WO2014121148A1 - Capture, traitement et distribution de courriel vidéo - Google Patents

Capture, traitement et distribution de courriel vidéo Download PDF

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Publication number
WO2014121148A1
WO2014121148A1 PCT/US2014/014321 US2014014321W WO2014121148A1 WO 2014121148 A1 WO2014121148 A1 WO 2014121148A1 US 2014014321 W US2014014321 W US 2014014321W WO 2014121148 A1 WO2014121148 A1 WO 2014121148A1
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WO
WIPO (PCT)
Prior art keywords
user
video
video calling
videomail
calling device
Prior art date
Application number
PCT/US2014/014321
Other languages
English (en)
Inventor
Matthew B. Shoemake
Syed Nadeem Ahmed
Craig D. Smith
Jack R. RING
Original Assignee
Biscotti Inc.
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Biscotti Inc. filed Critical Biscotti Inc.
Publication of WO2014121148A1 publication Critical patent/WO2014121148A1/fr

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Classifications

    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04N—PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION
    • H04N7/00—Television systems
    • H04N7/14—Systems for two-way working
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04M—TELEPHONIC COMMUNICATION
    • H04M3/00—Automatic or semi-automatic exchanges
    • H04M3/42—Systems providing special services or facilities to subscribers
    • H04M3/50—Centralised arrangements for answering calls; Centralised arrangements for recording messages for absent or busy subscribers ; Centralised arrangements for recording messages
    • H04M3/53—Centralised arrangements for recording incoming messages, i.e. mailbox systems
    • H04M3/5307—Centralised arrangements for recording incoming messages, i.e. mailbox systems for recording messages comprising any combination of audio and non-audio components
    • H04M3/5315—Centralised arrangements for recording incoming messages, i.e. mailbox systems for recording messages comprising any combination of audio and non-audio components where the non-audio components are still images or video
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04M—TELEPHONIC COMMUNICATION
    • H04M1/00—Substation equipment, e.g. for use by subscribers
    • H04M1/72—Mobile telephones; Cordless telephones, i.e. devices for establishing wireless links to base stations without route selection
    • H04M1/724—User interfaces specially adapted for cordless or mobile telephones
    • H04M1/72403—User interfaces specially adapted for cordless or mobile telephones with means for local support of applications that increase the functionality
    • H04M1/7243—User interfaces specially adapted for cordless or mobile telephones with means for local support of applications that increase the functionality with interactive means for internal management of messages
    • H04M1/72439—User interfaces specially adapted for cordless or mobile telephones with means for local support of applications that increase the functionality with interactive means for internal management of messages for image or video messaging

Definitions

  • the present disclosure relates, in general, to video calling, and, more particularly, to tools and techniques for enabling or implementing video mail capture, processing, and distribution.
  • VCDs video communication devices
  • a display such as a television, to name one example
  • a source of content such as a set-top box (“STB”), to name an example
  • STB set-top box
  • sensors such as a camera, a microphone, infrared sensors, and/or other suitable sensors.
  • Such devices present a powerful platform for various applications. Examples include, without limitation, video calling, instant messaging, presence detection, status updates, media streaming over the Internet, web content viewing, gaming, and DVR capability.
  • Another example of such value added services is the introduction of online gaming. Rather than playing a game by him- or herself, a user now can play most games in a multiplayer mode, using communication over the Internet or another network.
  • Such user devices can include, without limitation, the VCDs mentioned above, the presence detection devices ("PDDs") described in the '279 Application, various video game consoles, and the like.
  • PPDs presence detection devices
  • Such devices generally have a reliable, and relatively high-speed, connection to the Internet (to enable the value added services) and significant amounts of downtime, in which the processing and other capabilities of the devices are unused.
  • video mail or video mail data may be post- processed on a computer in the network, which can include a control server(s), a central server(s), another image capture device(s), and/or the like.
  • distributed hosting including cloud-based computing, cloud-based application hosting, cloud-based data storage, and/or content delivery network service, or the like, as described in detail in the '360 Application (already incorporated herein) may be utilized to perform post-processing of video mail or video mail data, to store raw as well as processed video mail data, to share video mail data captured by the Internet- connected cameras (including raw and processed video and/or images), to host a website for allowing a user to control such functionalities, to access the video mail, and/or the like.
  • presence detection techniques and presence detection devices may be used to allow for automatic identification and authentication to enable the user to establish or modify preferences or settings for video mail, to initiate post-processing of captured video mail data, to instruct storing of raw as well as processed video mail data, to share video mail data captured by the Internet-connected cameras (including raw and processed video mail data), to control such functionalities, and/or the like, regardless of where the user is, so long as the user is in front of a suitable device capable of identification and authentication of the user to provide the user access to a master account for controlling these functionalities.
  • a profile for accessing control of the above-mentioned functionalities (as well as the (raw/processed) captured video mail data) can follow the user.
  • the tools provided by various embodiments include, without limitation, methods, systems, and/or software products.
  • a method might comprise one or more procedures, any or all of which are executed by a video calling device, a PDD, and/or a computer system.
  • an embodiment might provide a video calling device, a PDD, and/or a computer system configured with instructions to perform one or more procedures in accordance with methods provided by various other embodiments.
  • a computer program might comprise a set of instructions that are executable by a video calling device, a PDD, and/or a computer system (and/or a processor therein) to perform such operations.
  • such software programs are encoded on physical, tangible, and/or non-transitory computer readable media (such as, to name but a few examples, optical media, magnetic media, and/or the like).
  • a method might comprise receiving, at a first video calling device associated with a user and over a network, a video call from a caller at a second video calling device.
  • the method might also comprise determining, with one or both of the first video calling device or the second video calling device, that the user is unable to answer the video call.
  • the method might further comprise recording, with the first video calling device that receives the call, a videomail message from the video call, based at least in part on a determination that the user is unable to answer the video call.
  • the method might further comprise prompting, with the first video calling device associated with the user, the caller to leave the videomail message.
  • the first video calling device and the second video calling device are at least one of made by different manufacturers or of different models of calling device.
  • the method might comprise uploading, over the network, at least a portion of the videomail message to a server for post-processing.
  • uploading, over the network, at least a portion of the videomail message to a server for post-processing might comprise uploading at least a portion of each of one or more components of the videomail message.
  • the one or more components of the videomail message might comprise an audio component, a video component, and a timecode component.
  • post-processing might comprise scaling video of the videomail message to a specified resolution.
  • post-processing might comprise mixing audio and video of the videomail message by reference to a timecode.
  • postprocessing might comprise adding a visible watermark to the videomail message.
  • post-processing might comprise formatting the videomail message as a video viewable by a web browser.
  • Post-processing might also comprise formatting the videomail message for downloading by the user, or formatting the videomail message for viewing on a user device.
  • the method might further comprise providing a notification to the user regarding the videomail message.
  • the notification might comprise an e-mail message with a link to a formatted video comprising the videomail message.
  • the method might further comprise creating a uniform resource locator ("URL") addressing the formatted video.
  • the link might include the URL addressing the formatted video.
  • the notification might comprise an e-mail message, in which the videomail message is one of an attached videomail message or an embedded videomail message.
  • the notification might comprise a text message (including, without limitation, a short message service (“SMS”) message, a multimedia message service (“MMS”), and/or the like) with a link to a formatted video comprising the videomail message.
  • SMS short message service
  • MMS multimedia message service
  • the method might comprise recording a timecode file to a storage medium at one of the first video calling device, the second video calling device, or the server.
  • the timecode file might indicate when each frame of video of the videomail message should be displayed and indicating when each frame of audio of the videomail message should be played.
  • the method might further comprise synchronizing, at the one of the first video calling device, the second video calling device, or the server, audio and video from the videomail message, based at least in part on the recorded timecode file.
  • uploading the videomail message to the server might comprise uploading an audio file, a video file, and the timecode to the server.
  • each of at least one of the first video calling device or the second video calling device might comprise a first video input interface to receive first video input from a first local content source, a first audio input interface to receive first audio input from the first local content source, a first video output interface to provide first video output to a first video display device, a first audio output interface to provide first audio output to a first audio receiver, a first video capture device to capture at least one of first image data or first video data, a first audio capture device to capture first audio data, a first network interface, at least one first processor, and a first storage medium in communication with the at least one first processor.
  • the method might further comprise registering, with a first computer, a master account for the user, assigning, with the first computer, the first video calling device to the master account, authenticating the user, at the first computer, using a set of credentials associated with the master account, and accessing the first video calling device from the first computer, over the network, after authenticating the user.
  • the method might also comprise providing a user interface, from the first computer, over the network, and receiving, by the first computer, user input associated with options presented by the user interface.
  • the options might include one or more of options for establishing user preferences for videomail messages, options for modifying user preferences for videomail messages, options for deleting user preferences for videomail messages, options for notifying the user regarding videomail messages, or options for responding to videomail messages.
  • the network in some instances, is the Internet, and the user interface comprises a web page.
  • the method might further comprise receiving a request from the user to view the videomail message and displaying the videomail message with the user interface.
  • the first computer is one of the first video calling device or the second video calling device.
  • receiving user input might comprise receiving user input from a third video calling device.
  • the third video calling device might comprise a second video input interface to receive second video input from a second local content source, a second audio input interface to receive second audio input from the second local content source, a second video output interface to provide second video output to a second video display device, a second audio output interface to provide second audio output to a second audio receiver, a second video capture device to capture at least one of second image data or second video data, a second audio capture device to capture second audio data, a second network interface, at least one second processor, and a second storage medium in communication with the at least one second processor.
  • the method might further comprise providing the user with access, over the network, to at least one of the first video calling device or the master account.
  • the method might further comprise collecting presence information with the third video calling device, detecting presence of the user, with the third video calling device, based at least in part on the presence information, identifying the user, with a second computer, based at least in part on identifying information derived from at least a portion of the presence information, and in response to identifying the user, providing, over the third video calling device, options for the user to view any videomail messages left for the user.
  • identifying the user might comprise one or more of analyzing, with the second computer, at least one of captured second image data or captured second video data, using facial recognition software; comparing, with the second computer, at least a portion of the captured second audio data with a voiceprint; comparing, with the second computer, at least a portion of the captured second audio data with stored challenge/response information; determining, with the second computer, whether a username and a password inputted by the user matches a pre-stored username and a pre-stored password associated with the user; determining, with the second computer, whether a user device that is detected in proximity to the presence detection device is a device associated with the user; or detecting a presence of a user device that is associated with the user, based on at least one of detecting a Bluetooth connection of the user device, detecting that the user device is associated with a WiFi access point with which the presence detection device has associated, or communicating with the user device using near field communication ("NFC").
  • NFC near field communication
  • an apparatus might comprise one or more processors and a computer readable medium in communication with the one or more processors.
  • the computer readable medium might have encoded thereon a set of instructions executable by the one or more processors to cause the apparatus to perform one or more operations.
  • the set of instructions might comprise instructions for receiving a video call from a video calling device, instructions for determining that the user is unable to answer the video call, and instructions for recording a videomail message from the video call, based at least in part on a determination that the user is unable to answer the video call.
  • a video calling device might comprise one or more processors and a computer readable medium in communication with the one or more processors.
  • the computer readable medium might have encoded thereon a set of instructions executable by the one or more processors to cause the video calling device to perform one or more operations.
  • the set of instructions might comprise instructions for instructions for sending a video call to an apparatus, instructions for determining that a callee associated with the apparatus is not available to answer the video call, instructions for recording a videomail message from the video call, based at least in part on a determination that the callee is unable to answer the video call, and instructions to send a notification to the callee with instructions to access the videomail message.
  • a system might comprise a first video calling device associated with a user and a server computer.
  • the first video calling device might comprise one or more first processors and a first computer readable medium in communication with the one or more first processors.
  • the first computer readable medium might have encoded thereon a first set of instructions executable by the one or more first processors to cause the first video calling device to perform one or more operations.
  • the first set of instructions might comprise instructions for receiving a video call from a caller at a second video calling device, instructions for determining that the user is unable to answer the video call, instructions for recording a videomail message from the video call, based at least in part on a determination that the user is unable to answer the video call, and instructions for uploading the videomail message.
  • the server computer might comprise one or more second processors and a second computer readable medium in communication with the one or more second processors.
  • the second computer readable medium might have encoded thereon a second set of instructions executable by the one or more second processors to cause the server computer to perform one or more operations.
  • the second set of instructions might comprise instructions to receive the uploaded videomail message.
  • the second set of instructions might further comprise instructions to post-process the videomail message. In some cases, the second set of instructions might further comprise instructions to provide a notification to a callee regarding the videomail message.
  • FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a system for enabling or implementing video mail capture, processing, and distribution, in accordance with various embodiments.
  • FIG. 2 is a process flow diagram illustrating a method of enabling or implementing video mail capture, processing, and distribution, in accordance with various embodiments.
  • FIG. 3 is a process flow diagram illustrating a method of enabling remote access to user preferences for videomail and enabling remote access to videomail, in accordance with various embodiments.
  • Fig. 4 is a process flow diagram illustrating a method of enabling remote access to a master account, to user preferences for videomail, and to videomail based on the presence of a user, in accordance with various embodiments.
  • FIG. 5 is a block diagram illustrating another system for enabling or implementing video mail capture, processing, and distribution, in accordance with various embodiments.
  • FIG. 6A is an illustration of a user device used by users that presents an exemplary graphical user interface for notifying users regarding videomail messages, in accordance with various embodiments.
  • FIG. 6B is an illustration of a user device used by users that present an exemplary graphical user interface for presenting options related to a user's master account, the user's devices, videomail, and account settings, in accordance with various embodiments.
  • Fig. 7 is a generalized schematic diagram illustrating a computer system, in accordance with various embodiments.
  • Fig. 8 is a block diagram illustrating a networked system of computers, which can be used in accordance with various embodiments.
  • PDDs Presence Detection Devices
  • embodiments can contain or communicate with, inter alia, cameras, microphones, and/or other sensors (including, without limitation, infrared (“IR”) sensors). These sensors, in conjunction with the internal processing capability of the device, can allow the device to detect when a person is in the room. Additionally, through means such as facial recognition and voice detection, or the like, the devices also can
  • ICDs Image Capture Devices
  • video capture devices for capturing video mail and/or video mail data.
  • ICDs might also contain or communicate with, inter alia, microphones, and/or other sensors (including, without limitation, infrared (“IR”) sensors).
  • IR infrared
  • some ICDs might have similar functionality as PDDs.
  • presence detection can be local and/or cloud based.
  • the PDD itself might keep a list of all user profiles and will attempt to match an individual against its local list of all users.
  • cloud based detection the functionality of user detection can be moved into servers in the cloud.
  • a cloud based approach allows detection of a user's presence to be mobile among various devices (whether or not owned by, and/or associated with, the user). That same user can be detected on their device or on any other device that has the same capability and that is tied into the same cloud infrastructure.
  • a user's content, services, games, profiles, videomail, e-mail, and/or preferences, etc. can follow that user from device to device, including devices that are not owned by (or previously associated with) the individual, as described in detail in the '279 Application (already incorporated herein).
