Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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MULTIMEDIA COMMUNICATIONS METHOD
BACKGROUND
Field of the Invention.
[0001] This invention pertains to telecommunications, and more particularly,
to a
telecommunication and multimedia management method and apparatus that enables
users to review the messages of conversations in either a live mode or a time-
shifted
mode and to transition the conversation back and forth between the two modes,
participate in multiple conversations and to archive the messages of
conversations for
later review or processing.
Description of Related Art
[0002] The current state of voice communications suffers from inertia. In
spite of
automated switching, high bandwidth networks and technologies such as
satellites,
fiber optics, Voice over IP (VoIP), wireless and cellular networks, there has
been little
change in how people use telephones. One is still required to pick up the
phone, dial
another party, wait for a connection to be made, and then engage in a full-
duplex,
synchronous conversation with the dialed party. If the recipient does not
answer, no
connection is made, and the conversation does not take place.
[0003] At best, a one-way asynchronous voice message may be left if the
recipient
has voice mail. The process of delivering the voice mail, however, is
burdensome and
time consuming. The caller is required to wait for the phone on the other end
to stop
ringing, transition into the voice mail system, listen to a voice message
greeting, and
then leave the message. Current voice mail systems are also inconvenient for
the
recipient. The recipient has to dial a code to access their voice mail,
navigate through
a series of prompts, listen to any earlier received voice messages in the
queue, and
then finally listen to the message of the sender.
[0004] Another drawback with typical voice mail systems is the inability to
organize
or permanently archive voice messages. With some voice mail systems, a user
may
save a message, but it is automatically deleted after a predetermined period
of time
and lost forever.
[0005] Yet another problem with current voice mail systems is that a
connection must
be made between the caller and the voice mail system before a message can be
left. If
no connection is made, there is no way for the caller to leave a message.
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[0006] Current telephone systems are based on relatively simplistic usage
patterns:
real-time live calls or disjointed voice mail messages, which are typically
deleted as
they are heard. These forms of voice communications do not capture the real
power
that can be achieved with voice communication or take advantage of the
advances of
network speed and bandwidth that is now available. Also, if the phone network
is
down, or is inaccessible, (e.g., a cell phone user is in an area of no
coverage or the
phone lines are down due to bad weather), no communication can take place.
[0007] In general, telephone based communications have not kept pace with the
advances in text-based communications. Instant messaging, emailing, faxing,
chat
groups, and the ability to archive text messages, are all commonplace with
text based
communications. Other than voice mail, there are few existing tools available
to
manage and/or archive voice messages. In comparison, the tools currently
available to
manage telephone communications are primitive compared to text communications.
[0008] The corporate environment provides just one example of the weakness in
current voice communication tools. There is currently no integrated way to
manage
voice communications across an organization as a corporate asset. Employees
generally do not record or persistently store their phone conversations. Most
business
related voice communication assets are gone as quickly as the words are
spoken, with
no way to manage or store the content of those conversations in any manageable
form.
[0009] As an illustrative example, consider a sales executive at a company.
During
the course of a busy day, the executive may make a number of calls, and close
several
sales, with customers over the phone. Without the ability to organize, store,
and later
retrieve these conversations, there is no way for the executive to resolve
potential
issues that may arise, such as recalling the terms of one deal versus another,
or
challenging a customer who disputes the terms of a previously agreed upon
sale. If
this executive had the ability to easily retrieve and review conversations,
these types
of issues could be easily and favorably resolved.
[0010] Current tactical radio systems, such as those used by the military,
fire, police,
paramedics, rescue teams, and first responders, also suffer from a number of
deficiencies. Most tactical radio communication must occur through a "live"
radio
connection between the sender of a message and a recipient. If there is no
radio
connection between the two parties, there can be no communication. Urgent
messages
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cannot be sent if either the sender or the receiver does not have access to
their radio,
or a radio circuit connection is not established. Tactical communications are
therefore
plagued with several basic problems. There is no way (i) to guarantee the
delivery of
messages, (ii) for a recipient to go back and listen to a message that was not
heard in
real time; (iii) to control the granularity of the participants in a
conversation; (iv) for
the system to cope when there is a lack of signal integrity for a live
conversation. If a
message is not heard live, it is missed. There are no tools for either the
sender or a
recipient to manage, prioritize, archive and later retrieve (i.e. time-shift)
the messages
of a conversation that were previously sent.
[0011] Yet another drawback with tactical radio communication systems is that
only
one message can be sent at a time per channel. Consider an example of a large
building fire, where multiple teams of fire fighters, police and paramedics
are
simultaneously rescuing victims trapped in the building, fighting the fire,
providing
medical aid to victims, and controlling bystanders. If each of the teams is
using the
same channel, communications may become crowded and chaotic. Transmissions get
"stepped on" when more than one person is transmitting at the same time. Also
there
is no way to differentiate between high and low priority messages. A team
inside the
burning building fighting the fire or rescuing trapped victims should have a
higher
priority over other teams, such as those controlling bystanders. If high
priority
messages are stepped on by lower priority messages, it could not only hamper
important communications, but could endanger the lives of the fire fighters
and
victims in the building.
[0012] One possible solution to the lack of ability to prioritize messages is
to use
multiple channels, where each team is assigned a different channel. This
solution,
however, creates its own set of problems. How does the fire chief determine
which
channel to listen too at any point in time? How do multiple teams communicate
with
one another if they are all on different channels? If one team calls for
urgent help,
how are other teams to know if they are listening to other channels? While
multiple
channels can alleviate some issues, it can also cause confusion, creating more
problems than if a single channel is used.
[0013] The lack of management tools that effectively prioritize messages, that
allow
multiple conversations to take place at the same time, that enable the time-
shifting of
messages to guarantee delivery, or that support archiving and storing
conversations
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for later retrieval and review, all contribute to the problems associated with
tactical
radios. In first responder situations, such as with the military, police, and
fire,
effective communication tools can literally mean the difference between life
and
death, or the success or failure of a mission. The above burning building
example is
useful in illustrating just some of the issues with current tactical radio
communications. Similar problems exist with the military, police, first
responders and
others who use tactical communications.
[0014] With packet-based networks, commonly used protocols include
Transmission
Control Protocol (TCP) and User Datagram Protocol (UDP). UDP offers the
advantage of fast delivery of data, but at the expense of completeness.
Packets may be
dropped in transit and not available when attempting to render the data as
soon as
possible at the destination. In spite of the shortcomings, UDP is the standard
for Voice
over Internet Protocol (VoIP) transmissions due to its speed attributes. On
the other
hand TCP does guarantee the delivery of perfect (i.e., an exact copy of the
transmitted
data) data, but at the expense of latency. All packets are delivered,
regardless of how
long it takes. This delay makes TCP impractical for use with "live" phone
calls.
Currently there are no known protocols that offer the performance advantages
of both
TCP and UDP, where "good enough" media can be transmitted for rendering as
soon
as possible, with the eventual delivery of a perfect copy of the media. Also
there is no
protocol that determines how much information should be sent over the network
based on the presence of recipients on the network and their intentions to
render the
data either live or in a time-shifted mode. In addition, other factors
commonly
considered, such as network latency, network degradation, packet loss, packet
damage, and general bandwidth conditions, are used in determining how much
data to
transmit. Prior art systems, however, do not consider the presence and
intentions of
recipients. As a result, the default assumption is that the data is rendered
by the
recipient in real time. When a recipient is not going to render data
immediately, these
prior art systems unnecessarily use bandwidth when it is not needed, degrading
the
overall performance of the network.
[0015] For the reasons recited above, telephone, voicemail and tactical voice
communications systems are inadequate. An improved voice and media
communication and management system and method, and improvements in delivering
voice and other media over packet-based networks, is therefore needed.
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SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0016] The present invention is directed to various methods for rendering one
or more
conversations on a communication device. In a first method, a current
conversation
among a plurality of conversations is selected. For the selected conversation,
media
received and associated with the selected conversation is rendered, and media
created
on the device and associated with the selected conversation is transmitted to
the
participants of the selected conversation. The media of the selected
conversation can
be rendered in either a near real-time mode or a time-shifted mode. The
selected
conversation may be selectively changed among the plurality of conversations.
In a
second method, the plurality of conversations may be consecutively rendered.
With
this embodiment, the available media of the plurality of conversations is
consecutively rendered in accordance with a priority order. As media for the
various
conversations is received, the available media of the highest priority
conversation is
rendered while the media of the other conversations is rendered in a time-
shifted
mode. In yet another method, the media of the plurality of conversations may
be
simultaneously rendered and stored. With this embodiment, one of the
conversations
may be selected for review. During the review period, the received media of
the other
conversations is stored, but not rendered. After the review, the simultaneous
rendering
of the plurality of conversations is resumed. By storing the media of all the
conversations during the review period, the non-rendered media received during
the
review may be later rendered.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0017] The invention may best be understood by reference to the following
description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, which
illustrate
specific embodiments of the invention.
[0018] Figure 1 is a diagram of the architecture of the communication and
media
management system of the invention.
[0019] Figures 2A and 2B illustrate a block diagram of a Client running on a
Device
in the communication and management system of the invention.
[0020] Figure 3 is a block diagram of a Server used in the communication and
media
management system of the invention.
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[0021] Figures 4A through 4D illustrate various embodiments of data payloads
used
in the communication and management system of the invention.
[0022] Figure 5 is a diagram illustrating data being transmitted over a shared
IP
network in accordance with the invention.
[0023] Figure 6 is a diagram illustrating data being transmitted over a
circuit based
network in accordance with the invention.
[0024] Figure 7 is a diagram illustrating data being transmitted across both a
cellular
network and the Internet in accordance with the invention.
[0025] Figures 8A through 8F are a series of flow diagrams illustrating a
store and
stream function of the communication and management system of the invention.
[0026] Figures 9A through 9C are flow diagrams illustrating the operation of a
Payload Quality Manager (PQM) and Figures 9D through 9F are flow diagrams
illustrating the Data Quality manager (DQM), both used by the Clients and
Servers of
the invention.
[0027] Figure 10 is an exemplary device having a graphical user interface that
may be
used with the system of the invention.
[0028] Figures 11A through 11F are diagrams illustrating multiple conversation
management (MCMS) features of the invention.
[0029] Figures 12A through 12C are diagrams illustrating the multiple
conversation
management system - consecutive (MCMS-C) features of the invention.
[0030] Figures 13A through 13D illustrate a series of diagrams detailing the
operation
of the invention.
[0031] Figures 14A and 14B are block diagrams that illustrate the hardware
used for
running the Client and Server applications of the invention.
[0032] It should be noted that like reference numbers refer to like elements
in the
figures.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF SPECIFIC EMBODIMENTS
[0033] The invention will now be described in detail with reference to various
embodiments thereof as illustrated in the accompanying drawings. In the
following
description, specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough
understanding
of the invention. It will be apparent, however, to one skilled in the art,
that the
invention may be practiced without using some of the implementation details
set forth
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herein. It should also be understood that well known operations have not been
described in detail in order to not unnecessarily obscure the invention.
A. Functional Overview
[0034] The communication media management method and system supports new
modes of engaging in voice conversations and/or managing multiple simultaneous
conversations using a variety of media types, such as voice, video, text,
location,
sensor information, and other data. Users can engage in conversations by
sending
voice messages to designated recipients. Depending on preferences and
priorities, the
recipient(s) might participate in the conversation in real time, or they might
simply be
notified that the message is ready for retrieval. In the latter case, the
recipient
participates in the conversation in a time-shifted mode by reviewing and
replying to
the recorded message at their convenience.
[0035] Users are empowered to conduct communications in either: (i) a near-
synchronous or "live" conversation, providing a user experience similar to a
standard
full duplex phone call; or (ii) in a series of back and forth time-delayed
transmissions
(i.e., time-shifted mode). Further, users engaged in a conversation can
seamlessly
transition from the live mode to the time-shifted mode and back again. This
attribute
also makes it possible for users to engage in multiple conversations, at the
same time,
by prioritizing and shifting between the two modes for each conversation. Two
individuals using the system can therefore send recorded voice messages back
and
forth to each other and review the messages when convenient, or the messages
can be
sent at a rate where they essentially merge into a live, synchronous voice
conversation. This new form of communication, for the purposes of the present
application, is referred to as "Voxing"
[0036] When you "Vox" someone, the conversation consists of a series of
discrete
recorded messages, which are recorded in a number of locations, which may
include
the encoding device of the sender, (e.g. a phone or computer), servers on
multiple
transmission hops across the network, and the receiver's rendering device.
