METHOD OF AUDIO-VISUAL COMMUNICATION USING A TELEVISION AND TELEVISION USING THE SAME

• US 20140009559A1
• Filed: 09/09/2013
• Published: 01/09/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/05/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: AmTRAN Technology Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: AmTRAN Technology Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Shyu, Fang-Yuan
• Application Number:
  US14/021,771
• Publication Number:
  US 20140009559A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/14.02
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4223 Cameras H04N23/00 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4316 for displaying supplemental content in a region of the screen, e.g. an advertisement in a separate window
• 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 7/14 Systems for two-way working H04N7/12, H04N7/173 take precedence
• 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 7/15 Conference systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/173 with two-way working, e.g. subscriber sending a programme selection signal

Abstract

A method and apparatus for audio-visual communication. One example method may include causing an outgoing call request to be transmitted to a remote party, wherein the outgoing call request is displayed in a visual communication screen area on a display; establishing a communication link with the remote party in an instance in which an answering signal is received from the remote party, the communication link enabling a multi-directional audio and visual conversation; and causing a received video of the remote party to be displayed in the visual communication screen area, wherein the display is operable to display multimedia content in a multimedia screen area simultaneously with the received video of the remote party in the visual communication screen area.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

causing an outgoing call request to be transmitted to a remote party, wherein the outgoing call request is displayed in a visual communication screen area on a display;

establishing a communication link with the remote party in an instance in which an answering signal is received from the remote party, the communication link enabling a multi-directional audio and visual conversation; and

causing, using a processing unit, a received video of the remote party to be displayed in the visual communication screen area, wherein the display is operable to display multimedia content in a multimedia screen area simultaneously with the received video of the remote party in the visual communication screen area.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

causing a video shooting unit to be activated in response to the answering signal;

causing a sound pickup unit to be activated in response to the answering signal; and

causing sound captured by the sound pickup unit to be transmitted as a transmit sound signal to the remote party and video captured by the video shooting unit to be transmitted as a transmit video signal to the remote party, wherein the transmit sound signal is interlaced with the transmit video signal for the conversation.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

receiving a received sound signal and a received video signal over the communications link from the remote party;

processing the received sound signal and the received video signal for display as the received video of the remote party; and

providing, using the processing unit, non-interrupted audio and visual communication with the remote party by simultaneously displaying the received video, outputting the received sound signal, and transmitting the interlaced transmit sound signal and transmit video signal to the remote party.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a received sound signal and a received video signal over the communications link from the remote party; and

processing the received sound signal and the received video signal for display as the received video of the remote party for the conversation.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the visual communication screen area is displayed instead of the multimedia screen area in an instance in which the answering signal is received.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein an indication of the outgoing call request is displayed on a display in the visual communication screen area simultaneously with multimedia content in the multimedia screen area.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

displaying a contact list in response to a request to make an outgoing call;

receiving an identification of at least one contact in the contact list; and

generating the outgoing call request for the remote party, wherein the remote party is the at least one contact.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a request to add a contact to a contact list, the request comprising at least one of an account identifier or an internet protocol address;

causing users having at least one of an account identifier or an internet protocol address corresponding to the request to be displayed; and

adding a user as a contact in an instance in which a contact selection is received, wherein the user is the at least one contact.

9. An apparatus comprising a processor unit and a memory unit, wherein the processor unit is configured to cause the apparatus to:

receive an outgoing call request to be transmitted to a remote party, wherein the outgoing call request is displayed in a visual communication screen area on a display unit;

establish a communication link with the remote party in an instance in which an answering signal is received from the remote party, the communication link enabling a multi-directional audio and visual conversation; and

cause a received video of the remote party to be displayed in the visual communication screen area, wherein the display unit is operable to display multimedia content in a multimedia screen area simultaneously with the received video of the remote party in the visual communication screen area.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the processor unit further causes the apparatus to:

cause a video shooting unit to be activated in response to the answering signal;

