MULTIMEDIA COORDINATION SYSTEM
First Claim
1. A method for dynamically controlling multiple channels of data in a multi-user collaborative system having a central server connected to a plurality of client workstations over a network, comprising the steps of:
- displaying at each client workstation a view on a room object stored in an object database on the central server, the room object being associated with a first channel stored in the object database;
providing, at each client workstation, visual identification of each user object located in a virtual room, each pair of user objects located in the virtual room having associated therewith a whisper channel;
initiating, at a first client workstation, broadcast of data to each user object located in the virtual room by selecting a first interface element displayed at the first client workstation, the first interface element being associated with the room object and directing data to the first channel; and
interrupting, at the first client workstation, broadcast of data transmitted over the first channel by selecting a second interface element displayed at the first client workstation, the second interface element being associated with a user object at a second client workstation, said interrupting step initiating broadcast of data at the first client workstation to the whisper channel associated with the user object at the second client workstation.
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Accused Products
Abstract
In a network, a media coordination system provides secure multimedia communication channels in a collaborative network environment. The media coordination system provides automatic encryption, dynamic interconnection of streams of data, and user interface elements that provide users with control over the ultimate destination of their audio and video data. The infrastructure of the system includes a plurality of client workstations that are connected to a central server using point-to-point network connections. The central server maintains a persistent virtual world of network places with objects located therein. Streams of audio and video data are coordinated between client workstations operating in the persistent virtual world by a key manager object using channels, transmitters, and receivers. The client workstations multicast their audio and video data over the network to defined recipients after receiving a multicast address and an encryption key for a specific multicast channel. In order to protect the privacy of all communications and the integrity of the coordination system, each client workstation retains significant control over distribution and reception of audio and video data since multicast transmission is tied to specific user interface elements. The multimedia user interface elements include cameras, speakers, microphones, and video panes. Since the central server only coordinates where audio and video data is broadcast for a particular interface element, each client workstation ultimately controls the destination of multimedia data through selection of the element at the user interface.
209 Citations
30 Claims
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1. A method for dynamically controlling multiple channels of data in a multi-user collaborative system having a central server connected to a plurality of client workstations over a network, comprising the steps of:
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displaying at each client workstation a view on a room object stored in an object database on the central server, the room object being associated with a first channel stored in the object database;
providing, at each client workstation, visual identification of each user object located in a virtual room, each pair of user objects located in the virtual room having associated therewith a whisper channel;
initiating, at a first client workstation, broadcast of data to each user object located in the virtual room by selecting a first interface element displayed at the first client workstation, the first interface element being associated with the room object and directing data to the first channel; and
interrupting, at the first client workstation, broadcast of data transmitted over the first channel by selecting a second interface element displayed at the first client workstation, the second interface element being associated with a user object at a second client workstation, said interrupting step initiating broadcast of data at the first client workstation to the whisper channel associated with the user object at the second client workstation. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. In a network interconnecting a central server and a plurality of client workstations adapted to sending and receiving data, a method for coordinating communication of data between each of the plurality of client workstations, comprising the steps of:
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associating a first client workstation with a device, the device providing multimedia input at first client workstation;
defining a first transmitter in a memory of the central server for transmitting data from the device over a first channel;
defining a first receiver in the memory of the central server for receiving audio signals over the first channel at a second client workstation;
providing a first encryption key to the first client workstation and the second client workstation to provide secure communication of data over the first channel;
defining, subsequent to said providing step, a second receiver in the memory of the server for receiving audio signals over the first channel at a third client workstation; and
altering, in response to said defining step, the first encryption key provided to the first client workstation and the second client workstation, said altering step providing a second encryption key to the first client workstation, the second client workstation, and the third client workstation for communication of data over the first channel so that communication broadcast over the first channel is secure. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A method of coordinating multicast audio data between a plurality of client workstations connected over a network, each client workstation having a point to point connection with a central server, comprising the steps of:
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displaying a communicator at a client workstation, the communicator providing a first user interface element to direct audio data from an audio device at the client workstation to a first set of client workstations and a second user interface element to direct audio data from the audio device to a second set of client workstations, the second set of client workstations being a sub-set of the first set of client workstations;
defining, in a memory of the central server, a public channel for transmission of audio data to the first set of client workstations and a private channel for transmission of audio data to the second set of client workstations;
receiving, at the central server, a first user signal from the communicator at the client workstation to direct audio data from the audio device to the public channel;
providing with the central server, in response to the first user signal, a first encryption key to the client workstation, the first encryption key enabling transmission of audio data between the client workstation and the first set of client workstations over the public channel;
receiving, at the central server, a second user signal from the communicator at the client workstation to direct audio data from the audio device to the private channel;
providing with the central server, in response to the second user signal, a second encryption key to the client workstation, the second encryption key enabling transmission of audio data between the client workstation and the second set of client workstations over the private channel; and
toggling, at the client workstation, between the first encryption key and the second encryption key in response to a third user signal from the communicator to terminate transmission of audio data from the audio device to the private channel and the second user signal, said toggling step being performed without the client workstation communicating with the central server so that the client workstation minimizes latency perceived at the communicator by reducing communication between the client workstation and the central server. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18)
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19. In a network interconnecting a central server with a memory and a plurality of client workstations adapted to broadcasting data, a system for coordinating communication of data between each of the plurality of client workstations, comprising:
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a device for receiving data at a first client workstation;
a first transmitter for coordinating transmission of data from said device over a channel, said first transmitter being stored in the memory of the central server;
a first receiver for coordinating receipt of data over the channel at a second client workstation, said first receiver being stored in the memory of the central server;
means for providing a first encryption key to the first client workstation and the second client workstation for secure broadcast of data over the channel;
means for providing a second encryption key to the first client workstation and the second client workstation in response to a third client workstation storing in the memory of the central server a second receiver for coordinating receipt of data over the channel at the third client workstation, said providing means ensuring secure broadcast of data over the channel to the first client workstation, the second client workstation, and the third client workstation. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22, 23)
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24. In a networked computing environment interconnecting a plurality of client workstations and a central server, the plurality of client workstations communicating directly with the central server, each of the plurality of client workstations broadcasting data to sets of the plurality of client workstations, a coordination system for providing dynamic interconnection of streams of data between each of the plurality of client workstations, the coordination system comprising:
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an object database, resident in a memory of the central server, for storing a plurality of database objects, said object database having stored therein a room object with a channel associated therewith;
a first user object being stored in said object database and having associated therewith a first client workstation, said first user object having a device for providing multimedia input at the first client workstation, said device directing multimedia input to a transmitter aiming at the channel;
a second user object being stored in said object database and having associated therewith a second client workstation, the second user object having a receiver directed at the channel for receiving data broadcast over the channel; and
a key manager object being stored in said object database and communicating with said first user object and said second user object, said key manager providing coordination information to enable said first user object and said second user object to broadcast data between the first client workstation and the second client workstation over the channel. - View Dependent Claims (25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30)
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Specification