Telecommunication and multimedia management method and apparatus

• US 9,674,122 B2
• Filed: 08/08/2016
• Issued: 06/06/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 06/28/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Voxer IP LLC (Voxer, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Vover IP LLC
• Inventors: Ranney, Matthew J., Katis, Thomas E., Panttaja, James J., Panttaja, Mary G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ramakrishnaiah, Melur
• Application Number:
  US15/231,240
• Publication Number:
  US 20160352666A1
• Time in Patent Office: 302 Days
• Field of Search: 348 1401- 1416, 709204, 709206
• 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. A live video messaging system implemented on a communication network, comprising:

a first client communication device; and

a node on the communication network,

wherein the first client communication device is configured to;

(a) create a video message, the video message having (i) identifier information for a recipient of the video message and (ii) video media created using the first client communication device and associated with the video message;

(b) transmit the video media of the video message to the node on the communication network, as the video media is created, the video media transmitted by the first client communication device (i) without first establishing an end-to-end connection over the communication network with a second client communication device associated with the recipient and (ii) regardless of whether the second client communication device is connected to or not connected to the communication network,

wherein the node on the communication network is configured to;

(c) ascertain an address on the communication network for the second client communication device from the identifier information,

(d) persistently store video media of the video message as the video media is received over the communication network from the first client communication device; and

(e) route the video media of the video message to the second communication device using the ascertained address;

wherein the second client communication device is configured to;

(e) render the video media of the video message as the video media is routed by the node on the communication network to the second communication device, the rendering of the video media occurring substantially live as the video media is transmitted by the first communication device and routed over the communication network.

2. The live video message system of claim 1, wherein the second communication device is further configured to render the video media of the video message substantially live after receiving a positive response to a notification.

3. The live video messaging system of claim 1, wherein the first communication device is further configured to start the transmission of the video media to the node independent of the node determining the address associated with the second client communication device.

4. The live video messaging system of claim 1, wherein the node is further configured to resolve the identifier information for the recipient into an IP address for the second communication device based on a lookup result of the identifier information.

5. The live video message of claim 1, wherein the node is further configured to forward the video message to the second communication device out of persistent storage in response to a request from the second communication device.

6. The live video messaging system of claim 1, wherein the recipient can optionally render at the second communication device the video media of the video message in a live mode or a time shifted mode.

7. The live video messaging system of claim 1, further comprising storing the video media of the video message at the first communication device.

8. The live video messaging system of claim 1, further comprising storing the video media of the video message at the second communication device.

9. The live video messaging system of claim 1, wherein the video media of the video message is rendered substantially live by the second communication device as transmitted by the first communication device, delayed only by the inherent latency on the communication network.

10. A method for implementing a live video messaging system on a communication network, comprising:

arranging for the downloading and execution of an application to a first client communication device; and

maintaining a node on a node on the communication network,

wherein the application on the first client communication device enables a sending user to;

(a) create a video message, the video message having (i) identifier information for a recipient of the video message and (ii) video media created using the first client communication device and associated with the video message; and

(b) transmit the video media of the video message to the node on the communication network, as the video media is created, the video media transmitted by the first client communication device (i) without first establishing an end-to-end connection over the communication network with a second client communication device associated with the recipient and (ii) regardless of whether the second client communication device is connected to or not connected to the communication network,

wherein the node on the communication network is configured to;

(c) ascertain an address on the communication network for the second client communication device from the identifier information;

(d) persistently store the video media of the video message as the video media is received over the communication network from the first client communication device; and

(e) route the video media of the video message to the second communication device using the ascertained address.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

arranging for the downloading and execution of the application to the second client communication device,

the application including rendering options that enable the recipient to render the video media of the video message as the video media is routed by the node on the communication network to the second communication device, the rendering of the video media occurring substantially live as the video media is transmitted by the first communication device and routed over the communication network.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising configuring the application on the second communication device to render the video media of the video message substantially live after receiving an input from the recipient in response to a notification.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising configuring the application at the second communication device to optionally render the video media of the video message in a live mode or a time shifted mode.

14. The method of claim 11, further configuring the application at the second communication device to store the video media of the video message at the second communication device.

15. The method of claim 10, further comprising configuring the application on the first communication device to start the transmission of the video media to the node independent of the node determining the address associated with the second client communication device.

16. The method of claim 10, further configuring the node to resolve the identifier information for the recipient into an IP address for the second communication device based on a lookup result of the identifier information.

17. The method of claim 10, further configuring the node to forward the video message to the second communication device out of persistent storage in response to a request from the second communication device.

18. The method of claim 10, further configuring the application at the first communication device to store the video media of the video message at the first communication device.