Video Conferencing Using Affiliated Displays

• US 20100039496A1
• Filed: 08/12/2008
• Published: 02/18/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/12/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Digital Spectrum Solutions
• Original Assignee: Digital Spectrum Solutions
• Inventors: Sadri, Reza, Kazemi, Saied
• Application Number:
  US12/190,474
• Publication Number:
  US 20100039496A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/14.80
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1818 Conference organisation arrangements, e.g. handling schedules, setting up parameters needed by nodes to attend a conference, booking network resources, notifying involved parties
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/142 Constructional details of the terminal equipment, e.g. arrangements of the camera and the display
• 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

Methods for providing video conferencing through network enabled electronic displays are presented. Each of a plurality of displays, preferably digital picture frames, is assigned an identifier used to identify the displays for a video conferencing session. The displays can form a group affiliation as a function of their identifier and can be packaged for sale as a group. Consumers can purchase a package of affiliated displays preconfigured to support a video conference among each other. During a video conferencing session the affiliated displays are allowed to exchange video conferencing data through an intermediary video conferencing server or directly with each other.

Claims

1. A method for video conferencing, comprising:

providing a plurality of network enabled electronic displays;

assigning identifiers to each of the plurality of displays;

forming a group affiliation among at least a portion of the plurality of displays as a function of the identifiers;

packaging member displays of the group affiliation for sale as a group; and

allowing exchange of captured image data among member displays of the group affiliation over a network.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of forming a group affiliation includes registering the at least a portion of the plurality of display with a group registration service.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising discovering member displays of the group affiliation over the network.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising removing a member display from the group affiliation.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of assigning identifiers and forming a group affiliation occurs before initial sale of the group.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the identifiers assigned to each of the plurality of displays have the same value.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the same value represents a common group identifier associated with the group affiliation.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the identifiers each comprise at least a 64-bit value.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of exchanging image data directly occurs without requiring an intermediary server.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising exchanging audio data directly among the member displays of the group affiliation over a network.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of exchanging image data occurs in a peer-to-peer manner.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising establishing a group leader from among the member displays.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the step of exchanging image data occurs via the group leader.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the electronic displays comprise digital picture frames.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising automatically establishing a data exchange connection among the member displays.

16. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing a policy that governs an interoperation among the member displays.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising updating the policy on the member displays.

18. The method of claim 1, further comprising bypassing an authentication of at least one of the member displays as a function of its identifier.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein the identifiers comprise hierarchical identifiers that have at least two levels.

20. The method of claim 19, where in each level corresponds to a bypass permission.