Video calling

• US 8,917,307 B2
• Filed: 02/24/2012
• Issued: 12/23/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 02/24/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Rosenberg, Jonathan
• Primary Examiner(s): WOO, STELLA L
• Application Number:
  US13/404,511
• Publication Number:
  US 20130222419A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,033 Days
• Field of Search: 348 1401- 1415, 379/93.17, 379/93.25, 379/93.21
• US Class Current: 348/14.01
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1096 Supplementary features, e.g. call forwarding or call holding systems providing special services or facilities to telephony subscribers H04M3/42
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/762 at the source reformatting of additional data in video distribution servers H04N21/2355
• 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

In a method and system for performing a video call between a first terminal and a second terminal, video data for the video call is captured with a camera of the first terminal. The captured video data is transmitted in real-time to the second terminal for use in the video call. The captured video data is output in real-time at a display of the second terminal in the video call. A video hold input is received from a user at the first terminal to initiate a video hold state. Holding video data is determined for output at the display of the second terminal in the video hold state. In the video hold state, the determined holding video data is output at the display of the second terminal, instead of outputting video data captured by said camera of the first terminal in real-time at the display of the second terminal.

Claims

1. A method of performing a video call between a first terminal and a second terminal, the method comprising:

capturing video data, for the video call, with a camera of the first terminal;

transmitting the captured video data in real-time to the second terminal for use in the video call sufficient to cause output of the captured video data in real-time at a display of the second terminal in the video call;

receiving a video hold input from a user at the first terminal to initiate a video hold state at the first terminal and effective to cause holding video data to be output at the display of the second terminal in the video hold state instead of outputting video data captured by said camera of the first terminal in real-time; and

during the video hold state, capturing at least some video data with the camera of the first terminal and, during the video hold state, transmitting to the second terminal the at least some video data captured with the camera of the first terminal during the video hold state.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said determining holding video data is performed responsive to receiving said video hold input at the first terminal.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising transmitting a video hold message to the second terminal responsive to receiving said video hold input at the first terminal, said video hold message indicating that the video hold state has been initiated.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein said determining holding video data is performed at the first terminal and the method further comprises transmitting the determined holding video data to the second terminal.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein said holding video data is a single image.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein said holding video data comprises a single image which is overlaid with moving images which are caused to be output at the display of the second terminal by the video hold state.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein said holding video data comprises a plurality of frames of the video data captured by the camera of the first terminal, and wherein said plurality of frames are caused to be output at the display of the second terminal by the video hold state.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising, in the video hold state, outputting at the first terminal an indication that the video has been placed on hold at the display of the second terminal.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising receiving a video unhold input from the user at the first terminal to end the video hold state and thereby causing to resume outputting the captured video data in real-time at the display of the second terminal in the video call.

10. A system comprising a first terminal and a second terminal, wherein the system is configured to perform a video call between the first and second terminals, wherein the first terminal comprises:

a camera configured to capture video data for the video call;

a user interface configured to receive a video hold input from a user to initiate a video hold state; and

a transmitting module configured to transmit the captured video data in real-time to the second terminal for use in the video call sufficient to cause display of the captured video data in real-time in the video call and in the video hold state, to cause holding video data to be displayed at the second terminal instead of video data captured by said camera of the first terminal in real-time, and in the video hold state to transmit to the second terminal at least some video data captured with the camera of the first terminal during the video hold state.

11. A method of engaging in a video call between a first terminal and a second terminal, the method comprising:

capturing video data, for the video call, with a camera of the first terminal;

transmitting the captured video data to the second terminal for output in real-time at a display of the second terminal in the video call;

receiving a video hold input from a user at the first terminal to initiate a video hold state; and

transmitting data to the second terminal responsive to receiving said video hold input at the first terminal, said transmitted data being such that, in the video hold state, holding video data, instead of video data captured by said camera of the first terminal in real-time, is caused to be output at the display of the second terminal by transmission of the transmitted data so as to make display of the holding video data, instead of video data captured by said camera of the first terminal in real-time, unknown to a user of the second terminal, the holding video data comprising at least one image with a changed background caused by a change in lighting of the holding video data.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein said transmitted data is a video hold message indicating to the second terminal that the video hold state has been initiated.

13. The method of claim 11 further comprising determining said holding video data at the first terminal, wherein said transmitted data comprises the determined holding video data.

14. The method of claim 11 further comprising, in the video hold state, stopping at least one of:

(i) the transmission of the captured video data in real-time to the second terminal, and (ii) the capturing of video data with the camera of the first terminal.

15. The method of claim 11 wherein said holding video data is based on video data captured with the camera of the first terminal prior to the initiation of the video hold state.

16. The method of claim 11 wherein said holding video data is a single image.

17. The method of claim 11 wherein said holding video data comprises a single image which is overlaid with moving images which are caused to be output at the display of the second terminal by the video hold state.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein a portion of said single image includes an image of the user and wherein the method further comprises determining said moving images based on feature recognition applied to said image of the user.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein said moving images represent movements to the head or eyes of the user in said image of the user.

20. The method of claim 16 wherein the single image is either:

(i) a frame of the video data captured by the camera of the first terminal, or (ii) representative of at least part of an image captured by the camera when the video hold state is initiated.

