VARIABLE BANDWIDTH COMMUNICATION SYSTEMS AND METHODS

• US 20070280290A1
• Filed: 03/27/2007
• Published: 12/06/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 10/09/1997
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Interval Licensing LLC
• Original Assignee: Interval Licensing LLC
• Inventors: Gaver, William, Pedersen, Elin, Mainwaring, Scott, Hindus, Debby, White, Sean
• Granted Patent: US 7,953,112 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/468
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 3/1682 Allocation of channels according to the instantaneous demands of the users, e.g. concentrated multiplexers, statistical multiplexers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/752 adapting media to network capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/762 at the source reformatting of additional data in video distribution servers H04N21/2355
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/764 at the destination reformatting of additional data in video clients H04N21/4355
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/75 Indicating network or usage conditions on the user display
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/24 Negotiation of communication capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25808 Management of client data terminal profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/303
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2662 Controlling the complexity of the video stream, e.g. by scaling the resolution or bitrate of the video stream based on the client capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/439 Processing of audio elementary streams
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4621 Controlling the complexity of the content stream or additional data, e.g. lowering the resolution or bit-rate of the video stream for a mobile client with a small screen arrangements for using the results of monitoring on user's side in broadcast systems H04H60/65; flow control in packet networks H04L47/10
• 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 21/643 Communication protocols network streaming protocols, e.g. real-time transport protocol [RTP] or real-time control protocol [RTCP], H04L65/65
• 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 7/15 Conference systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/157 defining a virtual conference space and using avatars or agents computer conference optimisation or adaptation H04L12/1827
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 5/00 Stereophonic arrangements stereophonic pick-ups H04R9/16, H04R11/12, H04R17/08, H04R19/10

Abstract

A variable bandwidth communication system includes a first and a second communication station, coupled for continuous, bidirectional communication. The first communication station is capable of transmitting at a first and a second bandwidth, and is capable of receiving at a third and a fourth bandwidth. The second communication station is capable of receiving at the first and second bandwidth and is capable of transmitting at the third and fourth bandwidth. The transmitting bandwidth of each station is selectable by the user. The second bandwidth is greater than the first and the fourth bandwidth is greater than the third. Preferably, but not necessarily, the first and third bandwidth like the second and fourth bandwidth are about the same. The first communication system can display communication received at the fourth bandwidth at the first bandwidth, and the second communication system can display communications received at the second bandwidth at the third bandwidth.

Claims

1-14. -14. (canceled)

15. A communication device, the device comprising:

a data processor;

a transmission component coupled to the data processor, wherein the transmission component includes a transmit bandwidth;

a reception component coupled to the data processor;

a data output component coupled to the data processor;

an audio and video capture component coupled to the data processor, the audio and video capture component capturing audio information, video information or both audio and video information associated with a user; and

a user-selectable transmit control configured to set the transmit bandwidth from a range between a high setting of transmitting real-time audio and video and a low setting of not transmitting information, the range further including;

a setting of transmitting a dynamic avatar animation derived from data from the audio and video capture component; and

a setting of transmitting a dynamic pure abstract animation derived from data from the audio and video capture component, such that a remote user is provided with an indication of the user'"'"'s desire to communicate before the remote user establishes a two-way communication link with the user.

16. The communication device of claim 15, wherein if the audio and video capture component captures audio and video information indicating presence of the user, the user-selectable control and transmission component are further configured to automatically transmit a signal that provides an indication of the user'"'"'s presence.

17. The communication device of claim 15, wherein the dynamic pure abstract animation derived from data from the audio and video capture component is a bouncing ball.

18. The communication device of claim 15, wherein the dynamic pure abstract animation derived from data from the audio and video capture component is a color that changes based on changes in the data from the audio and video capture component.

19. The communication device of claim 15, wherein the data output component comprises a display component, the display component comprising:

a display region having a display bandwidth; and

a user-selectable display control coupled to the display region, the user-selectable display control configured to set the display bandwidth from a display range between a high display setting of displaying in the display region real-time video and a low display setting of not displaying information, the display range further including;

a first display setting of displaying in the display region a dynamic avatar animation derived from information received from the remote user; and

a second display setting of displaying in the display region a dynamic pure abstract animation derived from information received from the remote user.

