System and method for remote data acquisition and distribution

• US 8,041,829 B2
• Filed: 06/22/2009
• Issued: 10/18/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 01/17/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Reality Mobile LLC
• Original Assignee: Reality Mobile LLC
• Inventors: Hirata, Tasuki, Winters, Kevin John, Kramer, David Joshua, Geoghegan, Brian Joseph, Rensin, David Kallet
• Primary Examiner(s): CHEA, PHILIP J
• Application Number:
  US12/489,385
• Publication Number:
  US 20090319904A1
• Time in Patent Office: 848 Days
• Field of Search: 709/217, 709/231, 709/206, 718/100, 715/753, 455/456.3
• US Class Current: 709/231
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2463/103 applying security measure for protecting copyright
• 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 63/10 for controlling access to devices or network resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1094 Inter-user-equipment sessions transfer or sharing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/613 for the control of the source by the destination control signals issued by the client directed to the server or network components specially adapted for selective content distribution H04N21/637
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/756 adapting media to device capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/06 specially adapted for file transfer, e.g. file transfer protocol [FTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/14 Session management for real-time applications in data packet communications networks H04L65/1066
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/148 Migration or transfer of sessions
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25816 involving client authentication restricting access to computer systems by authenticating users using a predetermined code G06F21/33; cryptographic authentication protocols H04L9/32; networks authentication protocols H04L63/08; authentication in wireless network security H04W12/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25841 involving the geographical location of the client retrieval from the Internet by querying based on geographical locations G06F16/9537; arrangements for identifying locations of receiving stations in broadcast systems H04H60/51; location of the user terminal in data switching networks H04L67/52; services making use of the location of users or terminals in wireless networks H04W4/02; locating users or terminals in wireless networks H04W64/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2743 Video hosting of uploaded data from client
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42202 environmental sensors, e.g. for detecting temperature, luminosity, pressure, earthquakes
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6181 involving transmission via a mobile phone network arrangements for providing broadcast or conference services to substation in data switching networks in combination with wireless systems H04L12/189; wireless uplink channel access H04W74/004
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8543 using a description language, e.g. Multimedia and Hypermedia information coding Expert Group [MHEG], eXtensible Markup Language [XML] information retrieval of semistructured data, the underlying structure being taken into account, e.g. mark-up language structure data G06F16/80
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/147 Communication arrangements, e.g. identifying the communication as a video-communication, intermediate storage of the signals selecting H04Q
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17327 with deferred transmission or handling of upstream communications

Abstract

Methods and systems for remote data collection and distribution include components and operations for receiving, at a server, data transmitted by a first client device via a communication network. The method may also include selecting, by one or more client devices associated with the communication network, a second device to receive the data. The method may further include establishing a connection between the server and the selected second device via the communication network. The method may also include automatically transmitting the received data to the second device using the connection via the communication network. The method may further include causing, by the one or more client devices, the second device to execute a predefined operation.

Claims

1. One or more computer-readable nontransitory storage media embodying software that is operable when executed to:

receive a selection of a mobile streamable-data source, the mobile streamable-data source being operable to transmit substantially real-time streamable data, the mobile streamable-data source comprising a viewing window that overlies one or more portions of one or more display elements on a display of a remote client device or a nonremote client device, the one or more portions of the one or more display elements being viewable to a user at the remote client device or nonremote client device through the viewing window, the viewing window being movable by the user at the remote client device or nonremote client device with respect to the display elements to overlie one or more other portions of one or more of the display elements;

receive substantially real-time streamable data from the mobile streamable-data source, the substantially real-time streamable data being a video feed capturing the one or more portions of one or more of the display elements underneath the viewing window or the one or more other portions of one or more of the display elements underneath the viewing window as it moves;

receive a selection of one or more other remote client devices to receive all or a portion of the substantially real-time streamable data;

upload or cause to be uploaded all or a portion of the substantially real-time streamable data to a central server for storage in a streamable-data store; and

based at least in part on the selection of the mobile streamable-data source and the selection of the one or more other remote client devices, communicate or cause to be communicated a command to one or more of the other remote client devices that is operable to cause each of one or more of the other remote client devices automatically and without input from a user at the other remote client device to;

establish a connection with the central server;

retrieve all or a portion of the substantially real-time streamable data from the streamable-data store; and

open a window for making available all or a portion of the substantially real-time streamable data at the other remote client device.

2. The media of claim 1, wherein the substantially real-time streamable data comprises:

video;

audio;

position data specifying a position of the mobile streamable-data source;

or

metadata.

3. The media of claim 1, wherein:

the substantially real-time streamable data comprise video frames;

the mobile streamable-data source is a live video source; and

the substantially real-time streamable data are received in approximate real-time.

4. The media of claim 1, wherein the mobile streamable-data source comprises a still-picture camera or a video camera at a remote location.