cause a sound pickup unit to be activated in response to the answering signal; and

cause sound captured by the sound pickup unit to be transmitted as a transmit sound signal to the remote party and video captured by the video shooting unit to be transmitted as a transmit video signal, wherein the transmit sound signal is interlaced with the transmit video signal for the conversation.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the processor unit further causes the apparatus to:

receive a received sound signal and a received video signal over the communications link from the remote party;

process the received sound signal and the received video signal for display as the received video of the remote party for the conversation; and

provide non-interrupted audio and visual communication with the remote party by simultaneously displaying the received video, outputting the received sound signal, and transmitting the interlaced transmit sound signal and transmit video signal to the remote party.

12. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the processor unit further causes the apparatus to:

receive a received sound signal and a received video signal over the communications link from the remote party; and

process the received sound signal and the received video signal for display as the received video of the remote party for the conversation.

13. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the visual communication screen area is displayed instead of the multimedia screen area in an instance in which the answering signal is received.

14. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the processor unit further causes the apparatus to:

display a contact list in response to a request to make an outgoing call;

receive an identification of at least one contact in the contact list; and

generate the outgoing call request for the remote party, wherein the remote party is the at least one contact.

15. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the processor unit further causes the apparatus to:

receive a request to add a contact to a contact list, the request comprising at least one of an account identifier or an internet protocol address;

cause users having at least one of an account identifier or an internet protocol address corresponding to the request to be displayed; and

add a user as a contact in an instance in which a contact selection is received, wherein the user is the at least one contact.

16. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the apparatus is a television.

17. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the visual communication screen area is displayed instead of the multimedia screen area in an instance in which the answering signal is received.

18. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein an indication of the outgoing call request is displayed on a display in the visual communication screen area simultaneously with multimedia content in the multimedia screen area.

19. A method comprising:

causing sound captured by a sound pickup unit to be transmitted as a transmit sound signal to a remote party;

causing video captured by the video shooting unit to be transmitted as a transmit video signal to the remote party; and

providing a non-interrupted audio and video communication with the remote party over a communications link by simultaneously displaying a received video in a visual communication screen area of a display, outputting a received sound signal, and transmitting the transmit sound signal and the transmit video signal to the remote party.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the display is operable to display multimedia content in a multimedia screen area simultaneously with the received video of the remote party in the visual communication screen area.

21. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

receiving a received sound signal and a received video signal over the communications link from a remote party; and

processing, using the processing unit, the received sound signal and the received video signal for display as the received video of the remote party.

22. The method of claim 19, wherein the communications link enables a multi-directional audio and video conversation with the remote party.

23. The method of claim 19, wherein the communications link comprises at least one of a wired or wireless connection to the internet and the multimedia content is received via a broadcast signal.

24. An apparatus comprising a processor unit and a memory unit, wherein the processor unit is configured to cause the apparatus to:

cause sound captured by a sound pickup unit to be transmitted as a transmit sound signal to a remote party;

cause video captured by the video shooting unit to be transmitted as a transmit video signal to the remote party; and

provide a non-interrupted audio and video communication with the remote party over a communications link by simultaneously displaying a received video in a visual communication screen area of a display, outputting a received sound signal, and transmitting the transmit sound signal and the transmit video signal to the remote party.

25. The apparatus of claim 24, wherein the display is operable to display multimedia content in a multimedia screen area simultaneously with the received video of the remote party in the visual communication screen area.

26. The apparatus of claim 24, wherein the processor unit further causes the apparatus to:

receive a received sound signal and a received video signal over the communications link from a remote party; and

process the received sound signal and the received video signal for display as the received video of the remote party.

27. The apparatus of claim 24, wherein the communications link enables a multi-directional audio and video conversation with the remote party.

28. The apparatus of claim 24, wherein the communications link comprises at least one of a wired or wireless connection to the interne and the multimedia content is received via a broadcast signal.

29. The apparatus of claim 24, wherein the apparatus is a television or a mobile device.