Webcam-based interface for initiating two-way video communication and providing access to cached video

• US 6,941,575 B2
• Filed: 06/26/2001
• Issued: 09/06/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 06/26/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: ARRIS Enterprises LLC (CommScope Holding Company, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Digeo Incorporated (CommScope Holding Company, Inc.)
• Inventors: Allen, Paul G.
• Primary Examiner(s): DIEP, NHON THANH
• Application Number:
  US09/892,159
• Publication Number:
  US 20020199181A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,533 Days
• Field of Search: H04/N00.7/173, 725/105, 725/40, 725/41, 725/43, 725/37, 348/564, 348/588, 348/14.03, 348/14.07, 348/207.1
• US Class Current: 725/105
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2221 being a cable television head-end CATV in broadcast systems H04H20/78
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23106 involving caching operations prefetching while addressing of a memory level in which the access to the desired data or data block requires associative addressing means within memory systems or architectures G06F12/0862; caching at an intermediate stage in a data network H04L67/568
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4223 Cameras H04N23/00 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42684 Client identification by a unique number or address, e.g. serial number, MAC address, socket ID network arrangements, protocols or services for addressing or naming H04L61/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4312 involving specific graphical features, e.g. screen layout, special fonts or colors, blinking icons, highlights or animations
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4314 for fitting data in a restricted space on the screen, e.g. EPG data in a rectangular grid
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4331 Caching operations, e.g. of an advertisement for later insertion during playback
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4622 Retrieving content or additional data from different sources, e.g. from a broadcast channel and the Internet web site content organization and management for information retrieval from the Internet G06F16/958; transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82; stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services including data channel over packet-switching network H04L12/1859
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/472 End-user interface for requesting content, additional data or services; End-user interface for interacting with content, e.g. for content reservation or setting reminders, for requesting event notification, for manipulating displayed content end-user interfaces for retrieving video data from a database G06F16/739; network services for supporting unicast streaming H04L65/612
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4782 Web browsing , e.g. WebTV
• 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 21/4821 using a grid, e.g. sorted out by channel and broadcast time
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/84 Generation or processing of descriptive data, e.g. content descriptors systems specially adapted for using meta-information in broadcast systems H04H60/73
• 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 7/148 Interfacing a video terminal to a particular transmission medium, e.g. ISDN

Abstract

A plurality of live video streams are generated by video cameras associated with terminals in a network. In one embodiment, the live video streams are received and cached by a first terminal. In addition, the live video streams are simultaneously displayed on the first terminal in one of various formats, such as a grid format or a ticker format. In response to a user selecting one of the live video streams being displayed, an earlier-in-time cached segment of the selected live video stream is retrieved and displayed to the user.

Claims

1. A method for providing access to cached video footage from multiple networked video cameras, the method comprising:

receiving a plurality of live video streams, each live video stream being generated by a video camera associated with a different terminal in a network;

simultaneously displaying the plurality of live video streams on first terminal, wherein the plurality of live video streams are arranged in a ticker format;

detecting a user selection of one of the live video streams being displayed;

obtaining an earlier-in-time cached segment of the selected live video stream; and

playing back the cached segment on the first terminal.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one video camera comprises a webcam.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one terminal comprises an interactive television system.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

caching the plurality of live video streams within at least one storage device.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein at least one live video stream is cached by the terminal from which the live video stream originated.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein at least one live video stream is cached by the first terminal.

7. The method of claim 4, wherein at least one live video stream is cached by an intermediate network node linking the first terminal and the terminal from which the live video stream originated.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the intermediate network node comprises one of a cable head-end and a satellite broadcast center.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the network comprises one of cable network and a satellite network.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein displaying comprises:

arranging the plurality of live video streams in a grid format on the first terminal.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

moving the displayed video streams in a same direction across at least a portion of a display screen of the first terminal.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein obtaining comprises:

obtaining the cached segment from the terminal from which the selected live video stream originated.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein obtaining comprises:

obtaining the cached segment from an intermediate network node linking the first terminal and the terminal from which the selected live video stream originated.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein obtaining comprises:

