Video messaging

• US 20030208543A1
• Filed: 07/25/2001
• Published: 11/06/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 07/25/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AOL Inc. (Apollo Global Management, Inc.)
• Inventors: Morris, Harry W., Packard, Wayne, Enete, Noel
• Granted Patent: US 7,984,098 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/048 Interaction techniques based on graphical user interfaces [GUI]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04817 using icons graphical or visual programming using iconic symbols G06F8/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1813 for computer conferences, e.g. chat rooms instant messaging H04L51/04; protocols for multimedia communication H04L65/1101; arrangements for multi-party communication H04L65/403; telephonic conference arrangements H04M3/56; television conference systems H04N7/15
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1822 Conducting the conference, e.g. admission, detection, selection or grouping of participants, correlating users to one or more conference sessions, prioritising transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/00 User-to-user messaging in packet-switching networks, transmitted according to store-and-forward or real-time protocols, e.g. e-mail
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/046 Interoperability with other network applications or services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/10 Multimedia information
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/403 Arrangements for multi-party communication, e.g. for conferences data switching systems for conference H04L12/18; arrangements for connecting several subscribers to a common circuit, i.e. affording conference facilities H04M3/56; television conferencing systems H04N7/15
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/50 Telephonic communication in combination with video communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/4536 Voicemail combined with text-based messaging
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5307 for recording messages comprising any combination of audio and non-audio components
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5315 where the non-audio components are still images or video still image mailbox systems H04N1/324, intermediate storage of video signals for videophones H04N7/147
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/567 Multimedia conference systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25816 involving client authentication restricting access to computer systems by authenticating users using a predetermined code G06F21/33; cryptographic authentication protocols H04L9/32; networks authentication protocols H04L63/08; authentication in wireless network security H04W12/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25833 involving client hardware characteristics, e.g. manufacturer, processing or storage capabilities allocation of resources considering hardware capabilities in multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/5044; allocation of resources considering software capabilities in multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/5055
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4788 communicating with other users, e.g. chatting arrangements for providing for computer conferences, e.g. chat rooms, to substation in data switching networks H04L12/1813; distributed application using peer-to-peer [P2P] networks H04L67/104
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/147 Communication arrangements, e.g. identifying the communication as a video-communication, intermediate storage of the signals selecting H04Q
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/148 Interfacing a video terminal to a particular transmission medium, e.g. ISDN
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/155 : involving storage of or access to video conference sessions tracking arrangements for later retrieval of a computer conference content or participants activities H04L12/1831
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 : Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

Systems and techniques for transferring electronic data between users of a communications system by receiving, at an instant messaging host, a video file from a sender and intended for a recipient; authenticating the video file; and sending the video file to the intended recipient.

Claims

1. A communications method, comprising:

enabling instant messaging communication between a sender and at least one recipient through an instant messaging host; and

enabling video communication between the sender and the recipient through the instant messaging host.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising receiving and authenticating a text instant from the sender at the instant messaging host.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein authenticating comprises identifying a screen name associated with at least one of the sender and the recipient.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein authenticating comprises identifying an IP address associated with at least one of the sender and the recipient.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising determining capabilities of the recipient at the instant messaging host.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein determining comprises identifying hardware associated with the recipient.

7. The method of claim 5 wherein determining comprises identifying software associated with the recipient.

8. The method of claim 5 further comprising reporting the capabilities of the recipient to the sender.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the sender displays a user interface according to the capabilities of the recipient.

10. The method of claim 1 further comprising receiving, at the instant messaging host, a request to establish video communication.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the request is from the sender.

12. The method of claim 10 wherein the request is from the recipient.

13. The method of claim 10 further comprising authenticating the request.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein authenticating comprises identifying a screen name associated with at least one of the sender and the recipient.

15. The method of claim 13 wherein authenticating comprises identifying an IP address associated with at least one of the sender and the recipient.

16. The method of claim 1 wherein enabling video communication comprises establishing a generic signaling interface channel, a control channel, and a video channel between the sender and the recipient.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein the control channel comprises a TCP/IP socket.

18. The method of claim 16 wherein the video channel comprises a UDP channel.

19. The method of claim 16 wherein the video channel comprises a TCP channel.

20. A communications apparatus comprising an instant messaging host configured to:

enable instant messaging communication between a sender an at least one recipient; and

enable video communication between the sender and the recipient.

21. A computer program, stored on a computer readable medium, comprising instructions for:

enabling instant messaging communication between a sender and at least one recipient through an instant messaging host; and

enabling video communication between the sender and the recipient through the instant messaging host.

22. The computer program of claim 21, wherein the computer readable medium comprises a disc.

23. The computer program of claim 21, wherein the computer readable medium comprises a client device.

24. The computer program of claim 21, wherein the computer readable medium comprise s a host device.

25. The computer program of claim 21, wherein the computer readable medium comprises a propagated signal.