5. The media of claim 4, wherein the still-picture camera or the video camera is operable to pan, tilt, or zoom.

6. The media of claim 1, wherein the mobile streamable-data source comprises a camera integrated with or communicatively coupled to the remote client device.

7. The media of claim 1, wherein one or more of the media are physically located within the nonremote client device.

8. The media of claim 7, wherein the software is further operable when executed to make available or cause to be made available at the nonremote client device all or a portion of the streamable data.

9. The media of claim 7, wherein the nonremote client device comprises the mobile streamable-data source.

10. The media of claim 1, wherein the mobile streamable-data source is a streamable-data store at a central server communicatively coupled to the one or more of the other remote client devices.

11. The media of claim 1, wherein the one or more portions of one or more of the display elements underneath the viewing window appear through the viewing window to the user at the remote client device or nonremote client device as they would appear to one or more other users at one or more of the other remote client devices on being distributed to them.

12. The media of claim 1, wherein, on being distributed, the one or more portions of one or more of the display elements underneath the viewing window appear to one or more other users at one or more of the other remote client devices with one or more different ones of the portions of one or more different ones of the display elements having different resolutions from their native resolutions at the remote client device or nonremote client device.

13. The media of claim 1, wherein one or more of the display elements each comprise an application window.

14. The media of claim 13, wherein one or more of the application windows each comprise a web-browser window or a media-player window.

15. The media of claim 1, wherein one or more of the display elements comprise one or more portions of a virtual desktop of the remote client device or nonremote device.

16. The media of claim 1, wherein one or more of the display elements each comprise an icon appearing on a virtual desktop of the remote client device or nonremote device.

17. The media of claim 1, wherein storage of all or a portion of the substantially real-time streamable data in the streamable-data store comprises temporary storage of all or a portion of the streamable data for communication of all or a portion of the substantially real-time streamable data to one or more of the other remote client devices in approximate real-time.

18. The media of claim 1, wherein storage of all or a portion of the substantially real-time streamable data in the streamable-data store comprises substantially permanent storage of all or a portion of the substantially real-time streamable data.

19. The media of claim 1, wherein the window for making available all or a portion of the substantially real-time streamable data at the remote client device-presents to the user an option to access all or a portion of the substantially real-time streamable data at the remote client device substantially now or access all or a portion of the substantially real-time streamable data at a substantially later time.

20. A method comprising, by a nonremote client device:

receiving a selection of a mobile streamable-data source, the mobile streamable-data source being operable to transmit substantially real-time streamable data, the mobile streamable-data source comprising a viewing window that overlies one or more portions of one or more display elements on a display of a remote client device or a nonremote client device, the one or more portions of the one or more display elements being viewable to a user at the remote client device or nonremote client device through the viewing window, the viewing window being movable by the user at the remote client device or nonremote client device with respect to the display elements to overlie one or more other portions of one or more of the display elements;

receiving substantially real-time streamable data from the mobile streamable-data source, the substantially real-time streamable data being a video feed capturing the one or more portions of one or more of the display elements underneath the viewing window or the one or more other portions of one or more of the display elements underneath the viewing window as it moves;

receiving a selection of one or more other remote client devices to receive all or a portion of the substantially real-time streamable data;

uploading or causing to be uploaded all or a portion of the substantially real-time streamable data to a central server for storage in a streamable-data store; and

based at least in part on the selection of the mobile streamable-data source and the selection of the one or more other remote client devices, communicating or causing to be communicated a command to one or more of the other remote client devices that is operable to cause each of one or more of the other remote client devices automatically and without input from a user at the other remote client device to;

establish a connection with the central server;

retrieve all or a portion of the substantially real-time streamable data from the streamable-data store; and

open a window for making available all or a portion of the substantially real-time streamable data at the other remote client device.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the substantially real-time streamable data comprises:

video;

audio;

position data specifying a position of the mobile streamable-data source;

or

metadata.

22. The method of claim 20, wherein:

the substantially real-time streamable data comprise video frames;

the mobile streamable-data source is a live video source; and

the substantially real-time streamable data are received in approximate real-time.

23. The method of claim 20, wherein the mobile streamable-data source comprises a still-picture camera or a video camera at a remote location.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the still-picture camera or the video camera is operable to pan, tilt, or zoom.

25. The method of claim 20, wherein the mobile streamable-data source comprises a camera integrated with or communicatively coupled to the remote client device.

26. The method of claim 20, further comprising making available or causing to be made available at the nonremote client device all or a portion of the streamable data.

27. The method of claim 20, wherein the mobile streamable-data source is a streamable-data store at a central server communicatively coupled to the one or more of the other remote client devices.

