SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR GROUP VIDEO MESSAGING SERVICE

• US 20130318574A1
• Filed: 03/14/2013
• Published: 11/28/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 05/25/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Adaptiv Networks Inc.
• Original Assignee: LiveQoS Inc. (Adaptiv Networks Inc.)
• Inventors: Kumar, Pranay, Brink, Ryan, Flatt, Gregory, McNamee, Desmond
• Granted Patent: US 8,966,598 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 726/4
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/065 for group communications cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for key management involving conference or group key H04L9/0833
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/10 for controlling access to devices or network resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/101 Access control lists [ACL]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/104 Grouping of entities
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/15 Conference systems

Abstract

A group video messaging method stores user information identifying authorized users of a video messaging system, and provides a user interface to the video messaging system. The user interface permits authorized users to transfer video files to the video messaging system for storage and retrieval, and to identify criteria for other authorized users to access each transferred video file. The method also stores in the video messaging system the video files transferred to the system by the authorized users; stores information identifying the user that transferred each stored video file to the video messaging system, and the criteria for authorized users to access the stored video files; and stores information identifying different groups of the authorized users and which of the stored video files are to be accessible to each of the authorized users or authorized user groups.

Claims

1. A group video messaging method comprising

storing user information identifying authorized users of a video messaging system,

providing a user interface to said video messaging system, said user interface permitting said authorized users to transfer video files to said video messaging system for storage and retrieval, and to identify criteria for other authorized users to access each transferred video file,

storing in said video messaging system the video files transferred to said system by said authorized users,

storing information identifying the user that transferred each stored video file to said video messaging system, and said criteria for authorized users to access said stored video files, and

storing information identifying different groups of said authorized users and which of said stored video files are to be accessible to each of said authorized users or authorized user groups.

2. The group video messaging method of claim 1 in which identifications of at least some of said different groups of authorized users are accessible at said user interface, and said user interface permits any authorized user to select and join any of said accessible groups.

3. The group video messaging method of claim 1 in which identifications of at least some of said authorized users are accessible at said user interface, and said user interface permits any authorized user to invite any of said authorized users with accessible identifications to join one of said groups of authorized users.

4. The group video messaging method of claim 1, further comprising

hosting said user interface on an application server coupled to one or more user devices via at least one network,

said authorized users accessing said user interface with said one or more user devices coupled to said server via said at least one network.

5. The group video messaging method of claim 1, wherein at least some of said authorized users joined some of the said different groups by auto joining.

6. The group video messaging method of claim 1, further comprising inviting at least some of said authorized users to join one or more of said different groups.

7. The group video messaging method of claim 1, further comprising storing information associated with retrieval of said video files by said authorized users

8. The group video messaging method of claim 7, further comprising presenting said information.

9. The group video messaging method of claim 7, wherein said presenting comprises displaying said information on one or more maps.

10. The group video messaging method of claim 4, wherein said at least one network comprises an access network.

11. The group video messaging method of claim 10, further comprising

encoding data at a user device using a network performance enhancing coding (NPEC),

transmitting the encoded data to an intermediate server coupled to said application server and

decoding the encoded data at said intermediate server using said NPEC, and transmitting the decoded data to said application server.

12. The group video messaging method of claim 11, wherein said intermediate server is a proxy server.

13. A group video messaging system comprising

a storage device containing video files, user information identifying authorized users of said video messaging system, and information identifying different groups of said authorized users and which of said video files are to be accessible to each of said authorized users or authorized user groups,

a processor coupled to said storage device for controlling the storage and retrieval of said user information, and

a user interface coupled to said processor to permit said authorized users to transfer to said processor (1) video files for storage in said storage device, (2) criteria for other authorized users to access each transferred video file, (3) information identifying the transferring user.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein said user interface is hosted on an application server coupled to one or more user devices via at least one network,

said authorized users accessing said user interface with said one or more user devices coupled to said server via said at least one network.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein at least some of said authorized users joined one or more of the said different groups by auto joining.

16. The system of claim 13, further comprising inviting at least some of said authorized users to join one or more of said different groups.

17. The system of claim 13, further comprising storing information associated with retrieval of said video files by said authorized users.

18. The system of claim 17, further comprising presenting said information.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein said presenting comprises displaying said information on one or more maps.

20. The system of claim 14, wherein said at least one network comprises an access network

21. The system of claim 20, further comprising said user device having a processor adapted to encode data using a network performance enhancing coding (NPEC), and to transmit the encoded data via said access network to said intermediate server, and

said intermediate server being adapted to receive said encoded data and having a processor adapted to decode the encoded data using said NPEC, and to transmit the decoded data to said application server.

22. The system of claim 21 wherein said intermediate server is a proxy server.

23. The system of claim 21 wherein said intermediate server is selected from the group consisting of proxy servers, traversal using relays-around-network-address-translator (TURN) servers, and virtual-private-network (VPN) servers.

24. The system of claim 22 wherein said proxy server is co-located with said application server.