Handling of multimedia call sessions and attachments using multi-network simulcasting

• US 20060034335A1
• Filed: 03/30/2005
• Published: 02/16/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 07/28/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avago Technologies International Sales Pte Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Broadcom Corporation (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Seshadri, Nambirajan, Bennett, James D., Karaoguz, Jeyhan
• Granted Patent: US 7,684,374 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/477
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1026 at the edge
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1036 at the edge
• 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 65/611 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 65/752 adapting media to network capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/756 adapting media to device capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/764 at the destination reformatting of additional data in video clients H04N21/4355
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4126 The peripheral being portable, e.g. PDAs or mobile phones
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/06 Selective distribution of broadcast services, e.g. multimedia broadcast multicast service [MBMS]; Services to user groups; One-way selective calling services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/16 Communication-related supplementary services, e.g. call-transfer or call-hold
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/18 Information format or content conversion, e.g. adaptation by the network of the transmitted or received information for the purpose of wireless delivery to users or terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/16 Gateway arrangements

Abstract

A method and apparatus supporting the handling of multimedia information using simulcasting using a broadband access gateway are disclosed. A broadband access gateway supporting both a personal area network and a broadband network may receive multimedia information during exchanges between access devices over a wireless wide area network. The wireless wide area network may intercept multimedia information, and may, for example, determine that the access device of the recipient is incompatible with the multimedia information. The wide area network may then redirect the multimedia information to a broadband access gateway that may cause the storage of the received multimedia information. In another representative embodiment of the present invention, the wide area network may adapt intercepted multimedia information to be compatible with the access device of the recipient, and may also redirect the original intercepted multimedia information to a broadband access gateway. The broadband access gateway may then cause the original intercepted multimedia information to be stored for later access. A recipient of the multimedia attachment or information may be notified of the redirection of the multimedia attachment or information, and may retrieve the stored multimedia information using a wired or wireless access device.

Claims

1. A method of handling multimedia information through multi-network simulcasting, the method comprising:

receiving, from a first of a plurality of access devices, multimedia information designated for a second of the plurality of access devices;

determining whether the second of the plurality of access devices is compatible with the multimedia information;

redirecting the multimedia information via at least one of a personal area network and a broadband network, if the second of the plurality of access devices is not compatible; and

forwarding the multimedia information to the second of the plurality of access devices, if the second of the plurality of access devices is compatible.

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

causing the storage of the redirected multimedia information.

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

notifying a user of the other of the plurality of access devices of the redirection of the multimedia information.

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

establishing a call between the first and second of the plurality of access devices.

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

adapting multimedia information to be compatible with the second of the plurality of access devices.

6. The method according to claim 1 wherein the plurality of access devices comprises at least one of:

a mobile multimedia handset, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a personal computer (PC), a computer peripheral, a digital scanner, a digital camera, a printer, headphones, and a pointing device.

7. The method according to claim 1 wherein at least one of:

the receiving, redirecting, and forwarding is performed using a wireless wide area network.

8. The method according to claim 7 wherein the wireless wide area network comprises at least one of:

a cellular digital packet data (CDPD) network, a public switched telephone network (PSTN), a Global System for Mobile Communication (GSM) network, a General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) network, a short message service (SMS) network, a GSM enhanced data rates for global evolution (EDGE), a time division multiple access (TDMA) network, an integrated digital enhanced network (iDEN), a code division multiple access (CDMA) network, and a CDMA2000 1xRTT network.

9. The method according to claim 1 wherein the personal area network comprises at least one of:

a Bluetooth network, an Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11 network, and a cellular network.

10. The method according to claim 1 wherein the broadband network comprises at least one of:

a cable network, a digital subscriber loop network, a T1 network, a T3 network, a local multipoint distribution system (LMDS), a WiMAX network, and an Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.16 network.

11. The method according to claim 1 wherein the multimedia information comprises at least one of:

streaming video, broadcast video, digitized voice, digital data, text, digitized audio, digitized still images, digitized video, and digitized music.

12. A system supporting handling multimedia information through multi-network simulcasting, the system comprising:

a plurality of access devices capable of communicating multimedia information via a wireless wide area network communicatively coupled to a broadband network;

a gateway communicatively coupled to the broadband network and at least one wireless interface, the gateway capable of selectively exchanging multimedia information among at least one wireless interface and the broadband network, and of communicating with the plurality of access devices via the at least one wireless interface;

the wireless wide area network redirecting multimedia information for one of the plurality of access devices based upon at least one parameter; and

the gateway capable of causing storage of the redirected multimedia information.

13. The system according to claim 12 wherein the redirected multimedia information is stored within the gateway.

14. The system according to claim 12, further comprising:

the gateway capable of providing a catalog of stored multimedia information.

