Video conference using an external video stream

• US 8,581,957 B2
• Filed: 01/09/2008
• Issued: 11/12/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 01/09/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.), Sony Mobile Communications AB (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Bengtsson, Henrik, Backlund, Erik Johan Vendel, Apelqvist, Johan, Burstrom, David Per, Sassi, Jari Aarni
• Primary Examiner(s): Kuntz, Curtis
• Assistant Examiner(s): Joshi, Sunita
• Application Number:
  US11/971,493
• Publication Number:
  US 20090174763A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,134 Days
• Field of Search: 348/14.08, 455/550.1, 455/556.1, 709/204
• US Class Current: 348/14.08
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/2094 Proximity
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/30 Determination of the location of a subscriber
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/567 Multimedia conference systems
• 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 21/43637 involving a wireless protocol, e.g. Bluetooth, RF or wireless LAN [IEEE 802.11] arrangements for wireless networking or broadcasting of information in indoor or near-field type systems H04B10/114
• 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 7/147 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

A portable communication device may determine whether a video camera is in a vicinity of the portable communication device. If so, video taken by the video camera may be used in a video conference conducted from the portable communication device.

Claims

1. A method for conducting a video conference, the method comprising:

obtaining a location of a portable communication device;

determining, by the portable communication device and based on the location, whether at least one video camera external to the portable communication device is in a vicinity of the portable communication device;

using video taken by the at least one video camera in a video conference conducted via the portable communication device, wherein the video taken by the at least one video camera displays a user of the portable communication device inputting audio into the portable communication device; and

using audio input into the portable communication device for the video conference,

wherein obtaining the location of the portable communication device comprises obtaining the location using a GPS signal.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

presenting a list of video cameras that are determined to be in the vicinity of the portable communication device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining step includes:

determining video cameras in the vicinity of the portable communication device based on face recognition techniques used to recognize a user of the portable communication device in video taken by the video cameras.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining step includes:

determining video cameras in the vicinity of the portable communication device based on presence information that is wirelessly transmitted by the video cameras.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the video cameras external to the portable communication device include public surveillance cameras.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein using the video taken by the at least one video camera in a video conference further includes:

receiving the video from the at least one video camera at the portable communication device; and

transmitting the received video to a party with whom the video conference is to be conducted.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein using the video taken by the at least one video camera in a video conference further includes:

causing the video from the at least one video camera to be transmitted to a party with whom the video conference is to be conducted.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining step further comprises:

determining an orientation of the portable communication device; and

determining, based on the orientation of the portable communication device, whether the at least one video camera external to the portable communication device is in the vicinity of the portable communication device.

8. A method for conducting a video conference, the method comprising:

receiving, at a portable communication device, a request for identification of video cameras that are external to the portable communication device;

identifying, by the portable communication device, video cameras that are external to the portable communication device and that are in a vicinity of the portable communication device;

presenting, via a visual display on the portable communication device, the identified video cameras; and

using the portable communication device, conducting a video conference using video associated with at least one of the identified video cameras and audio input into the portable communication device, wherein a user of the portable communication device is viewable in the video.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the identifying step includes:

obtaining a location of the portable communication device; and

determining the video cameras in the vicinity of the portable communication device based on the location.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the identifying includes:

determining the video cameras in the vicinity of the portable communication device based on face recognition techniques used to recognize the user of the portable communication device in video taken by the video cameras.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the identifying step includes:

determining the video cameras in the vicinity of the portable communication device based on presence information that is wirelessly transmitted by the video cameras.

13. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

presenting a graphical interface configured to facilitate selection of one of the identified video cameras for use in the video conference.

14. A portable communication device, comprising:

a memory to store instructions; and

a processor to execute the instructions to;

obtain a location of the portable communication device;

determine, based on the location, video cameras external to the portable communication device that are in a vicinity of the portable communication device; and

enable a video conference in which video taken by at least one of the determined video cameras is used as a video source for the video conference and in which audio input into the portable communication device is used as an audio source for the video conference, wherein a user of the portable communication device is viewable in the video.

15. The portable communication device of claim 14, further comprising:

a display, and wherein the processor further executes instructions to present a list of the video cameras determined to be in the vicinity of the portable communication device.

16. The portable communication device of claim 14, wherein the processor further executes instructions to obtain the location of the portable communication device using a GPS signal.

17. The portable communication device of claim 14, wherein the processor further executes instructions to determine the video cameras in the vicinity of the portable communication device based on face recognition techniques used to recognize the user of the portable communication device in video taken by the video cameras.

18. The portable communication device of claim 14, wherein the processor further executes instructions to determine the video cameras in the vicinity of the portable communication device based on presence information that is wirelessly transmitted by the video cameras.

19. The portable communication device of claim 14, wherein the video cameras external to the portable communication device include public surveillance cameras.

20. A method for conducting a video conference, the method comprising:

determining at least one video camera in a vicinity of a portable communication device based on at least one of presence information that is wirelessly transmitted by the at least one video camera, a face recognition technique to recognize a user of the portable communication device in video taken by the at least one video camera, or a location of the portable communication device;

using video taken by the at least one video camera in a video conference conducted via the portable communication device; and

using audio input into the portable communication device for the video conference,

wherein the video captured by the at least one video camera displays the user of the portable communication device.

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising:

determining an orientation of the portable communication device; and

determining, based on the orientation of the portable communication device, whether the at least one video camera external to the portable communication device is in the vicinity of the portable communication device.

22. A method for conducting a video conference, the method comprising:

determining a location and an orientation of a portable communication device; and

determining, based on the location and the orientation of the portable communication device, whether at least one video camera external to the portable communication device is in a vicinity of the portable communication device;

using video taken by the at least one video camera in a video conference conducted via the portable communication device; and

using audio input into the portable communication device for the video conference.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the video captured by the at least one video camera displays a user of the portable communication device.