Unlike a
standard phone call or voice mail, the system provides the following features
and
advantages: (i) the conversation can transition between live and time-shifted
or vice
versa; (ii) the discrete messages of the conversation are semantically
threaded
together and archived; (iii) since the messages are recorded and are available
for later
retrieval, attention can be temporarily diverted from the conversation and
then the
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conversation can be later reviewed when convenient; (iv) the conversation can
be
paused for seconds, minutes, hours, or even days, and can be picked up again
where
left off; (v) one can rejoin a conversation in progress and rapidly review
missed
messages and catch up to the current message (i.e., the live message); (vi) no
dedicated circuit is needed for the conversation to take place, as required
with
conventional phone calls; and (vii) lastly, to initiate a conversation, one
can simply
begin transmitting to an individual or a group. If the person or persons on
the other
end notice that they are receiving a message, they have the option of
reviewing and
conducting a conversation in real time, or reviewing at a later time of their
choice.
[0037] The communication media management system also supports new modes of
optimizing the transmission of data over a network. The system actively
manages the
delivery of payloads to a recipient engaged in a conversation in real time
when
network conditions are less than ideal. For example when network conditions
are
poor, the system intentionally reduces the quality of the data for
transmission to the
point where it is "good enough" to be rendered upon receipt by the recipient,
allowing
the real time participation of the conversation. The system also guarantees
the
eventual delivery of an "exact" copy of the messages over time. The system and
method therefore provides the advantages of both speed and accuracy. The
utilization
of network bandwidth is optimized by making tradeoffs between timeliness and
media
quality, using the presence and intentions of whether or not recipient(s)
intend to
review to the message immediately in real time, as well as measures of network
latency, network degradation, packet loss or damage, and/or current bandwidth
conditions.
[0038] It should be noted that the messages of conversations may contain voice
only
or voice, video and other data, such as sensor information. When the messages
are
reviewed, they are listened to or visually reviewed, or a combination thereof,
depending on the type of media contained in the messages. Although as of the
filing
of the present application, most conversations are voice only, it is intended
that the
communication system and method described herein broadly includes
conversations
including multiple media types, such as voice and video for example.
[0039] An improved voice and other media communication and management system
and method is disclosed which provides one or more of the following features
and
functions:
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i. enabling users to participate in multiple conversation types, including
live phone
calls, conference calls, voice messaging, consecutive or simultaneous
communications;
ii. enabling users to review the messages of conversations in either a live
mode or a
time-shifted mode (voice messaging);
iii. enabling users to seamlessly transition a conversation between a
synchronous
"live" mode and a time shifted mode;
iv. enabling users to participate in conversations without waiting for a
connection to
be established with another participant or the network. This attribute allows
users
to begin conversations, participate in conversations, and review previously
received time-shifted messages of conversations even when there is no network
available, when the network is of poor quality, or other participants are
unavailable;
v. enabling the system to save media payload data at the sender and, after
network
transmission, saving the media payload data at all receivers;
vi. enabling the system to organize messages by threading them sequentially
into
semantically meaningful conversations in which each message can be identified
and tied to a given participant in a given conversation;
vii. enabling users to manage each conversation with a set of user controlled
functions, such as reviewing "live", pausing or time shifting the conversation
until
it is convenient to review, replaying in a variety of modes (e.g., playing
faster,
catching up to live, jump to the head of the conversation) and methods for
managing conversations (archiving, tagging, searching, and retrieving from
archives);
viii. enabling the system to manage and share presence data with all
conversation
participants, including online status, intentions with respect to reviewing
any
given message in either the live or time-shifted mode, current attention to
messages, rendering methods, and network conditions between the sender and
receiver;
ix. enabling users to manage multiple conversations at the same time, where
either (a)
one conversation is current and all others are paused; (b) multiple
conversations
are rendered consecutively, such as but not limited to tactical
communications; or
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(c) multiple conversations are active and simultaneously rendered, such as in
a
stock exchange or trading floor environment.
x. enabling users to store all conversations, and if desired, persistently
archive them
in a tangible medium, providing an asset that can be organized indexed,
searched,
transcribed, translated and/or reviewed as needed;
xi. enabling the system to provide real time call functionality using a best-
efforts
mode of message delivery at a rate "good enough" for rendering as soon as
possible (similar to UDP), and the guaranteed eventual delivery of exact
copies of
the messages as transmitted by requesting retransmission of any missing or
defective data from the originally saved perfect copy (similar to TCP); and
xii. enabling the system to optimize the utilization of network bandwidth by
making
tradeoffs between timeliness and media quality, using the presence and
intentions
of the recipient(s) (i.e., to either review the media in real-time or in a
time-shifted
mode), as well as measures of network latency, network degradation, packet
loss
or damage, and/or current bandwidth conditions.
[0040] In various embodiments, some or all of the numerous features and
functions
listed above may be implemented. It should be understood, however, that
different
embodiments of the invention need not incorporate all of the above listed
features and
functions.
B. Glossary
[0041] Prior to explaining the details of the invention, it is useful to
define some of
the terms and acronyms used throughout the written description. This glossary
of
terms is organized into groups of System Components, Media, Media Management,
People and Conversation Management.
B.1. System Components
[0042] Client: A Client is the user application in the communication system,
which
includes a user interface, persistent data storage, and "Voxing"
functionality. Users
interact with the Client application, and the Client application manages all
communications (messages and signals) and payload (Media) transfers that are
transmitted or received over a network. The Client supports encoding of media
(e.g.,
the capturing of voice, video, or other data content) and the rendering of
media and
supports security, encryption and authentication as well as the optimization
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transmission of data across the network. A Client may be used by one or
multiple
Users (i.e., multi-tenant).
[0043] Device: A physical device that runs the Client application. A User may
be
actively logged into a single Device or multiple Devices at any given point of
time.
In various embodiments, a Device may be a general-purpose computer, a portable
computing device, a programmable phone, a programmable radio, or any other
programmable communication device.
[0044] Servers: A computer node on the communication network. Servers are
responsible for routing Messages sent back and forth between Users over the
network
and the persistent storage and archiving of Media payloads. Servers provide
routing,
transcoding, security, encryption and authentication and the optimization of
the
transmission of data across the network.
B.2. Media
[0045] Message: An individual unit of communication from one User to another.
Each Message consists of some sort of Media, such as voice or video. Each
Message
is assigned certain attributes, including: (i) the User sending the message;
(ii) the
Conversation it belongs to; (iii) an optional or user created Importance Tag;
(iv) a
time stamp; and (v) the Media payload.
[0046] Media: Audio, video, text, position, sensor readings such as
temperature, or
other data.
[0047] Conversation: A thread of Messages (identified, persistently stored,
grouped,
and prioritized) between two or more Users on their Devices. Users generally
participate in a Conversation using their Devices by either Reviewing Messages
in
real time or in a time-shifted mode, or creating and sending Messages of a
Conversation as desired. When new Messages are created, they either define a
new
Conversation, or they are added to an existing Conversation.
[0048] Head of a Conversation: The most recent Message of a conversation that
has
been encoded by the most recent speaker. It is where a User is positioned in a
Conversation when reviewing "live" or where one jumps to if the "Jump To Live"
feature is used.
[0049] Multiple Conversation Management System or MCMS: An application that
runs as part of a Client application, which enables a User to engage in
multiple
Conversations using a variety of Media types. With the MCMS application, a
User
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selects one Conversation among the multiple Conversations as current, where
only the
Messages of current conversation are rendered. For the selected current
Conversation,
the User may transition from a series of back and forth Messages in time-
shifted mode
to near-synchronous "live" mode, similar to a standard telephone conversation,
and
back again. The Messages of the non-selected Conversations are in a paused
state.
Messages associated with the non-selected Conversion will accumulate if others
are
still participating in those Conversations. The User may selectively
transition the
current Conversation among the multiple Conversations and Review the
accumulated
Messages of the selected current Conversation.
[0050] Multiple Conversation Management System-Consecutive or MCMS-C:
Similar to MCMS, with the added feature of rendering and enabling Users to
manage
and participate in multiple Conversations consecutively through a hierarchical
system
of Priorities and time-shifting, which are automatically managed by the
system. The
MCMS-C application allows the Messages of consecutive Conversations to be
rendered in a prioritized order, as opposed to MCMS where only the Messages of
the
currently selected Conversation are rendered. MCMS-C is particularly
applicable in
situations where it is important that the Messages of the consecutive
Conversations
are rendered, in the prioritized order, and/or the receipt of all Messages,
even those
belonging to lower priority Conversations, is more important than receiving
the
Messages in real-time. Examples of situations where MCMS-C may be suitable
include, but are not limited to, hospitals, taxi fleet management, or tactical
communications.
[0051] Multiple Conversation Management System-Simultaneous or MCMS-S:
Similar to MCMS, with the added feature of enabling With MCMS-S, multiple
Conversations are selected for simultaneous rendering, as opposed to MCMS
where
the Messages of only the selected current Conversation are rendered. The MCMS-
S
application is particularly applicable in situations where a User is listening
to multiple
Conversations at the same time, such as a trader listening to multiple brokers
on
different exchanges and periodically sending trading requests to one or
multiple of
them simultaneously. MCMS-S may also be suitable for tactical communications
as
well.
[0052] Priority: The mechanism through which the system determines which
Message to render next when a User is participating in MCMS-C. Priority is
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automatically managed by the system. A User can set default Priorities, or a
predetermined set of system Priorities may be used. In the event of a
conflict, where
more than one Message is ready to be rendered at the same time, the system
resolves
the conflict at least partly based on Priority, to determine what Message to
render
immediately and what Message to time shift.
[0053] Tags: a set of attributes a User or the system may assign to a
Conversation or
a message, such as a topic (a company name), a directive ("action items"), a
indicator
("conversation summary"), or any other label by which one might want to search
or
organize the data.
[0054] Importance Tags: A special Message attribute that enables a sender to
specify when a Message is to be rendered, regardless of other Priority
settings. An
"urgent" Importance tag will override other Priorities for example. This
feature is
critical for tactical systems, though any system can be configured to use or
disable
this feature.
[0055] Packet: Any unit of binary data capable of being routed through a
computer
network. Each packet consists of header (meta data) and payload (media data).
Includes standard packet protocols such as, but not limited to, Internet
Protocol (IP),
EvDO, UMTS or any other packet-based network, either radio, fiber optic, or
wired.
[0056] Header or Packet Header: The portion of a packet that describes the
packet;
the meta data concerning the payload, its encoding type and destination.
[0057] Vox packet: A proprietary packet that enables the system and method to
further refine and optimize the delivery of Messages, Media and other
signaling
information.
[0058] Media Payload (or Payload): The actual Media portion of a Packet.
B.3. Media Mana2ement
[0059] Time Shift Delay (TSD): The amount of time between the arrival of a Vox
Packet and the rendering of the Packet on a Device. The TSD must exceed the
Minimum Time Shift Delay. The TSD is typically determined by the User's
behavior in choosing to review the Messages of a Conversation some time after
receipt.
[0060] Minimum Time Shift Delay (MTSD): The time shift delay enforced by the
Client to allow for jitter processing using jitter buffer techniques. This
causes the
system to delay rendering until an adequate number of the packets have arrived
to
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create a usable media stream. The system will typically adaptively adjust the
MTSD
over time to compensate for variable conditions in the network.
[0061] Rendering: Delivering a Media stream to a User in a form suitable for
User
consumption (e.g., voice, text, graphic display, video, or a combination
thereof).
[0062] Mixing: The Rendering of one or more Media streams. For example, the
Media stream from two Participants of a Conversation may be Mixed when
Rendered,
creating a User experience similar to a conversation where multiple people are
speaking at the same time.
[0063] Encoding: The process of translating Media either created by a User
(such as
voice or video) or otherwise originating on a Device (such as GPS or other
sensor
data), and converting the media into digital data to be processed by a Client.
[0064] Adaptive Jitter Buffer: Jitter buffers or de-jitter buffers are used to
counter
jitter (i.e., either the arrival of out of sequence packets or the delayed
arrival of
packets) introduced by packet switched networks, so that the continuous
rendering of
audio (or video) signals transmitted over a network can be performed without
disruption. The data is stored in a buffer before Rendering to allow a
reasonably sized
buffer of Media to arrive. The Media may be rendered before all the Packets
are
received, trading off quality for currency. An Adaptive Jitter Buffer is
capable of
dynamically changing its size to optimize the delay/quality tradeoff.
