ACCESS TO VIDEO STREAMS ON MOBILE COMMUNICATION DEVICES

• US 20100033580A1
• Filed: 08/08/2008
• Published: 02/11/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/08/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: STA Group, LLC
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Khan, Zeeshan Rahman, Shaffer, Shmuel
• Granted Patent: US 8,994,830 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/192
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2381 Adapting the multiplex stream to a specific network, e.g. an Internet Protocol [IP] network transmission of MPEG streams over ATM H04L12/5601
• 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 21/4524 involving the geographical location of the client retrieval from the Internet by querying based on geographical locations G06F16/9537; systems specially adapted for using geographical information in broadcast systems H04H60/70; protocols in which the network application is adapted for the location of the user terminal in communication control or processing H04L67/52; services making use of the location of users or terminals in wireless networks H04W4/02; locating users or terminals in wireless networks H04W64/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6131 involving transmission via a mobile phone network wireless downlink channel access H04W74/006
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/64707 for transferring content from a first network to a second network, e.g. between IP and wireless

Abstract

A method and apparatus to provide access to video streams associated with communication channels in a communication network are described. The method may comprise monitoring selection of a communication channel by a user of a mobile communication device, identifying at least one video feed associated with the selected channel, and providing access to the mobile communication device to the selected at least one video feed. Providing access may comprise associating the selected video stream with the mobile communication device.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

monitoring selection of a communication channel by a user of a mobile communication device;

identifying at least one video feed associated with the selected channel; and

providing access to the mobile communication device to the identified at least one video feed, wherein providing the access is based on a user policy.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein providing access comprises associating the identified video feed with the mobile communication device.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

accessing a database to identify a plurality of members of an emergency response team; and

presenting a plurality of available video feeds on a display of the mobile communication device, the plurality of available video feeds including video streams associated with the plurality of members of the emergency response team.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the available video feeds are sourced from a group of surveillance cameras.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the communication channel is a Push-To-Talk (PTT) channel in a PTT communication network and the mobile communication device is a PTT radio.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

accessing a database to identify a group of video feeds associated with the user; and

when the user selects the communication channel, providing access to the group of video feeds associated with the user to one or more other users of communication channel.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing a plurality of radio frequencies on a display of the mobile communication device, each radio frequency being associated with a geographical zone;

monitoring selection of a radio frequency of the plurality of radio frequencies by the user; and

providing access to a plurality of video feeds associated with the geographical zone.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

monitoring an audio signal generated in proximity to a video camera providing the video feed;

processing the audio signal to identify an audio event; and

based on the identified audio event, providing access to the video feed to a plurality of mobile communication devices in a group of mobile communication devices.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the communication channel is associated with a Virtual Talk Group (VTG).

10. The method of claim 1, wherein providing access to the video feeds depends on a video association policy.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the video association policy includes role of the user defined in a policy database.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

identifying a geographical location of a local mobile communication device using a Global Positioning System;

identifying at least one video feed associated with the geographical location;

associating the video feed with other mobile communication devices set to the same channel as the local mobile communication device; and

automatically rendering access to the at least one video feed to the other mobile communication devices.

13. An apparatus, comprising:

at least one processor; and

a memory in communication with the at least one processor, the memory being configured to store a video stream association module executable by the at least one processor, and the video stream association module executed by the at least one processor causes operations to be performed, the operations comprising;

monitoring selection of a communication channel by a user of a mobile communication device;

identifying at least one video feed associated with the selected channel; and

providing access to the mobile communication device to the identified at least one video feed wherein providing the access is based on a user policy.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein providing access comprises associating the identified video feed with the mobile communication device.

15. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the operations further comprise:

accessing a database to identify a plurality of members of an emergency response team; and

presenting a plurality of available video feeds on a display of the mobile communication device, the plurality of available video feeds including video streams associated with the plurality of members of the emergency response team.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the available video feeds are sourced from a group of surveillance cameras.

17. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the communication channel is a Push-To-Talk (PTT) channel in a PTT communication network and the mobile communication device is a PTT radio.

18. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the operations further comprise:

accessing a database to identify a group of video feeds associated with the user; and

when the user selects the communication channel, providing access to the group of video feeds associated with the user to one or more other users of communication channel.

19. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the operations further comprise:

providing a plurality of radio frequencies on a display of the mobile communication device, each radio frequency being associated with a geographical zone;

monitoring selection of a radio frequency of the plurality of radio frequencies by the user; and

providing access to a plurality of video feeds associated with the geographical zone.

20. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the operations further comprise:

monitoring an audio signal generated in proximity to a video camera providing the video feed;

processing the audio signal to identify an audio event; and

based on the identified audio event, providing access to the video feed to a plurality of mobile communication devices in a group of mobile communication devices.

21. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the communication channel is associated with a Virtual Talk Group (VTG).

22. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein providing access to the video feed depends on a video association policy, the video association policy including a role of the user defined in a policy database.

23. The apparatus of claim 13, further comprising:

identifying a geographical location of a local mobile communication device using a Global Positioning System;

identifying at least one video feed associated with the geographical location;

associating the video feed with other mobile communication devices set to the same channel as the local mobile communication device; and

automatically rendering access to the at least one video feed to the other mobile communication devices.

24. Apparatus comprising:

a monitor module to monitor selection of a communication channel by a user of a mobile communication device;

a channel identifier module to identify at least one video feed associated with the selected channel; and

means for providing access to the mobile communication device to the identified at least one video feed, wherein providing the access is based on a user policy.