Multimedia information service access

• US 5,956,482 A
• Filed: 05/15/1996
• Issued: 09/21/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 05/15/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: AT&T Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Perea, Carlos Alberto, Stuntebeck, Peter H., Civanlar, Mehmet Reha, Haskell, Barin Geoffry, Markowitz, Robert Edward, Rosen, Kenneth H., Agraharam, Sanjay, Ramamurthy, Ram S., Mortenson, Robert F., Kuthyar, Ashok K.
• Primary Examiner(s): PEESO, THOMAS R
• Application Number:
  US08/648,260
• Time in Patent Office: 1,224 Days
• Field of Search: 395/200.32, 395/200.33, 395/200.47, 395/200.49, 395/200.57, 395/200.68, 395/200.61, 395/200.8, 370/390, 370/401, 370/420, 348/7, 348/12, 348/15, 348/16, 348/17, 345/326, 345/327, 345/329
• US Class Current: 709/203
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0861 using biometrical features, e.g. fingerprint, retina-scan cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using biological data H04L9/3231
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/10 for controlling access to devices or network resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/401 wherein the services involve a main real-time session and one or more additional parallel real-time or time sensitive sessions, e.g. white board sharing or spawning of a subconference
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/612 for unicast
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/00 Arrangements for metering, time-control or time indication ; Metering, charging or billing arrangements for voice wireline or wireless communications, e.g. VoIP
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/07 Split billing, i.e. both A-party and B-party charged for the communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/08 Metering calls to called party , i.e. B-party charged for the communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/55 for hybrid networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/56 for VoIP communications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2207/203 composed of PSTN and data network, e.g. the Internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/202 VoIP; Packet switched telephony
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/44 Charging/billing arrangements for connection made over different networks, e.g. wireless and PSTN, ISDN, etc.
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/62 Called party billing, e.g. reverse billing, freephone, collect call, 0800 or 0900
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/64 Split billing, sharing the cost of calls, e.g. between calling and called parties
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/382 using authorisation codes or passwords
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4872 Non-interactive information services
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/51 Centralised call answering arrangements requiring operator intervention , e.g. call or contact centers for telemarketing
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/567 : Multimedia conference systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/12 : for working between exchanges having different types of switching equipment, e.g. power-driven and step by step or decimal and non-decimal
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 11/0435 : Details
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/1305 : Software aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13103 : Memory
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/1313 : Metering, billing
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13179 : Fax, still picture
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13209 : ISDN
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13242 : Broadcast, diffusion, multicast, point-to-multipoint (1 : N)
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13248 : Multimedia
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13337 : Picturephone, videotelephony
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13339 : Ciphering, encryption, security
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13376 : Information service, downloading of information, 0800/0900 services
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13377 : Recorded announcement
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13389 : LAN, internet

Abstract

Real time delivery of multimedia information accessed either through the Internet, or otherwise, simultaneously, or sequentially time delayed to one more users, is enabled by delivering the multimedia information over a switched network via a multipoint control unit. A client establishes a connection with a server, or other remote location where desired multimedia information is resident, identifies the desired multimedia information and provides client information identifying the locations of the users. The client information may include the telephone numbers or other access numbers of each of the multiple users. The multimedia information is then delivered by a multimedia server to a bridging apparatus through a switched network guaranteeing high quality of service, secure connection and billing control. Connecting one or more users to a live agent is also made possible by providing the telephone numbers of the users and the live agent directly to the multipoint control unit. The delivery of the multimedia information can be secured by comparing the client information to a segmented "to call" list to determine whether the client is authorized to receive the requested multimedia information. Alternatively, or in addition, security can be implemented by mounting a video camera at the client'"'"'s endpoint and connecting a database running face recognition software to the multimedia server. The multimedia server'"'"'s call to the user triggers the camera to take a picture of the user. The selected content is restricted to authorized users by comparing the picture to pictures of authorized faces stored in the database.

Claims

1. A method for real time delivery of multimedia information from a remote location to one or more users including a principal user, comprising the steps of establishing a first line of communication between said principal user and said remote location;

requesting a temporal scheme for the delivery of multimedia information from said remote location to each of said users, said temporal scheme relating to the timing and sequence of said delivery of multimedia information to each of said users;

establishing a second line of communication over a switched network between a multimedia server, and a bridging apparatus, said bridging apparatus being connected to each of said users; and

delivering in real-time said requested multimedia information to each of said users through said bridging apparatus, according to said temporal scheme.

2. A method according to claim 1 wherein said temporal scheme includes the simultaneous delivery of said requested multimedia information to each of said one or more users.

