Establishing a video conference during a phone call

• US 10,462,420 B2
• Filed: 10/05/2017
• Issued: 10/29/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 04/07/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Cranfill, Elizabeth C., Lemay, Stephen O., Abuan, Joe S., Wu, Hsi-Jung, Zhou, Xiaosong, Garcia, Jr., Roberto
• Primary Examiner(s): El-Zoobi, Maria
• Application Number:
  US15/725,868
• Publication Number:
  US 20180160072A1
• Time in Patent Office: 754 Days
• Field of Search: 348 1401- 1409
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04812 Interaction techniques based on cursor appearance or behaviour, e.g. being affected by the presence of displayed objects
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0486 Drag-and-drop
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04886 by partitioning the display area of the touch-screen or the surface of the digitising tablet into independently controllable areas, e.g. virtual keyboards or menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/14 Display of multiple viewports
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72469 for operating the device by selecting functions from two or more displayed items, e.g. menus or icons
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/45 for generating image signals from two or more image sensors being of different type or operating in different modes, e.g. with a CMOS sensor for moving images in combination with a charge-coupled device [CCD] for still images
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/617 Upgrading or updating of programs or applications for camera control
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/63 by using electronic viewfinders
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/661 Transmitting camera control signals through networks, e.g. control via the Internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/80 Camera processing pipelines; Components thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/90 Arrangement of cameras or camera modules, e.g. multiple cameras in TV studios or sports stadiums
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/2624 for obtaining an image which is composed of whole input images, e.g. splitscreen
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/272 Means for inserting a foreground image in a background image, i.e. inlay, outlay
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/141 between two video terminals, e.g. videophone telephonic communication systems combined with television receiver for reception of entertainment or information matter H04M11/085
• 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

Some embodiments provide a method for initiating a video conference using a first mobile device. The method presents, during an audio call through a wireless communication network with a second device, a selectable user-interface (UI) item on the first mobile device for switching from the audio call to the video conference. The method receives a selection of the selectable UI item. The method initiates the video conference without terminating the audio call. The method terminates the audio call before allowing the first and second devices to present audio and video data exchanged through the video conference.

Claims

1. A non-transitory computer readable medium of a first mobile device, the computer readable medium storing a computer program, said computer program comprising sets of instructions for:

presenting, through a wireless communication network with one or more devices, a first composite view on the first mobile device, the first composite view comprising;

a first selectable user-interface (UI) item corresponding to video data captured by the first mobile device; and

a plurality of second selectable user-interface (UI) items corresponding to a plurality of video conference participants, the plurality of second selectable UI items comprising video data captured by second mobile devices of at least two video conference participants participating in a video conference with a user of the first mobile device;

receiving an indication of a first video conference participant of the plurality of video conference participants based upon detected speech of the first video conference participant; and

in response to the indication of the first video conference participant, present a second composite view comprising an enlarged view of one of the plurality of second selectable UI items corresponding to the first video conference participant.

2. The computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein the first composite view is displayed again after detection of three seconds of silence.

3. The computer readable medium of claim 1, comprising receiving an indication of a second video conference participant based upon a selection of a second one of the plurality of the second selectable UI items and providing a third composite view comprising an enlarged view of the second one of the plurality of second selectable UI items.

4. The computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein the computer program further comprises sets of instructions for:

reducing a size of a first display area when a second video or a third video has been received at the first mobile device in order to show a next-received video in the first display area such that a third composite view comprises video data associated with a second video conference participant or the third video conference participant.

5. The computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein the computer program further comprises sets of instructions for:

detecting one of the plurality of second selectable UI items, wherein once detected, the one of the plurality of second selectable UI items detected occupies a majority of a first display area on the first mobile device; and

wherein undetected UI items of the plurality of second selectable UI items associated with the at least two video conference participants are displayed in a second display area of the second composite view on the first mobile device.

