Telecommunication and multimedia management method and apparatus

• US 8,532,270 B2
• Filed: 05/07/2012
• Issued: 09/10/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/28/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Voxer IP LLC (Voxer, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Voxer IP LLC (Voxer, Inc.)
• Inventors: Katis, Thomas E., Panttaja, James T., Panttaja, Mary G., Ranney, Matthew J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Duc
• Assistant Examiner(s): Laekemariam, Yosef K
• Application Number:
  US13/466,011
• Publication Number:
  US 20120219131A1
• Time in Patent Office: 491 Days
• Field of Search: 379/93.01, 379/1.02, 379/88.13, 379/41, 379/28, 379/1.03
• US Class Current: 379/93.01
• 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. Computer code embedded in a non-transitory computer readable medium and intended to run on a first communication device connected to a network, the code comprising:

a bi-directional messaging module configured to (i) progressively generate an outgoing message addressed to a recipient as voice media associated with the outgoing message is created using the first communication device, the message addressed to the recipient using an identifier associated with the recipient and (ii) progressively receive an incoming message containing voice media from the recipient;

a transmission module configured to progressively transmit the outgoing message including the identifier over the network to the recipient as the voice media of the outgoing message is created, the identifier and the voice media progressively transmitted to a server on the network, the server using the identifier to locate on the network a second communication device associated with the recipient and to deliver the voice media of the outgoing message to the second communication device;

a storage module configured to (iii) progressively store the voice media of the outgoing message in storage on the first communication device as the voice media is created and progressively transmitted and (iv) progressively store on the first communication device the voice media of the incoming message as the voice media is progressively received over the network; and

a render module configured to selectively render the voice media of the incoming message on the first communication device in both;

(a) a near real-time mode by progressively rendering the voice media as the voice media is progressively received over the network; and

(b) a time-shifted mode by retrieving the voice media from storage and progressively rendering the retrieved voice media after the voice media was received and stored,

wherein the identifier is a non-IP address identifier that identifies the recipient as a target of the outgoing message and that is resolved into a dynamic IP address associated with the second communication device associated with the recipient.

2. The code embedded in the non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein the identifier is further used by the server to locate and deliver the outgoing message over the network to two or more second communication devices associated with the recipient.

3. The code embedded in the non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein the transmission module is further configured to progressively transmit the voice media of the outgoing message, during a transmission session with the server, using a transmission protocol that:

(i) supports near-real-time communication so that the voice media of the outgoing message is delivered in near real-time to the second communication device associated with the recipient; and

(ii) guarantees delivery of the voice media of the outgoing message to the second communication device.

4. The code embedded in the non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 3, wherein the transmission module is further configured to guarantee the delivery of the voice media of the outgoing message, during the transmission session, without the need for a second transmission session.

5. The code embedded in the non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein the transmission module is further configured to guarantee delivery of a complete copy of the voice media of the outgoing message by retransmitting voice media of the outgoing message designated as missing and/or defective so that both the first communication device and the second communication device have identical stored copies of the voice media of the outgoing message.

6. The code embedded in the non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein the messaging module is further configured to note missing and/or defective voice media of the incoming message and to generate requests for retransmission of the noted voice media so that a complete copy of the voice media of the incoming message, as transmitted, is stored on the first communication device when the retransmission requests are satisfied.

7. The code embedded in the non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein the transmission module is further configured to transmit the voice media of the outgoing message as fast as conditions on the network permit.

8. The code embedded in the non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein the transmission module is further configured to transmit the voice media of the outgoing message out of storage when:

(i) the first communication device was disconnected from the network when the voice media of the outgoing message was created; and

(ii) the first communication device reconnects to the network.

9. The code embedded in the non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein the transmission module is further configured to transmit the voice media of the outgoing message out of storage when conditions on the network are not adequate for progressively transmitting the voice media of the outgoing message as the voice media is created.

10. The code embedded in the non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein the render module is capable of selectively rendering the voice media of either the incoming message or the outgoing message from storage.

11. The code embedded in the non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein the incoming message and the outgoing message are each an asynchronous message.

12. The code embedded in the non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein the messaging module supports full-duplex communication.

13. The code embedded in the non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein the messaging module supports asynchronous messaging communication.

14. The code embedded in the non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein the messaging module provides a synchronous communication experience for a user of the first communication device and the recipient when the voice media of the outgoing message is rendered on the second communication device as the voice media of the outgoing messages is created, transmitted and received at the second communication device.

15. The code embedded in the non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein the messaging module further comprising a conversation module configured to associate one or more of the outgoing messages and one or more of the incoming messages sharing a common attribute into a conversation thread.

16. The code embedded in the non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein the common attribute comprises one of the following:

(i) a conversation name;

(ii) a conversation subject;

(iii) a name of a participant of the conversation;

or

(iv) a name of a group of participants of the conversation.