[0065] Persistent Infinite Message Buffer (PIMB): The PIMB is a storage
management system for the storage of time-based Media that performs both the
de-
jittering of "live" data and the storage and retrieval of archive data. The
PIMB further
includes the additional attributes of potentially infinite and persistence
storage of
Media. The PIMB maintains "exact" or full copies of Vox Packets of a Message
and
Conversations at some or all Participant Devices and/or Servers.
[0066] Packet Loss Compensation or Concealment) (PLC): During Rendering of a
Media stream, the PLC component compensates for missing Packets, interpolating
the
results to present the stream to a reviewer. Missing Packets may be rendered
as
silence, or information from adjacent Packets may be used to present an
interpolated
sound or image. The particular method to be used will be dependent on the
media,
Codecs in use, and other generally known parameters.
B.4. People
[0067] User: A person who is authorized to use the system.
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[0068] Contact: A record of either a User or non-user of the system. Users
typically
engage in Conversations with members on their list of Contacts. A non-user is
a user
that accesses or uses the system using a legacy phone, radio or other non-
Client 12
enabled device.
[0069] Group: The association of multiple Contacts. Contacts may be
selectively
added or deleted from a Group. When a Conversation takes place among a Group,
all
the members of the Group may or may not participate.
[0070] Channel: Typically used for tactical communication systems. A Channel
is
similar to a Group in that it associates multiple Contacts with the Channel.
[0071] Participant: A person who is identified as a member of a Conversation.
Could
be a User or a non-User participant.
B.5. Conversation Management
[0072] Time Shifting: Time shifting is the ability to play any Message at any
time
after it has been received as determined by the User-recipient. By Time-
Shifting, a
User may Review a Message: (i) immediately on demand by Rendering immediately
after the MTSD; or (ii) time-shifted in a mode of reviewing the Message upon
the
discretion of the User; (iii) from the archive for searching, reconstructions,
etc. of old
Conversations; (iv) after a delayed period of time to accommodate the
Reviewing of
other higher Priority Messages (or Conversations) that need to reviewed first;
(v)
and/or repeatedly if necessary for the Message to be reheard and understood.
In other
words, Time Shifting is the ability of a user to render a Message at any time
after the
system imposed MTSD.
[0073] Reviewing: Listening, viewing, reading or otherwise observing the Media
content in Messages. Reviewing may take place in either a near synchronous
real-time
"live mode" or the time-shifted mode.
[0074] Intention: Either (i) a User-defined attribute capturing whether the
User wants
to Review the Messages of a Conversation either as soon as possible or Review
the
Messages in a time-shifted mode; (ii) implied by a User's behavior; or a
combination
of (i) and (ii). .
[0075] Attention: A user attribute capturing whether the User is Reviewing the
Messages of a given Conversation at the moment.
[0076] Catch Up To Live (CTL): A rendering mode that allows a User, who is not
at
the Head of a Conversation, to Review previous Messages more quickly to "Catch
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To Live" (i.e., the Head of the Conversation). The CTL feature may use any of
a
number of catch up techniques, such as the faster replay of Messages, the
removal of
gaps in the Media of the Messages, removal of hesitation particles, etc. When
the
User has caught up to live, the system seamlessly flows into the live
Conversation.
This is a very useful feature with conference calls, for example, in
situations where a
User needs to temporarily shift their attention away from the Conversation,
but wishes
to hear the entire Conversation upon their return.
[0077] Catch Up Mode: A user-configured or pre-configured mode that determines
how the CTL process will catch-up (i.e., replay faster, remove silence, and
hesitation
particles, or a combination thereof).
[0078] Jump To Live (JTL): This feature allows a user to jump from their
current
position to the Head of a Conversation. A user will typically use the JTL
feature when
they do not want to Review all of the Messages between their current position
in the
Conversation and the Head. When the JTL feature is implemented, the user skips
over
any intervening Messages and starts Rendering the "live" Messages at the head
of the
Conversation.
[0079] MCMS Participant Attributes: A set of attributes, either defined by a
User,
interpreted by the system from the User's behaviors, assigned by an
administrator, or a
combination thereof, which define the Intention, Attention, Priority, and
rendering
preferences of a receiver for a given Conversation. The attributes include,
but are not
limited to: (i) the Intention of when a receiver would like to render to the
Messages of
the Conversation. Possible Intention values include: "now", "time-shifted",
"Catch Up
To Live" (CTL), "paused", and "never"; (ii) Catch Up Mode, which is a
configuration
setting which determines how the CTL process should catch the receiver up to
live
(e.g., play faster, skip silence gaps or hesitations, or play at normal
speed); (iii) Time
Shift Delay (TSD), which defines how far the receiver's current position in
the
conversation is from the Head of the Conversation, and (iv) the Priority of
the
Message with regard to the receiver's other Conversations.
C. System Architecture
[0080] Referring to Figure 1, a block diagram of the telecommunication and
media
management system according to one embodiment of the invention is shown. The
system 10 includes a plurality of Clients 12i through 12, running on Devices
13i
through 13n respectively. The Devices 13 communicate with one another over a
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communication services network 14, including one or more Servers 16. One or
more
networks 18i through 18n, is provided to couple the plurality of Devices 13i
through
13n to the communication services network 14. In various embodiments, the
networks
18 may be the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN), a cellular network
based
on CDMA or GSM for example, the Internet, a tactical radio network, or any
other
communication network, or a combination thereof. The communication services
network 14 is a network layer on top of or otherwise in communication with the
various networks 18i through 18n. In various embodiments, the network layer 14
is
either heterogeneous or homogeneous. Clients 12i through 12n communicate with
one
another and with Servers 16 over the networks 18i through 18n and network 14
using
individual message units referred to as "Vox packets", which are described in
detail
below.
D. Client Architecture
[0081] Referring to Figures 2A and 2B, a block diagram of a Client 12 running
on a
Device 13 is illustrated. As illustrated in Figure 2A, the Client 12 includes
Multiple
Conversation Management System (MCMS) application 20, a rendering and encoding
module 21, and an MCMS applications database 22. As illustrated in Figure 2B,
the
Client 12 further includes a Store and Stream (SAS) module 24 with a
Persistent
Infinite Message Buffer (PIMB) reader 26, a PIMB writer 28, PIMB database 30,
a
data and network quality (DNQS) store 32, and Media driver and encoder
hardware
34. The MCMS application 20 and the Store and Stream module 24 communicate
with one another through message handling modules 25a and 25b respectively.
The
Client 12 further includes an authentication-encryption-security module 40 and
a
communication protocol module 44.
[0082] The module 40 provides authentication, encryption and security services
during the transmission and receipt of "Vox" packets to and from the Client
12. The
communication protocol module 44 encapsulates Vox packets into the native
packets
used by the underlying network 18 connected to the Device 13 running the
Client 12
when transmitting data and de-encapsulating Vox packets from the native
packets
when receiving data. With the modules 40 and 44, multi-party end-to-end
authentication, encryption and security is provided between Clients 12.
Messages are
authenticated, encrypted and secured across the networks 18i through 18n and
network 14, from a first sending Device 13 to second receiving Device 13.
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D.1.1. The MCMS Database
[0083] The database 22 stores and manages the persistent meta data for a
number of
entities in the system 10, including Contacts and Participants, Conversations
and
Messages (live and stored), and default Priorities, and information regarding
the
Servers 16. In addition, the MCMS database 22 stores the moment-to-moment
operational data of a User's Conversations, presence, and status, as well as
that of all
the Participants conversing with the User or on the User's Contact list. For
example,
with regard to Conversations and Messages, the database 22 keeps track of
status
information, such as what Messages of a Conversation a User has or has not
Reviewed, Priorities, and Catch Up To Live status for each Conversation in
which the
Client 12 is a Participant, the presence and status of all Participants, and
other
network and other system management data.
D.1.2. The MCMS Application
[0084] MCMS application 20 supports the different Voxing modes of engaging in
conversations and/or managing multiple conversations using a variety of media
and
data types (voice, video, text, location, data, etc.). Users engage in
Conversations by
sending Messages to designated recipients using their Client 12 enabled
Devices 13.
Depending on preferences and Priorities, the recipient might Review the
Message in
real time, or they might simply be notified that the Message is ready for
Reviewing.
Users can transition from a series of back and forth Messages, which are
Reviewed in
a time-shifted (or voice messaging) mode or in a near synchronous, full duplex
conversation (similar to standard "live" phone calls) and then back to voice
messaging
again. The MCMS application 20 allows a User to control their interactions
with their
most important Conversations in real-time without missing any Messages in
other
ongoing Conversations. For example, the MCMS application 20 notifies a User of
urgent or high priority communications from a Conversation that they are not
currently Reviewing. MCMS application 20 also enables all Messages from all
Conversations to be stored for later retrieval so they can be reviewed at any
time.
[0085] In accordance with various embodiments, there are several different
operational modes of the MCMS application 20, including MCMS-Consecutive
(MCMS-C) and MCMS-Simultaneous (MCMS-S), which support the consecutive and
simultaneous rendering of Messages respectively. Each of these embodiments is
described in more detail below. Unless specifically specified, the term "MCMS"
is
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intended to generally mean the MCMS application 20, which includes the
aforementioned different modes.
[0086] The MCMS application 20 is a multi-tiered architecture that includes a
number of modules and services. The modules and services include the MCMS
Database Module 20a, the SAS Services Module 20b, the Messaging and Signaling
Services Module 20c, the User Interface Application Programming Interface
(API)
20d, the User Interface Module 20e, the Conversations/Messages Management
Services 20f, the Priorities Services 20g, the Contacts Service 20h, the
Presence/Status Services 20i, and the Messages/Signals Services 20j.
D.1.2.1 The MCMS Database Module
[0087] The MCMS database module 20a is a service module that manages all
function calls necessary for the MCMS application 20 to access the MCMS
database
22.
D.1.2.2 The SAS Services Module
[0088] The SAS Services module 20b includes a set of function calls that
enable
communication and coordination between the MCMS application 20 and the Store
and Stream module 24, and which are passed back and forth through the message
handling modules 25a and 25b respectively. The set of function calls enable
both the
MCMS application 20 and the Store and Stream module 24 to operate as necessary
to
implement the various Voxing functions when invoked by Users and/or as
dictated by
network conditions. Some of the functionality performed by the SAS Services
module
20b includes maintaining and communicating the status of Message transmissions
and
Message acknowledgments, the instructions for rendering of Messages, and the
status
and presence of Users.
D.1.2.3 The Messaging and Signaling Services Module
[0089] The Messaging and Signaling Services module 20c runs on both Clients 12
and Servers 16 and enables communication between the Client 12 and the Servers
16
of the system 10. This communication, which includes messages, data and other
signals, allows the Client 12 and the system 10 to track and administer
communications, network status, Users, and User status. Types of messages and
signals sent between the Message and Signaling Services modules 20c running on
the
Clients 12 and the Servers 16 include, for example, network availability of
Users,
tracking of Messages that the Server 16 has sent to the Client 12 (possibly
including a
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"high water mark") to determine if an entire message or some portion of a
message is
missing, (e.g., a sequence number per Participant per Conversation created by
the
"generating" Client), whether a user is speaking or Reviewing Messages of a
given
Conversation, where a User is with respect to the Head of a Conversation, or
when a
Participant is no longer Reviewing a Conversation live. These are examples a
few of
the many types of messages and signals sent between the Message and Signaling
Services modules on the Clients 12 and Servers 16 and in no way should be
construed
as limiting the invention.
D.1.2.4 The User Interface API
[0090] The User Interface API 20d is a module that defines a set of function
calls that
define the programming interface between the User Interface module 20e and the
underlying services of the MCMS application 20. The User Interface API 20d
supports general-purpose methods such as UI application support, and all
function
calls necessary for a User Interface to operate the MCMS Application 20. In
various
embodiments, the User Interface API 20d enables the Client 12 to support a
wide
variety of user interfaces and device types, such as Adobe Flash-based and/or
Microsoft Windows applications, cellular or mobile phone devices, PSTN devices
driven with tones, a voice user interface (VUI), and physical radio
communication
interfaces. In various embodiments, the User Interface API module 20d enables
the
design of both highly flexible and highly constrained user interfaces to
support the
functionality of the MCMS application 20.
