Handheld video transmission and display
A handheld, wireless video receiver that receives compressed video, decompresses the compressed video, displays the decompressed video. The receiver is part of a system comprising methods, medium, and handheld, wireless devices which compress, enhance, encode, transmit, decompress and display digital video images in real time. Real time wireless videoconferences connect multiple handheld video devices. Real time compression is achieved by sub-sampling each frame of a video signal, filtering the pixel values, and encoding. Real time transmission is achieved due to high levels of effective compression. Real time decompression is achieved by decoding and decompressing the encoded data to display high quality images. The receiver can alter various setting including but not limited to the format for the compression, image size, frame rate, brightness and contrast. A zoom control can be used select a portion of interest of video being transmitted or being played back. The receiver may also have a touch sensitive display screen providing controls for video display and mobile telephone operation.
1 - 25 . (canceled)
26 . A handheld video receiver, in a system for transmission and display of video and other media, the system comprising a digital network, a global media exchange and a plurality of devices, each connected to the digital network, wherein at least one device is capable of transmitting a plurality of compressed video frames which make up a video stream, said handheld video receiver comprising:
a) a color display having a predetermined display width and display height and having a touch screen for receiving input from a user, wherein the display width is greater than or equal to 320 pixels and the display height is greater than or equal to 480 pixels,
b) an audio output,
c) a program memory, for storing computer programs,
d) a processor, for executing computer programs from the program memory,
e) a data memory, for storing data,
f) a user interface on the touch screen comprising controls for interfacing with the executing computer programs, the controls comprising:
i) a zoom interface for issuing zoom in, zoom out, and pan commands, wherein the magnification and position of the portion of the displayed media are changed in response to one or more of the zoom in, zoom out, and pan commands, and
ii) mobile telephone controls for entering numeric telephone numbers and for controlling mobile telephone calls,
g) a wireless network interface for connecting to the digital network via wireless a communications channel, wherein the handheld video receiver maintains connection to the digital network when being moved from one location to another location or while being freely carried by the user and wherein mobile telephone calls are transmitted via the wireless network interface,
h) a wired network interface for connecting to the digital network via a wired communications channel,
i) a decompressor, cooperating with the processor,
j) a video camera for capturing images in real-time,
k) a microphone for capturing an audio portion in real-time, and
l) a compressor configured to compress captured images,
wherein the handheld video receiver has a weight of less than about six ounces,
wherein the handheld device has physical dimension allowing it to be held substantially in one hand of the user,
wherein the user interface is operated by one or more fingers of another hand of the user,
wherein each of the communications channels from the digital network to the handheld video receiever has a predetermined bandwidth such that the maximum sustainable bandwidth measured in millions of bits per second,
wherein the compressed video frames are received over one of the communications channel,
wherein the decompressor decompresses the compressed video frames in real time,
wherein the video stream is stored in a video file,
wherein the data memory is configured to store a plurality of video files,
wherein at least a portion of the decompressed video frames is displayed on the color display in real time,
wherein the audio portion plays on the audio output,
wherein the compressed captured images are transmitted over the network from the handheld video receiver to one of the other devices connected to the network,
wherein the computer programs further comprise programs for receiving and displaying still graphic images and text downloaded from the network, and
wherein the handheld video receiver receives one or more video files from the global media exchange after the user agrees to pay a license fee determined by interaction of the user with the global media exchange over the digital network,
whereby a rights holder of the one or more video files is compensated for the use of the downloaded video files,
whereby user enters commands via the touch screen to play back any of the stored video files, and
whereby the video is displayed while the user carries the handheld video receiver.
27 . A handheld video receiver, in a system for transmission and display of video and other media, the system comprising a digital network, a plurality of devices, each connected to the digital network, wherein at least one device is capable of transmitting a plurality of compressed video frames which make up a video stream, said handheld video receiver comprising:
a) a color display having a predetermined display width and display height and having a touch screen for receiving input from a user,
b) an audio output,
c) a program memory, for storing computer programs,
d) a processor, for executing computer programs from the program memory,
e) a data memory, for storing data,
f) a user interface on the touch screen comprising controls for interfacing with the executing computer programs, the controls comprising:
i) a zoom interface for issuing zoom in, zoom out, and pan commands, and
ii) mobile telephone controls for entering numeric telephone numbers and for controlling mobile telephone calls,
g) a wireless network interface for connecting to the digital network via a communications channel, and
h) a decompressor, cooperating with the processor,
wherein the handheld device has physical dimension allowing it to be held substantially in one hand of the user,
wherein the user interface is operated by one or more fingers of another hand of the user,
wherein the communications channel from the digital network to the handheld video receiever has a predetermined bandwidth such that there is a maximum sustainable bandwidth,
wherein the compressed video frames are received over the communications channel,
wherein the decompressor decompresses the compressed video frames in real time,
wherein at least a portion of the decompressed video frames is displayed on the color display in real time, and
wherein the audio portion plays on the audio output, whereby the video is displayed while the user carries the handheld video receiver.
28 . The handheld video receiver of claim 27 ,
wherein the display height is greater than or equal to 480 pixels.
29 . The handheld video receiver of claim 27 ,
wherein the display width is greater than or equal to 320 pixels.
