System and method to enable layered video messaging

• US 9,294,717 B2
• Filed: 10/13/2010
• Issued: 03/22/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 10/13/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Wohlert, Randolph
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Duc
• Assistant Examiner(s): Mohammed, Assad
• Application Number:
  US12/903,342
• Publication Number:
  US 20120092435A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,987 Days
• Field of Search: 348/14.01, 348/14.02, 348/14.03, 348/586
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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

A method includes selecting, at a first computing device, a first content source as a foreground content source and a second content source as a background content source. The method includes determining a location of the first computing device. The method also includes generating layered multimedia content. The layered multimedia content includes a foreground layer including first media content received from the first content source, a background layer including second media content received from the second content source, an information layer including data associated with the location to the first computing device, and audio content. The method includes sending the layered multimedia content to at least a second computing device.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

selecting, at a first computing device, a first content source as a foreground content source;

selecting, at the first computing device, a second content source as a background content source;

determining, at the first computing device, location data that identifies a location associated with the first computing device;

receiving description data associated with the location based on the location data;

generating, at the first computing device, layered multimedia content, wherein the layered multimedia content comprises a foreground layer including first media content received from the first content source, a background layer including second media content received from the second content source, and an information layer including the description data, wherein the layered multimedia content includes audio content and text content, the text content received via a user interface of the first computing device, and wherein the layered multimedia content is generated based on user configurable options for the foreground layer, the background layer, the information layer, or a combination thereof;

determining first capabilities of a second computing device by sending a query to the second computing device;

setting, at the first computing device, a first user configurable option of the user configurable options corresponding to a first bit rate of the foreground layer based on the first capabilities, second capabilities associated with an available bandwidth of a network, or a combination thereof;

setting, at the first computing device, a second user configurable option of the user configurable options corresponding to a second bit rate of the background layer based on the first capabilities, the second capabilities, or a combination thereof; and

sending the layered multimedia content including the foreground layer, the background layer, and the information layer from the first computing device to the second computing device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first computing device comprises a mobile telephone device that includes a front facing camera and a rear facing camera, and further comprising:

selecting the front facing camera as the first content source via the user interface; and

selecting the rear facing camera as the second content source via the user interface, wherein each of the front facing camera and the rear facing camera provides a different video stream.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising presenting the user interface at the first computing device to enable selection of the first content source to provide the foreground layer and to enable selection of the second content source to provide the background layer.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the first content source provides live content received by an image capture device included in the first computing device, and wherein the second content source provides prerecorded content that is stored at the first computing device, the second computing device, a remote computing device, or a combination thereof.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

identifying a point of interest near the location;

retrieving second description data that is descriptive of the point of interest; and

including the second description data in the layered multimedia content.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the second description data includes a selectable link to access additional information associated with the point of interest.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein generating the layered multimedia content includes selecting a portion of the first media content for inclusion in the foreground layer and omitting a remaining portion of the first media content from the foreground layer.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising identifying the portion of the first media content in subsequent frames of the first media content to be included in the foreground layer based on the selection of the portion.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein the location data includes global positioning data generated by a global positioning system of the first computing device, and wherein the location data represents a geographic location of the first computing device.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein the description data represents textual information that is descriptive of the location.

20. The method of claim 1, wherein the first computing device sends the layered multimedia content to the second computing device via the network.

9. A computer-readable storage device comprising operational instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations including:

providing, at a first computing device, a user interface to enable selection of a first content source as a foreground content source and a second content source as a background content source;

receiving description data based on location data, wherein the location data identifies a location associated with the first computing device;

generating layered multimedia content comprising a plurality of layers that include a foreground layer including first media content received from the first content source, a background layer including second media content received from the second content source, and an information layer including the description data, wherein the layered multimedia content includes audio content and text content, the text content received via the user interface, wherein the layered multimedia content is generated based on user configurable options for the foreground layer, the background layer, the information layer, or a combination thereof;

determining first capabilities of a second computing device by sending a query to the second computing device;

setting a first user configurable option of the user configurable options corresponding to a first bit rate of the foreground layer based on the first capabilities, second capabilities associated with an available bandwidth of a network, or a combination thereof;

setting a second user configurable option of the user configurable options corresponding to a second bit rate of the background layer based on the first capabilities, the second capabilities, or a combination thereof; and

sending the layered multimedia content including the foreground layer, the background layer, and the information layer to the second computing device via the network.

10. The computer-readable storage device of claim 9, wherein the user configurable options include a size of a particular layer of the plurality of layers.

11. The computer-readable storage device of claim 9, wherein the user configurable options include a transparency level of the particular layer, a display resolution of the particular layer, a percentage representing an allocation of available bandwidth of the particular layer, or a combination thereof.

12. The computer-readable storage device of claim 9, wherein the user configurable options include a position of the particular layer within a display area.

13. The computer-readable storage device of claim 9, wherein the operations further include receiving second layered multimedia content from the second computing device substantially concurrently with sending the layered multimedia content.

14. The computer-readable storage device of claim 13, wherein the operations further include sending the second layered multimedia content to a third computing device.

15. The computer-readable storage device of claim 9, wherein the operations further include generating the layered multimedia content for preview at the first computing device before sending the layered multimedia content to the second computing device.

16. A system comprising:

a processor; and

a memory coupled to the processor, the memory including instructions executable by the processor perform operations comprising;

providing a user interface to a first computing device, the user interface enabling selection of a first content source as a foreground content source and a second content source as a background content source;

receiving description data based on location data, wherein the location data identifies a location associated with the first computing device;

generating layered multimedia content, wherein the layered multimedia content comprises a foreground layer including first media content received from the first content source, a background layer including second media content received from the second content source, and an information layer including the description data, wherein the layered multimedia content includes audio content and text content, the text content received via the user interface, wherein the layered multimedia content is generated based on user configurable options for the foreground layer, the background layer, the information layer, or a combination thereof;

determining first capabilities of a second computing device by sending a query to the second computing device;

setting a first user configurable option of the user configurable options corresponding to a first bit rate of the foreground layer based on the first capabilities, second capabilities associated with an available bandwidth of a network, or a combination thereof;

setting a second user configurable option of the user configurable options corresponding to a second bit rate of the background layer based on the first capabilities, the second capabilities, or a combination thereof; and

sending the layered multimedia content including the foreground layer, the background layer, and the information layer to the second computing device via the network.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the layered multimedia content is generated when the first computing device has insufficient computing capabilities to generate the layered multimedia content, and wherein the second content source is a network-based source distinct from the first computing device.