Method and apparatus for video communication

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9094884-B2
Application number	US-91588110-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 29, 2010
Priority date	Oct 30, 2009
Publication date	Jul 28, 2015
Grant date	Jul 28, 2015

Abstract

Disclosed is a method for changing a communication network for video communication, the method including performing, by a User Equipment (UE), video communication through a mobile communication network; searching for whether there is a WLAN currently accessible by the UE at every predetermined interval; displaying the accessible WLAN if one is found; and when the displayed WLAN is selected by a user, changing a communication network for the video communication to perform the video communication through the selected WLAN.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for changing a communication network for communication in a mobile device, the method comprising the steps of:
performing, by a mobile communication unit, communication through a mobile communication network;
searching, by a control unit, for whether there is at least one wireless network accessible by the mobile device, while performing the communication through the mobile communication network;
displaying, by a display unit, the at least one accessible wireless network if the at least one accessible wireless network is found as a result of the search while simultaneously displaying video from the communication being performed through the mobile communication network; and
changing, by the control unit, if the displayed wireless network is selected by a user, a communication network for the communication to perform the communication through the selected wireless network.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein searching for whether there is at least one wireless network accessible by the mobile device comprises searching, by the control unit, for whether there is at least one wireless network currently accessible by the mobile device at every predetermined interval.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein searching for whether there is at least one wireless network accessible by the mobile device comprises identifying, by the control unit location information of the mobile device, and searching, by the control unit for whether there is at least one accessible wireless network if the mobile device is located in a preset area.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein searching for whether there is at least one wireless network accessible by the mobile device comprises searching, by the control unit, for whether there is an AP which the mobile device as accessed before.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein displaying the at least one accessible wireless network if one is found comprises displaying, by the display unit, a user interface for enabling the user to select a desired wireless network or Access Point (AP) among a plurality of accessible wireless networks if there is a plurality of accessible wireless networks.

6. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein changing a communication network for the communication to perform the communication through the selected wireless network comprises:
receiving, by the control unit, an Internet Protocol (IP) for performing communication through the wireless network, the IP being allocated from an AP;
performing, by the control unit, a change operation to transmit/receive communication data, which the mobile device has transmitted/received through the mobile communication network, through the selected wireless network;
performing, by the control unit, a setup operation to transfer data for the communication from the wireless network to the mobile communication network via the Internet, and transfer the data for the communication to a counterpart mobile device performing the communication; and
performing, by the control unit, a setup operation to receive data for the communication of the counterpart mobile device, which performs the communication, through the selected wireless network via the Internet from the mobile communication network.

7. The method as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising:
performing, by the mobile communication unit, communication through the wireless network;
measuring, by the control unit, a Received Signal Strength Indication (RSSI) of a signal through the wireless network, which the mobile device has accessed, at every predetermined interval;
displaying, by the display unit, a mobile communication network accessible by the mobile device if the measured RSSI is less than a preset value; and
changing, by the control unit, if the displayed mobile communication network is selected by a user, a communication network for communication to perform the communication through the selected mobile communication network.

8. The method as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising:
determining, by the control unit, whether the mobile device receives an input for a communication device change;
searching, by the control unit, for a communication-capable device upon receipt of the input for the communication device change;
displaying, by the display unit, the communication-capable device when the communication-capable device exists; and
changing, by the control unit, if the displayed communication-capable device is selected, changing a communication device to perform the communication through the selected device.

9. The method as claimed in claim 8 , wherein searching for a communication-capable device comprises determining, by the control unit, whether there is a preset device which enables communication through the mobile communication network.

10. The method as claimed in claim 8 , wherein changing a communication device comprises:
allocating, by the control unit, an Internet Protocol (IP) to the selected device to perform communication and transmitting, by the control unit, data for performing current communication through an Access Point (API) to the selected device to perform communication, wherein the selected device is communicating through a wireless network.

11. The method as claimed in claim 8 , wherein, changing a communication device comprises:
transmitting, by the control unit, communication data through the home network to the selected device to perform communication, wherein the selected device is connected with the mobile device through a home network.

12. A mobile device for changing a communication network for communication, the mobile device comprising:
a mobile communication unit configured to perform wireless communication through a mobile communication network;
a display unit configured to output various display data generated in the mobile device;
an input unit configured to receive an input from a user;
a camera unit configured to photograph an image in real-time during the communication, the camera unit including a camera;
a storage unit configured to store various information required for controlling an operation of the mobile device; and
a control unit configured to control a general operation of the mobile device, searching for whether there is at least one accessible wireless network during communication through the mobile communication network, displaying, on the display unit, the at least one accessible wireless network, if the at least one accessible wireless network is found as a result of the search while simultaneously displaying video from the communication being performed through the mobile communication network to change a communication network for the communication, if the displayed wireless network is selected by the user, to perform the communication through the selected wireless network.

13. The mobile device as claimed in claim 12 , wherein
the control unit is further configured to search for whether there is at least one accessible wireless network currently at said every predetermined interval.

14. The mobile device as claimed in claim 12 , wherein
the control unit is further configured to search for whether there is at least one accessible wireless network when the mobile device is located in a preset area.

15. The mobile device as claimed in claim 12 , wherein
the control unit is further configured to search for whether there is an AP which the mobile device has accessed before.

16. The mobile device as claimed in claim 12 , wherein
the control unit is further configured to display a user interface for enabling

Assignees

• Cho Hyung-Rae
• Kim Sun-Ae
• Kwahk Ji-Young
• Oh Hyun-Joo
• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Cho Hyung-Rae
• Kim Sun-Ae
• Kwahk Ji-Young
• Oh Hyun-Joo

Classifications

• H04W72/51

  based on terminal or device properties · CPC title

• H04W72/542

  using measured or perceived quality · CPC title

• H04W76/25

  Maintenance of established connections · CPC title

• H04W84/12

  WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks] · CPC title

• H04L65/60

  Network streaming of media packets · CPC title