HK1157550B - A method and apparatus for a recipient to adjust a video stream - Google Patents

Description

Method and apparatus for adjusting video stream by receiver

Technical Field

The present invention relates to the field of video communication, and more particularly, to a method and apparatus for enhancing video communication.

Background Art

The countless available camera applications have increased the demand for cameras to the point where they have become an essential accessory for any computer. This is evident in the increasing trend of cameras being integrated into laptop computers. At this time, cameras are often used in applications such as video chatting, video conferencing, gaming, and remote monitoring.

These applications allow users to utilize an internet connection using video communication to maintain a connection with any location in the world, which is generally considered to be an improvement over traditional voice-based communication. However, it is generally believed that the quality of the video in video communication needs to be improved to enhance the communication process. One reason why the video quality is not satisfactory to the user is related to the fact that, at present, the recipient of the video can only adjust the typical settings on the recipient's display device when adjusting how to view the received video. By doing so, although the received video looks more in line with the recipient's wishes, each time the video is received from the sender, the recipient will have to readjust the settings on the recipient's display to the original settings set. This is cumbersome and inconvenient for the recipient.

The problem of re-adjusting the settings on the recipient's display is even more severe when there are more than two parties in the communication session. In such a situation, re-adjusting the settings on the recipient's display will make it highly unlikely that the recipient will be able to view each party in the communication session in a satisfactory manner.

While the recipient can instruct each party to adjust their appearance relative to the recipient's preferences, this is a very cumbersome process (e.g., adjusting lighting conditions, adjusting the position of the other party's face, adjusting position relative to the camera, etc.).

It would be most desirable if the recipient could change the quality of each received video without changing settings on the recipient's display, as this would eliminate a tedious and inconvenient process for the recipient.

Summary of the Invention

In one aspect, a method for adjusting at least one parameter of a video stream being received on a recipient's screen, the video stream being captured by a sender's video capture device, is provided. The method comprises: providing a control device to the recipient for adjusting at least one parameter of the video stream captured by the sender's video capture device; interfacing the control device with a second application; the recipient using the control device to adjust at least one parameter of the video stream captured by the sender's video capture device; and the recipient receiving and viewing the video stream on the recipient's screen. Advantageously, the video stream viewed on the recipient's screen is adjustable to each of the recipient's preferences, wherein all settings of the recipient's screen remain unchanged after the recipient adjusts the video stream. The video stream may be generated, for example, during an instant messaging (IM) session, a video conferencing session, or a video recording session.

The control device can be a user interface resident on the computer controlling the recipient's screen, or a separate device capable of interfacing with the computer controlling the recipient's screen. Preferably, the recipient's screen can be a display, such as a CRT monitor, an LCD monitor, a plasma screen, and an image projector. The second application can be an instant messaging (IM) application, a video conferencing application, or a video playback application. Advantageously, the control device can control more than one video capture device, including the recipient's video capture device.

Preferably, the at least one parameter includes image settings and audio settings. Image settings can be selected, for example, from video effects, video aspect ratio, video image size, brightness, contrast, sharpness, color, exposure, gamma, white balance, backlight compensation, digital zoom, digital pan, and digital zoom. Audio settings can be selected, for example, from bass, treble, balance, volume, audio enhancement, and noise cancellation. Adjustment of the at least one parameter of the video stream is performed either at the server prior to reception at the recipient's screen or at the sender's video capture device. The video capture device can be selected from a webcam or a digital camera.

Advantageously, freeing up bandwidth in high packet loss situations can be accomplished, for example, by muting the audio in the video stream, reducing the video image size, and removing image frames from the video stream. Additionally, advantageously, adjusting the video aspect ratio allows the video stream to be displayed in an aspect ratio that conforms to the configuration of the recipient's screen.

In another aspect, a control device is provided for adjusting at least one parameter of a video stream being received on a recipient's screen, the video stream being captured by a sender's video capture device. Preferably, the control device is capable of adjusting at least one or more parameters of the video stream at a server or at the sender's video capture device prior to reception at the recipient's screen. The video stream may be generated, for example, during an instant messaging (IM) session, a video conferencing session, or a video recording session. The recipient's screen may be a display, such as a CRT monitor, an LCD monitor, a plasma screen, an image projector, or the like.

Advantageously, the control device can control more than one video capture device, including the recipient's video capture device. The video capture device can be a webcam or a digital camera. The control device can send instructions to the computer that controls the recipient's display using either a wired connection or a wireless connection.

