System and method for transmitting video material
First Claim
1. A method of transmitting selected motion video content from a first user to a second user, comprising:
- at a first geographic location, playing from an analog source a motion video segment and converting the motion video segment into a motion video stream;
compressing the motion video stream using real-time compression to produce a once-compressed motion video stream;
displaying the motion video segment;
based on display of the motion video segment, selecting at least a portion of the motion video segment in response to one or more commands of the first user;
storing as a motion video file a portion of the once-compressed motion video stream corresponding to the portion of the motion video segment selected;
within a fixed period of time determined in response to one or more commands of the first user, retrieving the motion video file; and
transmitting at a reduced, subvideo, frame rate through a telephone network from the first geographic location to a second geographic location of the second user, and receiving at the second geographic location, the motion video file.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A "video fax" system electronically delivers a non-real time, full-motion, sub-broadcast quality facsimile of relatively short segments of video material from an originating location to a receiving location in a short period of time, utilizing selected widely available commercial telephone switched networks. At the originating location, analog source material is digitized, compressed, prepared for transmission and stored temporarily. Digital source material is handled by bypassing the digitization step and part of the compression step, and performing the necessary file conversion. The sending location dials up the receiving location, and a connection is established. The digital file is transmitted over the network. When finished, the connection is terminated. At the receiving location, the material is received, decompressed and converted back to either analog form or digital form, depending on the recipient'"'"'s preference. Compression and decompression are each performed in two stages, with a real-time component performed at full-frame rate, and an offline secondary reduced frame-rate component. Alternatively, the compression is performed entirely at the reduced frame rate, which involves undoing of the compression component performed in real-time. The corresponding decompression involves decompressing entirely at a reduced frame rate, followed by recompressing in preparation for full-frame rate real-time decompression. Transmission over the telephone network is performed concurrently with the reduced frame rate compression, resulting in an overall faster transfer.
144 Citations
120 Claims
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1. A method of transmitting selected motion video content from a first user to a second user, comprising:
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at a first geographic location, playing from an analog source a motion video segment and converting the motion video segment into a motion video stream; compressing the motion video stream using real-time compression to produce a once-compressed motion video stream; displaying the motion video segment; based on display of the motion video segment, selecting at least a portion of the motion video segment in response to one or more commands of the first user; storing as a motion video file a portion of the once-compressed motion video stream corresponding to the portion of the motion video segment selected; within a fixed period of time determined in response to one or more commands of the first user, retrieving the motion video file; and transmitting at a reduced, subvideo, frame rate through a telephone network from the first geographic location to a second geographic location of the second user, and receiving at the second geographic location, the motion video file. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A method of transmitting selected motion video content from a first user to a second user, comprising:
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at a first geographic location, playing from an analog source a motion video segment and converting the motion video segment into a motion video stream; compressing the motion video stream using real-time compression to produce a once-compressed motion video stream; displaying the motion video segment; based on display of the motion video segment, selecting at least a portion of the motion video segment in response to one or more commands of the first user; storing as a motion video file a portion of the once-compressed motion video stream corresponding to the portion of the motion video segment selected; within a fixed period of time determined in response to one or more commands of the first user, retrieving the motion video file; applying secondary compression at a reduced, subvideo, frame rate to the motion video file to produce a twice-compressed motion video stream; and transmitting at a reduced, subvideo, frame rate through a telephone network from the first geographic location to a second geographic location of the second user, and receiving at the second geographic location, the twice-compressed motion video stream. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 28, 29)
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27. The method of claim 230, further comprising:
at the second geographic location, receiving and storing one or more additional received motion video files coexisting with the first received motion video file.