28. The method of claim 20, wherein the one or more portions of one or more of the display elements underneath the viewing window appear through the viewing window to the user at the remote client device or nonremote client device as they would appear to one or more other users at one or more of the other remote client devices on being distributed to them.

29. The method of claim 20, wherein, on being distributed, the one or more portions of one or more of the display elements underneath the viewing window appear to one or more other users at one or more of the other remote client devices with one or more different ones of the portions of one or more different ones of the display elements having different resolutions from their native resolutions at the remote client device or nonremote client device.

30. The method of claim 20, wherein one or more of the display elements each comprise an application window.

31. The method of claim 30, wherein one or more of the application windows each comprise a web-browser window or a media-player window.

32. The method of claim 20, wherein one or more of the display elements comprise one or more portions of a virtual desktop of the remote client device or nonremote device.

33. The method of claim 20, wherein one or more of the display elements each comprise an icon appearing on a virtual desktop of the remote client device or nonremote device.

34. The method of claim 20, wherein the nonremote client device comprises the mobile streamable-data source.

35. The method of claim 20, wherein storage of all or a portion of the substantially real-time streamable data in the streamable-data store comprises temporary storage of all or a portion of the substantially real-time streamable data for communication of all or a portion of the substantially real-time streamable data to one or more of the other remote client devices in approximate real-time.

36. The method of claim 20, wherein storage of all or a portion of the substantially real-time streamable data in the streamable-data store comprises substantially permanent storage of all or a portion of the substantially real-time streamable data.

37. The method of claim 20, wherein the window for making available all or a portion of the substantially real-time streamable data at the remote client device-presents to the user an option to access all or a portion of the substantially real-time streamable data at the remote client device at present or access all or a portion of the substantially real-time streamable data at a later time.

38. One or more computer-readable nontransitory storage media embodying software that when executed is operable to:

receive substantially real-time streamable data from one or more mobile streamable-data sources, each of the mobile streamable-data sources comprising a viewing window that overlies one or more portions of one or more display elements on a display of a remote client device or a nonremote client device, the one or more portions of the one or more display elements being viewable to a user at the remote client device or nonremote client device through the viewing window, the viewing window being movable by the user at the remote client device or nonremote client device with respect to the display elements to overlie one or more other portions of one or more of the display elements, the substantially real-time streamable data being a video feed capturing the one or more portions of one or more of the display elements underneath the viewing window or the one or more other portions of one or more of the display elements underneath the viewing window as it moves;

receive a first selection from a client application, the first selection specifying a particular one of the mobile streamable-data sources;

receive a second selection from the client application, the second selection specifying one or more other remote client devices;

based at least in part on the first and second selections;

upload or cause to be uploaded all or a portion of the substantially real-time streamable data to a central server for storage in a streamable-data store;

communicate a command to one or more of the other remote client devices that is operable to cause each of one or more of the other remote client devices automatically and without input from a user at the other remote client device to;

establish a connection with the central server;

retrieve all or a portion of the substantially real-time streamable data from the streamable-data store; and

open a window for making available all or a portion of the substantially real-time streamable data at the other remote client device.

39. The media of claim 38, wherein the substantially real-time streamable data comprises:

video;

audio;

position data specifying a position of each of one or more of the mobile streamable-data sources;

or

metadata.

40. The media of claim 38, wherein:

the substantially real-time streamable data comprise video frames;

the each of one or more of the mobile streamable-data source is a live video source; and

the substantially real-time streamable data are received in approximate real-time.

41. The media of claim 38, wherein each of one or more of the mobile streamable-data sources comprises a still-picture camera or a video camera at a remote location.

42. The media of claim 41, wherein the still-picture camera or the video camera is operable to pan, tilt, or zoom.

43. The media of claim 38, wherein each of one or more of the mobile streamable-data sources comprises a camera integrated with or communicatively coupled to the remote client device.

44. The media of claim 38, wherein the client application resides at the remote client device.

45. The media of claim 38, wherein the one or more portions of one or more of the display elements underneath the viewing window appear through the viewing window to the user at the remote client device or nonremote client device as they would appear to one or more other users at one or more of the other remote client devices on being distributed to them.

46. The media of claim 38, wherein, on being distributed, the one or more portions of one or more of the display elements underneath the viewing window appear to one or more other users at one or more of the other remote client devices with one or more different ones of the portions of one or more different ones of the display elements having different resolutions from their native resolutions at the remote client device or nonremote client device.

47. The media of claim 38, wherein one or more of the display elements each comprise an application window.

48. The media of claim 47, wherein one or more of the application windows each comprise a web-browser window or a media-player window.

49. The media of claim 38, wherein one or more of the display elements comprise one or more portions of a virtual desktop of the remote client device or nonremote device.

50. The media of claim 38, wherein one or more of the display elements each comprise an icon appearing on a virtual desktop of the remote client device or nonremote device.