obtaining the cached segment from a storage device integrated with the first terminal.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein playing back the cached segment comprises:

enlarging the cached segment as displayed on the first terminal relative to the live video streams.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein playing back the cached segment comprises:

replacing the live video streams being displayed on the first terminal with a display of the cached segment.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein the cached segment comprises a beginning point and an ending point, and wherein playing back the cached segment comprises:

playing back the cached segment in reverse direction starting with the ending point thereof.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving comprises:

selectively receiving a live video stream based upon a corresponding entry in a video phonebook.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein detecting comprises:

moving a selection outline around a displayed video stream in response to user activation of navigational buttons on a remote control device; and

detecting user activation of a specifically-designated button on the remote control device for providing access to cached video footage.

20. A computer program product comprising program code for performing method for providing access to cached video footage from multiple networked video cameras, the method comprising:

receiving a plurality of live video streams, each live video stream being generated by a video camera associated with a different terminal in a network;

simultaneously displaying the plurality of live video streams on a first terminal, wherein the plurality of live video streams are arranged in a ticker format;

detecting a user selection of one of the live video streams being displayed;

obtaining an earlier-in-time cached segment of the selected live video stream; and

playing back the cached segment on the first terminal.

21. The computer program product of claim 20, wherein at least one video camera comprises a webcam.

22. The computer program product of claim 20, wherein at least one terminal comprises an interactive television system.

23. The computer program product of claim 20, the method further comprising:

caching the plurality of live video streams within at least one storage device.

24. The computer program product of claim 23, wherein at least one live video stream is cached by the terminal from which the live video stream originated.

25. The computer program product of claim 24, wherein at least one live video stream is cached by the first terminal.

26. The computer program product of claim 23, wherein at least one live video stream is cached by an intermediate network node linking the first terminal and the terminal from which the live video stream originated.

27. The computer program product of claim 26, wherein the intermediate network node comprises one of a cable head-end and a satellite broadcast center.

28. The computer program product of claim 20, wherein the network comprises one of cable network and a satellite network.

29. The computer program product of claim 20, wherein displaying comprises:

arranging the plurality of live video streams in a grid format on the first terminal.

30. The computer program product of claim 20 the method further comprising:

moving the displayed video streams in a same direction across at least a portion of a display screen of the first terminal.

31. The computer program product of claim 20, wherein obtaining comprises:

obtaining the cached segment from the terminal from which the selected live video stream originated.

32. The computer program product of claim 20, wherein obtaining comprises:

obtaining the cached segment from an intermediate network node linking the first terminal and the terminal from which the selected live video stream originated.

33. The computer program product of claim 20, wherein obtaining comprises:

obtaining the cached segment from a storage device integrated with the first terminal.

34. The computer program product of claim 20, wherein playing back the cached segment comprises:

enlarging the cached segment as displayed on the first terminal relative to the live video streams.

35. The computer program product of claim 20, wherein playing back the cached segment comprises:

replacing the live video streams being displayed on the first terminal with a display of the cached segment.

36. The computer program product of claim 20, wherein the cached segment comprises a beginning point and an ending point, and wherein playing back the cached segment comprises:

playing back the cached segment in reverse direction starting with the ending point thereof.

37. The computer program product of claim 20, wherein receiving comprises:

selectively receiving a live video stream based upon a corresponding entry in a video phonebook.

38. The computer program product of claim 20, wherein detecting comprises:

moving a selection outline around a displayed video stream in response to user activation of navigational buttons on a remote control device; and

detecting user activation of a specifically-designated button on the remote control device for providing access to cached video footage.

39. A system for providing access to catched video footage from multiple networked video cameras, the system comprising:

a stream reception component configured to receive a plurality of live video streams, each live video stream being generated by a video camera associated with a different terminal in a network;

a stream display component configured to simultaneously display the plurality of live video streams on a first terminal, wherein the plurality of live video streams are arranged in a ticker format;

a stream selection component configured to detect a user selection of one of the live video streams being displayed; and

a cache interface component configured to obtain an earlier-in-time cached segment of the selected live video stream;

wherein the stream display component is further configured to play back the cached segment on the first terminal.

