Real-time audio/video communication method for use on the internet and device therefor

• US 6,789,120 B1
• Filed: 10/26/2000
• Issued: 09/07/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 10/26/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Lee, Hoon-ki, Kim, Yoon-soo
• Primary Examiner(s): Burgess, Glenton B.
• Assistant Examiner(s): EDELMAN, BRADLEY E
• Application Number:
  US09/695,843
• Time in Patent Office: 1,412 Days
• Field of Search: 709/227, 709/204, 709/205, 370/352, 379/93.04, 379/93.17, 379/93.25, 379/90.01, 379/93.35, 345/753, 345/756
• US Class Current: 709/227
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1069 Session establishment or de-establishment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols

Abstract

A real-time audio/video communication method for use on the Internet in conjunction with a homepage and a device therefor are provided. According to the method of a real-time audio/video communication between each terminal using the Internet, the communication capability and the current status of a receiving party are registered in a homepage within a terminal or a web server connected by the receiver, and a sending party accesses the receiver'"'"'s homepage within the web server to initiate communication. This method allows the receiver to receive realtime audio/video communication data at any time without being always connected to the Internet. Furthermore, in the real-time audio/video communication device, an Internet Service Provider provides a homepage so that the ISP may recognize the communication status of each terminal to access the sending and receiving terminals under optimum communication conditions, and decodes the optimum communication conditions.

Claims

1. A method for conducting real-time communication between sending and receiving terminals in an Internet communications system in which an Internet Service Provider (ISP) is connected between the sending and receiving terminals, the method comprising:

checking whether or not the receiving terminal is connected to a network;

creating a homepage in which a network connection status based on a result of said checking is indicated,

registering, in said homepage, an Internet Protocol (IP) address of the ISP if the receiving terminal is not connected to said network, and registering an IP address assigned to the receiving terminal if the receiving terminal is connected to said network;

connecting the sending terminal to said network with Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP); and

initiating a telephone call using a telephone number of the receiving terminal wherein said telephone number is determined by decoding the IP address that is registered in the created homepage.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the homepage is created by the ISP and accessed by the sending terminal using Hypertext Transfer Protocol.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the homepage includes communication capability of said network, information about said receiving terminal, network connection status information, video/audio support information, call status information, and a choice menu for a communication mode desired by a sender.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein, after the sending terminal accesses the homepage, the current communication capability and the connection status of a receiving terminal are registered in the homepage.

5. A communication method used by an Internet Service Provider (ISP) connecting sending and receiving terminals in real-time in an Internet communications system in which the ISP is connected between the sending and receiving terminals, the method comprising:

checking whether or not the receiving terminal is connected to the Internet through a subscriber'"'"'s database to create a homepage in which a network connection status of the receiving terminal is indicated;

registering the ISP Internet Protocol (IP) address if the receiving terminal is not connected, and registering an IP address assigned to the receiving terminal if the receiving terminal is connected;

initiating a communication start-up protocol to connect the sending terminal with a Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP), and at the same time calling a telephone number of the corresponding receiving terminal if an IP address registered in the created homepage is decoded and called by a web-browser of the sending terminal; and

connecting a receiving terminal and a digital communications channel to transmit a standard video/audio protocol to the receiving terminal if video/audio communication is requested from the sending terminal during the telephone call.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising;

the sending terminal receiving a capability table created by the receiving terminal; and

opening or closing a channel wherein said channel is determined by referring to a stored preference in the capability table.

7. The method of claim 5, further comprising;

advising said sending terminal and said receiving terminal that said calling is being performed over the internet, wherein said advising is performed immediately after said receiving terminal and said digital communications channel are connected; and

requesting a predetermined wait time during which time said sending terminal will remain idle until a connection is established.

8. An internet communication system enabling communication between a sending device and a receiving device, said system comprising:

an ISP connected to said sending and receiving devices and operable to determine whether said receiving device is in a state whereby it can receive a communication from said sending device via the internet, and further operable to register an IP address of said receiving device if said receiving device can receive said communication from said sending device and register an IP address of said ISP if said receiving device cannot receive said communication from said sending device;

said system further comprising;

a homepage controllable by said receiving device and said ISP, wherein the homepage comprises connection status information of said receiving device and is accessible by said sending device, and

if said ISP has registered the IP address of the receiving device, a connection is immediately established between the receiving device and the sending device so the sending device can transmit said communication to said receiving device, and

if the ISP has registered the IP address of the ISP, and said sending device has indicated within the homepage that a connection to the receiving device is desired, the ISP requests a connection with said receiving device, then

only if the receiving device responds to said request indicating that a connection is desired, a connection is established between the receiving device and the sending device so the sending device can transmit said communication to said receiving device.

9. An internet communication system according to claim 8, wherein said communication comprises voice and video data.

10. A method for conducting real-time communication between sending and receiving terminals in a communications system in which an Internet Service Provider (ISP) is connected between the sending and receiving terminals, the method comprising:

determining if the receiving terminal has an established communication channel with the ISP;

creating a homepage at the ISP operable to indicate a connection status of the receiving terminal based on a result of said determining;

maintaining, in said homepage, an Internet Protocol (IP) address of the ISP if the receiving terminal does not have an established communication channel with the ISP, and maintaining an IP address assigned to the receiving terminal if the receiving terminal does have an established communication channel with the ISP;

establishing a Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) connection between the sending terminal and the ISP; and

initiating a telephone call by using the IP address that is registered in the created homepage, wherein the telephone call is a VoIP call directly between the sending terminal and the receiving terminal if the IP address of the receiving terminal is maintained in the homepage, and the telephone call is between the ISP and a regular telephone associated with the receiving terminal if the IP address of the ISP is maintained in the homepage.

11. A real-time communication device in an Internet communication system in which real-time communication is available, the device comprising:

means for determining whether a network connection has been established and further operable to set up an Internet Protocol (IP) address of an Internet Service Provider (ISP) in a homepage if a receiver is not connected to the Internet and to establish an IP address of the receiver in the homepage if the receiver is connected to the Internet; and

an ISP operable to, if the homepage is accessed by a web-browser of the terminal, create a homepage in which a network connection status of the receiver available from a subscriber'"'"'s database is indicated and in which the IP address of the ISP is registered, and if the registered IP address is called by a terminal, place a telephone call with a sender via a Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) and with the corresponding receiver at a predetermined telephone number.