TELECOMMUNICATION AND MULTIMEDIA MANAGEMENT METHOD AND APPARATUS

• US 20090003553A1
• Filed: 03/24/2008
• Published: 01/01/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/28/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Voxer IP LLC (Voxer, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Rebelvox LLC (Voxer, Inc.)
• Inventors: Katis, Thomas E., Panttaja, Mary G., Ranney, Matthew J., Panttaja, James T.
• Granted Patent: US 8,311,050 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/88.220
• CPC Class Codes: E04H 3/126 Foldable, retractable or tiltable tribunes E04H3/123 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 15/16 Combinations of two or more digital computers each having at least an arithmetic unit, a program unit and a register, e.g. for a simultaneous processing of several programs coordinating program control therefor G06F9/52; in regulating and control system G05B
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1831 Tracking arrangements for later retrieval, e.g. recording contents, participants activities or behavior, network status
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/10 Multimedia information
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/216 Handling conversation history, e.g. grouping of messages in sessions or threads
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/226 Delivery according to priorities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/42 Mailbox-related aspects, e.g. synchronisation of mailboxes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/2503 Translation of Internet protocol [IP] addresses
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1083 In-session procedures
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/4015 where at least one of the additional parallel sessions is real time or time sensitive, e.g. white board sharing, collaboration or spawning of a subconference
• 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: H04L 65/752 adapting media to network capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/764 at the destination reformatting of additional data in video clients H04N21/4355
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/54 Presence management, e.g. monitoring or registration for receipt of user log-on information, or the connection status of the users
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/64 Automatic arrangements for answering calls; Automatic arrangements for recording messages for absent subscribers; Arrangements for recording conversations centralised dictation systems H04M11/10
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 11/00 Telephonic communication systems specially adapted for combination with other electrical systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/53 Centralised arrangements for recording incoming messages , i.e. mailbox systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5307 for recording messages comprising any combination of audio and non-audio components
• 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 7/15 : Conference systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/12 : Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements

Abstract

The present invention is directed to a method for consecutively rendering one or more conversations on a first communication device. The method includes defining a set of conversations to be consecutively rendered among the one or more conversations and defining a priority hierarchy for rendering the media associated with the defined set of conversations. During operation, media associated with the defined set of conversations is received at the first communication device over a network. In accordance with the method, the available media is continually sequenced into a sequence order at least partially based on the hierarchy priority. The one or more conversations are consecutively rendered by continually rendering the media in the sequence order.

Claims

1. A method for consecutively rendering one or more conversations on a first communication device, comprising:

receiving at the first communication device media associated with the one or more conversations over a network;

defining a set among the one or more conversations to be consecutively rendered;

defining a priority hierarchy for rendering the media associated with the defined set of conversations;

sequencing the media associated with the defined set of conversations into a sequence order at least partially based on the defined priority hierarchy; and

consecutively rendering the media associated with the defined set of conversations in the sequence order.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein defining the set of conversations to be rendered consecutively further comprises allowing a user of the first communication device to define the set of conversations to be consecutively rendered.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein defining the set of conversations to be rendered consecutively further comprises using a predefined configuration to define the set of conversations to be rendered consecutively.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein defining the set of conversations to be rendered consecutively further comprises allowing a participant of one of the defined set of conversations to define the set of conversations to consecutively render.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein defining the priority hierarchy further comprises allowing a user of the first communication device to define the priority hierarchy.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein defining the priority hierarchy further comprises using a predefined configuration priority hierarchy.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein defining the priority hierarchy further comprises allowing a participant of one of the defined set of conversations to define the priority hierarchy.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein sequencing the media associated with the defined set of conversations into the sequencing order further comprises:

(i) ascertaining, among the set of conversations to be consecutively rendered, the conversations with available media;

(ii) selecting one conversation among the ascertained conversations with available media at least partially based on the defined priority hierarchy;

9. The method of claim 8, wherein consecutively rendering the media associated with the defined set of conversations in the sequence order further comprises:

(iii) rendering the available media of the selected one conversation;

(iv) pausing the rendering of the available media of the other ascertained conversations; and

(v) continually performing (i) through (iv).

10. The method of claim 8, wherein selecting the one conversation among the ascertained conversations with available media further comprises using a sequencing algorithm to define the sequence order based on one or more of the following parameters:

(i) the priority hierarchy;

(ii) switching costs associated with interrupting the currently rendered media with a higher priority media;

(iii) the duration of the currently rendered media;

(iv) the quality of the available media;

(v) input from a controller of the first communication device;

(vi) the time the media was received;

(vii) the time the media was created;

(viii) time the media becomes available for rendering;

(ix) a random or predetermined shuffling order;

(x) a predefined priority associated with the incoming media;

or

(xi) priority information included with the incoming media.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising continually updating the sequence order as media belonging to the defined set of conversations is received at the first communication device.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein consecutively rendering the media associated with the defined set of conversations in the sequence order further comprises rendering the available media for the conversation first in the sequence order in a near real-time mode.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising rendering the available media for the conversations in the set not first in the sequence order in a time-shifted mode.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein consecutively rendering the media associated with the defined set of conversations in the sequence order further comprises:

(i) rendering the media first in the sequence order;

(ii) updating the sequence order; and

(iii) continually performing steps (i) and (ii).

