Method and system for video communication

• US 9,648,279 B2
• Filed: 06/08/2011
• Issued: 05/09/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 06/08/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mitel Networks Corporation
• Original Assignee: Mitel Networks Corporation
• Inventors: Shen, Francis, Francisco, Paulo, Sayson, David, Angelot, Stephane, Huthmacher, Keith, Hucke, Lloyd
• Primary Examiner(s): Ulrich, Nicholas
• Application Number:
  US13/156,220
• Publication Number:
  US 20120062688A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,162 Days
• Field of Search: 715753-758, 715764, 715792, 715863, 348 1403, 348 1408
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04803 Split screen, i.e. subdividing the display area or the window area into separate subareas
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04886 by partitioning the display area of the touch-screen or the surface of the digitising tablet into independently controllable areas, e.g. virtual keyboards or menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/18 for broadcast or conference , e.g. multicast
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1827 Network arrangements for conference optimisation or adaptation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/4038 with floor control
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/75 Indicating network or usage conditions on the user display
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/136 Incoming video signal characteristics or properties
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/147 Communication arrangements, e.g. identifying the communication as a video-communication, intermediate storage of the signals selecting H04Q
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/15 Conference systems

Abstract

An apparatus and a non-transitory machine readable medium for facilitating a video communication session between correspondents. Each correspondent is associated with the apparatus having a graphical user interface (GUI). Video corresponding to at least one of the correspondents is displayed in a first partition, the video having characteristics. A plurality of applications executing concurrently during the video communication session are displayed in a second partition. GUI objects corresponding to the video communication session are displayed in a third partition. The second partition is dynamically resized to a size that depends on the characteristics of the video.

Claims

1. An apparatus for facilitating a video communication session between at least two correspondents, each correspondent being associated with said apparatus having a graphical user interface (GUI), said apparatus comprising a non-transitory machine readable medium comprising instructions stored thereon and executable by a processor to cause said processor to:

display video corresponding to at least one of said correspondents in a first partition, wherein the video has characteristics;

execute a plurality of application programs concurrently in a second partition;

display said plurality of application programs in said second partition;

display GUI objects corresponding to said video communication session in a third partition; and

dynamically resize said second partition to a size that depends on the characteristics of said video.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said graphical user interface is touch sensitive.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein said first and second partitions are scaled depending upon the characteristics of the application programs executing concurrently during said video communication session.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein said first and second partitions are scaled by at least one of a control GUI object and a predetermined touch gesture.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein said GUI objects comprise at least one of a button, dialog box, pop-up window, pull-down menu, icon, scroll bar, resizable window edge, progress indicator, selection box, windows, tear-off menu, menu bar, toggle switch, forms, image, text, video, widget, and any combination thereof.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein said second scalable partition comprises subsets of GUI objects corresponding to application programs, wherein each of said subsets pertains to a particular theme.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein said subsets of GUI objects are user defined.

8. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein said subsets of GUI objects are defined automatically.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein said second scalable partition displays at least one selected application program associated with said one of said GUI objects.

10. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein said GUI displays said at least two correspondents in said first scalable partition and said second scalable partition.

11. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein said second scalable partition displays a first set of GUI objects associated with application programs following actuation of at least one control GUI object.

12. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein said GUI objects in said third partition are arranged in subsets corresponding to various states of said video communication session.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein said various states pertain to one of an active call state, an idle call state and a passive call state.

14. A non-transitory machine readable medium comprising instructions stored thereon and executable by a processor to cause said processor to

initiate a video communication session between at least two correspondents, each correspondent being associated with an apparatus with a graphical user interface (GUI);

display video corresponding to at least one of said correspondents in a first dynamically scalable partition, wherein the video has characteristics;

execute a plurality of application programs concurrently in a second dynamically scalable partition;

display said plurality of application programs in said second dynamically scalable partition;

display a second set of GUI objects corresponding to said video communication session in a dynamically scalable third partition; and

dynamically resize said second partition to a size that depends on the characteristics of said video.

15. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 14 wherein said second set of GUI objects in said third partition arranged in subsets corresponding to various states of said video communication session.

16. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 15 wherein said second set of GUI objects are control buttons comprising at least one of select line, search, logoff, contacts, call history, contact information history, directory, dialpad, dnd, forward, voice only, mic, mute, speaker, headset, saved conferences, hold, transfer, add party, save conference, moderator, participants, and conference format.