System and method for sharing and controlling multiple audio and video streams

• US 20030056220A1
• Filed: 09/14/2001
• Published: 03/20/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 09/14/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Xerox Corporation (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Xerox Corporation (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Grinter, Rebecca Elizabeth, Woodruff, Allison Gyle, Aoki, Paul Masami, Szymanski, Margaret Helen, Thornton, James Douglass
• Granted Patent: US 7,574,474 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/62
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/612 for unicast
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/765 intermediate
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/147 Communication arrangements, e.g. identifying the communication as a video-communication, intermediate storage of the signals selecting H04Q

Abstract

A user of a first device may select at least one multimedia presentation. Based on this selection, the multimedia presentation is accessed from a storage source and presented to the user. Simultaneously, information is transmitted to at least a second device that causes the selected multimedia presentation to be presented by the at least second device without the at least second device receiving input from a second user. Continuous media streams from the first user may be captured and transmitted to the second device(s). The presenting of the multimedia presentation on the first device are coordinated with the presenting of the multimedia presentation on the second device(s). The presenting of the captured media streams on the second device(s) are coordinated with the capturing of those streams and the presenting of the multimedia presentation on the second device(s). Users may control the multimedia presentations and the captured media streams.

Claims

1. A method in a first wireless portable device comprising:

allowing a first user of the first device to select at least one multimedia presentation by inputting selection data;

accessing the selected multimedia presentation from a storage source and presenting the selected multimedia presentation to the first user in response to the selection;

transmitting information to at least a second wireless portable device that causes the selected multimedia presentation to be presented by the at least second device without the at least second device receiving input from a second user or the first device receiving additional data from the first user;

capturing continuous media streams from the first user and transmitting the media streams to the at least second device, wherein the media streams are presented on the at least second device without the at least second device receiving input from the second user or the first device receiving additional data from the first user;

coordinating the presenting of the multimedia presentation on the first device with the presenting of the multimedia presentation on the at least second device;

coordinating the presenting of the captured media streams on the at least second device with the capturing of said streams by the first device and the presenting of the multimedia presentation on the at least second device; and

dynamically controlling the content and transmission of the multimedia presentation and the captured media streams.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein transmitting information to at least a second wireless portable device includes transmitting the multimedia presentation selected by the first user.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein transmitting information to at least a second wireless portable device includes transmitting access data that allows the at least second device to access the multimedia presentation selected by the first user from the storage source.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein coordinating the presenting of the multimedia presentation by the first device with the presenting of the multimedia presentation on the at least second device includes presenting the multimedia presentation on the first and second devices simultaneously, presenting the multimedia presentation on the at least second device at the earliest time after presenting the multimedia presentation on the first device when the at least second device is not busy, and presenting the multimedia presentation on the at least second device at a pre-calculated time.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein coordinating the presenting of the captured media streams on the at least second device with the capturing of said streams by the first device and the presenting of the multimedia presentation on the at least second device includes presenting the captured media streams on the at least second device immediately, in the same time relation to the presenting of the multimedia presentation as it had to the presenting of the multimedia presentation on the first device, or a calculated combination thereof.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein accessing the selected multimedia presentation from a storage source involves accessing the multimedia presentation from a memory device residing internally with respect to the first device.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein accessing the selected multimedia presentation from a storage source involves accessing the multimedia presentation from an external storage medium coupled to the first device.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein accessing the selected multimedia presentation from a storage source involves accessing the multimedia presentation from an external source accessible via a wireless communication link.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein coordinating includes mixing the multimedia presentation and the captured media streams.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein dynamically controlling includes inhibiting the at least second device from receiving the multimedia presentation.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein dynamically controlling includes selecting portions of the multimedia presentation to transmit to the at least second device.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein capturing continuous media streams includes capturing voice signals from the user.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein capturing continuous media streams includes capturing video signals from an environment.

14. A computer readable medium containing a set of instructions for performing a method in a system comprising a plurality of users operating a plurality of devices, the method comprising:

communicating a mutually informative multimedia presentation to the plurality of devices in response to a trigger received from at least one of the plurality of devices;

allowing each of the plurality of devices to automatically present the mutually informative multimedia presentation without the users of the devices providing input to the devices; and

allowing the users of the plurality of devices to control the mutually informative multimedia presentation on their respective devices.

15. The computer readable medium of claim 14, wherein the set of instructions is remotely located with respect to the plurality of devices.

16. The computer readable medium of claim 14, wherein the set of instructions is distributed and coordinated among the plurality of devices.

17. The computer readable medium of claim 14, wherein controlling the mutually informative multimedia presentation on the plurality of devices includes coordinating the presenting of the mutually informative multimedia presentation on the plurality of devices.

18. The computer readable medium of claim 17, wherein coordinating involves presenting the mutually informative multimedia presentation simultaneously.

19. The computer readable medium of claim 17, wherein coordinating involves presenting the mutually informative multimedia presentation on each of the plurality of devices at specific times calculated by the application.

20. A system, comprising a plurality of user devices, coupled to a network, each of the plurality of devices comprising a memory including a program that allows the plurality of devices to:

receive at least one continuous data stream from a user of the device,

select at least one other device from the plurality of devices and transmit the at least one data stream via the network to the selected device,

trigger the transmission of at least one mutually informative multimedia presentation from a shared interactive application to the plurality of devices via the network; and

dynamically control the content and transmission of the at least one data stream and the at least one multimedia presentation.

