System and method for remote data acquisition and distribution

• US 7,860,994 B2
• Filed: 01/16/2007
• Issued: 12/28/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 01/17/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Reality Mobile LLC
• Original Assignee: Reality Mobile LLC
• Inventors: Hirata, Tasuki, Winters, Kevin John, Kramer, David Joshua, Geoghegan, Brian Joseph, Rensin, David Kallet
• Primary Examiner(s): Chea; Philip J
• Application Number:
  US11/653,305
• Publication Number:
  US 20070199076A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,442 Days
• Field of Search: 709/206, 709/219, 709/204, 700/1, 718/100, 715/753, 455/456.3
• US Class Current: 709/231
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2463/103 applying security measure for protecting copy right protecting software against unauthorised usage in a vending or licensing environment, e.g. protection the software providers copyright G06F21/10; data processing systems or methods, specially adapted for payment schemes, architectures or protocols G06Q20/00; secrecy systems or subscription systems H04N7/16
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/083 using passwords cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using a predetermined code H04L9/3226
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/10 for controlling access to devices or network resources
• 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 65/613 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 65/756 adapting media to device capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/06 specially adapted for file transfer, e.g. file transfer protocol [FTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/14 Session management for real-time applications in data packet communications networks H04L65/1066
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/148 Migration or transfer of sessions
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25816 involving client authentication restricting access to computer systems by authenticating users using a predetermined code G06F21/33; cryptographic authentication protocols H04L9/32; networks authentication protocols H04L63/08; authentication in wireless network security H04W12/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25841 involving the geographical location of the client retrieval from the Internet by querying based on geographical locations G06F16/9537; arrangements for identifying locations of receiving stations in broadcast systems H04H60/51; location of the user terminal in data switching networks H04L67/52; services making use of the location of users or terminals in wireless networks H04W4/02; locating users or terminals in wireless networks H04W64/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2743 Video hosting of uploaded data from client
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42202 environmental sensors, e.g. for detecting temperature, luminosity, pressure, earthquakes
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6181 involving transmission via a mobile phone network arrangements for providing broadcast or conference services to substation in data switching networks in combination with wireless systems H04L12/189; wireless uplink channel access H04W74/004
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8543 using a description language, e.g. Multimedia and Hypermedia information coding Expert Group [MHEG], eXtensible Markup Language [XML] information retrieval of semistructured data, the underlying structure being taken into account, e.g. mark-up language structure data G06F16/80
• 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 7/17327 with deferred transmission or handling of upstream communications

Abstract

Methods and systems for remote data collection and distribution include components and operations for receiving, at a server, data transmitted by a first client device via a communication network. The method may also include selecting, by one or more client devices associated with the communication network, a second device to receive the data. The method may further include establishing a connection between the server and the selected second device via the communication network. The method may also include automatically transmitting the received data to the second device using the connection via the communication network. The method may further include causing, by the one or more client devices, the second device to execute a predefined operation.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

by a first mobile client device;

receiving a first selection of one of a plurality of mobile streamable-data sources configured to transmit approximately real-time streamable data, the selected one of the mobile streamable-data sources being a mobile video source;

receiving a second selection of one of a plurality of second mobile client devices to receive all or a portion of the streamable data from the selected one of the mobile streamable-data sources; and

transmitting the first and second selections in one or more commands to one or more central servers; and

by the central servers;

receiving the commands; and

in response to the commands;

transmitting or causing to be transmitted all or a portion of the streamable data from the selected one of the mobile streamable-data sources to the selected one of the second mobile client devices for use at the selected one of the second mobile client devices;

transmitting or causing to be transmitted to the selected one of the second mobile client devices geographic data corresponding to a geographic region around and including a dynamic geographic location of the selected one of the mobile streamable-data sources; and

presenting or causing to be presented through a second display at the selected one of the second mobile client devices;

a first window for displaying the geographic data; and

a second window for presenting the all or a portion of the streamable data from the selected one of the mobile streamable-data sources.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein transmitting or causing to be transmitted all or a portion of the streamable data from the selected one of the mobile streamable-data sources comprises causing the selected one of the mobile streamable data sources to collect and transmit the streamable data.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein transmitting or causing to be transmitted all or a portion of the streamable data from the selected one of the mobile streamable data sources further comprises causing the selected one of the mobile streamable data sources to stop collecting and transmitting.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising, by the central servers, causing the selected one of the mobile streamable data sources to place a phone call without interaction from a user at the selected one of the mobile streamable data sources.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the streamable data comprises one or more of streaming video data, streaming audio data, text message data, still image data, location data, sensor data, or graphical data.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the sensor data comprises one or more of environmental data, temperature data, radiation data, or chemical concentration data.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the first mobile client device is a command console.

8. The method of claim 1, claim 1, wherein the first mobile client device is a wireless telephone, a smartphone, a pocket personal computer system, or a laptop computer system.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising, by the central servers, deleting or causing to be deleted data at the selected one of the mobile streamable data sources.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising restoring or causing to be restored the selected one of the mobile streamable data sources to its factory settings.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

by the first mobile client device;

receiving a third selection of one or more predefined operations for the selected one of the second mobile client devices to execute; and

transmitting the third selection in the commands to the central servers; and

by the central servers, in response to the commands, causing the selected one of the second mobile client devices to execute the predefined operation.

