System and method for sharing and controlling multiple audio and video streams

• US 7,574,474 B2
• Filed: 09/14/2001
• Issued: 08/11/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/14/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Xerox Corporation (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Xerox Corporation (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Aoki, Paul Masami, Szymanski, Margaret Helen, Thornton, James Douglass, Grinter, Rebecca Elizabeth, Woodruff, Allison Gyle
• Primary Examiner(s): Flynn; Nathan J
• Assistant Examiner(s): WASEL, MOHAMED A
• Application Number:
  US09/951,726
• Publication Number:
  US 20030056220A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,888 Days
• Field of Search: 709/204, 709/205, 725/62
• US Class Current: 709/205
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/612 for unicast
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/765 intermediate
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/147 Communication arrangements, e.g. identifying the communication as a video-communication, intermediate storage of the signals selecting H04Q

Abstract

At least one multimedia presentation is selected by a user of a first device, accessed from a storage source, and presented to the user. Simultaneously, information is transmitted to at least a second device to cause the selected multimedia presentation to be presented by the at least second device without the at least second device receiving input from a second user. Continuous media streams from the first user may be captured and transmitted to the second device. The presenting of the multimedia presentation on the first device is coordinated with the presenting of the multimedia presentation on the second device. The presenting of the captured media streams on the second device is coordinated with the capturing of those streams and the presenting of the multimedia presentation on the second device. Users may individually control the multimedia presentations and the captured media streams.

Claims

1. A method for communicating amongst a plurality of user terminals, the method comprising:

selecting at least one multimedia presentation on a first user terminal by a first user;

transmitting information corresponding to the at least one multimedia presentation to at least a second user terminal of the plurality of user terminals;

capturing continuous media streams from the first user and transmitting the media streams to the at least second user terminal;

receiving information by the first terminal corresponding to at least one other multimedia presentation from the at least second user terminal;

receiving captured continuous media streams by the first terminal from the at least second user terminal;

coordinating presentation of the at least one multimedia presentation on the first user terminal with presentation of the at least one multimedia presentation on the at least second user terminal;

coordinating presentation of the captured media streams on the at least second user terminal with the capturing of said streams by the first user terminal and presentation of the at least one multimedia presentation on the at least second user terminal;

dynamically controlling the priority of the presentation of the at least one multimedia presentation and the at least one other multimedia presentation on the first user terminal based on a profile of the first user terminal;

dynamically controlling the priority of the presentation of the at least one multimedia presentation and the at least one other multimedia presentation on the second user terminal based on a profile of the second user terminal; and

displaying the at least one multimedia presentation or the at least one other multimedia presentation on the first user terminal and the second user terminal based on the respective profile.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein transmitting information to the at least second user terminal includes transmitting the at least one multimedia presentation selected by the first user.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein transmitting information to the at least second user terminal further comprises transmitting access data that allows the at least second user terminal to access the at least one multimedia presentation selected by the first user from a storage source.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein coordinating the presentation of the at least one multimedia presentation by the first user terminal with the presentation of the at least one multimedia presentation on the at least second user terminal further comprises at least one of presenting the at least one multimedia presentation on the first and second user terminals simultaneously, presenting the at least one multimedia presentation on the at least second user terminal at the earliest time after presenting the at least one multimedia presentation on the first user terminal when the at least second user terminal is not busy, and presenting the at least one multimedia presentation on the at least second user terminal at a pre-calculated time.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein coordinating the presentation of the captured media streams on the at least second user terminal with the capturing of said streams by the first user terminal and the presentation of the at least one multimedia presentation on the at least second user terminal further comprises at least one of presenting the captured media streams on the at least second user terminal immediately, in the same time relation to the presenting of the at least one multimedia presentation on the first user terminal, and a calculated combination thereof.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein selecting the at least one multimedia presentation further comprises accessing the at least one multimedia presentation from a memory user terminal residing internally with respect to the first user terminal.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein selecting the at least one multimedia presentation further comprises accessing the at least one multimedia presentation from an external storage medium coupled to the first user terminal.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein selecting the at least one multimedia presentation further comprises accessing the at least one multimedia presentation from an external source accessible via a wireless communication link.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein coordinating further comprises mixing the at least one multimedia presentation and the captured media streams.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein dynamically controlling further comprises inhibiting the at least second user terminal from receiving the at least one multimedia presentation.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein dynamically controlling further comprises selecting portions of the at least one multimedia presentation to transmit to the at least second user terminal.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein capturing continuous media streams further comprises capturing voice signals from the user.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein capturing continuous media streams further comprises capturing video signals from an environment.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the first and second user terminals are wireless devices.

