High-fidelity visual telecommunication and tele-collaboration system using ATM network

A high-fidelity visual telecommunication system using asynchronous transfer mode (ATM) networks has been constructed for field trials. The prototype system consists of three major components ; a large screen display (488 cm x 137 cm), a high-definition (HD) video coder-decoder (CODEC), and a real-time sound localizer. A high definition life-size image provided by the large screen display and the HD-CODEC produces a realistic sensation during visual communication. The sound localizer matches sound source positions and images. As the first application of high-fidelity visual communication, an HD video conferencing system has been implemented with this equipment. The system supports an electronic chalkboard, overhead projector and handwriting functions by means of a UNIX workstation (WS). These functions are intended to support group-to-group collaboration. A combination of visual communication and computer supported conferencing is one of the promising solutions for the business field in the future. The system is running on experimental ATM networks offered by Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation (NTT) in Japan.