Conference call terminal and method for operating user interface thereof

• US 9,509,946 B2
• Filed: 03/06/2014
• Issued: 11/29/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/08/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Kim, Geonsoo, Yang, Hongseok, Yoo, Nagyeom, Hwang, Hyungsuk
• Primary Examiner(s): SMITH, CREIGHTON H
• Application Number:
  US14/199,446
• Publication Number:
  US 20140253669A1
• Time in Patent Office: 999 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4788 communicating with other users, e.g. chatting arrangements for providing for computer conferences, e.g. chat rooms, to substation in data switching networks H04L12/1813; distributed application using peer-to-peer [P2P] networks H04L67/104
• 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 7/142 Constructional details of the terminal equipment, e.g. arrangements of the camera and the display

Abstract

A method and an apparatus for operating a User Interface (UI) of a conference call terminal are provided. The method includes operating a first camera and a second camera when a conference call is initiated, outputting an output image of a conference call screen comprising a first image and a second image collected from the first camera and the second camera, the first image and the second image being arranged not to overlap, and distinguishing a speaking person'"'"'s image from another person'"'"'s image, when the speaking person'"'"'s image is detected in the output image of the conference call screen.

Claims

1. A method for operating a user interface of a conference call terminal, the method comprising:

operating a first camera and a second camera when a conference call with another party'"'"'s terminal is connected;

collecting a first image from the first camera, a second image from the second camera and another party'"'"'s image from the other party'"'"'s terminal;

displaying simultaneously the first image, and the second image and the party image on a conference call screen, the first image and the second image and the other party'"'"'s image being arranged so as to not overlap;

displaying a speaking person'"'"'s image distinguishably from another person'"'"'s image, when the speaking person'"'"'s image of the images displayed on the conference call screen is detected;

extracting an image part of the speaking person'"'"'s image; and

displaying separately the extracted image part on a portion of the conference call screen,

wherein the displaying of the speaking person'"'"'s image distinguishably from the another person'"'"'s image comprises;

separating and extracting a frame area of the speaking person'"'"'s image and the another person'"'"'s image, and

highlighting the frame area of the speaking person'"'"'s image, and graying the frame area of the another person'"'"'s image.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the outputting of the output image of the conference call screen comprises:

outputting the output image of the conference call screen, the output image comprising (i) a user display area including the first image and the second image, and (ii) another party display area including the other party'"'"'s image received from the other party'"'"'s terminal,

wherein the user display area and the other party display area are arranged one over the other and not to overlap.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the outputting of the output image of the conference call screen comprises outputting the conference call screen in a landscape mode.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the outputting of the output image of the conference call comprises:

separating and extracting images of persons and background images from the first image and the second image;

synthesizing the extracted images of persons with one background image; and

outputting the synthesized first and second images.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the displaying of the speaking person'"'"'s image distinguishably from the another person'"'"'s image comprises:

graphic-processing and outputting at least one of an icon, a color, a brightness, and an effect with respect to the frame area of the speaking person'"'"'s image and the another person'"'"'s image.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the distinguishing of the speaking person'"'"'s image from the another person'"'"'s image comprises:

separating and extracting a frame area of the speaking person'"'"'s image and the another person'"'"'s image;

generating the speaking person'"'"'s image consisting of the extracted speaking person'"'"'s image; and

outputting the generated speaking person'"'"'s image in a specific area of the conference call screen.

7. A conference call terminal comprising:

a first camera and a second camera configured to obtain and collect an image;

a microphone and speaker configured to collect and output an audio signal;

a transceiver configured to transmit and receive an image and a voice signal;

a processor configured to;

collect a first image and a second image by operating a first camera and a second camera when a conference call with another party'"'"'s terminal is connected, and

control a display unit to;

display simultaneously the first image, the second image and the party image on a conference call screen, the first image and the second image and the party image being arranged so as to not overlap, and

display a speaking person'"'"'s image distinguishably from the images displayed on the conference call screen,

extract an image part of the speaking person'"'"'s image, and

display separately the extracted image part on a portion of the conference call screen,

wherein the processor further controls the display unit to;

separate and extract a frame area of the speaking person'"'"'s image and the another person'"'"'s image, and

output the conference call screen in which the frame area of the speaking person'"'"'s image is highlighted, and the frame area of the another person'"'"'s image is grayed.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the processor further comprises:

a speaking person extraction unit configured to extract a person'"'"'s image by detecting an outline of a person'"'"'s image from the output image of the conference call screen, and determine a speaking person from person'"'"'s images; and

a processing unit configured to process the output image so that the speaking person'"'"'s image may be distinguished from the another person'"'"'s image, when the speaking person is determined.

9. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the display unit outputs the conference call screen in which person'"'"'s images of the first image and the second image and one background image are synthesized.

10. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the display unit outputs the conference call screen in which a frame area of the speaking person'"'"'s image is highlighted.

11. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the display unit graphic-processes and outputs at least one of an icon, a color, a brightness, and an effect with respect to the frame area of the speaking person'"'"'s image and the another person'"'"'s image.

12. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the display unit outputs the speaking person'"'"'s image in a specific area of the conference call screen.

13. A method of operating a user interface of a conference call terminal, the method comprising:

creating an output image comprising (i) a first image received from a first image device and a second image received from a second image device, the first image and the second image abutting each other on a first parallel plane, and (ii) another party'"'"'s image received from another conference call terminal on a second parallel plane, the first image and the second image and the other party'"'"'s image being arranged so as to not overlap;

displaying the output image on a conference call screen of the conference call terminal;

displaying an image of at least one person speaking in the output image distinguishably from an image of at least one person being quiet;

extracting an image part of the at least one person speaking; and

displaying separately the extracted image part on a portion of the conference call screen,

wherein the displaying of the image of the at least one person speaking distinguishably from the image of at least one person being quiet comprises;

separating and extracting a frame area of the image of the at least one person speaking and the image of at least one person being quiet, and

highlighting the frame area of the image the at least one person speaking, and graying the frame area of the image of at least one person being quiet.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the output image is displayed in a landscape mode on the conference call screen of the conference call terminal.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions that, when executed, cause at least one processor to perform the method of claim 13.