  • presence detection functionality can also allow for mobile presence detection that enables remote access and control of ICDs over a network, following automatic identification and authentication of the user by any device (e.g., PDD, ICD, or other device) so long as such device has authentication functionality that is or can be tied to the access and control of the ICDs, regardless of whether or not such device is owned or associated with the user.
  • PDD personal area network
  • ICD intranet control
  • the ability to remotely access and control one's ICDs over a network can follow the user wherever he or she goes, in a similar manner to the user's content and profiles following the user as described in the '279 Application.
  • Such remote control of ICDs, as well as post-processing of video and/or image data captured by the ICDs is described in detail in the '263 Application (which is already incorporated by reference herein).
  • Various sensors on a PDD can be used for user detection. Facial recognition can be used to identify a particular individual's facial characteristics, and/or voice detection can be used to uniquely identify a person.
  • PDDs and/or ICDs may also have local data storage. This local data storage can be used to store a database of user profiles. The user profiles can contain the various mechanisms that can be used to identify a person, including username and password, facial characteristics, voice characteristics, etc. When sensors detect the facial features or capture the voice of a particular individual, that captured presence information can be compared against the characteristics of the users on the local storage. If a match is found, then the individual has been successfully identified by the device.
  • Presence information can be any data or information that can be used to determine the presence of a user, and/or to identify and/or authenticate such a user.
  • presence information can include raw image, video, or audio data, analyzed data (e.g., video or image data to which preliminary facial recognition procedures, such as feature extraction, have been employed, as well as verification of audio self-identification or verification of audio challenge/response information), the results of such analysis, and even the end result of the detection process - i.e., a notification that a user is present and/or an
  • Detection of a user's presence can also be detected via proximity of a
  • a unique device identifier for each of a user's device might have previously been associated with the user's profile in a cloud database or the like (i.e., making the user's devices "known devices"), and detection of such unique device identifiers might serve as a basis for identifying the user, or might streamline the identification process by verifying whether the person with the device owned by or associated with the known device is the user or simply someone in possession of the device(s) (whether lawful or unlawful). Such verification might comprise one or more of facial recognition, voice recognition, audio
  • audio challenge/response verification might include analysis of sub-vocal responses from the person challenged, to prevent undesired casual overhearing of audio passwords, audio keyphrases, or the like.
  • biometric analysis might include analysis of any suitable biometric (aside from facial and voice recognition) selected from a group consisting of fingerprint, iris, pupil, height, unique scar(s), other unique physical characteristics, and/or any combination of these biometrics.
  • the PDD and/or the ICD might prompt the person being identified to position himself or herself so that his or her fingerprints, iris, pupil, full body, scar, or other unique physical characteristics, respectively, are appropriately facing the video capture device of the PDD and/or the ICD.
  • the system may be possible for the system to identify persons not normally associated with a known device being in possession of the known device. In such a case, the system might notify the original user (via e-mail or other forms of communication indicated in the user's profile, or the like) of the situation. In some instances, the user might indicate that the unknown person does have authority or permission to use, or be in possession of, the user's device.
  • the user may be given options to proceed, including, without limitation, options to lock data, options to lock device functions, options to activate location tracking (including, without limitation, global positioning system (“GPS”), global navigation satellite system (“GNSS”), etc.) of the device (in case the system loses track of the device; e.g., in the case the device moves outside the range of the system's sensor/detection/communications systems), options to contact the unknown person, options to activate speakers to emit sirens, options to activate displays or lights (e.g., light emitting diodes (“LEDs”), organic LEDs (“OLEDs”), liquid crystal displays (“LCDs”), etc.), and/or options to notify authorities (e.g., police or other law enforcement personnel) of the situation and/or the location of the device (e.g., GPS coordinates, or the like), etc.
  • GPS global positioning system
  • GNSS global navigation satellite system
  • the user may be given options to proceed, including, without limitation, options to lock data, options to lock device functions, options to
  • proximity detection can be done using GNSS location tracking functionality, which can be found in many electronic devices and authenticating the user when the secondary device is within a predefined distance of the PDD and/or ICD.
  • Proximity detection can also be done wirelessly via Bluetooth or WiFi. With respect to Bluetooth, if the secondary device pairs with the PDD and/or the ICD, the user can be considered detected. With respect to WiFi, one approach could be to see if the secondary device associates with the same WiFi access point that the PDD and/or the ICD is connected to.
  • Another approach to proximity detection is the use of near- field communications ("NFC") commonly found in many electronic devices. When the secondary device is within range of the PDD and/or ICD, a NFC detector can be used to determine that the user is in the room. From these examples, a skilled reader should appreciate that many different techniques can be used to detect presence based on device proximity.
  • NFC near- field communications
  • detection of an individual can be fully automatic and might (in some instances) require no user interaction.
  • the system can characterize an individual's facial features (and/or unique physical characteristics or other biometrics) automatically, detect the presence of a secondary device, characterize an individual's voice print automatically, etc.
  • Several detection methods can be used in combination to reduce errors in the detection process. For example, if the system detects a person in the room and first identifies that person's facial features, it can then prompt them for voice (e.g., "Bob, is that you?"). Once the user's voice is captured, that audio sample can be compared against the stored voice characteristics for that user, to reduce false detection.
  • Another approach for the second step may be to prompt the user to speak a PIN or password to be compared against what is stored in the user profile.
  • the characteristics of the speech e.g., user's voice, cadence, syntax, diction
  • the content of the speech e.g., a PIN or password
  • the audio capture device might be configured to capture subvocalizations of the passwords or PINs, for analysis.
  • the system can prompt the user to position his or her body so as to allow the video capture device to face one or more of the user's fingers (e.g., for fingerprint analysis), the user's eyes (e.g., for iris and/or pupil analysis), the user's full body (e.g., for height analysis), portions of the user's body (e.g., for analysis of scars or other unique physical characteristics, or the like), etc.
  • the user's fingers e.g., for fingerprint analysis
  • the user's eyes e.g., for iris and/or pupil analysis
  • the user's full body e.g., for height analysis
  • portions of the user's body e.g., for analysis of scars or other unique physical characteristics, or the like
  • physical geography can be used as a metric in detection to reduce the possibility of errors. For example, if a user is known to use the system in Dallas, Texas, and then is detected in Madrid, Spain, the system can weigh detection in Spain lower than detection in Dallas. Additionally, if the user is detected in Spain, a secondary authentication method may optionally be invoked to reduce false detection. According to some embodiments, in the case that the system has access to profile or other personal information of the user such as
  • the user's profiles, media content, or the like might be sent to the friend's or relative's device in Spain or to a local data center or the like to allow the user to access the user's own content or profiles on the friend's or relative's device during the visit;
  • the user's profiles might include access and control information for remotely accessing and controlling the user's ICDs over a network
  • the user's content might include image data and/or video data captured by the user's ICDs (either in raw or processed form).
  • a PDD and/or a video calling device can also be connected to a network, such as the Internet.
  • the database of user profiles can be stored on servers located in the cloud, i.e., on the network or in a distributed computing system available over the network.
  • the distributed computing system might comprise a plurality of PDDs and/or a plurality of ICDs in communication with each other either directly or indirectly over the network.
  • the distributed computing system in some instances, might comprise one or more central cloud servers linking the plurality of PDDs and/or the plurality of ICDs and controlling the distribution and redundant storage of media content, access to content, user profiles, user data, and/or the like.
  • those features can be sent to a server on the network.
  • the server can compare the identifiable facial features against the database of user profiles. If a match is found, then the server might inform the device of the identity of the user and/or might send a user profile for the user to the device.
  • User profiles can be stored both locally on the device and on a server located in the cloud.
  • user identification can be performed by first checking the local database to see if there is a match, and if there is no local match, then checking the cloud-based database.
  • the database on the device can be configured to stay synchronized with the database in the cloud. For example, if a change is made to a user profile on the device, that change can be sent to the server and reflected on the database in the cloud. Similarly, if a change is made to the user profile in the cloud- based database, that change can be reflected on the device database.
  • Matching presence information or identifying information with an individual having a user profile can be a form of authentication in some embodiments.
  • User profiles can also contain information necessary for many authentication mechanisms. Such information may include challenge/response pairs (such as username and password combinations, security question/pass phrase combinations, or the like), facial recognition profiles, voice recognition profiles, and/or other biometric information, such as fingerprints, etc.
  • An individual may be authenticated using any combination of such techniques.
  • the system can also determine when a user is no longer present.
  • a PDD and/or a video calling device might continually (or periodically) monitor for the user's presence. For instance, in the case of facial recognition, the device can continually check to detect whether a captured image includes the user's face. With voice recognition, after a period of inactivity, the device might prompt the user if they are there (e.g., "Bob, are you still there?").
  • user profiles can work across heterogeneous networks. Not all user devices need to be the same. Some user devices might be PDDs and/or ICDs. Other user devices might be computers, tablets, mobile phones, etc. Each can use any appropriate method (based on device capabilities) to determine the presence of, identify, and/or authenticate the user of the device with a user profile.
  • this automated presence detection can be used to provide user information (e.g., content or services) to an identified user.
  • user information e.g., content or services
  • a PDD and/or a video calling device when a user enters the room, and the camera sensors detect that user's facial features (or other biometric features) and authenticates the individual, the content associated with that user profile (including, without limitation, profile information for handling video mail, profile information for remotely accessing recorded video mail or video mail data, and/or the like) can automatically become available to that individual.
  • profile information for handling video mail including, without limitation, profile information for handling video mail, profile information for remotely accessing recorded video mail or video mail data, and/or the like
  • that user's content and/or profiles can become available on any device.
  • a user is identified by another PDD and/or video calling device, then his or her content (e.g., video mail or video mail data captured by the user's video calling device(s) or a video calling device(s) associated with another user, either in raw or processed form, and/or the like) becomes available to him or her even if the PDD and/or video calling device that he or she is in front of is not the user's own device.
  • This functionality allows a new paradigm in which the user's content and/or profiles follow the user automatically.
  • detection, identification, and authentication of the user on the new device can allow automatic and easy porting of the user's content and/or profiles to the new device, allowing for an ultimate type of "plug-and-play" functionality, especially if the profiles include information on configurations and settings of the user devices (and interconnections with other devices).
  • PDDs and/or video calling devices also are capable of handling, transmitting, and/or distributing image captured content, which can include, but is not limited to, video mail and/or video mail data captured or recorded by the video calling devices.
  • the video mail and/or video mail data might be raw data, while in other cases they might be post-processed data.
  • Video mail and/or video mail data can be stored on servers in the cloud, on PDDs/video calling devices in the cloud, and/or locally on a particular user device.
  • the first PDD and/or video calling device that has the video mail and/or video mail data stored thereon needs to serve the video mail and/or video mail data to the new device that the user is using.
  • the new PDD and/or video calling device might need to get a list of video mail and/or video mail data that is stored on the first PDD and/or video calling device.
  • This can, in some embodiments, be facilitated via a server that is in the cloud that all PDDs and/or video calling devices are always or mostly connected to.
  • the server can communicate with all PDDs and/or video calling devices and help send messages between PDDs and/or video calling devices.
  • the new device can request the list of video mail and/or video mail data from the first device.
  • the first PDD and/or video calling device can serve the video mail and/or video mail data to the new device. This can be done either directly in a peer-to-peer fashion or can be facilitated by the server. In some embodiments, this communication can be accomplished by using protocols such as XMPP, SIP, TCP/IP, RTP, UDP, etc.
  • PDD (whether or not associated with or owned by the user) can provide the user with remote access and control of the user's video calling device(s) over a network (e.g., by porting the user's profiles associated with remote access and control of the user's video calling device(s), and/or the like to the current PDD in front of which the user is located).
  • This functionality allows the user to remotely access video mail and/or video mail data, to remotely access and modify settings for recording, post- processing, and accessing video mail and/or video mail data, and to remotely record a video or audio message prompting a missed video caller to leave a video mail message.
  • a master account for access to a video calling device.
  • a master account can be created on a per user basis. This master account might serve as the top-level identifier for a particular user.
  • the master account is used to manage, control, and monitor a user's camera(s). Additionally, the master account can be used to control any account or device level services that are available.
  • an email account and password can be used as a master account to manage a user's settings for handling, recording, post-processing, and/or accessing video mail and/or video mail data.
  • some embodiments provide the ability to reliably associate a video calling device with a master account (i.e., assign the video calling device to the master account).
  • a video calling device When a video calling device is associated with an account, then it can be managed and controlled from within the master account. Association ensures that a video calling device is being controlled by the appropriate user and not an unauthorized user.
  • a video calling device may be associated with a particular master account at the time of the device setup.
  • the user is prompted to enter a master account and password.
  • a secure communications channel may be opened up between video calling device and servers.
  • a unique and difficult to guess key can be sent from the device to the server.
  • Servers that have a master list of all keys then can associate that particular device, via its serial number, to a particular master account.
  • a feature of this approach is that a user only needs to enter a password at the time of device setup. The user never needs to enter a password again, and in fact, passwords do not need to be stored on the device at all, making them very secure.
  • a device Once a device has been associated with a master account, it may be managed from the master account via an interface such as a web interface, in accordance with some embodiments.
  • the communication link between the device and server may, in some cases, be always encrypted and authenticated. This ensures that messages between device and server are secure and ensures that the device knows it is communicating with the server on behalf of the appropriate master account. Once the secure and authenticated link is established, devices can connect to the server and are able to send and receive commands.
  • the device and server can have a common set of command codes and responses.
  • Servers can send commands down to the camera(s) to enact specific behavior.
  • the server can send remote configuration commands. These commands can be items such as changing the device address, changing the nickname that is associated with the device, changing the avatar image associated with the device.
  • the commands can be used to enact specific behavior on the device, such as running network tests, or taking a live image(s) from the video calling device. New commands and features can be added by extending the set of command codes on the device and server.
  • Certain embodiments provide tools to address the problem of a caller being able to leave a video mail for someone the caller is calling (i.e., a callee), when the callee is not able to take the video call.
  • Some such embodiments are interoperable and do not require the caller (i.e., the person leaving the video mail) to have the same video calling device as the callee (i.e., the person for whom the message is left).
  • any device (or software application) that interoperates with a video calling device in accordance with certain embodiments (i.e., can engage in a video call with such a device) is able to leave video mails for a callee who uses that device.
  • 12/581,185 (issued as U.S. Patent No. 8,144,182) (the " ⁇ 82 Patent,” the entire disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference for all purposes) discloses some exemplary video calling devices (also referred to in the ⁇ 82 Patent as video communication devices or VCDs) that can be used with embodiments disclosed herein.
  • the PDD and/or ICD described above can also be used as a video calling device, in accordance with various embodiments.
  • the '263 Application (already incorporated by reference) discloses systems for capturing and processing video, including remote control over a video or image capture device. Embodiments disclosed herein can be employed in the environment disclosed in the '263
  • the '263 Application describes networked systems (including cloud-based systems) for accessing a video calling device or other recording device, and/or for storing and/or processing images/video obtained by such a device. Such systems can be employed to provide the video mail services described herein.
