Methods and devices for simultaneous dual camera video telephony
View Patent ↗Disclosed are mobile communication devices, and methods for mobile communication devices including two video cameras that can operate simultaneously and in real-time. The device includes a first video camera pointing in a first direction and configured to generate a first video signal and a second video camera pointing in a second direction and configured to generate a second video signal. The device includes a processor configured to receive the first video signal and the second video signal and to encode the first video signal and the second video signal for simultaneous transmission. Disclosed is another device, including a housing having a fixed first video camera configured to point in a first direction with respect to the housing and generate a first video signal and a movable second video camera configured to point in a plurality of second directions with respect to the housing and generate a second video signal.
1. A video telephony enabled mobile communication device, comprising:
a first video camera pointing in a first direction and configured to generate a first video signal;
a second video camera pointing in a second direction and configured to generate a second video signal, wherein the second camera is movable and configured to point in a plurality of pointing directions;
a processor configured to receive the first video signal and the second video signal and to encode the first video signal and the second video signal in real-time for simultaneous transmission; and
a user interface configured to process a body movement or a facial movement to determine the pointing direction of the second camera.
2. The device of claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to multiplex the first video signal and the second video signal to form a combined video signal for transmission by the transceiver.
3. The device of claim 2 , wherein the combined video signal comprises a split screen, picture-in-picture, or picture-next-to-picture formats.
4. The device of claim 1 , wherein:
the first video signal comprises a captured image;
the processor is further configured to provide from the first video signal a resultant video signal corresponding to a mirror image of the captured image.
5. The device of claim 1 ,
wherein the pointing directions are navigable by the user interface.
6. A method in a video telephony enabled mobile communication device, the method comprising:
receiving a first video signal from a first video camera of the mobile communication device;
receiving a second video signal from a second video camera of the mobile communication device, the second camera is movable;
pointing the second camera in a plurality of pointing directions;
processing a body movement or a facial movement to produce user input to point the second camera in the plurality of pointing directions; and
encoding the first video signal and the second video signal in real-time for simultaneous transmission.
7. The method of claim 6 , further comprising:
multiplexing the first video signal and the second video signal to form a combined video signal for transmission.
8. The method of claim 7 , wherein multiplexing forms a combined video signal having a split screen, picture-in-picture, or a picture-next-to-picture formats.
9. The method of claim 6 , further comprising:
capturing image by the first video signal;
processing the image to provide from the first video signal a resultant video signal corresponding to a mirror image of the captured image,
multiplexing the resultant video signal and the second video signal to form a combined video signal for transmission of the combined video signal.
10. The method of claim 6 , further comprising:
receiving user input from a navigation circle to point the second camera in the plurality of pointing directions.
11. The method of claim 6 , further comprising:
processing a body movement or a facial movement to produce user input to point the second camera in the plurality of pointing directions.
12. A mobile communication device for dual video telephony, the device comprising:
a housing;
a fixed video camera configured to point in a first direction with respect to the housing and to generate a first video signal;
a movable video camera configured to point in a plurality of second directions with respect to the housing and to generate a second video signal; and
a processor configured to process a body movement or a facial movement to generate a command to the moveable video camera to point in a particular direction.
13. The device of claim 12 , further comprising:
a user interface configured to generate signals to control the direction in which the moveable video camera points;
a navigation circle configured to receive input and generate a navigation signal; and
a processor configured to receive the navigation signal and send a command to the movable video camera to point in a particular direction.
14. The device of claim 12 , further comprising:
a processor configured to receive the first video signal and the second video signal and to encode at least one of the first video signal and the second video signal to form an encoded video signal; and
a transceiver configured to transmit the encoded video signal.
15. The device of claim 14 , wherein the processor is configured to multiplex the first video signal and the second video signal to form a combined video signal for transmission by the transceiver.
16. The device of claim 12 wherein the processor is further configured to provide from the first video signal a resultant video signal corresponding to a mirror image of a captured image.