E-mail system with video e-mail player

• US 6,564,248 B1
• Filed: 12/07/1999
• Issued: 05/13/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 06/03/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Smith Micro Software Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Smith Micro Software Incorporated
• Inventors: Wells, Mike, Glass, David, Budge, Daniel C., Scheussler, Robert, Pivowar, Alvin
• Primary Examiner(s): VU, VIET DUY
• Application Number:
  US09/456,770
• Time in Patent Office: 1,253 Days
• Field of Search: 709/204, 709/206, 709/217, 709/219, 709/313, 709/328, 709/329, 709/321
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/00 User-to-user messaging in packet-switching networks, transmitted according to store-and-forward or real-time protocols, e.g. e-mail
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/08 Annexed information, e.g. attachments
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/10 Multimedia information
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/216 Handling conversation history, e.g. grouping of messages in sessions or threads
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/56 Unified messaging, e.g. interactions between e-mail, instant messaging or converged IP messaging [CPM]

Abstract

Video messages are created in a manner that allows transparent delivery over any electronic mail (e-mail) system. The audio and video components of the message are recorded, encoded, and synchronously combined into a video message file. A player is selectively attached to the video message file to create an executable file which can be delivered as a standard binary file over conventional communications networks. To view the received video e-mail, the recipient executes the received file and the attached player automatically plays the video and audio message or the recipient executes the previously installed player which plays the video message.

Claims

1. Video e-mail software which enables encoded video, audio, and text to be transmitted over a digital network comprising:

a video encoder configured to be coupled to a video camera to generate encoded video data;

an audio encoder configured to be coupled to a microphone to generate encoded audio data;

a multiplexer in communication with said video encoder and said audio encoder and configured to generate multiplexed multimedia data comprising synchronously combined portions of said encoded audio data and said encoded video data;

software configured to provide review of the multimedia data, configured to launch an e-mail program without a user interacting with the e-mail program, configured to instruct the e-mail program to generate at least one video e-mail message ready for addressing and transmission, wherein the generation occurs without the user interacting with the e-mail program, and wherein the software is configured to provide a graphical user interface including a plurality of virtual buttons, each of which, when activated, initiates one of a plurality of specific operations to be performed by said software.

42. The video e-mail software of claim 1, wherein the user interacts with the e-mail program to enter at least one of addressing information, a text message, and subject information.

43. The video e-mail software of claim 1, further comprising the video camera for creating video data.

44. The video e-mail software of claim 1, wherein the video e-mail message includes compressed multimedia data.

45. The video e-mail software of claim 1, wherein the video e-mail message includes a player configured to play the multimedia data.

2. A video e-mail system comprising a computer program configured to execute on a processor to combine video from a video camera and audio from a microphone into a substantially compressed message file without storing comparatively large intermediate files to a disk, said program configured to optionally incorporate a video e-mail player into the message file.

3. The video e-mail system of claim 2, wherein said computer program comprises:

a video encoder configured to generate encoded video data;

an audio encoder configured to generate encoded audio data;

a video/audio multiplexer in communication with said video encoder and said audio encoder and configured to generate multiplexed multimedia data comprising synchronously combined portions of said encoded audio data and said encoded video data; and

a recorder manager which provides control signals to said video encoder, said audio encoder, and said multiplexer so as to record the multimedia data.

4. The video e-mail system of claim 2, wherein said video e-mail player comprises:

a video/audio demultiplexer in communication with said message file and configured to separate an encoded video data packet and an encoded audio data packet from said message file;

a video decoder configured to accept said video data packet from said demultiplexer and to generate decoded video data to a video driver;

a audio decoder configured to accept said audio data packet from said demultiplexer and to generate decoded audio data to a sound driver; and

a player manager which provides control signals to said demultiplexer, said video decoder, and said audio decoder so as to play the message file as a video e-mail message.

5. A video e-mail system, comprising:

a display which views video data;

video e-mail software which provides control for the review of said video data, said display and said video e-mail software being responsive to user inputs and providing a graphical user interface; and

a processor which executes the video e-mail software and an e-mail client to generate within the e-mail client at least one video e-mail message having a video e-mail player and compressed video data, wherein the at least one video e-mail message is generated without a user interacting with the e-mail client and wherein the video e-mail player is configured to replay the compressed video data.

6. The video e-mail system of claim 5, wherein said graphical user interface further comprises a plurality of virtual buttons each, of which, when activated, initiates one of a plurality of specific operations to be performed by the video e-mail system.

