Patent ID: 8717406
Filing Date: 2014-05-06
Classification: H04N

Abstract:
1. A communication method, comprising: transmitting user audio information and user video images among a plurality of video chat capable (VCC) information handling systems (IHSs) in a video chat session, each VCC IHS being responsive to a respective user, each VCC IHS including a respective gaze direction detector; displaying, by each VCC IHS, respective video images of the users of the other VCC IHSs in the video chat session, each VCC IHS also displaying a user video image of the user of that VCC IHS; detecting, by a particular VCC IHS, audio from a user of the particular VCC IHS, thus designating a speaker participant; activating, by the particular VCC IHS, the gaze direction detector thereof to determine the particular user video image at which the speaker participant is currently gazing, thus designating a target participant, other users being designated as passive participants; transmitting, by the particular VCC IHS, speaker participant identification (ID) information and target participant identification (ID) information to other VCC IHSs in the video chat session; displaying, by a display of the particular VCC IHS, the user video image of the target participant at which the speaker participant is gazing as determined by the gaze direction detector, the particular display also displaying the user video image of the speaker participant and user video images of passive participants, wherein the display of the particular VCC IHS displays a speaking participant indicator to visually indicate the speaking participant and a target participant indicator to visually indicate the target participant as determined by the gaze of the speaking participant; receiving, by the other VCC IHSs, the speaker participant (ID) information and target participant (ID) information; and displaying, by a display of one of the other VCC IHSs, the speaking participant indicator in response to receiving the speaker participant (ID) information to indicate the speaking participant to a user of the one of the other VCC IHSs, and that displays the target participant indicator in response to the receiving the target ID information to indicate the target participant to the user of the another IHS as determined by the gaze of the speaking participant, the another display further displaying other user video images as passive participants.