  • Some embodiments implement video mail features by way of an actual video call. From a technical perspective, the calling device enters an actual video call with the callee's video calling device, just as it would if the callee answered the video call.
  • This feature can allow the callee's video calling device to record video mail not just from another similar device, but from any device and/or software application (which might be executed on tablets, mobile phones, personal computers ("PCs"), and/or other user devices, etc.) that can engage in a video call with the video calling device (which can be implemented by the image capture device described in the '263 Application and/or the video communication devices disclosed in the '182 Patent).
  • the callee's video calling device might upload the components of the videomail to the cloud (e.g., the cloud environment described in the '263 Application).
  • the audio and video can be post processed into any desired format (including, as one specific example, a format that is viewable by a web browser).
  • the owner of the video calling device that received the voicemail i.e., the user or callee
  • a notification might take the form of an e-mail that is automatically generated and sent to the user's or callee's e-mail address (e.g., as registered with the video calling provider).
  • the e-mail might contain a link to the videomail itself.
  • the videomail can be viewed on any device that is capable of accessing the link.
  • the provider can store a user's videomails in the cloud, and presents the list of videomails a user has using the provider's web portal interface. A user can log into the portal using a web browser and see all the videomails that have been left for him or her. Videomails can also be deleted as well.
  • the video calling device is configured for videomails.
  • the device can be configured to optionally answer videomails (i.e., such functionality can be turned on or off).
  • Other behavior that can be configured is the amount of time to wait before triggering the device to record a videomail.
  • Such configuration can be established, set, or modified with the user interface of the device itself, with the web portal interface, and/or using any other suitable technique.
  • a caller initiates a video call to the video calling device.
  • the video calling device is configured to record video mails, then at the appropriate time, it will automatically answer the video call. From a technical perspective, the calling device and the video calling device are now in a video call.
  • the video calling device will send prerecorded graphics and audio.
  • the video calling device can start by sending a graphic that indicates that the receiving party is not available and that the caller may leave a videomail. For example, language can include "The person you called is not available. At the tone, please leave a videomail.” From an audio perspective, a prerecorded message with similar language can be sent. Once this message is sent, then an audible tone might be sent to the calling party. This tone can be used to indicate to the caller that he or she may begin recording a videomail. Additionally, after the tone, the video calling device transmits a graphic with language such as, "Currently recording videomail," to visually indicate to the caller that his or her message is being recorded.
  • the video calling device begins recording the audio and video streams to the local disk.
  • the video calling device begins recording video when an Instantaneous Decoder Refresh ("IDR") video frame is received. If one is not received, video calling device requests one from the caller. In fact, the audible tone in step (4) is not played until an IDR frame is received. This ensures that the caller does not begin speaking until artifact free video can be recorded.
  • IDR Instantaneous Decoder Refresh
  • the video calling device records all incoming video to the local disk, without decoding the incoming video.
  • the video calling device decodes all audio from the calling party. In doing so, the video calling device runs all of its error concealment and synchronization algorithms. Then, the video calling device records the audio to the local disk.
  • the video calling device runs its audio and video synchronization algorithms and records a "timecode" file to the disk.
  • the timecode file indicates when each video frame should be displayed.
  • audio and video are both recorded to the local disk and a timecode file is also recorded that can help a post processor synchronize audio and video.
  • Audio and video are recorded for a pre-determined amount of time
  • the audio, video, and timecode files are uploaded to the cloud for post-processing. Additionally, the sampling rate of the audio is also passed to the cloud.
  • the purpose of the post-processing is to convert these elements into a video file that can be played on any device (including, but not limited to, PC, tablet, mobile phone, and/or the like).
  • the raw elements are post-processed in the cloud. This may be performed to avoid heavy processing performed by the video calling device itself.
  • the post-processing algorithms might perform some or all of the following operations:
  • the recorded video can have multiple resolutions in it as this typically can vary in video calls.
  • an e-mail can be sent to the owner of the called video calling device.
  • the e-mail might contain a link (e.g., a URL) to the video that is live. This allows the video calling device owner to view the videomail wherever he or she is. The device owner does not need to be near his or her device.
  • a sample e-mail that is generated is shown in Fig. 6A.
  • the e-mail might contain an attachment comprising the video, and/or might have the video embedded in the e-mail.
  • the videomail may be presented to the users in their video calling provider's web portal interface.
  • the web interface which displays who the videomail is from and shows the sender's picture, might show the length of the videomail as well.
  • the web interface might also show all videomails that the user has received and might allow the user to delete the videomails as well.
  • An example of a web interface is shown, e.g., in Fig. 6B.
  • FIGs. 1-8 illustrate exemplary embodiments that can provide some or all of the features described above.
  • the methods, systems, and apparatuses illustrated by Figs. 1-8 may refer to examples of different embodiments that include various components and steps, which can be considered alternatives or which can be used in conjunction with one another in the various embodiments.
  • the description of the illustrated methods, systems, and apparatuses shown in Figs. 1-8 is provided for purposes of illustration and should not be considered to limit the scope of the different embodiments.
  • Fig. 1 illustrates a functional diagram of a system 100 for controlling one or more PDDs and/or one or more video calling devices (labeled user devices 105 in Fig. 1 for ease of illustration, but described herein as PDDs or video calling devices, each of which can be considered a type of user device).
  • PDDs or video calling devices each of which can be considered a type of user device.
  • the skilled reader should note that the arrangement of the components illustrated in Fig. 1 is functional in nature, and that various embodiments can employ a variety of different structural architectures. Merely by way of example, one exemplary, generalized architecture for the system 100 is described below with respect to Fig. 8, but any number of suitable hardware arrangements can be employed in accordance with different embodiments.
  • a video calling device 105 or a PDD 105 can be any device that is capable of communicating with a control server 1 10 over a network 115 and can provide any of a variety of types of video communication functionality.
  • a video calling device 105 or a PDD 105 can be capable of providing pass through video/audio to a display device (and/or audio playback device) from another source (such as a local content source), and/or overlaying such video/audio with additional content generated or received by the video calling device 105 or the PDD 105.
  • a video calling device 105 or a PDD 105 can comprise one or more sensors (e.g., digital still cameras, video cameras, webcams, security cameras, microphones, infrared sensors, touch sensors, and/or the like), and/or can be capable, using data acquired by such sensors, of sensing the presence of a user, identifying a user, and/or receiving user input from a user; further, a video calling device 105 or a PDD 105 can be capable of performing some or all of the other functions described herein and/or in the Related Applications.
  • sensors e.g., digital still cameras, video cameras, webcams, security cameras, microphones, infrared sensors, touch sensors, and/or the like
  • a video calling device 105 or a PDD 105 can be embodied by a video calling device, such as any of the VCDs described in the ⁇ 82 Patent, a video game console, a streaming media player, to name a few non-limiting examples.
  • a video calling device 105 or a PDD 105 can be placed functionally inline between a local content source and a display device.
  • a local content source can be any device that provides an audio or video stream to a display device and thus can include, without limitation, a cable or satellite set-top box (“STB”), an Internet Protocol television (“IPTV”) STB, devices that generate video and/or audio, and/or acquire video and/or audio from other sources, such as the Internet, and provide that video/audio to a display device; hence, a local content source can include devices such as a video game console, a Roku ® streaming media player, an AppleTV ® , and/or the like.
  • STB cable or satellite set-top box
  • IPTV Internet Protocol television
  • the video calling device or the PDD can receive an audiovisual stream output from the local content source, modify that audiovisual stream in accordance with the methods described herein, in the ⁇ 82 Patent, and/or in the '279 Application, and provide the (perhaps modified) audiovisual stream as input to the display device.
  • a local content source can be incorporated within a video calling device or a PDD, and/or the functionality of a video calling device or a PDD can be incorporated within a local content source; further, it should be appreciated that a video calling device or a PDD (which might or might not include local content source functionality) can be disposed inline with one or more other local content sources or one or more other video calling devices/PDDs.
  • a video calling device or a PDD with some local content source functionality might be disposed inline between one or more other local content sources or one or more other video calling devices/PDDs (such as a cable STB, satellite STB, IPTV STB, and/or a streaming media player) and a display device.
  • a video calling device or a PDD with some local content source functionality such as a video game console
  • PDDs video calling devices/PDDs
  • the system can include a software client that can be installed on a computing device (e.g., a laptop computer, wireless phone, tablet computer, etc.) that has a built-in camera and/or has a camera attached (e.g., a USB webcam).
  • a software client can be installed on a computing device (e.g., a laptop computer, wireless phone, tablet computer, etc.) that has a built-in camera and/or has a camera attached (e.g., a USB webcam).
  • This client can act as an interface to allow remote control of the built-in and/or attached camera on the computing device.
  • the computing device might have a built-in microphone(s) and/or has a microphone(s) attached (e.g., a table-top microphone, a wall-mounted microphone, and/or a microphone removably mountable on a television, on the video calling device, on the PDD, and/or on some other suitable user device, or the like).
  • the software client can alternatively and/or additionally act as an interface to allow remote control of the built-in and/or attached microphone on the computing device.
  • the camera and/or microphone can be automatically or autonomously controlled to obtain optimal video and/or audio input. Remote control of the video calling device and/or PDD is described in detail in the '263 Application (already incorporated herein).
  • the system 100 can further include a control server 110, which can have any suitable hardware configuration, and an example of one such configuration is described below in relation to Fig. 8.
  • the control server 110 is a computer that is capable of receiving user input via a user interface 120 and/or performing operations for utilizing the video calling device(s) 105 and/or the PDD(s) 105 to receive video calls, to determine that a user or callee is unavailable to receive a video call, to prompt a caller to leave a videomail message, to record the videomail message, to upload the videomail message for post-processing, to notify the user or callee about the videomail message, to enable the user or callee to remotely access the user's master account, user preferences, and/or the videomail message, and/or the like, for example as described in further detail below.
  • control server 110 can detect user presence, identify/authenticate users, and/or enable the user to remotely access the user's master account, user preferences, the videomail message, and/or the like. In other cases, the control server 110 can receive and/or store user input and/or user preferences that can specify whether and how presence information should be used, whether and how the user's video calling device(s) and/or PDD(s) may be used in the distributed infrastructure, whether and how the user's content and profiles should be handled under certain situations, and/or the like.
  • preferences might specify which account information, content, profile information, personal communications (e.g., videomail, etc.), and/or the like should be delivered to a user when present at a device not owned by the user, whether presence information should be collected for that user at all (and/or where such information should be collected); for example, a user might specify that his presence should only be monitored in selected locations or from selected devices, and the control server 110 might remove that user's profile from the search universe when provided with presence information from a device not at the selected location or from a device other than one of the selected devices.
  • personal communications e.g., videomail, etc.
  • the user preference can include any types of parameters related to collecting presence information, using presence information, and/or serving content/information (including, without limitation, user account information, user content, user profile information, user's personal communications (e.g., videomail, etc.), and/or the).
  • These preferences might be stored in a user profile at the control server 110, which might also include other user-specific information, such as the user's normal location(s), identifying information (such as MAC address, etc.) of other user devices owned by or associated with the user, lists of or links to content owned by the user, lists of or links to videomail messages addressed to the user, and/or the like.
  • user preferences might specify how the user would like his or her user devices to participate (or not) in a distributed infrastructure arrangement.
  • the user preferences might include, without limitation, preferences indicating whether or not to allow a user device owned by the user to be used for distributed infrastructure; preferences indicating what type of software applications, customer data, and/or media content (of other user device users and/or subscribers of a cloud service) are permitted to be hosted on a user device owned by the user; and/or preferences indicating amount of resources of a user device to dedicate to the distributed infrastructure; etc.
  • user preferences might allow a user to indicate how the user's own applications, data, and/or media content may be hosted on other users' user devices. For example, the user might be given the option to encrypt any and/or all personal data, any and/or all personal applications, any and/or all files or lists indicating which media content are associated with the user, and/or any and/or all files or lists pertaining to videomail messages that are addressed to the user (including the videomail messages themselves).
  • Common media content (which might include popular media content, or any other media content) may remain unencrypted for common usage by any number of users on any number of user devices, subject only to any subscription, rental, or purchase restrictions on the particular media content as associated with any user and/or any user device.
  • the user's personal communications (including, e.g., videomail messages and/or the like) may be encrypted.
  • the user might indicate that her user device may be used for distributed processing, but not distributed cloud-based data storage, or vice versa.
  • the user might indicate that her user device may be used for both distributed processing and distributed cloud-based data storage.
  • the user might allow the hosting, on his or her user device, of at least portions of software applications that are published by known and reputable software companies or published by companies on behalf of governmental agencies, or the like, while blocking hosting of software applications associated with marketing, spam, data mining, and/or potential copyright violations, etc.
  • user preferences might include, without limitation, preferences indicating one or more video calling devices to associate with a master account, preferences indicating under what conditions the one or more video calling device(s) should prompt callers to leave videomail messages, preferences indicating whether presence detection functionality (as described in detail in the '279 Application) should or should not be enabled in a particular one(s) of the one or more video calling device(s), preferences associated with recording, notifying, and distributing videomail messages, preferences indicating whether or not (and under what conditions) videomail messages should be post-processed (and how), preferences indicating how the user may access the user's master account, user profiles, user preferences, videomail messages, and/or the like.
  • the control server 110 can provide a user interface (which can be used by users of the video calling devices 105 and/or the PDDs 105, and/or the like).
  • the control server 110 might also provide machine -to-machine interfaces, such as application programming interfaces ("APIs"), data exchange protocols, and the like, which can allow for automated communications with the video calling devices 105 and/or the PDDs 105, etc.
  • the control server 110 might be in communication with a web server 125 and/or might incorporate the web server 125, which can provide the user interface, e.g., over the network to a user computer (not shown in Fig. 1) and/or a machine-to-machine interface.
  • control server 110 might provide such interfaces directly without need for a web server 125. Under either configuration, the control server 110 provides the user interface 120, as that phrase is used in this document. In some cases, some or all of the functionality of the control server 110 might be implemented by the video calling device 105 and/or the PDD 105 itself.
  • the user interface 120 allows users to interact with the control server 110, and by extension, the video calling devices 105 and/or the PDDs 105.
  • a variety of user interfaces may be provided in accordance with various embodiments, including, without limitation, graphical user interfaces that display, for a user, display fields on display screens for providing information to the user and/or receiving user input from a user.
  • Example graphical user interfaces are shown in Fig. 6 as described below.
  • the control server 110 may be configured to communicate with a user computer (not shown in Fig. 1) via a dedicated application running on the user computer; in this situation, the user interface 120 might be displayed by the user computer based on data and/or instructions provided by the control server 110. In this situation, providing the user interface might comprise providing instructions and/or data to cause the user computer to display the user interface.
  • the user interface may be provided from a web site, e.g., by providing a set of one or more web pages, which might be displayed in a web browser running on the user computer and/or might be served by the web server 125.
