Establishing a video conference during a phone call

• US 8,744,420 B2
• Filed: 06/06/2010
• Issued: 06/03/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 04/07/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Cranfill, Elizabeth C., Lemay, Stephen O., Abuan, Joe S., Wu, Hsi-Jung, Zhou, Xiaosong, Garcia, Roberto Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): El-Zoobi, Maria
• Application Number:
  US12/794,766
• Publication Number:
  US 20110249073A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,458 Days
• Field of Search: 348 1401- 1408, 455/416, 379/93.14, 379/90.01, 370/352
• US Class Current: 455/416
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04812 Interaction techniques based on cursor appearance or behaviour, e.g. being affected by the presence of displayed objects
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0486 Drag-and-drop
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0488 using a touch-screen or digitiser, e.g. input of commands through traced gestures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04886 by partitioning the display area of the touch-screen or the surface of the digitising tablet into independently controllable areas, e.g. virtual keyboards or menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/14 Display of multiple viewports
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72469 for operating the device by selecting functions from two or more displayed items, e.g. menus or icons
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/45 for generating image signals from two or more image sensors being of different type or operating in different modes, e.g. with a CMOS sensor for moving images in combination with a charge-coupled device [CCD] for still images
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/617 Upgrading or updating of programs or applications for camera control
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/63 by using electronic viewfinders
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/661 Transmitting camera control signals through networks, e.g. control via the Internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/80 Camera processing pipelines; Components thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/90 Arrangement of cameras or camera modules, e.g. multiple cameras in TV studios or sports stadiums
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/2624 for obtaining an image which is composed of whole input images, e.g. splitscreen
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/15 : Conference systems

Abstract

Some embodiments provide a method for initiating a video conference using a first mobile device. The method presents, during an audio call through a wireless communication network with a second device, a selectable user-interface (UI) item on the first mobile device for switching from the audio call to the video conference. The method receives a selection of the selectable UI item. The method initiates the video conference without terminating the audio call. The method terminates the audio call before allowing the first and second devices to present audio and video data exchanged through the video conference.

Claims

1. A non-transitory machine-readable medium of a first mobile device, the machine-readable medium storing a program executable by at least one processing unit of the first mobile device, said program comprising sets of instructions for:

presenting, during an audio call through a wireless communication network with a second device, a selectable user-interface (UI) item on the first mobile device for switching from the audio call to a video conference;

upon receiving a selection of the selectable UI item, displaying a first video captured by the first mobile device; and

initiating the video conference by (1) terminating the audio call before allowing the first mobile device and the second device to present audio and video data exchanged through the video conference on the first mobile device and (2) displaying an animation to visually indicate the switching from the audio call to the video conference that (i) starts with reducing a size of the first video while displaying the first video and (ii) ends with displaying the first video overlapping at least a portion of a second video captured by the second device.

2. The machine-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the set of instructions for presenting the selectable UI item comprises continuously presenting the selectable UI item within a display area that is displayable on a display screen of the first mobile device during the audio call.

3. The machine-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the program further comprises sets of instructions for:

displaying the first video while awaiting the second video to arrive at the first mobile device;

displaying the animation when the second video has been received at the first mobile device in order to show the second video on the first mobile device.

4. The machine-readable medium of claim 3, wherein while reducing the size of the first video, the first video overlaps the second video.

5. The machine-readable medium of claim 3, wherein once the animation ends, the first and second videos form a picture-in-picture display, with the first video serving as an inset picture that overlaps the second video.

6. The machine-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the audio call is terminated before allowing the first mobile device and the second device to exchange audio and video data through the video conference.

7. The machine-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the audio call is terminated after the first mobile device and the second device start to exchange audio and video data through the video conference but before the first mobile device and the second device start presenting the exchanged audio and video data.

8. The machine-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the program further comprises a set of instructions for establishing a communication channel with the second device from the first mobile device to establish the audio call between the first mobile device and the second device.

9. The machine-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the first mobile device is a mobile communication device for communicating with another device in a wireless communication network.

10. The machine-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the first mobile device is a smart phone.

11. The machine-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the first mobile device and the second device are provisioned with the wireless communication network to make audio calls with other devices through the wireless communication network.

12. The machine-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the first mobile device is provisioned with the wireless communication network to make audio calls with other devices through the wireless communication network, while the second device is not provisioned to make audio calls with other devices through the wireless communication network.