51. The media of claim 38, wherein one or more of the media are physically located within a central server.

52. The media of claim 38, wherein the client application resides at a client device that comprises the particular one of the mobile streamable-data sources.

53. The media of claim 38, wherein storage of all or a portion of the substantially real-time streamable data in the streamable-data store comprises temporary storage of all or a portion of the substantially real-time streamable data for communication of all or a portion of the substantially real-time streamable data to one or more of the other remote client devices in approximate real-time.

54. The media of claim 38, wherein storage of all or a portion of the substantially real-time streamable data in the streamable-data store comprises substantially permanent storage of all or a portion of the streamable data.

55. The media of claim 38, wherein the window for making available all or a portion of the substantially real-time streamable data at the remote client device presents to the user an option to access all or a portion of the substantially real-time streamable data at the remote client device at present or access all or a portion of the substantially real-time streamable data at a later time.

56. A method comprising, by one or more central servers:

receiving substantially real-time streamable data from one or more mobile streamable-data sources, each of the mobile streamable-data source comprising a viewing window that overlies one or more portions of one or more display elements on a display of a remote client device or a nonremote client device, the one or more portions of the one or more display elements being viewable to a user at the remote client device or nonremote client device through the viewing window, the viewing window being movable by the user at the remote client device or nonremote client device with respect to the display elements to overlie one or more other portions of one or more of the display elements, the substantially real-time streamable data being a video feed capturing the one or more portions of one or more of the display elements underneath the viewing window or the one or more other portions of one or more of the display elements underneath the viewing window as it moves;

receiving a first selection from a client application, the first selection specifying a particular one of the mobile streamable-data sources;

receiving a second selection from the client application, the second selection specifying one or more other remote client devices;

based at least in part on the first and second selections;

uploading or causing to be uploaded all or a portion of the substantially real-time streamable data to a central server for storage in a streamable-data store;

communicating a command to one or more of the other remote client devices that is operable to cause each of one or more of the other remote client devices automatically and without input from a user at the other remote client device to;

establish a connection with the central server;

retrieve all or a portion of the substantially real-time streamable data from the streamable-data store; and

open a window for making available all or a portion of the substantially real-time streamable data at the other remote client device.

57. The method of claim 56, wherein the substantially real-time streamable data comprises:

video;

audio;

position data specifying a position of each of one or more of the mobile streamable-data sources;

or

metadata.

58. The method of claim 56, wherein:

the substantially real-time streamable data comprise video frames;

one or more of the mobile streamable-data sources is a live video source; and

the substantially real-time streamable data are received in approximate real-time.

59. The method of claim 56, wherein one or more of the mobile streamable-data sources each comprises a still-picture camera or a video camera at a remote location.

60. The method of claim 59, wherein the still-picture camera or the video camera is operable to pan, tilt, or zoom.

61. The method of claim 56, wherein one or more of the mobile streamable-data sources each comprise&

a camera integrated with or communicatively coupled to the remote client device.

62. The method of claim 56, wherein the client application resides at the remote client device.

63. The method of claim 56, wherein the one or more portions of one or more of the display elements underneath the viewing window appear through the viewing window to the user at the remote client device or nonremote client device as they would appear to one or more other users at one or more of the other remote client devices on being distributed to them.

64. The method of claim 56, wherein, on being distributed, the one or more portions of one or more of the display elements underneath the viewing window appear to one or more other users at one or more of the other remote client devices with one or more different ones of the portions of one or more different ones of the display elements having different resolutions from their native resolutions at the remote client device or nonremote client device.

65. The method of claim 56, wherein one or more of the display elements each comprise an application window.

66. The method of claim 65, wherein one or more of the application windows each comprise a web-browser window or a media-player window.

67. The method of claim 56, wherein one or more of the display elements comprise one or more portions of a virtual desktop of the remote client device or nonremote device.

68. The method of claim 56, wherein one or more of the display elements each comprise an icon appearing on a virtual desktop of the remote client device or nonremote device.

69. The method of claim 56, wherein the client application resides at a client device that comprises the particular one of the mobile streamable-data sources.

70. The method of claim 56, wherein storage of all or a portion of the substantially real-time streamable data in the streamable-data store comprises temporary storage of all or a portion of the substantially real-time streamable data for communication of all or a portion of the substantially real-time streamable data to one or more of the other remote client devices in approximate real-time.

71. The method of claim 56, wherein storage of all or a portion of the substantially real-time streamable data in the streamable-data store comprises substantially permanent storage of all or a portion of the substantially real-time streamable data.

72. The method of claim 56, wherein the window for making available all or a portion of the substantially real-time streamable data at the remote client device-presents to the user an option to access all or a portion of the streamable data at the remote client device at present or access all or a portion of the substantially real-time streamable data at a later time.