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30. A method of transmitting selected motion video content from a first user to a second user, comprising:
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at a first geographic location, playing from an analog source a motion video segment and converting the motion video segment into a motion video stream; compressing the motion video stream using real-time compression to produce a once-compressed motion video stream; displaying the motion video segment; based on display of the motion video segment, selecting at least a portion of the motion video segment in response to one or more commands of the first user; storing as a motion video file a portion of the once-compressed motion video stream corresponding to the portion of the motion video segment selected; within a fixed period of time determined in response to one or more commands of the first user, retrieving the motion video file; applying secondary compression at a reduced, subvideo, frame rate to the motion video file to produce a twice-compressed motion video stream; storing as a twice-compressed motion video file the twice-compressed motion video stream; retrieving from the twice-compressed motion video file, the twice-compressed motion video stream; and transmitting at a reduced, subvideo, frame rate through a telephone network from the first geographic location to a second geographic location of a second user, and receiving at the second geographic location, the twice-compressed motion video stream. - View Dependent Claims (31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 49)
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46. A method of transmitting selected motion video content from a first user to a second user, comprising:
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at a first geographic location, displaying a motion video segment; based on display of the motion video segment, selecting at least a portion of the motion video segment in response to one or more commands of the first user; compressing at least a portion of the motion video segment selected to form a once-compressed motion video stream and storing the once-compressed motion video stream as a motion video file; within a fixed period of time determined in response to one or more commands of the first user, retrieving the motion video file; and transmitting at a reduced, subvideo, frame rate through a telephone network from the first geographic location to a second geographic location of a second user, and receiving at the second geographic location, the motion video file. - View Dependent Claims (47, 48, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56)
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57. A method of transmitting selected motion video content from a first user to a second user, comprising:
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at a first geographic location, displaying a motion video segment; based on display of the motion video segment, selecting at least a portion of the motion video segment in response to one or more commands of the first user; compressing at least a portion of the motion video segment selected to form a once-compressed motion video stream and storing the once-compressed motion video stream as a motion video file; within a fixed period of time determined in response to one or more commands of the first user, retrieving the motion video file at a reduced, subvideo, frame rate; applying secondary compression at a reduced, subvideo, frame rate to the motion video file to produce a twice-compressed motion video stream; and transmitting at a reduced, subvideo, frame rate through a telephone network from the first geographic location to a second geographic location of a second user, and receiving at the second geographic location, the twice-compressed motion video stream. - View Dependent Claims (58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73)
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74. A method of transmitting selected motion video content from a first user to a second user, comprising:
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at a first geographic location, displaying a motion video segment; based on display of the motion video segment, selecting at least a portion of the motion video segment in response to one or more commands of the first user; compressing at least a portion of the motion video segment selected to form a once-compressed motion video stream and storing the once-compressed motion video stream as a motion video file; within a fixed period of time determined in response to one or more commands of the first user, retrieving the motion video file; applying secondary compression at a reduced, subvideo, frame rate to the motion video file to produce a twice-compressed motion video stream; storing as a twice-compressed motion video file the twice-compressed motion video stream; retrieving from the twice-compressed motion video file, the twice-compressed motion video stream; and transmitting at a reduced, subvideo, frame rate through a telephone network from the first geographic location to a second geographic location of a second user, and receiving at the second geographic location, the twice-compressed motion motion video stream. - View Dependent Claims (75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 80, 81, 82, 83, 84, 85, 86, 87, 88, 89)
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90. A method comprising:
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applying real-time compression to an original motion video stream to produce a once-compressed motion video stream; storing as a motion video file a portion of the once-compressed motion video stream; retrieving from the motion video file at a reduced, subvideo, frame rate the motion video file; applying secondary compression at a reduced, subvideo, frame rate to the motion video file to produce a twice-compressed motion video stream; and transmitting to a remote geographic location at a reduced, subvideo, frame rate the twice-compressed motion video stream. - View Dependent Claims (91, 92, 93, 94, 95, 96, 97)
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98. A motion video fax station comprising:
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a central processor; multi-level storage means connected to the central processor for storing at least one digital motion video file; means for inputting a digital motion video file to the multi-level storage means and outputting a digital motion video file from the multi-level storage means; an analog interface for selectively receiving audio and motion video signals from and selectively providing audio and motion video signals to a plurality of media devices; means connecting to the analog interface and the central processor for performing real-time compression of audio and motion video signals; means connected to the analog interface and the central processor for performing real-time decompression of audio and motion video signals; means for interfacing with, transmitting compressed audio and motion video signals to, and receiving compressed audio and motion video signals from a telephone network, thereby achieving two-way motion video communication; and means connected to the central processor for indicating to a user an operational status of the system and for receiving user commands. - View Dependent Claims (99, 100, 101, 102, 103, 104)
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105. A motion video fax station comprising:
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a central processor; multi-level storage means connected to the central processor for storing at least one digital motion video file; means for receiving a digital motion video file from an external source; means for inputting a digital motion video file to the multi-level storage means and outputting a digital motion video file from the multi-level storage means; means connected to the central processor for performing real-time decompression of audio and motion video signals; means for interfacing with, transmitting audio and motion video signals to, and receiving compressed audio and motion video signals from, a telephone network, thereby achieving two-way motion video communication; and means connected to the central processor for indicating to a user an operational status of the system and for receiving user commands. - View Dependent Claims (106, 107, 108, 109, 110, 111, 112)
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113. A motion video fax station comprising:
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a central processor; multi-level storage means connected to the central processor for storing at least one digital motion video file; means for receiving a digital motion video file from an external source; means for inputting a digital motion video file to the multi-level storage means and outputting a digital motion video file from the multi-level storage means; an analog interface for selectively receiving audio and motion video signals from and selectively providing audio and motion video signals to a plurality of media devices; means connected to the analog interface and the central processor for performing real-time compression of audio and motion video signals; means connected to the analog interface and the central processor for performing real-time decompression of audio and motion video signals; means for interfacing with, transmitting compressed audio and motion video signals to, and receiving compressed audio and motion video signals from, a telephone network, thereby achieving two-way motion video communication; and means connected to the central processor for indicating to a user an operational status of the system and for receiving user commands. - View Dependent Claims (114, 115, 116, 117, 118, 119, 120)
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Specification