21. The method of claim 11 wherein said holding video data comprises a plurality of frames of the video data captured by the camera of the first terminal, and wherein said plurality of frames are caused to be output at the display of the second terminal by the video hold state.

22. The method of claim 21 wherein said plurality of frames are the last frames of video data captured by the camera before the video hold state is initiated.

23. The method of claim 11 further comprising receiving a video unhold input from the user at the first terminal to end the video hold state.

24. A terminal configured to engage in a video call with a further terminal, the terminal comprising:

a camera configured to capture video data for the video call;

a transmitting module configured to transmit the captured video data to the further terminal for output in real-time at a display of the further terminal in the video call; and

a user interface configured to receive a video hold input from a user to initiate a video hold state,

wherein the transmitting module is further configured to transmit data to the further terminal responsive to receiving said video hold input at the user interface, said transmitted data being such that, in the video hold state, holding video data, instead of video data captured by said camera of the terminal in real-time, is caused to be output at the display of the further terminal by transmission of the transmitted data so as to make display of the holding video data, instead of video data captured by said camera of the terminal in real-time, unknown to a user of the further terminal, the holding video data comprising at least one image with a changed background caused by a change in lighting of the holding video data.

25. The terminal of claim 24 further comprising a determining module configured to determine said holding video data, wherein said transmitted data comprises the determined holding video data.

26. A computer program product for engaging in a video call between a first terminal and a second terminal, the computer program product being embodied on a computer-readable medium and configured so as when executed on a processor of the first terminal to perform operations comprising:

capturing video data for the video call;

transmitting the captured video data to the second terminal for output in real-time at a display of the second terminal in the video call;

receiving a video hold input from a user at the first terminal to initiate a video hold state; and

transmitting data to the second terminal responsive to receiving said video hold input, said transmitted data being such that, in the video hold state, holding video data, instead of video data captured by said camera of the first terminal in real-time, is caused to be output at the display of the second terminal by transmission of the transmitted data so as to make display of the holding video data, instead of video data captured by said camera of the first terminal in real-time, unknown to a user of the second terminal, the holding video data comprising at least one image with a changed background caused by a change in lighting of the holding video data.

27. A method of engaging in a video call between a first terminal and a second terminal, the method comprising:

receiving, at the second terminal, video data captured at the first terminal in real-time for use in the video call;

outputting the captured video data in real-time at a display of the second terminal in the video call;

receiving, at the second terminal, a video hold message indicating that a video hold state has been initiated;

determining holding video data for output at the display of the second terminal in the video hold state, said determined holding video data comprising at least in part inserted errors simulating network problems; and

in the video hold state, outputting, at the display of the second terminal, said determined holding video data instead of outputting video data captured at the first terminal in real-time, the outputting of said determined holding data being on a loop.

28. The method of claim 27 wherein said determining holding video data is performed at the second terminal responsive to receiving said video hold message at the second terminal.

29. The method of claim 27 wherein said holding video data is based on video data captured at the first terminal prior to the initiation of the video hold state.

30. The method of claim 27 wherein said holding video data is a single image.

31. The method of claim 27 wherein said holding video data comprises a single image which is overlaid with moving images which are output at the display of the second terminal in the video hold state.

32. The method of claim 31 wherein a portion of said single image includes an image of the user and wherein the method further comprises determining said moving images based on feature recognition applied to said image of the user.

33. The method of claim 32 wherein said moving images represent movements to the head or eyes of the user in said image of the user.

34. The method of claim 30 wherein the single image is either:

(i) a frame of the video data captured at the first terminal, or (ii) representative of at least part of an image captured at the first terminal before the video hold state is initiated.

35. The method of claim 27 wherein said holding video data comprises a plurality of frames of the video data captured at the first terminal, and wherein said plurality of frames are output at the display of the second terminal in the video hold state.

36. The method of claim 35 wherein said plurality of frames are the last frames of video data captured at the first terminal before the video hold state is initiated.

37. The method of claim 27 further comprising, in the video hold state, outputting an indication that the video has been placed on hold at the display of the second terminal.

38. A terminal configured to engage in a video call with another terminal, the terminal comprising:

a receiving module configured to receive video data captured at said another terminal in real-time for use in the video call, and further configured to receive a video hold message indicating that a video hold state has been initiated;

a display configured to output the captured video data in real-time in the video call; and

a determining module configured to determine holding video data for output at the display in the video hold state, said determined holding video data comprising at least in part inserted errors simulating network problems,

wherein the terminal is configured to output, in the video hold state, at the display of the terminal, said determined holding video data instead of outputting video data captured at the another terminal in real-time, the outputting of said determined holding data being on a loop.

39. A computer program product for engaging in a video call between a first terminal and a second terminal, the computer program product being embodied on a computer-readable medium and configured so as when executed on a processor of the second terminal to perform operations comprising:

receiving video data captured at the first terminal in real-time for use in the video call;

outputting the captured video data in real-time at a display of the second terminal in the video call;

receiving a video hold message indicating that a video hold state has been initiated;

determining holding video data for output at the display of the second terminal in the video hold state, said determined holding video data comprising at least in part inserted errors simulating network problems; and

in the video hold state, outputting, at the display of the second terminal, said determined holding video data instead of outputting video data captured at the first terminal in real-time, the outputting of said determined holding data being on a loop.