Interactive internet browser based media broadcast

• US 7,634,531 B2
• Filed: 01/23/2002
• Issued: 12/15/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 01/23/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Ali Abdolsalehi
• Original Assignee: Ali Abdolsalehi
• Inventors: Abdolsalehi, Ali
• Primary Examiner(s): Barqadle; Yasin M
• Application Number:
  US10/057,151
• Publication Number:
  US 20030158957A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,883 Days
• Field of Search: 709201-203, 709217-219, 709223-237
• US Class Current: 709/203
• 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 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/611 for multicast or broadcast systems for broadcast or conference H04L12/18; arrangements for broadcast or distribution combined with broadcast H04H20/00; arrangements for broadcast applications with a direct linkage to broadcast information or to broadcast space-time H04H60/00; selective distribution of broadcast services, e.g. multimedia broadcast multicast service [MBMS], H04W4/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/205 Broadcasting
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/487 Arrangements for providing information services, e.g. recorded voice services or time announcements
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/006 Networks other than PSTN/ISDN providing telephone service, e.g. Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) , including next generation networks with a packet-switched transport layer H04L65/00 takes precedence; aspects not specific to the type of network H04M3/00; special services in those networks H04M3/42
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/233 Processing of audio elementary streams monitoring, identification or recognition of audio in broadcast systems H04H60/58
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/234363 by altering the spatial resolution, e.g. for clients with a lower screen resolution
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2368 Multiplexing of audio and video streams
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23805 Controlling the feeding rate to the network, e.g. by controlling the video pump
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2381 Adapting the multiplex stream to a specific network, e.g. an Internet Protocol [IP] network transmission of MPEG streams over ATM H04L12/5601
• 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 21/41422 located in transportation means, e.g. personal vehicle arrangements specially adapted for transportation systems in broadcast systems H04H20/62
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4341 Demultiplexing of audio and video streams
• 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 21/64322 IP
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/165 Centralised control of user terminal subsequent to an upstream request signal H04N7/17345; Registering at central by two-way working H04N7/17309

Abstract

A method of providing one-way video transmission and corresponding interactive two-audio communication to remote recipients via a world wide computer network comprising the steps of creating a source digital video signal, broadcast transmitting the source digital video signal via an internet connection, transmitting a corresponding source digital audio signal a VoIP protocol, and transmitting a recipient audio signal to the source location via an Internet connection. A system for broadcast transmitting a one-way digital video signal and for transmitting and receiving a corresponding interactive two-way audio signal over an Internet connection comprises a broadcast digital video server for broadcast transmitting a source digital video signal, a VoIP audio server for transmitting a source digital audio signal over an Internet connection, and an Internet web page configured to display the transmitted source digital video and audio signal, the Internet web page further configured to receive and transmit a recipient digital audio signal from the recipient to the VoIP audio server.

Claims

1. A method of providing one-way video transmission and corresponding interactive audio communication to remote recipients accessing a computer network, the method comprising the steps of:

a) creating at a video source location a source digital video signal corresponding to a viewed scene;

b) broadcast transmitting the source digital video signal at substantially the same time the source digital video signal is created, wherein the source digital video signal is transmitted through a one-way transmission channel for carrying a signal with only video content to at least one remote recipient via a network connection, wherein said at least one remote recipient accesses the video content using a first graphical user interface to play the video content;

c) transmitting, in a channel separate from the transmission channel for video content, a source digital audio signal created at a audio source location and corresponding to the source digital video signal to a remote hosting site over a network connection via a VoIP protocol, wherein the source digital audio signal is transmitted on a channel separate from the one-way transmission channel, wherein the one-way transmission channel carrying the source digital video signal is not handled by the remote hosting site, and wherein the at least one remote recipient accesses the remote hosting site using a second graphical user interface to access the source digital audio signal without the source digital video signal, wherein the first and second graphical user interfaces are integrated in a single graphical user interface by the at least one remote recipient; and