  • control system 110 might comprise the web server and/or be in communication with the web server 125, such that the control server 110 provides data to the web server 125 to be incorporated in web pages served by the web server 125 for reception and/or display by a browser at the user computer.
  • the network 115 can be any network, wired or wireless, that is capable of providing communication between the control server 110 and the video calling devices 105 and/or the PDDs 105, and/or of providing communication between the control server 110 (and/or the web server 125) and a user computer.
  • the network 115 can comprise the Internet, and/or any Internet service provider ("ISP") access networks that provide Internet access to the control server 110, the user computer, and/or the video calling devices 105 and/or the PDDs 105.
  • ISP Internet service provider
  • the system 100 can include a cloud storage system 130, which can be used, as described in further detail below, to store advertisements, presence information, images, video, and/or videomail messages that are captured and uploaded by the video calling devices 105 and/or the PDDs 105, and/or the like.
  • the cloud storage system 130 might be a proprietary system operated by an operator of the control server 110.
  • the cloud storage system 130 might be operated by a third party provider, such as one of the many providers of commercially available cloud services.
  • a third party provider such as one of the many providers of commercially available cloud services.
  • the cloud storage system 130 might be implemented by using resources (e.g., compute, memory, storage network, etc.) shared by a plurality of video calling devices, and/or by a plurality of PDDs, that are distributed among various users of the system.
  • resources e.g., compute, memory, storage network, etc.
  • a plurality of user video calling devices and/or PDDs might each have some dedicated resources (such as a storage partition), which are dedicated for use by the system, and/or some ad hoc resources (such as network bandwidth, memory, compute resources, etc.) that are available to the system when not in use by a user.
  • resources can be used as cloud storage and/or can be used to provide a distributed, cloud-like platform on which a control server can run as a virtual machine, cloud container, and/or the like.
  • video calling device 105 might comprise a first video input interface to receive first video input from a first local content source (which in some embodiments can include a STB and/or the like) and a first audio input interface to receive first audio input from the first local content source.
  • Video calling device 105 might further comprise a first video output interface to provide first video output to a first video display device and a first audio output interface to provide first audio output to a first audio receiver.
  • the first video display device and the first audio receiver might be embodied in the same device (e.g., a TV with built-in speaker system, or the like).
  • video calling device 105 might provide pass-through capability for video and/or audio between the first local content source and the first display device.
  • high-definition multimedia interface (“HDMI") cables or other suitable HD signal cables may be used to provide the interconnections for the pass- through.
  • Video calling device 105 may, in some cases, comprise a first video capture device to capture at least one of first image data or first video data and a first audio capture device to capture first audio data.
  • Video calling device 105 may also comprise a first network interface, at least one first processor, and a first storage medium in communication with the at least one first processor.
  • a plurality of video calling devices 105 might be communicatively coupled together in a network (e.g., network 115), each video calling device being located in one of a plurality of customer premises.
  • a computer might establish one or more video calling devices 105 of the plurality of video calling devices 105 as distributed infrastructure elements and might provide at least one of one or more software applications, customer data, and/or media content to the one or more video calling devices 105 for hosting on the one or more video calling devices 105.
  • a user can remotely access one or more video calling devices 105 and/or remotely access at least one of the user's master account, the user's user preference, the user's profiles, any videomail messages addressed to the user, and/or the like over a network.
  • a user could log into the user's master account by accessing a website hosted on a web server (e.g., web server 125, which might be hosted on a cloud server, hosted on distributed PDDs, hosted on distributed video calling devices, and/or the like) and entering commands into a user interface (e.g., user interface 120) associated with remotely accessing the user's video calling device(s) 105 and/or associated with remotely accessing at least one of the user's master account, the user's user preference, the user's profiles, any videomail messages addressed to the user, and/or the like.
  • a web server e.g., web server 125, which might be hosted on a cloud server, hosted on distributed PDDs, hosted on distributed video calling devices, and/or the like
  • a user interface e.g., user interface 120
  • the user might access and interact with the user interface over the network (e.g., network 115) by using a user computer selected from a group consisting of a laptop computer, a desktop computer, a tablet computer, a smart phone, a mobile phone, a portable computing device, and/or the like.
  • a user computer selected from a group consisting of a laptop computer, a desktop computer, a tablet computer, a smart phone, a mobile phone, a portable computing device, and/or the like.
  • a software application or "app” running on the user's user device, which might include, without limitation, a laptop computer, a desktop computer, a tablet computer, a smart phone, a mobile phone, a portable computing device, and/or the like.
  • the app might include another user interface (similar to the web-based user interface) that might allow for access of the user's video calling device(s) (or any paired video calling device(s)) over the network (e.g., network 115) and/or that might allow for access to at least one of the user's master account, the user's user preference, the user's profiles, any videomail messages addressed to the user, and/or the like.
  • another user interface similar to the web-based user interface
  • the network e.g., network 115
  • a PDD 105 might comprise a second video input interface to receive second video input from a second local content source (which, in some embodiments, might include a STB and/or the like) and a second audio input interface to receive second audio input from the second local content source.
  • PDD 105 might further comprise a second video output interface to provide second video output to a second video display device and a second audio output interface to provide second audio output to a second audio receiver.
  • the second video display device and the second audio receiver might be embodied in the same device (e.g., a TV with built-in speaker system, or the like).
  • PDD 105 might provide pass-through capability for video and/or audio between the second local content source and the second display device.
  • high-definition multimedia interface (“HDMI”) cables or other suitable HD signal cables may be used to provide the interconnections for the pass-through.
  • HDMI high-definition multimedia interface
  • PDD 105 may, in some cases, comprise a second video capture device to capture at least one of second image data or second video data, and a second audio capture device to capture second audio data.
  • PDD 105 might also comprise a second network interface, at least one second processor, and a second storage medium in communication with the at least one second processor. Similar to the video calling devices 105, a plurality of PDDs 105 may be communicatively coupled together in a network (e.g., network 1 15), as distributed infrastructure elements for implementing distributed infrastructure for cloud computing, cloud-based application hosting, and/or cloud-based data storage.
  • a network e.g., network 1 15
  • a user may be provided with access to the video calling device(s) over the network and/or remote access to at least one of the user's master account, the user's user preference, the user's profiles, any videomail messages addressed to the user, and/or the like.
  • access may be in the form of web-based user interfaces, app-based user interfaces, or other suitable user interfaces.
  • Such user interfaces might be customized automatically based on the user preferences (i.e., based on the video mail capture, processing, and distribution user preferences discussed above). In some instances, the user interfaces might be configured to allow addition, modification, and/or deletion of such user preferences. According to some embodiments, the user interfaces might provide the user with options for uploading, locally storing, cloud storing,
  • processing of videomail messages from the video calling device(s) might include, without limitation, formatting, sharpening, and/or otherwise manipulating the videomail messages.
  • the user device e.g., PDD
  • the user device might be configured to determine whether the user is no longer present. Based on such a determination, access to the video calling device(s) over the network, as well as access to at least one (if not all) of the user's master account, the user's user preference, the user's profiles, any videomail messages addressed to the user (whether in the raw or processed state), and/or the like, may be blocked. Blocking such access may include automatically logging out of the web-based or app-based user interface, or the like.
  • Fig. 2 illustrates a method 200 of enabling or implementing video mail capture, processing, and distribution, in accordance with one set of embodiments. While the techniques and procedures are depicted and/or described in a certain order for purposes of illustration, it should be appreciated that certain procedures may be reordered and/or omitted within the scope of various embodiments. Moreover, while the method illustrated by Fig. 2 can be implemented by (and, in some cases, are described below with respect to) the system 100 of Fig. 1 (or components thereof), such methods may also be implemented using any suitable hardware implementation. Similarly, while the system 100 of Fig. 1 (and/or components thereof) can operate according to the method illustrated by Fig. 2 (e.g., by executing instructions embodied on a computer readable medium), the system 100 can also operate according to other modes of operation and/or perform other suitable procedures.
  • method 200 might comprise receiving, at a first video calling device associated with a user (or callee), a video call from a caller at a second video calling device.
  • the first video calling device and the second video calling device might be made by different manufacturers and/or might be of different models of calling device.
  • Method 200 might, at block 210, comprise determining that the user is unable to answer the video call. In some instances, such a determination might be based at least in part on presence detection functionalities described herein that indicate the user is not present or near the first video calling device, or based at least in part on presence detection functionalities described herein that indicate the user is in a conversation with someone else (e.g., based on voice identification, and/or the like). In some embodiments, such a determination might be based at least in part on current user settings or user status (indicating e.g., that the user is busy, away, or otherwise not to be disturbed, or the like).
  • Method 200 might further comprise prompting the caller to leave a videomail message, e.g., based at least in part on a determination that the user is unavailable to answer the video call (block 215).
  • the prompt might include a text, voice, and/or video message pre-recorded by the user prompting callers to leave videomail messages.
  • method 200 might comprise recording the videomail message from the video call.
  • recording the videomail message from the video call might comprise first establishing a video call connection with the caller and subsequently recording the videomail message.
  • recording the videomail message from the video call might comprise recording a video stream from the caller (i.e., data packet stream or the like from the caller), without first establishing a video call connection.
  • Method 200 at block 225, might comprise uploading, over a network, the videomail message to a server for post-processing.
  • uploading the videomail message might comprise uploading to a specified location on the network (which might be specified by the user, e.g., via the user interface, and/or might be specified by the system itself without user input).
  • the specified location might be a cloud storage system, such as that provided by Amazon Web ServicesTM and/or the like.
  • the system can cause the video calling device(s) to upload the videomail message directly to the cloud environment, without transmitting the videomail message to any intermediary server (including the control server itself or any other device), preventing bottlenecks in the upload process.
  • the control server might comprise a command including a uniform resource locator ("URL") pointing to a location in the cloud environment to which the videomail message should be uploaded.
  • URL uniform resource locator
  • the system might segment the storage environment (whether a cloud storage environment or otherwise) into partitions (e.g., directories, etc.) that are assigned to particular master accounts and/or, within such partitions, subpartitions assigned to individual video calling devices assigned to those master accounts.
  • the method might comprise storing the videomail message in a location assigned to that master account and/or video calling device(s).
  • the system might provide the master account with control over access to the uploaded videomail messages, e.g., by allowing the authenticated user to specify whether a given file or set of files should be available only to the user, to others specified by the user, or to the public.
  • the system might assign a URL to the uploaded videomail message and/or might provide that URL to the user (e.g., via the user interface), so that the user can access the videomail messages at a later time, share the URL with others, and/or the like.
  • the URL might be private (e.g., accessible only to the master account) or public (e.g., accessible to anyone, and in particular, to whom the user gives the URL).
  • method 200 might comprise performing post-processing of the videomail message.
  • post-processing of the videomail message might comprise, without limitation, scaling video of the videomail message to a specified resolution, mixing audio and video of the videomail message by reference to a timecode, adding a visible watermark to the videomail message, formatting the videomail message as a video viewable by a web browser, and/or the like.
  • the specified resolution might include, but is not limited to, a resolution common to most, if not all, video playback devices, high-definition resolution, and/or the like).
  • the specified resolution might be a default resolution or a resolution set by the user in the preferences for videomail, or the like.
  • prompting the caller to leave the videomail message (at block 215) and recording the videomail message (at block 220) might each be performed by the first video calling device associated with the user, while in other cases, prompting the caller to leave the videomail message (at block 215) and recording the videomail message (at block 220) might each be performed by the second video calling device associated with the caller.
  • recording the videomail message (at block 220) might comprise recording a timecode file to a storage medium at one of the first video calling device or the second video calling device. The timecode file might indicate when each frame of video of the videomail message should be displayed.
  • Recording the videomail message might further comprise synchronizing, at the one of the first video calling device or the second video calling device, audio and video from the videomail message, based at least in part on the recorded timecode file.
  • uploading the videomail message to the server might comprise uploading an audio file, a video file, and the timecode to the server.
  • method 200 might comprise storing the post-processed videomail message either locally (i.e., on the one of the first video calling device or the second video calling device) or remotely over the network (i.e., at the server or at a database in communication with the server, or the like).
  • Method 200 might further comprise providing a notification to the user regarding the videomail message (block 240).
  • the notification might comprise an e-mail message with a link to a formatted video comprising the videomail message.
  • a uniform resource locator ("URL") addressing the formatted video might be created, and the link might include the URL addressing the formatted video.
  • the e-mail message might include an attachment comprising the videomail message.
  • Method 200 at block 245, might comprise receiving a request from the user to view the videomail message.
  • the request In the case of the link to the videomail message, the request might comprise the user clicking on or otherwise following the link.
  • the request In the case of the attached or embedded videomail message, the request might comprise the user interacting with the e-mail client to open the attachment.
  • method 200 in response to the request to view the videomail message, method 200 might comprise displaying the videomail message (e.g., on a display device of a user computing device associated with the user, and/or the like).
  • the videomail message might be displayed in a user interface, such as a pop-up window or in a main window, or in a user interface described with respect to Figs. 3, 4, and 6 below.
  • a user interface such as a pop-up window or in a main window, or in a user interface described with respect to Figs. 3, 4, and 6 below.
  • pop-up window or the main window might be a window of a web-browser.
  • a web page that provides the user interface might include a frame, window, or applet that displays a videomail message uploaded from the video calling device(s).
  • the server might obtain the videomail message from the location to which the video calling device(s) uploaded the videomail message, and/or the server (and/or web server) might insert into the web page an anchor that references the videomail message in another location (such as a location in a cloud storage system where the videomail message was uploaded).
  • the pop-up window or the main window might be a window of the e-mail client, a window of a local video playback client, and/or the like.
  • the videomail message might be displayed within an e-mail message (particularly in the case of the embedded videomail message).
  • method 200 might comprise receiving a request from the user to respond to a videomail message.
  • Method 200 at block 260, might comprise enabling the user to respond to the videomail message, by initiating a video call request to the original caller who left the videomail message, by leaving a videomail message for the original caller (e.g., in the case that the original caller is presently unavailable to answer the video call), by initiating a voice or telephone call to the original caller, by sending an e-mail message to the original caller, by sending a text message to the original caller, and/or the like.
  • Fig. 3 illustrates a method 300 of enabling remote access to user preferences for videomail and enabling remote access to videomail, in accordance with one set of embodiments. While the techniques and procedures are depicted and/or described in a certain order for purposes of illustration, it should be appreciated that certain procedures may be reordered and/or omitted within the scope of various embodiments. Moreover, while the method illustrated by Fig. 3 can be implemented by (and, in some cases, are described below with respect to) the system 100 of Fig. 1 (or components thereof), such methods may also be implemented using any suitable hardware implementation. Similarly, while the system 100 of Fig. 1 (and/or components thereof) can operate according to the method illustrated by Fig. 3 (e.g., by executing instructions embodied on a computer readable medium), the system 100 can also operate according to other modes of operation and/or perform other suitable procedures.
  • the method 300 might comprise registering a master account for a user (block 305).
  • registering a master account for a user can comprise a variety of operations.