Preferably, the at least one parameter includes both image settings and audio settings. The image settings may be selected, for example, from video effects, video aspect ratio, video image size, brightness, contrast, sharpness, color, exposure, gamma, white balance, backlight compensation, digital zoom, digital pan, and digital zoom. Similarly, the audio settings may be selected, for example, from bass, treble, balance, volume, audio enhancement, and noise cancellation.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In order that the invention may be more thoroughly understood and more readily put into practical effect, preferred embodiments thereof will now be described, by way of non-limiting examples only, with reference to the accompanying illustrative drawings.

FIG1 shows the processing flow of the method of the present invention.

FIG2 shows a first representation of a control device used in the method.

FIG. 3 shows the first sub-tab of the effects tab 58 of FIG. 2 .

FIG. 4 shows the second sub-tab of the effects tab 58 of FIG. 2 .

FIG. 5 shows the third sub-tab of the effects tab 58 of FIG. 2 .

FIG6 shows a second representation of a control device used in the method.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

1 , a method 20 for adjusting at least one parameter of a video stream being received on a recipient screen is provided. The recipient screen may be a display selected from, for example, a CRT monitor, an LCD monitor, a plasma screen, an image projector, etc. The video stream may be generated during a conversation, such as an instant messaging (IM) conversation, a video conferencing conversation, a video recording conversation similar to a video blog, etc.

In method 20, the video stream may be captured by a video capture device of the sender. The video capture device may include a webcam or a digital camera. The video capture device should be capable of transmitting the video stream to a server on the Internet either directly or through a connection device.

Method 20 includes providing a control device 22 to the recipient. The control device can be used to adjust at least one parameter of the video stream captured by the sender's video capture device. The at least one parameter can include both image settings and audio settings. Image settings include, for example, video effects, video aspect ratio, video image size, brightness, contrast, sharpness, color, exposure, gamma, white balance, backlight compensation, digital zoom, digital pan, and digital tilt. Similarly, audio settings can include, for example, bass, treble, balance, volume, audio enhancement effects, and noise cancellation effects. It should be noted that these video effects include, for example, attachment addition effects, background selection, image filtering effects, and the like. Many examples of video effects can be found on www.mylivecam.com , an information portal platform about cameras operated by Creative Technology, LLC.

It should be noted that in the case of high packet loss, the audio in the video stream may be muted by the recipient to free up bandwidth. In such a case, it should be noted that muting the audio in the video stream allows for a higher rate of frame transmission of the video stream, so more video images are received on the recipient's screen. Alternatively, reducing the video image size can also help to free up bandwidth. In another alternative, the recipient can remove the image frames in the video stream to free up bandwidth. These options make the video stream seem less unstable and less blocked to the recipient.

There may also be situations where the video stream is sent with an aspect ratio that is not appropriate for the aspect ratio of the recipient's screen. This is similar to how more and more recipient screens have a 16:9 widescreen ratio, as opposed to the 4:3 aspect ratio configuration found in most CRT monitors. Both the video bandwidth and the video image size must be adjusted so that the video stream can be displayed with the appropriate aspect ratio based on the configuration of the recipient's screen. It should be noted that this configuration may involve both the physical configuration and the setup of the recipient's screen. Being able to adjust the aspect ratio allows the video stream to be displayed in an optimal manner so that all video streams can be viewed with the appropriate aspect ratio.

Before a recipient can use a control device provided to the recipient, the control device should interface with a second application 24. The second application may include, for example, an instant messaging (IM) application, a video conferencing application, and a video playback application. The control device may be either a user interface resident on the computer controlling the recipient's screen, or a separate device such as a remote control that can interface with the computer controlling the recipient's screen. The control device may be an application that overlays the second application in an unobtrusive manner. An example of a control device as a user interface resident on the computer controlling the recipient's screen is shown in FIG2 . The recipient may use the control device to adjust at least one parameter 26 of the video stream captured by the sender's image capture device.

Referring to FIG2 , a user interface 50 is shown. In this non-limiting example, the user interface 50 is shown interfacing with an IM application 52 in an unobtrusive manner. The IM application 52 has a video window 53. It should be noted that the video window 53 can be enlarged so that a larger area of the recipient's screen can be used for the video window 53. It can also be seen that the user interface 50 includes an image settings tab 56. When the image settings tab 56 is selected (as shown), adjustment toolbars 54(a), 54(b), 54(c), 54(d), and 54(e) are shown, which are used to adjust the image settings exposure, brightness, contrast, color, and gamma, respectively. Also shown are an effects settings tab 58 for adding effects to the video stream, a pan and tilt tab 60 for adjusting the source video viewing area, and an audio settings tab 62 for adjusting the audio parameters of the video stream. Of course, the number of tabs should not be limited to the aforementioned tabs. Each tab may also include a restore defaults button 66 to restore the video stream to its original settings before the recipient uses the user interface 50 to make adjustments.

