METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR VoIP VIDEO COMMUNICATION

Abstract

In a Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) video communication method and apparatus, first and second VoIP-based terminals store video event indexes and images mapped thereto with respect to state information of a user and terminal, and establish a session using session establishment information defining the video event. The first terminal then transmits a data packet including the video event index, and the second terminal receives the data packet and outputs an image mapped to the video event index of the images stored in advance. Thus, by transmitting and receiving a predefined index alone without transmitting user and terminal states as a real time data-type image, the VoIP video communication method and apparatus prevent unnecessary waste of bandwidth in video communication.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method comprising:
 establishing, at a first device, a communication session with a second device; and   transmitting, from the first device to the second device, an index corresponding to an image associated with the communication session, at least in part in response to an event occurring in relation to the first device.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the image is one of stored in the second device and transmitted with the index to the second device, the second device presenting the image. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the transmitting comprises:
 selecting the index from a plurality of indexes, based at least in part on the event, wherein the event is determined at least in part by one of device state detection and user selection from a user interface.   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the event comprises at least one of:
 a screen blank event, a screen standby event, a user-defined screen blank event, a user-defined screen standby event, a camera failure event, a transmission error event, and a reception error event.   
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the communication session is at least one of a voice-over-IP (“VoIP”) session, a H.323 session or a Megaco session. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the transmitting comprises:
 transmitting, from the first device to the second device, control information indicating displaying of the image at the second device is one of started, maintained and ended based at least in part on the control information.   
     
     
         7 . The apparatus of the  claim 1 , wherein the image comprises at least one of a still picture, a moving picture and a video. 
     
     
         8 . A method comprising:
 establishing, at a first device, a communication session with a second device;   receiving, at the first device, an index corresponding to an event occurring in relation with the second device;   determining an image to present to a user of the first device based at least in part on the index; and   presenting to the user, via a display operatively coupled to the first device, the image, in relation to the communication session.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the image is one of stored in the first device and received with the index transmitted from the second device. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the event comprises at least one of:
 a screen blank event, a screen standby event, a user-defined screen blank event, a user-defined screen standby event, a camera failure event, a transmission error event, and a reception error event.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the communication session is at least one of a voice-over-IP (“VoIP”) session, a H.232 session and a Megaco session. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the receiving of the index comprises:
 receiving, at the first device, control information in relation with the image.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the presenting comprises:
 presenting to the user, via a display operatively coupled to the first device, the image being on of started, maintained and ended, based at least in part on the control information.   
     
     
         14 . The method of the  claim 8 , wherein the image comprises at least one of a still picture, a moving picture and a video. 
     
     
         15 . An apparatus comprising:
 a session establishment unit configured to establish a communication session with another device;   a controller configured to detect an event occurred in relation with the apparatus;   a transmission module configured to transmit an index corresponding to an image associated with the communication session, at least in part in response to the event, to the other device.   
     
     
         16 . The apparatus of the  claim 15 , wherein the image is one of stored in the other device and transmitted with the index to the other device, the other device presents the image. 
     
     
         17 . The apparatus of the  claim 15 , wherein the event comprises at least one of:
 a screen blank event, a screen standby event, a user-defined screen blank event, a user-defined screen standby event, a camera failure event, a transmission error event, and a reception error event.   
     
     
         18 . The apparatus of the  claim 15 , wherein the session establishment unit establishes the communication session with at least one of a voice-over-IP (“VoIP”) session, a H.323 session and a Megaco session. 
     
     
         19 . The apparatus of the  claim 15 , wherein the transmission module transmits control information to indicate displaying of the image at the other device is one of started, maintained and ended based at least in part on the control information. 
     
     
         20 . The apparatus of the  claim 15 , wherein the image comprises at least one of a still picture, a moving picture and a video.