  • registering a master account can comprise creating a database entry for a particular user and/or assigning authentication credentials to that user; these credentials can be used to access the master account, as described in further detail below.
  • the method 300 can also include assigning one or more video calling devices to the master account (block 310).
  • the user might identify any video calling devices that the user owns (or is otherwise associated with; e.g., members of the user's family might be associated with the devices owned by the user), and the system can assign those video calling devices to the user's master account.
  • the user's master account might include any suitable number of sub-accounts. In one example, each member of the user's family might be associated with a sub-account linked with the master account.
  • the user (or some members of his or her family) might have a work/school sub-account and a home sub-account, the former being associated with profiles and/or media content appropriate for school or work, while the latter being associated with all, or all other, profiles and/or media content.
  • the master account and the plurality of sub-accounts might be organized as a hierarchy, with the master account (being at the top of the hierarchical structure) having full access to profiles and media content of each sub-account, the sub-accounts at the next level having access to profiles and/or media content of only those subaccounts that the master account has given access to, and the sub-accounts at lower levels having limited access to profiles and/or media content.
  • the user's master account might have access to all profiles and/or media content associated with the master account and the sub-accounts.
  • the user can provide his or her spouse with a sub-account having the same access to profiles and/or media content, while providing limited access to profiles and/or media content to each of the user's children's sub-account(s).
  • the user and/or the user's spouse might impose limits on access to profiles and/or media content for each of their work subaccounts.
  • each video calling device might have an identifier, such as a hardware identifier, IP address, nickname, and/or the like, by which the system can address the video calling device, and assigning a video calling device to the master account can comprise associating that identifier with the master account.
  • a video calling device is assigned to a master account, the user of that account will be able to access, configure, and/or control the video calling device through the control server, for example as described in further detail below.
  • the user might own a plurality of video calling devices and might wish to control all of the video calling devices from a single master account.
  • a user can identify such devices through a user interface to the control server.
  • the assignment process can be simplified.
  • the user can provide credentials to the video calling device that associate the device with the master account.
  • the video calling device might be configured to communicate with the control server and identify itself using those credentials; at that point, the control server can assign the video calling device to the master account, and no credentials need to be stored on the video calling device from that point forward (other than perhaps the video calling device's own identifying information).
  • the method 300 might further comprise providing a user interface to allow interaction between the user and the control server (block 315).
  • the user interface can be used to output information for a user, e.g. , by displaying the information on a display device, printing information with a printer, playing audio through a speaker, etc.; the user interface can also function to receive input from a user, e.g., using standard input devices such as mice and other pointing devices, motion capture devices, touchpads and/or touchscreens, keyboards (e.g., numeric and/or alphabetic), microphones, etc.
  • the procedures undertaken to provide a user interface therefore, can vary depending on the nature of the
  • providing a user interface can comprise displaying the user interface on a display device; in other cases, however, in which the user interface is displayed on a device remote from the computer system (such as on a client computer, wireless device, etc.), providing the user interface might comprise formatting data for transmission to such a device and/or transmitting, receiving, and/or interpreting data that is used to create the user interface on the remote device.
  • the user interface on a client computer might be a web interface, in which the user interface is provided through one or more web pages that are served from a computer system (and/or a web server in communication with the computer system), and are received and displayed by a web browser on the client computer (or other capable user device).
  • the web pages can display output from the computer system and receive input from the user ⁇ e.g., by using Web-based forms, via hyperlinks, electronic buttons, etc.).
  • a variety of techniques can be used to create these Web pages and/or display/receive information, such as JavaScript, Java applications or applets, dynamic Hypertext Markup Language (“HTML”) and/or Asynchronous JavaScript and XML (or extensible markup language) (“AJAX”) technologies, to name but a few examples.
  • providing a user interface will comprise providing one or more display screens each of which includes one or more user interface elements.
  • user interface element also described as a “user interface mechanism” or a “user interface device” means any text, image, or device that can be displayed on a display screen for providing information to a user and/or for receiving user input.
  • Some such elements are commonly referred to as “widgets,” and can include, without limitation, text, text boxes, text fields, tables and/or grids, menus, toolbars, charts, hyperlinks, buttons, lists, combo boxes, checkboxes, radio buttons, and/or the like.
  • any illustrated exemplary display screens might employ specific user interface elements appropriate for the type of information to be conveyed/received by computer system in accordance with the described embodiments, it should be appreciated that the choice of user interface elements for a particular purpose is typically implementation-dependent and/or discretionary.
  • the user interface provides interaction between a user and a computer system.
  • the user interface may be the vehicle for the exchange of such input/output.
  • the user interface allows the user to log on to a master account, access video calling devices via the control server, access videomail and videomail settings/preferences, etc.
  • the user logs onto his or her master account at the control server in order to access and/or control video calling devices assigned to that account.
  • the method 300 can include authenticating the user with a set of credentials associated with the master account (e.g., with any of several known authentication schemes, such as a userid/password challenge, a certificate exchange process, and/or the like, as well as authentication techniques, described in further detail below, that employ sensors on a video calling device, such as facial recognition, voiceprint analysis, gesture-based identification, spoken identifiers, and/or the like).
  • the user interface can present the user with a variety of different information, including without limitation information about status of video calling devices assigned to the master account to which the user has logged on, options for controlling such video calling devices, options for accessing videomail addressed to the user, options for modifying videomail preferences, and/or the like.
  • the method 300 might further comprise receiving (e.g., via a network, such as the Internet, to name one example) user preferences (block 325), and in particular user preferences relating to the access and control of video calling device(s), user preferences for capturing, processing, distributing, or otherwise handling videomail, user preferences for notifying the user regarding videomail, user preferences such as those described above, and/or the like.
  • user preferences e.g., via a network, such as the Internet, to name one example
  • user preferences relating to the access and control of video calling device(s)
  • user preferences for capturing, processing, distributing, or otherwise handling videomail user preferences for notifying the user regarding videomail
  • user preferences such as those described above, and/or the like.
  • the method 300 might further comprise receiving
  • a request from the user to (remotely) access a video calling device(s) (block 330).
  • the user can request such (remote) access by logging into his or her master account and requesting such access through the user interface.
  • the user interface can provide many different mechanisms to allow the user to request access to a video calling device(s).
  • the user interface might provide a button or other widget associated with each video calling device assigned to the account, and the user can select the button/widget associated with the video calling device(s) the user would like control.
  • the user interface then can provide options for different types of control that the user can impose on video calling device(s).
  • the user interface might have a list of commands from which the user can choose text input fields and/or other widgets to select parameters (such as image resolution, number of images to capture, link the video to capture, time and/or interval at which to capture images/video, and/or the like). Based on these examples, the skilled reader can appreciate that the user interface can provide any number of options to allow the user to control the selected video calling device(s).
  • the user If the user has assigned multiple video calling devices to the master account, the user might be presented with a list of the assigned devices in the user interface, and receiving the user's request for access to one or more video calling devices can include receiving a selection in the user interface of the one or more video calling devices that the user would like to access. In accordance with some embodiments, the user can access and/or control multiple video calling devices at once (as long as those devices are assigned to the same master account).
  • an administrator might wish to configure multiple video calling devices in the same way (e.g., to enable access by multiple professionals to videomail messages left by clients of the company, and/or the like), and the user interface can allow the administrator to select all desired video calling devices and control all of the selected cameras in the same way or in different ways.
  • the user interface can enable the administrator to establish private and/or secure settings for each professional's video calling device, to establish/modify videomail settings for each individual professional, and/or the like.
  • This functionality can also be used, for example, to update settings in multiple video calling devices at the same time, to update firmware and/or software in multiple video calling devices at the same time, and/or the like.
  • the method 300 can include accessing the selected video calling device(s) from the control server, over the network (block 335).
  • Accessing a video calling device(s) can comprise any operation that establishes communication between the control server and the video calling device(s).
  • a video calling device(s) often will be identifiable and/or addressable by an identifier, such as an IP address, etc., and accessing the device can comprise communicating with the video calling device(s) (using any suitable protocol) at the appropriate IP address.
  • the control server will establish a secure connection with the video calling device(s).
  • control server will authenticate the video calling device(s), and/or the video calling device(s) will authenticate the control server (e.g., using a mutual authentication protocol, such as certificate exchange, and/or the like), and/or the control server will establish an encrypted communication session with the video calling device(s) (e.g., using any of a variety of known security techniques, such as secure sockets layer communications, IPSec tunnels, and/or the like).
  • a mutual authentication protocol such as certificate exchange, and/or the like
  • control server will establish an encrypted communication session with the video calling device(s) (e.g., using any of a variety of known security techniques, such as secure sockets layer communications, IPSec tunnels, and/or the like).
  • the system can include a software client that can be installed on a computing device that comprises (or is in communication with) a video calling device(s).
  • video calling device(s) can include, without limitation, an onboard camera on a tablet, wireless phone, laptop, etc., and/or a separate USB camera, such as a webcam, to provide a couple of examples.
  • Any number of devices that have a software-controllable camera and supports software installation can serve as such a computing device in accordance with different embodiments.
  • accessing a video calling device(s) can comprise the control server communicating with that software client, which, in turn, can provide the control server with indirect access to the video calling device(s) (e.g., by interfacing with the computing device's operating system framework for controlling the video calling device(s)).
  • the method 300 can also include controlling the video calling device(s) over the network, based on the user input received via the user interface.
  • the method 300 describes the control operations from the perspective of the control server, it should be appreciated that certain embodiments feature video calling devices that operate in response to control by the control server. So, for example, when this document refers to causing a video calling device to take some action, the skilled reader will appreciate that certain embodiments include video calling devices that perform the described action in response to the control input from the control server.
  • Controlling the video calling device can comprise a variety of operations, and those operations often will depend on what the user has requested.
  • controlling the video calling device can comprise receiving user input for remotely configuring the video calling device(s) (block 340).
  • the control server might configure a behavior of the video calling device(s), based on the received user input (block 345).
  • Such functionality can include causing the video calling device(s) to capture images or video, as described above, but can also include changing an operating parameter of the video calling device(s), such as an address (e.g., IP address) or other identifier of the device, changing or assigning a nickname of the device, changing or assigning an avatar image associated with the device, and/or the like.
  • the control server controls the video calling device(s) by sending one or more command codes to the video calling device(s).
  • These command codes can be used to provide the control described above (such as configuring the video calling device(s), causing the video calling device(s) to determine whether or not the user is available to answer a video call, causing the video calling device(s) to prompt a caller to leave a video mail message, causing the video calling device(s) to record a videomail message from the video call, causing the video calling device(s) to upload the videomail message to a server for post-processing, causing the video calling device(s) to notify the user that he or she has received a videomail message, and/or the like), as well as to provide other commands, such as causing the video calling device(s) to perform a network test and/or perform other suitable operations, such as those described above, as well as operations like checking WiFi signal strength, adjusting camera orientation (e.g., pan, tilt) and/or capture (e.g.
  • control server and the video calling device(s) might share a set of command codes, which both devices understand to represent desired commands, and the method 300 can include modifying the set of command codes and/or transmitting the modified set of codes to the video calling device(s).
  • This capability can provide for upgradability and/or advanced remote functionality as new features are developed.
  • control server can transmit updated firmware/software to the video calling device(s) and/or control the video calling device(s) to update its firmware as necessary.
  • method 300 might further comprise receiving a request to change user preferences for videomail (block 350).
  • method 300 might comprise displaying options related to user preferences for videomail (block 355), including, without limitation, user preferences for capturing, processing, distributing, or otherwise handling videomail, user preferences for notifying the user regarding videomail, and/or the like.
  • method 300 might comprise receiving user input associated with options related to the user preferences for videomail (displayed at block 355).
  • Method 300 at block 365, might comprise changing the user preferences for videomail, based on the received user inputs (at block 360).
  • method 300 might further comprise receiving a request (from the user) to remotely access videomail (block 370).
  • method 300 might, at block 375, comprise providing the user with remote access to the videomail.
  • remote access might include a secure link to a URL addressing the videomail, while in other instances, remote access might include sending a videomail message attached to or embedded in an e-mail notification to the user.
  • method 300 might comprise receiving a request from the user to remotely respond to a videomail message to which the user was provided access at block 375.
  • method 300 might comprise enabling remote responses to the videomail message, by initiating a video call request to the original caller who left the videomail message, by leaving a videomail message for the original caller (e.g., in the case that the original caller is presently unavailable to answer the video call), by initiating a voice or telephone call to the original caller, by sending an e-mail message to the original caller, by sending a text message to the original caller, and/or the like.
  • notification can also comprise other forms of communication, including, but not limited to, text messages that include the secure link to the URL addressing the videomail.
  • text messages might include, without limitation, SMS, MMS, and/or the like.
  • Fig. 4 illustrates a method 400 of collecting and using presence information, in accordance with one set of embodiments. While the techniques and procedures are depicted and/or described in a certain order for purposes of illustration, it should be appreciated that certain procedures may be reordered and/or omitted within the scope of various embodiments. Moreover, while the method illustrated by Fig. 4 can be implemented by (and, in some cases, are described below with respect to) the system 100 of Fig. 1 (or components thereof), such methods may also be implemented using any suitable hardware implementation. Similarly, while the system 100 of Fig. 1 (and/or components thereof) can operate according to the method illustrated by Fig. 4 (e.g., by executing instructions embodied on a computer readable medium), the system 100 can also operate according to other modes of operation and/or perform other suitable procedures.
  • the method 400 might comprise registering a master account for a user (block 405).
  • This master account may be the same master account as the master account described in block 305, or may be a different master account.
  • registering a master account for a user can comprise a variety of operations.
  • registering a master account can comprise creating a database entry for a particular user and/or assigning authentication credentials to that user; these credentials can be used to access the master account, as described in further detail below.
  • the method 400 can also include assigning one or more PDDs
  • the one or more PDDs can be embodied by a video calling device, such as any of the video calling devices described herein, the VCDs described in the ⁇ 82 Patent, a laptop computer, a desktop computer, a mobile phone, a smart phone, a tablet computer, a video game console, and/or a streaming media player, to name a few non-limiting examples.
  • a video calling device such as any of the video calling devices described herein, the VCDs described in the ⁇ 82 Patent
  • a laptop computer such as any of the video calling devices described herein, the VCDs described in the ⁇ 82 Patent
  • a laptop computer such as any of the video calling devices described herein, the VCDs described in the ⁇ 82 Patent
  • a laptop computer such as any of the video calling devices described herein, the VCDs described in the ⁇ 82 Patent
  • a laptop computer such as any of the video calling devices described herein, the VCDs described in the ⁇ 82 Patent
  • a laptop computer such as any of the video calling devices described
  • the user's master account might include any suitable number of sub-accounts.
  • each member of the user's family might be associated with a sub-account linked with the master account.
  • the user (or some members of his or her family) might have a work/school sub-account and a home sub-account, the former being associated with profiles and/or media content appropriate for school or work, while the latter being associated with all, or all other, profiles and/or media content.
