VIDEO MAIL AND CONTENT PLAYBACK CONTROL WITH CELLULAR HANDSET

• US 20070064619A1
• Filed: 02/13/2006
• Published: 03/22/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Glenayre Electronics Incorporated (EDCI Holdings Incorporated), Movius Interactive Corporation
• Original Assignee: Movius Interactive Corporation
• Inventors: Moraes, Ian, Plotky, Jon, Spencer, James, Lowman, Philip, Bettis, Sonny
• Granted Patent: US 8,112,778 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/252
• 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 51/56 Unified messaging, e.g. interactions between e-mail, instant messaging or converged IP messaging [CPM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/58 Message adaptation for wireless communication
• 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 65/613 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 65/764 at the destination reformatting of additional data in video clients H04N21/4355
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/765 intermediate
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/56 Provisioning of proxy services store-and-forward switching systems in data switching networks H04L12/54
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/565 Conversion or adaptation of application format or content adding application control or application functional data H04L67/561
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41407 embedded in a portable device, e.g. video client on a mobile phone, PDA, laptop constructional details of equipment or arrangements specially adapted for portable computer application G06F1/1626; arrangements specially adapted for mobile receivers in broadcast systems H04H20/57
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4402 involving reformatting operations of video signals for household redistribution, storage or real-time display details of conversion of video standards at pixel level H04N7/01; video transcoding H04N19/40; adapting incoming signals to the display format of the display terminal G09G5/005; media handling at the source in data packet switching networks H04L65/764
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47202 for requesting content on demand, e.g. video on demand
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4786 e-mailing message switching systems, e.g. electronic mail systems H04L51/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6125 involving transmission via Internet transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6131 involving transmission via a mobile phone network wireless downlink channel access H04W74/006
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/64792 Controlling the complexity of the content stream, e.g. by dropping packets intermediate media network packet handling H04L65/765; proxy provisioning conversion or adaptation for reducing the amount or size of exchanged application data H04L67/5651; negotiation of resources in wireless networks H04W28/16
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

The playback of video content delivered over a wireless network can be controlled by the provision of various control functions that can be actuated by the user. The controlled playback can be implemented on a system level, in which the delivery of the video content is controlled in response to receiving control actuation signals from a receiver device or can be implemented at the receiver device level by storing the video content and controlling the rendering of the content based on user actuations. In either implementation, the playback control can include pausing, stopping, fast-forwarding, rewinding, reversing, fast-reversing and skipping of the video content.

Claims

1. A method for providing playback control of video content delivered through a wireless cellular network to a receiving device, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving video content at the receiver device from a source;

commence rendering of the received video content on a display of the receiver device starting with the beginning of the video content;

detecting the actuation of a control function at the receiver device during the rendering of the received video content; and

in response to detecting the actuation, modifying the rendering of the received video content in a manner associated with the detected actuation.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of modifying the rendering of the received video content comprises the steps of:

transmitting a signal to the source, the signal identifying the control function actuated;

receiving modified video content, the modified video content being modified dependent upon the transmitted signal; and

rendering the received modified video content on the display.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the step of modifying the rendering of the received video content further comprises the steps of:

the source identifying a new location in the video content at which to resume transmission; and

transmitting the modified video content by transmitting beginning with the newly identified location.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of modifying the rendering of the received video content comprises the steps of:

transmitting a signal to the source, the signal identifying the control function actuated;

suspend rendering of the video content based on the identified actuated control function;

detecting a subsequent actuated control function;

transmitting a subsequent signal to the source, the subsequent signal identifying the subsequent control function identified; and

continue rendering the video content in a manner based on the subsequent actuated control function.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of modifying the rendering of the received video content comprises the steps of:

identifying the actuated control function;

identifying a new location in the video content at which to resume the rendering step; and

continue rendering the video content at the newly identified location.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of modifying the rendering of the received video content comprises the steps of:

identifying the actuated control function;

suspend rendering of the video content based on the identified actuated control function; and

receiving a subsequent actuated control function; and

continue rendering the video content in a manner based on the subsequent actuated control function.

7. A telecommunications platform for providing controlled playback of video content to a receiver device based on actuations of the receiver device, the telecommunications platform comprising:

a network interface to a digital wireless network enabling communication with the receiver device;

a memory device for containing video content; and

a processing device operative to receive a request for the video content from the receiver device, begin delivery of the video content in response to the request and then to modify the delivery of the video content in response to receiving an actuation signal from the receiver device.

8. The telecommunications platform of claim 7, wherein the processing device is operative to modify the delivery of the video content in response to receiving an actuation signal from the receiver device by suspending the delivery of the video content in response to an actuation signal associated with a pause function.

