Video conferencing apparatus and method

• US 7,397,495 B2
• Filed: 08/29/2003
• Issued: 07/08/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/20/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Hamlin, Jay Fredrick, Girish, Muthya K.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ramakrishnaiah; Melur
• Application Number:
  US10/652,157
• Publication Number:
  US 20040257431A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,775 Days
• Field of Search: 348 1401- 1409, 348/14.1, 348/14.11, 348/14.12, 348/14.13, 348/211.4, 348/211.5, 348373-376, 396/448
• US Class Current: 348/14.01
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4223 Cameras H04N23/00 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43632 involving a wired protocol, e.g. IEEE 1394 high-speed IEEE 1394 serial bus H04L12/40052
• 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 23/50 Constructional details
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/661 Transmitting camera control signals through networks, e.g. control via the Internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/142 Constructional details of the terminal equipment, e.g. arrangements of the camera and the display
• 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 video conferencing system having video and/or audio capture device for video and audio communications is disclosed. The video and audio capture device may include one or more switches for securely activating and deactivating the device. Furthermore, an indicator may be hard-wired to the video and/or audio components so to provide a true indication of when these components are on and off. The video and audio capture device may also be integrated into a single unit.

Claims

1. A video conferencing system, comprising:

a host device capable of processing and outputting a live stream of video;

software of the host device arranged to send requests for the live stream of video to the camera; and

a camera operatively coupled to the host device having a user operable lens system configured to capture the live stream of video when enabled, wherein the camera can only transmit said live stream of video to the host device when a user enables the user operable lens system and the camera is receiving the requests for the live stream of video from the software of the host device, thereby precluding an inadvertent transmission of said live stream of video.

2. The video conferencing system as recited in claim 1 wherein when the user closes the user operable lens system, the camera stops data transmissions of said live stream of video from the camera to the host device.

3. The video conferencing system as recited in claim 2 wherein the user operable lens system includes a user operable iris mechanism wherein the user enables the user operable lens system by opening the iris mechanism and disables the lens system by closing the iris mechanism.

4. The video conferencing system as recited in claim 3 wherein the iris mechanism is connected to a user rotatable collar that opens the iris mechanism when rotated in a first direction and closes the iris mechanism when rotated in a second direction.

5. The video conferencing system as recited in claim 1 wherein when the lens system enables the camera to transmit said live stream of video to the host device, the host device launches a video conference software application resident therein.

6. The video conferencing system as recited in claim 1 wherein the camera includes an indicator that is hard-wired to data collecting components of the camera, the indicator providing operational indication to the user of the camera when said live stream of video is being collected by the camera.

7. The video conferencing system as recited in claim 1 wherein the camera includes at least a microphone for capturing audio data.

8. The video conferencing system as recited in claim 7 wherein the microphone is connected to an audio circuit arranged to convert the captured audio data into an audio signal that is passed to the host device.

9. A computer operated camera that combines multiple data collecting components into a single unit, comprising:

an audio capture device configured to collect audio data;

an image capture device configured to collect a live stream of image data having a user operable lens system configured to capture the live stream of image data when enabled, wherein the audio and image capture devices can only transmit data to a host device when a user enables the user operable lens system and the image capture device is receiving requests for the a live stream of image data from software of the host device, thereby precluding an inadvertent transmission of said live stream of image data; and

an indicator unit operatively connected to the audio and image capture devices, the indicator unit being configured to indicate when audio or said live stream of image data is being collected by either the audio and/or image capture devices.

10. The camera as recited in claim 9 wherein the audio capture device, the image capture device and the indicator unit are hard-wired such that they operate as a single unitary system.

11. The camera as recited in claim 10 wherein when the user closes the user operable lens system, the camera stops all data transmissions from the camera to the host device, wherein the user operable lens system includes a user operable iris mechanism that is enabled when the user opens the iris mechanism and disabled when the user closes the lens system, and wherein when the single unitary system is activated, the audio capture device collects audio data, the image capture device collects said live stream of image data and the indicator unit indicates that the audio and image capture device are collecting data, and wherein when the single unitary system is deactivated the audio capture device does not collect audio data, the image capture device does not collect image data and indicator unit indicates that the audio and image capture device are not collecting data.

12. The camera as recited in claim 9 wherein the image capture device and the indicator unit are hard-wired together.

13. The camera as recited in claim 9 wherein the audio capture device includes one or more microphones.

14. The camera as recited in claim 9 wherein the indicator unit includes at least one auditory indicator, visual indicator and touch indicator.

15. A video conferencing apparatus comprising:

a video capture device configured to capture a live stream of images having

a lens system including a user operable iris, wherein the video capture device can only transmit said live stream of images to a host device when the user operable iris is opened by a user and the video capture device is receiving requests for said live stream of images from software of the host device, and wherein when the user closes the iris, the video capture device stops data transmissions from the video capture device to the host device; and

an on-air indicator that is hard-wired to the video capture device, the on air indicator informing a user when the video capture device is transmitting said live stream of images to the host device.

