Video-voicemail solution for wireless communication devices

• US 20040203608A1
• Filed: 03/22/2002
• Published: 10/14/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 03/22/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Citrix Systems, Inc. (Cloud Software Group)
• Original Assignee: Robert Osann Jr
• Inventors: Osann, Robert Jr.
• Granted Patent: US 7,092,735 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/412.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1423 controlling a plurality of local displays, e.g. CRT and flat panel display
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2370/02 Networking aspects
• CPC Class Codes: G09G 2380/00 Specific applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2854 Wide area networks, e.g. public data networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1069 Session establishment or de-establishment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1083 In-session procedures
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/70 Media network packetisation
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/656 for recording conversations
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72433 for voice messaging, e.g. dictaphones for answering incoming calls H04M1/64
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72439 for image or video messaging
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/50 Telephonic communication in combination with video communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/253 where a visual mode is used instead of a voice mode
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42221 Conversation recording systems at the subscriber's set H04M1/656
• 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: H04N 21/231 Content storage operation, e.g. caching movies for short term storage, replicating data over plural servers, prioritizing data for deletion
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41407 embedded in a portable device, e.g. video client on a mobile phone, PDA, laptop constructional details of equipment or arrangements specially adapted for portable computer application G06F1/1626; arrangements specially adapted for mobile receivers in broadcast systems H04H20/57
• 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 7/155 involving storage of or access to video conference sessions tracking arrangements for later retrieval of a computer conference content or participants activities H04L12/1831

Abstract

An enhanced communication and voicemail solution for mobile phones is described where still images and/or video clips are injected into the voice stream creating a “video-voice” call. When a receiving party is not available to take a video-voice call, this combined stream of voice and image information is stored at the mobile service provider in a manner similar to voice mail today. Then, stored video-voicemails may be retrieved at a later time by the receiving party. Also, realtime video-voice conversations may be recorded for later retrieval in order to document the conversation or because a party in the conversation is not able to view the images realtime.

While the sending party may use a normal size mobile phone containing a miniature digital camera, the receiving party may view video-voicemail images on a variety of devices including a wireless mobile phone or PDA, or alternately a conventional PC connected to the World Wide Web.

Claims

1. A method for transferring, from a wireless communication device capable of bi-directional voice communication, video clips and/or still images combined with voice information, comprising:

capturing, from time to time during a video-voice conversation or video-voice message, video clips and/or still images utilizing a digital camera contained within or attached to said wireless communication device; and

transmitting said video clips and/or still images such that their initial position in time relative to the voice stream is maintained.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of:

receiving, on a receiving device having a display and at a remote location and in realtime, said voicestream combined with said video clips and/or still images, where the initial position in time of said video clips and/or still images relative to the voice stream is maintained.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of:

storing, at the mobile service provider, said voicestream combined with said video clips and/or still images.

4. The method of claim 2 further comprising the step of:

storing, at the mobile service provider, said realtime voicestream combined with said video clips and/or still images.

5. The method of claim 4 where a realtime video-voice conversation, including video clips and/or still images combined with the voicestream, is recorded at said mobile service provider for later retrieval, and the decision to start said recording is made during said video-voice conversation by the receiving party or the calling party.

6. The method of claim 4 where a realtime video-voice conversation, including video clips and/or still images combined with the voicestream, is automatically recorded at said mobile service provider for later retrieval, but where the decision to save the contents of said video-voice conversation is made by the receiving party or the calling party during the course of said conversation.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of:

pressing a shutter button on said mobile phone to activate said digital camera contained within or attached to said mobile phone in order to capture said video clips and/or still images.

8. The method of claim 7 where said shutter button being pressed and released quickly causes a high resolution still image to be captured and transmitted, and said shutter button being pressed and held for a sufficiently long duration of time causes a video clip to be captured and transmitted.

9. The method of claim 7 where said shutter button being pressed partially and released causes a high resolution still image to be captured and transmitted, and said shutter button being pressed fully causes a video clip to be captured and transmitted.

10. The method of claim 2 further comprising the step of:

sending voice information from said receiving device to said capturing device.

11. The method of claim 2 further comprising the step of:

sending video clips and/or still images from said receiving to said capturing device.

12. A method for transferring, from a wireless communication device capable of bi-directional voice communication to a remote device, video clips and/or still images combined with voice information, comprising:

capturing, from time to time during a video-voice conversation or video-voice message, video clips and/or still images utilizing a digital camera contained within or attached to said mobile phone; and

transmitting said video clips and/or still images such that their initial position in time relative to the voice stream is maintained, and

receiving, on a receiving device having a display and at a remote location, either in realtime or retrieved from a video-voicemail storage system at a mobile service provider, said voicestream combined with said video clips and/or still images, where the initial position in time of said video clips and/or still images relative to the voice stream is maintained.

13. The method of claim 12 where the last still image or last frame of a video clip continues to be displayed on said receiving device display until another image or video clip arrives in the voicestream, or until otherwise terminated.

