Network conference system using limited bandwidth to generate locally animated displays
First Claim
1. A method of communicating over a network using a limited bandwidth, comprising the steps of:
- transferring a data stream of text and explicit commands from a transmitting computer to one or more receiving computers having, pre-stored graphic image files comprising representations of a limited number of movements of entities for display at the one or more receiving computers;
generating audible speech at the one or more receiving computers responsive to said text;
generating implicit commands responsive to said text; and
generating animation of said entities at said one or more receiving computers responsive to said implicit and explicit commands using information from said graphic image files that has a bandwidth exceeding that of respective explicit commands.
10 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Electronic conferencing is provide over a computer network, such as the Internet, by passing streams of text with embedded explicit audio and graphics commands. Text is translated to audible speech at the end-user computers by a text-to-speech processor to reduce the amount of data transferred between computers. Implicit commands are generated from the text at the end-user computers as the audible speech is generated. Implicit command may control, for example, the animation of lips to provide a realistic image of the words of the text being spoken. Explicit commands can be used to control the voice characteristics by the text-to-speech processor or to control animation.
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Citations
21 Claims
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1. A method of communicating over a network using a limited bandwidth, comprising the steps of:
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transferring a data stream of text and explicit commands from a transmitting computer to one or more receiving computers having, pre-stored graphic image files comprising representations of a limited number of movements of entities for display at the one or more receiving computers; generating audible speech at the one or more receiving computers responsive to said text; generating implicit commands responsive to said text; and generating animation of said entities at said one or more receiving computers responsive to said implicit and explicit commands using information from said graphic image files that has a bandwidth exceeding that of respective explicit commands. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. The method of generating a presentation on a plurality of participant computers from a host computer over a network using a limited bandwidth, comprising the steps of:
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downloading a data stream including text and animation control signals from said host to said participant computers over a network connection using a limited bandwidth, said animation control signals defining an animation sequence of display entities using a plurality of image files stored at the participant computers; generating animation on said participant computers by displaying information regarding said entities from said image files responsive to said animation control signals, wherein the bandwidth of the information from said image files exceeds that of the animation control signals in said data stream; generating audible speech on said participant computers responsive to said text; and generating additional animation of said entities on said participant computers responsive to said text. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A method of enabling two or more participant computers to communicate over a network using a limited bandwidth, comprising the steps of:
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transferring a data stream including text and commands regarding movements of animated entities from one of said participant computers to others of said participant computers, said others of said participating computers having locally stored graphic image files comprising representations of a limited number of movements of entities for display; generating audible speech on said other participant computers responsive to said text; and generating animation on said other participant computers responsive to said data steam using said graphic image files to generate information representing respective movements of said entities at a bandwidth exceeding that of said commands regarding movements of the animated entities. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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Specification