Portable video communication system

• US 8,174,555 B2
• Filed: 05/30/2007
• Issued: 05/08/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/30/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Monument Peak Ventures, LLC (Dominion Harbor Enterprises, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
• Inventors: Border, John N., Cok, Ronald S., Enge, Amy D., Kurtz, Andrew F., Manico, Joseph A., Schilling-Benz, Lynn, Stubler, Peter O., Williams, Frances C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ramakrishnaiah, Melur
• Application Number:
  US11/755,192
• Publication Number:
  US 20080300010A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,805 Days
• Field of Search: 348 1401- 1416
• US Class Current: 348/14.01
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/161 Detection; Localisation; Normalisation
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41407 embedded in a portable device, e.g. video client on a mobile phone, PDA, laptop constructional details of equipment or arrangements specially adapted for portable computer application G06F1/1626; arrangements specially adapted for mobile receivers in broadcast systems H04H20/57
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4223 Cameras H04N23/00 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/68 for stable pick-up of the scene, e.g. compensating for camera body vibrations
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/6811 based on the image signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/2621 Cameras specially adapted for the electronic generation of special effects during image pickup, e.g. digital cameras, camcorders, video cameras having integrated special effects capability
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/272 Means for inserting a foreground image in a background image, i.e. inlay, outlay
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/141 between two video terminals, e.g. videophone telephonic communication systems combined with television receiver for reception of entertainment or information matter H04M11/085
• 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 method and device for adapting a display image on a hand-held portable wireless display and digital capture device. The device includes a camera for capturing a digital video and/or still image of a user, means for adjusting the captured digital image in response to poor image capture angle of said image capture device so as to create a modified captured digital image; and means for transmitting said modified captured digital image over a wireless communication network to a second hand-held portable wireless display and digital capture device.

Claims

1. A hand-held portable wireless display and digital capture device, comprising:

a. a digital image capture device for capturing digital video and/or still images including means for sensing capture angle having digital image processing to compare nose relative size and shape in a captured image of a person to a stored image of a person that was captured with a good capture angle;

b. a device for transmitting and receiving wireless communication of digital video and/or still images over a communication network; and

c. an image compensating device for compensating for poor capture angle conditions in a digital image captured by said image capture device, so as to create a modified image for transmission over the communication network.

2. The hand-held portable wireless display and digital capture device of claim 1 wherein said modified image is modified using digital imaging processing that identifies at least one physical dimension of a captured image and compares with a stored value.

3. The hand-held portable wireless display and digital capture device of claim 2 wherein said at least one physical dimension comprises two or more physical dimensions.

4. The hand-held portable wireless display and digital capture device of claim 1 wherein the captured digital image is modified only in a portion of said captured digital image.

5. The hand-held portable wireless display and digital capture device of claim 1 wherein said modified digital image is constructed using portions of a stored image.

6. The hand-held portable wireless display and digital capture device of claim 1 wherein said modified digital image is constructed using a three dimensional model of the user'"'"'s face.

7. The hand-held portable wireless display and digital capture device of claim 1 wherein said modified image is displayed on a portion of the display while the digital video or still images as received over a communication network are displayed on the remainder of the display.

8. The hand-held portable wireless display and digital capture device of claim 1 wherein said modified image is alternately displayed with the digital images received over a communication network.

9. The hand-held portable wireless display and digital capture device of claim 1 further comprising an audio recording device for obtaining audio signal and an audio sound device for producing audio.

10. The hand-held portable wireless display and digital capture device of claim 9 wherein the audio signal is transmitted to a second hand-held portable wireless display and digital capture device over a wireless communication network.

11. The hand-held portable wireless display and digital capture device of claim 9 further comprising security means for determining if the user is authorized to use said hand-held portable wireless display and digital capture device.

12. The hand-held portable wireless display and digital capture device of claim 11 wherein said security means comprises comparing the image of the user with a stored image.

13. The hand-held portable wireless display and digital capture device of claim 12 wherein said security means further comprises verifying the finger print of the user or verifying the voice of the user.

14. The hand-held portable wireless display and digital capture device of claim 12 wherein the stored image of the user includes an exaggerated facial expression as selected by the user.

15. The hand-held portable wireless display and digital capture device of claim 11 wherein the security means is used for determining if the user is authorized to use other devices that are linked through a network to the said hand-held portable wireless display and digital capture device.

16. The hand-held portable wireless display and digital capture device of claim 15 wherein an encrypted access code is transmitted to the said other device after the said security means have determined the user is authorized to use the said other device.

17. A method for adapting a display image on a hand-held portable wireless display and digital capture device, comprising the steps of:

a. capturing a digital video and/or still image of a user and sensing capture angle by using a digital image processor to compare nose relative size and shape in a captured image of a person to a stored image of a person that was captured with a good capture angle;

b. adjusting the captured digital image in response to poor capture angle conditions, of an image capture by said image capture device so as to create a modified captured digital image; and

c. transmitting said modified captured digital image over a wireless communication network to a second hand-held portable wireless display and digital capture device.

18. The method according to claim 17 wherein said modified image is modified using digital imaging processing that identifies at least one physical dimension of a captured image and compares with a stored values.

19. The method according to claim 17 wherein said at least one physical dimension comprises two or more physical dimensions.

20. The method according to claim 17 wherein the captured digital image is modified only in a portion of said captured digital image.

21. The method according to claim 17 wherein said modified digital image is constructed using portions of a stored image.

22. The method according to claim 17 wherein said modified digital image is constructed using a three-dimensional model of the user'"'"'s face.

23. The method according to claim 17 wherein said modified image is displayed on a portion of the display while the digital video or still images as received over a communication network are displayed on the remainder of the display.

24. The method according to claim 17 wherein said modified image is alternately displayed with the digital images received over a communication network.

25. The method according to claim 17 further comprising obtaining audio signal and an audio sound device for producing audio.

26. The method according to claim 25 wherein said audio signal is transmitted to a second hand-held portable wireless display and digital capture device over a wireless communication network.

27. The method according to claim 25 further comprising determining if the user is authorized to use said hand-held portable wireless display and digital capture device.

28. The method according to claim 27 wherein determining if the user is authorized to use said hand-held portable wireless display and digital capture device comprises comparing the image of the user with a stored image.

29. The method according to claim 27 wherein determining if the user is authorized to use said hand-held portable wireless display and digital capture device comprises verifying the finger print of the user or verifying the voice of the user.

30. The method according to claim 27 wherein determining if the user is authorized to use said hand-held portable wireless display and digital capture device further comprises determining if the user is authorized to use other devices that are linked through a network to the said hand-held portable wireless display and digital capture device.

31. The method according to claim 30 wherein determining if the user is authorized to use said hand-held portable wireless display and digital capture device comprises an encrypted code being transmitted to the said other device after the said security means have determined the user is authorized to use the said other device.