13. The machine-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the first mobile device and the second device are smart phones.

14. The machine-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the communication network is a private wireless communication network.

15. The machine-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the communication network is a public wireless communication network.

16. The machine-readable medium of claim 1,

wherein the wireless communication network comprises circuit switch equipment for routing audio calls and packet switch equipment for routing data,

wherein the audio call is routed through the circuit switch equipment of the communication network while the audio and video data exchanged during the video conference are exchanged as packets through the packet switch equipment,

wherein the packets are transported between the first mobile device and the second device over an Internet Protocol (IP) communication link.

17. A mobile device comprising:

a set of processing units;

a user interface (UI) module executable by at least one processing unit in the set of processing units, the UI module for (1) presenting, during an audio call through a wireless communication network with a particular device, a selectable UI item on the mobile device for switching from the audio call to a video conference and (2) presenting a first video captured by the mobile device upon receiving a selection of the selectable UI item; and

a video conference module executable by at least one processing unit in the set of processing units, the video conference module for initiating the video conference by terminating the audio call before allowing the mobile device and the particular device to present audio and video data exchanged through the video conference on the mobile device,

wherein the UI module is further for displaying an animation to indicate the switching from the audio call to the video conference upon the video conference module initiating the video conference, wherein displaying the animation comprises (1) presenting a second video captured by the particular device underlapping the first video and (2) adjusting a size of the first video while maintaining a size of the second video.

18. The device of claim 17, wherein displaying the animation further comprises transitioning from displaying the first video captured by the mobile device to displaying the first video overlapping a portion of the second video captured by the particular device.

19. The device of claim 17, wherein displaying the animation further comprises transitioning from displaying the first video to displaying a picture-in-picture layout of the first and second videos.

20. The device of claim 17, wherein adjusting the size of the first video comprises displaying the first video decreasing in size relative to the second video while displaying the second video underneath the first video.

21. A first device comprising:

a set of processing units;

a user interface (UI) module executable by at least one processing unit in the set of processing units, the UI module for (1) presenting on the first device, during a phone call between the first device and a second device, a first user-interface (UI) layout comprising a selectable UI item for switching from the phone call to a video conference and (2) presenting a second UI layout comprising a first video captured by the first device upon receiving a selection of the selectable UI item; and

a video conference module executable by at least one processing unit in the set of processing units, the video conference module for establishing the video conference between the first device and the second device upon receiving an acceptance of the video conference request from the second device,

wherein the UI module is further for upon the video conference module receiving the acceptance of the video conference request from the second device, presenting an animation that transitions from displaying the second UI layout to displaying a third UI layout by iteratively reducing a size of the first video while superimposing the first video over a second video captured by the second device, the third UI layout showing the first video overlapping at least a portion of the second video.

22. The first device of claim 21, wherein the third layout is a picture-in-picture (PIP) layout comprising the first video and the second video.

23. The first device of claim 21, wherein the UI module iteratively reduces the size of the first video while superimposing the first video over the second video without moving the second video relative to the first video.

24. The first device of claim 21, wherein the UI module iteratively reduces the size of the first video while superimposing the first video over the second video without changing a size of the second video.

25. A non-transitory machine-readable medium of a first device, the machine-readable medium storing a program executable by at least one processing unit of the mobile device, the program comprising sets of instructions for:

presenting on the first device, during a phone call between the first device and a second device, a first user-interface (UI) layout comprising a selectable UI item for switching from the phone call to a video conference;

presenting on the first device, a second UI layout comprising a first video captured by the first device upon receiving a selection of the selectable UI item;

establishing the video conference between the first device and the second device upon receiving an acceptance of the video conference request from the second device; and

upon the video conference module receiving the acceptance of the video conference request from the second device, presenting an animation that transitions from displaying the second UI layout to displaying a third UI layout by iteratively reducing a size of the first video while superimposing the first video over a second video captured by the second device, the third UI layout showing the first video overlapping at least a portion of the second video.

26. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 25, wherein the third layout is a picture-in-picture (PIP) layout comprising the first video and the second video.

27. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 25, wherein the set of instructions for presenting the animation comprises a set of instructions for iteratively reducing the size of the first video while superimposing the first video over the second video without moving the second video relative to the first video.

28. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 25, wherein the set of instructions for presenting the animation comprises a set of instructions for iteratively reducing the size of the first video while superimposing the first video over the second video without changing a size of the second video.