3. A method according to claim 1 wherein said temporal scheme includes delivering said requested multimedia information to said one or more users in a time delayed sequence.

4. A method according to claim 1 wherein said first line of communication includes establishing an Internet connection.

5. A method according to claim 1 further comprising the step of providing identification information of each of said plurality of users to said multimedia information server by said principal user.

6. A method according to claim 5 wherein said identification information includes one or more telephone numbers for said plurality of users.

7. A method according to claim 1 wherein said switched network is an Integrated Services Digital Network ("ISDN") enabled for multimedia information telecommunications.

8. A method according to claim 7 wherein said ISDN is enabled for H.320.

9. A method according to claim 1 wherein said multimedia information includes live video.

10. A method according to claim 1 wherein said multimedia information includes live audio.

11. A method according to claim 1 wherein said bridging apparatus is a multipoint control unit.

12. A method for connecting a user on the Internet to a live agent, comprising the steps of:

establishing a first line of communication between said user and an Internet server;

receiving a request from said user to be connected to said live agent;

requesting said user to provide identification information to said Internet server, said identification information including a telephone number at which a switched network call can be placed to said user;

receiving said identification information;

providing said user identification information to a bridging apparatus;

connecting said live agent to said bridging apparatus; and

placing a switched network call to said user from said bridging apparatus thereby connecting said user to said live agent.

13. A method for securing the delivery of multimedia information by a multimedia server to a user requesting said multimedia information over a switched network, comprising the steps of:

maintaining a database of user identification and corresponding authorization for receiving said multimedia information;

receiving identification information from said user at said multimedia server;

comparing at said multimedia server said received identification information with said user identification and corresponding authorization maintained on said database; and

delivering said multimedia by said multimedia server information to said user only if said comparison indicates said user is authorized to receive said multimedia information.

14. A method for securing the delivery of multimedia information from a multimedia server to a user end point over an ISDN switched network enabled for video telephony, comprising the steps of:

maintaining a database of pictures of users authorized to receive said multimedia information;

activating a video camera located at said user endpoint to take a picture of said user prior to delivering said multimedia information;

triggering a video capture algorithm at said multimedia server to capture a picture of said user;

comparing said captured picture of said user to said database of pictures of users authorized to receive said multimedia information; and

delivering said multimedia information to said user only if said comparison indicates said user is authorized to receive said multimedia information.

15. A client-server architecture for real-time delivery of multimedia information from a remote location to one or more users including a principal user, comprising:

a first line of communication between said principal user and said remote location;

a multimedia information server for accessing said multimedia information from said remote location;

a bridging apparatus for delivering said multimedia information to each of said plurality of users according to a selected temporal scheme, said temporal scheme relating to the timing and sequence of said delivery of multimedia information to each of said users; and

a second line of communication over a switched network between said multimedia server and said bridging apparatus for real-time delivery of said requested multimedia information to said bridging apparatus, whereby said bridging apparatus delivers said requested multimedia information to said one or more users.

16. A client-server architecture according to claim 15 wherein said temporal scheme includes means for the simultaneous delivery of said requested multimedia information to each of said one or more users.

17. A client-server architecture according to claim 15 wherein said temporal scheme includes means for delivering said requested multimedia information to said one or more users in a time delayed sequence.

18. A client-server architecture for connecting a user on the Internet to a live agent, comprising:

a first line of communication between said user and an Internet server;

means for requesting a connection to a live agent;

means for providing identification information of said user to said internet server, said identification information including a telephone number at which a circuit switched call can be placed to said user;

means for providing said user identification to a bridging apparatus;

means for connecting said live agent to said bridging apparatus; and

a switched network for placing a switched network call to said user from said bridging apparatus thereby connecting said user to said live agent.

19. A system for securing the delivery of multimedia information to a user requesting said multimedia information over a switched network, comprising:

a database of user identification and corresponding authorization for receiving said multimedia information;

means for receiving identification information of said user;

means for comparing said received identification information with said user identification and corresponding authorization maintained on said database; and

means for restricting the delivery of said requested multimedia information to said user if said comparison indicates that said user is not authorized to receive said multimedia information.

20. A system for securing the delivery of multimedia information from a multimedia server to a user endpoint over an ISDN switch network enabled for video telephony, comprising;

a database of pictures of users authorized to receive said multimedia information;

a video camera located at said user endpoint;

means for activating said video camera prior to delivering said multimedia information;

means for triggering a video capture algorithm at said multimedia server to capture a picture of said user;

means for comparing said captured picture of said user and said database of pictures authorized to receive said multimedia information; and

means for restricting the delivery of said multimedia information to said user if said comparison indicates that user is not authorized to receive said multimedia information.