System and method for video communication on mobile devices

Abstract

A video teleconferencing system which allows a mobile device to conduct teleconferences over fixed and mobile packet networks with end points with other mobile devices or a personal computer. The mobile device includes a user interface that displays a video image associated with a first participant. A selectable user interface element corresponding to a second participant video image may be displayed on the user interface and in response to selection of the selectable user interface element, a video image associated with the second participant may be displayed.

1 . A non-transitory computer-readable medium having executable computer-readable program code embodied therein, the executable computer-readable program code for implementing a method for communication, the method comprising:
 establishing a video conference over a wireless communications network between a first participant using a mobile communication device and at least one other participant, the at least one other participant not including the first participant and a second participant;   causing display of, on a user interface of the mobile communication device, a video image associated with the first participant; and   causing display of, on the user interface of the mobile communication device, a first selectable user interface element, wherein selection of the first selectable user interface element during the video conference causes the user interface of the mobile communication device to display a second selectable user interface element corresponding to the second participant,   wherein selection of the second selectable user interface element during the video conference causes a video conference request to be transmitted to the second participant, wherein in response to the video conference request being accepted by the second participant, the user interface of the mobile communication device displays a video image associated with the second participant on the user interface of the mobile communication device and does not display a video image associated with the first participant or the least one other participant.   
     
     
         2 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 1  wherein the second selectable user interface element comprises a thumbnail image associated with the second participant. 
     
     
         3 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 2  wherein the thumbnail image of the second participant is periodically updated with images associated with the video image associated with the second participant. 
     
     
         4 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 1  wherein the mobile communication device receives, from a server, video data packets decodes the received data packets to display on the user interface of the mobile communication device video images associated with the received data packets. 
     
     
         5 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 1  wherein the video image associated with the first participant is captured at a second mobile communication device and the video image associated with the second participant is captured at a third mobile communication device. 
     
     
         6 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 1  wherein the user interface of the mobile communication device does not display the video image associated with the first participant and the least one other participant. 
     
     
         7 . A method for communication between a server and one or more mobile communication devices, the method comprising:
 establishing a communication link for a video conference over a wireless communications network between a server, a first mobile communication device, a second communication device and a third communication device;   transmitting to the first mobile communication device participating in the video conference a video image associated with a first participant;   receiving at the server a request for transmission of a video image associated with a second participant;   transmitting to the first mobile communication device the video image associated with the second participant in response to receiving at the server the request for transmission of the video image associated with the second participant;   causing a user interface of the first mobile communication device to display the video image associated with the first participant;   causing the user interface of the first mobile communication device to display a first selectable user interface element wherein selection of the first selectable user interface element causes the user interface of the first mobile communication device to display a second selectable user interface element corresponding to a video image associated with a second participant;   transmitting to the first mobile communication device the video image associated with the second participant in response to selection of the second selectable user interface element;   causing the user interface of the first mobile communication device to display the video image associated with the second participant, and not display the video image associated with the first participant or a third participant.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7  wherein the second selectable user interface element is a thumbnail image of the second participant. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8  wherein the thumbnail image of the second participant is periodically updated with images associated with the second participant. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 7  wherein the server receives the video image associated with the first participant from the second communication device and receives the video image associated with the second participant from the third communication device. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 7  wherein the second communication device and the third communication device are mobile communication devices. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 7  further comprising the step of stopping transmission to the first mobile communication device of the video image associated with the first participant when the server receives a request for transmission of the video image associated with the second participant from the first mobile communication device. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 7  wherein the wireless communications network comprises at least one of 3G, 4G, and Wi-Fi networks. 
     
     
         14 . A non-transitory computer-readable medium having executable computer-readable program code embodied therein, the executable computer-readable program code for implementing a method for communication, the method comprising:
 establishing a video conference over a wireless communications network between a first participant using a mobile communication device and at least one other participant, the at least one other participant not including the first participant and a second participant;   displaying on a user interface of the mobile communication device a video image associated with the first participant; and   displaying on the user interface of the mobile communication device a first selectable user interface element wherein selection of the first selectable user interface element causes the user interface of the mobile communication device to display a second selectable user interface element corresponding to the second participant;   wherein selection of the second selectable user interface element causes a video conference request to be transmitted to the second participant, wherein in response to the video conference request being accepted by the second participant, the user interface of the mobile communication device displays a video image associated with the second participant on the user interface of the mobile communication device and does not display a video image associated with the first participant or the at least one other participant.   
     
     
         15 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 14  wherein the second selectable user interface element is a thumbnail image of the second participant. 
     
     
         16 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 15  wherein the thumbnail image of the second participant is periodically updated with images associated with the second participant video image associated with the second participant. 
     
     
         17 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 14  wherein a server receives the video image associated with the first participant from the communication device and receives the video image associated with the second participant from the third communication device. 
     
     
         18 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 14  wherein the user interface of the mobile communication device does not display the video image associated with the first participant and the least one other participant. 
     
     
         19 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 14  wherein the wireless communications network comprises at least one of 3G, 4G, and Wi-Fi networks. 
     
     
         20 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 14  wherein establishing a video conference over a wireless communications network comprises establishing a video conference over at least two wireless communications networks.