Communication system and method

• US 8,473,994 B2
• Filed: 05/28/2009
• Issued: 06/25/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/05/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Skype S.Ã R.L. (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Blackburn, Helen, McLaughlin, Mark, Laasik, Marek
• Primary Examiner(s): Kumar, Pankaj
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hicks, Charles N
• Application Number:
  US12/455,084
• Publication Number:
  US 20100064333A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,489 Days
• Field of Search: 725/110, 725/133
• US Class Current: 725/110
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42204 User interfaces specially adapted for controlling a client device through a remote control device; Remote control devices therefor constructive details of casings for the remote control device H01H9/0235; user interfaces for controlling a tuning device of a television receiver through a remote control H03J9/00; remote control of peripheral devices connected to a television receiver through the remote control device of the television receiver H04B1/205
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/426 Internal components of the client ; Characteristics thereof H04N5/44 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4316 for displaying supplemental content in a region of the screen, e.g. an advertisement in a separate window
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/440263 by altering the spatial resolution, e.g. for displaying on a connected PDA
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47214 for content reservation or setting reminders; for requesting event notification, e.g. of sport results or stock market stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services over packet-switching network H04L12/1859; notification of incoming messages in packet switching networks H04L51/224
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/475 End-user interface for inputting end-user data, e.g. personal identification number [PIN], preference data
• 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 21/4882 for displaying messages, e.g. warnings, reminders arrangements for providing short real-time information to substation in data switching networks H04L12/1895
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/64322 IP
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8153 comprising still images, e.g. texture, background image
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/45 Picture in picture , e.g. displaying simultaneously another television channel in a region of the screen
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/937 by assembling picture element blocks in an intermediate store
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8205 involving the multiplexing of an additional signal and the colour video signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8227 the additional signal being at least another television signal

Abstract

A media appliance and corresponding method, the media appliance comprising a video signal source such as a TV receiver, and signal processing apparatus for generating a corresponding sequence of frames for output to a screen. The appliance comprises a client application programmed to capture one of the frames and use the captured frame to generate an image to represent a user in relation to bidirectional communications over a packet-based network.

Claims

1. A television receiver system comprising:

a television receiver configured to receive a broadcast television signal;

a signal processing apparatus, coupled to the television receiver, configured to process the broadcast television signal to generate a corresponding series of frames of the broadcast television signal for sequential output to a television screen;

a memory storing a communication client application;

a communications processing apparatus, coupled to said memory and said signal processing apparatus, configured to execute the communication client application, the communication client application, when executed, configured to;

capture a frame of the broadcast television signal in response to an input from a user;

generate an image from the captured frame of the broadcast television signal;

automatically set the image as an avatar for the user;

enable bidirectional communications with one or more other users via a packet-based communication network; and

provide the avatar to the one or more other users via the packet-based network to represent the user.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the communication client application is further configured to generate the image by:

automatically capturing a plurality of said frames, each frame being within a time window of a predetermined length and beginning at a point determined relative to when the input is received;

outputting an indication of the plurality of frames to the television screen for perusal by the user;

receiving a further user input selecting one of said plurality of frames; and

using the selected frame to generate said image.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the client application is configured to generate the image by automatically cropping the image from the captured frame of said broadcast television signal.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the client application is further configured to output an instruction message to said television screen for display together with said frames.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the signal processing apparatus is further configured to process an alternative video signal from a source other than television broadcast to generate a corresponding series of frames for sequential output to the television screen;

the signal processing apparatus is further configured to select between the broadcast television signal and the alternative video signal for processing to generate the series of frames for output to the television screen; and

the client application is further configured to capture one of the frames of the selected signal in response to an additional input from the user, generate an additional image from the captured frame of the selected signal, and automatically set the additional image as the avatar for the user.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein said source other than television broadcast is one of a video disc player, a personal video recorder, or a storage device of a camcorder.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein at least the television receiver, the signal processing apparatus, the memory, and the communications processing apparatus are housed within at least one of a TV set or a set-top box.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the client application is further configured to enable said bidirectional communications via the Internet, and to provide the avatar via the Internet.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the client application is further configured to enable said bidirectional communications via a peer-to-peer connection in said communication network, and to provide the avatar to represent said user in relation to the peer-to-peer communications.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the bidirectional communications compriseat least one of a video call, an audio phone call, or a text chat conversation.

11. A method of communicating over a packet-based communication network, the method comprising:

receiving a broadcast television signal;

processing the broadcast television signal to generate a corresponding series of frames of the broadcast television signal for sequential output to a television screen;

receiving an input from a user of the packet-based communication network;

in response said input, capturing a frame of the broadcast television signal, generating an image from the captured frame of the broadcast television signal, and storing the image to a predetermined storage location in association with an identifier of the user; and

executing a communication client application to enable bidirectional communications with one or more other users via the packet-based communication network, wherein the communication client application configured to automatically retrieve the image from the predetermined storage location, and provide the image to the other users via the packet-based network as an avatar to represent said user in relation to said bidirectional communications.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein generating the image comprises automatically cropping the image from the captured frame of the broadcast television signal.

18. The method of claim 11, wherein the communication client application is further configured to enable the bidirectional communications via a peer-to-peer connection in the communication network, and to provide the avatar to represent the user in relation to the peer-to-peer communications.

19. The method of claim 11, wherein the bidirectional communications comprise at least one of a video call, an audio phone call, or a text chat conversation.

12. A method of communicating over a packet-based communication network, the method comprising:

receiving a broadcast television signal;

processing the broadcast television signal to generate a corresponding series of frames of the broadcast television signal for sequential output to a television screen;

receiving input from a user of the packet-based communication network;

in response said input;

automatically capturing a plurality of frames of the broadcast television signal, each of the plurality of captured frames being within a time window of a predetermined length and beginning at a point determined relative to when the user input is received;

outputting an indication of the plurality of captured frames of the broadcast television signal to the television screen for perusal by the user;

receiving a further user input selecting one of said plurality of captured frames;

generating an image from the selected frame of the broadcast television signal, and storing the image in association with an identifier of the user; and

enabling bidirectional communications with one or more other users via the packet-based communication network; and

providing the image to the other users via the packet-based communication network as an avatar to represent said user in relation to said bidirectional communications.

20. The method of claim 12, wherein generating the image comprises automatically cropping the image from the selected frame of the broadcast television signal.

13. A media appliance comprising:

a video signal source configured to supply a video signal;

a signal processing apparatus, coupled to the video signal source, configured to process the video signal to generate a corresponding series of frames for sequential output to a screen;

a memory storing a communication client application;

a communications processing apparatus, coupled to said memory and said signal processing apparatus, configured to execute the communication client application, the communication client application, when executed, configured to;

capture a frame of the video signal in response to an input from a user;

generate an image from the captured frame of the video signal;

automatically set the image as an avatar for the user;

enable bidirectional communications with one or more other users via a packet-based communication network; and

provide the avatar to the one or more other users via the packet-based network to represent the user.

14. The media appliance of claim 13, wherein the client application is configured to generate the image by automatically cropping the image from the captured frame of the video signal.

15. The media appliance of claim 13, wherein the video signal comprises a broadcast television signal.

16. The media appliance of claim 13, wherein the video signal source comprises one of a video disc player, a personal video recorder, or a storage device of a camcorder.