When the effects settings tab 58 is selected, sub-tabs such as those shown in Figures 3 to 5 are selectable by the recipient. Referring to Figure 3, an attachment sub-tab 102 for adding accessory effects is shown. The accessories selected by the recipient can be located on or overlaid on any part of the input video stream. The accessories may include, for example, headwear options 102(a), eyebrow options 102(b), hairstyles 102(c), beard styles 102(d), etc. The recipient can remove an unwanted accessory effect by using the "Undo" button 102(e) after selecting the accessory effect, or can remove all accessory effects used in combination by using the "Undo All" button 102(f). For illustrative purposes, the selection of headwear options is shown in the headwear window 103.

Referring now to FIG4 , a background sub-tab 104 is shown for background selection. For illustrative purposes, the background selection options are shown in a scene window 105. The background selected by the recipient can be incorporated as a backdrop to the input video stream. It should be noted that the background can be either a photographic image or an artistic image. After selecting an unwanted background, the recipient can remove the background by using the "Undo" button 104(a), and can also remove all backgrounds used in the combination by using the "Undo All" button 104(b).

5 , a filter sub-tab 106 is shown for selection of visual filters. For illustrative purposes, the selection filter option is shown in a filter window 107. The filter selected by the recipient may be incorporated into the input video stream. The filter selection made by the recipient may change the way the sender makes the recipient appear. For example, a filter may make the sender appear as if the sender is a ball of fire, a filter may make the sender appear as if the sender is a dwarf, and so on. The recipient may remove an unwanted filter by using the “Undo” button 106 (a), and may also remove all filters used in combination by using the “Undo All” button 106 (b).

Also shown in Figures 3 to 5 are a facial expression sub-tag 100 and a graffiti sub-tag 108. Examples of the facial expression sub-tag 100 and the graffiti sub-tag 108 are not provided as they are merely further examples. For the sake of completeness, the facial expression sub-tag 100 is used by the recipient to change the sender's facial expression, while the graffiti sub-tag 108 is used by the recipient to incorporate any form of graffiti into the input video stream.

The user interface 50 may also include a device selector 64, as the user interface 50 may be able to control more than one video capture device, including the recipient's own video capture device. This allows the recipient to use a single user interface 50 (control device) to adjust video streams from multiple parties. The adjustment 28 of at least one parameter of the input video stream is either completed at the server prior to reception at the recipient's screen, or at the sender's video capture device. In this regard, the adjustments made to the video stream by the recipient may not be visible to the sender unless the sender also has access to the recipient's view. Typically, the sender should only be concerned with the content of the video stream and not necessarily with how the recipient receives the video stream, as the recipient can define how the video stream is received at the recipient's screen. Ultimately, the recipient receives and views the video stream on the recipient's screen 30.

It should be noted that adjusting the video stream per the recipient's preferences only changes how the video stream looks and sounds to the recipient, and other than the recipient's adjustments to the video stream, all settings of the recipient's screen are not changed.

In a second aspect, a control device is provided for adjusting at least one parameter of a video stream being received on a receiver's screen, the video stream being captured by a video capture device of a sender. The receiver's screen may be, for example, a display such as a CRT monitor, an LCD monitor, a plasma screen, an image projector, or the like.

One representation of the control device may be the user interface 50 in FIG2 , while another representation of the control device may be seen in FIG6 as the remote controller 200. The type and form of the control device are not limited to the aforementioned user interface 50 and remote controller 200, and may adopt any other type and form. In the subsequent session, the control device will be described with respect to the remote controller 200, because the user interface 50 has already been described in the previous section.

The remote control 200 can adjust at least one parameter of the video stream at the recipient's screen. The video stream can be generated during a session, such as an instant messaging (IM) session, a video conferencing session, a video recording session, etc. The adjustment of at least one parameter of the video stream can be made either at the server before reception on the recipient's screen, or at the sender's video capture device. In this regard, the adjustments made by the recipient to the video stream using the remote control 200 may not be visible to the sender unless the sender also has access to the recipient's view. Generally, the sender should only be concerned with the content of the video stream and not necessarily with how the recipient receives the video stream, because the recipient can define how the video stream is received at the recipient's screen. The video capture device can be either a webcam or a digital camera.

