Method, Device, and System for Reducing Bandwidth Usage During a Communication Session

• US 20150097919A1
• Filed: 05/18/2012
• Published: 04/09/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 05/18/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: RingCentral Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Unify GmbH & Co. KG (Atos SE)
• Inventors: Karimi-Cherkandi, Bizhan, Kouchri, Farrokh Mohammadzadeh, Ali, Schah Walli
• Granted Patent: US 9,294,720 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/14.07
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1089 by adding media; by removing media
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/80 Responding to QoS
• 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: H04W 52/0254 detecting a user operation or a tactile contact or a motion of the device
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/027 by controlling a display operation or backlight unit
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A communication system, method and communication terminal are configured to permit bandwidth reduction when communication partners are engaged in a communication session. In one embodiment, a communication terminal such as a cellular phone or tablet may turn off at least one of its display and camera sensor within a predetermined amount of time when the terminal is detected as being positioned near a user'"'"'s ear via at least one sensor of the terminal. In some embodiments, the communication terminal may also transmit one or more messages to communication devices of communication partners engaged in the communication session to inform those devices that video transmissions should no longer be sent to the communication terminal. The communication terminal and other communication devices involved in the communication session may also stop transmitting video as a result of the detection of the communication terminal being positioned near a user'"'"'s ear.

Claims

1. A communication system comprising:

a first communication terminal;

a first communication device;

the first communication terminal being configured to establish a communication session with the first communication device, the communication session comprising an exchange of video data and audio data between the first communication terminal and the first communication device;

after the communication session is established and has been ongoing, the first communication terminal being configured to determine that video data is no longer desired to be received from the first communication device during the communication session;

the first communication terminal being configured to determine that video data is no longer desired to be received from the first communication device during the communication session comprises at least one detector of the first communication terminal configured to detect the first communication terminal being moved from a first position to a second position, the first position being a position used for recording a face of a user of the first communication terminal via a camera sensor of the first communication terminal, the second position being a position in which a speaker of the first communication terminal is adjacent to an ear of the user;

in response to the determining that the video data is no longer desired to be received from the first communication device during the communication session, the first communication terminal being configured to send a first message to the first communication device; and

in response to receiving the first message, the first communication device being configured to stop the transmitting of video data during the communication session such that only audio data is transmitted by the first communication device to the first communication terminal after receipt of the first message and the transmitting of video data during the first communication session is stopped by the first communication device.

2. The communication system of claim 1 further comprising at least one of:

in response to the at least one detector detecting the first communication terminal being moved from the first position to the second position, the first communication terminal being configured to deactivate the camera sensor of the first communication terminal so that video of the user of the first communication terminal is no longer recorded by the camera sensor; and

in response to the at least one detector detecting the first communication terminal being moved from the first position to the second position, the first communication terminal being configured to stop the transmitting of video data during the communication session such that only audio data is transmitted by the first communication terminal to the first communication device after the transmitting of video data during the first communication session is stopped by the first communication terminal.

3. The communication system of claim 2 further comprising the first communication terminal being configured to turn off a display of the first communication terminal such that video data received during the communication session is not displayed on the display during the first communication session in response to the at least one detector detecting the first communication terminal being moved from the first position to the second position.

4. The communication system of claim 1 wherein the first communication terminal is configured to send the first message to the first communication device after the first communication terminal is detected as being in the second position for a predetermined amount of time.

5. The communication system of claim 1 wherein the first communication device is a communication terminal and wherein in response to receiving the first message, the first communication device is configured to turn off a display of the first communication device such that video data received during the communication session is no longer displayed on the display of the first communication device during the first communication session.

6. The communication system of claim 1 wherein the first communication device is a communication terminal and wherein in response to receiving the first message, the first communication device is configured to turn off a camera sensor of the first communication device such that the camera sensor of the first communication device no longer records video during the first communication session.

7. The communication system of claim 1 wherein the first message is a Session Initiation Protocol REINVITE message and the at least one detector is comprised of a proximity sensor.

8. The communication system of claim 1 further comprising:

prior to the first communication terminal sending the first message, a display of the first communication terminal being configured to display a warning to the user of the first communication terminal to inform the user that video will no longer be available during the first communication session if input is not provided to the first communication terminal to prevent the sending of the first message.

9. The communication system of claim 1 wherein the first communication terminal is configured to determine that video data is no longer desired to be received from the first communication device during the communication session comprises one of:

being configured to receive input from a user of the first communication terminal indicating the video data is no longer desired to be received from the first communication device, and

a camera sensor of the first communication terminal configured to record light at or below a predetermined level for a predetermined amount of time.

10. A method of reducing bandwidth used in a communication session comprising:

a first communication terminal establishing the communication session with a first communication device, the communication session comprising an exchange of video data and audio data between the first communication terminal and the first communication device;

after the communication session is established and has been ongoing, the first communication terminal determining that video data is no longer desired to be received from the first communication device during the communication session;

the first communication terminal determining that video data is no longer desired to be received from the first communication device during the communication session comprises;

at least one detector of the first communication terminal detecting the first communication terminal being moved from a first position to a second position, the first position being a position used for recording a face of a user of the first communication terminal via the camera sensor of the first communication terminal, the second position being a position in which a speaker of the first communication terminal is adjacent to an ear of the user;

in response to the determining that the video data is no longer desired to be received from the first communication device during the communication session, the first communication terminal sending a first message to the first communication device; and

in response to receiving the first message, the first communication device stopping the transmitting of video data during the communication session such that only audio data is transmitted by the first communication device to the first communication terminal after receipt of the first message and the transmitting of video data during the first communication session is stopped by the first communication device.

11. The method of claim 10 further comprising:

in response to the at least one detector detecting the first communication terminal being moved from the first position to the second position, the first communication terminal deactivating the camera sensor of the first communication terminal so that video of the user of the first communication terminal is no longer recorded by the camera sensor.

12. The method of claim 10 further comprising:

in response to the at least one detector detecting the first communication terminal being moved from the first position to the second position, the first communication terminal stopping the transmitting of video data during the communication session such that only audio data is transmitted by the first communication terminal to the first communication device after the transmitting of video data during the first communication session is stopped by the first communication terminal.

13. The method of claim 10 wherein the first communication device is a computer device that is communicatively coupled to the first communication terminal and at least one other communication terminal participating in the communication session, the computer device overseeing the communication session.

14. The method of claim 10 wherein the first communication device is a communication terminal and wherein the method further comprising at least one of:

in response to receiving the first message, first communication device turning off a display of the first communication device such that any video data received during the first communication session is not displayed on the display of the first communication device during the first communication session, and

in response to receiving the first message, the first communication device turning off a camera sensor of the first communication device such that the camera sensor of the first communication device no longer records video during the first communication session.

15. The method of claim 10 further comprising:

prior to the first communication terminal sending the first message, a display of the first communication terminal displaying a warning to the user to inform the user that video will no longer be available during the first communication session if input is not provided to the first communication terminal to prevent the sending of the first message.

16-20. -20. (canceled)