14. The method of claim 12 where each frame of a still image or video clip is cropped at the mobile service provider, according to the aspect ratio of the receiving device'"'"'s display, before transmitting said still image or video clip to said receiving device.

15. A communication system, including a calling party and a receiving party communicating via a mobile service provider, including:

at least one wireless communication device capable of bi-directional voice communication and containing a digital camera, said wireless communication device capable of capturing and transmitting to said mobile service provider, video clips and/or high resolution still images where the initial position of said video clips and/or high resolution still images relative to the voicestream is maintained, and

at least one device capable of receiving voice, video clip and image information from said mobile service provider, either through a direct wireless connection or through the World Wide Web, and where said video clips and/or still images are displayed on said device capable of receiving such that the initial position of said video clips and/or still images when displayed, are maintained relative to the voice stream.

16. The system of claim 15, where said receiving device can also transmit voice, video clip and image information to said mobile service provider.

17. The system of claim 15, where voice, video clip and image information transmitted by said wireless communication device is stored at said mobile service provider.

18. A communication system, including a calling party and a receiving party communicating via a mobile service provider, including:

at least one wireless communication device capable of bi-directional voice communication and containing a digital camera, said wireless communication device capable of capturing and transmitting to said mobile service provider, high resolution still images where the initial position of said video clips and/or high resolution still images relative to the voicestream is maintained.

19. A communication system for communicating voice and video clip or high resolution still image information between two parties via a mobile service provider where the initial position of said video clip or still image information in the voicestream is maintained, including:

at least one communication device capable of transmitting to said mobile service provider, voice information and video clips or high resolution still images, and;

a storage system at said mobile service provider for storing said voice information and video clips or still images while maintaining the initial position of said video clips, or still images in the voicestream.

20. The communication system of claim 19 where information communicated from a calling party is optionally recorded for retrieval at a later time if the receiving party is not available to take the call.

21. The communication system of claim 19 where information communicated from a calling party is optionally recorded for retrieval at a later time if the receiving party decides, during a realtime conversation, that said information should be recorded.

22. The communication system of claim 19 where realtime communications are optionally recorded for retrieval at a later time.

23. The communication system of claim 19 where a receiving party may choose to have all incoming information recorded for retrieval at a later time, selectively deleting information for individual conversations at a later time.

24. The communication system of claim 19 where a receiving party may choose to have all incoming information from a particular calling party recorded for retrieval at a later time, selectively deleting information for individual conversations at a later time.

25. A method for archiving conversations between a calling party and a receiving party via a communications system, comprising:

always recording, in digital format, incoming conversations to said receiving party, said conversations being stored in a memory contained within said communications system, and

after the completion of a conversation, selectively down-loading files representing said recorded conversations via the World Wide Web, and

deleting said recorded conversations from said memory, either after downloading or otherwise determining that said conversation need no longer be stored.

26. The method of claim 25 where only conversations made with certain predetermined calling parties are recorded.

27. The method of claim 25 where only voicemail messages are stored and made available for downloading.

28. The method of claim 25 where only conversations made with the permission of both parties are recorded.

29. The method of claim 28 where permission is deemed to be given to record conversations from or to a particular phone number by calling from said particular phone number and taking a prescribed action.

30. The method of claim 25 where only video-voice conversations, and not voice-only conversations, made with the permission of both parties are recorded.

31. A mobile phone including an integral digital camera, said camera having a lens facing in a direction opposite that of the integral display and keypad, and also including an integral cover to protect said camera lens.

32. The mobile phone of claim 31 where said integral protective cover slides to expose said camera lens.

33. The mobile phone of claim 31 where said integral protective cover is hinged on one end and flips open to expose said camera lens.

34. The mobile phone of claim 31 further including a shutter button to indicated when images are to be captured and transmitted, said shutter button being located on the side of said phone'"'"'s body.

35. The mobile phone of claim 31 where said digital camera is capable of capturing still images and/or video clips and said mobile phone is capable of transmitting said still images and/or video clips.

36. The mobile phone of claim 35 where said still images are captured and transmitted at a higher resolution than said video clips.

37. The mobile phone of claim 31, further including a conventional optical viewfinder.

38. The mobile phone of claim 31 where said integral display alternately functions as a normal mobile phone display or a viewfinder for said integral digital camera.

39. A mobile phone including a digital camera and a shutter button to indicate when still images and/or video clips are to be captured and transmitted, where the manner of pressing said shutter button determines whether it is a still image or a video clip that is captured and transmitted.

40. The mobile phone of claim 39 where pressing said shutter button briefly will cause a still image to be captured and transmitted, and pressing said shutter button for a longer duration will cause a video clip to be captured and transmitted for the duration of time said button is pressed.

41. The mobile phone of claim 39 where pressing said shutter button partially will cause a still image to be captured and transmitted, and pressing said shutter button fully will cause a video clip to be captured and transmitted for the duration of time said button is fully pressed.

42. The mobile phone of claim 39 where said still images are captured and transmitted at a higher resolution than said video clips.