7. A video e-mail system, comprising:

means for capturing a video image;

means for encoding and combining said video image and an audio signal into a substantially compressed multimedia data file;

means for attaching an executable video e-mail player to said data file; and

means for transferring said data file to an e-mail client for eventual transfer to a recipient without a user of the e-mail client having to interact with the e-mail client to attach the data file.

8. An e-mail system which enables encoded images, audio, and text to be transmitted over a digital network system comprising:

a first encoder coupled to a camera to generate encoded data corresponding to images captured by the camera;

a second encoder configured to be coupled to a microphone to generate encoded data corresponding to audible information captured by the microphone;

a multiplexer in communication with said first and second encoders and configured to generate multiplexed multimedia data comprising combined portions of the encoded data from said first and second encoders, wherein the data is generated without a user preallocating disk drive storage space for storage of large intermediate files having data corresponding to the images or data corresponding to the audible information; and

software which provides control for the review of current data, is responsive to user inputs, and provides visual information, thereby providing a graphical user interface including a plurality of virtual buttons, each of which, when activated, initiates one of a plurality of operations to be performed by said e-mail system, wherein the software also generates e-mail messages including an optionally-included video player configured to play the multiplexed multimedia data.

9. A video e-mail system comprising video e-mail software configured to generate a message file including video and audio data, and to attach the message file to an e-mail without interaction between a user and an e-mail software program configured to transfer the e-mail to a recipient, wherein said message file includes a player configured to play at least portions of one of said video and said audio data.

10. A video e-mail computer program which provides a data file to an e-mail computer program, the video e-mail computer program comprising:

software instructions which create a graphical user interface configured, upon receipt of a user instruction, to begin recording multimedia data;

software instructions which create a graphical user interface configured, upon receipt of a user instruction, to stop recording multimedia data;

software instructions which create a graphical user interface configured, upon receipt of a user instruction, to play recorded multimedia data; and

software instructions which create a graphical user interface configured, upon receipt of a user instruction, to pass a data file to an e-mail computer program to be automatically attached to a video e-mail, wherein the data file is usable by a player to play the recorded multimedia data.

11. The video e-mail computer program of claim 10, further comprising software instructions which create a graphical user interface configured, upon receipt of a user instruction, to selectively attach the player to the data file, the player being configured to play portions of the data file upon selection of the data file by a recipient of the video e-mail.

12. A video e-mail system comprising:

video e-mail software which, when executed, controls the combination of encoded audio data and encoded video data into at least one multimedia data file and selectively passes the multimedia data file to an e-mail client for attachment to an e-mail, wherein the attachment occurs without a user of the video e-mail software interacting with the e-mail client; and

a computer readable storage medium which stores the video e-mail software.

13. The video e-mail system of claim 12, wherein the video e-mail software further controls whether a player will be combined with the at least one multimedia data file.

14. The video e-mail system of claim 12, wherein execution of the video e-mail software allows for a combination of a player with the at least one multimedia data file.

15. The video e-mail system of claim 14, wherein the combination of the player with the at least one multimedia data file is selectable.

16. The video e-mail system of claim 12, wherein the at least one multimedia data file is compressed during generation and before being written to a computer readable storage medium, thereby avoiding generation of substantially larger intermediate data files.

17. The video e-mail system of claim 12, further comprising a processor which accesses and executes the video e-mail software.

18. The video e-mail system of claim 12, further comprising a camera which captures at least one of audio data or video data to be processed into at least one of the encoded audio data and encoded video data.

19. A method of generating an e-mail including an executable file which when selected, launches an attached player playing a video clip, the method comprising:

combining an executable player with at least one of video data and audio data into a message file, wherein the executable player is configured to launch and play the at least one of video data and audio data when the message file is selected; and

selectively passing the message file to an e-mail client for attachment to an e-mail, wherein the attachment occurs without a user interacting with the e-mail client, thereby generating an e-mail including the message file, and wherein the combining and selectively passing occur within a video e-mail software program.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the combining occurs without storing to disk substantially larger intermediate data files.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the substantially larger intermediate data files include AVI files.

22. The method of claim 19, wherein the combining combines audio data and video data with the executable player.

23. The method of claim 19, wherein the video data is substantially compressed.

24. The method of claim 19, wherein the audio data is substantially compressed.

25. A video e-mail system comprising video e-mail software which executes on a processor to control an audio encoder, a video encoder and a multiplexer to generate a video clip to be attached to an e-mail, wherein the video clip is much smaller in size than data supplied to the audio and video encoders, and wherein the video e-mail software does not store large intermediate files to a disk drive.

