Sharing of still images within a video telephony call

• US 7,058,689 B2
• Filed: 02/28/2002
• Issued: 06/06/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 10/16/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sprint Communications Company LP (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Original Assignee: Sprint Communications Company LP (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Inventors: Parker, Benjamin J., Werner, Shane R., Frederick, Terry M., Diaz, Charles
• Primary Examiner(s): Wiley, David
• Assistant Examiner(s): MESFIN, YEMANE
• Application Number:
  US10/085,859
• Publication Number:
  US 20030074404A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,559 Days
• Field of Search: 709204-206, 709/231
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/10 of different types
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4557 Directories for hybrid networks, e.g. including telephone numbers
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/147 Communication arrangements, e.g. identifying the communication as a video-communication, intermediate storage of the signals selecting H04Q

Abstract

A data call between at least two internetworked computers is established using a central server and call clients in the two computers. Once the data call is in place, a video telephony conversation is initiated. In addition, still images such as a slideshow of personal photographs are shared between the two computers while the video telephony call fully continues. Image viewer subclients utilize the same network session as is used by the call clients. Either user can pause, navigate through, or change the display a parameters of the slideshow as it is being viewed by both users.

Claims

1. A method of sharing still images between first and second computers connected to an internetwork for exchanging network packets therebetween, wherein each of said computers has a respective private IP address within said internetwork, said method comprising the steps of:

maintaining a central server coupled to said internetwork and containing a database of IP addresses of registered computers;

running first and second call clients in said first and second computers, respectively, for establishing a data call between said first and second computers using said IP addresses in said database of IP addresses, said data call comprising live video exchanged from at least one video camera coupled to one of said first and second computers and comprising a network session between said first and second call clients;

establishing a voice telephone call via a public telephone network between first and second users of said first and second computers, respectively, at least one of said first and second users being seen in said live video exchange;

said first user initiating a first image viewer subclient under control of said first call client;

said first image viewer subclient loading and displaying still image data specified by said first user on said first computer;

said first image viewer subclient transmitting said still image data to said second computer using said network session;

said second call in said second computer receiving said still image data, running a second image viewer subclient, and loading said still image data into said second image viewer subclient; and

said second image viewer subclient displaying said still image data on said second computer;

wherein said live video exchange is maintained simultaneously with display of said still image data by said image viewer subclients; and

wherein said still image data is comprised of an array of pictures displayed in succession by said first and second image viewer subclients substantially simultaneously, a progression through said array being controlled in response to manual control signals generated by either said first user or said second user.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said network session is comprised of direct transmissions between said first and second computers as source and destination of said transmissions, respectively.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein said network session is comprised of a first network session between said first computer and said central server and a second network session between said second computer and said central server, whereby said central server relays said live video exchange and said still image data.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein progression through said array is controlled in response to a timing sequence specified by said first user.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein said transmitted still image data is compressed data and wherein said second image viewer subclient decompresses said still image data prior to displaying.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein said voice telephone call is established in response to a target telephone number, said method further comprising the step of:

transmitting said target telephone number to said central server for determining one of said IP addresses.

7. Computer apparatus for privately sharing still images residing in said computer apparatus with a remote computer via an internetwork for exchanging network packets, said computer apparatus and said remote computer having respective private IP addresses within said internetwork, said computer apparatus comprising:

a telephone interface for capturing a target telephone number dialed on a telephone connected to said telephone interface;

a call client for transmitting said captured target telephone number identifying said remote computer to a central server maintaining a database of IP addresses of registered computers, and for establishing a data call between said computer apparatus and said remote computer using said IP addresses in said database of IP addresses, said data call comprising live video exchange from at least one video camera coupled to one of said computer apparatus or said remote computer, and said data call comprising a network session; and

an image viewer subclient under control of said call client for loading and displaying still image data specified on said first computer and for transmitting said still image data to said remote computer using said network session, wherein said image viewer subclient is responsive to manual control signals generated using either said computer apparatus or said remote computer for controlling progressive display of said still image data as a succession of pictures in an array;

wherein said live video exchange is maintained simultaneously with display of said still image data by said image viewer subclient.

8. A computer program embodied on computer readable medium for privately sharing still images in conjunction with a video telephony call between a resident computer and a remote computer via a computer network for video and a public switched telephone network for audio wherein a telephone interface captures a target telephone number within said public switched telephone network, computer program comprising:

a code segment for obtaining said target telephone number from said telephone interface;

a code segment for transmitting said target telephone number identifying said remote computer to a central server maintaining a database of IP addresses of registered computers;

a code segment for establishing a data call between said resident computer and said remote computer using said IP addresses in said database of IP addresses, said data call comprising live video exchange from at least one video camera coupled to one of said resident computer or said remote computer, and said data call comprising a network session; and

a code segment for directing an image viewer subclient to load and display still image data specified on said resident computer and to transmit said still image data to said remote computer using said network session, wherein said image viewer subclient is responsive to manual control signals generated using either said computer apparatus or said remote computer for controlling progressive display of said still image data as a succession of pictures in an array, and wherein said live video exchange is maintained simultaneously with display of said still image data by said image viewer subclient.