12. The method of claim 11 further comprising, by the central servers:

temporarily storing one or more of the commands in one or more message queues while waiting for the selected one of the second mobile client devices to access a check-in service at the central servers during a real-time media session involving streamable data to or from the first mobile client device or the selected one of the second mobile client devices; and

in response to the selected one of the second mobile client devices accessing the check-in service, transmitting or causing to be transmitted to the selected one of the second mobile client devices the one or more of the commands for execution by the selected one of the second mobile client devices automatically and without input from a user at the selected one of the second mobile client devices.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the selected one of the second mobile client devices at least attempts to access the check-in service periodically according to a predetermined time interval if the second mobile client device is in an on-duty mode.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the selected one of the second mobile client devices accesses the check-in service to report to the check-in service an identifier (ID) of the selected one of the second mobile client devices.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the selected one of the second mobile client devices at least attempts to access the check-in service if a predetermined event occurs and the selected one of the second mobile client devices is in an on-duty mode.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the selected one of the second mobile client devices accesses the check-in service to report to the check-in service:

a status of the selected one of the second mobile client devices;

or

a location of the selected one of the second mobile client devices.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the location of the selected one of the second mobile client devices is specified by Global Positioning System (GPS) coordinates.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the status of the selected one of the second mobile client devices indicates whether a transmit function, a watch function, or an alert function is engaged on the selected one of the second mobile client devices.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein the second window is adjacent, at least in part, to one or more portions of the first window.

20. The method of claim 1, wherein the second window overlies, at least in part, one or more portions of the first window.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein:

the second window is smaller than the first window; and

at least a portion of the second window is at least approximately centered over a position in the first window corresponding to the geographic location in the geographic region.

22. The method of claim 1, wherein the geographic data comprises fixed-location imagery corresponding to the geographic region.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the fixed-location imagery comprises satellite imagery or aerial imagery corresponding to the geographic region.

24. The method of claim 1, wherein the second mobile client device is a wireless telephone, a smartphone, a pocket personal computer system, or a laptop computer system.

25. The method of claim 1, wherein the streamable data comprises:

video;

audio;

position data specifying a position of the selected one of the mobile streamable data sources;

or

metadata.

26. The method of claim 1, wherein the selected one of the mobile streamable data sources comprises a still-picture camera or a video camera.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein the still-picture camera or the video camera is configured to pan, tilt, or zoom.

28. The method of claim 1, wherein the selected one of the mobile streamable data sources comprises a camera integrated with or communicatively coupled to a mobile client device.

29. The method of claim 1, wherein the selected one of the mobile streamable data sources is a mobile streamable-data store.

30. The method of claim 1, wherein transmitting or causing to be transmitted all or a portion of the streamable data to the selected one of the second mobile client devices comprises transmitting one or more instructions to the selected one of the second mobile client devices, the one or more instructions being configured to cause the selected one of the second mobile client devices to open a window for making available all or a portion of the streamable data at the selected one of the second mobile client devices automatically and without input from a user at the selected one of the second mobile client devices.

31. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the method further comprises, by the central servers, uploading or causing to be uploaded all or a portion of the streamable data to a streamable-data store for storage; and

transmitting or causing to be transmitted all or a portion of the streamable data to the selected one of the second mobile client devices comprises transmitting one or more instructions to the selected one of the second mobile client devices, the one or more instructions being configured to cause the selected one of the second mobile client devices to retrieve all or a portion of the streamable data from the streamable-data store.

32. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the selected one of the mobile streamable data sources is a viewing window that overlies one or more portions of one or more display elements on a display of the first or another client device, the one or more portions of the one or more display elements being viewable to a user at the first or other client device through the viewing window; and

the streamable data is a video feed capturing the one or more portions of one or more of the display elements underneath the viewing window.

33. The method of claim 32, wherein the one or more portions of one or more of the display elements underneath the viewing window appear through the viewing window to the user at the first mobile or other client device as they would appear to another user at the selected one of the second mobile client devices on being transmitted to it.

34. The method of claim 32, wherein, on being transmitted, the one or more portions of one or more of the display elements underneath the viewing window appear to another user at the selected one of the second mobile client devices with one or more different ones of the portions of one or more different ones of the display elements having different resolutions from their native resolutions at the first mobile or other client device.

35. The method of claim 32, wherein:

the viewing window is movable by the user at the first mobile or other client device with respect to the display elements to overlie one or more other portions of one or more of the display elements; and

the video feed captures the one or more other portions of one or more of the display elements underneath the viewing window as it moves.

36. The method of claim 35, wherein one or more of the display elements each comprise an application window.

37. The method of claim 36, wherein one or more of the application windows each comprise a web-browser window or a media-player window.

38. The method of claim 32, wherein one or more of the display elements comprise one or more portions of a virtual desktop of the first mobile or other client device.

39. The method of claim 32, wherein one or more of the display elements each comprise an icon appearing on a virtual desktop of the first mobile or other client device.

40. A system comprising:

a first mobile client device that is configured to;

receive a first selection of one of a plurality of mobile streamable-data sources configured to transmit approximately real-time streamable data, the selected one of the mobile streamable-data sources being a mobile video source;

receive a second selection of one of a plurality of second mobile client devices to receive all or a portion of the streamable data from the selected one of the mobile streamable data sources; and

transmit the first and second selections in one or more commands to one or more central servers; and

the central servers, configured to;

receive the commands; and

in response to commands;

transmit or cause to be transmitted all or a portion of the streamable data from the selected one of the mobile streamable data sources to the selected one of the second mobile client devices for use at the selected one of the second mobile client devices;

transmit or cause to be transmitted to the selected one of the second mobile client devices geographic data corresponding to a geographic region around and including a dynamic geographic location of the selected one of the mobile streamable-data sources; and

present or cause to be presented through a second display at the selected one of the second mobile client devices;

a first window for displaying the geographic data; and

a second window for presenting the all or a portion of the streamable data from the selected one of the mobile streamable-data sources.