Far end camera control application
Pan tilt and zoom a compatible participant camera remotely during a Video Call
The Far end camera control application allows participants in a call to remotely control another participant's camera, providing it has Pan Tilt Zoom (PTZ) capability. PTZ cameras can provide a high-quality video feed with enhanced visuals, making it easy for a remote healthcare provider to view and assess a patient's condition remotely. If enabled in the clinic, hosts in the call will see a PTZ app icon in Apps & Tools, which they can click to launch the application. They then select the participant in the call whose camera they would like to control and, if the camera has the capability, the selected participant will see a screen where they give consent. The host can then control the selected participant's camera.
Use cases for far end camera control include the ability for a remote specialist to support the assessment of a patient in hospital or in a emergency department. It can also include a GP or specialist assessing a patient who is with a nurse in a remote clinic location with a camera capable of PTZ.
There is also the option to allow another participant to control the selected camera owner's camera. An example use case for a guest controlling the host camera is a remote specialist invited to the call as a guest - and they need to control the remote camera where the patient is with the host. Allowing them to control their own camera gives them the option to control their PTZ capable camera from their call screen.
The far end camera control application is enabled in the clinic by the clinic administrator for the app to be available for clinic members during Video Calls. If not enabled, the app will not appear in Apps & Tools.
To ensure your camera is capable of being used with the far end camera control application, please visit this link and test the camera's capabilities. If you find that your camera supports PTZ using the link but does not function within the Video Call application, please contact contact us.
Configuration options for clinic administrators
The Far end camera control application needs to be enabled and some simple configuration options made, before it will be available in the call screen for members of the clinic. The following information outlines the steps for configuring the Far end camera control application:
To configure the application, Clinic administrators go to Apps in the LHS menu of their clinic - only clinic admins will have access to the Apps section.
Locate the Far end camera control App and click on the Details cog.
Select the Configure tab.
There are some simple configuration options for this application that can be selected and saved:
- App Name: The default app name is Far End Camera Control and this can be renamed.
- Enable App: enable the App so it is available in clinic calls. The default is 'off'.
- Require Consent: enable this option if you request the requested camera owner to Consent to remote camera control.
- Enable Gamepad Control: Allows users in the clinic to control the app with a supported game controller.
- Enable Voice Control: This allows the camera controller the option to use voice control to control the selected camera.
- Auto-hide Controls: When the app is being used, the controls will hide after a few seconds of inactivity.
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Upload a JSON file with settings presets: If you would like to upload a JSON file with settings presets that will be available for all users in the clinic, please contact us for assistance.
Remember to click Save at the bottom if you make any changes.
Using the Far end camera control application during a call
Once enabled and configured in the clinic, the application will be available for health service providers (clinic members) in a Video Call consultation. To use the Far end camera control application in the Video Call screen during a call:
App location
The App icon is located in Apps & Tools in the call screen. Click on the app icon to launch the application.
Start app or play tutorial
The app opens and you can either Start or Play Tutorial to find out how the app works.
Select Participants
Once you click Start, in the Select Participants window, select the required Controllers. Your name will appear by default as the controller. Next, select the participant whose camera you want to control.
Assigning control to others
You can allow other call participants to control the selected user's camera, as required. There can be multiple controllers but only one camera owner whose camera will be remotely controlled.
Consent
Once the participant is selected, if Consent is required in the clinic (this is configurable by the clinic admin), the requested participant will get a message to give consent, shown in this example. If Consent is not required, control will be granted immediately without their consent.
If the selected participant's camera is not PTZ capable, or only partially capable, you and the camera owner will see an alert message. In this example only zoom control will be available.
If the camera is compatible with PTZ, you will now be able to control the camera. You can use the control overlay shown in this image to control the camera. Or click at the top, bottom, left and right of the camera feed to pan and tilt and draw a box to zoom in or out.
To see the selected camera feed more clearly, you can minimise your self view and focus on the other participant. In multi-person calls you can pin a participant and control their camera. You can also make a participant full screen to get a detailed view of their screen, if desired. Click here to read more about call screen layout options.
Click and box draw control
Click near the top and bottom, left and right of the participant video feed to control the pan and tilt of their camera. You can draw a box around an area to zoom in, as shown in this example. The bigger the box the closer the zoom.
Creating and using Presets
You can navigate the camera to a specific position and save this as a pre-set in your browser:
- Set the desired camera position
- Click on Presets at top left
- Name your preset
- Click add to add the preset for later use
- The preset can be accessed in your current call and future calls in this browser, by clicking the presets button.
