Methods and systems for audio and video communication

• US 20060158439A1
• Filed: 01/13/2006
• Published: 07/20/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 01/14/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Xueshan Technologies Inc. (Wi-LAN Inc.)
• Original Assignee: MediaTek, Inc.
• Inventors: Luo, Wan Chi, Tadanori, Hagihara, Wang, Tung-Yi
• Granted Patent: US 7,848,772 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/173
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1605 Multimedia displays, e.g. with integrated or attached speakers, cameras, microphones
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4143 embedded in a Personal Computer [PC]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42203 sound input device, e.g. microphone
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4223 Cameras H04N23/00 takes precedence
• 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 21/632 using a connection between clients on a wide area network, e.g. setting up a peer-to-peer communication via Internet for retrieving video segments from the hard-disk of other client devices broadcast-related systems characterised by transmission among terminal devices H04H60/80; distributed application using peer-to-peer [P2P] networks H04L67/104
• 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 7/148 Interfacing a video terminal to a particular transmission medium, e.g. ISDN

Abstract

Systems for audio and video communication used in a mobile electronic device are provided. An embodiment of a system comprises a display object generation unit, an acoustic object generation unit and a transport unit. The display object generation unit repeatedly generates display objects corresponding to intensity of light sensed by an image sensor module of the mobile electronic device. The acoustic object generation unit repeatedly generates acoustic objects corresponding to sound signals detected by a microphone of the mobile electronic device. The transport unit simultaneously transports the generated display and acoustic objects to a computer host when the mobile electronic device operates as a webcam.

Claims

1. A system for audio and video communication used in a mobile electronic device, comprising:

a display object generation unit repeatedly generating a plurality of display objects corresponding to intensity of light sensed by an image sensor module of the mobile electronic device;

an acoustic object generation unit repeatedly generating a plurality of first acoustic objects corresponding to sound signals detected by a microphone of the mobile electronic device; and

a transport unit coupling to the display object generation unit and the acoustic object generation unit, simultaneously transporting the generated display and acoustic objects to a computer host when the mobile electronic device operates as a webcam,

thereby the generated display and acoustic objects to be transmitted to a remote electronic apparatus/device through a internet protocol (IP) network by a computer host coupling to the mobile electronic device.

2. The system as claimed in claim 1 further comprising:

a switching device disposed in the display object generation unit or between the display object generation unit and the transport unit; and

a control unit coupling to the switching device, receiving a command issued by the computer host for disabling display object transmission from mobile electronic device to the computer host, and accordingly turning off the switching device to prevent that the generated display objects are transmitted to the computer host,

wherein the mobile electronic device couples to a remote mobile electronic device via a cellure network and communicates with the remote mobile electronic device.

3. The system as claimed in claim 1 further comprising:

a switching device disposed in the acoustic object generation unit or between the acoustic object generation unit and the transport unit; and

a control unit coupling to the switching device, receiving a command issued by the computer host for disabling acoustic object transmission from mobile electronic device to the computer host, and accordingly turning off the switching device to prevent that the generated acoustic objects are transmitted to the computer host,

wherein the mobile electronic device couples to a remote mobile electronic device via a cellure network and communicates with the remote mobile electronic device.

4. The system as claimed in claim 1 wherein the acoustic object generation unit further comprises a digital signal processor (DSP), the DSP generates the first acoustic objects and a plurality of second acoustic objects corresponding to sound signals received by a radio frequency (RF) transceiver and receives a plurality of third acoustic objects from the computer host via the transport device, the system further comprising:

a control unit coupling to the digital signal processor, receiving a command issued by the computer host for enabling acoustic object transmission between the computer host and a remote mobile electronic device coupling to the mobile electronic device via a cellure network, accordingly mixing the first acoustic objects with the second acoustic objects to generate mixed acoustic objects to be transmitted to the computer host, and accordingly mixing the first acoustic objects with the third acoustic objects to generate mixed acoustic objects to be transmitted to the remote mobile electronic device.

5. The system as claimed in claim 1 wherein the display object generation unit comprises more than one image/video encoder coupling to the image sensor module, and one of the image/video encoders is selected to generate the display objects contingent upon transmission ability of the transport unit.

6. The system as claimed in claim 1 wherein the display object generation unit comprises an image signal processor coupling to the image sensor module, and the image signal processor blends content into a plurality of raw images detected by the image sensor module or adjusts an image parameter of the raw images to generate the display objects.

7. The system as claimed in claim 1 wherein the acoustic object generation unit comprises a speech encoder coupling to the microphone, a bit rate of the generated acoustic objects is adjusted contingent upon transmission ability of the transport unit and the speech encoder generates the acoustic objects with the adjusted bit rate.

8. The system as claimed in claim 1 wherein the acoustic object generation unit comprises an echo suppressor/canceller coupling to the microphone, the echo suppressor/canceller suppresses or cancels echoes from sound signals to generate the acoustic objects.

