Telecommunication and multimedia management method and apparatus

• US 8,526,456 B2
• Filed: 11/01/2012
• Issued: 09/03/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/28/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Voxer IP LLC (Voxer, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Voxer IP LLC (Voxer, Inc.)
• Inventors: Katis, Thomas E., Panttaja, James T., Panttaja, Mary G., Ranney, Matthew J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Pezzlo, John
• Application Number:
  US13/666,747
• Publication Number:
  US 20130058328A1
• Time in Patent Office: 306 Days
• Field of Search: 370/352, 370/429, 379/88.17
• US Class Current: 370/429
• CPC Class Codes: E04H 3/126 Foldable, retractable or tiltable tribunes E04H3/123 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 15/16 Combinations of two or more digital computers each having at least an arithmetic unit, a program unit and a register, e.g. for a simultaneous processing of several programs coordinating program control therefor G06F9/52; in regulating and control system G05B
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1831 Tracking arrangements for later retrieval, e.g. recording contents, participants activities or behavior, network status
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/10 Multimedia information
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/216 Handling conversation history, e.g. grouping of messages in sessions or threads
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/226 Delivery according to priorities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/42 Mailbox-related aspects, e.g. synchronisation of mailboxes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/2503 Translation of Internet protocol [IP] addresses
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1083 In-session procedures
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/4015 where at least one of the additional parallel sessions is real time or time sensitive, e.g. white board sharing, collaboration or spawning of a subconference
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/403 Arrangements for multi-party communication, e.g. for conferences data switching systems for conference H04L12/18; arrangements for connecting several subscribers to a common circuit, i.e. affording conference facilities H04M3/56; television conferencing systems H04N7/15
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/752 adapting media to network capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/764 at the destination reformatting of additional data in video clients H04N21/4355
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/54 Presence management, e.g. monitoring or registration for receipt of user log-on information, or the connection status of the users
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/64 Automatic arrangements for answering calls; Automatic arrangements for recording messages for absent subscribers; Arrangements for recording conversations centralised dictation systems H04M11/10
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 11/00 Telephonic communication systems specially adapted for combination with other electrical systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/53 Centralised arrangements for recording incoming messages , i.e. mailbox systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5307 for recording messages comprising any combination of audio and non-audio components
• 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 7/15 : Conference systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/12 : Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements

Abstract

A telecommunication and multimedia management apparatus and method that supports voice and other media communications and that enables users to: (i) participate in multiple conversation modes, including live phone calls, conference calls, instant voice messaging or tactical communications; (ii) review the messages of conversations in either a live mode or a time-shifted mode and to seamlessly transition back and forth between the two modes; (iii) participate in multiple conversations either concurrently or simultaneously; (iv) archive the messages of conversations for later review or processing; and (v) persistently store media either created or received on the communication devices of users. The latter feature enables users to generate or review media when either disconnected from the network or network conditions are poor and to optimize the delivery of media over the network based on network conditions and the intention of the users participating in conversations.

Claims

1. Computer code embedded in a non-transitory computer readable medium and intended to run on a communication device configured to be connected to a network, the computer code comprising:

a progressive, store and forward, messaging module that progressively stores and progressively transmits an outgoing message, the outgoing message including;

(a) a non-IP address identifier associated with a recipient that is resolved on the network into an IP address and physical location of a second communication device associated with the recipient; and

(b) voice media progressively added to the outgoing message as the voice media is created using the communication device,

the progressive, store and forward, messaging module further using a transmission protocol that;

(c) supports near real-time communication so that the recipient may review the voice media of the outgoing message in near real-time on the second communication device by progressively transmitting the voice media of the outgoing message as the voice media is created, progressively added to the outgoing message, and progressively stored on the communication device; and

(b) guarantees delivery of the outgoing message to the second communication device associated with the recipient.

2. The computer code of claim 1, wherein the progressive, store and forward, messaging module is further configured to deliver a complete copy of the outgoing message during a first transmission session without the need for a second transmission session.

3. The computer code of claim 1, wherein the transmission protocol further guarantees the delivery of a complete copy of the voice media of the outgoing message to the second communication device.

4. The computer code of claim 1, wherein the progressive, store and forward, messaging module is configured to guarantee the delivery of a complete copy of the outgoing message by retransmitting voice media designated as missing and/or defective so that both the communication device and the second communication device have identical copies of the voice media of the outgoing message.

5. The computer code of claim 4, wherein the progressive, store and forward, messaging module is further configured to retransmit, in response to requests for retransmission, the voice media of the outgoing message designated as missing and/or defective, the retransmission enabling the delivery of the complete copy of the voice media of the outgoing message to the second communication device.