21. A first wireless portable device comprising:

a wireless communication interface adapted to transmit data to at least a second wireless portable device and receive data from the at least second device;

means for producing sound that can be heard by a first user of the first device;

means for displaying still and moving pictures that can be viewed by the first user;

an audio capture device for capturing audio signals from the first user;

a video capture device for capturing video signals from the first user;

a memory including a program and at least one multimedia presentation;

a processor that runs the program; and

a user interface for allowing the first user to input commands to the program, wherein the program;

allows the first user to select the at least one multimedia presentation,

accesses the selected multimedia presentation from the memory in response to the first user'"'"'s selection,

presents the selected multimedia presentation to the first user via the means for displaying still and moving pictures and the means for producing sound,

transmits information to the at least second wireless portable device via the wireless communication interface that causes the selected multimedia presentation to be presented by the at least second device without the at least second device receiving commands from a second user or the first device receiving additional commands from the first user,

transmits the audio and video signals from the audio and video capture devices to the at least second device via the wireless communication interface, wherein the captured audio and video signals are presented on the at least second device without the at least second device receiving commands from the second user or the first device receiving additional commands from the first user,

coordinates the presenting of the multimedia presentation on the first device with the presenting of the multimedia presentation on the at least second device, and

coordinates the presenting of the captured audio and video data on the at least second device with the capturing of said data by the first device and the presenting of the multimedia presentation on the at least second device, and

allows the first user to dynamically control the content and transmission of the multimedia presentation and the captured audio and video signals.

22. The first device of claim 21, wherein the information transmitted to the at least second wireless portable device that causes the selected multimedia presentation to be presented includes the multimedia presentation selected by the first user.

23. The first device of claim 21, wherein the information transmitted to the at least second wireless portable device that causes the selected multimedia presentation to be presented includes access data that allows the at least second device to access the multimedia presentation selected by the first user from memory on the at least second device.

24. The first device of claim 21, wherein the program allows the first user to dynamically inhibit the at least second device from receiving the multimedia presentation by issuing a command via the user interface.

25. The first device of claim 21, wherein the program allows the first user to dynamically select portions of the multimedia presentation to transmit to the at least second device in response to user commands.

26. The first device of claim 21, wherein the program allows the first user to dynamically control the volume levels of the multimedia presentation.

27. The first device of claim 21, wherein the program coordinates the presenting of the multimedia presentation by the first device with the presenting of the multimedia presentation on the at least second device by presenting the multimedia presentation on the first and second devices simultaneously.

28. The first device of claim 21, wherein the program coordinates the presenting of the multimedia presentation by the first device with the presenting of the multimedia presentation on the at least second device by presenting the multimedia presentation on the at least second device at the earliest time after presenting the multimedia presentation on the first device when the at least second device is not busy.

29. The first device of claim 21, wherein the program coordinates the presenting of the multimedia presentation by the first device with the presenting of the multimedia presentation on the at least second device by presenting the multimedia presentation on the at least second device at a time calculated by the interactive software application.

30. The first device of claim 21, wherein the program coordinates the presenting of the captured audio and video data on the at least second device with the capturing of said data by the first device and the presenting of the multimedia presentation on the at least second device by presenting the captured audio and video data on the at least second device in the same time relation to the presenting of the multimedia presentation as it had to the presenting of the multimedia presentation on the first device.

31. The first device of claim 21, wherein the program coordinates the presenting of the captured audio and video data on the at least second device with the capturing of said data by the first device and the presenting of the multimedia presentation on the at least second device by presenting the captured audio and video data on the at least second device at a time calculated by the interactive software application.

32. A first wireless portable device comprising:

a wireless communication interface adapted to transmit data to at least a second wireless portable device and receive data from the at least second device;

means for producing sound that can be heard by a first user of the first device;

means for displaying still and moving pictures that can be viewed by the first user;

a memory including a program and at least one multimedia presentation;

a processor that runs the program; and

a user interface for allowing the first user to input commands to the program, wherein the program;

allows the first user to select the at least one multimedia presentation,

accesses the selected multimedia presentation from the memory in response to the first user'"'"'s selection,

presents the selected multimedia presentation to the first user via the means for displaying still and moving pictures and the means for producing sound,

transmits information to the at least second wireless portable device via the wireless communication interface that causes the selected multimedia presentation to be presented by the at least second device without the at least second device receiving commands from a second user or the first device receiving additional commands from the first user,

coordinates the presenting of the multimedia presentation on the first device with the presenting of the multimedia presentation on the at least second device, and

a control facility for allowing the first user to dynamically control the content and transmission of the multimedia presentations.

33. A method for presenting audiovisual data streams on a first device, the method comprising:

allowing a first user of the first device to select at least one audiovisual data stream stored in a memory residing in the first device;

accessing a plurality of other audiovisual data streams selected by at least a second user of at least a second device from the memory of the first device in response to access data received by the first device from said second device;

simultaneously presenting on the first device the audiovisual data streams selected by the first user and the audiovisual data streams selected by the at least second user; and

distinguishing on the first device each of the audiovisual data streams selected by the first user and each of the plurality of audiovisual data streams selected by the at least second user,

wherein accessing the plurality of audiovisual data streams selected by the at least second user is performed automatically by the first device and without input from the first user to the first device.

34. The method of claim 33, wherein accessing includes using pointers and file names to access the multimedia presentations selected by the at least second user.

35. The method of claim 33, wherein distinguishing includes effect variation.

36. The method of claim 33, wherein distinguishing includes spatial variation.

37. The method of claim 36, wherein spatial variation includes arranging the audiovisual data streams in such a way as to simulate a multi-dimensional sound field.

38. The method of claim 35, wherein effect variation includes adding reverb, echo, delay, and gating to the audiovisual streams.

39. The method of claim 33, wherein distinguishing includes adding distinctive synthesized sound and video segments to the audiovisual streams.