Video streaming system

• US 8,159,518 B2
• Filed: 03/23/2007
• Issued: 04/17/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/23/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Underwood, Rosa M., Peterman, Jimmie D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ramakrishnaiah, Melur
• Application Number:
  US11/690,333
• Publication Number:
  US 20080231684A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,852 Days
• Field of Search: 348 1401- 1416, 709204-205
• US Class Current: 348/14.01
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1069 Session establishment or de-establishment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1104 Session initiation protocol [SIP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/65 Network streaming protocols, e.g. real-time transport protocol [RTP] or real-time control protocol [RTCP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42203 sound input device, e.g. microphone
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4223 Cameras H04N23/00 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4331 Caching operations, e.g. of an advertisement for later insertion during playback
• 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 21/643 Communication protocols network streaming protocols, e.g. real-time transport protocol [RTP] or real-time control protocol [RTCP], H04L65/65
• 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 streaming video system may include a video capture terminal configured to communicate with a first communications network and a video receiving terminal configured to communicate with a second network operatively connected to the first network. The video capture terminal may be configured to capture video data and stream the video data to the receiving terminal via the first network and the second network in substantially real-time.

Claims

1. A video device, comprising:

a communications interface configured to communicate with one or more networks;

a short range wireless communications interface configured to communicate with an address book maintaining device separate from the video device, wherein the address book maintaining device includes a corresponding short range wireless communications interface; and

logic configured to;

capture video data,

receive address book entries corresponding to a plurality of receiving terminals from the address book maintaining device via the short range wireless communications interface;

display the received address book entries via a user interface associated with the video device;

receive a user selection of a particular receiving terminal from the plurality of receiving terminals via the user interface;

transmit a video session invitation to the particular receiving terminal via the one or more networks;

receive a video session invitation acceptance message from the particular receiving terminal when the particular receiving terminal determines that at least a predetermined minimum amount of storage is available in a memory of the particular receiving terminal; and

stream the video data to the particular receiving terminal via the communications interface in substantially real-time.

2. The video device of claim 1, wherein the one or more networks comprise at least a cellular-based communications network.

3. The video device of claim 2, wherein the communications interface comprises a transceiver configured to communicate with the cellular-based communications network.

4. The video device of claim 1, further comprising:

a camera for capturing video.

5. The video device of claim 1, wherein the short range wireless communications interface includes one of a Bluetooth, WiFi, infrared, or near-field communications interface.

6. The video device of claim 1, wherein the address book maintaining device comprises one of a personal digital assistant, a mobile telephone, or a portable computing device.

7. The video device of claim 1, wherein the logic is further configured to:

receive an invitation acceptance message from the particular receiving terminal via the one or more networks, and

stream the video data to the particular receiving terminal via the communications interface in substantially real-time following receipt of the invitation acceptance message.

8. The video device of claim 7, wherein the logic is further configured to:

transmit an end of transmission message to the receiving terminal upon cessation of the video stream.

9. The video device of claim 1, wherein the video session invitation is transmitted to an intermediary device via the one or more networks for forwarding to the receiving terminal.

10. The video device of claim 9, wherein the intermediate device comprises one of a session initiation protocol (SIP) proxy server or a H.323 gatekeeper entity.

11. A video receiving device, comprising:

a communications interface configured to communicate with one or more networks;

a memory operatively connected to the communications interface and configured to store video stream data received at the communications interface; and

logic configured to;

receive a video session invitation from a video capture device,

determine whether at least a predetermined minimum amount of storage in the memory is available to receive the video stream;

transmit a video session invitation acceptance message to the video capture device via the one or more networks when it is determined that at least the predetermined minimum amount of storage in the memory is available;

receive a video stream from the video capture device via the one or more networks in substantially real-time,

buffer the video stream in the memory, and

output the buffered video stream to a display.

12. The video receiving device of claim 11, wherein the communications interface comprises one of a data network interface or a cellular-based communications network interface.

13. The video receiving device of claim 11, wherein the logic is further configured to:

transmit a video session invitation rejection message to the video capture device via the one or more networks when it is determined that sufficient storage in the memory is not available.

14. The video receiving device of claim 11, wherein the logic is further configured to:

receive an end of transmission message from the video capture device, and

transmit an end of session acknowledgement message to the video capture device.

15. The video receiving device of claim 11, wherein the logic is further configured to:

determine whether the buffered video stream should be immediately output to the display, and

output the buffered video stream to the display when it is determined that the buffered video stream should be immediately output to the display.

16. The video receiving device of claim 15, wherein the logic configured to determine whether the buffered video stream should be immediately output to the display, further comprises:

logic configured to;

notify a user of the incoming video stream, and

receive a selection to view the incoming video stream from the user.

17. The video receiving device of claim 15, wherein the logic is further configured to:

determine whether the buffered video stream should be saved for later viewing, and

deleting the buffered video stream from the memory when it is determined that the buffered video stream should not be saved for later viewing.

18. The video receiving device of claim 15, wherein the logic is further configured to:

store the buffered video in the memory for later viewing when it is determined that the buffered video stream should not be immediately output to the display.

19. A streaming video system, comprising:

a video capture terminal configured to;

communicate with a first communications network;

receive an identification of a video receiving terminal from an address book maintained on another device;

capture video data;

transmit a video session invitation to the video receiving terminal;

receive a video session invitation acceptance message from the video receiving terminal; and

stream the video data to the video receiving terminal via the first network in substantially real-time;

wherein the video receiving terminal is configured to;

communicate with a second network operatively connected to the first network,

receive the video session invitation from the video capture terminal via the second network;

determine whether at least a predetermined minimum amount of storage is available to receive the video data

transmit the video session invitation acceptance message to the video capture terminal via the second network when it is determined that at least the predetermined minimum amount of storage is available;

receive the streamed video data from the video capture terminal via the second network in substantially real-time; and

output the received video data to a display.

20. The streaming video system of claim 19, wherein the first network is a cellular-based communications network.

21. The streaming video system of claim 19, wherein the receiving terminal is configured to receive the video stream in substantially real-time and store the received video stream in a memory for later viewing.

22. A method for streaming video, comprising:

identifying a video stream receiving device from among a number of video stream receiving devices,

wherein the number of video stream receiving devices is identified from an address book maintained on another device;

transmitting a video session invitation to the identified video stream receiving device via one or more communications networks;

receiving a session invitation acceptance from the identified video stream receiving device when the particular receiving terminal determines that at least a predetermined minimum amount of storage is available in a memory of the identified video stream receiving device;

capturing video data;

forming a substantially real-time video stream based on the captured video data; and

transmitting the video stream to the identified video stream receiving device via the one or more communications networks in substantially real-time.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the one or more communications networks includes at least a cellular-based wireless communications network.