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

(iv) continually time-shifting the rendering of media lower in the sequence order; and

(v) continually performing steps (i) and (iv).

16. The method of claim 14, wherein rendering the media first in the sequence order further comprises either:

(iv) progressively rendering the media as it is being received over the network;

or

(v) progressively rendering the media from storage or memory if the media first in the sequence order was previously received but not rendered.

17. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

ascertaining the highest priority conversation among the set of conversations from the sequence order;

creating media on the first communication device associated with a highest priority conversation as defined by the priority hierarchy; and

transmitting the created media from the first communication device to one or more remote communication devices over the network and participating in the highest priority conversation.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the created media and the received media constitute the highest priority conversation.

19. The method of claim 17, further comprising continually ascertaining the highest priority conversation among the set of conversations as the sequence order is continually updated.

20. The method of claim 17, further comprising preventing the creation of media on the first communication device associated with the set of conversations except for the highest priority conversation.

21. The method of claim 1, further comprising progressively rendering the media first in the sequence order as the media is being received over the network.

22. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

storing media associated with the conversations in the set not first in the sequence order as the media is received over the network; and

rendering the stored media in the sequence order as the sequence order is updated.

23. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing a plurality of rendering options for rendering the media of the consecutively rendered conversations, the rendering options including one or more of the following:

pause, replay, play faster, play slower, jump backward, jump forward, catch up to the most recently received media, or jump to the most recently received media.

24. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

creating media on the first communication device associated with one conversation in the set, and

progressively storing the created media as the media is being created before transmitting the created media,

the created media being transmitted over the network to the one or more remote communication devices associated with the highest priority conversation.

25. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

creating media on the first communication device associated with one conversation in the set, and

progressively transmitting the created media as the media is being created before storing the created media,

the created media being transmitted over the network to the one or more remote communication devices associated with the highest priority conversation.

26. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

creating media on the first communication device associated with one conversation in the set, and

consecutively and progressively storing and transmitting the created media as the media is being created,

the created media being transmitted over the network to the one or more remote communication devices associated with the highest priority conversation.

27. The method of claim 1, further comprising storing on the first communication device the received media associated with the defined set of conversations to be consecutively rendered before consecutively rendering the received media.

28. The method of claim 1, further comprising storing on the first communication device the received media associated with the defined set of conversations to be consecutively rendered after consecutively rendering the received media.

29. The method of claim 1, further comprising storing on the first communication device the received media associated with the set of conversations to be consecutively rendered at substantially the same time the received media is consecutively rendered.

30. The method of claim 1, further comprises:

creating media on the first communication device associated with one of the conversations in the set;

ascertaining if the first communication device is connected to the network when the media is created; and

progressively transmitting the media if the first communication device is connected to the network, the created media being transmitted to the one or more remote communication devices associated with the one conversation,

wherein connected to the network is defined as the ability to transfer data between the first communication device and the network.

31. The method of claim 29, further comprising:

ascertaining the bandwidth rate of the connection between the network and the first communication device when the media is being created; and

progressively transmitting the created media within the ascertained bandwidth rate.

32. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

creating media on the first communication device associated with one of the conversations in the set;

ascertaining if the first communication device is disconnected from the network when the media is created;

detecting when the first communication device reconnects to the network; and

transmitting the created media from storage or memory after the first communication device reconnects to the network, the created media being transmitted to the one or more remote communication devices associated with the one conversation,

wherein connected and disconnected to the network is defined as the ability to transfer or not transfer data between the first communication device and the network respectively.

33. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

creating media on the first communication device associated with one of the conversations in the set;

ascertaining if network conditions are sufficiently poor to prevent the transmission when the media is created;

detecting when network conditions sufficiently improve to enable the transmission; and

transmitting the created media from storage or memory after detecting when the network conditions sufficiently improve, the created media being transmitted to the one or more remote communication devices associated with the one conversation.

34. The method of claim 1, wherein the media further comprises one or more of the following types of media:

voice, video, text, sensor data, position or GPS information, radio signals, or a combination thereof.

35. The method of claim 1, wherein the first communication device comprises one of the following:

a land-line phone, a wireless or cellular phone, a computer or a radio, a satellite phone or radio, or a tactical radio or phone.

36. The method of claim 1, wherein the network comprises a packet-based network, a circuit-based network, a wired network, a fiber optic network, a satellite network, a cellular network, a wireless network, a radio based network, or a combination thereof.

37. The method of claim 1, wherein the media received at the first communication device further comprise time indexed media payloads, each of the time indexed media payloads having time index and sequencing data associated therewith.

38. The method of claim 37, wherein the time indexed media payloads are streamed.

39. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving urgent media at the first communication device; and

rendering the urgent media before rendering the media associated with the defined set of conversations.

40. The method of claim 17 further comprising segmenting the created media and the received media into messages.

41. The method of claim 1, wherein one or more remote participants are associated with the multiple conversations, each of the one or more remote participants using remote communication devices and communicating with the first communication device over the network.