The remote control 200 may include a housing 202 that contains all of the components of the remote control 200. The housing 202 may include a touchpad 204 that also acts as a display, and the remote control 200 may send instructions to a computer that controls the recipient's display, either through a wired connection or through a wireless connection. Instructions to either the server or the sender's video capture device are then sent from the computer that controls the recipient's display.

The remote control 200 may include a user interface similar to the user interface 50 described previously. The user interface on the remote control 200 may include a device selector 64, like the device selector of the user interface 50, for controlling more than one video capture device, including the recipient's own video capture device. This allows the recipient to use the remote control 200 to adjust video streams from multiple parties. The touch-sensitive panel 204 of the remote control 200 may also display tabs and subtabs as shown in Figures 3 to 5 described previously.

The at least one parameter may include both image settings and audio settings. Image settings may include, for example, video effects, video aspect ratio, video image size, brightness, contrast, sharpness, color, exposure, gamma, white balance, backlight compensation, digital zoom, digital pan, and digital tilt. Similarly, audio settings may include, for example, bass, treble, balance, volume, audio enhancement effects, and noise cancellation effects. It should be noted that video effects include, for example, effects for adding accessories, background selection, image filtering effects, and the like. Many examples of video effects can be found at www.mylivecam.com , an information portal platform for cameras operated by Innovative Technologies, LLC.

Although preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described above, those skilled in the relevant art will appreciate that various changes or modifications may be made in the details of design or construction without departing from the invention.

Claims (11)

1. A method for adjusting at least one parameter of a video stream being received on a receiver's screen, the video stream being captured by a video capture device of a sender, the method comprising: Providing a control device to the recipient, the control device being capable of adjusting at least one parameter of the video stream at a server or at a video acquisition device of the sender before the video stream is received on the recipient's screen; interfacing the control device with a second application; The recipient uses the control device to adjust at least one parameter of the video stream captured by the sender's video capture device, such that the adjustment is invisible to the sender and all settings of the recipient's screen remain unchanged after the recipient adjusts the video stream; and The recipient receives and views the video stream on the recipient's screen, Freeing up bandwidth in high packet loss situations by muting the audio in the video stream; Therein, the video stream viewed on the recipient's screen is adjustable to each preference of the recipient. 2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one parameter of the received video stream comprises at least one of image settings and audio settings. 3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the image settings are selected from the group consisting of: video effects, video aspect ratio, video image size, brightness, contrast, sharpness, color, exposure, gamma, white balance, backlight compensation, digital zoom, digital pan, and digital zoom, and The audio setting is selected from the group consisting of: bass, treble, balance, volume, audio enhancement, and noise cancellation. 4. The method of claim 1, wherein the control device is one of a user interface resident on the computer controlling the recipient screen and a separate device capable of interfacing with the computer controlling the recipient screen. 5. The method of claim 3, wherein the video aspect ratio is adjusted so that the video stream can be displayed in an aspect ratio according to the configuration of the recipient's screen. 6. The method according to claim 1, further comprising providing at least one video capture device, the at least one video capture device being coupleable to the server and capable of at least one of: capturing the video stream and streaming the captured video stream to the server. 7. The method of claim 1, wherein the recipient screen is selected from the group consisting of: a CRT monitor, an LCD monitor, a plasma screen, and a video projector. 8. The method of claim 1, wherein the video stream is generated during a session selected from the group consisting of: an instant messaging (IM) session, a video conferencing session, and a video recording session. 9. The method according to claim 6, wherein the video acquisition device is selected from a camera or a digital camera. 10. The method of claim 6, wherein the control device is used to adjust at least one parameter of video streams captured by more than one video capture device. 11. A control device adapted for use with a recipient screen capable of receiving a video stream thereon, the video stream being captured by a sender's video capture device, the control device being capable of completing adjustment of at least one parameter of the video stream at a server or at the sender's video capture device before the video stream is received at the recipient screen; The video stream viewed on the recipient's screen is adjustable according to each preference of the recipient, and the control device is used by the recipient to adjust at least one parameter of the video stream captured by the sender's video capture device, so that the adjustment is invisible to the sender, and after the recipient adjusts the video stream, all settings of the recipient's screen remain unchanged.