Method and apparatus for exploiting video streaming services of mobile terminals via proximity connections

• US 20040207719A1
• Filed: 04/15/2003
• Published: 10/21/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 04/15/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Tervo, Timo P., Leukkunen, Marko
• Application Number:
  US10/414,453
• Publication Number:
  US 20040207719A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/14.02
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72412 using two-way short-range wireless interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72427 for supporting games or graphical animations
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4113 PC
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41407 embedded in a portable device, e.g. video client on a mobile phone, PDA, laptop constructional details of equipment or arrangements specially adapted for portable computer application G06F1/1626; arrangements specially adapted for mobile receivers in broadcast systems H04H20/57
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43637 involving a wireless protocol, e.g. Bluetooth, RF or wireless LAN [IEEE 802.11] arrangements for wireless networking or broadcasting of information in indoor or near-field type systems H04B10/114
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4781 Games
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4788 communicating with other users, e.g. chatting arrangements for providing for computer conferences, e.g. chat rooms, to substation in data switching networks H04L12/1813; distributed application using peer-to-peer [P2P] networks H04L67/104
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6125 involving transmission via Internet transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82
• 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 7/148 Interfacing a video terminal to a particular transmission medium, e.g. ISDN
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

A method and apparatus allows proximity connections to an image enabled mobile terminal to exploit image capabilities of the mobile terminal. Mobile terminals (504 and 512) interact with Personal Computers (PC) (506 and 510) via Bluetooth connections (516 and 522) to transfer audio/video data as required to support specified activities. Video conferencing scenario 500 is enabled by exploiting imaging capabilities of the mobile terminals in lieu of a PC mounted camera. Other applications involve security, licensing, video enhancement, and gaming features that may be implemented with the present invention.

Claims

1. A method of exploiting video facilities of a mobile terminal, comprising:

generating video content using the mobile terminal;

establishing a proximity connection between the mobile terminal and a video processing platform; and

transferring the video content from the mobile terminal to the video processing platform using the proximity connection.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising generating audio content using the mobile terminal.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the video and audio content are combined to form a bit stream.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein establishing a proximity connection comprises coupling the mobile terminal to the video processing platform via a wired connection.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein establishing a proximity connection comprises coupling the mobile terminal to the video processing platform via a wireless connection.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein the wireless connection includes any one of a Bluetooth, infrared, or Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) connection.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein transferring the video content includes initiating an RFCOMM communication session using the Bluetooth connection.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein the wireless connection facilitates a video conferencing scenario.

9. The method according to claim 7, wherein the wireless connection facilitates a gaming scenario.

10. The method according to claim 7, wherein the wireless connection facilitates security access verification.

11. An image processing system, comprising:

an image enabled mobile terminal arranged to generate content; and

an image processing platform arranged to receive the content, wherein the image enabled mobile terminal is coupled to the image processing platform via a proximity connection to facilitate content transfer.

12. The image processing system according to claim 11, wherein the content is comprised of video data.

13. The image processing system according to claim 11, wherein the content is comprised of video and audio data.

14. The image processing system according to claim 12, wherein the proximity connection comprises a wired connection.

15. The image processing system according to claim 12, wherein the proximity connection comprises a wireless connection.

16. The image processing system according to claim 15, wherein the wireless connection includes any one of a Bluetooth, infrared, or Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) connection.

17. The image processing system according to claim 15, wherein RFCOMM socket communication facilitates the content transfer.

18. A mobile terminal wirelessly coupled to a network which includes a network element capable of processing content from the mobile terminal, the mobile terminal comprising:

a memory capable of storing at least one of a protocol module and an imaging module;

an image component configured by the imaging module to generate digital images;

a processor coupled to the memory and configured by the protocol module to enable digital image exchange with the network element; and

a transceiver configured to facilitate the digital image exchange with the network element.

19. The mobile terminal according to claim 18, wherein the protocol module includes a Bluetooth communication stack.

20. The mobile terminal according to claim 19, wherein the Bluetooth protocol stack allows discovery of the network element.

21. A computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon which are executable by a mobile terminal for exchanging video content with a video processing platform by performing steps comprising:

generating digital images using imaging equipment internal to the mobile terminal;

establishing a proximity connection with the video processing platform; and

transmitting the digital images to the video processing platform with the established proximity connection.

22. A digital image processor proximately coupled to an image enabled mobile terminal, comprising:

means for establishing the proximate connection to the image enabled mobile terminal;

means for receiving video content from the image enabled mobile terminal via the proximate connection; and

means for utilizing the received video content.

23. The digital image processor according to claim 22, wherein the means for establishing the proximate connection comprises a Bluetooth service discovery mechanism.

24. The digital image processor according to claim 22, wherein the means for receiving the video content comprises a socket connection established between RFCOMM layers of a Bluetooth connection between the digital image processor and the image enabled mobile terminal.

25. A computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon which are executable by a video processing platform by performing steps comprising:

establishing a proximate connection with an image capable mobile terminal;

receiving images from the image capable mobile terminal via the proximate connection; and

utilizing the received images.