Photo Avatars

• US 20150350125A1
• Filed: 05/30/2014
• Published: 12/03/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 05/30/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Henderson, Andrew
• Granted Patent: US 9,628,416 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/005 Input arrangements through a video camera
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04847 Interaction techniques to control parameter settings, e.g. interaction with sliders or dials
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1813 for computer conferences, e.g. chat rooms instant messaging H04L51/04; protocols for multimedia communication H04L65/1101; arrangements for multi-party communication H04L65/403; telephonic conference arrangements H04M3/56; television conference systems H04N7/15
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/043 using or handling presence information
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/10 Multimedia information
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72436 for text messaging, e.g. short messaging services [SMS] or e-mails
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72439 for image or video messaging
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42382 Text-based messaging services in telephone networks such as PSTN/ISDN, e.g. User-to-User Signalling or Short Message Service for fixed networks
• 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

Abstract

In one implementation, endpoint computing devices communicate using one or more instant messages. A user interface of an endpoint receives text input from a user for an instant message. The endpoint generates a trigger command in response to the instant message. A camera captures an image in response to the trigger command. The image may depict the user that entered the text input but other images are possible. The endpoint sends the image with the instant message to a recipient of the instant message.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, by a user interface of an endpoint, text input from a user for an instant message;

generating, by a processor of the endpoint, a trigger command in response to the instant message;

capturing, by a camera of the endpoint, an image of the user in response to the trigger command; and

sending the image of the user with the instant message to a recipient of the instant message.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the trigger command is generated in response to a send input for the instant message.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the trigger command is generated in response to the text input being entered for the instant message.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the trigger command is generated in response to punctuation in the text input for the instant message.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the trigger command is generated in response to the text input for the instant message including a trigger word.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

sending the image of the user with a subsequent instant message.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the instant message is a first instant message, the method further comprising:

receiving a second instant message from the recipient of the first instant message, wherein the second instant message includes an image of the recipient triggered by the second instant message.

8. The method of claim 1, the method further comprising:

displaying, at the endpoint, the image of the user with the instant message and a subsequent image of the user with a subsequent instant message.

9. An apparatus comprising:

a user interface configured to receive a text input from a user for an instant message;

a processor configured to generate a trigger command in response to use of the instant message; and

a camera configured to capture an image of the user based, at least in part, on the trigger command, wherein the image of the user with the instant message is sent to a recipient of the instant message.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the trigger command is generated in response to a send input for the instant message.

11. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the trigger command is generated in response to the text input being entered for the instant message or punctuation in the text input for the instant message.

12. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the trigger command is generated in response to the text input for the instant message including a trigger word.

13. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the processor is configured to generate the trigger command in response to a comparison of a detected bandwidth to a bandwidth threshold.

14. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the processor is configured to generate the trigger command in response to a user input for photo avatar mode.

15. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the processor is configured to enter a camera mode in response to the trigger command, and the camera is configured to capture the image of the user in response to a user entry in the camera mode.

16. The apparatus of claim 9, further comprising:

a communication interface configured to receive streaming video and photo avatars in a video conference.

17. A method comprising:

receiving an instant message from a first endpoint device, wherein the instant message includes text input from a first user, an image from the first user, and an identity of a second user, and wherein the image is captured automatically in response to the text input; and

sending the instant message including the text input from the first user and the image from the first user to a second endpoint device associated with the identity of the second user.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

forwarding a video stream from the second user to the first user.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the image is captured based a trigger command from the first endpoint device.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the trigger command is generated in response to a send input for the instant message or an entry of the text input for the instant message.