Mobile Video Calls

Abstract

A mobile device, and a method and computer program product for displaying a streaming video image at the mobile device during a packet based video call via a channel established over a wireless communication network, the method comprising: receiving a speed indication of the mobile device and sending said indication to a communication client application; and responsive to receiving said indication, the communication client application configured to limit the amount of information in the streaming video image that is supplied for display on a display means of the mobile device during the video call when the speed of the mobile device is greater than, or equal to, a first predetermined speed threshold.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of displaying a video image by a communication client application at a mobile device during a video call over a wireless communication network, the method comprising:
 receiving an indication of device state of the mobile device at the communication client;   determining the received indication of the device state meets a first condition; and   responsive to the determining that the first condition is met, limiting an amount of information from a received video signal that is supplied for display on a display of the mobile device during the video call.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 sending the indication of the device state from the mobile device to a remote communication client application executing on a remote device, the sending being effective to enable the remote communication client application to:
 determine if the indication of the device state meets a second condition; and 
 responsive to determining that the second condition is met, limit the amount of information in the video signal at the remote communication client application prior to transmission to the mobile device. 
   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the indication of the device state indicates that the communication client application at the mobile device is executing in a background mode, and wherein the limiting the amount of information at the remote communication client application comprises transmitting only an audio portion of the video call. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the indication of the device state indicates that the mobile device is roaming, and wherein the limiting the amount of information at the remote communication client application comprises reducing a video encoding rate at the remote communication client application. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the indication of the device state of the mobile device includes at least one of: a battery charge state, a type of wireless connection, an execution mode for the communication client application, a roaming communication state, or a travelling mode indication. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 detecting a speed of the mobile device; and   receiving an indication of the detected speed at the communication client application that is conducting the video call on the mobile device.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , further comprising:
 responsive to determining the received indication of the detected speed exceeds a threshold, limiting the amount of information from the received video signal that is supplied for display on the display of the mobile device during the video call.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the indication of the determined speed is used in addition to the indication of the device state to determine to limit the amount of information in the received video signal that is supplied to the display. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , the method further comprising the communication client application:
 receiving a notification of a travelling mode of operation; and   limiting the amount of information from the received video signal that is supplied for display during the travelling mode of operation.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , the method further comprising the communication client application:
 determining, based on the received indication of the device state, to initiate the travelling mode of operation; and   limiting the amount of information from the received video signal that is supplied for display during the travelling mode of operation.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the received indication of device state is an indication of the type of wireless connection. 
     
     
         12 . A user device comprising:
 wireless access circuitry configured to access a wireless communication network;   a video capture device configured to capture video data and output a video signal;   one or more processors, coupled to the wireless access circuitry and the video capture device, configured to execute a communication client application to perform operations comprising:
 conducting a video call with a mobile device via a channel established over the wireless communication network; 
 receiving, via the wireless access circuitry, an indication of a device state of the mobile device, the indication of the device state transmitted over the channel from the mobile device; and 
 responsive to the receiving the indication of the device state, limiting the amount of information from the video signal that is transmitted to the mobile device in the video call. 
   
     
     
         13 . The user device of  claim 12 , wherein the indication of the device state indicates that the communication client application at the mobile device is executing in a background mode. 
     
     
         14 . The user device of  claim 13 , wherein the limiting the amount of information comprises transmitting only an audio portion of the video call. 
     
     
         15 . The user device of  claim 12 , wherein the indication of the device state indicates that the mobile device is roaming, and wherein the limiting the amount of information comprises reducing a video encoding rate at the communication client application. 
     
     
         16 . The user device of  claim 12 , wherein the indication of the device state indicates a wireless connection type at the mobile device. 
     
     
         17 . The user device of  claim 12 , the communication client application to perform operations comprising:
 receiving an indication of a detected speed from the mobile device; and   responsive to receiving the indication of the detected speed, limiting the amount of information from the video signal that is transmitted to the mobile device in the video call.   
     
     
         18 . A mobile device comprising:
 wireless access circuitry configured to access a wireless communication network;   a display;   one or more sensors configured to detect a device state of the mobile device;   a processor, coupled to the wireless access circuitry, the display, and the one or more sensors, configured to execute a communication client application to perform operations comprising:
 conducting a video call with a remote device via a channel established over the wireless communication network; 
 receiving an indication of the detected device state from the one or more sensors; 
 responsive to the receiving the indication, transmitting the indication of the device state to the remote device over the channel; and 
 supplying, to the display, a streaming video image comprising information in a video signal received via the channel without limiting the information supplied to the display. 
   
     
     
         19 . The mobile device of  claim 18 , wherein the indication of device state of the mobile device includes at least one of a battery charge state, a type of wireless connection, an execution mode for the communication client application, a roaming communication state, or a travelling mode indication. 
     
     
         20 . The mobile device of  claim 18 , further comprising:
 a speed detector configured to detect a speed of the mobile device; and   the communication client application configured to perform operations comprising:
 receiving an indication of the detected speed from the speed detector at the communication client application that is conducting the video call on the mobile device; and 
 responsive to the receiving the indication, transmitting the indication of the detected speed to the remote device over the channel, the transmitting the received indication being effective to cause the remote device to limit the amount of information transmitted in the video call.