6. The computer code of claim 1, wherein the progressive, store and forward, messaging module is further configured to transmit the voice media of the outgoing message out of storage when conditions on the network are not adequate for transmission when the voice media of the outgoing message is created.

7. The computer code of claim 1, wherein the progressive, store and forward, messaging module is further configured to transmit the outgoing message out of storage when:

(i) the communication device was disconnected from the network when the voice media of the outgoing message was created; and

(ii) the communication device reconnects to the network.

8. The computer code of claim 1, wherein the progressive, store and forward, messaging module is further configured to progressively transmit the outgoing message as fast as conditions on the network permit.

9. The computer code of claim 1, wherein the progressive, store and forward, messaging module is further configured to progressively transmit the outgoing message at a bit rate commensurate with the available bit rate on the network.

10. The computer code of claim 1, wherein the progressive, store and forward, messaging module is further configured to receive voice media of incoming messages.

11. The computer code of claim 1, wherein the progressive, store and forward, messaging module is further configured to:

receive voice media of an incoming message at the communication device;

note missing and/or defective voice media of the incoming message at the communication device; and

generate retransmission requests for the noted voice media so that a complete copy of the incoming message as transmitted is received and stored on the communication device when the retransmission requests are satisfied.

12. The computer code of claim 1, wherein the progressive, store and forward, messaging module is further configured to selectively render voice media of an incoming message:

(i) in a near real-time rendering mode by progressively rendering the voice media of the incoming message as the voice media is progressively received over the network; and

(ii) in a time-shifted mode by retrieving and progressively rendering the voice media of the incoming message out of storage.

13. The computer code of claim 12, wherein the progressive, store and forward, messaging module is further configured to progressively render the voice media of the incoming message in either the real-time mode or the time-shifted mode without interfering with the progressive storage on the communication device of the voice media of the incoming and/or outgoing messages.

14. The computer code of claim 10, wherein the progressive, store and forward, messaging module is further configured to selectively render the voice media of the incoming and/or outgoing messages from storage.

15. The computer code of claim 1, wherein the progressive, store and forward, messaging module is further configured to thread together one or more outgoing messages and one or more incoming messages sharing a common attribute into a conversation.

16. The computer code of claim 15, wherein the common attribute comprises one of the following:

(i) a conversation name;

(ii) a conversation subject;

(iii) the name of a participant of the conversation;

or

(iv) a name of a group of participants of the conversation.

17. The computer code of claim 15, wherein the conversation includes one or more of the following media types in addition to voice media:

(i) audio;

(ii) text;

(iii) photos;

(iv) video; and

(v) GPS or positional data.

18. The computer code of claim 1, wherein the progressive, store and forward, messaging module is further configured to enable a user of the communication device to participate in multiple conversations.

19. The computer code of claim 1, wherein the outgoing message transmitted by the progressive, store and forward, messaging module is an asynchronous message.

20. The computer code of claim 1, wherein the progressive, store and forward, messaging module is further configured to receive incoming asynchronous messages.

21. The computer code of claim 1, wherein the progressive, store and forward, messaging module is further configured to provide a messaging experience for the user of the communication device when incoming messages from the second communication device are rendered and outgoing messages are transmitted at different times with respect to one another.

22. The computer code of claim 1, wherein the progressive, store and forward, messaging module is further configured to provide a synchronous communication experience for the user of the communication device when an incoming message from the second communication device is rendered and the outgoing message is transmitted at substantially the same time with respect to one another.

23. The computer code of claim 1, wherein the progressive, store and forward, messaging module is further configured to progressively transmit the voice media of the outgoing message with the non-IP address identifier to one or more server(s) located on the network, the one or more server(s) delivering the voice media of the outgoing message to the recipient by resolving the non-IP address identifier into the IP address and the physical location of the second communication device.

24. The computer code of claim 1, wherein the progressive, store and forward, messaging module is further configured to operate the communication device in a full-duplex communication mode when transmitting outgoing messages and receiving incoming messages at approximately the same time.

25. The computer code of claim 1, wherein the progressive, store and forward, messaging module is further configured to persistently store the outgoing message on the communication device.

26. The computer code of claim 1, wherein the outgoing message further comprises one or more of the following types of media that changes with respect to time:

video, sensor data, radio signals, position or GPS information, or any combination thereof.

27. The computer code of claim 1, wherein the communication device intended to run the code comprises one of the following:

a land-line phone, a wireless phone, a mobile phone, a computer, a radio, a satellite phone, a satellite radio, a tactical radio, or a tactical phone.