Instant video communication connections

• US 10,063,810 B2
• Filed: 12/02/2016
• Issued: 08/28/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 06/04/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Zhou, Xiaosong, Wu, Hsi-Jung, Chung, Chris Y., Normile, James O., Abuan, Joe S., Jeong, Hyeonkuk, Yang, Yan, Johar, Gobind, Jansen, Thomas
• Primary Examiner(s): SMITH, CREIGHTON H
• Application Number:
  US15/368,371
• Publication Number:
  US 20170085836A1
• Time in Patent Office: 634 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/10 Multimedia information
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1069 Session establishment or de-establishment
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/147 Communication arrangements, e.g. identifying the communication as a video-communication, intermediate storage of the signals selecting H04Q
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/15 Conference systems

Abstract

Computing devices may implement instant video communication connections for video communications. Connection information for mobile computing devices may be maintained. A request to initiate an instant video communication may be received, and if authorized, the connection information for the particular recipient mobile computing device may be accessed. Video communication data may then be sent to the recipient mobile computing device according to the connection information so that the video communication data may be displayed at the recipient device as it is received. New connection information for different mobile computing devices may be added, or updates to existing connection information may also be performed. Connection information for some mobile computing devices may be removed.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

an electronic display;

a user interface component configured to receive user input;

one or more processors;

a memory comprising program instructions that when executed by the one or more processors cause the one or more processors to implement a video communication module;

the video communication module, configured to;

receive a request to initiate a two-way video communication from a remote computing device, the request associated with video communication data from the remote computing device;

in response to receipt of the request to initiate the two-way video communication;

determine that the remote computing device is on an authorization list for an instant video communication connection;

in response to said determination, display the video communication data on the electronic display using the instant video communication connection;

receive, during the display of the video communication data and via the user interface component, a user input to initiate the two-way video communication with the remote computing device; and

in response to the receipt of the user input, establish a two-way video communication connection with the remote computing device.

2. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the electronic display comprises a touch-sensitive display, and to receive the user input, the video communication module is configured to detect a touch gesture on the electronic display.

3. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the video communication module is configured to display the video communication data on the electronic display when another application is displaying on the electronic display or when the electronic display is not active.

4. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the video communication module is configured to display the video communication data in a full-screen display mode.

5. The database system as recited in claim 1, wherein the video communication module is further configured to record the video communication data for subsequent display.

6. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

performing, by a mobile computing device;

receiving a request to initiate a two-way video communication with a remote mobile computing device, the request associated with video communication data from the remote computing device;

in response to receiving the request, determining, based on a stored authorization list, that an instant video communication connection to the remote mobile computing device is authorized;

in response to said determination, displaying the video communication data on an electronic display of the mobile computing device using the instant video communication connection;

receiving, during the displaying of the video communication data, a user input to initiate the two-way video communication with the remote mobile computing device;

in response to the user input, establishing a two-way video communication connection with the remote computing device; and

transmitting captured video communication data to the remote mobile computing device via the two-way video communication connection.

7. The computer-implemented method as recited in claim 6, further comprising:

performing, by the mobile computing device;

receiving a second request to initiate a second two-way video communication with a second remote mobile computing device, the second request associated with second video communication data;

in response to receiving the second request, determining, based on a stored authorization list, that a second instant video communication connection to the second remote mobile computing device is authorized;

in response to said determination, displaying the second video communication data on the electronic display of the mobile computing device using the second instant video communication connection;

receiving, during the displaying of the second video communication data, a second user input to not initiate the second two-way video communication with the second remote mobile computing device; and

in response to the second user input, cease displaying the second video communication data.

8. The computer-implemented method as recited in claim 7, further comprising:

recording the second video communication data for subsequent display, wherein the recording continues after the displaying of the second video communication data is ceased.

9. The computer-implemented method as recited in claim 8, wherein the recording of the second video communication comprises storing the second video communication in a video encoding different from the video encoding in which the second video communication is received.

10. The computer-implemented method as recited in claim 7, wherein receiving the second user input to not initiate the second video communication comprises receiving no user input during the displaying of the second video communication data.

11. The computer-implemented method as recited in claim 7, wherein receiving the second user input to not initiate the second video communication comprises detecting a swiping gesture detected on the electronic display.

12. The computer-implemented method as recited in claim 6, wherein the video communication data is encrypted, and further comprising:

decrypting the encrypted video communication data.

13. The computer-implemented method as recited in claim 6, wherein displaying the video communication data comprises displaying the video communication data on the electronic display in full-screen mode.

14. A non-transitory computer-accessible storage medium storing program instructions that when executed by one or more processors cause the processors to:

receive a request to initiate a two-way video communication with a remote mobile computing device, the request associated with video communication data from the remote mobile computing device;

in response to receiving the request, determine, based on an authorization list, that the remote mobile computing device is authorized to establish an instant video communication connection;

in response to said determination, display the video communication data as the video communication data is received on the instant video communication connection;

receive, during the displaying of the video communication data, a user input to initiate the two-way video communication with the remote mobile computing device;

in response to the user input, establish a two-way video communication connection with the remote mobile computing device; and

transmit captured video communication data to the remote mobile computing device via the two-way video communication connection.

15. The non-transitory computer-accessible storage medium as recited in claim 14, wherein the program instructions when executed by the one or more processors cause the processors to:

prior to receiving the video communication data;

send a request to the remote mobile computing device for authorization to establish the instant video communication connection with the remote mobile computing device;

receive connection information to establish the instant video communication connection; and

store the connection information for the remote mobile computing device in the authorization list.

16. The non-transitory computer-accessible storage medium as recited in claim 14, wherein the program instructions when executed by the one or more processors cause the processors to:

prior to receiving the video communication data;

receive a request for authorization to establish the instant video communication connection from the remote mobile computing device;

in response to receiving the request;

determine that the remote mobile computing device is authorized to establish the instant video communication connection; and

in response to said determining that the remote mobile computing device is authorized to establish the instant video communication connection, respond to the request with connection information to establish the instant video communication connection.

17. The non-transitory computer-accessible storage medium as recited in claim 14, wherein the program instructions when executed by the one or more processors cause the processors to:

in response to receiving an indication of de-authorization for the remote mobile computing device, remove the respective instant video communication connection for the remote mobile computing device from the authorization list.

18. The non-transitory computer-accessible storage medium as recited in claim 17, wherein the program instructions when executed by the one or more processors cause the processors to:

in response to receiving the indication of de-authorization for the remote mobile computing device, send a de-authorization notification to the remote computing device.

19. The non-transitory computer-accessible storage medium as recited in claim 14, wherein the program instructions when executed by the one or more processors cause the processors to:

detect a change in the connection information for the instant video communication connection associated with the remote mobile computing device; and

in response to detecting the change, update the stored connection information in the authorization list for the remote mobile computing device according to the detected change.

20. The non-transitory computer-accessible storage medium as recited in claim 19, wherein to detect the change in the connection information for the instant video communication connection, the program instructions cause the processors to periodically or aperiodically poll the remote mobile computing device to verify the instant video communication connection.