Buffering multimedia mobile devices and methods to operate the same

• US 20070189246A1
• Filed: 02/13/2006
• Published: 08/16/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 02/13/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Texas Instruments, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Texas Instruments, Inc.
• Inventors: Molnar, Lajos
• Application Number:
  US11/352,844
• Publication Number:
  US 20070189246A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/338
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1069 Session establishment or de-establishment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/80 Responding to QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72421 with automatic activation of emergency service functions, e.g. upon sensing an alarm
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/90 Services for handling of emergency or hazardous situations, e.g. earthquake and tsunami warning systems [ETWS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/50 for emergency connections

Abstract

Buffering multimedia mobile devices and methods to operate the same are disclosed. A disclosed example mobile device comprises a user interface to initiate a call, an audio codec to receive an audio signal, a memory to store a first portion of the audio signal received before the call is established, and a transceiver to, after the call is established, send a second portion of the received audio signal and the first stored portion of the received audio signal, wherein the second portion of the audio signal is substantially sent in real-time, and wherein a combination of the first and the second portions of the audio signal substantially represent the audio signal.

Claims

1. A mobile device comprising:

a user interface to initiate a call;

an audio codec to receive an audio signal;

a memory to store a first portion of the audio signal received before the call is established; and

a transceiver to, after the call is established, send a second portion of the received audio signal and the first stored portion of the received audio signal, wherein the second portion of the audio signal is substantially sent in real-time, and wherein a combination of the first and the second portions of the audio signal substantially represent the audio signal.

2. A mobile device as defined in claim 1, wherein the audio codec starts receiving the audio signal and the memory starts storing the first portion of the audio signal when the call is initiated.

3. A mobile device as defined in claim 1, wherein the user interface to initiate the call comprises at least one of a panic button, a buffering call button, or a keypad to dial a telephone number.

4. A mobile device as defined in claim 1, wherein the transceiver is at least one of a cellular transceiver or a radio frequency transceiver.

5. A mobile device as defined in claim 1, wherein the first and the second portions of the audio signal are packetized, and wherein data packets containing the first and the second portions of the audio signal contain at least one of a timestamp or a sequence number to facilitate combining of the first and the second portions of the audio signals.

6. A mobile device as defined in claim 1, wherein the memory is configured to store a third portion of the audio signal if the call is disconnected, wherein the third portion of the audio signal is received by the audio codec after the call is disconnected.

7. A mobile device as defined in claim 6, wherein the transceiver is configured to send to, after the call is re-established, send a fourth portion of the received audio signal and the third stored portion of the received audio signal, wherein the fourth portion of the audio signal is sent in substantially real-time, and wherein the first, the second, the third and the fourth portions of the audio signal may be combined to represent the audio signal.

8. A mobile device as defined in claim 1, further comprising a video codec to receive a video signal, wherein the memory is configured to store a first portion of the received video signal before the call is established, and wherein the transceiver is configured to, after the call is established, send a second portion of the received video signal and the first stored portion of the received video signal, wherein the second portion of the video signal is sent in real-time, and wherein the first and the second portions of the video signal may be combined to represent the video signal.

9. A mobile device as defined in claim 8, wherein the video signal is a sequence of snapshots.

10. A mobile device as defined in claim 1, further comprising a biometric input device to receive biometric data, wherein the memory is configured to store a first portion of the received biometric data before the call is established, and wherein the transceiver is configured to, after the call is established, send a second portion of the received biometric data and the first stored portion of the received biometric data, wherein the second portion of the biometric data is sent in real-time, and wherein the first and the second portions of the biometric data may be combined to represent the biometric data.

11. For a mobile device, a method comprising:

establishing a communications link;

receiving an audio signal present at the mobile device;

capturing a first portion of the audio signal to a storage device, wherein the first portion of the audio signal is a portion of the audio signal occurring before the communications link is established;

streaming a second portion of the audio signal across the communications link, wherein the second portion of the audio signal is a portion of the audio signal following the first portion of the audio signal; and

sending the first stored portion of the audio signal across the communications link.

12. A method as defined in claim 11, wherein capturing the first portion of the audio signal commences when establishing the communication link is started.

13. A method as defined in claim 11, wherein streaming the second portion of the audio signal commences when the communication link is established.

14. A method as defined in claim 11, wherein sending the first stored portion of the audio signal does not interfere with streaming the second portion.