D.1.2.5 The MCMS User Interface Module
[0091] The MCMS User Interface module 20e supports the operation and functions
of
the audio and video user interface of the Client 12. The User Interface module
20e
supports a host of user interactions and can be implemented with various
interaction
mediums, such as, an array of graphical user interface screens, an Audio/DTMF
interface, or voice user interface on the Device 13, all of which enable a
User to
interface with the system 10. A partial list of User interactions that are
supported
include, for example, functions to: log-in; manage, join, and monitor
Conversations;
control Conversation rendering; manage Priorities; and requests to review
archived
Conversations. It should be noted that this list is exemplary and in no way
should be
construed as limiting the invention.
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D.1.2.6 Conversation/Message Management Services
[0092] The Conversation/Message management services 20f is a module which
defines a set of functions that manage the data structures and processes
responsible
for managing and retaining all information needed for the User to manage the
receipt
and Review of transmitted and received Media (e.g., voice or video content
Messages) between the participants of a Conversation. The Messages are
organized
into Conversations. Media that is sent or received by the Device 13 running
the
application 12 is available for immediate Review while being received. The
received
Media is also recorded for Review in a time-shifted mode, Conversation
management,
and archival purposes. In an alternative embodiment, Messages or Conversations
can
be optionally marked for transience, specifying their desired retention
requirements
(e.g., some Messages will not be retained or stored beyond the requirements
for
immediate rendering). In yet another embodiment, Media can be optionally
marked
for review in a time-shifted mode only and cannot be reviewed immediately upon
receipt.
[0093] The Conversation/Message management services 20f further enables, for
each
current or ongoing Conversation of the User, the sending of Media to a
receiving
Client 12 at any time, and the receiving Client 12 seamlessly associates these
Messages with the appropriate Conversation, regardless of the actions or
inaction of
the receiver.
[0094] With the Conversation/Message management services 20f, all
Conversations
are essentially asynchronous. If two Users are actively engaged in a given
Conversation and the User controlled delay between transmissions is minimal,
the
experience will be one of a synchronous full duplex conversation, as with
current
telephone or VoIP conversations. If either User delays their participation,
for
whatever reason, the Conversation drifts towards an asynchronous voice (or
other
Media) messaging experience. In alternative embodiments, Conversations can be
optionally Tagged as asynchronous Messages only or synchronous Messages only.
In
either of these cases, the Conversation cannot drift between the two modes,
unless the
Tag is reset. After the Tag is reset, the Conversation again may flow between
near
synchronous (i.e. live or real-time) and asynchronous (i.e., time-shifted or
voice
messaging) modes.
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[0095] The Conversation/Message management service 20f processes the
transmission and receipt of Messages in a progressive fashion. When
transmitting,
Media may be created while Messages are simultaneously encoded, stored and
transmitted. In other words, the transmission of Messages may occur
simultaneously
with the generation of Media by the User (i.e., while speaking into their
Device 13 or
generating video). On the receiving side, the receipt, storage, and Rendering
of
Messages also all occur progressively. Messages do not need to be completely
received before they can be Rendered. The Rendering of Messages may occur at
the
same time Messages are being delivered, right up to the MTSD. Further, the
service
20f is also capable of the simultaneous transmission of outgoing Messages and
Rendering of incoming Messages. The progressive nature of the service 20f
allows a
User to be engaged in a live Conversation while storing and streaming the
media of
the Conversation for later retrieval and review as well other functions
described
herein.
[0096] The time-shifting of Messages by the Conversation/Message management
services 20f allows a User to "Catch Up To Live" on a Conversation if they
missed
earlier Messages or were involved in another Conversation. This time-shifting
process
eliminates the need for Users to broadcast a request to their entire Group or
Channel
to have Messages repeated. Older Messages may be replayed at any time at
potentially higher speeds to save time. Users may easily skip forward and
backward
through their Messages and within individual Messages. The Reviewing process
may
be configured on a Message-Priority basis to potentially skip lower priority
Messages.
[0097] In one embodiment, the Conversation/Message management service 20f also
identifies Messages by a specific Participant (speaker) and, by default, mixes
Messages of a Conversation that were delivered at the same time (MCMS-S). In
an
optional embodiment, a User could Review the transmissions of different
Participant
speakers of a Conversation separately.
[0098] The Conversation/Message management module 20f further allows
Conversation sharing among Participants, who can be added to an active or
archived
Conversation. In one embodiment, an added Participant to a Conversation is
provided
access to the Conversation and has the ability to retrieve the previous
Messages of the
Conversation for Review. In an alternative embodiment, the added Participant
is
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provided access to the Messages of the Conversation only from the point where
the
new Participant joined, and not any previous Messages of the Conversation.
[0099] The Conversation/Message management module 20f is also responsible for
managing the functions used to control all rendering tasks performed by the
Store and
Stream module 24. These tasks include rendering Media (i.e., voice, video,
etc.)
appropriately for the Device 13 running application 12. These rendering tasks
include,
but are not limited to, the rendering of Mixed Messages (i.e., overlapping
messages),
as well as rendering according to user-defined criteria, such as playing
faster, catching
up to live, removing silence, removing hesitation particles, frequency
shifting, and the
ability to apply independent gain control to individual senders in a multi-
party
conversation.
D.1.2.7 Priority Services
[0100] The Priority service 20g is a module that defines a set of functions
that
manage the data structures and processes responsible for managing and
retaining all
information needed for a User to manage the Priority of the consecutive
Conversations (i.e., MCMS-C) in which the User is engaged. When a User
participates in a number of consecutive live Conversations, the User is
required to
prioritize the Conversations. Issues arise when Messages of different
Conversations
are ready to be rendered at the same time. An algorithm is used to determine
the order
in which the Messages are rendered that considers the availability of Messages
to be
rendered and the Priorities set by the User. The algorithm determines that the
available Messages with the highest priority are rendered first while any
concurrently
available Messages are time shifted automatically just enough to allow for the
rendering of the higher priority Message. As rendering time becomes available,
the
system will automatically render the time-shifted messages according to the
User's
Priorities.
D.1.2.8 Contacts Services
[0101] The Contacts services 20h is a module that defines a set of functions
that
manage the data structures and processes responsible for managing and
retaining all
information needed for authenticating and associating one or more Contacts
with
Conversations. When sending a Message as part of a Conversation that is
associated
with a number of Contacts, all of the Contacts receive the Message.
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D.1.2.9 Presence/Status Services
[0102] The Presence/Status services 20i is a module that defines a set of
functions
that maintain the data structures and processes responsible for managing and
sharing
presence and status information between certain Users and/or non-users of the
system.
In various embodiments, the presence and status information is maintained for
all
User and non-users engaged in the Conversations the User of the Client 12 is
engaged
in, all Users and non-users in the Contacts list, or Users within a predefined
domain
(e.g., the members of a corporation or other organization). These examples are
merely
illustrative and should not be construed as limiting. The Presence/Status
services 20i
module may manage and share presence and status information on any defined set
of
Users and/or non-users.
[0103] The Presence/Status service 20i enables Users to monitor the status of
other
User's Intentions, Attention, and their Time Shift delay on any given
Conversation
(i.e., how far back they are from Reviewing the Messages of the Conversation
live).
In one embodiment, privacy controls are provided concerning availability of
Presence
and Status data. The Presence/Status module 20i further controls the data that
enables
the system 10 to deliver Messages that match the behavior and Intentions of
Users.
For example, a User may indicate their Status by designating an Intention to
either
Review or not Review a Conversation live. In response, the Presence/Status
services
20i issues commands that cause the rendering of Messages either "live" or time-
shifted, in accordance with the Intention of the User. In addition, the
Intentions of
Users are shared with the other Participants of the Conversation. The service
20i is
also capable of inferring other Status values from the User's behaviors. The
Presence
and Status information is also used to optimize network traffic and bandwidth,
as
described in more detail below.
D.1.2.10 Messages/Signals Services
[0104] The Messages/Signals services 20j is a module that defines a set of
functions
that manage the data structures and processes responsible for messaging and
signaling
Users of the system 10, using special messages or audible tones. The special
messages
or tones may include for example an indication if a Message or Messages are
live or
time-shifted, whom the Message(s) are from, Priority, and other factors. The
Message/Signal service 20j further has the ability to (i) signal the presence
or absence
of Users on the network, as well as the ability to notify if one or more Users
are no
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longer actively Reviewing the Messages of a Conversation; (ii) "ring" or
otherwise
notify another User to get their attention when they are paying attention to
another
Conversation or not paying attention to their Device 13 at all; (iii) leave a
Message for
Users currently not on the network 18 to immediately review the Message the
next
time the individual re-connects to the network 18; (iv) generate an audible or
visible
feedback that alerts the sender that a sent Message was not received by
recipient(s),
generate a confirmation when the Message has been received by the
recipient(s),
and/or a confirmation indicating when the Message has been Listened to by the
recipient(s); and (v) implement a Priority scheme where individuals on a
Conference
or tactical call may be notified that their attention is immediately needed on
the call.
This indication may convey multiple levels of urgency and an acknowledgement
of
some kind by the recipient.
D.1.2.11 Rendering and Encoding
[0105] The rendering and encoding module 21 is responsible for performing all
rendering tasks for the MCMS application 20. These tasks include rendering
Media
appropriately for the device 13 running application 12.
D.2 The Store and Stream Module
[0106] The Store and Stream module 24 supports a number of functions and
performance attributes, which are described below.
[0107] With the Store and Stream module 24, Message transmission is
essentially
"full-duplex", enabling any party to send a Message at any time, even while
another
party is also sending a Message, or if the other party is unavailable or
otherwise
engaged. The Store and Stream module is able to render messages as in a live
PSTN
or VoIP call or deliver them for time shifted messaging modes. It is able to
optimize
transmission and control Rendering according to the desires of the User.
[0108] The Store and Stream module 24 maintains connectivity with all target
recipients (e.g., Servers 16 or other Devices 13) on the underlying network
18,
manages all message, signal, and media transmissions, and optimizes the
delivery
speed and bandwidth usage across the network 18 to meet a User's immediate
performance requirements, while managing network quality and capacity. The
module
24 adapts and optimizes Media delivery commensurate with the quality and
capacity
of the underlying network 18. When insufficient underlying network resources
are
available, the quality of the transmitted Media streams can be degraded. As
bandwidth
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becomes available, the quality of the transmitted Media streams may be
increased. In
addition to tradeoffs of Media quality, the Store and Stream functionality can
make
tradeoffs in the amount of Media transmitted in each packet based on Users'
intentions to render data in real time as described below.
[0109] By dynamically controlling the delivery rate of Media based on the
conditions
of the underlying network 18, the Store and Stream module 24 is optimized to
deliver
time-sensitive Media that is "good enough" to Render upon receipt, and the
guarantee
eventual delivery of exact or full copies of the Media for archival purposes
through a
background process of requesting retransmission of missing, low quality, or
damaged
packets. As long as sufficient network resources exist to meet minimum Media
quality levels, this retransmission does not impede the Rendering of live call
Media.
The Clients 12 of the system 10 are thus designed to bridge the performance
gap
between the delivery of an exact or complete copy of the Media at the expense
of
substantial potential latency versus the quick delivery of Media, but with no
guarantees of completeness. In the context of this application, the term "good
enough"
means that the quality of the Media is sufficient so that when it is rendered,
it is
intelligible. The notion of "good enough" is therefore subjective and should
not be
construed in absolute terms. For example, the quality level of certain Media
to be
good enough may vary depending on the type of Media, circumstances, and other
factors.
[0110] The Store and Stream module 24 further persistently stores all Media
created
by or otherwise originating using a Device 13 or received over the network 18
from
other Device 13 and/or users. There are several significant advantages of
storing this
Media on the Device 13 running the Client 12: (i) it enables Users to leave a
Message
for another party, even when the sender and/or the recipient has either
unavailable or
poor network connectivity. In the case of insufficient bandwidth, the Message
will be
transmitted as fast as available bandwidth can be effectively used. In the
case of no
connectivity, the Message is queued for transmission as soon as network
connectivity
becomes available, resulting in a time-shifted delivery; (ii) the User has the
ability to
pause, replay, fast-forward, and Catch-Up-To-Live with an ongoing
Conversation, as
well as retrieve and review the archived Messages of previous Conversations;
and (iii)
it enables the optimization of data payloads over the system 10 and improves
system
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resilience against network bandwidth and connectivity problems that may occur
from
time to time.
