Portable video communication system

• US 9,462,222 B2
• Filed: 09/15/2014
• Issued: 10/04/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 05/30/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intellectual Ventures Fund 83 LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Intellectual Ventures Fund 83 LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Enge, Amy D., Williams, Frances C., Border, John N., Cok, Ronald S., Kurtz, Andrew F., Manico, Joseph A., Schilling-Benz, Lynn, Stubler, Peter O.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ramakrishnaiah, Melur
• Application Number:
  US14/486,254
• Publication Number:
  US 20150002607A1
• Time in Patent Office: 750 Days
• Field of Search: 348 1401- 1416
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/161 Detection; Localisation; Normalisation
• 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 23/68 for stable pick-up of the scene, e.g. compensating for camera body vibrations
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/6811 based on the image signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/2621 Cameras specially adapted for the electronic generation of special effects during image pickup, e.g. digital cameras, camcorders, video cameras having integrated special effects capability
• 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

Abstract

A method and device for adapting a display image on a hand-held portable wireless display and digital capture device. The device includes a camera for capturing a digital video and/or still image of a user, means for adjusting the captured digital image in response to poor image capture angle of said image capture device so as to create a modified captured digital image; and means for transmitting said modified captured digital image over a wireless communication network to a second hand-held portable wireless display and digital capture device.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

capturing a digital image by a digital capture device having a portable wireless display;

detecting motion of the digital capture device that affects quality of the digital image being captured;

detecting poor capture angle of the digital image being captured;

automatically adjusting the captured digital image in response to the detected motion and the detected poor capture angle;

presenting a verification image on the portable wireless display at the digital capture device, wherein the verification image is configured to provide visual verification as to what the adjusted captured digital image looks like; and

transmitting the adjusted captured digital image from the digital capture device over a wireless communication network to a second device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein automatically adjusting the captured digital image in response to the detected motion comprises adjusting an allowed image capture area of the digital image to remove at least a portion of a background of the digital image.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising storing the removed portion of the background of the digital image.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the visual verification comprises presentation of face location, background, zoom, brightness, pointing, and privacy features of the transmitted adjusted digital video or still image.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein automatically adjusting the captured digital image in response to the detected motion comprises detecting a face area, representing an image of a face, in the captured image and adjusting the captured digital image to include the detected face area.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein automatically adjusting the captured digital image in response to the detected motion comprises compensating for poor image capture conditions of the captured digital image.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein poor image capture conditions include one of poor capture angle, low light, motion of the camera, and motion in the scene or in bright and dark areas.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein capturing the digital image comprising capturing a video for a period of time.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein presenting a verification image on the portable wireless display at the digital capture device comprises using a split screen display to present the verification image on only a portion of the portable wireless display.

10. An apparatus comprising:

a capture device configured to capture a digital image;

a processor operatively coupled to the capture device and configured to detect motion of the apparatus that affects quality of the digital image being captured and to detect poor capture angle of the digital image being captured and automatically adjust the captured digital image in response to the detected motion and the detected poor capture angle;

a display device configured to present a verification image, wherein the verification image is configured to provide visual verification as to what the adjusted captured digital image looks like; and

a transmitter operatively coupled to the processor and configured to transmit the adjusted captured digital image over a wireless communication network to a second device.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the processor is further configured to adjust an allowed image capture area of the digital image such that at least a portion of a background of the digital image is removed from the digital image.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, further comprising a storage device configured to store the removed portion of the background of the digital image.

13. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the visual verification comprises presentation of face location, background, zoom, brightness, pointing, and privacy features of the transmitted adjusted digital video or still image.

14. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein automatically adjusting the captured digital image in response to the detected motion comprises detecting a face area, representing an image of a face, in the captured image and adjusting the captured digital image to include the detected face area.

15. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein automatically adjusting the captured digital image in response to the detected motion comprises compensating for poor image capture conditions of the captured digital image.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein poor image capture conditions include one of poor capture angle, low light, motion of the camera, and motion in the scene or in bright and dark areas.

17. A system comprising:

a first digital capture device configured to capture a digital image, wherein the digital capture device includes a portable wireless display and one or more processors, wherein the one or more processors are configured to detect motion of the first digital capture device that affects quality of the digital image being captured and to detect poor capture angle of the digital image being captured and automatically adjust the captured digital image in response to the detected motion and the detected poor capture angle,

wherein the one or more processors are configured to present a verification image on the portable wireless display, wherein the verification image is configured to provide visual verification as to what the adjusted captured digital image looks like; and

a wireless communication network configured to communicate the adjusted captured digital image from the first digital capture device to a second device.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to adjust an allowed image capture area of the digital image such that at least a portion of a background of the digital image is removed from the digital image.

19. The system of claim 18, further comprising a storage device configured to store the removed portion of the background of the digital image.

20. The system of claim 17, wherein automatically adjusting the captured digital image in response to the detected motion comprises compensating for poor image capture conditions of the captured digital image.