Experience sharing for conveying communication status

• US 8,832,233 B1
• Filed: 12/08/2011
• Issued: 09/09/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/20/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Brin, Sergey, Lee, Steven John, Mendis, Indika Charles
• Primary Examiner(s): Gilles, Jude Jean
• Assistant Examiner(s): Aguiar, Johnny
• Application Number:
  US13/314,179
• Time in Patent Office: 1,006 Days
• Field of Search: 709/219, 709/203, 709/204, 709/227
• US Class Current: 709/219
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/23 Updating
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/955 using information identifiers, e.g. uniform resource locators [URL]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/167 Audio in a user interface, e.g. using voice commands for navigating, audio feedback
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0605 Supply or demand aggregation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0625 Directed, with specific intent or strategy
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0635 Processing of requisition or of purchase orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0641 Shopping interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0643 Graphical representation of items or shoppers
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 19/006 Mixed reality object pose determination, tracking or camera calibration for mixed reality G06T7/00
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 5/006 Details of the interface to the display terminal specific for a display terminal using a CRT G09G1/167; using a flat panel G09G3/2096; circuits for interfacing with colour displays G09G5/04
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1822 Conducting the conference, e.g. admission, detection, selection or grouping of participants, correlating users to one or more conference sessions, prioritising transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/046 Interoperability with other network applications or services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/212 using filtering or selective blocking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/214 using selective forwarding
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1069 Session establishment or de-establishment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/60 Network streaming of media packets
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/611 for multicast or broadcast systems for broadcast or conference H04L12/18; arrangements for broadcast or distribution combined with broadcast H04H20/00; arrangements for broadcast applications with a direct linkage to broadcast information or to broadcast space-time H04H60/00; selective distribution of broadcast services, e.g. multimedia broadcast multicast service [MBMS], H04W4/06

Abstract

Exemplary methods and systems relate to the handling of a communication request by a wearable computing device. For example, a wearable computing device may respond to communication requests by sharing real-time media that portrays the device'"'"'s surroundings and the activity of a user associated with the device. The wearable device or a server system communicatively linked to the wearable device may perform the reception and transmission functions. This process may proceed automatically or as a result of user-input and may additionally involve procedures for accepting or rejecting the communication request.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

establishing, by a server system, an experience-sharing session, wherein the experience-sharing session comprises a share generated by a sharing device and received at the server system, wherein the sharing device comprises a head-mountable camera, wherein the share comprises a real-time video feed based on video captured by the head-mountable camera, and wherein the real-time video feed captures a wearer-experience associated with the sharing device;

receiving, by the server system, a status indication message, wherein the status indication message associates a busy status with the sharing device;

in response to receiving the status indication message, associating, by the server system, the busy status with the sharing device;

receiving, by the server system, a communication request, wherein the communication request is a request for the sharing device to accept a communication with a client device, wherein the communication request is received at a time when the busy status is associated with the sharing device, and wherein the communication request is initiated by the client device; and

in response to receiving the communication request at the time when the busy status is associated with the sharing device, the server system;

(i) refraining from relaying the communication request to the sharing device, and (ii) transmitting a share preview to the client device, wherein the share preview comprises at least a portion of the share, and wherein the portion of the share comprises at least a portion of the real-time video feed.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the received communication request comprises a request to engage in an audio communication, wherein the audio communication is not part of the experience sharing session.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the requested communication comprises a video communication.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the requested communication comprises a text communication.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the real-time video stream comprises a low-frame-rate video, and wherein the low-frame-rate video is transmitted in real-time.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the share preview comprises a still image from the share.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the share further comprises real-time audio, and wherein the share preview comprises a portion of the real-time audio.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

after transmitting the share preview to the client device, the server system receiving from the client device a confirmation of the requested communication.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

in response to receiving the confirmation of the requested communication, the server system transmitting an indication of the requested communication to the sharing device.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

the server system transmitting an indication of the requested communication to the sharing device; and

the server system receiving an indication that the requested communication is not accepted.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the server system transmits the share preview to the client device in response to receipt of the indication that the requested communication is not accepted.

12. A sharing device, comprising:

a head-mountable camera;

a non-transitory computer-readable medium;

program instructions stored on the non-transitory computer-readable medium and executable by at least one processor to;

(i) establish an experience-sharing session, wherein the experience-sharing session comprises a share generated by the sharing device, wherein the share comprises a real-time video feed of video based on video captured by the head-mountable camera, and wherein the real-time video feed captures a wearer-experience associated with the sharing device;

(ii) associate a busy status with the sharing device;

(iii) receive a communication request that was sent by a client device, wherein the communication request is a request for the sharing device to accept a communication with a client device, and wherein the communication request is received at a time when the busy status is associated with the sharing device; and

(iii) in response to receipt of the communication request at the time when the busy status is associated with the sharing device;

(i) automatically refrain from acceptance of the communication request, and (ii) transmit a share preview to the client device, wherein the share preview comprises at least a portion of the share, and wherein the portion of the share comprises at least a portion of the real-time video feed.

13. The sharing device of claim 12, further comprising one or more microphones, and wherein the captured share comprises real-time audio captured on the one or more microphones.

14. The sharing device of claim 12, wherein the program instructions are further executable by the at least one processor to:

after transmitting the share preview, receive a confirmation of the requested communication from the client device; and

in response to receiving the confirmation, presenting an indication of the requested communication to the sharing device.

15. A method, comprising:

establishing, by a sharing device, an experience-sharing session, wherein the experience-sharing session comprises a share from the sharing device, wherein the sharing device comprises a head-mountable camera, wherein the share comprises a real-time video feed of video captured by the head-mountable camera, and wherein the real-time video feed captures a wearer-experience associated with the sharing device;

associating a busy status with the sharing device;

receiving, by the sharing device, a communication request that was sent from a client device, wherein the communication request is a request to accept a communication with the client device, and wherein the communication request is received at a time when the busy status is associated with the sharing device; and

in response to receiving the communication request at the time when the busy status is associated with the sharing device, the sharing device;

(i) refraining from acceptance of the communication request, and (ii) transmitting a share preview to the client device, wherein the share preview comprises at least a portion of the share, and wherein the portion of the share comprises at least a portion of the real-time video feed.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

after transmitting the share preview, receive a confirmation of the requested communication from the client device; and

in response to receiving the confirmation, presenting an indication of the requested communication to the sharing device.

17. The method of claim 15, further comprising the sharing device receiving real-time audio, wherein the share preview further comprises a portion of the real-time audio.