[0111] The Store and Stream module 24 is also responsible for: Mixing Messages
as
appropriate to create overlapping Messages (generated by the normal overlap of
speakers in a Conversation or background noise), simulating an actual
Conversation
where multiple parties are speaking; rendering transcriptions or translations
of audio
media; adjusting the rendering of Media according to a number of User-defined
criteria including playing faster, removing silence gaps between spoken words,
removing hesitation particles, and frequency shifting; and the ability to
apply
independent gain control to individual senders in a multi-party Conversation;
as well
as other potential Rendering options.
[0112] The Store and Stream module 24 manages control and informational
messaging between itself and MCMS.
D.2.1 The Persistent Infinite Message Buffer (PIMB)
[0113] The Persistent Infinite Message Buffer or PIMB 30 is a set of indexed
(i.e.,
time-stamped and sequentially numbered) Media payload data structures and a
system
for their storage and retrieval. In one embodiment, the data in the PIMB 30 is
arbitrarily persistent, meaning it is available virtually forever or at least
until the
system runs out of storage. Various retention rates and strategies may be
employed to
make effective use of storage resources. Many possible implementations exist
for the
physical storage implementation of the PIMB 30, including, but not limited to:
RAM,
Flash memory, hard drives, optical media, or some combination thereof. The
PIMB
is also "infinite" in size, meaning the amount of data that can be stored in
the
PIMB 30 is not inherently limited. This lack of limit is in comparison to
existing jitter
25 buffer technology that discards data as soon as it is rendered. In one
specific
embodiment, the PIMB 30 may be implemented using a small and relatively fast
RAM cache memory coupled with a hard drive for persistent storage. As the
physical
storage capacity of the PIMB 30 is exceeded, the data is maintained on the
Server 16
(as described below) for later retrieval on demand. User criteria or a
replacement
30 algorithm, such as least-recently-used, or first-in-last-out, is used to
control the actual
data stored in the PIMB 30 and the data that is maintained on the Server 16 or
archived at any point in time. The PIMB 30 further provides the attributes of
file
system storage and the random access attributes of a database. Any number of
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Conversations, regardless of their duration or the number of Messages in each,
may
be stored and later retrieved for Review. In addition, the meta data
associated with the
Messages of a Conversation, such as its originator and its length, may be also
stored
in the PIMB 30. In alternative embodiments, the indexed Media payloads and
other
data can be stored for a designated period of time (e.g. 30 days). Once the
age of the
media exceeds the designated period, the payloads and data are discarded. In
another
embodiment, payloads can be discarded based on the sender and/or the recipient
of
the Message containing the payload, or the topic of the Conversation or
Messages
associated with the payload. In yet other embodiments, payloads and data may
be
marked for transience, meaning the Messages will not be stored in the PIMB 30
beyond the requirements for immediate Rendering.
D.2.2 The Data and Network Quality Store
[0114] The data and network quality store (DNQS) 32 is a data store for
storing information regarding Media payloads and Vox packets that are either
read
from or written to the PIMB 30.
D.2.3 The PIMB Writer
[0115] The PIMB writer 28 writes data to the PIMB 30 for two basic purposes.
The
PIMB writer 28 writes data from a Media capturing device (e.g., a microphone
or
camera) on the Device 13 running the Client 12 ("Encode Receive"). The PIMB
writer 28 also writes data received over the network 18 from other Clients 12
into the
PIMB 30 ("Net Receive").
D.2.3.1 Encode Receive
[0116] For capturing Media from the Device 13, the PIMB writer 28 includes
Encoder Receiver 28a and a Data Storer 28c. When a User speaks into the
microphone or generates video images with the Device 13 for example, the
hardware
34 receives the raw audio and/or video signals and provides them to the
Encoder
Receiver 28a, which encodes the signals into indexed media payloads (hereafter
sometimes simply referred to as "payload" or "payloads"). The Data Store 28c
stores
the payloads into the PIMB 30. Other types of Media, such as sensor data is
converted
into payloads in a similar manner.
D.2.3.2 Net Receive
[0117] For storing Media received over the network 18 into the PIMB 30, the
Net
Receive function of PIMB writer 28 includes a Network Receiver 28d, a Data
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Bufferer 28e, a Data Storer 28f, a Data Quality Manager 28g, and a Network
Quality
Manager 28h. The Network Receiver 28d receives Vox packets over the network
18.
The Data Bufferer 28e places the received Vox packets into their proper
sequence and
prevents the Rendering of the incoming Vox packets for at least the Minimum
Time
Shift Delay (MTSD) delay. The Data Storer 28f transforms the packets into
indexed
media payloads and stores the indexed media payloads in the PIMB 30. As the
payloads are stored, the Data Quality Manager (DQM) 28g notes any missing or
defective packets. If packets are missing or defective, the DQM 28g schedules
a
request for retransmission over the network 18. The sending device replies by
resending the missing or defective packets. Eventually these packets are
converted
into indexed media payloads and stored in the PIMB 30. By retrieving the
missing or
defective packets, an "exact" copy of a sender's Message is eventually stored
in the
PIMB 30. The retransmission of missing and/or defective packets does not delay
the
rendering of Messages in real time, provided that the packets that have been
delivered
are of "good enough" quality and quantity. Retransmission requests may be
delayed
by the DQM 28g if insufficient network resources are available to support both
the
new "live" data as well as the retransmission.
D.2.4 The PIMB Reader
[0118] The PIMB reader 26 reads data from the PIMB 30 for two basic purposes.
The
PIMB reader 26 accesses the PIMB 30 when data is to be rendered ("Render") for
the
local Client 12. Data is also read from the PIMB 30 when data is to be
transmitted
("Transmit") by the Client 12 over the network 18.
D.2.4.1 Render
[0119] For the rendering of messages on the Client 12, the PIMB reader 26
includes a
Data Prioritizer 26a, a Data Retriever 26b, a Packet Loss
Compensation/Interpolator
("PLC/Interpolator") 26c, a Data Mixer 26d and a Data Renderer 26e. The
Prioritizer
26a prioritizes the data to be rendered by building an ordered queue of
messages that
could potentially be Rendered. It uses User configured Priority for the
rendering of
consecutive Conversations (MCMS-C). In addition, the Data Prioritizer uses the
availability of media data to render within the limits imposed by the MTSD,
the
User's current Attention, and the User's defined and implied Intentions. The
Data
Retriever 26b retrieves the prioritized indexed media payloads from the PIMB
30.
The PLC/Interpolator 26c performs packet loss compensation and interpolation
on the
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retrieved payloads, using known packet loss compensation and interpolation
algorithms. The particular method to be used is dependent on the media Codecs
in
use, and other well-known parameters. The Mixer 26d is used to appropriately
mix
concurrent data streams from multiple Messages of a single Conversation
together.
For example, if two or more Participants of a Conversation are speaking at the
same
time, the Mixer 26d mixes the Messages, creating the effect of both
Participants
speaking at the same time. In an alternative embodiment, the User has the
option of
Reviewing the multiple streams from one Participant at a time. If only one
Participant
in the Conversation is speaking, the Mixer 26d may simply pass the single
Message
stream, without performing any mixing. The Renderer 26e takes the data from
the
Mixer module 26d and converts it into a form suitable for the hardware driver
34.
The hardware 34 then drives either the speaker or video display of the Device
13,
depending on the type of Media, creating voice, video or some other audible
and/or
visible notifier on the Device 13.
D.2.4.2 Transmit
[0120] To prepare messages for transmission from the Client 12 over a network
18,
the PIMB reader 26 includes a Data Prioritizer 26f, a Packet Quality Manager
(PQM)
26g, a Data Retriever 26h, Packetizer 26i, a Transmitter 26j and an
Acknowledger
26k. The Data Prioritizer 26f prioritizes the Messages for transmission over
the
network 18. Priority is determined using the MCMS Participant Attributes
related to
payloads available for transmission, network connectivity and bandwidth
conditions,
and the Intentions of Users beyond the next hop to either Render live or time-
shifted,
and, in some embodiments, possible optimizations of transmission bundling
where
multiple packets to any given next network hop are available. The prioritized
packets
are then optimized, using the PQM 26g, which assures the timely delivery of
"good
enough" data quality for live Messages, while minimizing real-time bandwidth,
as
described in more detail below. The Data Retriever 26h retrieves the
appropriate
payloads from the PIMB 30. The Packetizer 26i assembles the payloads into Vox
Packets, which are then transmitted by the Transmitter module 26j over the
network
18. When the recipient receives the Vox packets, an acknowledgement is sent
back to
Acknowledger 26k over the network 18 for notifying the sending User that a
Message
has arrived at its destination.
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D.2.5 The Packet Quality Manager
[0121] The PQM 26g has several optimization goals: (i) the timely delivery of
an
adequate copy of time-sensitive Media ("as soon as possible to be good enough"
for
Rendering); (ii) the efficient use of available bandwidth, meaning using the
optimal
transmission frequency, payload quality, and packet size for the underlying
network;
and (iii) the ability to dynamically adjust or make changes in the
transmission
frequency, payload content, payload quality, packet size, etc. as network
conditions
change.
D.2.6 The Network Quality Manager
[0122] On the receiving side of a network transmission is the Network Quality
Manager 28h (NQM). The NQM is responsible for observing specific properties of
network performance for each sender that has sent media to the Client 12,
comparing
expectations of jitter, loss, and throughput to their actual values. This is
used to
compute a Network Quality Rating (NQR) for every sender. This NQR is used to
indicate sender availability and Conversation live-ness to the User of the
receiving
device.
D.2.7 The Data Quality Manager
[0123] The Data Quality Manager 28g measures the quality of the data being
received
over the network by observing packet loss, jitter, and throughput. The DQM 28g
uses
these measurements for three purposes: (i) to send receipt reports back to the
sender;
(ii) optionally using those receipt reports to request retransmission of
certain data; and
(iii) making these measurements available to the NQM 28h.
E. Server Architecture
[0124] Referring to Figure 3, a block diagram of the application 78 that runs
on the
Server(s) 16. The application 78 is similar to the Client application 12 in
many
regards and includes an MCMS server application 80, an MCMS database 82, a
store
and stream module 84, a PIMB 85, a data and network quality store (DNQS) 86,
MCMS-SAS message handling modules 87a and 87b which manage messages and
signals back and forth between the MCMS server application 80 and Store and
Stream
module 84, an archive/retriever 88, and an archive 89. The application 78
further
includes an authentication-encryption-security module 40 and a communication
protocol module 44.
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[0125] The MCMS server application 80 is a multi-tiered architecture including
a
MCMS Database Module 20a, a Store and Stream (SAS) Module 20b, a
Messaging/Signaling Module 20c, Conversations/Messages management services
20f,
Priority services 20g, Contacts (including User and Authentication) services
20h,
Presence/Status service 20i, and Messages/Signals services 20. The
aforementioned
modules and services of the application 78 are similar or the same as the
modules and
services having like reference numerals as the Client 12, and therefore are
not
described in detail herein, except for one notable exception. In various
embodiments,
the MCMS server application 80 and Store and Stream module 84, including the
MCMS database 82, is configured to support many Users in one instance of the
application. The one instance may be further configured to support multiple
domains,
where each domain is defined as a group of Users (i.e., a corporation or other
group of
Users belonging to a common organization). This architecture allows each
application
78 on Server 16 to serve multiple users (or domains), where each user (or
domain) is
not visible to other Users. This partitioning is referred to as "multi-
tenancy".
[0126] The server Store and Steam 84 module performs the functions of Net
Receive
and Transmit. For the Net Receive function, the module 84 includes a Net
Receiver
28d, Data Bufferer 28e, a Data Storer 28f, a Data Quality Manager (DQM) 28g,
and a
Network Quality Manager 28h. For Transmit functions, the module 84 includes a
Data Prioritizer 26f, Packet Optimizer 26g, Data Retriever 26h, Packetizer
26i,
Transmitter 26j and an Acknowledger 26k. The aforementioned elements of the
Store
and Stream module 84 are similar or the same elements having like reference
numerals as the Client 12, and therefore are not described in detail herein.