15. The system according to claim 12, further comprising:

the gateway capable of adapting multimedia information to be compatible with the one of the plurality of access devices based upon the at least one parameter.

16. The system according to claim 12, further comprising:

the gateway capable of receiving a request for stored multimedia information from one of the plurality of access devices; and

the gateway capable of sending the requested multimedia information to the one of the plurality of access devices.

17. The system according to claim 12 wherein the wireless wide area network notifies the one of the plurality of access devices of the redirection.

18. The system according to claim 12 wherein multimedia information comprises at least one of:

streaming video, broadcast video, digitized voice, digital data, text, digitized audio, digitized still images, digitized video, and digitized music.

19. The system according to claim 12 wherein the broadband network comprises at least one of:

a cable network, a digital subscriber loop network, a T1 network, a T3 network, a local multipoint distribution system (LMDS), a WiMAX network, and an Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.16 network.

20. The system according to claim 12 wherein the at least one wireless interface comprises at least one of:

a Bluetooth network interface, an Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11 network interface, and a cellular network interface.

21. The system according to claim 12 wherein the wide area network comprises at least one of:

a cellular digital packet data (CDPD) network, a public switched telephone network (PSTN), a Global System for Mobile Communication (GSM) network, a General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) network, a short message service (SMS) network, a GSM enhanced data rates for global evolution (EDGE), a time division multiple access (TDMA) network, an integrated digital enhanced network (iDEN), a code division multiple access (CDMA) network, and a CDMA2000 1xRTT network.

22. The system according to claim 12 wherein the plurality of access devices comprises at least one of:

a mobile multimedia handset, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a personal computer (PC), a computer peripheral, a digital scanner, a digital camera, a printer, headphones, and a pointing device.

23. The system according to claim 12 wherein the at least one parameter comprises at least one of:

a bit rate, a bandwidth, a cost, a color resolution, a spatial resolution, a multimedia information size, and a multimedia information type.

24. A machine-readable storage, having stored thereon a computer program having a plurality of code sections for operating a system supporting handling multimedia information through multi-network simulcasting, the code sections executable by a machine for causing the machine to perform the operations comprising:

receiving, from a first of a plurality of access devices, multimedia information designated for a second of the plurality of access devices;

determining whether the second of the plurality of access devices is compatible with the multimedia information;

redirecting the multimedia information via at least one of;

a personal area network and a broadband network, if the second of the plurality of access devices is not compatible; and

forwarding the multimedia information to the second of the plurality of access devices, if the second of the plurality of access devices is compatible.

25. The machine-readable storage according to claim 24 wherein the code sections executable by a machine further causing the machine to perform the operations comprising:

causing the storage of the redirected multimedia information.

26. The machine-readable storage according to claim 24 wherein the code sections executable by a machine further causing the machine to perform the operations comprising:

notifying a user of the other of the plurality of access devices of the redirection of the multimedia information.

27. The machine-readable storage according to claim 24 wherein the code sections executable by a machine further causing the machine to perform the operations comprising:

establishing a call between at least two of the plurality of access devices.

28. The machine-readable storage according to claim 24 wherein the code sections executable by a machine further causing the machine to perform the operations comprising:

adapting the multimedia information to be compatible with the second of the plurality of access devices.

29. The machine-readable storage according to claim 24 wherein the plurality of access devices comprises at least one of:

a mobile multimedia handset, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a personal computer (PC), a computer peripheral, a digital scanner, a digital camera, a printer, headphones, and a pointing device.

30. The machine-readable storage according to claim 24 wherein at least one of:

the receiving, redirecting, and forwarding is performed using a wireless wide area network.

31. The machine-readable storage according to claim 30 wherein the wireless wide area network comprises at least one of:

a cellular digital packet data (CDPD) network, a public switched telephone network (PSTN), a Global System for Mobile Communication (GSM) network, a General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) network, a short message service (SMS) network, a GSM enhanced data rates for global evolution (EDGE), a time division multiple access (TDMA) network, an integrated digital enhanced network (iDEN), a code division multiple access (CDMA) network, and a CDMA2000 1xRTT network.

32. The machine-readable storage according to claim 24 wherein the personal area network comprises at least one of:

a Bluetooth network, an Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11 network, and a cellular network.

33. The machine-readable storage according to claim 24 wherein the broadband network comprises at least one of:

a cable network, a digital subscriber loop network, a T1 network, a T3 network, a local multipoint distribution system (LMDS), a WiMAX network, and an Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.16 network.

34. The machine-readable storage according to claim 24 wherein the multimedia information comprises at least one of:

streaming video, broadcast video, digitized voice, digital data, text, digitized audio, digitized still images, digitized video, and digitized music.