  • the master account and the plurality of sub-accounts might be organized as a hierarchy, with the master account (being at the top of the hierarchical structure) having full access to profiles and media content of each sub-account, the sub-accounts at the next level having access to profiles and/or media content of only those subaccounts that the master account has given access to, and the sub-accounts at lower levels having limited access to profiles and/or media content.
  • the user's master account might have access to all profiles and/or media content associated with the master account and the sub-accounts.
  • the user can provide his or her spouse with a sub-account having the same access to profiles and/or media content, while providing limited access to profiles and/or media content to each of the user's children's sub-account(s).
  • the user and/or the user's spouse might impose limits on access to profiles and/or media content for each of their work subaccounts.
  • each PDD might have an identifier, such as a hardware identifier, IP address, nickname, and/or the like, by which the system can address the PDD, and assigning a PDD to the master account can comprise associating that identifier with the master account.
  • a PDD When a PDD is assigned to a master account, the user of that account will be able to access, configure, and/or control the PDD through the control server, for example as described in further detail below.
  • the user might own a plurality of PDDs and might wish to control all of the PDDs from a single master account.
  • a user can identify such devices through a user interface to the control server.
  • the assignment process can be simplified.
  • the user can provide credentials to the PDD that associate the device with the master account.
  • the PDD might be configured to communicate with the control server and identify itself using those credentials; at that point, the control server can assign the PDD to the master account, and no credentials need to be stored on the PDD from that point forward (other than perhaps the PDD's own identifying information).
  • the method 400 might further comprise providing a user interface to allow interaction between the user and the control server (block 415).
  • the user interface can be used to output information for a user, e.g., by displaying the information on a display device, printing information with a printer, playing audio through a speaker, etc.; the user interface can also function to receive input from a user, e.g., using standard input devices such as mice and other pointing devices, motion capture devices, touchpads and/or touchscreens, keyboards (e.g., numeric and/or alphabetic), microphones, etc.
  • providing a user interface can comprise displaying the user interface on a display device; in other cases, however, in which the user interface is displayed on a device remote from the computer system (such as on a client computer, wireless device, etc.), providing the user interface might comprise formatting data for transmission to such a device and/or transmitting, receiving, and/or interpreting data that is used to create the user interface on the remote device.
  • the user interface on a client computer might be a web interface, in which the user interface is provided through one or more web pages that are served from a computer system (and/or a web server in communication with the computer system), and are received and displayed by a web browser on the client computer (or other capable user device).
  • the web pages can display output from the computer system and receive input from the user (e.g., by using Web-based forms, via hyperlinks, electronic buttons, etc.).
  • a variety of techniques can be used to create these Web pages and/or display/receive information, such as JavaScript, Java applications or applets, dynamic Hypertext Markup Language (“HTML”) and/or Asynchronous JavaScript and XML (or extensible markup language) (“AJAX”) technologies, to name but a few examples.
  • JavaScript Java applications or applets
  • HTML dynamic Hypertext Markup Language
  • AJAX Asynchronous JavaScript and XML (or extensible markup language)
  • providing a user interface will comprise providing one or more display screens each of which includes one or more user interface elements.
  • user interface element also described as a “user interface mechanism” or a “user interface device” means any text, image, or device that can be displayed on a display screen for providing information to a user and/or for receiving user input.
  • Some such elements are commonly referred to as “widgets,” and can include, without limitation, text, text boxes, text fields, tables and/or grids, menus, toolbars, charts, hyperlinks, buttons, lists, combo boxes, checkboxes, radio buttons, and/or the like. While any illustrated exemplary display screens might employ specific user interface elements appropriate for the type of information to be conveyed/received by computer system in accordance with the described
  • the user interface provides interaction between a user and a computer system.
  • the user interface may be the vehicle for the exchange of such input/output.
  • the user interface allows the user to log on to a master account, access PDDs via the control server, access videomail and videomail settings/preferences, etc.
  • the user logs onto his or her master account at the control server in order to access and/or control PDDs assigned to that account, and/or access videomail and videomail preferences.
  • the method 400 can include authenticating the user with a set of credentials associated with the master account (e.g., with any of several known authentication schemes, such as a userid/password challenge, a certificate exchange process, and/or the like, as well as authentication techniques, described in further detail below, that employ sensors on a PDD, such as facial recognition, voiceprint analysis, gesture- based identification, spoken identifiers, and/or the like).
  • the user interface can present the user with a variety of different information, including without limitation information about status of PDDs assigned to the master account to which the user has logged on, options for controlling such PDDs, options for accessing videomail addressed to the user, options for modifying videomail preferences, and/or the like.
  • the method 400 might further comprise receiving (e.g., via a network, such as the Internet, to name one example) user preferences (block 425), and in particular user preferences relating to the collection and/or use of presence information, including without limitation preferences such as those described above.
  • the method 400 can further include controlling and/or configuring the PDD, in some cases based at least in part on the user preferences (block 430).
  • the user preferences might include user preferences for capturing, processing, distributing, or otherwise handling videomail, user preferences for notifying the user regarding videomail, and/or the like.
  • the user might have specified in the user preferences that the PDD should not be used to collect presence information at all, in which case that feature might be turned off at the PDD.
  • the user preferences indicate that presence information should be turned off (e.g., privacy settings may be set high, either permanently or temporarily, and/or with respect to certain user-established and/or preset conditions, or the like)
  • some embodiments might establish a blocking feature for the user when other PDDs send presence information for comparison matching processes with database user biometrics, the effect of which being that no match can be made, and thus the user's profiles and/or media content (and/or access thereto) is not ported to the other PDDs.
  • the user might have specified some limitations on the collection of presence information (such as about whom such information may be collected, times at which information can be collected, and/or purposes for which information may be collected, to name a few examples).
  • these preferences can be set directly at the PDD, e.g., through a menu system displayed on a video device. It should also be recognized that some preferences (such as with whom presence information can be shared) might not affect the PDD and might be saved and/or operated on at the control server instead.
  • control server can vary according to embodiment and implementation.
  • the PDD might incorporate all the functionality described herein with regard to the control server, including peer-to-peer functionality with other PDDs.
  • the control server might provide fairly fine-grained control over the PDD, such as instructing the camera to capture images for purposes of determining presence, and/or the control server may receive the images directly and perform the presence determination, identification, and/or authentication procedures at the control server.
  • the division of responsibility between the control server and the PDD can fall anywhere along this spectrum.
  • control server might provide the user preferences to the PDD, which then is responsible for collecting presence information in accordance with those preferences and transmitting the presence information to the control server, which takes the appropriate action in response to the presence information, such as selecting an advertisement based on the presence information.
  • the PDD itself might be responsible for taking such actions.
  • the method 400 can comprise collecting presence information.
  • a variety of operations might be involved in the collection of presence information.
  • the PDD captures one or more images of at least a portion of a room where it is located and/or of a user present in the room (block 440). Such images can be digital still images, a digital video stream, and/or the like.
  • the method can include capturing audio samples (block 445), identifying devices in proximity to the capturing device (block 450), and/or the like (for example as described above).
  • the method 400 can further comprise analyzing one or more of the collected presence information (block 455), including one or more of the images, video samples, audio samples, etc.
  • the images and/or video samples might be analyzed with facial recognition software and/or other biometric/physiological recognition software, which can be used to determine the number of people in the room with the PDD and/or to identify any of such people (e.g., by determining a name, an age range, a gender, and/or other identifying or demographic information about a user, based on the output of the facial recognition software and/or other biometric/physiological recognition software).
  • analyzing the images can comprise determining that a person is watching a display device, for example using eye-tracking software to identify a focus area of the person's eyes and correlating that focus area with the location on a screen or display of a television (or other suitable display device).
  • analyzing the images can further include determining a collective demographic of the people in the room (based, for example, on the demographic characteristics of a majority of people in the room).
  • the method might analyze audio samples using voiceprint analysis, compare user responses to stored challenge/response information, and/or the like.
  • a camera of a PDD might capture user gestures, which can be compared with stored gestures (e.g., a particular pattern of hand waving, a pattern of fingers displayed by the user, etc.) in a gesture -based identification and/or
  • the PDD will transmit presence information or other identifying information that can be used (in part or in whole) for identifying the user.
  • identifying information can include raw or analyzed presence information, as well as information derived from the presence information, such as, to name some examples, extracted features from an image, audio segment, and/or video segment; an excerpted image, video, and/or audio segment; and/or the like.
  • Such presence information and/or identifying information can be transmitted from the PDD to the control server (block 460), although as noted above, this is not necessary in some embodiments (e.g., where identifying the user or other analysis is performed at the PDD).
  • Such transmission might comprise IP communications over the Internet, (perhaps over a secure channel, such as a virtual private network
  • the presence/identifying information can include a wide variety of different types of information that enable the control server to determine presence and/or identify/authenticate a user.
  • the control server in a cloud-based presence detection scheme
  • the control server might receive the transmitted presence information.
  • the control server might analyze the raw presence information in a similar manner as described above at block 455.
  • the method 400 comprises detecting and/or determining presence of a user. This determination can be made by the PDD and/or by the control server.
  • the PDD might transmit raw video segments, raw images, raw audio samples, etc. to the server, which might perform all analysis and presence
  • the PDD might perform this analysis and might notify the control server that a user is present. Receiving such a notification at the control server can be considered to be the control server detecting presence of a user.
  • the method 400 can include identifying and/or authenticating a user.
  • this identification and/or authentication can be implicit in the operation of detecting user presence.
  • the PDD and/or control server
  • the PDD might further analyze the same image to determine an identity of the present user.
  • detection of user presence and identification/authentication of the user might be performed as discrete steps (and might depend on device
  • a PDD might have sufficient capabilities to detect the presence of the user, and if so, might send identifying information (such as a captured image, video sample, audio sample, etc.) to the control server to actually identify the user.
  • identifying information such as a captured image, video sample, audio sample, etc.
  • the PDD might be capable of identifying the user on its own and might merely send the identity of the user (i.e., data identifying the user, such as a name, username, etc.) to the server.
  • the PDD and/or the control server i.e., in a cloud- based presence scheme
  • the PDD and/or the control server might have access to the user's profile or other personal information of the user (including, without limitation, communications, calendar items, contacts list, travel/itinerary information, IP address of user's PDD(s), or the like).
  • profile or other personal information might indicate that the user is visiting a friend or relative in a different city, state, or country.
  • the user's PDD and/or the control server might facilitate identification and/or authentication of the user at the friend's or relative's PDD ("other PDD"), by, for example, sending the user's biometric/physio logical information to the other PDD and/or to a data center local to the other PDD, so as to reduce comparison/matching times for identification/authentication of the user at the other PDD.
  • Such proactive autonomous facilitation functionality might, in some cases, be subject to the user's selection of such option in the user preferences (e.g., at block 425 above).
  • the user might disable and/or limit such functionality (e.g., for privacy reasons, for security reasons, and/or the like).
  • the IP address of a PDD at which a user attempts to log in might be analyzed to determine the city in which the PDD is located. If the city (or neighborhood or customer premises) of the last PDD at which the user logged in (or is otherwise authenticated by) is determined to be different from the city (or neighborhood or customer premises) of the current PDD, then it can be inferred that the user has moved, or is travelling.
  • Such inference may be used, in some embodiments, to further infer a general direction in which the user is travelling (or to infer a potential destination(s), if sufficient numbers of data points/locations are determined), and can be used to send ahead the user's profile and/or content to control servers and/or PDDs that are at or near the determined potential destination(s).
  • control server (and/or the PDD at which the user is present) might enabling or implementing video mail capture, processing, and distribution over the network, in accordance with any or all of the processes in blocks 305 - 385, as described in detail above with respect to Fig. 3.
  • the PDD and the video calling device might be the same user device, in which case, the video calling device might detect presence of a user (as described in detail above with respect to the PDD), and might notify a computer about the detected presence of a user. Such a video calling device might then receive, over a network, control instructions from the computer to enable or implement video mail capture, processing, and distribution, based on the detected presence of the user.
  • method 400 in response to determining the presence of the user (at block 470) and/or identifying and authenticating the user (at block 475), might further comprise enabling remote access to the video calling device and/or remote access to user preferences over the network (block 480).
  • the user preferences might include preferences related to videomail and/or videomail settings.
  • method 400 might comprise enabling remote access to videomail over the network, in some cases, in response to determining the presence of the user (at block 470) and/or identifying and authenticating the user (at block 475).
  • the method 400 might further comprise determining that a user is no longer present at the PDD (block 490).
  • the system might continuously and/or periodically capture images and perform presence determination techniques (e.g., as described above) to determine whether the user is still present, and/or might actively query the user after some period of time to determine whether the user is still present. If the system determines that the user is no longer present, the system can block remote access (and control) of the video calling device(s) from the PDD, remote access to user preferences, and remote access to videomail, over the network (block 495).
  • the system might delete any image or video content transmitted from the video calling device(s) to the device, log out of any services for controlling the video calling device(s) that the system had logged into from the PDD, revoke access to image and/or video content captured by the video calling device(s) (and/or post-processed using raw captured image data or raw captured video data from the video calling device(s)) stored in the cloud, revoke access to view or modify user preferences (including user preferences related to videomail), revoke access to view or respond to videomail, and/or the like.
  • This functionality is particularly useful and applicable to PDDs (or other devices) that are neither owned nor associated with the user (e.g., a friend's or relative's device, devices at a vacation hotel or vacation rental property, etc.).
  • Such determination and content/access removal might, in some instances, be based on a time-out system (e.g., 5, 15, 30, or 80 minutes, etc.), in which the system might account for the user's temporary absence from the room, while protecting the access to profiles (with which accessing and control of the video calling device(s) may be associated and/or with which videomail and videomail preferences may be associated), videomail messages, and/or content.
  • the user can select specific time-out periods, which can be stored in the user's profile, and such specific time-out periods can be universally applicable to some or all profiles, some or all media content, or some or all profiles and media content, some or all videomail messages, some or all preferences related to videomail, or can be specific to particular profiles and/or media content.
  • user profiles might be associated with a much shorter time-out period (a time between 1 - 5 minutes) compared with media content (which might have a time-out period ranging from 15 minutes to 3 hours, or the like).
  • the time-out system might be based on a counter or clock system that starts counting from the last time the system recognized that the user was in range of any of the sensors of the PDD. Any suitable techniques other than the time-out system described above may be implemented as appropriate.
  • the system e.g., the control server, the PDD, the video calling device, etc.
  • the system might obtain relevant advertising material as described in the '603 Application and display such advertising over content obtained and delivered using the techniques of the method 200, method 300, and/or method 400.
  • the skilled reader will understand that such techniques can be combined in a number of different ways.
  • FIG. 5 illustrates a functional diagram of a system 500 for enabling or implementing video mail capture, processing, and distribution, in accordance with various embodiments.
  • the skilled reader should note that the arrangement of the components illustrated in Fig. 5 is functional in nature, and that various embodiments can employ a variety of different structural architectures. Merely by way of example, one exemplary, generalized architecture for the system 500 is described below with respect to Fig. 8, but any number of suitable hardware arrangements can be employed in accordance with different embodiments.