9. The telecommunications platform of claim 7, wherein the processing device is operative to modify the delivery of the video content in response to receiving an actuation signal from the receiver device by suspending the delivery of the video content in response to an actuation signal associated with a stop function.

10. The telecommunications platform of claim 7, wherein the processing device is operative to modify the delivery of the video content in response to receiving an actuation signal from the receiver device by continuing with the delivery of the video content by skipping a portion of the video content in response to an actuation signal associated with a skip-forward function.

11. The telecommunications platform of claim 7, wherein the processing device is operative to modify the delivery of the video content in response to receiving an actuation signal from the receiver device by continuing with the delivery of the video content by skipping portions of the video content in response to an actuation signal associated with a fast-forward function.

12. The telecommunications platform of claim 7, wherein the processing device is operative to modify the delivery of the video content in response to receiving an actuation signal from the receiver device by continuing with the delivery of the video content by restarting the delivery of the video content at a point in the video content that had previously been delivered in response to an actuation signal associated with a rewind function.

13. The telecommunications platform of claim 7, wherein the processing device is operative to modify the delivery of the video content in response to receiving an actuation signal from the receiver device by continuing with the delivery of the video content in reverse order on a frame by frame basis in response to an actuation signal associated with a reverse function.

14. The telecommunications platform of claim 7, wherein the processing device is operative to modify the delivery of the video content in response to receiving an actuation signal from the receiver device by continuing with the delivery of the video content in reverse order and skipping portions of the video content in response to an actuation signal associated with a fast-reverse function.

15. The telecommunications platform of claim 7, wherein the processing device is operative to modify the delivery of the video content in response to receiving an actuation signal from the receiver device by:

suspending the delivery of the video content in response to an actuation signal associated with a pause function;

suspending the delivery of the video content in response to an actuation signal associated with a stop function;

continuing with the delivery of the video content in response to an actuation signal associated with a play function; and

continuing with the delivery of the video content by restarting the delivery of the video content at a point in the video content that had previously been delivered in response to an actuation signal associated with a rewind function.

16. The telecommunications platform of claim 15, wherein the processing device is further operative to modify the delivery of the video content in response to receiving an actuation signal from the receiver device by:

continuing with the delivery of the video content by skipping a portion of the video content in response to an actuation signal associated with a skip-forward function;

continuing with the delivery of the video content by skipping portions of the video content in response to an actuation signal associated with a fast-forward function;

continuing with the delivery of the video content in reverse order on a frame by frame basis in response to an actuation signal associated with a reverse function; and

continuing with the delivery of the video content in reverse order and skipping portions of the video content in response to an actuation signal associated with a fast-reverse function.

17. The telecommunications platform of claim 7, wherein the processing device is operative to modify the delivery of the video content in response to receiving an actuation signal from the receiver device by:

suspending the delivery of the video content in response to an actuation signal associated with a pause function;

suspending the delivery of the video content in response to an actuation signal associated with a stop function;

continuing with the delivery of the video content by skipping a portion of the video content in response to an actuation signal associated with a skip-forward function;

continuing with the delivery of the video content by skipping portions of the video content in response to an actuation signal associated with a fast-forward function;

continuing with the delivery of the video content by restarting the delivery of the video content at a point in the video content that had previously been delivered in response to an actuation signal associated with a rewind function;

continuing with the delivery of the video content in reverse order on a frame by frame basis in response to an actuation signal associated with a reverse function;

continuing with the delivery of the video content in reverse order and skipping portions of the video content in response to an actuation signal associated with a fast-reverse function.

18. A receiver device for rendering video content received over a digital wireless network from a telecommunications platform as recited in claim 7, wherein the receiver device comprises:

a display;

a speaker;

a plurality of keys;

a memory device;

an interface to the digital wireless network; and

a processing unit coupled to the display, the speaker, the memory device and the interface and being operative to;

receive video content from the telecommunications platform;

render the video content on the display and any audio associated with video content on the speaker;

display a control panel on the display in such a manner to identify control functions for the playback of the video content and associate one of the plurality of keys with each of the displayed control functions;

receive an actuation of one of the plurality of keys;

identify the control function associated with the actuated key; and

transmit an actuation signal to the telecommunications platform associated with the control function.

19. The receiver device of claim 17, wherein one of the control functions on the control panel is a record function, and in response to actuation of a key associated with the record function, to begin storing subsequently received video content into the memory device.

20. The receiver device of claim 17, wherein the control panel includes icons associated with a pause function, a fast-forward function and a rewind function.