26. The video e-mail system of claim 25, wherein the video e-mail software also controls the combination of the video clip and an executable player configured to play the video clip, into a message file, and wherein the message file rather than the video clip is to be attached to an e-mail.

27. The video e-mail system of claim 25, further comprising a processor which executes the video e-mail software.

28. The video e-mail system of claim 25, further comprising a camera which captures the data.

29. The video e-mail system of claim 25, further comprising a computer readable medium which stores the video e-mail software.

30. The video e-mail system of claim 25, further comprising an e-mail client, and wherein the video e-mail software selectively passes the video clip to the e-mail client for attachment to an e-mail, wherein the attachment occurs without a user interacting with the e-mail client.

31. A method of generating an e-mail with a message file where the message file includes a video clip and an executable player, the method comprising:

receiving audio and video data;

compressing the audio and video data into a message file including an executable player designed to play the audio and video data;

launching an e-mail client without a user interacting with the e-mail client; and

passing the message file to the e-mail client to generate an e-mail including the message file, wherein the passing occurs without the user interacting with the e-mail client.

32. The method of claim 31, wherein the receiving and compressing are included portions of a video e-mail software program.

33. A video e-mail system comprising video e-mail software which, when executed, controls the combination of a self contained executable player and a video data file into a message file and forwards the message file to an e-mail client for attachment to an e-mail without a user interacting with the e-mail client, wherein the self contained executable player is configured to play the video data file when the message file is selected by a recipient of the e-mail without the recipient needing additional software.

34. The video e-mail system of claim 33, wherein the additional software includes Video for Windows.

35. The video e-mail system of claim 33, further comprising a processor which executes the video e-mail software.

36. The video e-mail system of claim 33, further comprising a camera which captures data used to generate the video data file.

37. A method of generating video clip including multimedia information captured by multimedia capture devices, the method comprising:

receiving multimedia information captured by multimedia capture devices as a datastream from the audio and video capture devices;

processing the multimedia information to generate a video clip having a substantially reduced size; and

selectively attaching an executable player to the video clip to generate a message file to be attached to an e-mail without a user interacting with an e-mail client, wherein the executable player is configured to play the video clip when the message file is selected by a recipient of the e-mail.

46. The method of claim 37, wherein the processing of the multimedia information indudes processing the datastream in real time.

38. A video e-mail system comprising:

means for controlling the compression of multimedia information captured by audio or video capture devices into a video clip; and

means for selectively combining a means for playing the video clip and the video clip to generate a message file;

means for executing an e-mail program without interaction with the e-mail program by a user of the video e-mail system;

means for generating an e-mail including the message file in the e-mail program without interaction with the e-mail program by the user, wherein the means for playing is configured to play the video clip when the message file is selected by a recipient of the e-mail.

39. The video e-mail system of claim 38, wherein the means for controlling further comprises means for accepting a datastream from the audio or video capture devices, and means for processing the datastream in real time to generate the video clip.

40. The video e-mail system of claim 39, wherein the video clip is substantially reduced in size.

41. The video e-mail system of claim 38, wherein the user interacts with the e-mail program to enter at least one of addressing information, a text message, subject information, and one or more additional attached files other than the message file.

47. A method of attaching a video file to an e-mail of an e-mail computer program, the method comprising:

executing an e-mail computer program;

executing a video e-mail computer program; and

executing software instructions of the video e-mail computer program which instruct the e-mail computer program to attach a video file to an e-mail.

48. The method of claim 47, wherein the executing the software instructions occurs upon receipt by the video e-mail computer program of a user instruction to generate the e-mail.

49. The method of claim 47, further comprising attaching a player to the video file configured to play video data portions of the video file when the video file is selected by a recipient of the e-mail.

50. The method of claim 47, further comprising capturing multimedia data, and compressing the multimedia data to generate at least a portion of the video file.

51. A video capture computer program which passes a data file to an e-mail client, the video capture computer program comprising:

software instructions which create a graphical user interface configured, upon receipt of a user instruction, to create multimedia data; and

software instructions which create agraphical user-interface configured, upon receipt of a user instruction, to pass a data file to an e-mail computer program to automatically be included in an e-mail, wherein the data file is usable by a player to play the multimedia data.