Method and device for real-time shared editing mobile video

• US 7,302,274 B2
• Filed: 09/19/2003
• Issued: 11/27/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/19/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Mäkelä, Jakke, Tokkonen, Timo, Mustonen, Mika, Ojala, Kai
• Primary Examiner(s): Feild; Joseph
• Assistant Examiner(s): DOAN, PHUOC HUU
• Application Number:
  US10/666,875
• Publication Number:
  US 20050064858A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,530 Days
• Field of Search: 455/509, 455/518, 345/762, 345/4, 345/716, 709/204, 709/206, 709/208, 370/401, 715/515
• US Class Current: 455/509
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2207/18 wireless networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/567 Multimedia conference systems

Abstract

According to the present invention, there is provided a method and device for the viewing, editing and dissemination of an editable object in real-time mobile collaboration sessions. The invention comprises a set of mobile terminals and a protocol which enables users to simultaneously edit the same editable object. An advantageous embodiment of this invention allows for synchronization to occur in real time. Further, synchronization and version control problems are avoided as the invention considers each user'"'"'s edited version to be a genuine version of the data. The end result of the editing process may be several different versions, and not just one single authoritative version.

Claims

1. A method to operate a plurality of mobile terminals, comprising:

storing an editable object in the plurality of mobile terminals, where a memory area of each of a plurality of mobile terminals further comprises a personal area and a shared area, the personal area being arranged to have multiple instances of the editable object, and

simultaneously editing the editable object using the shared areas of the memory areas of at least some of the plurality of mobile terminals, where the mobile terminals that are used for editing the editable object send locally generated edit commands to other mobile terminals of the plurality of mobile terminals.

2. A method as in claim 1, where the memory area of the plurality of mobile terminals comprises a working memory area used during editing and a permanent storage memory area.

3. A method as in claim 1, where at least one of the plurality of mobile terminals initiates an editing process whereby information comprising at least one of a hard copy or edited instance is sent from at least one mobile terminal to at least one other of the plurality of mobile terminals.

4. A method as described in claim 3, where the information sent comprises the user'"'"'s Own Edited Instance of the editable object.

5. A method as described in claim 3, where the information sent comprises other user'"'"'s Shared Edited Instances.

6. A method as described in claim 3, where the information sent comprises a user'"'"'s own editing commands.

7. A method as described in claim 3, where the information sent comprises other user'"'"'s editing commands.

8. A method as described in claim 3, where the information sent comprises contextual control information.

9. A method as described in claim 8, where the contextual control information conveys user information.

10. A method as described in claim 1, where the information in the shared area is automatically synchronized between all users.

11. A method as described in claim 1, where the information in the personal area comprises at least one edited instance of the editable object.

12. A method as described in claim 1, where individual ones of the plurality of mobile terminals indicate when modifications have been made to the editable object.

13. A method as described in claim 1, where at least one of the shared edited instances is transferred from the user'"'"'s shared area to the user'"'"'s personal area.

14. A method as described in claim 1, where an editable object is considered to comprise at least two parts comprising:

a content part; and

at least one comment field.

15. A method as described in claim 14, where a first comment field is designated a hard copy ID field.

16. A method as described in claim 15, where another comment field is designated an edited instance ID field.

17. A method as described in claim 15, wherein when the content of the content part is changed:

a hard copy is formed and tagged with an ID; and

the hard copy ID field is changed.

18. A method as described in claim 1, where each edited instance has a unique ID associated with it.

19. A method as described in claim 1, where each edited instance is a file.

20. A method as described in claim 1, where each edited instance may be appended to a hard copy.

21. A method as described in claim 1, where there is only one hard copy of the editable object.

22. A method as described in claim 21, where the hard copy is the original version of the editable object.

46. A method as in claim 1, where each mobile terminal of the plurality of mobile terminals maintains a list of its own edit commands and a list of edit commands of other ones of the plurality of mobile devices.

56. A method as in claim 1, further comprising utilizing control bits for each mobile terminal of the plurality of mobile terminals to provide contextual updates to other ones of the plurality of mobile devices.

57. A method as in claim 1, where the editable object is an editable video object.

23. A computer readable medium encoded with a computer program for directing a computer to execute a method that comprises:

storing an editable object in a mobile terminal that is a member of a set of mobile terminals;

editing the editable object in the mobile terminal; and

transmitting edit commands to other members of the set of mobile terminals, where the mobile terminal further comprises a memory area divided into a working memory area and a permanent storage memory area, further logically divided into a personal area and a shared area, where information in the personal area includes at least one edited instance of the editable object.