15. A method as defined in claim 11, further comprising:

capturing a first portion of at least one of a video signal or a biometric signal to the storage device, wherein the first portion of the at least one of the video signal or the biometric signal is a portion of the at least one of the video signal or the biometric signal occurring before the communications link is established;

streaming a second portion of the at least one of the video signal or the biometric signal across the communications link, wherein the second portion of the at least one of the video signal or the biometric signal is a portion of the at least one of the video signal or the biometric signal following the first portion of the video signal; and

sending the first stored portion of the at least one of the video signal or the biometric signal across the communications link.

16. An emergency response center comprising:

a network interface to receive a first portion and a second portion of an audio signal from a mobile device, wherein the first portion of the audio signal is a portion of the audio signal occurring before a communications link to the mobile device is established, wherein the second portion of the audio signal is a portion of the audio signal following the first portion of the audio signal, and wherein the second portion of the audio signal is received in substantially real-time; and

a storage device to store the first and the second portions of the audio signal.

17. An emergency response center as defined in claim 16, further comprising a processor to combine the first and the second portions to re-create the audio signal.

18. An emergency response center as defined in claim 17, further comprising an audio device to output the re-created audio signal.

19. An emergency response center as defined in claim 16, further comprising an audio device to output the second portion of the audio signal as the second portion of the audio signal is received.

20. An emergency response center as defined in claim 16, wherein the network interface is configured to receive a first portion and a second portion of a video signal from the mobile device, wherein the first portion of the video signal is a portion of the video signal occurring before the communications link to the mobile device is established, wherein the second portion of the video signal is a portion of the video signal following the first portion of the video signal, and wherein the second portion of the video signal is received in real-time, and wherein the storage device is configured to store the first and the second portions of the video signal.

21. An emergency response center as defined in claim 20, wherein the video signal is a sequence of photographs.

22. An emergency response center as defined in claim 16, wherein the network interface is configured to receive a first portion and a second portion of a biometric signal from the mobile device, wherein the first portion of the biometric signal is a portion of the biometric signal occurring before the communications link to the mobile device is established, wherein the second portion of the biometric signal is a portion of the biometric signal following the first portion of the biometric signal, and wherein the second portion of the biometric signal is received in real-time, and wherein the storage device is configured to store the first and the second portions of the biometric signal.

23. A method comprising:

receiving a first portion of an audio signal from a mobile device, wherein the first portion of the audio signal is a portion of the audio signal occurring before a communications link to the mobile device is established; and

receiving a second portion of the audio signal from the mobile device, wherein the second portion of the audio signal is a portion of the audio signal occurring after the communications link is established.

24. A method as defined in claim 23, further comprising combining the first and the second portions of the audio signal to re-create the audio signal.

25. A method as defined in claim 23, further comprising outputting the second portion of the audio signal while the second portion of the audio signal is being received.

26. A method as defined in claim 23, further comprising:

receiving a first portion of at least one of a video signal or a biometric signal from the mobile device, wherein the first portion of the at least one of the video signal or the biometric signal is a portion of the at least one of the video signal or the biometric signal occurring before the communications link to the mobile device is established; and

receiving a second portion of the at least one of the video signal or the audio signal from the mobile device, wherein the second portion of the at least one of the video signal or the biometric signal is a portion of the at least one of the video signal or the biometric signal occurring after the communications link is established.

27. An article of manufacture storing machine readable instructions which, when executed, cause a machine to:

establish a communications link;

receive an audio signal present at the mobile device;

capture a first portion of the audio signal to a storage device, wherein the first portion of the audio signal is a portion of the audio signal occurring before the communications link is established;

stream a second portion of the audio signal across the communications link, wherein the second portion of the audio signal is a portion of the audio signal following the first portion of the audio signal; and

send the first stored portion of the audio signal across the communications link.

28. An article of manufacture as defined in claim 27, wherein the machine readable instructions, when executed, cause the machine to start capturing the first portion of the audio signal when starting to establish the communication link.

29. An article of manufacture as defined in claim 27, wherein the machine readable instructions, when executed, cause the machine to stream the second portion of the audio signal when the communication link is established.

30. An article of manufacture as defined in claim 27, wherein the machine readable instructions, when executed, cause the machine to:

capture a first portion of at least one of a video signal or a biometric signal to the storage device, wherein the first portion of the at least one of the video signal or the biometric signal is a portion of the at least one of the video signal or the biometric signal occurring before the communications link is established;

stream a second portion of the at least one of the video signal or the biometric signal across the communications link, wherein the second portion of the at least one of the video signal or the biometric signal is a portion of the at least one of the video signal or the biometric signal following the first portion of the at least one of the video signal or the biometric signal; and

send the first stored portion of the at least one of the video signal or the biometric signal across the communications link.