Telecommunication And Multimedia Management Method And Apparatus
Patent No. US11658929 (titled "Telecommunication And Multimedia Management Method And Apparatus") was filed by Voxer Ip Llc on Oct 31, 2022.
What is this patent about?
’929 is related to the field of telecommunications and multimedia management, specifically addressing limitations in existing voice communication systems like traditional phone calls, voicemail, and tactical radio systems. These systems often lack features for managing, archiving, and prioritizing voice messages, hindering effective communication, especially in critical environments. The patent aims to improve voice and media communication by introducing new conversation modes and optimizing media delivery over packet-based networks.
The underlying idea behind ’929 is to create a communication system that supports both real-time and time-shifted conversations, allowing users to seamlessly transition between these modes. This is achieved by recording and archiving messages, enabling users to review conversations at their convenience, prioritize messages, and manage multiple conversations concurrently. The system also optimizes network bandwidth by dynamically adjusting media quality and transmission rates based on network conditions and the recipient's intention to review the message in real-time or later.
The claims of ’929 focus on a communication infrastructure that enables participation in a multi-media messaging conversation. This involves receiving information from a first device about a video message, notifying second users, streaming portions of the video message to second devices for selective rendering in real-time without requiring an end-to-end connection, enabling users to contribute additional messages, assembling these messages into a string, associating the video message and the string, and enabling users to selectively render the video message in real-time or time-shifted mode.
In practice, the invention uses a store-and-stream approach, where media is recorded at the sender's device, transmitted over the network, and stored at the receiver's device. This allows for features like pausing, replaying, and fast-forwarding conversations. The system employs a Persistent Infinite Message Buffer (PIMB) to store media payloads, ensuring that messages are available for later retrieval and review. The system also uses a Packet Quality Manager (PQM) to optimize media delivery based on network conditions and user intentions.
The invention differentiates itself from prior approaches by offering a unified system for managing voice and other media communications. Unlike traditional phone systems that rely on synchronous, full-duplex conversations, ’929 supports asynchronous communication, allowing users to participate in conversations at their own pace. The system also addresses the limitations of existing voicemail systems by providing tools for organizing, archiving, and retrieving voice messages. Furthermore, the invention optimizes network bandwidth by dynamically adjusting media quality and transmission rates, improving the overall efficiency of the communication system.
How does this patent fit in bigger picture?
Technical landscape at the time
In the mid-2000s when ’929 was filed, voice communication at a time when systems commonly relied on circuit-switched networks or VoIP solutions with limited features for managing and archiving voice messages. Hardware or software constraints made features such as seamless transition between live and time-shifted modes, managing multiple conversations simultaneously, and optimizing network bandwidth based on recipient presence non-trivial.
Novelty and Inventive Step
The examiner approved the application because the prior art, whether considered individually or in combination, did not teach or suggest certain elements of the independent claims. These elements include deploying a communication infrastructure with servers on a network that enables multimedia messaging. This infrastructure receives information from a first device, uses it to notify other users of a video message, identifies devices of those users, streams video, allows selective rendering in real-time without requiring an end-to-end connection, enables users to contribute additional messages, assembles messages into a string, associates the video message with the string, and enables selective rendering in real-time or time-shifted mode.
Claims
This patent includes 31 claims, with independent claims 1, 17, and 26. The independent claims generally focus on methods and infrastructure for enabling multi-media messaging conversations, particularly involving video messages streamed in real-time. The dependent claims generally elaborate on and refine the specifics of the methods and infrastructure described in the independent claims, adding details regarding transcoding, quality degradation, message types, and user options.
Key Claim Terms New
Definitions of key terms used in the patent claims.
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Date
Description
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US11658929
- Application Number
- US17977963
- Filing Date
- Oct 31, 2022
- Status
- Granted
- Expiry Date
- Feb 8, 2028
- External Links
- Slate, USPTO, Google Patents