Global messaging with distributed adaptive streaming control

• US 20020049852A1
• Filed: 12/01/2000
• Published: 04/25/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 12/06/1999
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Streaming21, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Streaming21, Inc.
• Inventors: Huang, Yu-Ping, Chao, Chiun-An, Chiang, Ming-Chao, Ngai, Ray, Lee, Yen-Jen
• Application Number:
  US09/729,637
• Publication Number:
  US 20020049852A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/231
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/00 User-to-user messaging in packet-switching networks, transmitted according to store-and-forward or real-time protocols, e.g. e-mail
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/10 Multimedia information
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/224 providing notification on incoming messages, e.g. pushed notifications of received messages
• 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 65/762 at the source reformatting of additional data in video distribution servers H04N21/2355
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2743 Video hosting of uploaded data from client
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4143 embedded in a Personal Computer [PC]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4786 e-mailing message switching systems, e.g. electronic mail systems H04L51/00
• 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 21/816 involving special video data, e.g 3D video
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8586 by using a URL processing chained hypermedia data for information retrieval G06F16/94; information retrieval from the Internet by using URLs G06F16/955; URL in broadcast information H04H20/93; Web-based protocols H04L67/02
• 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 7/17336 Handling of requests in head-ends

Abstract

A software implementable approach capable of creating, delivering, reassembling, rendering, and storing asynchronous and synchronous multimedia message. This approach integrates video/audio streaming with existing Internet/Intranet e-mail messaging and video/audio conferencing systems. The software provides both one-way asynchronous communication as well as bi-directional synchronous communication. Each stream represents a user access from client on one computer to server on the other computer. The method enables electronic multimedia messaging on video/audio capture-equipped mobile platform with limited pre-installed software capability or memory footprint.

Claims

1. A method allowing transfer of an addressed message with associated continuous media content from a sender to a receiver, comprising:

accepting, from the sender, the associated continuous media at a server;

storing the associated continuous media at the server;

providing a reference of said stored associated continuous media content for inclusion in said addressed message;

sending the addressed message from the sender to the receiver;

registering a request from said receiver to access said stored associated continuous media content; and

streaming said stored associated continuous media content to said receiver.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

publishing said stored associated continuous media content as a web page.

3. The method according to claim 1 wherein said accepting comprises receiving prerecorded continuous media content from said sender.

4. The method according to claim 1 wherein said accepting comprises receiving streaming content from said sender.

5. The method according to claim 1 wherein said streaming further comprises:

determining a desirable format for transmitting said stored associated continuous media content to the receiver; and

streaming said stored associated continuous media content to said receiver in said desired format.

6. The method according to claim 5 wherein said determining comprises:

detecting from said request a presentation device of said receiver.

7. The method according to claim 5 wherein said determining comprises:

determining an available bandwidth for transmitting to said receiver.

8. The method according to claim 1 further comprising:

receiving at said server an indication from said receiver to delete said stored associated continuous media content message without delivering said stored associated continuous media content.

9. The method according to claim 1 further comprising:

receiving at said server an indication from said sender to delete said stored associated continuous media content without delivering said stored associated continuous media content.

10. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

at said server, establishing an expiration time for said stored associated continuous media content; and

deleting said stored associated continuous media content after the expiration of said expiration time.

11. The method according to claim 10, further comprising:

prior to deleting said stored associated continuous media content, forwarding a non-streamed version of said stored content to said receiver.

12. The method according to claim 10, further comprising:

upon expiration of said stored associated continuous media content, sending a deletion notice to said sender.

13. The method according to claim 10, further comprising:

upon expiration of said stored associated continuous media content, sending a deletion notice to said receiver.

14. The method according to claim 1, wherein said method enables messaging between senders and receivers with limited pre-installed messaging hardware.

15. The method according to claim 1 further comprising:

determining when a receiving system is idle; and

transmitting an unrequested continuous media message when said receiving system is idle.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein said plurality of supported applications include video mail and video phone.