- Click Hide to hide the presets window
Control settings
The Control Settings overlay allows you set up the app to suit your needs. This includes:
- Change the camera owner (top left initials)
- Change the camera you are controlling (eg back or front camera for the selected camera owner)
- Refresh the application
- Make window full screen
- Hide controls (app icon). Hides the controls after a few moments of inactivity
- Settings (Presets, Joystick, Draw)
- Take a screenshot - of the selected camera owner's screen
- Enable/disable voice control
Settings
Click on the slider icon to access Settings. Here you can set up:
- Presets - Set custom presets for camera positions
- JoyStick control speeds - set how fast your JoyStick moves the camera position
- Draw settings - set the speed of zooming in and out when drawing a box to control.
Voice control
If enabled in the clinic, there is the option to turn on Voice Control to control the camera. Press the mic icon or Shift+V to enable voice control.
There is the capability to control speed for zoom and direction, eg you could say 20 times right, 4 times up, 10 x zoom in, etc.
You can also say Preset number 1 to go to a camera preset location and Home to go to the Home position for the camera. You will see your voice commands display on the screen while the command is being actioned by the camera.
Keyboard shortcuts and mouse scroll controls:
- You can use the up, down, left and right arrows on your keyboard to pan and tilt, and the + and - keys or mouse scroll to zoom in and out.
- The H key will take you to the starting position for the camera.
- Clicking a specific location in the screen will make that point go to the centre of the screen.
- Some cameras will be more sensitive than others with regard to control, so you can decide which option gives the best result.
Remotely controlling an iPhone or Android phone camera
For patients who are attending the consultation using their phone, hosts in the call can control the zoom function during the call. Remote Pan and Tilt functionality will not be available on these devices but the patient can move the phone easily to the required position. To control a phone camera remotely:
The App icon is located in Apps & Tools for health service providers when they are in a Video Call. Click on the app icon to launch the application.
In the participant selection box that appears, select the participant whose camera you want to control.
In this example the host is in a call with one other person, so only one name is available.
If you tick the 'Guest can control camera' checkbox, the selected guest can also control the camera in their video feed using the controls.
Once the participant is selected, if Consent is required in the clinic (this is configurable by the clinic admin), the requested person will get a message to confirm consent, shown in this example. If Consent is not required, control will be granted immediately without their consent.
You will now be able to control the camera.
For iPhones and Android phones the overlay controls will be the only control option. You cannot pan and tilt but you can use the Zoom slider and create Zoom presets.
You also have access to all the options in the control settings overlay.
Supported PTZ capable cameras
The list of PTZ capable cameras below have been tested and confirmed as compatible with the Video Call service. There will be other compatible cameras that we have not yet tested, so please use this link to test an available camera that is not in this list. If you find that your camera supports PTZ using the link but does not function within the Video Call application, please contact contact us.
Please note: Each camera will have its own default settings for functions such as zoom, pan and tilt speeds and the home position for the camera. If you notice any settings that are not set appropriately for your requirements, you should be able to access the camera settings and make adjustments before using the camera with the Far end camera control app in Video Call. Please contact the manufacturer if it is not clear how to do this.
Aver MD330U
4K PTZ camera with 30X optical zoom lens and AI Noise Reduction.
MD720UIS Medical Grade All-in-One PTZ Medical Camera
4K Ultra HD - excellent resolution
20x optical zoom
Voice control
Auto IR night view
Logitech ConferenceCam Connect
Portable ConferenceCam with Bluetooth® speakerphone
Logitech Rally
PTZ camera with Ultra-HD imaging system and automatic camera control
Minrray UV540
Full HD, Wide View Angle, Multiple Zoom Lens, Multiple Video Interfaces and Multiple protocols
OBSBOT Tiny 2 Lite AI-Powered 4K PTZ Webcam
AI Auto Tracking
UHD 4K Resolution
1/2” CMOS Sensor
4X Digital Zoom with Auto Zoom Gesture Control 2.0, W Mini Tripod
OBSBOT Tiny 2 AI-Powered 4K Webcam
AI Auto tracking with Auto Zoom
UHD 4K Resolution
Voice Control
Dynamic Gesture Control
1/1.5’’ CMOS
Polycom EagleEye IV USB Camera
Full HD (1080P) camera, covering a wide field of view of 72.5˚, with the mechanical pan, tilt, and 12x zoom
Tenveo Tevo-VL20N-NDI
Full HD (1080P) 60fps 20x Zoom USB3.0 IP Live Streaming Camera.
Yealink UVC84
4K PTZ Camera for medium and large room sizes.
Yealink UVC86
4K Dual-Eye Intelligent Tracking Camera for Medium and Large Rooms
