DispLayers: multi-layer display technique to enhance selective looking of overlaid images

ABSTRACT

In order to support remote collaboration, we designed TeamWorkStation[1]. The system provides distributed users with a shared workspace image and face images. Initially, we displayed these images using a tiling window strategy as shown in Fig. 1(a). However, the screen space was too small to display both the workspace window and face windows at sizes large enough for effective use. To solve this problem, we devised the ClearFace technique that overlays the translucent face image onto the workspace image (Fig. 1(b))[2]. Although the quality of overlaid images is somewhat degraded, users can easily switch their attention between the workspace image and the face images. This human ability to selectively see one of two mixed images is accounted by the theory of "selective looking "[3]. However, we realized that there still remained some difficulties in separating the mixed images in ClearFace.

REFERENCES

• 1: Hiroshi Ishii , Naomi Miyake, Toward an open shared workspace: computer and video fusion approach of TeamWorkStation, Communications of the ACM, v.34 n.12, p.37-50, Dec. 1991 [doi>10.1145/125319.125321]
• 2: Hiroshi Ishii , Kazuho Arita, CLEARFACE: TRANSLUCENT MULTIUSER INTERFACE FOR TEAM WORKSTATION, ACM SIGCHI Bulletin, v.23 n.4, p.67-68, Oct. 1991 [doi>10.1145/126729.1056068]
• 3: Neisser, U., and Becklen, R. Selective Looking: Attending to Visually Specified Events, Cognitive Psychology, Vol. 7, 1975, pp. 480--494.