[0127] Since the Server 16 does not directly interact with Users, the encoding
and
rendering functions provided in the Store and Stream module 24 of the Clients
12
need not be present. The MCMS application 80, when running on Servers 16, does
not interact directly with Users. Consequently, the user interface and user
interface
API modules and services 20e and 20d are not needed.
[0128] The application 78 on each Server 16 potentially serves multiple
tenants,
meaning it serves multiple Users of the system 10. The PIMB 85 of the server
application 78 is therefore significantly larger and is used to store the
media payloads
of multiple Users, as opposed to the PIMB 30, which is used to store just the
generated or received payloads of only a single User. The main purpose of the
Store
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and Stream module 84 is to receive Messages transmitted by the Clients 12 and
transmit Messages to other Clients 12. As Messages are received, they are
stored in
the PIMB 85 and transmitted to the next Server 16 (i.e., the net "hop") of the
network
layer 14 along the path to the intended recipient(s), or to the recipient(s)
directly
depending on the system configuration. The archive-retriever 88 is responsible
for
archiving the media payloads stored in the PIMB 85 in archive 89. As the
physical
space in the PIMB 85 is exhausted, media payloads in the PIMB 85 are moved to
the
archive 89, which is a mass storage device. In various embodiments, the
payloads
stored in the PIMB 85 may be archived in accordance with User defined criteria
and/or any known replacement algorithm, such as first-in-first-out (FIFO) or
least
recently used (LRU). It should be noted that only a single Server 16 is
illustrated in
Figure 1 for simplicity. It should be understood that in actual embodiments,
multiple
servers or a "server farm" may be used for a network with a large number of
Users.
[0129] The terms "persistent" and "infinite" used to describe the PIMB 30 and
the
PIMB 85 should not be construed literally as absolute terms. A User may wish
to
indefinitely store some Messages that are considered important. In other
situations,
such as a casual chat between two friends, the Messages may be deleted after a
certain
period of time to save space. According to various embodiments of the
invention,
different retention policies may be used, either set by the system 10 or
configured by
the User. The use of the word "infinite" refers to the lack of any preset time
boundaries enforced by the PIMB. This is contrasted with current jitter buffer
systems, which discard media after it has been rendered. The terms persistent
and
infinite should therefore be broadly construed to mean that the PIMB 30 and
PIMB 85
have no internal limitations on the time ranges and quantities of Messages
that can be
stored therein.
[0130] There are a number of advantages to archiving the Messages of
Conversations
in a persistent storage medium. Voice messages and other Media can be
organized,
indexed, searched, transcribed, translated, and Reviewed as needed. Voice, as
well as
other Media, therefore becomes an asset that can be managed both by Users and
organizations. These Media assets have value to corporations, first
responders, police
and fire departments, as well as the military.
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F. The Vox Protocol and Indexed Media Payloads
[0131] As noted above, the Vox protocol is used by the Store and Stream module
24
to support all facets of payload transmission, storage, and optimization. The
Vox
packet is a structured message format designed for encapsulation inside a
transport
packet or transport packets of the underlying technology of the network 18.
This
arrangement significantly improves the flexibility of the system 10. By
embedding the
Vox packets into existing transport packets, as opposed to defining a new
transport
layer for "Voxing" applications, the system 10 takes advantage of current
packet
based communication networks running over the existing telecommunications
infrastructure. A new network infrastructure for handling the Vox packets
therefore
need not be created to take advantage of all the benefits of the system and
method
described herein.
[0132] Referring to Figure 4A, the general format structure of a Vox packet 95
is
illustrated. The format of the Vox packet 95 includes fields for type, sub-
type, length,
and payload. The different types of Vox packets include authentication,
signaling,
media payload, media multiplex (one message), and media multiplex (multiple
messages). The sub-type field is used to designate different types of
authentication,
signaling or media type messages. Possible sub-types for authentication
Messages
include those necessary for key exchanges and Authentication. Possible sub-
types for
signaling Messages include registration, routing, message set-up, and network
management. Possible sub-types for Media messages include different Codec
styles
and different payload aggregation techniques. The length field defines the
overall
length or size of the payload. The payload field contains the actual payload
or media
of the packet 95.
[0133] Referring to Figure 4B, a diagram illustrating a Vox packet 95
encapsulated in
an exemplary protocol used by the network 18 is shown. In this example, the
Vox
packet 95 is embedded in underlying UDP, IP and Ethernet transport packets 96
respectively. In this manner, the Vox packet 95 can be transported across
underlying
UDP, IP and Ethernet layers of the network 18. This is a standard protocol
encapsulation technique used by packet networks.
[0134] Referring to Figure 4C, a diagram illustrating a media multiplex Vox
packet
95 encapsulated in UDP, IP, and Ethernet 97 is illustrated. In this example,
the Vox
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packet 95 includes a Media type field, a Media sub-type field, a length field,
a
message ID field, a time stamp field, a sequence ID field, and a Media payload
field.
[0135] Referring to Figure 4D, the format of an indexed media payload 98 is
illustrated. The indexed media payload includes a sub-type field, a length
field, a
message identifier (ID) field, a time-stamp field, a sequence identifier (ID)
field, and
field for the Media payload.
[0136] The encapsulation of Vox packets 95 into the transport packets of the
underlying network allows the Media, Messages and Conversations to each be
defined
by a number of attributes.
[0137] When Media is created or otherwise originated on a Device 13, it is
typically
time-based, meaning it changes in some meaningful way over time. As a person
engages in a Conversation for example, their spoken words are strung together
into
sentences or statements, which vary over time, and the resulting data (streams
and
packets) will maintain the same variance over time. Similarly video (as
opposed to a
still photo) as well as GPS or other sensor data will vary over time.
Regardless of the
type or how it is originated, the Media is segmented and placed into the
payloads of a
plurality of Vox packets 95. The packets are then continually, stored,
transmitted,
received, stored and rendered in streams (i.e., streaming media) at the
transmitting and
receiving Devices 13 respectively. Since each packet 95 is indexed, time-
stamped,
and given a sequence identifier, the individual packets can be segmented into
Messages. By sequentially threading the individual Messages together,
Conversations
may be constructed.
[0138] One further unique aspect of the system 10 is that the media payloads
generated by a Client 12 are stored in multiple locations. Not only are the
payloads
stored in the PIMB 30 of the generating Device 13, but also in the PIMB 85 of
the
Server(s) 16 and the PIMB 30 of the receiving Devices 13. This basic feature
enables
or makes possible much of the Voxing functionality described above and
provides the
system 10 with both resilience and operability, even when network conditions
are
poor or when a Participant of a Conversation is not connected to the network.
G. Interoperability With Underlying Telecommunication Protocols
[0139] The system 10 is intended to run or be layered over a variety of
existing
communication networks 18, such as the Internet, fixed PSTN type circuit
networks,
and mobile or cellular phone networks, or a combination thereof. The system 10
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designed around the concept of moving many small units of information (i.e.,
the Vox
packets) between different Clients 12 and Servers 16 in the system 10. While
Vox
packets may vary in size, depending on their function and payload, they all
appear to
be the same kind of data to the underlying network layer. In one embodiment,
the
system 10 has been designed and optimized for IPv4 networks such as the
Internet,
but other types of networks may be supported as well. For the purposes of this
document, the term "IP" should be taken to mean IPv4, IPv6 or any other
current or
future implementation of the Internet Protocol.
[0140] Referring to Figure 5, a diagram of a Client 12 running on Device 13
and
communicating with a Server 16 over a shared IP network 100 is shown. As
illustrated, the Client 12 is coupled to the shared IP network 100 through a
first
Internet service provider A and the Server 16 is coupled to the shared IP
network 100
by a second Internet service provider B. During communication, the Vox packets
95
(designed "VP" in the figure) are encapsulated within UDP/IP packets and then
interleaved among other IP protocol packets as is well known in the art and
transmitted across the shared IP network 100 from the Client 12 to Server 16,
or vice
versa. As is well known, each lower packet layer encapsulates the entire
packet of the
layer immediately above it. Packets can also be sent in a similar manner
between two
Servers 16. Messages are sent from one Client 12 enabled Device 13 to another
over a
shared IP network 100. At each hop, the Vox packets 95 are embedded in the
underlying IP protocol and transmitted, until they reach the target
destination.
[0141] The diagram of Figure 5 is merely exemplary, showing only a single
Client 12
and Server 16 connected to the network 100 for the sake of illustration. In
actual
embodiments of the system 10, a large number of Clients 12 and one or more
Servers
16 are typically connected to the shared IP network 100. It is also useful to
note that
the Client 12 and Server 16 do not have exclusive use of the IP network 100.
In the
example shown, an HTTP client, which is coupled to the network 100 through
Internet provider A, can send packets back and forth with an HTTP server,
coupled to
the network 100 through a third Internet provider C. The system 10 does not
control
the manner in which the VPs embedded in the IP packets traverse the network
100.
Rather, all packets that traverse and share the network 100 do so in
accordance with
the standard procedures of the underlying shared IP network 100.
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[0142] Referring to Figure 6, a "circuit" based network 104 such as a GSM
mobile
phone network is illustrated. The circuit network 104 is coupled between
Client 12
running on Device 13 and Server 16. Once a circuit is established between the
Client
12 and Server 16, the system 101ayers Vox packets (VP1, VP2, VP3, VP4, VP5,
etc.)
onto the underlying packets used by the network 104 and transmits them across
the
network 104, creating "virtual Vox" circuit. The Vox Packets sequentially
traverse the
circuit network 104, typically with spacing or framing data as is well known
in the art
for transmitting data over a circuit network. In addition, packet construction
parameters, such as the payload size and the number of header fields included
may be
used to exploit the lack of per-packet overhead and to increase speed and/or
efficiency
of data transfer across the network 104. It should be noted again that for the
sake of
simplicity, only a single Client 12 and Server 16 are shown connected to the
network
104. It should be understood, however, that additional circuits between
Clients 12 and
Servers 16 as well as other components may be established concurrently through
the
network 104. The network 104 is therefore not dedicated for the transmission
of Vox
Packets, but rather may be shared with other types of network traffic.
[0143] Referring to Figure 7, a diagram illustrating communication between a
first
Client 12A enabled Device 13A associated with a first network A and a second
Client
12B enabled Device 13B associated with a second network B is illustrated. The
networks A and B further each include gateway Servers 16A and 16B
respectively.
The Gateway Server pair 16A and 16B facilitate communication between the two
networks A and B, allowing the Devices 13A and 13B to communicate with each
other. In various embodiments, the networks A and B could each be any type of
network. For example, each network A and/or B could be an IP network, a
circuit type
network, or a wireless or cellular network (i.e., CDMA, GSM, TDMA, etc.). The
Servers 16 that straddle the two networks A and B are considered gateway
servers
because they route traffic or serve as a "gate" between the two networks.
[0144] With the system 10, there are a several basic network interaction
considerations to optimize system performance. These considerations include
factors
such as resolving the underlying address to which the Vox packets 95 are to be
sent,
the integrity of any sent Vox packets, and the management of the Maximum
Transmission Unit (MTU) of a single Message that may be sent across a given
network or combination of networks.
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[0145] The address of a target Client 12 needs to be known so that the
underlying
network delivers the Vox packet 95 to the correct location. With IPv4
networks, the
address is typically an IPv4 Address, which is a 32-bit number that uniquely
identifies
a host within the network. For other networking technologies, the address
could be
some other type of identifier. IP networks use the Domain Name System (DNS) to
resolve human-readable names into IP addresses, and the Address Resolution
Protocol
(ARP) to resolve IP addresses into physical addresses. Regardless of the
underlying
networking technology, the system 10 uses one of the above-mentioned or other
known addressing schemes for delivery of Vox packets 95 to the correct
location.
[0146] As with almost any packet-based communication system, transmitted Vox
packets might not be delivered to their addressed location if the underlying
network is
unable to deliver the packets in which the Vox packets are encapsulated. Most
packet
networks do not inform transmitters when packets are dropped. Instead they
rely on
the transmitters and receivers to notice and compensate for any dropped
packets. The
system 10 is designed to use these receiver receipt report messages to
coordinate this
packet loss management. If the underlying network is able to inform the sender
of lost
or dropped packets, the system 10 utilizes this information in its
retransmission
protocol.
[0147] The management of MTU is the determination of the Maximum Transmission
Unit (i.e., the maximum size of a single message) that may be sent across a
network.