d) transmitting a recipient audio signal created at a recipient location and responsive to the source audio signal or the source video signal, wherein the recipient audio signal is transmitted from the recipient location to the remote hosting site via a network connection, wherein the remote hosting site provides necessary speed and bandwidth required for audio communication but not video communication via the one-way channel.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the source digital video signal being activated when the at least one recipient accesses an IP address corresponding to the web page the source digital video signal.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the source location of the source digital video signal and the source location of the source digital audio signal comprise two separate servers.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the two separate servers each have an assigned IP address.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the source digital video signal is embedded in a network source page created by the server associated with the source digital video signal.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the remote hosting site comprises a voice chat server.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the video content and the audio are separately accessible from the computer network by the recipient.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the video content and the audio are separately accessible from the computer network by the recipient using separate IP addresses, in which one of the IP addresses is directed at the audio intermediate site to access the audio.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the remote hosting site provides the necessary speed and bandwidth required for audio communication.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the remote hosting site is associated with a server separate from the source.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the remote hosting site comprises a web site.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the first and second graphical user interfaces are integrated in a single graphical user interface that can be used to access audio and video content.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the graphical user interface comprises a browser.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the video content is transmitted substantially live.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the video content is transmitted from the source.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the video content is broadcast to multiple recipients.

17. A system for broadcast transmitting a one-way digital video signal and for transmitting and receiving a corresponding interactive audio signal to a remote recipient via a network connection, the system comprising:

a) a camera for creating a source digital video signal corresponding to a viewed scene;

b) a broadcast digital video server for broadcast transmitting the source digital video signal created by the camera, the broadcast digital video server configured to transmit the source digital video signal substantially simultaneously with its creation via a one-way transmission channel for carrying a signal with only video content to the remote recipient via a network connection;

c) a digital audio encoding device for creating a source digital audio signal at a source location corresponding to the source digital video signal created by the camera;

d) a VoIP audio server for transmitting the source digital audio signal created by the digital audio encoding device to the remote recipient over a network connection via a VoIP protocol, wherein the source digital audio signal is transmitted to a remote hosting server on a channel separate from the one-way transmission channel for transmitting the source digital video signal, and wherein the one-way transmission channel carrying the source digital video signal is not handled by the remote hosting server;

e) a web page accessible by the remote recipient and configured to display the transmitted source digital video signal and to play the source digital audio signal without the source video signal at the remote hosting server; and

f) the web page further configured to be accessible by the remote recipient to receive a recipient digital audio signal from the remote recipient responsive to an activation of a link in the web pane by the remote recipient, and to be accessible by the remote recipient to transmit the recipient digital audio signal via the remote hosting server to the VoIP audio server at the source location, the VoIP audio server further configured to receive and play the recipient digital audio signal, wherein the remote hosting site provides necessary speed and bandwidth required for audio communication but not video communication via the one-way transmission channel.

18. A system for broadcast transmitting a digital video signal and a digital audio signal, comprising:

a) a source video device creating a source digital video signal corresponding to a viewed scene at a source location;

b) a broadcast device broadcast transmitting the source digital video signal through a one-way dedicated transmission channel to at least one recipient via a network connection, wherein a cumulative bandwidth error determines the accumulated amount of available bandwidth for transmitting the source digital video signal and is adjusted to increase the available bandwidth, wherein said at least one recipient accesses video content represented by the source digital video signal using a first graphical user interface to play the video content;

c) a source audio device transmitting a source digital audio signal created at a source location and corresponding to the source digital video signal to a remote hosting server over a network connection via a VoIP protocol, wherein the one-way dedicated transmission channel carrying the source digital video signal is not handled by the remote hosting server, and wherein the remote hosting server is configured to permit access of the source digital audio signal without the source digital video signal by said at least one recipient using a second graphical user interface; and

d) a recipient device transmitting a recipient audio signal created at a recipient location and responsive to the source audio signal or the source video signal, wherein the source audio signal is transmitted from the recipient location to the remote hosting site via a network connection, wherein the remote hosting site provides necessary speed and bandwidth required for audio communication but not video communication via the one-way transmission channel, wherein the first and second graphical user interfaces are integrated in a single graphical user interface that can be used to access audio and video content.