17. The code embedded in the non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein the conversation thread is capable of including one or more of the following types of media in addition to voice media:

(i) audio;

(ii) text;

(iii) photos;

(iv) video.

18. The code embedded in the non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15, wherein the conversation module is further configured to enable a user of the first communication device to participate in multiple conversation threads.

19. The code embedded in the non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein the outgoing and the incoming messages further comprise, in addition to voice, one or more of the following types of streaming media:

video, sensor data, radio signals, position or GPS information, or any combination thereof.

20. A first communication device connected to a network, the first communication device comprising:

a bi-directional messaging element configured to (i) progressively generate an outgoing message addressed to a recipient as voice media associated with the outgoing message is created using the first communication device, the message addressed to the recipient using an identifier associated with the recipient and (ii) progressively receive an incoming message containing voice media from the recipient;

a transmission element configured to progressively transmit the outgoing message including the identifier over the network to the recipient as the voice media of the outgoing message is created, the identifier and the voice media progressively transmitted to a server on the network, the server using the identifier to locate on the network a second communication device associated with the recipient and to deliver the voice media of the outgoing message to the second communication device;

a storage element configured to (iii) progressively store the voice media of the outgoing message in storage on the first communication device as the voice media is created and progressively transmitted and (iv) progressively store on the first communication device the voice media of the incoming message as the voice media is progressively received over the network; and

a render element configured to selectively render the voice media of the incoming message on the first communication device in both;

(a) a near real-time mode by progressively rendering the voice media as the voice media is progressively received over the network; and

(b) a time-shifted mode by retrieving the voice media from storage and progressively rendering the retrieved voice media after the voice media was received and stored,

wherein the identifier is a non-IP address identifier that identifies the recipient as a target of the outgoing message and that is resolved into a dynamic IP address associated with the second communication device associated with the recipient.

21. The first communication device of claim 20, wherein the transmission element is further configured to progressively transmit the voice media of the outgoing message, during a transmission session with the server, using a transmission protocol that:

(i) supports near-real-time communication so that the voice media of the outgoing message is delivered in near real-time to the second communication device associated with the recipient; and

(ii) guarantees delivery of the voice media of the outgoing message to the second communication device.

22. The first communication device of claim 20, wherein the transmission element is further configured to transmit the voice media of the outgoing message out of storage when:

(i) the first communication device was disconnected from the network when the voice media of the outgoing message was created; and

(ii) the first communication device reconnects to the network.

23. The first communication device of claim 20, further configured to:

(i) support full-duplex communication;

(ii) support asynchronous messaging communication; and

(iii) synchronous communication.

24. The first communication device of claim 20, wherein the outgoing and the incoming messages further comprise one or more of the following types of streaming media:

video, sensor data, radio signals, position or GPS information, or any combination thereof.

25. A method performed on a first communication device connected to a network, the method comprising:

progressively generating an outgoing message addressed to a recipient as voice media associated with the outgoing message is created using the first communication device, the message addressed to the recipient using an identifier associated with the recipient;

progressively transmitting the outgoing message including the identifier over the network to the recipient as the voice media of the outgoing message is created, the identifier and the voice media progressively transmitted to a server on the network, the server using the identifier to locate on the network a second communication device associated with the recipient and to deliver the voice media of the outgoing message to the second communication device;

progressively storing the voice media of the outgoing message in storage on the first communication device as the voice media is created and progressively transmitted;

progressively receiving an incoming message containing voice media from the recipient;

progressively storing on the first communication device the voice media of the incoming message as the voice media is progressively received over the network; and

selectively rendering the voice media of the incoming message on the first communication device in both;

(a) a near real-time mode by progressively rendering the voice media as the voice media is progressively received over the network; and

(b) a time-shifted mode by retrieving the voice media from storage and progressively rendering the retrieved voice media after the voice media was received and stored,

wherein the identifier is a non-IP address identifier that identifies the recipient as a target of the outgoing message and that is resolved into a dynamic IP address associated with the second communication device associated with the recipient.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein progressively transmitting further comprises progressively transmitting the voice media of the outgoing message, during a transmission session with the server, using a transmission protocol that:

(i) supports near-real-time communication so that the voice media of the outgoing message is delivered in near real-time to the second communication device associated with the recipient; and

(ii) guarantees delivery of the voice media of the outgoing message to the second communication device.

27. The method of claim 25, wherein progressively transmitting further comprises transmitting the voice media of the outgoing message out of storage when:

(i) the first communication device was disconnected from the network when the voice media of the outgoing message was created; and

(ii) the first communication device reconnects to the network.

28. The method of claim 25, further comprising:

(i) engaging in full-duplex communication between the first communication device and the second communication device;

(ii) engaging in asynchronous messaging communication between the first communication device and the second communication device

(iii) engaging in synchronous communication between the first communication device and the second communication device.

29. The method of claim 25, wherein the outgoing and the incoming messages comprise one or more of the following types of streaming media in addition to voice:

video, sensor data, radio signals, position or GPS information, or any combination thereof.