For packet-based networks, the underlying network imposes the MTU. For circuit-
switched networks, the MTU may be a tunable parameter for network efficiency
and
performance. Thus in most cases, the underlying network imposes or determines
the
maximum size of the Vox packet 95 that may be transmitted efficiently. For
example
with IP networks, packets may be fragmented if the payload exceeds the MTU,
but at
a substantial performance penalty. With IP over Ethernet networks, the
transmitting
device has an MTU of 1518 bytes, as enforced by Ethernet. The largest IP
packet
must leave room for the Ethernet headers. The largest UDP packet must leave
room
for both IP and Ethernet headers and the largest Vox protocol that may be
generated
on Ethernet for example is the Ethernet MTU (1518) - IP header (20) - UDP
header
(8) = 1490 bytes. Since the Vox protocol will have a header of its own, the
actual
Vox media payload will be less than 1490 bytes on an Ethernet network. For
Gigabit
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Ethernet, the MTU could be much larger, but would be determined using a
similar
formula.
[0148] In a purely packet-based network, there are two potential values for
MTU, the
local link MTU and the path MTU. Determining the local link MTU yields the
maximum size for Vox packets to be efficiently sent out to the local network
interface. The path MTU yields the maximum size of Vox packet that may be sent
intact all the way to the remote node. If a sender is connected via Ethernet,
the Vox
packet might pass through various other systems with smaller MTUs en-route to
the
recipient. The smallest MTU on the path to the destination needs to be
resolved and
known by the sender. In the IP world, there is a standard procedure for
discovering
the smallest MTU called "Path MTU Discovery". For other kinds of networks, an
equivalent procedure may be used. Again, since the system 10 is layered on top
of
other networks, any of the above MTU algorithms may be used.
H. Operation Flow Diagrams
H.1 Store and Stream
[0149] Referring to Figures 8A through 8F, a series of flow diagrams are
provided to
illustrate the operation of the store and stream module 24 and 84 on Clients
12 and
Servers 16 respectively. Figure 8A shows the sequence of operation for a first
Client
12i transmitting Messages to a second Client 122. Figures 8B and 8C illustrate
the
operation of the PIMB writer 28 and PIMB Reader 28 on the transmitting Client
12i.
Figures 8D and 8E illustrate the operation of the PIMB Writer 28 and PIMB
Reader
26 on the receiving Client 122. Figure 10F illustrates a flow diagram of the
Store and
Steam module 84 on a server 16.
[0150] In Figure 8A, the User of Client 12i running on a Device 13i originates
Media
to be transmitted. The Media can be originated at the Device 13 in a number of
different ways such the User creating Media by speaking into a microphone or
creating video content on their Device 13. Media is also originated by a
Device 13 by
receiving sensor data, such a GPS information or a temperature reading.
Regardless of
how the Media is originated, the Media is encoded by the PIMB Writer 28 (box
130),
which converts the Media into indexed media payloads and stores them in the
PIMB
30 (box 132) on Client 12i. The PIMB Reader 26 on the Client 12i reads the
payloads
out of the PIMB 30, creates Vox packets, and transmits the packets to the
receiving
Client 122 (box 134) over the network 18. Each Server 16 along the path
between the
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sending Client 12i and the receiving Client 122 stores the transmitted
payloads in the
PIMB 85 and transmits the Vox packets to the next hop (box 133). At the
receiving
Client 122, the net receive function of the PIMB Writer 28 converts the Vox
packets
into indexed media payloads (box 136) and stores the payloads into the PIMB 30
of
Client 122 (box 138). The rendering module of the PIMB reader 26 on Client 122
renders the payload information read from the PIMB 30 into a medium suitable
for
human consumption, such as voice or video (box 140). Each of these steps are
described in more detail below with respect to Figures 10B through 10E.
[0151] In Figure 8B, a sequence of the Encode Receive function performed by
the
PIMB Writer 28 (step 130 of Figure 8A) is provided in detail. In the initial
step 130i,
the User of the Device 13 running the Client 12i originates the Media to be
transmitted. As noted above, the Media may be derived by speaking into a
microphone, using a camera, receiving sensor data, or by some other Media
generating component. In the next step 1302, the Encode Receiver 28a encodes
the
Media and creates the indexed media payloads (step 1303), which are then
stored in
the PIMB 30 (step 132) by the Data storer 28c.
[0152] In Figure 8C, the sequence of the Transmit function performed by the
PIMB
Reader 26 (step 134 of Figure 8A) on the sending client 12, is provided in
detail. In
decision loop 134i, the transmit function of the PIMB Reader 26 continuously
checks
to see if indexed media payloads that are to be transmitted have been written
into the
PIMB 30 and are available for transmission. If such payloads are available in
the
PIMB 30, the Data Prioritizer 26f prioritizes the payloads that should be sent
first,
using the MCMS Participant Attributes information, as illustrated in step
1342.
Information about the highest priority payloads are passed to the Packet
Optimizer
module 26g which runs the PQM (step 1343), as described in more detail below
with
respect to Figures 9A-9C. The appropriate payloads are then retrieved from the
PIMB
(step 1344) by the Data Retriever 26h and converted into Vox packets 95 by the
Packetizer 26i (step 1345). The Vox packets 95 are then transmitted (step
1346) by the
Transmitter 26j over the network 18 to the receive Client 122, which sends
back
30 receipt reports reflecting the properties (loss, jitter, throughput) of the
packets that
have been received. These receipt reports provide the information necessary
for the
PQM to calculate the MABR for a given receiver. The aforementioned process is
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repeated for each transmission loop as indicated by the return arrow from the
transmit
step to the top of the flow chart.
[0153] In the embodiment described above, the media is encoded, stored in the
PIMB
30 and then transmitted over the network in a serial fashion. In an
alternative
embodiment, the encoded media can be stored in the PIMB 30 and transmitted
over
the network in parallel, meaning the two functions occur substantially at the
same
time.
[0154] In Figure 8D, the sequence for the Net Receive function (step 136 of
Figure
8A) of the PIMB Writer 28 on the receiving Client 122 is illustrated. In the
initial step
136i, the network receiver 28d receives the Vox packets 95 over the network
18. The
Data Storer 28f converts the packets into indexed media payloads (step 1363),
which
are stored in the PIMB 30 (step 1364). As the payloads are stored, the Data
Quality
Manager (DQM) 28g is run. The DQM 28g checks for missing or corrupted packets,
ensures the eventually storage of an exact copy of the transmitted data, and
the sends
receipt reports regarding the conditions of the network to the transmitter.
Each of
these functions of the DQM 28g are described in more detail below with regard
to
Figures 9D through 9F.
[0155] In Figure 8E, the sequence for the Render function of the PIMB Reader
26
(box 140 of Figure 8A) on the receive Client 122 is illustrated. In the
initial step 140i,
the Data Prioritizer 26a prioritizes the indexed media payloads to be rendered
as
determined by the MCMS application 20 using the MTSD information as well as
User
status and presence information, including the User's Intentions and Attention
status.
The prioritized payloads are then read from the PIMB 30 (step 1402) by the
Data
Retriever 26b. The PLC/Interpolator 26c performs packet loss compensation and
interpolation (step 1403) on the retrieved payloads, using known packet loss
compensation and interpolation algorithms depending on which Codecs are used.
In
the next step, the Mixer 26d mixes (step 1404) multiple Messages of a
Conversation if
two or more Participants have generated Media at the same time within the same
Conversation (e.g., both are speaking at the same time). The Renderer 26e
renders
(step 1405) the data stream from the Mixer 26d, generating sound, video, or
other
Media (step 1406) for the recipient User.
[0156] In Figure 8F, the sequence for a Server 16 to receive Vox packets from
the
previous hop on the network 18, store, archive and transmit the Vox packets to
the
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next hop is illustrated. In the initial step, the Server 16 performs the Net
Receive
function of the PIMB writer (similar to Fig. 8D) to store the indexed media
payloads
of the received data in the PIMB 85 and archive 89 or the Server 16. The
server 16
also performs the Transmit function of the PIMB writer (similar to Fig. 8C) to
forward the received packets onto the next hop on the network 18. In this
manner, a
copy of the media generated by the transmit Client 12, is received, stored and
transmitted at each hop along the path to the receive Client 122.
[0157] In the aforementioned embodiment, the writing of received indexed media
is
stored in the PIMB 91 of the Server 16 and transmitted to the next hop in a
serial
fashion. In an alternative embodiment, the received indexed media payloads can
be
stored in the PIMB 91 and transmitted to the next hop substantially at the
same time.
The storage of Media on the PIMB 30 of both transmitting and receiving Devices
13
allows for the progressive transmission and rendering of Media. On the
transmit side,
the Media originating on the transmitting device may be progressively
transmitted
over the network as it is being received. In various embodiments, the encoded
Media
(regardless of how it is originated) may be progressively transmitted before,
after, or
at substantially the same time it is stored in the PIMB 30. On the receive
side, the
incoming Media may also be progressively rendered as it is received over the
network, provided the User has opted to Review the Media in the near real-time
mode. In various embodiments, the incoming Media may be progressively rendered
before, after or substantially at the same time as it is stored in the PIMB 30
of the
receiving Device 13. If the received Media is to be Reviewed in the time-
shifted
mode, then the Media is retrieved from the PIMB 30 (or possibly a PIMB 85 on a
Server 16 if replaced on the local PIMB 30) for later Review at a time
designated by
the User.
[0158] In the context of the present application, the term progressive or
progressively
is intended to be broadly construed and generally mean the continuous
processing of a
data stream based on availability of the data. For example, as Media is
created or
otherwise originated on a Device 13, the progressive encoding, storage,
packetization
and transmitting of that media is continuous, so long as the Media is
available. As a
person speaks, that Media is progressive or continuously encoded, stored,
packetized
and transmitted for the duration of the persons speech. When the person pauses
or
stops speaking, there is no media to progressively process. When the person
resumes
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speaking again, the progressive processing of the Media resumes. On the
receive side,
the Media is also progressive processed as the Media is being received (i.e.,
available). As Media the Media is received it is continuously stored. It will
also be
continually rendered as the Media is being received when in the near real-time
mode
or from storage when in the time-shifted mode. Although the above explanation
was
provided in the context of voice, it should be understood that all types of
Media can
be progressively processed in a similar manner. Also the progressive
processing of
Media does not necessarily have to be progressively processed in time-indexed
order.
Rather the Media is processed in the order in which it is received. If Media
is received
out of index order, in one embodiment, the Media is progressively processed in
the
order it was received and then organized into the indexed sequence in the PIMB
30. In
an alternative embodiment, the received Media can be organized into its
indexed
sequence and then progressively rendered.
H.2 POM Operation Flow Diagrams
[0159] The PQM 26g relies on a metric called the Maximum Available Bit Rate
(MABR), which is a continually computed approximation of actual transmission
capacity or bandwidth (i.e., a measure of the capability of the network at a
given point
in time) between a sending and receiving node pair. As instantaneous network
conditions change, the MABR is updated. Regular measurements of network
throughput, packet loss, and jitter are considered in computing the MABR. In
an
alternative embodiment, the MABR may also be manually set or limited based on
time of day, type of network, other conditions or parameters.
[0160] The PQM also considers the Intention of the recipient(s) to optimize
transmission for time-sensitivity. A transmission is considered time-sensitive
if either
(i) the Intention of the recipient(s) is to Review the transmission "live" or
in the near
real-time mode, or (ii) the recipient would like to immediately Review a
Message that
for some reason is not currently stored on their Device 13 (e.g., the Message
was
previously stored in the archive 89). The Intention of the recipient can be
either
inferred by the behavior of the recipient or the recipient may set or
otherwise
designate their Intention. On the other hand, a transmission is considered to
be not
time-sensitive if the Intention of the recipient is to Review the Message in
the time-
shifted mode. The Intention of the recipient to Review the transmission in
either the
live or time-shifted mode at least partially defines the "timeliness
requirements" of the
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transmission. In various other embodiments, factors such as the urgency or
priority of
transmissions may also be considered in defining the timeliness requirement of
the
transmission.
[0161] The nodes in the network path between a sender and a receiving pair
also need
to be consistent regarding the status of intentions of the recipients. If one
target
recipient indicates timeliness, meaning they wish to Review the transmission
immediately or live, then all the intermediate nodes on the network along the
sender-
receiver path need to have the same timeliness requirement, regardless of the
requirements of other recipients. The timeliness requirement of each of the
intermediate nodes is therefore dependent on the receiving nodes the
transmission is
being sent to. This dependency is sometimes referred to as a "union of
requirements"
for target nodes in the network transmission path.
