Video mail server with reduced frame loss

• US 7,290,058 B2
• Filed: 07/26/2003
• Issued: 10/30/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 07/26/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Innomedia Pte Ltd
• Original Assignee: Innomedia Pte Ltd
• Inventors: Lee, Chih-Ping, Zhu, Yuesheng, Yu, Shaun
• Primary Examiner(s): Cardone; Jason
• Assistant Examiner(s): Liu; Lin
• Application Number:
  US10/627,593
• Publication Number:
  US 20050021809A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,557 Days
• Field of Search: 709/231, 709/206, 725/115
• 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 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/65 Network streaming protocols, e.g. real-time transport protocol [RTP] or real-time control protocol [RTCP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5315 where the non-audio components are still images or video still image mailbox systems H04N1/324, intermediate storage of video signals for videophones H04N7/147
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4786 e-mailing message switching systems, e.g. electronic mail systems H04L51/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/173 with two-way working, e.g. subscriber sending a programme selection signal

Abstract

A video mail server comprises a video call signaling module coupled to an internet protocol network for establishing a first internet protocol channel with a caller remote internet video device to support a recording session over the internet protocol network and establishing a second internet protocol channel with a user remote internet video device to support a playback session over the internet protocol network. A media interface comprises a recording module for obtaining a recording sequence of compressed images representing motion video images from the caller remote internet video device and storing a video mail file representing the recording sequence of compressed images. Each compressed image frame is one of: i) an independent frame from which an image frame can be recovered utilizing only the independent frame; and ii) a dependent frame from which the image frame can only be recovered utilizing both the dependent frame and an independent frame preceding the dependent frame in the sequence. A play back module retrieves video mail file from the storage and transfers a playback sequence of compressed images to the user remote internet video device.

Claims

1. A video mail server comprising:

a video call signaling module coupled to an internet protocol network via an internet protocol services module for;

establishing a first internet protocol channel with a caller remote internet video device to support a recording session over the internet protocol network; and

establishing a second internet protocol channel with a user remote internet video device to support a playback session over the internet protocol network;

a media interface coupled to the internet protocol network via the internet protocol services module and comprising;

a recording module for obtaining a recording sequence of compressed images representing motion video from the caller remote internet video device and storing a video mail file representing the recording sequence of compressed images in a storage;

each compressed image frame within the video mail file being one of;

an independent frame from which a video image frame can be recovered utilizing only the independent frame; and

a dependent frame from which the video image frame can only be recovered utilizing both the dependent frame and an independent frame preceding the dependent frame in the sequence;

a play back module for;

retrieving the recording sequence of compressed images from storage and transferring such recording sequence of compressed images as a playback sequence of compressed images to the user remote internet video device;

receiving a lost frame message from the user remote internet, video device when the user remote internet video device detects loss of a frame within the playback sequence of compressed images; and

substituting an independent frame from a video codec encoder module into the playback sequence of compressed images in response to receiving such lost frame message;

a video codec comprising a decoder module and an encoder module;

the decoder module i) receiving the recording sequence of compressed images from the storage; and

ii) decoding the recording sequence of compressed images to generate motion video images;

the encoder module encodes a motion video image, as a lost frame correction frame; and

a delay buffer for delaying the playback sequence of compressed images for a period of time such that each frame within the playback sequence of compressed images is queued for transfer to the user remote Internet device at a time when a corresponding independent frame is available from the encoder module for substitution in the playback sequence of compressed images.

2. A method of recording and playing back video mail, the method comprising:

establishing a first internet protocol channel with a caller remote Internet video device to support a recording session over the internet protocol network;

establishing a second internet protocol channel with a user remote Internet video device to support a playback session over the internet protocol network;

obtaining a recording sequence of compressed images from the caller remote internet video device;

storing a video mail file representing the recording sequence of compressed images in a storage;

each compressed image frame within the video mail file being one of;

an independent frame from which an image frame can be recovered utilizing only the independent frame; and

a dependent frame from which the image frame can only be recovered utilizing both the dependent frame and an independent frame preceding the dependent frame in the sequence;

retrieving the recording sequence of compressed images from storage and transferring such recording sequence of compressed images as a playback sequence of compressed images to the user remote internet video device;

simultaneously decoding the recording sequence of compressed images to generate motion video images and encoding each motion video image as a lost frame correction frame;

receiving a lost frame message from the user remote internet video device when the user remote internet video device detects loss of a frame within the playback sequence of compressed images; and

substituting an independent frame from a video codec encoder module into the playback sequence of compressed images in response to receiving such lost frame message; and

wherein the playback sequence of compressed images is delayed for a period of time such that each frame within the playback sequence of compressed images is queued for transfer to the user remote internet device at a time when a corresponding independent frame is available for substitution in the playback sequence of compressed, images.