Sharing video data associated with the same event

• US 8,767,081 B2
• Filed: 02/23/2009
• Issued: 07/01/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 02/23/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: El-Saban, Motaz Ahmed, Abdallah, Mohamed Shawky, Refaat Ali, Mahmoud Ahmed, Kaheel, Ayman Malek
• Primary Examiner(s): Jerabek, Kelly L
• Application Number:
  US12/390,636
• Publication Number:
  US 20100214419A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,954 Days
• Field of Search: 3482111-21114, 348/152, 348/153, 348/159, 348/169
• US Class Current: 348/211.2
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23412 for generating or manipulating the scene composition of objects, e.g. MPEG-4 objects
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23418 involving operations for analysing video streams, e.g. detecting features or characteristics television picture signal circuitry for scene change detection H04N5/147; filtering for image enhancement G06T5/00; methods or arrangements for recognising scenes G06V20/00; arrangements characterised by components specially adapted for monitoring, identification or recognition of video in broadcast systems H04H60/59
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/234318 by decomposing into objects, e.g. MPEG-4 objects
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/235 Processing of additional data, e.g. scrambling of additional data or processing content descriptors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25841 involving the geographical location of the client retrieval from the Internet by querying based on geographical locations G06F16/9537; arrangements for identifying locations of receiving stations in broadcast systems H04H60/51; location of the user terminal in data switching networks H04L67/52; services making use of the location of users or terminals in wireless networks H04W4/02; locating users or terminals in wireless networks H04W64/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2743 Video hosting of uploaded data from client
• 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 21/435 Processing of additional data, e.g. decrypting of additional data, reconstructing software from modules extracted from the transport stream
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/272 Means for inserting a foreground image in a background image, i.e. inlay, outlay
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

Video sharing is described. In an embodiment, mobile video capture devices such as mobile telephones capture video streams of the same event. A video sharing system obtains contextual information about the video streams and uses that to form a video output from the streams, that output being for sharing by other entities. For example, the formed video provides an enhanced viewing experience as compared with an individual one of the input video streams. In embodiments the contextual information may be obtained from content analysis of the video streams, from stored context information and from control information such as device characteristics. In some embodiments the video streams of a live event are received and the output video formed in real time. In examples feedback is provided to video capture devices to suggest that the zoom, viewing position or other characteristics are adjusted or to achieve this automatically.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

receiving, at a node in a web sharing service, a plurality of video streams from a plurality of respective video capture devices accessing the web sharing service, each video stream originating from a different one of the plurality of video capture devices and the plurality of video capture devices capturing at least two different events;

obtaining contextual information about the plurality of video streams;

identifying a subset of the plurality of video streams recording a same event of the at least two different events based on an analysis of the contextual information, each video stream in the subset of the plurality of video streams including video content captured at the same event;

examining first capabilities of a first device recording a first video stream of the subset and second capabilities of a second device recording a second video stream of the subset;

sending, based on the examining, first instructions to the first device to send only audio information;

sending, based on the examining, second instructions to the second device to send only video information;

forming a single video stream output from the subset of the plurality of video streams based at least in part on the contextual information; and

sharing the single video stream output via the web sharing service.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein obtaining the contextual information comprises analyzing the video content of each video stream in the plurality of video streams.

3. A method as claimed in claim 2, wherein the process of analyzing the video content comprises determining parameters related to a viewing angle of each of the video capture devices.

4. A method as claimed in claim 3, wherein the process of analyzing the video content also comprises assessing a quality of the video content.

5. A method as claimed in claim 3, further comprising, if the parameters related to the viewing angle of two of the plurality of video capture devices are similar, then sending a message to one of the two video capture devices to stop an associated video stream.

6. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the single video stream output provides an improved view of the same event as compared with a view of the same event from only one of the video streams in the subset of the plurality of video streams.

7. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the same event includes a live event and wherein the method is carried out in real time.

8. A method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising sending control commands to one or more of the plurality of video capture devices based at least in part on the contextual information.

9. A method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising sending feedback to a first video capture device based at least in part on contextual information from a video stream provided by a second video capture device.

10. A method as claimed in claim 9, wherein the feedback comprises recommended changes to a zoom feature of the first video capture device.

11. A method as claimed in claim 9, wherein the feedback comprises a recommendation to change a position of the first video capture device.

12. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein providing the single video stream output comprises stitching at least part of two or more of the subset of the plurality of video streams together.

13. A method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising receiving a channel identifier for each video stream and wherein the subset of the plurality of video streams including video content recorded at the same event has a same channel identifier.

14. A computer-implemented method comprising:

receiving, at a node in a web sharing service, a plurality of video streams capturing multiple different events from a first group of users of the web sharing service, each video stream originating from a different one of a plurality of mobile user video capture devices;

obtaining contextual information about the plurality of video streams;

identifying at least two video streams as capturing a same event based at least in part on an analysis of the contextual information;

examining first capabilities of a first device recording a first video stream of the at least two video streams and second capabilities of a second device recording a second video stream of the at least two video streams;

sending, based on the examining, first instructions to the first device to send only audio information;

forming a video stream output from the at least two identified video streams based at least in part on the context information obtained from the at least two identified video streams; and

sharing, via the web sharing service, the video stream output with a second group of users of the web sharing service.

15. A method as claimed in claim 14, wherein the at least two identified video streams are of a live event and wherein the video stream output is shared in real time.

16. A method as claimed in claim 14, further comprising sending feedback to one or more mobile user video capture devices based at least in part on the analysis of the contextual information.

17. A method as claimed in claim 14, wherein the web sharing service provides an ability for the first group of users to specify the second group of users as target viewers such that users of the web sharing service that are not part of the second group of users cannot view the video stream output through the web sharing service.

18. A method as claimed in claim 14, wherein the contextual information includes one of physical location information or cellular network location information.

19. A method at a mobile video capture device in a communications network comprising:

capturing a video stream of an event;

employing a local wireless discovery process to identify one or more other mobile video capture devices which are also capturing one or more respective video streams of the event;

determining one or more types of information to send as part of the video stream, determining including;

exchanging information with the one or more other mobile video capture devices to coordinate a video sharing channel associated with the event;

sharing capabilities of the mobile video capture device;

receiving instructions, to send either only audio information or only video information in the video stream of the event, the instructions being generated by examining the capabilities of the mobile video capture device and at least second capabilities of at least one of the one or more other mobile video capture devices; and

sending, in accordance with the instructions, the video stream of the event to a web-based sharing service so that the video stream is available to share with a group of users not at the event through the web-based sharing service via the video sharing channel.

20. A method as claimed in claim 19, wherein the information includes resource information available at each of the mobile video capture devices.