Overlay for a video conferencing application

• US 9,237,305 B2
• Filed: 10/18/2010
• Issued: 01/12/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 10/18/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Guzman, Angela, Coffman, Patrick, Lemay, Stephen O.
• Primary Examiner(s): GAY, SONIA L
• Application Number:
  US12/906,920
• Publication Number:
  US 20120092438A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,912 Days
• Field of Search: 348/14.03, 348/14.07
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/15 Conference systems

Abstract

Some embodiments provide a video conferencing application for execution by a first electronic device. The video conferencing application is for conducting a video conference between the first electronic device and a second electronic device. The video conferencing application presents, in a first display area, a video captured by the first electronic device. In an at least partially transparent second display area that is superimposed on a portion of the video in the first display area, the video conferencing application presents a set of user selectable items for configuring the video conferencing application.

Claims

1. A non-transitory machine readable medium storing a video conferencing application for execution by a first electronic device, the video conferencing application for conducting a video conference between the first electronic device and a second electronic device, the video conferencing application comprising sets of instructions for:

in a first display area, presenting a video captured by the first electronic device prior to initiating a video conference;

in a partially transparent second display area that is superimposed on a portion of the video in the first display area, presenting a set of selectable items representing a set of contacts for the video conferencing application, wherein the portion of the video presented in the first display area remains partially visible under the second display area; and

upon receiving selection of a particular selectable item in the partially transparent second display area, initiating a video conference with the second electronic device corresponding to a contact represented by the particular selectable item.

2. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 1, wherein the first electronic device is a desktop computer.

3. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 2, wherein the second electronic device is a desktop computer.

4. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 2, wherein the second electronic device is a smartphone.

5. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 1, wherein the set of contacts comprises a list of contacts retrieved from an address book of a user of the first electronic device.

6. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 1, wherein the set of contacts only includes contacts that are able to participate in a video conference.

7. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 6, wherein the set of contacts comprises a list of recent contacts with whom the user most recently participated in a video conference.

8. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 1, wherein the set of contacts comprises a list of favorite contacts for a user of the first electronic device.

9. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 1, wherein the set of selectable items is a first set, wherein the program further comprises a set of instructions for providing, in the partially transparent second display area, a second set of selectable items for editing information about the set of contacts.

10. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 1, wherein the size of the second display area is adjustable through a selection of an edge of the second display area and a subsequent dragging of the selected edge.

15. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 1, wherein the video conference application further comprises a set of instructions for presenting a user interface (UI) item for adjusting a transparency of the second display area.

16. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 1, wherein the second display area is movable, based on user input, to different portions of the video in the first display area.

11. A method for defining a video conferencing application for conducting a video conference between a first electronic device and a second electronic device, said method comprising:

providing a video display area for displaying video captured by at least one of the first electronic device and the second electronic device;

providing a first partially transparent overlay superimposed on a first portion of the video in the video display area, the first transparent overlay comprising a first set of selectable items corresponding to a set of contacts, each selectable item of the set of selectable items for initiating a video conference with a device of the corresponding contact;

upon initiating a video conference, providing a second partially transparent overlay superimposed on a second portion of the video in the display area, the second transparent overlay comprising a second set of selectable items for configuring the initiated video conference; and

blurring the first and second portions of the video that are displayed in the video display area and below the transparent overlays such that the blurred portions of the video are partially visible under the transparent overlays.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the first set of selectable items comprises a selectable item for adding a new contact to the set of contacts.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the first set of selectable items comprises a selectable item for removing a contact from the set of contacts.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the second set of selectable items comprises a selectable item for at least one of muting the initiated video conference and ending the initiated video conference.

17. A non-transitory machine readable medium storing a video conferencing application for execution by a first electronic device, the video conferencing application for conducting a video conference between the first electronic device and a second electronic device, the video conferencing application comprising a graphical user interface (GUI), the GUI comprising:

a video display area for displaying video captured by at least one of the first electronic device and the second electronic device;

a first partially transparent overlay superimposed on a first portion of the video in the video display area, the first transparent overlay comprising a first set of selectable items corresponding to a set of contacts, each selectable item of the set of selectable items for initiating a video conference with a device of the corresponding contact; and

a second partially transparent overlay that is superimposed on a second portion of the video in the display area upon initiating a video conference, the second transparent overlay comprising a second set of selectable items for configuring the initiated video conference, wherein the first and second portions of the video that are displayed in the video display area and below the transparent overlays are blurred such that the blurred portions of the video are partially visible under the transparent overlays.

18. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 17, wherein the first set of selectable items comprises a selectable item for adding a new contact to the set of contacts.

19. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 17, wherein the first set of selectable items comprises a selectable item for removing a contact from the set of contacts.

20. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 17, wherein the second set of selectable items comprises a selectable item for at least one of muting the initiated video conference and ending the initiated video conference.