18. The method according to claim 16, wherein said storing comprises locally storing multimedia content.

19. The method according to claim 16, wherein said storing comprises streaming said multimedia content to a remote server for storage.

20. The method according to claim 16, further comprising:

providing a screen saver mode that accepts transmission of unrequested continuous media when a system is idle for a predetermined period of time.

21. The method according to claim 16 further comprising:

publishing said multimedia content to a web server.

16. A method allowing a user to create and publish a multimedia message comprising:

providing a set of guided control options allowing a user to configure settings for one or more of a plurality of supported applications;

allowing a user to indicate a desired application; and

utilizing said desired application for a process comprising;

capturing of a multimedia message from the user;

storing said multimedia message;

allowing the user to enter e-mail text to create a text portion of the message; and

attaching an access for said multimedia message to said e-mail text.

22. A method allowing a user to access multimedia messages comprising:

providing a set of guided control options allowing a user to configure settings for one or more of a plurality of supported applications;

allowing the user to indicate a desired application;

utilizing said desired application for a process comprising;

providing an interface allowing a user to available media objects browse with the desired application; and

using a universal audio/video rendering manager to render the data to one or more of a plurality of output devices.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein said plurality of supported applications include video mail and video phone.

24. The method of claim 22, wherein said plurality of output devices include graphical and sound output devices.

25. The method according to claim 22 wherein one or more of said available media objects are stored on a remote server.

26. The method according to claim 25 wherein a request to access one of said remotely stored media object is automatically generated when the user opens an e-mail.

27. The method according to claim 22, wherein said interface is a standard e-mail access interface and a request to access a remote streaming media object is automatically generated when the user opens an e-mail.

28. The method according to claim 22, further comprising:

when a receiving system is idle, accepting transmission of unrequested continuous media messages at the system.

29. The method according to claim 22, further comprising:

providing a screen saver mode that accepts transmission of unrequested continuous media at a system when the system is idle for a predetermined period of time.

30. A modular software system for video messaging wherein invocation of appropriate modules allows the system to perform a variety of video messaging functions comprising:

a scalable navigation control manager; and

one or more functional modules, each performing separable messaging functions.

31. The system of claim 30, wherein said one or more function modules are selected from the group consisting of:

a capturing manager;

a rendering manager;

a streaming publishing manager;

a distributed streaming media manager;

a video phone control manager; and

an unattended streaming advertisement manager.

32. The system of claim 30, wherein said one or more function modules provide the functions of:

originating and sending a video message;

browsing and viewing a stored video message;

publishing a message including video content; and

conducting a two way video conference.

33. The system of claim 30, wherein said scalable navigation control manager includes control logic for interfacing with any of said additional modules.

34. The system of claim 30, wherein said scalable navigation control manager is able to interface with one or more presentation devices.

35. The system of claim 34, wherein said presentation devices include a video phone.

36. The system of claim 34, wherein said presentation devices include video email.

37. The system of claim 34, wherein said presentation devices include internet TV.

40. The method according to claim 39, further comprising:

publishing said stored associated continuous media content as a web page.

41. The method according to claim 39 wherein said streaming further comprises:

determining a desirable format for transmitting said stored associated continuous media content to the receiver; and

streaming said stored associated continuous media content to said receiver in said desired format.

42. The method according to claim 39, wherein said method enables messaging between senders and receivers with limited pre-installed messaging hardware.

38. A method of operation of a streaming publishing manager comprising:

determining available bandwidth to streaming sources via measurement of round-trip statistics and from available bandwidth determining an achievable streaming bandwidth;

determining a write-penalty for a server;

selecting a minimum of achievable streaming bandwidth and write-penalty to be the upload streaming bandwidth;

connecting to a server and setting information for to-be-uploaded object;

sending object information to said server; and

uploading media object.

39. A computer readable storage device embodying a program of instructions executable by a computer to perform a method allowing transfer of an addressed message with associated continuous media content from a sender to a receiver, said method comprising:

accepting, from the sender, the associated continuous media at a server;

storing the associated continuous media at the server;

providing a reference of said stored associated continuous media content for inclusion in the addressed message;

sending the addressed message from the sender to the receiver;

registering a request from said receiver to access said stored associated continuous media content; and

streaming said stored associated continuous media content to said receiver.