40. The system of claim 39, wherein at least one video camera comprises a webcam.

41. The system of claim 39, wherein at least one terminal comprises an interactive television system.

42. The system of claim 39, further comprising:

a stream caching component configured to cache the plurality of live video streams within at least one storage device.

43. The system of claim 42, wherein at least one live video stream is cached by the terminal from which the live video stream originated.

44. The system of claim 42, wherein at least one live video stream is cached by the first terminal.

45. The system of claim 42, wherein at least one live video stream is cached by an intermediate network node linking the first terminal and the terminal from which the live video stream originated.

46. The system of claim 45, wherein the intermediate network node comprises one of a cable head-end and a satellite broadcast center.

47. The system of claim 39, wherein the network comprises one of cable network and a satellite network.

48. The system of claim 39, wherein the stream display component is further configured to arrange the plurality of live video streams in a grid format on the first terminal.

49. The system of claim 39, wherein the stream display component is further configured to move the displayed video streams in a same direction across at least a portion of a display screen of the first terminal.

50. The system of claim 39, wherein the cache interface is further configured to obtain the cached segment from the terminal from which the selected live video stream originated.

51. The system of claim 39, wherein the cache interface is further configured to obtain the cached segment from an intermediate network node linking the first terminal and the terminal from which the selected live video stream originated.

52. The system of claim 39, wherein the cache interface is further configured to obtain the cached segment from a storage device integrated with the first terminal.

53. The system of claim 39, wherein the stream display component is further configured to enlarge the cached segment as displayed on the first terminal relative to the live video streams.

54. The system of claim 39, wherein the stream display component is further configured to replace the live video streams being displayed on the first terminal with a display of the cached segment.

55. The system of claim 39, wherein the cached segment comprises a beginning point and an ending point, and wherein the stream display component is further configured to play back the cached segment in reverse direction starting with the ending point thereof.

56. The system of claim 39, wherein the stream reception component is further configured to selectively receive a live video stream based upon a corresponding entry in a video phonebook.

57. The system of claim 39, wherein the stream selection component is further configured to move a selection outline around a displayed video stream in response to user activation of navigational buttons on a remote control device and detect user activation of a specifically-designated button on the remote control device for providing access to cached video footage.

58. A method for providing access to cached video footage from multiple webcams, the method comprising:

receiving a plurality of live video streams, each live video stream being generated by a video camera associated with an interactive television system in a network;

caching the live video streams within a storage device;

simultaneously displaying the plurality of live video streams on a first interactive television system, wherein the plurality of live video streams are arranged in a ticker format;

detecting a user selection of one of the live video steams being displayed;

retrieving an earlier-in-time cached segment of the selected live video stream from the storage device; and

laying back the cached segment on the first interactive television system.

59. A computer program product comprising program code for performing a method for providing access to cached video footage from multiple webcams, the method comprising:

receiving a plurality of live video streams, each live video stream being generated by a video camera associated with an interactive television system in a network;

caching the live video streams within a storage device;

simultaneously displaying the plurality of live video streams on a first interactive television system, wherein the plurality of live video streams are arranged in a ticker format;

detecting a user selection of one of the live video streams being displayed;

retrieving an earlier-in-time cached segment of the selected live video stream from the storage device; and

playing back the cached segment on the first interactive television system.

60. A system for providing access to cached video footage from multiple webcams, the system comprising:

a stream reception component configured to receive a plurality live video streams, each live video stream being generated by a video camera associated with an interactive television system in a network;

a storage device configured to store video streams;

a stream caching component configured to cache the live video streams within the storage device;

a stream display component configured to simultaneously display the plurality of live video streams on a first interactive television system, wherein the plurality of live video streams are arranged in a ticker format;

a stream selection component configured to detect a user selection of one of the live video streams being displayed; and

a cache interface component configured to retrieve an earlier-in-time cached segment of the selected live video stream from the storage device;

wherein the stream display component is further configured to play back the catched segment on the first interactive television system.