US 2003/0074404 A1Published application

Sharing of still images within a video telephony call

AssigneeSprint Communications Company L.P.

InventorsBenjamin J. Parker, Shane R. Werner, Charles Diaz, Terry M. Frederick

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Abstract

A data call between at least two internetworked computers is established using a central server and call clients in the two computers. Once the data call is in place, a video telephony conversation is initiated. In addition, still images such as a slideshow of personal photographs are shared between the two computers while the video telephony call fully continues. Image viewer subclients utilize the same network session as is used by the call clients. Either user can pause, navigate through, or change the display a parameters of the slideshow as it is being viewed by both users.

Claims13

Dependent claims

A method of sharing still images between first and second computers connected to an internetwork for exchanging network packets therebetween, wherein each of said computers has a respective private IP address within said internetwork, said method comprising the steps of:

maintaining a central server coupled to said internetwork and containing a database of IP addresses of registered computers;
running first and second call clients in said first and second computers, respectively, for establishing a data call between said first and second computers in response to said database of IP addresses, said data call comprising live video exchange from at least one video camera coupled to one of said first and second computers and comprising a network session between said first and second call clients;
establishing a voice telephone call between first and second users of said first and second computers, respectively, at least one of said first and second users being seen in said live video exchange;
said first user initiating a first image viewer subclient under control of said first call client;
said first image viewer subclient loading and displaying still image data specified by said first user on said first computer;
said first image viewer subclient transmitting said still image data to said second computer using said network session;
said second call client in said second computer receiving said still image data, running a second image viewer subclient, and loading said still image data into said second image viewer subclient;
and
said second image viewer subclient displaying said still image data on said second computer;
wherein said live video exchange is maintained simultaneously with display of said still image data by said image viewer subclients.

7 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 10/085,859Filed 28 Feb 2002
Priority: 16 Oct 2001
Published: 17 Apr 2003
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification5 codes

H04N 7/147
Between two video terminals, e.g. videophone: communication arrangements, e.g. identifying the communication as a video-communication,…
H04L 61/10
Mapping addresses: of different types
H04L 61/4557
Network directories; Name-to-address mapping: directories for hybrid networks, e.g. including telephone numbers
H04N
Pictorial communication

Family

Application09/978,616Continuation in part · filed 16 Oct 2001
Application10/033,813Continuation in part · filed 20 Dec 2001
Application10/085,859Continuation in part · filed 28 Feb 2002
US 6,545,697 B1Related patent
US 7,058,689 B2Related patent
US 7,099,288 B1Related patent
US 2003/0074404 A1This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.

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