Automatic camera selection

Abstract

Various embodiments enable a video messaging experience which permits the exchange of short video messages in an asynchronous manner. The video messaging experience preserves the video intimacy and experience of synchronous-type video communications, while at the same time provides the convenience of SMS-type message exchange.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A computer-implemented method, executed at a computing device, that selects a camera of the computer device to capture an image, the method comprising:
 prior to capturing an image:
 determining whether a user intends to capture the image to use in a communication session with another user based upon information about an interaction of a user of the computing device with an application, the information about the interaction including a type of the application; and 
 automatically activating, for capturing the image, either a first camera of the computer device or a second camera of the computer device based upon whether the user intends to capture the image to use in the communication session with another user; and 
   capturing the image with the selected camera.   
     
     
         2 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein determining whether the user intends to capture the image to use in the communication session with another user comprises:
 receiving an interaction with a selectable control of a communication application to reply to a communication thread in the communication session with an image or video.   
     
     
         3 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 2 , wherein the communication thread is a video communication thread. 
     
     
         4 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein determining whether the user intends to capture the image to use in the communication session with another user comprises:
 receiving an interaction selecting one or more instant messaging contacts.   
     
     
         5 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein determining whether the user intends to capture the image to use in the communication session with another user comprises:
 receiving input defining an address of the another user in a video message shell.   
     
     
         6 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , further comprising, uploading portions of the captured image to a remote computing device while capturing is still ongoing. 
     
     
         7 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 6 , wherein uploading portions of the captured image to a remote computing device occurs prior to entry of a recipient address in a video message shell. 
     
     
         8 . A computing device, comprising:
 a hardware processor;   a first camera and a second camera;   a memory, the memory storing instructions, which when executed by the hardware processor causes the computing device to perform operations comprising:
 prior to capturing an image:
 determining whether a user intends to capture the image to use in a communication session with another user based upon information about an interaction of a user of the computing device with an application, the information about the interaction including a type of the application; and 
 automatically activating, for capturing the image, either the first camera of the computer device or the second camera of the computer device based upon whether the user intends to capture the image to use in the communication session with another user; and 
 
 capturing the image with the selected camera. 
   
     
     
         9 . The computing device of  claim 8 , wherein the operations of determining whether the user intends to capture the image to use in the communication session with another user comprises:
 receiving an interaction with a selectable control of a communication application to reply to a communication thread in the communication session with an image or video.   
     
     
         10 . The computing device of  claim 9 , wherein the communication thread is a video communication thread. 
     
     
         11 . The computing device of  claim 8 , wherein the operations of determining whether the user intends to capture the image to use in the communication session with another user comprises:
 receiving an interaction selecting one or more instant messaging contacts.   
     
     
         12 . The computing device of  claim 8 , wherein the operations of determining whether the user intends to capture the image to use in the communication session with another user comprises:
 receiving input defining an address of the another user in a video message shell.   
     
     
         13 . The computing device of  claim 8 , wherein the operations further comprise, uploading portions of the captured image to a remote computing device while capturing is still ongoing. 
     
     
         14 . The computing device of  claim 13 , wherein the operations of uploading portions of the captured image to the remote computing device occurs prior to entry of a recipient address in a video message shell. 
     
     
         15 . A machine-readable storage medium, storing instructions, which when executed by a computing device causes the computing device to perform operations comprising:
 prior to capturing an image:
 determining whether a user intends to capture the image to use in a communication session with another user based upon information about an interaction of a user of the computing device with an application, the information about the interaction including a type of the application; and 
 automatically activating, for capturing the image, either a first camera of the computer device or a second camera of the computer device based upon whether the user intends to capture the image to use in the communication session with another user; and 
   capturing the image with the selected camera.   
     
     
         16 . The machine-readable storage medium of  claim 15 , wherein the operations of determining whether the user intends to capture the image to use in the communication session with another user comprises:
 receiving an interaction with a selectable control of a communication application to reply to a communication thread in the communication session with an image or video.   
     
     
         17 . The machine-readable storage medium of  claim 16 , wherein the communication thread is a video communication thread. 
     
     
         18 . The machine-readable storage medium of  claim 15 , wherein the operations of determining whether the user intends to capture the image to use in the communication session with another user comprises:
 receiving an interaction selecting one or more instant messaging contacts.   
     
     
         19 . The machine-readable storage medium of  claim 15 , wherein the operations of determining whether the user intends to capture the image to use in the communication session with another user comprises:
 receiving input defining an address of the another user in a video message shell.   
     
     
         20 . The machine-readable storage medium of  claim 15 , wherein the operations further comprise, uploading portions of the captured image to a remote computing device while capturing is still ongoing.