43. A method for transmitting a program of instructions executable by a computer to perform a process allowing transfer of an addressed message with associated continuous media content from a sender to a receiver, said method comprising:

causing the transmission to a client device a program of instructions, thereby enabling the client device to perform, by means of such program, the following process;

accepting, from the sender, the associated continuous media at a server;

storing the associated continuous media at the server;

providing a reference of said stored associated continuous media content for inclusion in the addressed message;

sending the addressed message from the sender to the receiver;

registering a request from said receiver to access said stored associated continuous media content; and

streaming said stored associated continuous media content to said receiver.

44. The process according to claim 43, further comprising:

publishing said stored associated continuous media content as a web page.

45. The process according to claim 43, wherein said streaming further comprises:

determining a desirable format for transmitting said stored associated continuous media content to the receiver; and

streaming said stored associated continuous media content to said receiver in said desired format.

46. The process according to claim 43, wherein said method enables messaging between senders and receivers with limited pre-installed messaging hardware.

48. The method of claim 47, wherein said plurality of supported applications include video mail and video phone.

49. The method according to claim 47, further comprising:

publishing said multimedia content to a web server.

47. A computer readable storage device embodying a program of instructions executable by a computer to perform a method allowing a user to create and publish a multimedia message, said method comprising:

providing a set of guided control options allowing a user to configure settings for one or more of a plurality of supported applications;

allowing a user to indicate a desired application; and

utilizing said desired application for a process comprising;

capturing of a multimedia message from the user;

storing said multimedia message;

allowing the user to enter e-mail text to create a text portion of the message; and

attaching an access for said multimedia message to said e-mail text.

50. A method for transmitting a program of instructions executable by a computer to perform a process method allowing a user to create and publish a multimedia message, said method comprising:

causing the transmission to a client device a program of instructions, thereby enabling the client device to perform, by means of such program, the following process;

providing a set of guided control options allowing a user to configure settings for one or more of a plurality of supported applications;

allowing a user to indicate a desired application; and

utilizing said desired application for a process comprising;

capturing of a multimedia message from the user;

storing said multimedia message;

allowing the user to enter e-mail text to create a text portion of the message; and

attaching an access for said multimedia message to said e-mail text.

51. The process of claim 50, wherein said plurality of supported applications include video mail and video phone.

52. The process according to claim 50 further comprising:

publishing said multimedia content to a web server.

53. A computer readable storage device embodying a program of instructions executable by a computer to perform a method allowing a user to access multimedia messages, said method comprising:

providing a set of guided control options allowing a user to configure settings for one or more of a plurality of supported applications;

allowing the user to indicate a desired application;

utilizing said desired application for a process comprising;

providing an interface allowing a user to available media objects browse with the desired application; and

using a universal audio/video rendering manager to render the data to one or more of a plurality of output devices.

54. The method according to claim 53 wherein one or more of said available media objects are stored on a remote server.

55. he method according to claim 53, wherein said interface is a standard e-mail access interface and a request to access a remote streaming media object is automatically generated when the user opens an e-mail.

57. The method according to claim 56, wherein one or more of said available media objects are stored on a remote server.

58. The method according to claim 56, wherein said interface is a standard e-mail access interface and a request to access a remote streaming media object is automatically generated when the user opens an e-mail.

56. A method for transmitting a program of instructions executable by a computer to perform a process method allowing a user to access multimedia messages, said method comprising:

causing the transmission to a client device a program of instructions, thereby enabling the client device to perform, by means of such program, the following process;

providing a set of guided control options allowing a user to configure settings for one or more of a plurality of supported applications;

allowing the user to indicate a desired application;

utilizing said desired application for a process comprising;

providing an interface allowing a user to available media objects browse with the desired application; and

using a universal audio/video rendering manager to render the data to one or more of a plurality of output devices.