Granted Patent B2

US 9,473,738 · App. 14/660,683 · Granted Oct 18, 2016

Abstract

Claims (40)

1. A video endpoint configured to enable an audibly impaired user to participate in a video communication session, the video endpoint comprising:

one or more communication elements configured to:

communicate with a remote video relay service configured to establish a video communication session with a far-end communication endpoint and provide translation services during the video communication session; and

receive, through a local network, commands corresponding to functions of the video endpoint from a mobile electronic device located at a same near-end location as the video endpoint responsive to a user of the video endpoint interacting with a remote control interface of the mobile electronic device;

an image capturing device configured to capture video images for transmission to the video relay service during the video communication session, and

control circuitry operably coupled with the one or more communication elements and the image capturing device, and configured to execute the functions of the video endpoint that correspond to the commands responsive to receiving the commands from the mobile electronic device, wherein the functions include in-call functions for controlling the video endpoint during the video communication session including at least one video capture function selected from the group consisting of pan adjustment, zoom adjustment, saturation adjustment, focus adjustment, brightness adjusting, color adjustment, activation of the image capturing device, and deactivation of the image capturing device.

2. The video endpoint of claim 1 , further comprising a video display device operably coupled with the control circuitry, wherein the in-call functions further include video display functions.

3. The video endpoint of claim 2 , wherein the video display functions include at least one video display function selected from the group consisting of pan adjustment, zoom adjustment, saturation adjustment, brightness adjustment, and color adjustment for video displayed on the video display device during the video communication session.

4. The video endpoint of claim 1 , wherein the control circuitry is configured to provide a user interface configured to enable the user to control at least a portion of the functions of the video endpoint.

5. The video endpoint of claim 1 , wherein the in-call functions further include transmitting text from the video endpoint to the far-end communication endpoint during the video communication session with the far-end communication endpoint.

6. The video endpoint of claim 1 , wherein the in-call functions further include storing text in system data storage device of the video endpoint that can later be transmitted to the far-end communication endpoint during a later video communication session with the far-end communication endpoint.

7. The video endpoint of claim 1 , wherein the control circuitry is further configured to enable the user to participate in text-captioning communication sessions.

8. The video endpoint of claim 1 , wherein the in-call functions further include transmitting a request for communication assistance to the video relay service during the communication session.

9. The video endpoint of claim 1 , wherein the functions further include at least one of presenting and editing a contacts list associated with the video endpoint.

10. A method of operating a video endpoint configured to enable an audibly impaired user of the video endpoint to participate in communication sessions, the method comprising:

communicating with a remote video relay service for establishing a communication session with a far-end communication endpoint the video relay service providing translation service for the audibly-impaired user during the communication session;

capturing video images using an image capturing device of the video endpoint and transmitting the video images to the remove video relay service during the communication session;

communicating with a mobile electronic device in a same near-end location as the video endpoint through a local network during the communication session;

receiving commands from the mobile electronic device responsive to the audibly-impaired user of the video endpoint interacting with a remote control interface of the mobile electronic device, the commands corresponding to functions of the video endpoint; and

performing the functions corresponding to the commands from the mobile electronic device responsive to receiving the commands, wherein the functions include in-call functions for controlling the video endpoint during the communication session including at least one video capture function selected from the group consisting of pan adjustment, zoom adjustment, saturation adjustment, focus adjustment, brightness adjustment, color adjustment, activation of the image capturing device, and deactivation of the image capturing device.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein performing the functions responsive to receiving the commands comprises presenting information received from a third-party software tool executable from computer-readable instructions stored in system data storage device through an application program interface.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein presenting the information received from the third-party software tool comprises presenting social media information received from a social media website.

13. A video phone configured to enable an audibly impaired user to participate in video communication sessions, the video phone comprising:

video equipment configured to enable video, communication during the video communication sessions,

one or more communication elements configured to:

transmit and receive video communications to and from a remote video relay service configured to provide translation services for translating the video communications from the video phone to voice communications to enable the audibly impaired user of the video phone to participate in video communication sessions with audibly capable users of audio endpoints; and

receive, through a wireless connection with a mobile electronic device located at a same near-end location as the video phone, commands corresponding to in-call functions of the video phone responsive to a user of the video phone interacting with a remote control graphical user interface of the mobile electronic device; and

control circuitry operably coupled with the video equipment and the one or more communication elements, the control circuitry configured to execute the in-call functions of the video endpoint during the video communication session, wherein the in-call functions for controlling the video endpoint during the communication session including at least one video capture function of the video equipment selected from the group consisting of pan adjustment, zoom adjustment, saturation adjustment, focus adjustment, brightness adjustment, color adjustment, activation of video equipment, and deactivation of the video equipment.

14. The video phone of claim 13 , wherein the wireless connection includes at least one of a local area network connection or a line of sight connection.

15. The video phone of claim 14 , wherein the line of sight connection includes at least one of a Bluetooth connection, a Zigbee connection, an infrared connection, an RF connection, an optical connection, a light connection, or a millimeter wave connection.

16. A video communication system comprising:

a video relay service configured to provide sign language interpretive services during communication sessions between audibly-impaired users and audibly-capable users; and

at least one video communication device and a mobile electronic device associated with at least one audibly-impaired user, wherein:

the mobile electronic device is configured to transmit commands to the at least one video communication device during an established communication session between the at least one video communication device, the video relay service, and a far-end communication device associated with an audibly-capable user; and

the at least one video communication device is configured to execute in-call functions for controlling the at least one video communication device during the established communication session responsive to receiving commands from the mobile electronic device, wherein the in-call functions for controlling the at least one video communication device during the established communication session including at least one video capture function selected from the group consisting of pan adjustment, zoom adjustment, saturation adjustment, focus adjustment, brightness adjustment, color adjustment, activation of the image capturing device, and deactivation of an image capturing device of the at least one video communication device.

17. The video communication system of claim 16 , wherein the mobile electronic device is selected from the group consisting of a smart phone, a tablet computer, and a laptop computer.

18. The video communication system of claim 16 , wherein the mobile electronic device includes a software application stored thereon as computer-readable instructions in system data storage device that, when executed by a processor of the mobile electronic device, enables the user to input the commands through a touchscreen interface of the mobile electronic device.

19. The video communication system of claim 18 , wherein the software application is configured to access information from at least one third party software application stored as computer-readable instructions on the mobile electronic device.

20. The video communication system of claim 19 , wherein the mobile electronic device is further configured to send the information from the at least one third party software application to the at least one video communication device with at least one audibly-impaired user.

21. The video communication system of claim 16 , wherein the mobile electronic device is further configured to enable control of different functions thereof that are controllable from the mobile electronic device depending on a different user operating the video communication device.

Assignments (15)