TELECOMMUNICATION AND MULTIMEDIA MANAGEMENT METHOD AND APPARATUS

• US 20090003340A1
• Filed: 02/26/2008
• Published: 01/01/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/28/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Voxer IP LLC (Voxer, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Rebelvox LLC (Voxer, Inc.)
• Inventors: Katis, Thomas E., Panttaja, Mary G., Ranney, Matthew J., Panttaja, James T.
• Granted Patent: US 8,902,749 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/389
• 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. A communication method for communicating on a first communication device over a network, the method comprising:

receiving local media streams on the first communication device originating at the first communication device;

progressively and persistently storing the received local media streams on the first communication device as the local media streams are received;

ascertaining network capabilities between the first communication device and the network as the local media streams are being received;

progressively transmitting the locally received media streams over the network as the local media streams are being received when the ascertained network capabilities are sufficient to support the progressive transmission;

receiving over the network remote media streams from a remote communication device at the first communication device;

progressively and persistently storing on the first communication device the remote media streams as the remote media streams are received over the network;

receiving rendering mode instructions at the first communication device to render the remote media streams either;

(i) as the remote media streams are received over the network in a near real-time mode;

or

(ii) at a later time from persistent storage in a time-shifted mode; and

progressively rendering the received media streams in response to the received rendering mode instructions.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the local media streams and the remote media streams are each segmented into messages.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the messages are time indexed and sequenced.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the messages are threaded together into a conversation, the conversation conducted over the network between the first communication device and the remote communication device.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein ascertaining network capabilities further comprises ascertaining if the first communication device is connected to the network, wherein connected to the network is defined as the ability to transmit data between the first communication device and the network.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein ascertaining network capabilities when the first communication device is connected to the network further comprises:

ascertaining the available bandwidth on the network connection between the first communication device and the network when the local media streams are being received; and

comparing the available bandwidth on the network with bandwidth requirements required to progressively transmit the locally received media streams.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein progressively transmitting further comprises progressively transmitting the locally received media streams over the network at the available bandwidth rate if the available bandwidth on the network meets or exceeds the bandwidth requirements.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein progressively transmitting further comprises:

delaying the progressive transmission of the locally received media streams over the network if the available bandwidth on the network is less than the bandwidth requirements; and

progressively transmitting the locally received media streams from persistent storage after network capabilities improve to the point where the available bandwidth on the network meets or exceeds the bandwidth requirements.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein ascertaining network capabilities further comprises ascertaining if the first communication device is disconnected from the network, wherein disconnected from the network is defined as the inability to transmit data between the first communication device and the network.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein progressively transmitting further comprises:

delaying the progressive transmission of the locally received media streams over the network when the first communication device is disconnected from the network; and

progressively transmitting the locally received media streams from persistent storage when the first communication device reconnects to the network and the network capabilities are sufficient for the transmission.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising, when the ascertained network capabilities are sufficient to support the progressive transmission, progressively transmitting the received local media streams before the received local media streams are persistently stored.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising, when the ascertained network conditions are sufficient to support the progressive transmission, progressively transmitting the received local media streams after the received local media streams are persistently stored.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising, when the ascertained network conditions are sufficient to support the progressive transmission, progressively transmitting the received local media streams as the received local media streams are persistently stored.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising progressively rendering the remote media streams on the first communication device before persistently storing the remote media streams when in the near real-time mode.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising progressively rendering the remote media streams on the first communication device after persistently storing the remote media streams when in the near real-time mode.

16. The method of claim 1, further comprising progressively rendering the remote media streams on the first communication device as the remote media streams are persistently stored when in the near real-time mode.

17. The method of claim 1, further comprises persistently storing the received local media streams and the remote media streams on the first communication device is accordance with a retention policy.

18. The method of claim 1, further comprising persistently storing the received local media streams and the remote media streams at a remote location connected to the network.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein the local media streams comprise one or more of the following types of media:

voice, video, text, sensor data, radio signals, position or GPS information, or a combination thereof.

20. The method of claim 1, wherein the first communication device comprises one of the following:

wherein the first communication device comprises one of the following;

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

21. The method of claim 1, wherein the network comprises a packet-based network, a circuit-based network, a cellular network, a wireless network, a radio-based network, a telephone network or a combination thereof.

22. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving over the network remote media streams further comprises receiving the remote media streams from a plurality of remote communication devices.

23. The method of claim 4, wherein the conversation is conducted over the network between the first communication device and a plurality of remote communication devices.