  • a video calling device 505 might correspond to video calling device 105 and/or PDD 105, while user device 545 might correspond to non- video calling device or non-PDD user device 105, as described in detail above with respect to Fig. 1.
  • Control server 510, network 515, and cloud storage system 530, in the example of Fig. 5, might correspond to control server 110, network 115, and cloud storage system 130, respectively, as described in detail above with respect to Fig. 1.
  • System 500 might further comprise a local content source 535 (e.g., a local content source as described above), a display device 540 (including, without limitation, a television (“TV”) and/or the like), and high-definition (“HD") data cables 550 (or any other suitable data transmission media).
  • the HD data cables 550 might include, without limitation, high-definition multimedia interface (“HDMI”) cables.
  • One or more of the video calling devices 505 e.g., the first video calling device 505a and the third video calling device 505c, as shown in Fig. 5
  • the video calling devices 505 e.g., the first video calling device 505a and the third video calling device 505c, as shown in Fig. 5
  • the video calling devices 505 e.g., the first video calling device 505a and the third video calling device 505c, as shown in Fig. 5
  • the video calling devices 505 might be configured to provide pass-through audio and/or video from a local content source 535 to a display
  • an HDMI input port in the video calling device 505 allows HD signals to be input from the corresponding local content source 535
  • an HDMI output port in the video calling device 505 allows HD signals to be output from the video calling device 505 to the corresponding display device 540 (e.g., TV, which might include, but is not limited to, an Internet Protocol TV ("IPTV"), an HDTV, a cable TV, or the like).
  • IPTV Internet Protocol TV
  • the output HD signal may, in some cases, be the input HD signal modified by the video calling device 505.
  • Local content source 535 might be any suitable local content source.
  • a local content source can be any device that provides an audio or video stream to a display device and thus can include, without limitation, a cable or satellite STB, an IPTV STB, devices that generate video and/or audio, and/or acquire video and/or audio from other sources, such as the Internet, and provide that video/audio to a display device; hence a local content source can include devices such as a video game console, a Roku® streaming media player, an AppleTV®, and/or the like.
  • the video calling device 505 can receive an audiovisual stream output from the local content source, modify that audiovisual stream in accordance with the methods described in the ⁇ 82 Patent, and provide the (perhaps modified) audiovisual stream as input to the display device 540.
  • first video calling device 505a, local content source 535a, display device 540a, and user device 545a might be located at a first customer premises 560a
  • third video calling device 505c, local content source 535c, display device 540c, and user device 545c (if any) might be located at a third customer premises 560c.
  • the second video calling device 505b which in the context of the various embodiments refers to the calling device associated with the caller, might be located at a second customer premises 560b.
  • the second video calling device 505b might be a portable user device (including, without limitation, a tablet computer, a laptop computer, a smart phone, a mobile phone, a portable gaming device, and/or the like) that is not bound to any particular customer premises 560.
  • system 500 might further comprise one or more access points (not shown), each of which might be located in proximity to or in the first customer premises 560a, the second customer premises 560b, and/or the third customer premises 560c.
  • the access point(s) can allow wireless
  • each video calling device 505 might also have a wired connection to an access point, router, residential gateway, etc., such as via an Ethernet cable, which can provide similar communication functionality.
  • each video calling device 505 might be communicatively coupled to network 515 (via either wired or wireless connection), without routing through any access points.
  • wired or wireless access to network 515 allows video calling device 505 to obtain profiles from cloud storage system 530 and/or media content from content server 570 and media content database 575 independent of the corresponding local content source 535, which is in communication with a television (“TV") distribution network 565 (either via wireless connection or via wired connection).
  • TV television
  • TV distribution network 565 (which could be, for example, a cable television distribution network, a satellite television distribution network, an Internet Protocol television (“IPTV”) distribution network, and/or the like) might be communicatively coupled with content server 570, and thus local content source 535 might obtain media content from content server 570 and media content database 575 independently of video calling device 505.
  • IPTV Internet Protocol television
  • the television distribution network 565 might be communicatively coupled to other content servers and/or other media content sources (not shown).
  • video calling device 505 can overlay the input signal from the corresponding local content source 535 with additional media content to produce an augmented output HD signal to the corresponding display device 540 via data cables 550.
  • This functionality allows for supplemental content (which may be associated with the media content accessed by the local content source 535 for display on display device 540) to be accessed and presented using the first video calling device 505, in some cases, as a combined presentation on the display device 540, which may be one of an overlay arrangement (e.g., a picture-in-picture ("PIP") display, with the supplemental content overlaid on the main content), a split screen arrangement (with the supplemental content adjacent to, but not obscuring any portion of the main content), a passive banner stream (with non-interactive supplemental content streaming in a banner(s) along one or more of a top, bottom, left, or right edge of a display field in which the main content is displayed on display device 540), and/or an interactive banner stream (with interactive supplemental content streaming in
  • PIP picture-
  • examples of interactive supplemental content might include, without limitation, content that when streamed in a banner can be caused to slow, stop, and/or replay within the banner, in response to user interaction with the content and/or the banner (as opposed to passive banner streaming, in which information is streamed in a manner uncontrollable by the user).
  • the interactive supplemental content that is streamed in the banner may, in some instances, also allow the user to invoke operations or functions by interacting therewith; for example, by the user highlighting and/or selecting the supplemental content (e.g., an icon or still photograph of a character, actor/actress, scene, etc.
  • links for related webpages links to further content stored in media content database 575, or operations to display related content on display device 540 and/or user device 545 may be invoked.
  • video calling device 505 might detect the presence and/or proximity of one or more user devices 545 associated with the user, and might (based on user profile information associated with the user that is stored, e.g., in cloud storage system 530) automatically send supplemental media content via wireless link 555 (directly from video calling device 505 or indirectly via an access point (not shown)) for display on a display screen(s) of the one or more user devices 545.
  • a user associated with first video calling device 505 a might have established a user profile stored in cloud storage system 530 that indicates a user preference for any and all supplemental content for movies and television programs to be compiled and displayed on one or more user devices 545a (including, but not limited to, a tablet computer, a smart phone, a laptop computer, and/or a desktop computer, etc.) concurrent to display of the movie or television program being displayed on display device 540a.
  • user devices 545a including, but not limited to, a tablet computer, a smart phone, a laptop computer, and/or a desktop computer, etc.
  • first video calling device 505 a accesses supplemental content (if available) from content server 570 and media content database 575 via network 515, and sends the supplemental content to the user's tablet computer and/or smart phone via wireless link(s) 555.
  • bios of actors, actresses, and/or crew might be sent to the user's smart phone for display on the screen thereof, while schematics of machines, weapons, robots, tools, etc.
  • associated with the movie or television show might be sent to and displayed on the user's tablet computer, behind the scenes videos or information, news/reviews associated with the main content, and/or music videos associated with the main content may also be sent to the user's smart phone and/or tablet computer, and so on.
  • the first video calling device 505a (which, in the context of the embodiments herein, is associated with a user or callee) and the second video calling device 505b (which, in the context of the embodiments herein, is associated with a caller) might be of different make and/or model (i.e., might be made by different manufacturers, might be of different models by the same manufacturer, and/or the like).
  • the second video calling devices 505b might have functionality similar to video calling device 105 and/or PDD 105, but may or may not necessarily possess pass-through capability between a display device and a local content source, as described above with respect to the first and third video calling devices 505a and 505c.
  • the detection of the presence of the user device 545 by the first video calling device 505a and/or the third video calling device 505 c might allow identification of a user and thus access of profiles, content, and/or videomail associated with the user's account, regardless of whether the first video calling device 505a or the third video calling device 505c is owned by and/or associated with the user.
  • the user's media content might include, without limitation, at least one of purchased video content, purchased audio content, purchased video game, purchased image content, rented video content, rented audio content, rented video game, rented image content, user-generated video content, user-generated audio content, user-generated video game content, user generated image content, and/or free media content
  • the user's profiles might include, but is not limited to, one or more of user profile information for a video game or video game console, web browser history and/or bookmarks, contact information for the user's contacts, user profile information for video or audio content, including without limitation recommended content, device preferences, videomail preferences, user profile information for cloud services, and/or the like.
  • Videomail herein, might refer to videomail messages addressed to the user or callee.
  • the user's profile might also include identifying information - including, but not limited to, the user's biometric information (e.g., facial characteristics, voice characteristics, fingerprint characteristics, iris characteristics, pupil characteristics, retinal
  • the user profile information for cloud services might include user log-in information (e.g., username, account number, and/or password/passphrase, etc.) or other suitable credentials for cloud services, which might include, without limitation, video calling service, videomail service, voice calling service, video broadcast/streaming service, audio broadcast/streaming service, on-line gaming service, banking/financial services,
  • a user might be associated with first video calling device 505a (located in the first customer premises 560a), while her friend might be associated with third video calling device 505 c (located in the third customer premises 560c), and the user and the friend are both subscribers of a similar service provided by control server 510 and/or the cloud service provider associated with control server 510.
  • the friend's video calling device 505c might first detect presence of the user, by querying and/or obtaining the identification
  • the friend's video calling device 505c might then identify the user using the user's device(s) identification information and/or the captured video, image, and/or voice data, or might send such presence information to control server 510 for identification and authentication analysis. In some cases, detecting presence of, or
  • the user might include, without limitation, analyzing captured images or video segments using one or more of facial recognition software, pupil/iris recognition software, retinal identification software, fingerprint analysis software, and/or physiology recognition software, analyzing captured audio samples using one or more of voiceprint analysis and/or comparison with stored
  • any suitable technique may be implemented including, but not limited to, at least one of detecting a Bluetooth connection of the user device, detecting that the user device is associated with a WiFi access point with which the video calling device has associated, and/or
  • NFC near field communication
  • control server 510 might send copies of the user's profiles and/or content to the third video calling device 505c (either from first video calling device 505a and/or from cloud storage system 530, or the like), or at least provide the user with access to her profiles, videomail, and/or content from her friend's video calling device 505c.
  • the identification and authentication processes might include comparing the user device identification information and/or the captured video, image, and/or voice data against all similar identification data for all users/subscribers of the cloud service that are stored in cloud storage system 530.
  • the process might be facilitated where video calling devices 505 a and 505 c might already be associated with each other (e.g., where the user has previously made a video call from first video calling device 505 a to her friend on third video calling device 505 c, where the user might have added the friend to the user's contact list, and/or where the friend might have added the user to the friend's contact list).
  • the user's first video calling device 505a might have access to the user's calendar and/or communications, which might indicate that the user is visiting the friend.
  • the first video calling device 505 a might query control server 510 to determine whether the friend has a video calling device 505 c associated with the cloud service provider.
  • the first video calling device 505a determines that third video calling device 505c is part of the same service and/or is in communication with control server 510, and based on such determination, first video calling device 505a (and/or control server 510) might send the user's profiles and/or content to third video calling device 505c, and/or provide third video calling device 505c with access to the user's profiles, videomail, and/or content.
  • the user's profiles, videomail, and/or content, or access to profiles, videomail, and/or content might be encrypted, and might be released/decrypted upon identification and/or authentication by third video calling device 505c (and/or by control server 510) when the user is detected by third video calling device 505c.
  • the user's profiles, videomail, and/or content can follow the user wherever she goes, so long as there is a device (e.g., video calling device) that is associated with the same or affiliate cloud service provider at her destination, and so long as the device can recognize and authenticate the user.
  • a device e.g., video calling device
  • third video calling device 505c (and/or control server 510) might determine that the user is no longer present at the location of third video calling device 505c. Based on such a determination, third video calling device 505c and/or control server 510 might remove the user's profiles, videomail, and/or media content (or access thereto) from third video calling device 505c. As described above, a time-out system might be utilized. Alternatively, other suitable systems may be used for determining the user is no longer present, and removing the user's profiles, videomail, and/or media content (or access thereto) from the third video calling device 505c.
  • FIGs. 6 A and 6B are illustrations of user devices
  • Fig. 6A is an illustration of a user device used by users that presents an exemplary graphical user interface for notifying users regarding videomail messages
  • Fig. 6B is an illustration of a user device used by users that present an exemplary graphical user interface for present options related to a user's master account, the user's devices, videomail, and account settings.
  • each user device 600 is shown as a smart phone, the various embodiments are not so limited, and user devices 600 might be any suitable user device comprising, without limitation, an HDTV, an IPTV, a cable TV, a desktop computer, a laptop computer, a tablet computer, a mobile phone, a portable gaming device, other suitable user devices, or any combination of these user devices.
  • User device 600 might comprise device housing 605, a display screen
  • display screen 605a might comprise a touchscreen display, a non-touchscreen display, and/or the like.
  • a panel 610 of a graphical user interface might present a message or notification from the service provider (in this example, the videomail service provider) to the user indicating that the user or callee associated with the user device 600 (and associated with the first video calling device 505 a) has received a new videomail message(s) from a caller.
  • GUI graphical user interface
  • the panel 610 or notification might provide the user or callee with links to access the videomail message(s) and/or to access the user's or callee 's account information (including, without limitation, master account information, user profiles, user preferences related to videomail, videomail messages, and/or the like).
  • the links include one or more universal resource locators ("URLs") addressing the videomail message(s), which in some cases have been post-processed (after recording) to be compatible with most (if not all) formats, play-back devices, resolutions, and/or the like.
  • URLs universal resource locators
  • a panel 615 might represent a user's or callee's accounts page, which might include options 620, which might comprise, but are not limited to, options pertaining to the user's devices, options for accessing videomail, options for modifying account settings (including master account settings, user profile settings, user preferences, videomail preferences, and/or the like), and/or an option to logout of the user's account page, or the like.
  • options 620 might comprise, but are not limited to, options pertaining to the user's devices, options for accessing videomail, options for modifying account settings (including master account settings, user profile settings, user preferences, videomail preferences, and/or the like), and/or an option to logout of the user's account page, or the like.
  • the options for accessing videomail might include, but are not limited to, options to view one or more videomail messages, options to mark one or more videomail messages as being viewed, options to mark one or more videomail messages as being not yet viewed, options to respond to one or more videomail messages, options to delete one or more videomail messages, and/or the like.
  • the videomail preferences might include, without limitation, preferences for notifying the user of any new or not yet viewed videomail messages, preferences related to prompting callers to leave videomail messages, preferences for recording videomail prompts, preferences related to post-processing of videomail messages, and/or the like.
  • Fig. 7 provides a schematic illustration of one embodiment of a computer system 700 that can perform the methods provided by various other embodiments, as described herein, and/or can function as a video calling device, a PDD, user device, control server, web server, and/or the like. It should be noted that Fig. 7 is meant only to provide a generalized illustration of various components, of which one or more (or none) of each may be utilized as appropriate. Fig. 7, therefore, broadly illustrates how individual system elements may be implemented in a relatively separated or relatively more integrated manner.
  • the computer system 700 is shown comprising hardware elements that can be electrically coupled via a bus 705 (or may otherwise be in communication, as appropriate).
