System and method to create a collaborative web-based multimedia layered platform

• US 20070198534A1
• Filed: 01/24/2007
• Published: 08/23/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 01/24/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Simulat, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Simulat, Inc.
• Inventors: Hon, Henry, Hon, Timothy, Peri, Christopher
• Granted Patent: US 7,933,956 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/44 Browsing; Visualisation therefor

Abstract

The present invention relates to a system and method to allow multiple users to collaborate on tasks and interact in a shared space session within a network in real-time; using a media application to manage media-layers. Each media-layer serves as a container for multimedia programs or plug-ins. The invention allows which media-layer to display via organization metaphors and filtering criteria. When multiple users are logged into the same shared space, each user can invoke and observe modifications to media-layers with the browser based or client based application. All events are synchronized among all users in that shared space, where the system is a communication conduit. The media-layers in the shared space maintains spatial and temporal correlation by a media application stage manager tool and described as a collection file descriptor such as an XML file. The ability to invoke events that affect media-layers can be supported in a synched or non synched mode on demand.

Claims

1. A method to collaborate and interact multimedia tasks in a shared space within a network comprising the steps of:

loading a media application with a plurality of tools into a user'"'"'s application in a user machine;

logging in from the user machine to a shared space in a network from the user application to a host, wherein the shared space is created by interaction of executable codes in the host and the user application and the shared space is described by a session attribute list;

loading a tool list from a file storage to activate corresponding tools from the media application;

using a stage manager tool from the media application to stage and correlate a plurality of media-layers according to spatial, temporal and relational coordinate data in the user application, wherein the media-layers data are described by a file descriptor;

inputting multimedia elements as media-layer modifications and updating the modifications in the file descriptor; and

displaying the updated modifications by other user machines in the shared space in synchronous or asynchronous mode.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the media application is a flash application, Java application or browser based scripts.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of logging in includes the step of accessing to an internet service.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the network is an Ethernet connection to a local area network, a wide area network, a local optical network, a fiber channel, a direct connection or a telephone service.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of the host communicating to a database to retrieve a user'"'"'s session attribute list.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the stage manager tool manages the viewing or hiding of the media-layers in the user application.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the user application is a web browser installed on a user'"'"'s machine capable of accessing to a network.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the user machine includes a server, personal computer, laptop computer, hand held computer, personal digital device, electronic tablet, a wireless cellular phone, an intelligent electronic device.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the media application is a plug-in for text, voice, video or graphic application.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the stage manager allows a user to sort information by content, spatial, temporal and inter relationships between media-layers.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the stage manager tool further comprising the step of filtering designated media-layers to restrict viewing by the user.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the stage manager tool further comprising the step of grouping collections of media-layers into a book metaphor.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the file descriptor is a XML file.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the inputting step is are facilitated by an input device selected from a keyboard, mouse, soft key, electronic tablet, PDA, cellular phone, USB flash memory, optical pointer, stylus, pen, audio or video device.

15. A system to collaborate and perform multimedia task inputs in a shared space within a network comprising:

a host server communicates to a database and a file storage through a network;

a user machine with a user application logs to the host server to join a shared space session with other user machines running user applications, wherein the shared space session is generated by interaction of executable codes in the host and the user application and the shared space session is described by a session attribute list;

a media application with a plurality of tools loaded into the user machine;

the host server loading a tool list and the session attribute list loaded into the user application, wherein the tool list activates a stage manager tool from the media application;

the stage manager tool stages one or more media-layers according to the session attribute list into the user application and the stage manager correlates spatial, temporal and relational coordinates data of the media-layers into a file descriptor;

a user provides collaborations, multimedia modifications and inputs to the media-layers wherein the stage manager updates the modifications to the file descriptor; and

the stage manager facilitates the display of media-layer updates to other users in the shared space in synchronous or asynchronous mode.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the media application is a flash application, Java application or browser based scripts.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the user application is a web browser that logs into the host through an internet service.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein the network is an Ethernet connection to a local area network, a wide area network, a local optical network, a fiber channel, a direct connection or a telephone service.

19. The system of claim 15 further comprising a web server with a file storage communicating tool list to the web browser to the user through the network.

20. The system of claim 15, wherein the stage manager tool manages the viewing or hiding of the media-layers in the web browser.

21. The system of claim 15, wherein the user include a server, personal computer, laptop computer, hand held computer, personal digital device, electronic tablet, a wireless cellular phone, an intelligent electronic device.

22. The system of claim 15, wherein the media application is a plug-in for text, voice, video or graphic application.

23. The system of claim 15, wherein the stage manager tool allows a user to sort information by content, spatial, temporal and inter relationships between media-layers.

24. The system of claim 15 further comprising a filtering tool to restrict viewing of designated media-layers by other users.

25. The system of claim 15 further comprising the step of grouping collections of media-layers into a book metaphor.

26. The system of claim 15, wherein the file descriptor is a XML file.

27. The system of claim 15, wherein the inputs are facilitated by an input device selected from a keyboard, mouse, soft key, electronic tablet, PDA, cellular phone, USB flash memory, optical pointer, stylus, pen, audio or video device.