Patent ID: 7221386
Filing Date: 2007-05-22
Classification: H04N

Abstract:
1. A method for communication between a first location having an object to be viewed and at least one of a plurality of remote clients at a respective location remote from the object to be viewed, the method comprising: providing at the first location a mobile streaming camera, operable by an operator, the mobile streaming camera comprising: providing at the remote location remote from the mobile streaming camera a computing platform for operation by the remote client, the computer platform comprising: connecting the mobile streaming camera at the first location and the computing platform at the remote location through a network; providing a registration server and a directory server on the network; using the registration server and directory server to enable a connection between the mobile streaming camera at the first location and the computer device at the second location in the event that name and password information confirm their identities; using the registration server and directory server to obtain address information and presence information about the plurality of remote clients necessary to establish connections with them; operating the camera module to obtain video images of the object to be viewed; causing the processing subsystem of the mobile streaming camera to receive the video images from the camera module and the first audio signal and the second audio signal and to compress the video, first audio signal and second audio signal; causing the processing subsystem of the mobile streaming camera to provide communications protocols and communicating the video and first and second audio signals for transmission in real time to the network; causing the processing subsystem of the mobile streaming camera to communicate the first audio signal independently from the second audio signal the network; causing the processing subsystem of the mobile streaming camera to provide a full duplex telephony speaker phone capability, utilizing echo cancellation for the first audio signal; causing the processing subsystem of the mobile streaming camera to receive from the network compressed video and audio signals and to decompress the signals for, in real time, display of the video signals on the display and output of the audio signals to the operator; causing the processing subsystem of the mobile streaming camera to display the drawn images by the operator on the video display of the mobile streaming camera; drawing images on top of the video being displayed on the video display; causing the processing subsystem of the mobile streaming camera to transmit the drawn images from the touch panel on the network to the Remote Client; causing the processing subsystem of the mobile streaming camera to store video from the camera module to the memory device; causing the processing subsystem of the mobile streaming camera to retrieve video stored on the memory device and to stream the stored video over the network to the Remote Client; causing the processing subsystem of the mobile streaming camera to receive and display video signals on the display and output the audio to the operator from the network so as to play streamed content from the Remote Client, causing the processing subsystem of the remote client to receive compressed video, first and second audio signals from the mobile streaming camera through the network for decompression and output in real time on the display and the audio output; causing the processing subsystem of the remote client to provide communications protocols for communication of audio signals for transmission in real time to the network; and causing the processing subsystem of the remote client to display on the video display of the remote client the drawn images received on the network from the mobile streaming camera in association with the video signals.