  • the hardware elements may include one or more processors 710, including without limitation one or more general-purpose processors and/or one or more special-purpose processors (such as digital signal processing chips, graphics acceleration processors, and/or the like); one or more input devices 715, which can include, without limitation, a mouse, a keyboard, and/or the like; and one or more output devices 720, which can include, without limitation, a display device, a printer, and/or the like.
  • processors 710 including without limitation one or more general-purpose processors and/or one or more special-purpose processors (such as digital signal processing chips, graphics acceleration processors, and/or the like)
  • input devices 715 which can include, without limitation, a mouse, a keyboard, and/or the like
  • output devices 720 which can include, without limitation, a display device, a printer, and/or the like.
  • the computer system 700 may further include (and/or be in
  • storage devices 725 can comprise, without limitation, local and/or network accessible storage, and/or can include, without limitation, a disk drive, a drive array, an optical storage device, solid-state storage device such as a random access memory (“RAM”) and/or a read-only memory (“ROM”), which can be programmable, flash-updateable, and/or the like.
  • RAM random access memory
  • ROM read-only memory
  • Such storage devices may be configured to implement any appropriate data stores, including, without limitation, various file systems, database structures, and/or the like.
  • the computer system 700 might also include a communications subsystem 730, which can include, without limitation, a modem, a network card (wireless or wired), an infra-red communication device, a wireless communication device and/or chipset (such as a BluetoothTM device, an 802.11 device, a WiFi device, a WiMax device, a WW AN device, cellular communication facilities, etc.), and/or the like.
  • the communications subsystem 730 may permit data to be exchanged with a network (such as the network described below, to name one example), with other computer systems, and/or with any other devices described herein.
  • the computer system 700 will further comprise a working memory 735, which can include a RAM or ROM device, as described above.
  • the computer system 700 also may comprise software elements, shown as being currently located within the working memory 735, including an operating system 740, device drivers, executable libraries, and/or other code, such as one or more application programs 745, which may comprise computer programs provided by various embodiments, and/or may be designed to implement methods, and/or configure systems, provided by other embodiments, as described herein.
  • an operating system 740 operating system 740
  • device drivers executable libraries
  • application programs 745 which may comprise computer programs provided by various embodiments, and/or may be designed to implement methods, and/or configure systems, provided by other embodiments, as described herein.
  • one or more procedures described with respect to the method(s) discussed above might be implemented as code and/or instructions executable by a computer (and/or a processor within a computer); in an aspect, then, such code and/or instructions can be used to configure and/or adapt a general purpose computer (or other device) to perform one or more operations in accordance with the described methods.
  • a set of these instructions and/or code might be encoded and/or stored on a non-transitory computer readable storage medium, such as the storage device(s) 725 described above.
  • the storage medium might be incorporated within a computer system, such as the system 700.
  • the storage medium might be separate from a computer system (i.e., a removable medium, such as a compact disc, etc.), and/or provided in an installation package, such that the storage medium can be used to program, configure, and/or adapt a general purpose computer with the instructions/code stored thereon.
  • These instructions might take the form of executable code, which is executable by the computer system 700 and/or might take the form of source and/or installable code, which, upon compilation and/or installation on the computer system 700 (e.g., using any of a variety of generally available compilers, installation programs, compression/decompression utilities, etc.) then takes the form of executable code.
  • some embodiments may employ a computer system (such as the computer system 700) to perform methods in accordance with various embodiments of the invention. According to a set of embodiments, some or all of the procedures of such methods are performed by the computer system 700 in response to processor 710 executing one or more sequences of one or more instructions (which might be incorporated into the operating system 740 and/or other code, such as an application program 745) contained in the working memory 735. Such instructions may be read into the working memory 735 from another computer readable medium, such as one or more of the storage device(s) 725. Merely by way of example, execution of the sequences of instructions contained in the working memory 735 might cause the processor(s) 710 to perform one or more procedures of the methods described herein.
  • a computer system such as the computer system 700
  • system 700 might further comprise one or more sensors 750, which might include, without limitation, one or more cameras, one or more IR sensors, and/or one or more 3D sensors, or the like.
  • the one or more sensors 750 might be incorporated in (or might otherwise be one of) the input device(s) 715.
  • the output device(s) 720 might, in some cases
  • embodiments further include one or more monitors, one or more TVs, and/or one or more display screens, or the like.
  • machine readable medium and “computer readable medium,” as used herein, refer to any medium that participates in providing data that causes a machine to operate in a specific fashion.
  • various computer readable media might be involved in providing instructions/code to processor(s) 710 for execution and/or might be used to store and/or carry such instructions/code (e.g., as signals).
  • processor(s) 710 for execution and/or might be used to store and/or carry such instructions/code (e.g., as signals).
  • a computer readable medium is a non-transitory, physical, and/or tangible storage medium. Such a medium may take many forms, including, but not limited to, non-volatile media, volatile media, and transmission media.
  • Non-volatile media includes, for example, optical and/or magnetic disks, such as the storage device(s) 725.
  • Volatile media includes, without limitation, dynamic memory, such as the working memory 735.
  • Transmission media includes, without limitation, coaxial cables, copper wire and fiber optics, including the wires that comprise the bus 705, as well as the various components of the communication subsystem 730 (and/or the media by which the communications subsystem 730 provides communication with other devices).
  • transmission media can also take the form of waves
  • radio including, without limitation, radio, acoustic and/or light waves, such as those generated during radio -wave and infra-red data communications).
  • Common forms of physical and/or tangible computer readable media include, for example, a floppy disk, a flexible disk, a hard disk, magnetic tape, or any other magnetic medium, a CD-ROM, any other optical medium, punch cards, paper tape, any other physical medium with patterns of holes, a RAM, a PROM, an
  • EPROM a FLASH-EPROM, any other memory chip or cartridge, a carrier wave as described hereinafter, or any other medium from which a computer can read instructions and/or code.
  • Various forms of computer readable media may be involved in carrying one or more sequences of one or more instructions to the processor(s) 710 for execution.
  • the instructions may initially be carried on a magnetic disk and/or optical disc of a remote computer.
  • a remote computer might load the instructions into its dynamic memory and send the instructions as signals over a transmission medium to be received and/or executed by the computer system 700.
  • These signals which might be in the form of electromagnetic signals, acoustic signals, optical signals, and/or the like, are all examples of carrier waves on which instructions can be encoded, in accordance with various embodiments of the invention.
  • the communications subsystem 730 (and/or components thereof) generally will receive the signals, and the bus 705 then might carry the signals (and/or the data, instructions, etc. carried by the signals) to the working memory 735, from which the processor(s) 705 retrieves and executes the instructions.
  • the instructions received by the working memory 735 may optionally be stored on a storage device 725 either before or after execution by the processor(s) 710.
  • a set of embodiments comprises systems collecting presence information and/or enabling remote access to information (including, without limitation, master account information, profiles, and/or videomail) to a user on a user device (in some cases, based on presence information, regardless of whether the user device is owned by and/or associated with the user).
  • Fig. 8 illustrates a schematic diagram of a system 800 that can be used in accordance with one set of embodiments.
  • the system 800 can include one or more user computers 805.
  • a user computer 805 can be a video calling device, a PDD, and/or a user device, as described above.
  • a user computer 805 can be a general purpose personal computer (including, merely by way of example, desktop
  • a user computer 805 can also have any of a variety of applications, including one or more applications configured to perform methods provided by various embodiments (as described above, for example), as well as one or more office applications, database client and/or server applications, and/or web browser applications.
  • a user computer 805 can be any other electronic device, such as a thin-client computer, Internet-enabled mobile telephone, and/or personal digital assistant, capable of communicating via a network (e.g., the network 810 described below) and/or of displaying and navigating web pages or other types of electronic documents.
  • a network e.g., the network 810 described below
  • exemplary system 800 is shown with two user computers 805, any number of user computers can be supported.
  • Certain embodiments operate in a networked environment, which can include a network 810.
  • the network 810 can be any type of network familiar to those skilled in the art that can support data communications using any of a variety of commercially-available (and/or free or proprietary) protocols, including, without limitation, TCP/IP, SNATM, IPXTM, AppleTalkTM, and the like.
  • the network 810 can include a local area network ("LAN”), including, without limitation, a fiber network, an Ethernet network, a Token-RingTM network and/or the like; a wide-area network; a wireless wide area network ("WW AN”); a virtual network, such as a virtual private network (“VPN”); the Internet; an intranet; an extranet; a public switched telephone network (“PSTN”); an infra-red network; a wireless network, including without limitation a network operating under any of the IEEE 802.11 suite of protocols, the BluetoothTM protocol known in the art, and/or any other wireless protocol; and/or any combination of these and/or other networks.
  • LAN local area network
  • WW AN wireless wide area network
  • VPN virtual private network
  • PSTN public switched telephone network
  • PSTN public switched telephone network
  • a wireless network including without limitation a network operating under any of the IEEE 802.11 suite of protocols, the BluetoothTM protocol known in the art, and/or any other wireless protocol; and/or any combination of these
  • Embodiments can also include one or more server computers 815.
  • Each of the server computers 815 may be configured with an operating system, including, without limitation, any of those discussed above with respect to the user computers 805, as well as any commercially (or freely) available server operating systems.
  • Each of the servers 815 may also be running one or more applications, which can be configured to provide services to one or more clients 805 and/or other servers 815.
  • one of the servers 815 might be a control server, with the functionality described above.
  • one of the servers might be a web server, which can be used, merely by way of example, to provide communication between a user computer 805 and a control server, for example, to process requests for web pages or other electronic documents from user computers 805 and/or to provide user input to the control server.
  • the web server can also run a variety of server applications, including HTTP servers, FTP servers, CGI servers, database servers, Java servers, and the like.
  • the web server may be configured to serve web pages that can be operated within a web browser on one or more of the user computers 805 to perform operations in accordance with methods provided by various embodiments.
  • the server computers 815 might include one or more application servers, which can be configured with one or more applications accessible by a client running on one or more of the client computers 805 and/or other servers 815.
  • the server(s) 815 can be one or more general purpose computers capable of executing programs or scripts in response to the user computers 805 and/or other servers 815, including, without limitation, web applications (which might, in some cases, be configured to perform methods provided by various embodiments).
  • a web application can be implemented as one or more scripts or programs written in any suitable programming language, such as JavaTM, C, C#TM or C++, and/or any scripting language, such as Perl, Python, or TCL, as well as combinations of any programming and/or scripting languages.
  • the application server(s) can also include database servers, including, without limitation, those commercially available from OracleTM, MicrosoftTM,
  • an application server can create web pages dynamically for displaying the information in accordance with various embodiments, such as providing a user interface for a control server, as described above.
  • Data provided by an application server may be formatted as one or more web pages (comprising HTML, JavaScript, etc., for example) and/or may be forwarded to a user computer 805 via a web server (as described above, for example).
  • a web server might receive web page requests and/or input data from a user computer 805 and/or forward the web page requests and/or input data to an application server.
  • a web server may be integrated with an application server.
  • one or more servers 815 can function as a file server and/or can include one or more of the files (e.g., application code, data files, etc.) necessary to implement various disclosed methods, incorporated by an application running on a user computer 805 and/or another server 815.
  • files e.g., application code, data files, etc.
  • a file server can include all necessary files, allowing such an application to be invoked remotely by a user computer 805 and/or server 815.
  • servers e.g., application server, database server, web server, file server, etc.
  • functionality of one or more servers 815 might be implemented by one or more containers or virtual machines operating in a cloud environment and/or a distributed, cloud-like environment based on shared resources of a plurality of user video calling devices and/or a plurality of PDDs.
  • the system can include one or more data stores
  • data stores 820 The nature and location of the data stores 820 is discretionary: merely by way of example, one data store 820 might comprise a database 820a that stores information about master accounts, user profiles, user preferences, assigned video calling devices, etc. Alternatively and/or additionally, a data store 820b might be a cloud storage environment for storing master accounts, user profiles, user preferences, uploaded videomail messages, and/or the like. As the skilled reader can appreciate, the database 820a and the cloud storage environment 820b might be collocated and/or separate from one another. Some or all of the data stores 820 might reside on a storage medium local to (and/or resident in) a server 815a.
  • any of the data stores 820 might be remote from any or all of the computers 805, 815, so long as it can be in communication (e.g., via the network 810) with one or more of these.
  • a database 820a can reside in a storage-area network ("SAN") familiar to those skilled in the art, and/or the cloud storage environment 820b might comprise one or more SANs.
  • SAN storage-area network
  • the database 820a can be a relational database, such as an Oracle database, that is adapted to store, update, and retrieve data in response to SQL-formatted commands.
  • the database might be controlled and/or maintained by a database server, as described above, for example.
  • the system can also include a first video calling device
  • the first video calling device 825 in the context of the examples described herein corresponds to the device associated with the user or callee, while the second video calling device 830 corresponds to the device associated with the caller.
  • the system might further include a third video calling device 835 from which the user or callee can remotely access the user's master account, user preferences, videomail, and/or the like.
  • the third video calling device 835 might be configured to enable presence detection
  • the first video calling device 825 or the second video calling device 830 can determine whether or not the user or callee is available for a video call initiated by the second video calling device 830, prompt the caller to leave a videomail message based at least in part on a determination that the user or callee is not available, record the videomail message, and send the videomail message for post-processing (in some cases, by one of the servers 815).
  • Each of the first video calling devices 825, the second video calling devices 830, and/or the third video calling devices 835 may be (or may have similar functionality as) a video calling device 105 or a PDD 105, as described in detail above; in some cases, each of the first video calling devices 825, the second video calling devices 830, and/or the third video calling devices 835 might be (or may have similar functionality as) a VCD as described in the ⁇ 82 Patent.

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  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Multimedia (AREA)
  • Signal Processing (AREA)
  • Telephonic Communication Services (AREA)

Abstract

La présente invention concerne de nouveaux outils et de nouvelles techniques pour permettre ou exécuter la capture, le traitement et la distribution de courriel vidéo. En réponse à la réception par un premier dispositif d'appel vidéo provenant d'un appelant au niveau d'un second dispositif d'appel vidéo, le premier dispositif d'appel vidéo, qui est associé à un utilisateur ou appelé, peut déterminer si l'utilisateur est disponible pour répondre à l'appel vidéo. S'il n'est pas disponible, un parmi les premier et second dispositifs d'appel vidéo peut inviter l'appelant à laisser un message de courriel vidéo, et peut enregistrer et télécharger le message de courriel vidéo vers un serveur sur le réseau pour post-traitement et/ou stockage. Une notification peut être envoyée à l'utilisateur concernant le message de courriel vidéo. Des options peuvent être fournies à l'utilisateur pour visualiser le message de courriel vidéo et/ou pour répondre au message de courriel vidéo. Dans certains cas, les premier et second dispositifs d'appel vidéo peuvent être de marque ou modèle différent.
PCT/US2014/014321 2013-02-01 2014-01-31 Capture, traitement et distribution de courriel vidéo WO2014121148A1 (fr)

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