15. A system for communicating amongst a plurality of user terminals, comprising:

a first user terminal, comprising;

a communication interface adapted to transmit data to at least a second user terminal of a plurality of user terminals and receive data from the at least second user terminal;

a memory including a program and at least one multimedia presentation;

a processor that runs the program; and

a user interface for allowing the first user to input commands to the program, wherein the program;

allows the first user to select the at least one multimedia presentation;

transmits information corresponding to the at least one multimedia presentation to the at least second user terminal via the wireless communication interface;

transmits audio and video signals from respective audio and video capture user terminals as continuous media streams to the at least second user terminal via the communication interface;

receives information corresponding to at least one other multimedia presentation from the at least second user terminal;

receives captured continuous media streams from the at least second user terminal;

coordinates presentation of the at least one multimedia presentation on the first user terminal with presentation of the at least one multimedia presentation on the at least second user terminal;

coordinates presentation of the captured continuous media streams on the at least second user terminal with the capturing of said continuous media streams by the first user terminal and presentation of the at least one multimedia presentation on the at least second user terminal;

dynamically controls the priority of the presentation of the at least one multimedia presentation and the at least one other multimedia presentation on the first user terminal based on a profile of the first user terminal; and

displays the at least one multimedia presentation or the at least one other multimedia presentation on the first user terminal based on the profile of the first user terminal via means for displaying still and moving pictures and means for producing sound,

wherein the at least second user terminal comprises a program stored in a memory and executed by a processor, wherein the program dynamically controls the priority of the presentation of the at least one multimedia presentation and the at least one other multimedia presentation on the second user terminal based on a profile of the second user terminal and displays the at least one multimedia presentation or the at least one other multimedia presentation on the second user terminal based on the profile.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the information transmitted to the at least second user terminal further comprises the at least one multimedia presentation selected by the first user.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the information transmitted to the at least second user terminal further comprises access data that allows the at least second user terminal to access the at least one multimedia presentation selected by the first user from a memory on the at least second user terminal.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein the program allows the first user to dynamically inhibit the at least second user terminal from receiving the at least one multimedia presentation by issuing a command via the user interface.

19. The system of claim 15, wherein the program allows the first user to dynamically select portions of the at least one multimedia presentation to transmit to the at least second user terminal in response to user commands.

20. The system of claim 15, wherein the program allows the first user to dynamically control the volume levels of the at least one multimedia presentation.

21. The system of claim 15, wherein the program coordinates the presentation of the at least one multimedia presentation by the first user terminal with the presentation of the at least one multimedia presentation on the at least second user terminal by presenting the multimedia presentation on the first and second user terminals simultaneously.

22. The system of claim 15, wherein the program coordinates the presentation of the at least one multimedia presentation by the first user terminal with the presentation of the at least one multimedia presentation on the at least second user terminal by presenting the at least one multimedia presentation on the at least second user terminal at the earliest time after presenting the at least one multimedia presentation on the first user terminal when the at least second user terminal is not busy.

23. The system of claim 15, wherein the program coordinates the presentation of the at least one multimedia presentation by the first user terminal with the presentation of the at least one multimedia presentation on the at least second user terminal by presenting the at least one multimedia presentation on the at least second user terminal at a pre-calculated time.

24. The system of claim 15, wherein the program coordinates the presentation of the continuous media streams on the at least second user terminal with the capturing of the continuous media streams by the first user terminal and the presentation of the at least one multimedia presentation on the at least second user terminal by presenting the captured continuous media streams on the at least second user terminal in the same time relation to the presentation of the at least one multimedia presentation on the first user terminal.

25. The system of claim 15, wherein the program coordinates the presentation of the captured continuous media streams on the at least second user terminal with the capturing of said continuous media streams by the first user terminal and the presentation of the at least one multimedia presentation on the at least second user terminal by presenting the captured continuous media streams on the at least second user terminal at a pre-calculated time.

26. The system of claim 15, wherein the communication interface is a wireless communication interface and the at least second user terminal is a wireless device.

27. A computer readable storage medium containing a set of instructions for performing a method in a system comprising a plurality of users operating a plurality of user terminals, the method comprising:

communicating one or more mutually informative multimedia presentations and continuous media streams to the plurality of user terminals in response to one or more triggers received from one or more of the plurality of user terminals, wherein the continuous media streams are coordinated with the one or more mutually informative multimedia presentations;

presenting the one or more mutually informative multimedia presentations and the continuous media streams on each of the plurality of user terminals; and

processing requests from each of the users of the plurality of user terminals to dynamically control the priority of the presentation of the one or more mutually informative multimedia presentations on their respective user terminals based on a profile of each of their respective user terminals.

28. The computer readable storage medium of claim 27, wherein the set of instructions is remotely located with respect to the plurality of user terminals.

29. The computer readable storage medium of claim 27, wherein the set of instructions is distributed and coordinated among the plurality of user terminals.

30. The computer readable storage medium of claim 27, wherein dynamic control of the mutually informative multimedia presentations on the plurality of user terminals includes coordinating the presentation of the mutually informative multimedia presentations on the plurality of user terminals.

31. The computer readable storage medium of claim 30, wherein coordinating further comprises presenting the mutually informative multimedia presentations simultaneously.

32. The computer readable storage medium of claim 30, wherein coordinating further comprises presenting the mutually informative multimedia presentations on each of the plurality of user terminals at specific times calculated by the application.