Real time communications system

• US 8,458,245 B1
• Filed: 08/24/2006
• Issued: 06/04/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 04/01/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Windy City Innovations, LLC
• Original Assignee: Windy City Innovations, LLC
• Inventors: Marks, Daniel L
• Primary Examiner(s): WINDER, PATRICE L
• Application Number:
  US11/510,463
• Time in Patent Office: 2,476 Days
• Field of Search: 709/204, 709/205, 715/753
• US Class Current: 709/202
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1813 for computer conferences, e.g. chat rooms instant messaging H04L51/04; protocols for multimedia communication H04L65/1101; arrangements for multi-party communication H04L65/403; telephonic conference arrangements H04M3/56; television conference systems H04N7/15
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1822 Conducting the conference, e.g. admission, detection, selection or grouping of participants, correlating users to one or more conference sessions, prioritising transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/04 for providing a confidential data exchange among entities communicating through data packet networks

Abstract

A computerized human communication arbitrating and distributing system, including a controller digital computer and a plurality of participator digital computers, each of the participator computers including an input device for receiving human-input information from a human user and an output device for presenting information to the user, each said user having a user identity. A connection, such as Internet, links the controller computer with each of the participator computers. Controller software runs on the controller computer to arbitrate in accordance with predefined rules including said user identity, which ones of the participator computers can interact in one of a plurality of groups through the controller computer and to distribute real time data to the respective ones of the groups. Participator software runs on each of the participator computers to handle a user interface permitting one said user to send a multimedia information message to the controller computer, which arbitrates which of the participator computers receive the multimedia information message and conveys the multimedia information message to the selected participator computers to present the multimedia information to the respective user.

Claims

1. A computer apparatus distributing a communication over an Internet network, the apparatus including:

a controller computer system adapted to communicate responsive to a respective authenticated user identity corresponding respectively to each of a plurality of participator computers,

each said participator computer communicatively connected to said Internet network, each said participator computer programmed to enable the communication, the communication including at least one of a pre-stored sound, video, graphic, and multimedia,

the controller computer system including a controller computer and a database which serves as a repository of tokens for other programs to access, thereby affording information to each of the participator computers which are otherwise independent of each other;

wherein

one said authenticated user identity is used to communicate a pointer-triggered private message from a first of said participator computers to said controller computer and from said controller computer to a second of said participator computers that invokes said pointer-triggered private message to fetch and receive the communication from a computer other than said first or said second said participator computers in real time over the Internet network

such that the second of said participator computers internally determines whether or not the second of the participator computers can present the communication, if it is determined that the second of the participator computers can not present the communication then obtaining an agent with an ability to present the communication, and otherwise presenting the communication independent of the first of the independent participator computers and the computer.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the computer system includes a world wide web communication.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the computer system includes data representing sound communications.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the computer system includes data representing video communications.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the computer system includes data representing sound and video communications.

6. The apparatus system of claim 1, wherein the computer system further determines that the message is not censored.

7. An apparatus to communicate via an Internet network, the apparatus including:

a computer system communicatively connected to each of a plurality of participator computers responsive to communication of a respective login name and a password corresponding to a respective user identity,

a first of the participator computers running software communicating a private message to the computer system, the private message comprising a pointer,

the computer system, including a database which serves as a repository of tokens for other programs to access, thereby affording information to each of the participator computers which are otherwise independent of each other, wherein

the first participator computer of the computer system is running software communicating the private message to a second of the participator computers, and

the second of the participator computers is running software receiving a communication via the pointer provided within the private message from the first of the participator computers,

the communication being sent in real time and via the Internet network,

the communication including pre-stored data representing at least one of video, a graphic, sound, and multimedia, such that the second of the participator computers determines internally whether or not the second of the participator computers can present the communication,

if it is determined that the second of the participator computers can not present the communication then obtaining an agent with an ability to present the communication, and

otherwise presenting the communication independent of the first of the independent participator computers.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the computer system further determines that the message is not censored.

9. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the computer system includes the pointer as a pointer that causes the communication to be produced on demand.

10. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the computer system includes data representing video communications.

11. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the computer system includes data representing sound communications.

12. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the computer system includes data representing sound and video communications.

13. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the computer system includes messaging data representing at least one of text communications and ASCII communications.

14. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the computer system includes data representing a member-associated image communications.

15. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the computer system provides a chat channel via the Internet network between at least two of the plurality of independent computers.

16. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the computer system includes at least one message as an out-of-band communication.

17. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the computer system includes a user age corresponding to each of the user identities.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the computer system includes messaging data representing at least one of text communications and ASCII communications.

19. An apparatus to receive a communication via an Internet network, the apparatus including:

a computer system, and

a plurality of participator computers,

each of the participator computers communicatively connected to the computer system responsive to each of the plurality of participator computers being associated with a respective login name and a password;

a first of the plurality of participator computers being programmed to communicate such that a private message is sent to the computer system,

the private message including a pointer pointing to a communication that includes pre-stored data representing at least one of a video, a graphic, sound, and multimedia;

the computer system, including a computer and a database which serves as a repository of tokens for other programs to access, thereby affording information to each of the participator computers which are otherwise independent of each other;

wherein

the computer system communicates the private message to a second of the plurality of participator computers; and

the second participator computer is programmed to receive the communication provided within the private message, which originates from the first participator computer,

the communication being sent in real time and via the Internet network, and the second participator computer internally determines whether or not the second participator computer can present the pre-stored data, if it is determined that the second participator computer can not present the pre-stored data then obtaining an agent with an ability to present the pre-stored data, and otherwise presenting the pre-stored data independent of the first participator computer.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the computer system is further programmed to determine whether the pointer is not censored.

21. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the computer system is further programmed to determine whether the message is not censored.

22. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the pointer produces the communication on demand.

23. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the communication includes the pre-stored data representing the video.

24. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the communication includes the pre-stored data representing the sound.

25. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the communication includes the pre-stored data representing the sound and the video.

26. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the computer system is further programmed to determine whether the communication is not censored.

27. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the message includes pre-stored data representing at least one of text and ASCII.

28. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the communication includes data representing a member-associated image.

29. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the computer system is further programmed to form a chat channel via the Internet network, between at least two of the plurality of independent computers.

30. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the computer system is further programmed to communicate the message as an out-of-band communication message.

31. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the computer system stores a user age corresponding to each of the user identities.

32. The apparatus of claim 31, wherein the pre-stored data represents the sound.

33. The apparatus of claim 31, wherein the pre-stored data represents the video.

34. The apparatus of claim 31, wherein the pre-stored data represents the sound and the video.

35. The apparatus of claim 31, wherein the message includes pre-stored data representing at least one of text and ASCII.

36. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the pre-stored data represents the multimedia.

37. A communication apparatus to allow communication via an Internet network, the apparatus including:

a plurality of participator computers,

each of the participator computers communicatively connected to a computer system responsive to each of the plurality of the participator computers being associated with a login name and a password,

the computer system including a computer and a database which serves as a repository of tokens for other programs to access, thereby affording information to each of the participator computers which are otherwise independent from each other;

wherein the participator computers of the computer system allow a first of the user identities and a second of the user identities to form a group in which members send private communications in real time and via the Internet network, and receive communications from another member,

one of the private communications including a pointer that produces a pointer-triggered message on demand,

one of the communications including pre-stored data representing sound, and

one of the communications including pre-stored data representing at least one of text and ASCII, wherein one of the participator computers that receives the one of the communications including the pre-stored data internally determines whether or not the one of the participator computers can present the pre-stored data, if it is determined that the one of the participator computer can not present the pre-stored data then obtaining an agent with an ability to present the communication, and otherwise presenting the pre-stored data.

38. Apparatus to communicate via an Internet network, the apparatus including:

a computer system interactively connected with a plurality of participator computers

responsive to receiving information indicative of a first user identity corresponding to a first of the plurality of participator computers and

responsive to receiving information indicative of a second user identity corresponding to a second of the plurality of participator computers,

the first of the plurality of participator computers running software,

the second of the plurality of participator computers running software,

the computer system, including the participator computers and a database which serves as a repository of tokens for other programs to access, thereby affording information to each of the participator computers which are otherwise independent of each other, the computer system allowing the first user identity and the second user identity to form a group in which members can communicate by sending private communications, and receiving communications from another of the members, in real time and via the Internet network, wherein

one of the private communications includes a pointer that produces a pointer-triggered message on demand,

one of the communications including pre-stored data representing sound, and

one of the communications include pre-stored data representing at least one of text and ASCII, wherein one of the participator computers that receives the pre-stored data internally determines whether or not the one of the participator computers can present the pre-stored data, if it is determined that the one of the participator computer can not present the pre-stored data then obtaining an agent with an ability to present the communication, and otherwise presenting the pre-stored data.

39. The apparatus of claim 38, wherein the group includes a third of said participator computers.

40. The apparatus of claim 38, wherein the computer system further determines that one of the communications is not censored.

41. An apparatus to distribute a communication via an Internet network, the apparatus including:

a first participator computer communicatively connected to a computer system, the first independent computer being connected in association with a user identity, and

a private communication link between the first participator computer and a second participator computer,

the computer system including a computer and a database which serves as a repository of tokens for other programs to access, thereby affording information to each of the participator computers which are otherwise independent of each other;

wherein

the first participator computer privately communicates a pointer within a private message from the first independent computer to the computer system, and

the second participator computer receives the pointer within the private message from the computer system and invokes the pointer to fetch and to receive the private communication from the first participator computer, via the private communication link, in real time, and via the Internet network, wherein the private communication includes pre-stored data representing at least one of a video, a graphic, sound, and multimedia, and the second participator computer internally determines whether or not the second participator computer can present the communication, if it is determined that the second participator computer can not present the communication then obtaining an agent with an ability to present the communication, and otherwise presenting the communication independent of the first participator computer.

42. The apparatus of claim 41, wherein the computer system is further programmed to determine whether the pointer is censored.

43. The apparatus of claim 41, wherein the computer system is further programmed to determine whether the data are censored.

44. The apparatus of claim 43, wherein the communication includes data representing the pre-stored sound, and at least one of text and ASCII.

45. The apparatus of claim 41, wherein the pointer produces the communication on demand.

46. The apparatus of claim 45, wherein the communication includes the pre-stored data representing the sound.

47. The apparatus of claim 41, wherein the communication includes the pre-stored data representing the video.

48. The apparatus of claim 41, wherein the communication includes the pre-stored data representing the sound.

49. The apparatus of claim 41, wherein the communication includes the pre-stored data representing the sound and the video.

50. The apparatus of claim 41, wherein the communication includes the pre-stored data representing the multimedia.

51. The apparatus of claim 41, wherein the data includes data representing a member-associated image.

52. The apparatus of claim 41, wherein the computer system is further programmed to allow chat communication in real time via the Internet network.

53. The apparatus of claim 41, wherein the computer system is further programmed to communicate out-of-band communication.

54. The apparatus of claim 41, wherein the wherein the pre-stored data represents the multimedia.

55. The apparatus of claim 41, wherein the computer system communicates asynchronous and synchronous communication.

56. The apparatus of claim 55, wherein the communication includes the pre-stored data representing the sound.

57. The apparatus of claim 55, wherein the communication includes the pre-stored data representing the video.

58. The apparatus of claim 55, wherein the communication includes the pre-stored data representing the sound and the video.