SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR OPERATING A SERVER FOR REAL-TIME COMMUNICATION OF TIME-BASED MEDIA

• US 20100312914A1
• Filed: 08/16/2010
• Published: 12/09/2010
• 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 8,825,772 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/238
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/6418 Hybrid transport

Abstract

A system and method for operating a server on a communication network. The system and method involving the progressive receipt of time-based media at the server as the time-based media is transmitted by a sender over the communication network and the discovery at least a partial delivery route to a recipient of the time-based media as the time-based media is being received. The time-based media is progressively transmitted as the media is available and as the partial delivery route over the communication network to the recipient is discovered.

Claims

1. A method of operating a server on a communication network, comprising:

progressively receiving time-based media at the server, the server receiving the time-based media as the time-based media is transmitted by a sender over the communication network;

discovering at least a partial delivery route to a recipient of the time-based media; and

progressively transmitting the received time-based media as the media is available and as the partial delivery route over the communication network to the recipient is discovered.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the time-based media is associated with a message and the progressive transmission of the received time-based media starts before the time-based media of the message is received in full.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the progressive transmission further comprises progressively transmitting the received time-based media as soon as the next hop on the communication network along the complete delivery route to the recipient is discovered.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the progressive transmission occurs before the complete delivery route to the recipient is fully discovered.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving at the server an identifier uniquely identifying the recipient;

ascertaining at the server if a lookup result of the identifier indicates that the recipient receives a real-time transmission service; and

progressively transmitting using a real-time transmission protocol the received time-based media as the partial delivery route on the communication network to the recipient is discovered if the lookup result of the identifier indicates that the recipient receives the real-time transmission service.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the real-time transmission protocol comprises one of the following:

(i) SIP;

(ii) RTP;

(iii) VoIP;

(iv) Skype;

or

(v) emails where media is progressively transmitted.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving at the server an identifier uniquely identifying the recipient;

encapsulating the time-based media into a file; and

forwarding the file to the recipient over the communication network.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving at the server an identifier uniquely identifying the recipient;

providing the recipient with a URL; and

arranging for the time-based media to be served to the recipient when the recipient accesses the URL.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving at the server an identifier uniquely identifying the recipient;

ascertaining from a lookup result of the identifier that the identifier is invalid; and

providing the sender with a notification indicating that the time-based media was not delivered to the recipient when the identifier is invalid.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving at the server an identifier uniquely identifying the recipient, wherein the identifier is a globally unique identifier.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the identifier is an email address associated with the recipient.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein discovering the at least partial delivery route to the recipient further comprises using a lookup result of an identifier associated with the recipient to determine the next hop for delivering the time-based media to the recipient.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the lookup result is either:

(i) an active lookup result of the identifier;

or

(ii) a cached result of a previous lookup of the identifier.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the lookup of the identifier is used to authenticate the recipient.

15. The method of claim 12 wherein the lookup result is a DNS lookup result.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the delivery route to the recipient is to an inbox associated with the recipient.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein discovering the at least partial delivery route and the progressively transmitting the received time-based media further comprises:

(i) ascertaining at the server the next hop on the communication network for forwarding the time-based media to the recipient; and

(ii) progressively transmitting the received time-based media to the next hop as soon as the next hop is discovered.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising repeating the steps (i) and (ii) of claim 17 for each of the one or more hops along the delivery route to the recipient respectively.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein progressively receiving the time-based media at the server further comprises progressively receiving at the server the time-based media as the time based media is progressively created or retrieved from storage by the sender.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein progressively transmitting the received time-based media further comprises progressively delivering the time-based media to the recipient as the time-based media is progressively created or retrieved from storage by the sender.

21. A server configured to operate on a communication network, the server comprising:

a receiver configured to progressively receive time-based media, the server receiving the time-based media as the time-based media is transmitted by a sender over the communication network;

a route discovery element configured to discover at least a partial delivery route to a recipient of the time-based media; and

a transmitter configured to progressively transmit the received time-based media as the media is available and as the partial delivery route over the communication network to the recipient is discovered.

22. The server of claim 21, wherein the time-based media is associated with a message and the progressive transmission of the received time-based media starts before the time-based media of the message is received in full.

23. The server of claim 21, wherein the transmitter is further configured to progressively transmit the received time-based media as soon as the next hop on the communication network along the complete delivery route to the recipient is discovered.

24. The server of claim 21, wherein the transmitter is further configured to progressively transmit the received time-based media before the complete delivery route to the recipient is fully discovered.

25. The server of claim 21, wherein the transmitter is further configured to progressively transmit, using a real-time transmission protocol, the received time-based media as the at least partial delivery route to the recipient is discovered if a lookup result of an identifier uniquely identifying the recipient as ascertained by the route discovery element indicates that the recipient receives a real-time transmission service.

26. The server of claim 25, wherein the real-time transmission protocol used by the transmitter comprises one of the following:

(i) SIP;

(ii) RTP;

(iii) VoIP;

(iv) Skype;

or

(v) emails where media is progressively transmitted.

27. The server of claim 21, further comprising an email element configured to encapsulate the received time-based media into a file and to forward an email to the recipient.

28. The server of claim 21, further configured to (i) provide the recipient with a URL and (ii) arrange for the received time-based media to be served to the recipient when the recipient accesses the URL.

29. The server of claim 21, further comprising a notification element configured to provide the sender with a notification indicating that the received time-based media was not delivered to the recipient when a lookup result of an identifier associated with the recipient determines that the identifier is invalid.

30. The server of claim 21, wherein the receiver is further configured to receive an identifier uniquely identifying the recipient, wherein the identifier is a globally unique identifier.

31. The server of claim 30, wherein the identifier is an email address associated with the recipient.

32. The server of claim 30, wherein route discovery element discovers the at least partial delivery route to the recipient from a lookup result of the identifier uniquely identifying the recipient.

33. The server of claim 32, wherein the lookup result is either:

(i) an active lookup result of the identifier;

or

(ii) a cached result of a previous lookup of the identifier.

34. The server of claim 30, wherein the identifier is used to authenticate the recipient.

35. The server of claim 32 wherein the lookup result is a DNS lookup result.

36. The server of claim 21, wherein the delivery route to the recipient is to an inbox associated with the recipient.