceiling microphones over the stage.
-
Wireless microphone optional for the presenter.
-
Ceiling microphones over the audience.
-
3 AutoAuditorium cameras:
Spotting Camera (shown),
Slide Camera,
Tracking Camera.
|
Automatic Auditorium,
AutoAuditorium,
and
AutoAud
are licensed trademarks of
Telcordia Technologies, Inc.
Copyright © 2000 - 2008
Foveal Systems, LLC.
All rights reserved.
|
|
|
www.AutoAuditorium.com/rooms.html 2008/07/11
AutoAuditorium System: What You Get, What It Costs
What You Get, What It Costs
The AutoAuditorium System is a complete, installed addition to your
new or existing auditorium or lecture room.
The exact price for your system
will depend on your requirements,
the System Level you select,
and the specific configuration of your room.
Your system installer will first perform an
Engineering Study of your site, and then quote you a final price.
While you are thinking about price,
also consider the savings created using your
AutoAuditorium System.
The
Savings Calculator
web page helps generate the numbers.
What You Get
The AutoAuditorium System adds automatic video production capabilities to your
new or existing auditorium or lecture room.
We expect your room will have a stage, or other presenter's area
separated from the audience, and a permanent projection screen.
AutoAuditorium Systems work best when projectors
(slide, overhead, video, etc.)
are mounted in fixed positions and all project
onto the same area of the screen.
We expect most rooms will have a sound system.
A complete AutoAuditorium System typically adds:
-
The AutoAuditorium Controller with
Tracking Camera and Director modules
-
A Tracking Camera with remote pan/tilt mount and lens control
-
2 or 3 Stationary Cameras (Spotting Camera, Slide Camera, etc.)
and mounts
-
Video Switcher/Special Effects Mixer with 3 inputs, minimum
-
Sound subsystem
-
Stage and Audience Microphones
-
Automatic Audio Mixers
-
Interconnection with the existing room sound system
-
Equipment Rack, including power control
-
Video Recording Equipment (e.g. DVD-recorder, DVR, VCR, etc.)
-
Base-band Video and Audio Connection
to an existing video network,
video-on-demand server or
streaming media digital encoder
In many cases an AutoAuditorium installation can use
the existing facilities of your room.
For example,
your sound system and control system
are usually integrated with the added AutoAuditorium equipment.
What It Costs
Most of the components added by an AutoAuditorium System
are widely available industrial- and
broadcast-quality items sold by audio-visual system contractors.
Because several brands are supported,
you may choose to use relatively smaller,
less expensive,
single-chip cameras,
or,
to achieve better video quality and system performance,
you can use
top-of-the-line,
high resolution,
3-chip cameras.
Below are outlines of typical levels of system functionality.
Choice of System Levels
The first step is to determine the system level
that is nearest to your needs.
Below we list three levels,
Basic,
Standard,
and
Professional
which represent commonly requested feature sets.
The prices are approximate budgeting guidelines.
Because an AutoAuditorium System is tightly integrated into the room where
it is installed,
some installations are easier and less expensive than others.
Also, your needs may allow you to make substitutions which can save money
where it won't make a difference to you and spend it where it will.
For example, S-Video cabling with 1-CCD cameras might provide the video
quality you need without stepping up to 3-CCD cameras.
After you have looked over these System Levels and the available Options
contact Foveal Systems to discuss your specific needs.
All the System Levels of the AutoAuditorium System start with:
-
AutoAuditorium System Controller
with Monitor, Keyboard and Mouse
-
One-year Controller service and upgrade warranty
-
One-Switch AutoAuditorium System ON-OFF Control, including power
-
Foveal 3-Axis Rigid Camera Mounts
for the Spotting and Slide Cameras
-
Video Mixer
-
Video Monitor
-
Distribution amplifiers, video and audio
-
Equipment Rack, power plugs, etc.
The approximate prices include rough estimates for:
-
Engineering
-
Installation Labor
-
Wall or ceiling camera supports, e.g. a shelf for camera mounts
-
Cables
They do not include:
-
Lighting
-
Projection
-
Room sound system
-
Video network and encoders
Basic System
Approximately $60,000.
Provides:
-
Smaller rooms
-
Moderate video quality
-
3 1-CCD cameras
-
Records only the room's existing sound system
No audience sound recording
Includes:
-
1/4 inch 1-CCD Tracking Camera with integrated Pan/Tilt/Zoom Unit
-
1/3 inch 1-CCD Spotting Camera
-
1/3 inch 1-CCD Slide Camera
Standard System
Approximately $90,000.
