METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR SHARING VIDEOS

• US 20080313278A1
• Filed: 12/10/2007
• Published: 12/18/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/17/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Linqee Limited
• Original Assignee: Linqee Limited
• Inventors: HOCHBERG, Alon
• Application Number:
  US11/953,104
• Publication Number:
  US 20080313278A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/204
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/18 for broadcast or conference , e.g. multicast
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/4053 without floor control
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/762 at the source reformatting of additional data in video distribution servers H04N21/2355
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/80 Responding to QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/234381 by altering the temporal resolution, e.g. decreasing the frame rate by frame skipping
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2402 Monitoring of the downstream path of the transmission network, e.g. bandwidth available traffic monitoring in data switching networks H04L43/00; monitoring data switching networks utilization H04L43/0876
• 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 21/4143 embedded in a Personal Computer [PC]
• 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 21/6125 involving transmission via Internet transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6437 Real-time Transport Protocol [RTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6587 Control parameters, e.g. trick play commands, viewpoint selection

Abstract

A method and apparatus for sharing a multimedia stream between an initiator and one or more viewers. The initiator'"'"'s platform transcodes the multimedia into a stream, based on parameters, indications and commands received from all viewers including the initiator. Thus, the multimedia stream is presented to all viewers without having to upload the clip to a storage server, thus accounting for immediate synchronized display, enabling all viewers to control the stream by stopping, seeking a position or the like. In streaming the multimedia, the quality of service available at each viewer computing platform is considered, so that the multimedia remains synchronized also if one or more viewers have a slower connection.

Claims

1. In a computerized network, a method for sharing a multimedia clip between an initiator and an at least one viewer, the initiator using an initiator computing platform and the at least one viewer using a viewer computing platform, the computing platforms connected to the network via connections, the method comprising:

streaming the multimedia clip into streamed multimedia, the streaming performed in accordance with an at least one consideration;

downloading the streamed multimedia to the computing platforms of the initiator and the at least one viewer;

presenting the streamed multimedia to the initiator and to the at least one viewer;

sending the at least one consideration from the initiator or from the at least one viewer to the initiator; and

updating the streaming of the multimedia clip according to the at least one consideration.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the multimedia clip is a video clip or an audio clip or an at least one image.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the at least one consideration relates to the initiator computing platform or the at least one viewer computing platform.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the at least one consideration relates to the connections used by the initiator computing platform or the at least one viewer computing platform.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the at least one consideration relates to a control command issued by the initiator or the at least one viewer.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the at least one consideration relates to a cue point monitoring indication sent by the initiator computing platform or the at least one viewer computing platform.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the at least one consideration relates to a quality of service parameter issued by the initiator computing platform or the at least one viewer computing platform.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the quality of service parameter relates to a network resource or platform capabilities of the initiator computing platform or the at least one viewer computing platform.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the streamed multimedia is presented synchronously to the initiator and to the at least one viewer.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the streamed multimedia is presented instantly to the initiator and to the at least one viewer.

11. The method of claim 1 further comprising a step of uploading the streamed multimedia to an at least one streaming server.

12. The method of claim 1 further comprising a step of sending an invitation from the initiator to the at least one viewer.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the invitation is sent as an e-mail or as an instant message.

14. The method of claim 12 further comprising the steps of encrypting and decrypting the invitation.

15. The method of claim 12 wherein the invitation comprises at least one item selected from the group consisting of:

a Universal Resource Locator (URL);

a Universal Resource Identifier (URI);

a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) command; and

an Internet Protocol (IP) address.

16. The method of claim 1 further comprising the steps of compressing and decompressing the multimedia stream or the at least one consideration.

17. The method of claim 1 further comprising the steps of encrypting and decrypting the multimedia stream or the at least one consideration.

18. A computerized apparatus for sharing a multimedia clip between an initiator and an at least one viewer, the initiator using an initiator computing platform and the at least one viewer using a viewer computing platform, the computing platforms connected to the network via connections,

the viewer computing platform executing a viewer component, and the initiator computing platform executing:

a streamer component for streaming the multimedia clip and generating a multimedia stream according to an at least one consideration received from the viewer computing platform or from the initiator computing platform;

a viewer component for displaying the multimedia and transmitting an at least one consideration to the streamer component; and

an at least one analyzer component for analyzing indications received from the at least one viewer computing platform or from the viewer component.

19. The computerized apparatus of claim 18 wherein the multimedia clip is a video clip or an audio clip or an at least one image.

20. The computerized apparatus of claim 18 wherein the viewer component comprises:

a player component for displaying the multimedia stream and transmitting the at least one considerations to the streamer component executed by the initiator computing platform; and

an at least one indicator component for issuing to the initiator computing platform an at least one indication related to the viewer computing platform or the viewer or the initiator computing platform or the initiator.

21. The computerized apparatus of claim 18 wherein the at least one analyzer component comprises one or more items selected from the group consisting of:

a quality of service analyzer for integrating quality of service indications from the at least one viewer computing platform or from the initiator computing platform;

a network analyzer for integrating network resources indications received from the at least one viewer computing platform or from the initiator computing platform; and

a control analyzer for integrating control commands received from the at least one viewer or the initiator.

22. The computerized apparatus of claim 20 wherein the indicator component comprises one or more items selected from the group consisting of:

a network analyzer for obtaining and transmitting to the initiator computing platform an at lest one indication related to network characteristics of the viewer computing platform and connection or to the initiator computing platform and connection;

a quality of service protocol implementation component for obtaining and transmitting to the initiator computing platform an at least one quality parameter related to the multimedia stream; and

a control protocol implementation component for receiving an at least one control command from the at least one viewer or from the initiator and transferring the at least one control command to the initiator computing platform.

23. The computerized apparatus of claim 18 further comprising an at least one streaming server for receiving the multimedia stream from the initiator computing platform and sending the multimedia stream to the at least one viewer computing platform and to the initiator computing platform.

24. The computerized apparatus of claim 18 wherein the streamer component comprises one or more items selected from the group consisting of:

a quality of service protocol implementation component, a network implementation component; and

a control protocol implementation component.

25. A computer readable storage medium containing a set of instructions for a general purpose computer, the set of instructions comprising:

a streaming component for streaming a multimedia clip into streamed multimedia, the multimedia clip to be shared between an initiator using an initiator computing platform and an at least one viewer using an at least one viewer computing platform, the streaming performed in accordance with an at least one consideration;

a downloading component for downloading the streamed multimedia to the initiator computing platform and the at least one viewer computing platform;

a presentation component for presenting the streamed multimedia to the at least one viewer and to the initiator; and

a component for sending the at least one consideration from the initiator or the at least one viewer to the initiator.