30 . The handheld video receiver of claim 27 ,
wherein the display width is less than or equal to 640 pixels.
31 . The handheld video receiver of claim 27 ,
wherein the handheld video receiver has a weight of less than about five ounces.
32 . The handheld video receiver of claim 27 ,
wherein the maximum sustainable bandwidth measured in millions of bits per second.
33 . The handheld video receiver of claim 27 ,
wherein the maximum sustainable bandwidth is less than 10 million bits per second.
34 . The handheld video receiver of claim 27 ,
wherein the magnification and position of the portion of the displayed media are changed in response to one or more of the zoom in, zoom out, and pan commands.
35 . The handheld video receiver of claim 27 ,
wherein the video stream is pre-recorded in a video file and the transmission is a file transfer,
wherein the data memory is configured to store a plurality of pre-recorded video files,
whereby user enters commands via the touch screen to play back any of the stored video files.
36 . The handheld video receiver of claim 27 ,
wherein the video stream is pre-recorded in a video file and the transmission is real-time streaming, and
wherein the video stream is decompressed in real time as the video stream is received,
whereby the video is displayed in real time while the user carries the handheld video receiver.
37 . The handheld video receiver of claim 27 ,
wherein the video stream is live and the transmission is live streaming,
wherein the video stream is decompressed in real time as the video stream is received, and,
wherein the decompressed video is displayed live while the user carries the handheld video receiver.
38 . The handheld video receiver of claim 27 ,
wherein the controls further comprises commands relating to video quality and transmission,
wherein the handheld video receiver dynamically interprets control commands entered by the user via the touch screen,
whereby the user of the receiver views the optimum quality live video.
39 . The handheld video receiver of claim 27 ,
wherein the data memory comprises a hard disk drive,
wherein the video stream is stored on the hard disk drive as a video file, and
wherein the video file stored on the hard disk drive is played back.
40 . The handheld video receiver of claim 27 , further comprising:
a) a video camera for capturing the video frames in real-time,
b) a microphone for capturing an audio portion in real-time, and
c) a compressor configured to compress the video in real-time as the video is captured by the video camera,
wherein the captured video and audio portion are compressed in real-time.
41 . The handheld video receiver of claim 40 ,
wherein the data memory comprises a hard disk drive, and
wherein the compressed video is stored on the hard disk drive.
42 . The handheld video receiver of claim 40 ,
wherein the compressed video is transmitted over the network from the handheld video receiver to one of the other devices connected to the network.
43 . The handheld video receiver of claim 27 , further comprising a wired network interface for connecting to the digital network via a wired communications channel,
wherein video stream is transferred over the wired communication channel.
44 . The handheld video receiver of claim 27 ,
wherein video stream is transferred via the wireless network interface,
wherein the handheld video receiver maintains connection to the digital network when being moved from one location to another location or while being freely carried by the user,
whereby the processing of the video continues when the handheld video receiver is being moved from one location to another location or while being carried by the user.
45 . The handheld video receiver of claim 27 ,
wherein the wireless network interface is a wireless mobile telephone network interface, and
wherein mobile telephone calls and the video stream are transmitted via the wireless mobile telephone network interface.
46 . The handheld video receiver of claim 27 ,
wherein the system further comprises a global media exchange, said global media exchange connected to the digital network,
wherein the video stream is pre-recorded in a video file,
wherein the handheld video receiver receives one or more pre-recorded video files from the global media exchange after the user agrees to pay a license fee determined by interaction of the user with the global media exchange over the digital network,
whereby a rights holder of the downloaded video files is compensated for the use of the downloaded video files.
47 . The handheld video receiver of claim 27 wherein the video stream is compresssed using a color lossless compression method.
48 . The handheld video receiver of claim 27 , further comprising a battery with a limited battery life,
wherein the processor is less powerful than the processors typically found in non-handheld devices,
wherein the processor and decompressor cooperate to decompress each of the video frames in a single pass,
whereby the processor speed requirements are reduced and the battery life is extended while maintaining high quality video with optimal effective compression ratios.
49 . The handheld video receiver of claim 27 , wherein the digtial network of the system is the Internet, and
wherein the computer programs further comprise programs for receiving and displaying still graphic images and text downloaded from the network.
50 . A method of exchanging digital video files between a global media exchange and a handheld video receiver, comprising the steps of:
a) capturing real-time, full-frame, full-color video from a video input device,
b) digitizing the captured video,
c) compressing the digital video with a compressor configured to preserve the level of spatial quality and motion quality of the compressed video that the handheld video receiver is capable of displaying,
d) storing the compressed video in a data memory in a device in communication with a digital network,
e) transferring the compressed video to the global media exchange via the network,
f) downloading the compressed video from the global media exchange via the network to the handheld video receiver after a user of the handheld video receiver agrees to pay a fee for use of the downloaded video,
g) storing the downloaded video in a data memory of handheld video receiver,
h) decompressing the downloaded video to a format that is optimal for display on a touch screen display on the handheld video receiver,
i) displaying at least a portion of the decompressed video on the display,
j) playing an audio portion of the decompressed video on an audio output of the handheld video receiver,
whereby the user downloads and plays back video from the global media exchange.