6. The computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein the computer program further comprises sets of instructions for:

identifying a de-selecting of the enlarged view of a particular selection of either the first selectable UI item or one of the plurality of second selectable UI items; and

causing the enlarged view of the particular selection to shrink based upon the de-selecting.

7. The computer readable medium of claim 6, wherein the de-selecting of the enlarged view of the particular selection comprises dragging two fingers towards each other, tapping, or both on the enlarged view.

8. The computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein in response to a user input, the user of the first mobile device can switch a particular selection of either the first selectable UI item or the one of the plurality of second selectable UI items to an alternative selection for enlarging in the second composite view.

9. The computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein the user of the first mobile device can separately control audio of each of the at least two video conference participants.

10. The computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein the computer program further comprises sets of instructions for:

detecting an orientation of the first mobile device;

displaying a first number of the plurality of second selectable UI items when the orientation of the first mobile device is in a portrait orientation; and

displaying a second number of the plurality of second selectable UI items in response to detecting a change in the orientation of the first mobile device from the portrait orientation to a landscape orientation, wherein the second number of the plurality of second selectable UI items is greater than the first number of the plurality of second selectable UI items.

11. The computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein the first mobile device and the second mobile devices are provisioned with the wireless communication network to make audio calls with other devices through the wireless communication network.

12. The computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein the first mobile device and the second mobile devices are provisioned with the wireless communication network to make audio calls with other devices through the wireless communication network, while the second mobile devices are not provisioned to make audio calls with other devices through the wireless communication network.

13. The computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein the first mobile device and the second mobile devices are smart phones.

14. The computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein the wireless communication network is a private wireless communication network or a public wireless communication network.

15. A non-transitory computer readable medium of a first mobile device, the computer readable medium storing a computer program for setting up a video conference between the first mobile device and at least two devices, the computer program comprising sets of instructions for:

presenting a first user-interface (UI) layout on the first mobile device, the first (UI) layout comprising a selectable UI item for switching from a phone call to the video conference;

upon receiving a selection of the selectable UI item, presenting a second UI layout comprising a first video captured by the first mobile device;

upon receiving an acceptance of the video conference from the at least two devices, presenting a third UI layout that shows the first video and video data captured by the at least two devices;

presenting, on the first mobile device, a first composite view, the first composite view comprising;

a first selectable user-interface (UI) item corresponding to video data captured by the first mobile device; and

a plurality of second selectable user-interface (UI) items corresponding to a plurality of video conference participants, captured by the at least two devices of at least two video conference participants of the plurality of video conference participants participating in a video conference with a user of the first mobile device;

receiving an indication of a first video conference participant of the plurality of video conference participants based upon detected speech of the first video conference participant; and

in response to the indication of the first video conference participant, presenting a second composite view comprising an enlarged view of the one of the plurality of second selectable UI items corresponding to the first video conference participant.

16. The computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein the first mobile device and the at least two devices are provisioned for making phone calls through at least one public wireless communication network of one wireless service carrier.

17. The computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein the computer program further comprises a set of instructions for receiving an indication of a second video conference participant based upon a selection of the second one of the plurality of the second selectable UI items and providing a third composite view comprising an enlarged view of the second one of the plurality of second selectable UI items.

18. The computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein the computer program further comprises a set of instructions for reducing a size of a first display area when a second video or a third video has been received at the first mobile device in order to show a next-received video in the first display area such that a third composite view comprises video data associated with a second video conference participant of the plurality of video conference participants or a third video conference participant of the plurality of video conference participants.

19. The computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein the computer program further comprises a set of instructions for:

selecting one of the plurality of second selectable UI items, wherein once selected, the one of the plurality of second selectable UI items selected occupies a majority of a first display area on the first mobile device; and

wherein unselected UI items of the plurality of second selectable UI items associated with the at least two video conference participants are displayed in a second display area of the second composite view on the first mobile device.

20. The computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein the first composite view is displayed after detection of three seconds of silence.