20. The communication device of claim 19, wherein the display component further comprises a bezel display region, the bezel display region displaying captured video information associated with the user.

21. The communication device of claim 15, wherein the data output component comprises a display component, the display component comprising:

multiple display regions, each having a corresponding display bandwidth; and

multiple user-selectable display controls, each coupled to the corresponding display region, each user-selectable display control configured to set the corresponding display bandwidth from a display range between a high display setting of displaying in the corresponding display region real-time video and a low display setting of not displaying information, the display range further including;

a first display setting of displaying in the corresponding display region a dynamic avatar animation derived from information received from the remote user; and

a second display setting of displaying in the corresponding display region a dynamic pure abstract animation derived from information received from the remote user.

22. The communication device of claim 21, wherein the display component further comprises:

multiple bezel display regions, each bezel display region displaying captured video information associated with the user.

23. The communication device of claim 15, further comprising a dynamic abstraction filter.

24. The communication device of claim 15, wherein the data output component comprises an audio output component, wherein the audio output component includes an audio bandwidth, the audio output component comprising:

a user-selectable audio control configured to set the audio bandwidth from an audio range between a high audio setting of outputting to the audio output component a high fidelity audio signal and a low audio setting of not outputting an audio signal, the audio range further including;

a first audio setting of outputting a degraded but recognizable audio signal derived from information received from the remote user; and

a second audio setting of outputting a degraded and unintelligible audio signal derived from information received from the remote user, wherein the degraded and unintelligible audio signal still conveys the impression of loudness, tone, or both loudness and tone.

25. The communication device of claim 24, further comprising a notch filter configured to produce a degraded but recognizable audio signal derived from information received from the remote user and a degraded and unintelligible audio signal derived from information received from the remote user, wherein the degraded and unintelligible audio signal still conveys the impression of loudness, tone, or both loudness and tone.

26. The communication device of claim 24 wherein the audio range further includes a third audio setting of outputting an audio signal comprising bird-related noises or water-related noises.

27. A method of enabling communication between multiple users, the method comprising:

capturing information associated with a user;

receiving a user-selected level of privacy;

processing the information to produce transmit information based on the use-selected level of privacy, wherein the transmit information comprises one of the group of real-time video information, cartooned video information, reduced resolution video information, audio information, haptic information, and abstract representation information; and

transmitting the transmit information to a remote user, such that the remote user is provided with an indication of the user'"'"'s status before the remote user establishes a two-way communication link with the user.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein the information associated with a user includes audio information, and wherein the transmit information comprises one of the group of audio information, haptic information, and abstract representation information.

29. The method of claim 27, further comprising:

receiving information associated with the remote user, the information comprising one of the group of real-time video information, cartooned video information, reduced resolution video information, and abstract representation information; and

displaying the information to the user.

30. The method of claim 27, wherein the audio information comprises bird-related noises or water-related noises.

31. A communication device, the device comprising:

capture means for capturing video data associated with a user;

process means for processing the captured video data associated with the user;

user-configurable means for configuring the processing means from a range between a high setting of processing the captured video data associated with the user to produce real-time video and a low setting of processing the captured video data associated with the user to not produce information, the range further including an intermediate range comprising processing the captured video data associated with the user to produce a dynamic avatar animation; and

transmit means for transmitting the processed captured data associated with the user, such that a remote user is provided with an indication of the user'"'"'s status before the remote user performs a next action associated with the user.

32. The communication device of claim 31, further comprising:

receive means for receiving data associated with the remote user;

second user-configurable means for configuring the process means to process the received data; and

display means for displaying the processed received data associated with the remote user.

33. The communication device of claim 31, further comprising:

receive means for receiving data associated with the remote user;

means for providing haptic feedback to the user based upon the received data associated with the remote user.

34. The communication device of claim 31, further comprising:

audio capture means for capturing audio data associated with the user; and

wherein the transmit means further transmit the captured audio data.