52. A computer program as described in claim 23, wherein the editable object is an editable video object.

54. A computer program as described in claim 23, wherein the editable object is an editable image object.

58. A computer program as described in claim 23, where each mobile terminal of the set of mobile terminals maintains a list of its own edit commands and a list of edit commands of other ones of the set of mobile devices.

24. A mobile terminal, comprising a wireless transceiver, a data processor, and a memory for use in storing an editable object, editing the editable object and transmitting, via the wireless transceiver, edit commands to other members of a set of mobile terminals that also store and edit the same editable object, where the mobile terminal further comprises a memory area divided into a working memory area and a permanent storage memory area, further logically divided into a personal area and a shared area, where information in the personal area includes at least one edited instance of the editable object.

53. A mobile terminal as described in claim 24, wherein the editable object is an editable video object.

55. A mobile terminal as described in claim 24, wherein the editable object is an editable image object.

59. A mobile terminal as in claim 24, where each mobile terminal of the set of mobile terminals maintains a list of its own edit commands and a list of edit commands of other ones of the set of mobile devices.

25. A wireless communication system comprising a plurality of mobile terminals at least one comprising means for editing an editable object and for transmitting information that comprises edit commands, via the wireless communications system, to others of the plurality of mobile terminals for implementing collaborative editing of said editable object, where the mobile terminal further comprises a memory area divided into a working memory area and a permanent storage memory area, further logically divided into a personal area and a shared area, where information in the personal area includes at least one edited instance of the editable object.

26. A wireless communication system as described in claim 25, where the information further comprises a user'"'"'s Own Edited Instance.

27. A wireless communication system as described in claim 25, where the information further comprises other user'"'"'s Shared Edited Instances.

28. A wireless communication system as described in claim 25, where the information further comprises other user'"'"'s editing commands.

29. A wireless communication system as described in claim 25, where the information further comprises contextual information to convey coordination, control and status information regarding the collaborative editing of the editable object.

30. A wireless communication system as described in claim 25, where the editable object comprises image data.

31. A wireless communication system as described in claim 30, where the editable object further comprises audio data.

32. A wireless communication system as described in claim 25, where information in the shared area is automatically synchronized between all users.

33. A wireless communication system as described in claim 25, where the plurality of mobile terminals indicate via the wireless communication system when modifications have been made to the editable object.

34. A wireless communication system as described in claim 25, where at least one of the shared edited instances is downloaded from the user'"'"'s shared area to the user'"'"'s personal area.

35. A wireless communication system as described in claim 25, where each editable object comprises at least a content part and at least one comment field.

36. A wireless communication system as described in claim 35, where a first comment field is designated a hard copy ID field.

37. A wireless communication system as described in claim 36, where another comment field is designated an edited instance ID field.

38. A wireless communication system as described in claim 37, wherein when the contents of the content part is changed a hard copy is formed and tagged with an ID and the hard copy ID field is changed.

39. A wireless communication system as described in claim 25, where each edited instance has a unique ID associated with it.

40. A wireless communication system as described in claim 25, where each edited instance is a separate file.

41. A wireless communication system as described in claim 25, where each edited instance is appended to a hard copy of the editable object.

42. A wireless communication system as described in claim 41, where there is only one hard copy of the editable object.

43. A wireless communication system as described in claim 42, where the hard copy is an original version of the editable object.

44. A wireless communication system as described in claim 25, where the information comprises a user'"'"'s Own Edited Instance and at least one other user'"'"'s Shared Edit Instances.

45. A wireless communication system as described in claim 43, where the hard copy includes a watermark.

47. A wireless communication system as described in claim 25, where each mobile terminal of the plurality of mobile terminals maintains a list of its own edit commands and a list of edit commands of other ones of the plurality of mobile devices.

48. A wireless communication system as described in claim 25, wherein the editable object is an editable video object.

49. A wireless communication system as described in claim 25, wherein the editable object is sourced from an image archive via the Internet.

50. A wireless communication system as described in claim 25, wherein the editable object is sourced by an image capture device.

51. A wireless communication system as described in claim 25, wherein the editable object is sourced by a camera.

60. A wireless communication system as described in claim 25, where each one of the plurality of mobile terminals comprises means for editing an editable object and for transmitting information that comprises edit commands, via the wireless communications system, to others of the plurality of mobile terminals for implementing collaborative editing of said editable object.