16. The apparatus as recited in claim 15 wherein the on-air indicator is an auditory indicator.

17. The apparatus as recited in claim 15 wherein the on-air indicator is a visual indicator.

18. The apparatus as recited in claim 17 wherein the visual indicator is a light emitting diode.

19. The apparatus as recited in claim 15 wherein the on-air indicator is a touch indicator.

20. A video conferencing apparatus, comprising:

a camera configured to capture a live stream of images;

a base that internally encloses the camera;

an iris cap movable relative to the base, the iris cap being configured to open and close an iris associated with the camera, wherein the camera can only capture said live stream of images and transmit said live stream of images to a host device when the iris is opened and the camera is receiving requests for said live stream of images from software of the host device, and wherein the camera stops image capture and data transmissions to the host device when the iris is closed, the iris also providing visual indication to a user when the camera is capable of transmitting data and when the camera is no longer capable of transmitting data.

21. The video conferencing apparatus as recited in claim 20 wherein the iris cap is rotatable relative to the base, the iris cap rotating between a first and a second position in order to open and close the iris.

22. The video conferencing apparatus as recited in claim 21 further including a switch capable of detecting when the iris cap is in the first and second position, the switch being configured to generate control signals based on the position of the iris cap.

23. The video conferencing apparatus as recited in claim 22 wherein the control signal is used to turn the camera on and off.

24. The video conferencing apparatus as recited in claim 22 wherein the control signal is used to launch or close a program stored in the host device.

25. In a system having a host device capable of processing and outputting a live stream of video data operatively coupled to a camera having a user operable lens system configured to capture the a live stream of video data, a data capture method comprising:

enabling the user operable lens system to capture said live stream of video data;

receiving at the camera requests for said live stream of video data from the host device;

enabling the camera to transmit said live stream of video data to the host device only when the user operable lens system is enabled and the camera is receiving the requests for the live stream of video data from the host device, thereby precluding an inadvertent transmission of said live stream of video data;

producing visual indicia when the user operable lens system is enabled; and

transmitting the captured live stream of video data to the host device.

26. In a system having a host device capable of processing and outputting a live stream of audio, video, and still image data operatively coupled to a camera having an audio capture device and a lens system having a user operable iris mechanism configured to capture the live stream of video and/or still image data, a video conferencing method comprising:

enabling the user operable lens system to capture said live stream of data;

receiving at the camera requests for said live stream of data from the host device;

enabling the camera to transmit said live stream of data to the host device only when the user operable lens system is enabled and the camera is receiving the requests for the live stream of data from the host device, thereby precluding an inadvertent transmission of said live stream of data;

producing a visual indication when the user operable lens system is enabled; and

performing a video conferencing action in the host device.

27. The method as recited in claim 26 wherein when the user closes the user operable lens system, the camera stops data transmissions from the camera to the host device.

28. The method as recited in claim 26 wherein when the lens system enables the camera to transmit said live stream of data to the host device, the host device launches a video conference software application resident therein.

29. The method as recited in claim 26 wherein the user operable lens system includes a user operable iris mechanism that is enabled when the user opens the iris mechanism and is disabled when the user closes the iris mechanism.

30. The method as recited in claim 26 wherein the wherein the user operable iris mechanism is connected to a user rotatable collar that opens the iris mechanism when rotated in a first direction and closes the iris mechanism when rotated in a second direction.

31. The method as recited in claim 30 wherein the video conferencing action is based on the direction of the rotating iris cap.

32. The method as recited in claim 26 wherein the camera includes an optical sensor that generates a signal when a tab of the rotating collar interrupts the optical signal of the optical sensor.

33. A computer program product executable by a processor included in a host device capable of processing and outputting a live stream of video data operatively coupled to a camera having a user operable lens system configured to capture the live stream of video data for providing a video conference comprising:

computer code for enabling a user operable lens system to capture said live stream of video data;

computer code for receiving at the camera requests for said live stream of video data from the host device;

computer code for enabling the camera to transmit said live stream of video data to the host device only when the user operable lens system is enabled and the camera is receiving the requests for the live stream of video data from the host device, thereby precluding an inadvertent transmission of said live stream of video data;

computer code for producing a visual indication when the user operable lens system is enabled;

computer code for performing a video conferencing action in the host device; and

computer readable medium for storing the computer code.

34. A video conferencing system comprising:

a host device capable of processing and outputting a live stream of video data;

software of the host device arranged to send requests for the live stream of video data to the camera; and

a camera operatively coupled to the host device having a user operable lens system configured to capture the live stream of video data when enabled, wherein the camera can only transmit said live stream of video data to the host device when a user enables the user operable lens system and the camera is receiving the requests for the live stream of video data from the software of the host device, thereby precluding an inadvertent transmission of said live stream of video data, and to automatically stop the data transmission to the host device when the user closes the lens system.

35. The video conferencing system as recited in claim 34 wherein the camera includes an indicator that is hard-wired to data collecting components of the camera, the indicator providing an indication to the user of when data is being collected by the camera and when the data transmissions from the camera are stopped.

38. The video conferencing system as recited in claim 34 wherein the user operable lens system includes a user operable iris mechanism wherein the user enables the user operable lens system by opening the iris mechanism and disables the lens system by closing the iris mechanism.

39. The video conferencing system as recited in claim 38 wherein the iris mechanism is connected to a user rotatable collar that opens the iris mechanism when rotated in a first direction and closes the iris mechanism when rotated in a second direction.

36. The video conferencing system as recited in 34 wherein the camera includes at least a microphone for capturing audio data.

37. The video conferencing system as recited in claim 36 wherein the microphone is connected to an audio circuit arranged to convert the captured audio data into an audio signal that is passed to the host device.