Videotelephone Terminal with Intuitive Adjustments

• US 20080246830A1
• Filed: 12/20/2005
• Published: 10/09/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 01/07/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Orange S.A.
• Original Assignee: Orange S.A.
• Inventors: Airiau, Roland, Martin, Alexis, Damlamian, Jean-Jacques
• Granted Patent: US 8,264,522 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/14.02
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2007/145 Handheld terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/635 Region indicators; Field of view indicators
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/66 Remote control of cameras or camera parts, e.g. by remote control devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/661 Transmitting camera control signals through networks, e.g. control via the Internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/68 for stable pick-up of the scene, e.g. compensating for camera body vibrations
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/6842 by controlling the scanning position, e.g. windowing
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/142 Constructional details of the terminal equipment, e.g. arrangements of the camera and the display

Abstract

Intuitive adjustment of framing on a terminal is achieved by a remote party using a mobile terminal during a videotelephone call. The terminal includes a camera, framing means, video encoding means and communication and multiplexing means. The terminal includes motion sensors, formatting means, and communication and multiplexing means. In response to its own movement, the terminal produces framing data from movement information coming from the movement sensors and sends said framing data to the terminal. The framing means extract image portions from images captured by the camera in response to framing information corresponding to the framing data.

Claims

1. :

A mobile videotelephone terminal including;

communication means for communicating with another videotelephone terminal via a radio communication network;

motion sensors for producing information representing motion of the terminal; and

formatting means for converting the motion information into outgoing framing data sent to the other terminal;

the communication means being adapted to insert the outgoing framing data into data to be sent to the other terminal over the radio communication network.

2. :

A terminal according to claim 1, further including a display for displaying an image captured by a camera of the other videotelephone terminal, the framing data being adapted to command the framing of the image captured by said camera.

3. :

A terminal according to claim 1, wherein the motion sensors include gyroscopes and/or accelerometers and/or magnetometers.

4. :

A terminal according to claim 1, wherein the formatting means are adapted to compare the motion information to a minimum motion threshold and a maximum motion threshold and the outgoing framing data is produced in response to the detection of motion between the minimum motion threshold and the maximum motion threshold.

5. :

A terminal according to claim 1, further including;

a camera for capturing images having a first size;

framing means for extracting an image portion having a second size smaller than the first size from an image captured by the terminal, the framing means selecting the image portion as a function of remote framing information coming from the other terminal; and

video encoding means for converting a stream of image portions coming from the framing means into outgoing video data;

the communication means being adapted to extract the remote framing information from data received from the other terminal via the radio communication network.

6. :

A mobile videotelephone terminal including;

communication means for communicating with another videotelephone terminal via a radio communication network;

a camera for capturing images having a first size;

framing means for extracting an image portion having a second size smaller than the first size from an image captured by the terminal, the framing means selecting the image portion as a function of remote framing information coming from the other terminal; and

video encoding means for converting a stream of image portions coming from the framing means into outgoing video data;

the communication means being adapted to extract the remote framing information from data received from the other terminal via the radio communication network.

7. :

A terminal according to claim 6, wherein the framing means are adapted to take the remote framing information into account if the captured image is considered immobile or virtually immobile.

8. :

A mobile terminal according to claim 6, wherein the framing means include pattern recognition means adapted to recognize a face and wherein the framing means are adapted to take the remote framing information into account if a face is detected.

9. :

A method of reframing during a videotelephone call an image captured by a camera of a first mobile videotelephone terminal with the aid of a second mobile videotelephone terminal including a screen and motion sensors, the method including a step of producing framing data in response to motion of the second mobile terminal on the basis of motion information coming from the motion sensors and a step of sending said framing data to the first mobile terminal.

10. :

A method according to claim 9, wherein the second mobile terminal produces the framing data if the motion information is above a minimum motion threshold and below a maximum motion threshold.

11. :

A method according to claim 9, wherein, in response to framing information received by the first terminal and corresponding to framing data sent by the second terminal, the first mobile terminal extracts image portions corresponding to said framing information from images captured by its camera and produces a video clip representing a succession of image portions.

12. :

A method according to claim 11, wherein the framing information is taken into account if the image captured by the camera of the first mobile terminal moves only slightly or if a face is detected in the image.

13. :

A signal transporting a stream of videotelephone frames between a first mobile terminal and a second mobile terminal, wherein at least one frame sent by the first terminal includes audio data, video data, and framing data indicating the position and/or movement of an image portion captured by a camera of the second terminal, said image portion corresponding to an image to be sent from the second terminal to the first terminal.

14. :

A system for reframing an image captured by a camera of a first mobile videotelephone camera from a second mobile videotelephone terminal including a screen and motion sensors;

the system including said first mobile terminal and said second mobile terminal, which are adapted to communicate with each other via a videotelephone network, the first terminal transmitting to the second terminal images captured during the videotelephone call; and

the system being adapted to produce framing data for framing an image captured by the first terminal in response to motion of the second terminal on the basis of motion information coming from the motion sensors of the second terminal.