Provides:
-
Good video quality
-
3 1/3 inch 3-CCD cameras
-
Automatic mixing of room sound system and audience microphones
Includes:
-
1/3 inch 3-CCD Tracking Camera with remote control Zoom/Focus lens
on industrial Pan/Tilt Head
-
1/3 inch 3-CCD Spotting Camera
-
1/3 inch 3-CCD Slide Camera
-
Audience ceiling microphones
-
Automatic Matrix Audio Mixer
Professional System
Approximately $120,000.
Provides:
-
Excellent video quality
-
4 1/2 inch 3-CCD cameras
-
Automatic mixing of room sound system and audience microphones
Includes:
-
1/2 inch 3-CCD Tracking Camera with remote control Zoom/Focus lens
on industrial Pan/Tilt Head
-
1/2 inch 3-CCD Spotting Camera
-
1/2 inch 3-CCD Slide Camera
-
1/2 inch 3-CCD Audience Shot Camera
-
Audience ceiling microphones
-
Automatic Matrix Audio Mixer
While you are thinking about price,
also consider the savings created using your
AutoAuditorium System.
The
Savings Calculator
web page helps generate the numbers.
Options
These options can be purchased on any level system;
Basic, Standard, or Professional.
Multiple Director Shooting Script
The user can be given a choice of directorial styles.
Each style can have its own pace, shot choices, and effects choices.
For example, the AutoAuditorium System used to produce the
demonstration videos,
has a Director "shooting script" which deliberately makes decisions much faster
and uses more video effects and transitions
than is normal for a lecture given in the same room.
By selecting that Director script,
the demonstration videos go through most of
an AutoAuditorium System's
features in a very short time.
The scripts customers normally use are much less frenetic.
In another example,
a customer has an auditorium which can be split in half.
(Look at the first two photos on the
AutoAuditorium Installations
web page.
They are the same auditorium, with the partition wall opened and closed.)
The AutoAuditorium System cameras are in the projection booth at the rear of
the audience seating.
When in Full Room mode,
the AutoAuditorium Director uses the formal stage and the large screen
as the areas of interest.
When in Half Room mode, a partition closes across the width of the
room, and the AutoAuditorium Director instead is sensitive to the
person standing in front of the the wall and
the much smaller screen.
A simple toggle switch makes the choice.
Dual Use System
By "Dual Use" we mean one AutoAuditorium Controller can produce a program
using either of two sets of cameras.
The most common case would be two rooms,
each with its own set of cameras and microphones and audio mixer,
and one AutoAuditorium Controller, one Video Mixer, one video recorder, and
an audio/video routing switcher.
Under the Controller's command,
the routing switcher "bank switches" the signal sources from one room or
other into the Mixer and Controller.
The Director can have different production scripts to accommodate the
specific needs of each room.
Remember that the Dual Use System will only produce a program from one
room at a time.
Switching after the end of a program in one room to the beginning of a program
in the other room will only take two or three minutes.
Manual Control
Some programs are beyond the AutoAuditorium System's capabilities.
In such cases it may be desirable to use the AutoAuditorium System
cameras, mixer, DVR, etc. to produce a program under manual control.
We can include a joy-stick control box for the Tracking Camera.
A switch then gives the user a choice:
-
Have the AutoAuditorium System control the Tracking Camera and Video Mixer.
-
Have a person control the Tracking Camera with the joy-stick and
run the Video Mixer by hand.
At this time, it is not possible to smoothly switch to
manual mode "on the fly".
The selection is best done before the program starts.
The ability to "go manual on the fly" is under development.
Additional Stationary Cameras
It is possible to add additional stationary cameras to be used as
covering shots during the program.
The cost is very modest and
the additional shots provide variety to the program
that the viewers appreciate.
For more information,
or to learn about compatibility of existing audio-visual
equipment that you already own, please
Contact Us.
Automatic Auditorium,
AutoAuditorium,
and
AutoAud
are licensed trademarks of
Telcordia Technologies, Inc.
Copyright © 2000 - 2008
Foveal Systems, LLC.
All rights reserved.
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|
|
www.AutoAuditorium.com/whatyouget.html 2008/06/16
AutoAuditorium System Controller Specifications
Controller Specifications
Overview
Make Every Presentation Into a Video 