Providing a presentation on a network having a plurality of synchronized media types

• US 7,490,169 B1
• Filed: 08/30/2006
• Issued: 02/10/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Red Hat, Inc. (International Business Machines Corporation)
• Original Assignee: West Corporation
• Inventors: Johnson, Frank E., Ogdon, Robert H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lim; Krisna
• Application Number:
  US11/468,485
• Time in Patent Office: 895 Days
• Field of Search: 709/248, 709/204, 709/205, 725/135, 725/143
• US Class Current: 709/248
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0481 based on specific properties of the displayed interaction object or a metaphor-based environment, e.g. interaction with desktop elements like windows or icons, or assisted by a cursor's changing behaviour or appearance
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1813 for computer conferences, e.g. chat rooms instant messaging H04L51/04; protocols for multimedia communication H04L65/1101; arrangements for multi-party communication H04L65/403; telephonic conference arrangements H04M3/56; television conference systems H04N7/15
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1822 Conducting the conference, e.g. admission, detection, selection or grouping of participants, correlating users to one or more conference sessions, prioritising transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1836 with heterogeneous network architecture
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/5692 Selection among different networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/02 for separating internal from external traffic, e.g. firewalls
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/04 for providing a confidential data exchange among entities communicating through data packet networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/083 using passwords cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using a predetermined code H04L9/3226
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/612 for unicast
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/80 Responding to QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/56 Provisioning of proxy services store-and-forward switching systems in data switching networks H04L12/54
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/5651 Reducing the amount or size of exchanged application data
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/568 Storing data temporarily at an intermediate stage, e.g. caching
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2402 Monitoring of the downstream path of the transmission network, e.g. bandwidth available traffic monitoring in data switching networks H04L43/00; monitoring data switching networks utilization H04L43/0876
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/242 Synchronization processes, e.g. processing of PCR [Program Clock References] arrangements for synchronising broadcast or distribution via plural systems in broadcast distribution systems H04H20/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2662 : Controlling the complexity of the video stream, e.g. by scaling the resolution or bitrate of the video stream based on the client capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4788 : communicating with other users, e.g. chatting arrangements for providing for computer conferences, e.g. chat rooms, to substation in data switching networks H04L12/1813; distributed application using peer-to-peer [P2P] networks H04L67/104
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6125 : involving transmission via Internet transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6137 : involving transmission via a telephone network, e.g. POTS
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/15 : Conference systems

Abstract

A presentation system is disclosed for synchronizing a performance of a plurality of presentation content portions at a network node, wherein, e.g., when two such content portions are to be presented concurrently at the network node, at least one is delayed until the other such portion can be presented concurrently therewith. That is, these two portions may be received by the network node at times sufficiently far apart so that the earlier received content portion must have its presentation appropriately delayed in order to be presented concurrently with the second content portion. In one embodiment, the content portions are transmitted via at least a portion of the Internet to a plurality of network nodes, wherein the presentation system can distribute the presentation content data to the network nodes via a plurality of network routes and presentation formats.

Claims

1. A presentation system for presenting a presentation having a first presentation portion obtained from first presentation data, and a second presentation portion obtained from second presentation data, wherein at least a portion of one of said first and second presentation data is provided to a first network node via a communications network, comprising:

a time generator for outputting at least first and second master timing values for synchronizing a performance of said first and second presentation data at the first network node;

a presentation controlling node for transmitting to at least the first network node, via the communications network, presentation control information including (a) and (b) following;

(a) first information for accessing first presentation data for performing at the first network node, and (b) a first time value derived from said first master timing value, wherein said first time value is indicative of a time for performing said first presentation data at the first network node;

a presentation time determining component at said first network node for determining a second time value relative to performing at least a portion of said second presentation data at said first network node, wherein said second time value is determined using said second master timing value;

a time delay determining component at said first network node for determining a time delay between said first time value and a second time value;

a presentation synchronization component for using said time delay to delay the performing, at said first network node, of one of;

at least a portion of said first presentation data, and said second presentation data;

wherein at least one of;

(a) said time generator generates each of said first and second master timing values using a substantially identical reference of time;

(b) said second presentation data is received at the first network node via the communications network;

(c) said first master timing value is approximately indicative of an origination time for said first presentation data; and

(d) said second master timing value is approximately indicative of an origination time for said second presentation data.

2. The presentation system of claim 1, wherein said second master timing value is provided to said first network node via the communications network.

3. The presentation system of claim 1, further including one or more presentation content supplying nodes for transmitting, via the communications network, said first presentation data to said first network node.

4. The presentation system of claim 1, wherein at least one of said first and second presentation data is streamed on the communications network, and the communications network includes a portion of the Internet.