Enhancing video conferences

• US 9,661,208 B1
• Filed: 11/13/2015
• Issued: 05/23/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 02/03/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Oja, Jens Fredrik, Lachapelle, Serge
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Khai N
• Application Number:
  US14/941,290
• Time in Patent Office: 557 Days
• Field of Search: 348 1401, 348 1402, 348 1403, 348 1404, 348 1405, 348 1406, 348 1407, 348 1408, 348 1409, 348 141, 348 1411, 348 1412, 348 1413, 348 1414, 348 1515, 348 1416, 37926503, 4554141, 455566, 704270
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4223 Cameras H04N23/00 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4227 Providing Remote input by a user located remotely from the client device, e.g. at work
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/61 based on recognised objects
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/64 Computer-aided capture of images, e.g. transfer from script file into camera, check of taken image quality, advice or proposal for image composition or decision on when to take image
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/661 Transmitting camera control signals through networks, e.g. control via the Internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/695 Control of camera direction for changing a field of view, e.g. pan, tilt or based on tracking of objects
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/72 Combination of two or more compensation controls
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/745 Detection of flicker frequency or suppression of flicker wherein the flicker is caused by illumination, e.g. due to fluorescent tube illumination or pulsed LED illumination
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/15 Conference systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/152 Multipoint control units therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/183 for receiving images from a single remote source

Abstract

Implementations generally relate to enhancing video conferences. In some implementations, a method includes determining one or more characteristics of a video stream provided by a first camera. The method further includes determining one or more functions of the first camera based on the one or more characteristics. The method further includes enabling a browser to control the one or more functions of the first camera, and wherein the browser is remote relative to the first camera.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method to control a camera in a video conference, the method comprising:

determining, by a software application executing on at least one hardware processor, one or more functions provided by an application programming interface associated with the camera, the camera configured to provide a video stream associated with a first user participating in the video conference, wherein the camera is geographically separated from the at least one hardware processor executing the software application and is in communication with the at least one hardware processor over a communication network, wherein the software application is associated with a second user;

causing to be displayed on a display device, by the software application, one or more controls that correspond to the one or more functions of the camera by activating the one or more controls in a user interface of the software application based on the determined one or more functions, wherein the one or more controls correspond to the one or more functions;

receiving, by the software application, an adjustment of a first control of the one or more controls;

generating, by the software application, with the application programming interface, one or more commands to modify a characteristic of the one or more functions of the camera based on the adjustment of the first control of the one or more controls; and

sending, by the software application, the one or more commands to the camera over the communication network.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the software application is a web browser.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the second user is participating in the video conference.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 3, wherein the camera is a first camera, and wherein a second camera is configured to provide a second video stream associated with the second user, wherein the second user is participating in the video conference.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the software application comprises a viewer configured to display the video stream associated with the first user.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein determining the one or more functions comprises determining one or more of panning, zooming, capture rate, flicker, white balance, exposure, contrast, temperature, and aperture.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

analyzing one or more video characteristics associated with the video stream,

wherein causing the one or more controls to be displayed includes displaying, by the software application, the one or more controls based on the analyzing of the one or more video characteristics.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 wherein determining the one or more functions provided by the application programming interface associated with the camera includes:

determining one or more video characteristics associated with the video stream; and

determining that at least one function of the one or more functions of the camera is associated with at least one video characteristic of the one or more video characteristics.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 wherein activating the one or more controls in the user interface includes displaying the one or more controls in the user interface, wherein at least one of the one or more controls is not displayed in the user interface prior to the determining the one or more functions.

10. A system comprising one or more processors and a computer-readable medium, the computer readable medium comprising including instructions to control a camera in a video conference that, when operated upon by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to:

determine one or more video characteristics associated with a video stream provided by the camera, wherein the video stream is associated with a first user participating in the video conference;

determine one or more functions provided by an application programming interface associated with the camera;

determine one or more controls that are associated with the one or more functions of the camera, wherein the one or more controls correspond to the one or more functions, and wherein the one or more processors determine at least one control of the one or more controls based on the determined one or more video characteristics;

causing display of the one or more controls by activating the one or more controls in a user interface;

receive an adjustment of at least one of the one or more controls;

generate using the application programming interface, one or more commands to modify a characteristic of the one or more functions of the camera based on the adjustment of the at least one of the one or more controls; and

send the one or more commands to the camera.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the instructions to cause display of one or more controls cause the one or more processors to display the controls in a software application, wherein the software application is associated with a second user participating in the video conference.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the instructions further cause display of the video stream associated with the first user.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein the instructions to determine the one or more functions cause the one or more processors to determine one or more of panning, zooming, capture rate, flicker, white balance, exposure, contrast, temperature, and aperture.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein the instructions to determine one or more video characteristics associated with the video stream further comprise instructions to cause the one or more processors to:

detect one or more of;

at least one face and at least one skin tone in the video stream.

15. The system of claim 10, wherein the instructions to determine the one or more functions provided by the application programming interface associated with the camera further comprise instructions to cause the one or more processors to:

determine that at least one function of the one or more functions of the camera is specifically associated with at least one of the one or more video characteristics.

16. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing a computer program that is executable by at least one processor to control a camera in a video conference, the computer program including instructions that cause the at least one processor to:

determine one or more characteristics associated with a video stream provided by the camera, wherein the video stream is associated with a first user participating in the video conference;

determine one or more functions provided by an application programming interface associated with the camera, wherein the instructions cause the at least one processor to determine that at least one function of the one or more functions of the camera is specifically associated with at least one characteristic of the one or more characteristics associated with the video stream;

cause display of one or more controls that correspond to the one or more functions of the camera by activating the one or more controls in a user interface based on the determined one or more functions, wherein the one or more controls correspond to the one or more functions;

receive user input indicative of an adjustment of a first control of the one or more controls;

generate using the application programming interface, one or more commands to modify a characteristic of the one or more functions of the camera based on the adjustment of the first control; and

send the one or more commands to the camera.

17. The computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein the instructions to cause display of one or more controls cause the at least one processor to display the controls in a software application, wherein the software application is associated with a second user participating in the video conference.

18. The computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein the instructions further cause the at least one processor to display the video stream associated with the first user.

19. The computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein the one or more characteristics include at least one video characteristic.

20. The computer-readable medium of claim 19, wherein the instructions to cause display of the one or more controls further comprise instructions to cause the at least one processor to:

cause display of the one or more controls based on the determined at least one video characteristic.