Television video phone

• US 6,493,020 B1
• Filed: 06/01/2000
• Issued: 12/10/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 06/01/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: X10 Wireless Technology Incorporated (X10)
• Original Assignee: X10 Wireless Technology Incorporated (X10)
• Inventors: Stevenson, George E., Phillips, James R. W., Rye, Dave J., Leech, Leslie Alan
• Primary Examiner(s): Ramakrishnaiah, Melur
• Application Number:
  US09/587,379
• Time in Patent Office: 922 Days
• Field of Search: H04/N.714, 348/14.01, 348/14.02, 348/14.03, 348/14.04, 348/14.054, 348/14.06, 348/14.08, 348/14.09, 348/7.34, 455/419, 455/420
• US Class Current: 348/14.04
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/478 Supplemental services, e.g. displaying phone caller identification, shopping application
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4786 e-mailing message switching systems, e.g. electronic mail systems H04L51/00
• 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 21/6125 involving transmission via Internet transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82
• 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 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

A system and method for performing videophone operations over a television. The system includes a television system, a transceiver and a personal computer that is coupled to a communications network and the transceiver. The television system includes a camera, a microphone, a wireless receiver for wirelessly receiving audio and video signals, a signal processor for processing the received audio and video signals for presentation on a television. The transceiver includes a receiver for wirelessly receiving audio and video signals from the television system, and a transmitter for wirelessly sending audio and video signals to the television system. The personal computer includes a memory and a processor for executing program instructions stored in memory for receiving audio and video data over the communications network, for receiving audio and video data from the personal computer transceiver, and for sending the audio and video data received from the personal computer transceiver to a recipient system over the communications network.

Claims

1. A videophone system in communication with a communications network for presenting a videophone interface on a television, the system comprising:

a remote control device comprising;

an input device for receiving user selections based upon which the remote control device generates a control signal, the control signal including at least one of;

a television control signal, and

a videophone control signal;

an infrared transmitter for wirelessly transmitting the control signal;

a television system comprising;

a camera;

a microphone;

a receiver for wirelessly receiving audio and video signals;

an infrared receiver and processor for receiving the control signal from the infrared transmitter of the remote and determining if the control signal is a videophone control signal;

a control signal transmitter coupled to the infrared receiver and processor for retransmitting the control signal, if the control signal is a videophone control signal;

a signal processor for preparing the received audio and video signals for presentation on the television and sending the prepared audio and video signals to the television; and

a transmitter coupled to the camera and microphone for wirelessly transmitting audio and video signals;

a personal computer transceiver comprising;

a receiver for wirelessly receiving the videophone control signal and the audio and video signals from the television system; and

a transmitter for wirelessly sending audio and video signals to the television system;

a personal computer coupled to the personal computer transceiver, the personal computer comprising;

a memory;

a processor coupled to the memory and in communication with the communications network and the transceiver; and

wherein the memory includes stored program instructions to be executed by the processor for receiving audio and video data over the communications network, for receiving audio and video data from the personal computer transceiver, and for sending the audio and video data received from the personal computer transceiver to a recipient system over the communications network.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the camera, the microphone, the transmitter and the infrared transmitter and processor are comprised in a unit.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the television system'"'"'s receiver and transmitter and the transceiver'"'"'s transmitter and receiver perform wireless communication between 2.3 and 2.5 GHz.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the input device of the remote control comprises a microphone for recording a voice command and wherein the generated control signal comprises the recorded voice command.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the processor component comprises a voice recognition component for determining a function command based on the voice command comprised in the control signal.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor component further comprises:

a decompression component for decompressing compressed audio and video data received over the communications network; and

a compression component for compressing the audio and video data received from the television system through the personal computer transceiver before sending over the communications network.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein processing and communication of audio and video data is performed in real-time.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein processing and communication of audio and video data is streamed.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the television system further comprises a control interface for allowing a user to control system functions.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the television has a television control signal receiver that receives the television control directly from the remote control device.

11. A method for providing videophone service using a videophone interface on a television, the method comprising:

generating a control signal according to user activation of a remote control device;

wirelessly transmitting by infrared the generated control signal from the remote control device to a receiver coupled to the television;

determining at the receiver coupled to the television if the control signal should be transmitted to a transceiver coupled to a personal computer;

controlling the videophone interface according to the transmitted control signal;

wirelessly sending audio and video signals from a transmitter coupled to a camera and a microphone to a transceiver coupled to a personal computer;

sending the audio and video signals received by the transceiver from the transmitter to the personal computer coupled to a communications network;

processing the sent audio and video signals;

sending the processed audio and video signals from the personal computer to a recipient system over the communications network.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the wireless transmission and reception is between 2.3 and 2.5 GHz.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

including a voice command in the control signal; and

controlling the videophone interface according to the included voice command.

14. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

decompressing compressed audio and video data received over the communications network; and

compressing the audio and video data received from the television system through the transceiver before sending over the communications network.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein audio and video images are wirelessly sent to the transceiver of the personal computer from a plurality of cameras and microphones and the further selects the audio and video images for sending the processed audio and video signals from the personal computer to a recipient system over the communications network.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein the processing of the audio and video data includes an audio feedback cancellation method, the audio feedback cancellation method comprising:

recording an audio signal sent from the transceiver coupled to the personal computer;

identifying a delay period that represents the time between when the audio signal is sent from the transceiver coupled to the personal computer and when the microphone receives the audio signal from a television speaker;

waiting an period substantially equal to the delay period; and

subtracting the recorded audio signal from an audio signal transmitted from the microphone to the transceiver coupled to the personal computer.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein the processed audio and video data includes a graphical user interface responsive to the control signals generated by the remote control.

18. The method of claim 11, wherein the graphical user interface comprises a call directory.

19. The method of claim 11, wherein the graphical user interface appears in a picture-in-picture window on the television.