9. A method for audio and video communication performed by a mobile electronic device, comprising:

repeatedly generating a plurality of display objects corresponding to intensity of light sensed by an image sensor module of the mobile electronic device;

repeatedly generating a plurality of first acoustic objects corresponding to sound signals detected by a microphone of the mobile electronic device; and

simultaneously transporting the generated display and acoustic objects to a computer host when the mobile electronic device operates as a webcam,

thereby the generated display and acoustic objects to be transmitted to a remote electronic apparatus/device through a internet protocol (IP) network by a computer host coupling to the mobile electronic device.

10. The method as claimed in claim 9 further comprising:

receiving a command issued by the computer host for disabling display object transmission from mobile electronic device to the computer host; and

accordingly disabling a transmission path to prevent that the generated display objects are transmitted to the computer host,

wherein the mobile electronic device couples to a remote mobile electronic device via a cellure network and communicates with the remote mobile electronic device.

11. The method as claimed in claim 9 further comprising:

receiving a command issued by the computer host for disabling acoustic object transmission from mobile electronic device to the computer host; and

accordingly disabling a transmission path to prevent that the generated acoustic objects are transmitted to the computer host,

wherein the mobile electronic device couples to a remote mobile electronic device via a cellure network and communicates with the remote mobile electronic device.

12. The method as claimed in claim 9 further comprising:

generating a plurality of second acoustic objects corresponding to sound signals received by a radio frequency (RF) transceiver;

receiving a plurality of third acoustic objects from the computer host;

receiving a command issued by the computer host for enabling acoustic object transmission between the computer host and a remote mobile electronic device coupling to the mobile electronic device via a cellure network;

accordingly mixing the first acoustic objects with the second acoustic objects to generate mixed acoustic objects to be transmitted to the computer host; and

accordingly mixing the first acoustic objects with the third acoustic objects to generate mixed acoustic objects to be transmitted to the remote mobile electronic device.

13. The method as claimed in claim 9 wherein the display object generation step further comprises blending content into a plurality of raw images detected by the image sensor module or adjusting an image parameter of the raw images to generate display objects.

14. The method as claimed in claim 9 wherein the acoustic object generation step further comprises suppressing or canceling echoes from the sound signals to generate the acoustic objects.

15. A method for audio and video communication performed by a computer host coupling to a mobile electronic device operating as a webcam of the computer host, comprising:

receiving a plurality of display objects and acoustic objects from the coupled mobile electronic device;

transmitting the received display objects and acoustic objects to a remote electronic apparatus/device through an Internet protocol (IP) network via a peer-to-peer (P2P) communication application resident on the computer host;

periodically issuing a command to the mobile electronic device; and

monitoring an communication event associated with a cellure network and occurred in the mobile electronic device by receiving a reply corresponding to the issued command or by receiving no reply.

16. The method as claimed in claim 15 wherein the reply comprises a short message or a multimedia message received by the mobile electronic device via the cellure network, the method further comprising displaying the received short message or the multimedia message.

17. The method as claimed in claim 15 wherein the communication event indicates that an incoming call request or a cut-in call request has been received by the mobile electronic device from the cellure network, the method further comprising:

displaying a user interface (UI) to facilitate a user decision regarding whether the mobile electronic device accepts or rejects the incoming call request or the cut-in call request; and

issuing a command to the mobile electronic device to accept or reject the incoming call request or the cut-in call request according to an event corresponding to a UI button.

18. The method as claimed in claim 15 wherein the communication event indicates that an incoming call request or a cut-in call request has been received by the mobile electronic device from the cellure network, the method further comprising:

displaying a user interface (UI) to facilitate user to select one of a plurality of communication modes; and

configuring the mobile electronic device by issuing a command to the mobile electronic device contingent upon an event corresponding to a UI object on the UI.

19. The method as claimed in claim 18 wherein the selected communication mode indicates that transmission of the display objects from the mobile electronic device to the computer host is disabled, the method further comprising directing the mobile electronic device to disable transmission of the display objects from the mobile electronic device to the computer host by issuing a command to the mobile electronic device.

20. The method as claimed in claim 18 wherein the selected communication mode indicates that transmission of the acoustic objects from the mobile electronic device to the computer host is disabled, the method further comprising directing the mobile electronic device to disable transmission of the acoustic objects from the mobile electronic device to the computer host by issuing a command to the mobile electronic device.

21. The method as claimed in claim 18 wherein the selected communication mode indicates that transmission of the acoustic objects between the remote electronic apparatus/device and a remote mobile electronic device issuing the incoming call request or the cut-in call request, the method further comprising directing the mobile electronic device to mix a plurality of the acoustic objects acquired by the remote electronic apparatus/device and a microphone of the mobile electronic device to generate the mixed acoustic objects to be transmitted to the remote mobile electronic device by issuing a command to the mobile electronic device.

22. The method as claimed in claim 18 wherein the selected communication mode indicates that transmission of the acoustic objects between the remote electronic apparatus/device and a remote mobile electronic device issuing the incoming call request or the cut-in call request, the method further comprising directing the mobile electronic device to mix a plurality of the acoustic objects acquired by the remote mobile electronic device and a microphone of the mobile electronic device to generate the mixed acoustic objects to be transmitted to the remote electronic apparatus/device by issuing a command to the mobile electronic device.