US Patent 7227567 Customizable background for video communications

A video telecommunications system 100 for effecting a communication between at least first and second participants includingan image alteration agent 358 that (i) removes desired and/or undesired image information 370 and 374 from the acquired image information 362 to form filtered image information 378 and the removed information and (ii) combines the filtered image information 378 and/or the image information 370 and 374 with substitute image information 382 to form composite image information 366; anda video communication infrastructure 304 that transmits the composite image information 366 to a communication device associated with the second participant 120. The composite image information 366 excludes undesired image information 374.