US 9,319,746 B2Granted

Method and apparatus for coviewing video

AssigneeNetTALK.com, Inc.

InventorsGarry M Paxinos, Anastasios Kyriakides, Kenneth Alvin Hosfeld, Anastasios Nicholas Kyriakides

Life of this patent

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Abstract

A method, apparatus, and system to provide the ability for a user to make audio and/or audio-video phone calls simultaneously while watching (co-viewing) provider video content in remote locations. A control system is provided to set up call, direct provider video content, and provide for the phone calls and video content to be delivered and then synchronized. The phone calls may be routed by the control system to PSTN destinations or Internet based destinations and calls made or received may be bridged to other Internet based sources. The provider video content may be provided directly from its source or routed through NAT traversal or through the control system.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A method for integrating video content with telephony communications, comprising the steps of:

receiving, with a first user interface device, an electronic data communication from a remote second user interface device over an electronic network;
rendering, with the first user interface device, the video content;
providing, with the first user interface device, a first audio signal based on the electronic data communication from the remote second user interface device;
receiving, with the first user interface device, a second audio signal including
a first component from the video content,
a second component from the first audio signal, and
a third component distinct from both the video content and the first audio signal;
echo cancelling, with the first user interface device, both the first component and the second component from the second audio signal to create a third audio signal;
transmitting, from the first user interface device, the third audio signal to the remote second user interface device;
generating, with the first user interface device, a first visual signal from a recorded image;
transmitting, with the first user interface device, the first visual signal to the second user interface device;
receiving, with the first user interface device, a second visual signal from the second user interface device;
and
rendering, with the first user interface device, the second visual signal, wherein the step of rendering the second visual signal obscures a portion of the video content.

11 more elements

A method for integrating video content with phone call communications, comprising the steps of:

providing a control system configured to connect to and communicate electronic data with at least a first user interface device and a second user interface device over an electronic data network, wherein
the first user interface device and the second user interface device are disposed in remote locations and
the first user interface device and second user interface device each include an echo cancellation component which is configured to enable the first user interface device and the second user interface device, respectively, to suppresses both normal audio echo from phone call broadcasting as well as the audio associated with the video content;
receiving, with the control system, a first visual signal from the first user interface device;
receiving, with the control system, a second visual signal from the second user interface device;
transmitting, with the control system, the first visual signal to the second user interface device;
transmitting, with the control system, the second visual signal to the first user interface device;
enabling by the control system video content delivery defined by the delivery of a signal of video content to the first user interface device and the second user interface device which represents the same video content programming, enabling the first user interface device and the second user interface device to cause to be broadcast the same video content, wherein a portion of the video content is obscured by the broadcast of the first or second visual signal;
and
enabling by the control system integrated phone call communications defined by the delivery of a first audio signal of a first phone call generated at the first user interface device to the second user interface device and a second audio signal of a second phone call generated at the second user interface device to the first user interface device, enabling the first user interface device to cause at least the second audio signal generated at the second user interface device to be broadcast and the second user interface device to cause at least the first audio signal generated at the first user interface device to be broadcast.

7 more elements

A system for integrating video content with phone call communications, comprising:

a control system configured to connect to and communicate electronic data with at least a first user interface device and a second user interface device over an electronic data network;
the first user interface device and the second user interface device being disposed in remote locations;
the control system enabling video content delivery defined by the delivery of a signal of video content to said first user interface device and said second user interface device which represents the same video content, enabling said first user interface device and said second user interface device to cause to play the same video content;
the control system enabling integrated phone call communications, defined by the delivery of a first audio signal of a phone call generated at the first user interface device to the second user interface device and a second audio signal of a phone call generated at the second user interface device to the first user interface device, enabling
the first user interface device to cause at least the second audio signal generated at the second user interface device to be played and
the second user interface device to cause at least the first audio signal generated at the first user interface device to be played;
wherein the first user interface device and second user interface device each include an echo cancellation component which is configured to enable the first user interface device and the second user interface device, respectively, to suppresses both normal audio echo from phone call playing as well as the audio associated with the video content;
and
the first user interface device includes
a video input interface configured to provide an image,
a processing system configured to generate a first visual signal from the image, and
a network interface configured to
transmit the first visual signal to the second user interface device and
receive a second visual signal from the second user interface device,
wherein the processing system
renders both the video content and second visual signal to create an output video signal,
transmits the output video signal to a output interface, and
obscures a portion of the video content in the output video signal based upon the second visual signal.

15 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 14/863,055Filed 23 Sep 2015 · continuation
Priority: 18 Oct 2012
Published: US 2016/0014463 A114 Jan 2016
Granted: 19 Apr 2016
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification16 codes

H04N 7/15
Systems for two-way working: conference systems
H04N 5/445
Receiver circuitry for the reception of television signals according to analogue transmission standards: for displaying additional information
H04N 7/141
Systems for two-way working: between two video terminals, e.g. videophone
H04N 7/142
Between two video terminals, e.g. videophone: constructional details of the terminal equipment, e.g. arrangements of the camera and the display

Family

Application61/715,553Us provisional application · filed 18 Oct 2012
Application61/798,034Us provisional application · filed 15 Mar 2013
Application14/057,428Parent of this continuation · filed 18 Oct 2013
US 2016/0014463 A1Pre-grant publication · published 14 Jan 2016
US 9,148,611 B2Parent of this continuation
US 2014/0111598 A1Published application
US 9,319,746 B2This patent

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