Method and apparatus for sharing data in video conference system

• US 8,300,784 B2
• Filed: 06/09/2010
• Issued: 10/30/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/11/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Choi, Manchul
• Primary Examiner(s): Anwah, Olisa
• Application Number:
  US12/797,456
• Publication Number:
  US 20110109716A1
• Time in Patent Office: 874 Days
• Field of Search: 348/14.01, 348/14.03, 348/14.07, 348/14.12, 348/14.13, 348/14.14, 348/14.15, 379/88.13, 379/14.01, 379/14.03, 379/14.07, 379/14.12, 379/14.13, 379/14.14, 379/14.15, 379/93.17, 379/93.21, 379/202.01, 379/158
• US Class Current: 379/93.21
• 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 7/15 Conference systems

Abstract

A method and an apparatus for sharing data in a Video Conference System (VCS) are provided. According to an embodiment, when a user wants to share data with the other party in the VCS, only a user selected region and not the entire screen is converted into a format optimized for the other party'"'"'s display and then transmitted to the other party.

Claims

1. A first terminal for providing a video communication in cooperation with a second terminal, the first terminal comprising:

a display configured to display a plurality of windows including first and second windows, the first window configured to display an image of at least one user at the second terminal, the second window configured to display a content and an indicator for selecting content of the first terminal associated with the video communication;

a user input unit configured to receive a user'"'"'s selection of a portion of the content displayed on the second window;

a region selecting unit configured to extract the selected portion of the content displayed on the second window;

a network unit configured to transmit the extracted portion of the content to the second terminal; and

a scalar unit configured to scale the capture region of the image according resolution information or display size information of the second terminal'"'"'s display.

2. The first terminal of claim 1, wherein the content displayed on the second window is an image or text.

3. The first terminal of claim 1, wherein when the content displayed on the second window includes texts, the display unit is further configured to display a pop-up window requesting whether or not the texts alone are to be transmitted to the second terminal.

4. The first terminal of claim 1, wherein the plurality of windows further include a third window for displaying an image of the transmitted portion of the content displayed at the second terminal.

5. The first terminal of claim 1, further comprising:

an image compressor configured to compress the extracted portion of the content; and

/or

a scaler configured to scale the extracted portion of the content.

6. The first terminal of claim 1, wherein the display displays the extracted portion of the content in a pop-up window.

7. The first terminal of claim 1, wherein the network unit receives, from the second terminal, screen state information for the transmitted extracted portion of the content being displayed on the second terminal, and the display displays the received screen state information.

8. The first terminal of claim 1, wherein a manner in which the plurality of windows are displayed on the display is varied according to a user input.

9. The first terminal of claim 1, wherein the display displays resolution information or size information of the second terminal'"'"'s display.

10. The first terminal of claim 1, further comprising:

a determining unit configured to determine whether a text is included in the selected portion of the content; and

a text extracting unit configured to extract the text from the selected portion of the content if the determining unit determines that the text is included in the selected portion of the content,

wherein the network unit transmits only the extracted text output from the text extraction unit to the second terminal.

11. The first terminal of claim 10, wherein the display displays a message for asking the user whether or not the extracted text is to be transmitted to the second terminal, prior to transmitting any content to the second terminal.

12. A method for providing a video communication in cooperation with a second terminal, the method comprising:

displaying, by a display of a first terminal, a plurality of windows including first and second windows, the first window configured to display an image of at least one user at the second terminal, the second window configured to display a content and an indicator for selecting content of the first terminal associated with the video communication;

receiving, by the first terminal, a user'"'"'s selection of a portion of the content displayed on the second window;

extracting, by a region selecting unit of the first terminal, the selected portion of the content displayed on the second window;

scaling, by the first terminal, the extracted portion of the content according resolution information or display size information of second terminal'"'"'s display; and

transmitting, by the first terminal, the content to the second terminal.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the content displayed on the second window is an image or text.

14. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

when the content displayed on the second window includes texts, displaying on the display of the first terminal a pop-up window requesting whether or not the texts alone are to be transmitted to the second terminal.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the plurality of windows further include a third window for displaying an image of the transmitted portion of the content displayed at the second terminal.

16. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

compressing, by the first terminal, the extracted portion of the content; and

/or

scaling, by the first terminal, the extracted portion of the content.

17. The method of claim 12, wherein the displaying step displays the extracted portion of the content in a pop-up window.

18. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

receiving, by the first terminal from the second terminal, screen state information for the transmitted extracted portion of the content being displayed on the second terminal; and

displaying, on the display of the first terminal, the received screen state information.

19. The method of claim 12, wherein in the displaying step, a manner in which the plurality of windows are displayed on the display is varied according to a user input.

20. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

displaying, on the display of the first terminal, resolution information or size information of the second terminal'"'"'s display.

21. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

determining, by the first terminal, whether a text is included in the selected portion of the content; and

extracting, by the first terminal, the text from the selected portion of the content if the determining step determines that the text is included in the selected portion of the content,

wherein the first terminal transmits only the extracted text to the second terminal.

22. The method of claim 21, further comprising:

displaying, on the display of the first terminal, a message for asking the user whether or not the extracted text is to be transmitted to the second terminal, prior to transmitting any content to the second terminal.