Method and Apparatus for providing Media Information to Mobile Devices

• US 8,862,764 B1
• Filed: 03/16/2012
• Issued: 10/14/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/16/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Garcia-Barrio, Laura
• Primary Examiner(s): Maung, Zarni
• Application Number:
  US13/422,856
• Time in Patent Office: 942 Days
• Field of Search: 709217-218, 709/219, 709225-229, 709/250, 709/231, 709238-243
• US Class Current: 709/231
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/163 Wearable computers, e.g. on a belt
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/101 Collaborative creation, e.g. joint development of products or services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/612 for unicast
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/025 for remote control or remote monitoring of applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/06 specially adapted for file transfer, e.g. file transfer protocol [FTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/21805 enabling multiple viewpoints, e.g. using a plurality of cameras
• 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 21/4223 Cameras H04N23/00 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4788 communicating with other users, e.g. chatting arrangements for providing for computer conferences, e.g. chat rooms, to substation in data switching networks H04L12/1813; distributed application using peer-to-peer [P2P] networks H04L67/104
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6125 involving transmission via Internet transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82

Abstract

A method and apparatus for providing digital streaming media data to client devices via a digital media control room is described. The method may include receiving a request at a server computer system from a mobile device to join a digital media control room, where the digital media control room is a virtual location that provides access to digital media data of a real-world event captured by a plurality of different mobile devices. The method may also include locating one or more available media streams associated with the digital media control room that capture the real-world event as the real-world event occurs. The method may also include transmitting data indicative of the one or more available media streams to the mobile device.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

receiving a request at a server computer system from a mobile device to join a digital media control room, wherein the digital media control room is a virtual location that provides access to digital media data of a real-world event captured by a plurality of different mobile devices;

locating one or more available media streams associated with the digital media control room that capture the real-world event as the real-world event occurs;

transmitting data indicative of the one or more available media streams to the mobile device;

receiving a request from the mobile device to access a first media stream from the one or more available media streams associated with the digital media control room;

streaming the first media stream to the mobile device for display at the mobile device using the digital media control room;

receiving a request from the mobile device to access a second media stream from the one or more available media streams associated with the digital media control room;

synchronizing the first and second media streams; and

streaming the synchronized first and second media streams to the mobile device for display at the mobile device using the digital media control room.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the digital media control room is the virtual location and is associated with a real-world location and a time.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the synchronized first and second media stream are streamed to the mobile device in real time as the real-world event occurs.

4. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the available media streams are captured by the plurality of different mobile devices from a plurality of different vantage points relative to the real-world event.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein at least one media stream from the available media streams includes live video data of the real-world event captured by the mobile device.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein at least one media stream from the available media streams includes a sequence of digital images of the real-world event captured by the mobile device.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a plurality of media streams, which capture the real-world event, at the digital media control room from the plurality of different mobile devices;

storing the plurality of media streams in a memory; and

providing synchronized playback of the plurality of media streams from the memory using the digital media control room.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a request from the mobile device to locate one of a plurality of digital media control rooms, the request including real-world location data captured by the mobile device;

searching one or more available digital media control rooms based on the received real-world location data and a time when the request was received; and

transmitting results of the search to the mobile device.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 8, further comprising:

receiving a request from the mobile device to create a digital media control room for the real-world event, the request including a representative media data captured by the mobile device of the real-world event;

creating a new digital media control room based on the real-world location data and a current time; and

associating the representative media data with the new digital media control room.

10. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium including instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform a method comprising:

receiving a request from a mobile device to join a digital media control room, wherein the digital media control room is a virtual location that provides access to digital media data of a real-world event captured by a plurality of different mobile devices;

locating one or more available media streams associated with the digital media control room that capture the real-world event as the real-world event occurs;

transmitting data indicative of the one or more available media streams to the mobile device;

receiving a request from the mobile device to access a first media stream from the one or more available media streams associated with the digital media control room;

streaming the first media stream to the mobile device for display at the mobile device using the digital media control room;

receiving a request from the mobile device to access a second media stream from the one or more available media streams associated with the digital media control room;

synchronizing the first and second media streams; and

streaming the synchronized first and second media streams to the mobile device for display at the mobile device using the digital media control room.

11. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein the digital media control room is the virtual location and is associated with a real-world location and a time.

12. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 10, further comprising:

receiving a plurality of media streams, which capture the real-world event, at the digital media control room from the plurality of different mobile devices;

storing the plurality of media streams in a memory; and

providing synchronized playback of the plurality of media streams using the digital media control room.

13. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 10, further comprising:

receiving a request from the mobile device to locate one of a plurality of digital media control rooms, the request including real-world location data captured by the mobile device;

searching one or more available digital media control rooms based on the received real-world location data and a time when the request was received; and

transmitting results of the search to the mobile device.

14. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 13, further comprising:

receiving a request from the mobile device to create a digital media control room for the real-world event, the request including a representative media data captured by the mobile device of the real-world event;

creating a new digital media control room based on the real-world location data and a current time; and

associating the representative media data with the new digital media control room.

15. A system comprising:

a memory; and

a processor coupled with the memory to

receive a request at a server computer system from a mobile device to join a digital media control room, wherein the digital media control room is a virtual location that provides access to digital media data of a real-world event captured by a plurality of different mobile devices,

locate one or more available media streams associated with the digital media control room that capture the real-world event as the real-world event occurs,

transmit data indicative of the one or more available media streams to the mobile device,

receive a request from the mobile device to access a first media stream from the one or more available media streams associated with the digital media control room,

stream the first media stream to the mobile device for display at the mobile device using the digital media control room,

receive a request from the mobile device to access a second media stream from the one or more available media streams associated with the digital media control room,

synchronize the first and second media streams, and

stream the synchronized first and second media streams to the mobile device for display at the mobile device using the digital media control room.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the digital media control room is the virtual location and is associated with a real-world location and a time.

17. The system of claim 15, further comprising the processor configured to

receive a plurality of media streams, which capture the real-world event at the digital media control room from the plurality of different mobile devices,

store the plurality of media streams in a memory, and

provide synchronized playback of the plurality of media streams using the digital media control room.

18. The system of claim 15, further comprising the processor configured to

receive a request from the mobile device to locate one of a plurality of digital media control rooms, the request including real-world location data captured by the mobile device,

search one or more available digital media control rooms based on the received real-world location data and a time when the request was received, and

transmit results of the search to the mobile device.

19. The system of claim 18, further comprising the processor configured to

receive a request from the mobile device to create a digital media control room for the real-world event, the request including a representative media data captured by the mobile device of the real-world event,

create a new digital media control room based on the real-world location data and a current time, and

associate the representative media data with the new digital media control room.

20. The system of claim 15, wherein the synchronized first and second media stream are streamed to the mobile device in real time as the real-world event occurs.

21. The system of claim 15, wherein the available media streams are captured by the plurality of different mobile devices from a plurality of different vantage points relative to the real-world event.

22. The system of claim 15, wherein at least one media stream from the available media streams includes live video data of the real-world event captured by the mobile device.

23. The system of claim 15, wherein at least one media stream from the available media streams includes a sequence of digital images of the real-world event captured by the mobile device.