Telecommunication and multimedia management method and apparatus

• US 9,456,087 B2
• Filed: 07/14/2015
• Issued: 09/27/2016
• 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): Ramakrishnaiah, Melur
• Application Number:
  US14/799,528
• Publication Number:
  US 20150319308A1
• Time in Patent Office: 441 Days
• Field of Search: 379/90.01, 379/88.05, 379 8806- 8808, 379 8822- 8828, 379/93.24, 379/202.01, 370260-261, 709204-206
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 tangible computer readable medium and configured to be executed on a computing device, the computer code comprising:

a progressive, store and forward, messaging module configured to progressively store on the computing device and progressively transmit to an intended recipient video media of a video message as the video media is created, the video message including an identifier associated with the recipient, the progressive, store and forward, messaging module using a progressive, store and forward, protocol that;

relies on a lookup result of the identifier associated with the recipient for discovering an IP address for a target client device on a network associated with the identified recipient;

progressively routes the video message to the target client device over the network using the discovered IP address of the target client device, as the video media is created, the progressive transmission enabling the intended recipient to review the video message substantially live at the target client device; and

guarantees the delivery of the video message over the network to the intended recipient by transmitting the video message out of storage when the target client device becomes available on the network if the target device was not available on the network when the video message was created and transmitted.

2. The computer code of claim 1, wherein the computing device is a node on the network and the computer code configures the node to:

persistently and progressively store the video message at a storage location accessible by the node on the network as the video media is progressively received from a transmitting client device;

perform a lookup of the identifier included in the video message and associated with the recipient, the lookup resulting in the discovery of the IP address of the target client device; and

progressively route the video messsage to the target client device, using the discovered IP address, as the video message is progressively and persistently stored.

3. The computer code of claim 1, wherein the computing device is a transmitting client device and the computing code configures the transmitting client device to:

create the video message including the identifier associated with the recipient; and

progressively transmit the video media of the video message as the video media is created.

4. The computer code of claim 3, wherein the computer code further configures the transmtting client device to progressively and persistently store the video message as the video media is created.

5. The computer code of claim 1, wherein the video message contains a plurality of identifiers and the video message is broadcast to a plurality of recipients identified by the plurality of identifiers respectfully.

6. A live video messaging system, comprising:

a progressive, store and forward, messaging element configured to progressively store on a computing device and progressively transmit to an intended recipient video media of a video message as the video media is created, the video message including an identifier associated with the recipient, the progressive, store and forward, messaging element using a progressive, store and forward, protocol that;

relies on a lookup result of the identifier associated with the recipient for discovering an IP address for a target client device on a network associated with the identified recipient;

progressively routes the video message to the target client device over the network using the discovered IP address of the target client device, as the video media is created, the progressive transmission enabling the intended recipient to review the video message substantially live at the target client device; and

guarantees the delivery of the video message over the network to the intended recipient by transmitting the video message out of storage when the target client device becomes available on the network if the target device was not available on the network when the video message was created and transmitted.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the computing device is a node on the network arranged to:

persistently and progressively store the video message at a storage location accessible by the node on the network as the video media is progressively received from a transmitting client device;

perform a lookup of the identifier included in the video message and associated with the recipient, the lookup resulting in the discovery of the IP address of the target client device; and

progressively route the video message to the target client device, using the discovered IP address, as the video message is progressively and persistently stored.

8. The system of claim 6, wherein the computing device is a transmitting client running an application arranged to:

create the video message including the identifier associated with the recipient; and

progressively transmit the video media of the video message as the video media is created.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the application further configures the transmtting client device to progressively and persistently store the video message as the video media is created.

10. The system of claim 6, wherein the video message contains a plurality of identifiers and the video message is broadcast to a plurality of recipients identified by the plurality of identifiers respectfully.

11. The system of claim 6, further comprising a presence element configured to provide presence information indicating if the recipient is present on the network.

12. The system of claim 6, further comprising a notification element configured to notify the recipient of the video message.

13. A live video messaging system, comprising:

a progressive, store and forward, messaging element configured to progressively store on a computing device and progressively transmit to an intended recipient video media of a video message as the video media is created, the video message including an identifier associated with the recipient, the progressive, store and forward, messaging element using a progressive, store and forward, protocol that;

relies on a lookup result of the identifier associated with the recipient for discovering an IP address for a target client device on a network associated with the identified recipient; and

progressively routes the video message to the target client device over the network using the discovered IP address of the target client device, as the video media is created, the progressive transmission enabling the intended recipient to review the video message substantially live at the target client device.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the computing device is a node on the network arranged to:

persistently and progressively store the video message at a storage location accessible by the node on the network as the video media is progressively received from a transmitting client device;

perform a lookup of the identifier included in the video message and associated with the recipient, the lookup resulting in the discovery of the IP address of the target client device; and

progressively route the video message to the target client device, using the discovered IP address, as the video message is progressively and persistently stored.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein the computing device is a transmitting client running an application arranged to:

create the video message including the identifier associated with the recipient; and

progressively transmit the video media of the video message as the video media is created.

16. The system of claim 13, wherein the video message contains a plurality of identifiers and the video message is broadcast to a plurality of recipients identified by the plurality of identifiers respectfully.

17. The system of claim 13, further comprising a presence element configured to provide presence information indicating if the recipient is present on the network.

18. The system of claim 13, further comprising a notification element configured to notify the recipient of the video message.

19. The system of claim 13, further configured to deliver the video message to the recipient out of storage if the recipient was the target client device was not connected to and available on the network when the video message was created.