[0162] The PQM further considers an Ideal Bit Rate or "IBR" for each scheduled
Message payload transmission. For time-sensitive transmissions, the IBR is
computed
based on the packetization rate needed for substantially real time or live
communication (referred to herein as the Real Time Bit Rate or RTBR). With
voice
for example, a packetization rate of a packet every 20 milliseconds containing
20
milliseconds of audio data is considered an acceptable IBR for conducting live
conversations. The RTBR for such a system in kilobits per second would be the
size
of 1 second of audio payload data plus the size of all network headers that
would be
generated for the transmission. For video media or a combination of voice and
video,
the RTBR will likely be substantially higher than simply voice. For other
types of
media such as sensor or GPS positioning data, the RTBR will likely be lower
than that
of voice. For non time-sensitive transmissions, the IBR is set to a Maximum
Efficiency Bit Rate (MEBR) to optimize the usage or efficiency of
transmissions over
the network. The MEBR is calculated by adjusting the packetization rate to its
largest possible value for the underlying network. If multiple messages or
payloads
are to be sent between a sending and receiving pair, then an Aggregate IBR
(AIBR) is
considered for the transmission.
[0163] The PQM operates by sending data in a series of transmission loops for
each
sending and receiving pair. The transmission loops for each sending and
receiving
pair are independent. Any transmission on the network may affect the MABR of
other
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sending-receiving pairs. Accordingly, the MABR is preferably continually
computed
for all recipients.
[0164] Referring to Figures 9A through 9C, flow charts illustrating the
sequence of
operation of the PQM for a single sending and receiving pair is illustrated.
In Figure
9A, the steps in determining the MABR between the single sending and receiving
pair
are illustrated. In Figure 9B, a flow chart illustrating the steps for
calculating the
AIBR for each transmission loop for the single sending and receiving pair are
illustrated. In Figure 9C, a sequence for determining the amount of data to
transmit
between the sending and receiving pair per loop is illustrated. The processes
illustrated in the three diagrams run simultaneously and interact with one
another, as
described in more detail below.
[0165] In Figure 9A, a flow chart 50 for calculating the MABR for the network
interface between the sending and receiving pair is shown. In the initial step
50i, the
network interface between the sending and receiving pair is monitored. The
sender
periodically receives reports, which contain information regarding the status
of the
network connection at the receiver in step 502. The reports include
information
regarding the current status of data throughput 503, packet loss 504, and
jitter 505 as
observed by the receiver at the network interface. In step 506, the MABR is
calculated
at the sender based on these observations contained in the reports. By
monitoring or
observing the data in these reports, the MABR value is continually adjusted
based on
current network capabilities or conditions between the sending and receiving
pair. As
network capabilities become more favorable for data transmission, the MABR
will
increase. If the network capabilities become less favorable for transmission,
the
MABR will decrease, potentially all the way to zero for an unusable network.
The
reports are similar to the packet loss reports generated by nodes in TCP
networks, but
additionally include throughput and jitter information as well.
[0166] If there are several network interfaces between the sending and
receiving pair,
an MABR is calculated for each interface for which a receipt report is
received. If no
traffic has been recently sent on the network, or no receipt reports have been
received,
the MABR may not reflect current network conditions. However, since receipt
reports are generated continually by receivers while data is transmitted, the
sender's
MABR metrics will quickly converge to a more accurate value.
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[0167] Referring to Figure 9B, a flow chart 52 illustrating the steps for
calculating the
AIBR for a transmission loop is illustrated. In the initial step 52i, the
Messages with
Media (by which we mean portions of the time indexed media that belongs to
this
Message) ready to be transmitted between the sending and receiving pair in the
current loop are ascertained. A list of Messages with Media is then built 522.
For each
Message in the list 523, the time-sensitivity or timeliness requirement of
each
Message is considered 524. If a particular Message is not time-sensitive, then
the IBR
is set to the Maximum Efficiency Bit Rate (MEBR) 525. On the other hand, if a
Message is time-sensitive, then the IBR is set to the Real Time Bit Rate
(RTBR) 526.
In the next step 527, the previously computed IBRs for each of the Messages in
the list
are summed together, resulting in the Aggregate Ideal Bit Rate (AIBR) 528 for
the
transmission loop. As signified by the return arrow 529, the above-described
process
is repeated for each transmission loop between the sending and receiving pair.
[0168] Referring to Figure 9C, a flow chart 54 illustrating the sequence for
determining the rate of data to transmit between the sending and receiving
pair per
transmission loop is illustrated. In the initial step 54i, the MABR (as
calculated in
Figure 9A) is compared to the AIBR (as determined in Figure 9B) for the next
transmission.
[0169] If the MABR is greater than or equal to the AIBR, then all the Messages
identified as ready for transmission in the loop are packetized at the IBR
rate 542 and
transmitted 543.
[0170] On the other hand, if the MABR is less than the AIBR, then a series of
procedures are applied to so that the PQM meets its goals of the timely
delivery of an
adequate copy of the data, the efficient use of available bandwidth, and/or
adjustments
to the payload content and quality, packet size, and transmission rate to meet
current
network conditions.
[0171] In the initial step, the Messages in the list are reviewed for time
sensitivity 544.
If there are no time sensitive Messages, then the bit rate is reduced to the
MABR 545,
and the Messages are transmitted 543.
[0172] If the list includes time-sensitive Messages, the bit rate allocated
for the non
time-sensitive Messages is reduced 546 until it meets the MABR limits. If
reducing
the bit rate all the way to zero is insufficient to meet the MABR, then these
non time-
sensitive Messages are removed from the list of Messages to be transmitted in
the
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loop. If the bit rate has been reduced so that it is less than or equal to the
MABR, then
the remaining Messages are Packetized and transmitted 543.
[0173] If the removal of non time-sensitive Messages was not sufficient to
meet
MABR, then another procedure involving the use of a lower quality Codec (or
Codecs) for the remaining time-sensitive Messages 547 is used. An attempt is
made to
transmit the payload data as fast as possible by sending fewer bits during the
transmission loop. In other words, by reducing the quality of the payload, the
transmission sends fewer bits in a given period of time. In various
embodiments,
different Codec or Codecs, each having a different bit rate versus quality
tradeoff,
may be used. If the use of the lower quality Codec or Codecs is sufficient,
meaning
the MABR limit is met, then the Messages are transmitted 543.
[0174] If the use of lower quality Codec(s) still does not meet the MABR, then
the
packetization interval of the time-sensitive Messages is increased 548. With
this
procedure, the header-to-payload ratio is increased, which lowers the overall
bit rate
but introduces latency (i.e., a delay in the delivery of the transmission to
the
recipient). If this procedure results in the reduction of the AIBR to less
than or equal
to the MABR, then the transmission 543 occurs.
[0175] If after changing the packetization interval the MABR is still not met,
then the
bit rate may be progressively lowered 549 to be within the MABR limit. When
the
bit rate is lowered in this manner, time-sensitive messages are sent at a rate
that is not
sufficient to maintain a live conversation. Therefore, the Conversation is
forced out of
"live". If the network is down or conditions are very poor, it is possible
that no data
transmission may occur. Again, the aforementioned sequence is repeated for
each
transmission loop 54iobetween the sending and receiving pair.
[0176] If there are multiple network interfaces between the sending and
receiving
pair, the sequence described in relation to Figure 9C is performed for each
interface
for which receipt reports are available. In various embodiments, the sender
may
contain logic to distribute the transmission load among the multiple
interfaces. In
different examples, the payloads can be sent only on one interface, while in
other
embodiments, some or all of the interfaces may be used.
[0177] The aforementioned description pertains to any sending and receiving
pair in
the system 10. In most situations, the sending and receiving pair will include
a Client
12, enabled Device 13 and Server 16, two Servers 16, a Server 16 and Client 12
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enabled Device 13, or even possibly two Clients 12 respectively. If a sending
node is
transmitting to two (or more) receiving nodes at the same time, the above
mentioned
sequence as described in relation to Figures 9A-9C occurs concurrently for
each
receiving-sending pair.
H.3 DOM Operation Flow Diagrams
[0178] The DQM 28g determines if data received at the Client 12 is either
corrupted
or if there are missing packets. In addition, the DQM 28g of a receiving
Client 12
generates of the receipt reports, which are sent back to the transmitting node
on the
network. The DQM 28g also runs a background process to ensure that an exact
copy
of transmitted data is eventually received and stored. These functions are
described
below in Figures 9D through 9F respectively.
[0179] Referring to Figure 9D, a flow diagram illustrating the operation of
the DQM
28g for checking for missing and/or corrupted data is illustrated. In the
initial step 56i,
the DQM 28g checks for corrupted packets using well-known techniques, such as
CRC or similar integrity checking mechanisms. If a packet is corrupted, that
packet is
treated as missing 562. The DQM 28g next ascertains if any packets are missing
563.
If an out of sequence packet is not received after a predetermined period of
time, it is
assumed to be missing. The DQM 28g notes any missing or corrupted packets 564
in
the DNQS 32. On the other hand if no corrupted or missing packets are
detected, the
DQM 28g determines if the quality of the received data was intentionally
degraded by
the sender 565 for the purpose of saving bandwidth. The degraded quality is
noted in
the DNQS 32 566. Regardless if the quality of the received data is degraded or
not,
receipt information (e.g., a packet sequence number, time stamp, and the
network
address of the next node in the network the packet is to be sent) of the data
is stored
567 in the DNQS 32. The aforementioned process is continually repeated, as
signified
by the return arrow to the start of the flow diagram.
[0180] As a result of the process detailed in Figure 9D, information regarding
the
receipt of non-degraded packets, the deficiency of degraded quality packets,
and
missing packets, are all stored in the DNQS 32. As Media is received, the DNQS
32
maintains up-to-date information regarding the status of the Media.
[0181] Referring to Figure 9E, a flow diagram illustrating the operation of
the receipt
report generator function of the DQM 28g is illustrated. In the initial step,
the DNQS
32 is periodically scanned 58i to determine if there is any Media for which a
receipt
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report needs to be generated 582. If the answer is no, then the above scanning
process
is repeated. On the other hand if Media is identified, then the process
determines if the
Media is time-sensitive 583, meaning either the User intends to Review the
Media live
or the user would like to immediately Review Media that is not stored on their
Device
13.
[0182] If not time-sensitive, then the recipient informs the sender to set the
retransmission priority (as defined below) to low 584. If time-sensitive, then
the
amount of packet loss is considered 585. If the amount of packet loss is
outside a
usable quality range, the retransmission priority is set to high 586. As noted
above, if
the amount of packet loss is too large, the recipient may not be enabled to
Review the
Media upon receipt. If the quality is within an acceptable range, meaning the
quality
of the transmission is sufficient that it can be understood when rendered,
then the
priority for the sending of the receipt report is set to low 584. Regardless
if the
recipient is Reviewing upon receipt or not, a receipt report is sent 587, the
DNQS 32 is
updated 588 and the Network Quality Manager (NQM) 28h is updated 589. The
retransmission requests defined in step 584 is therefore conditional based on
time-
sensitivity. The transmission request defined in step 586 is conditional on
both time-
sensitivity and quality.
[0183] The retransmission priority informs the PQM 26g of the sender to
properly
prioritize the transmission rate for the Media that requires retransmission.
For
example when the retransmission priority is set to high, then the sending PQM
26g of
the sender should send any retransmissions before any new Media. If the
priority is
low, the PQM 26g should send the retransmitted Media after any new Media.
[0184] The aforementioned process is continuously repeated so that receipt
reports
are generated as Media is received. If the sender does not receive receipt
reports in a
timely manner, the PQM 26g of the sender will reduce the transmission rate,
eventually stopping the transmission if no receipt reports are received.
[0185] Referring to Figure 9F, a flow diagram illustrating the sequence for
requesting
of missing or degraded Media is illustrated. In the initial step 60i, the DNQS
32 is
periodically scanned for missing or degraded Media 602. If there is no missing
or
degraded Media, then the above defined scan is periodically repeated.
[0186] Media is considered missing if an out of sequence packet does not
arrive after
a predetermined threshold period of time 603. If the packet arrives before the
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threshold, then it is no longer considered missing. On the other hand if the
packet
does not arrive after the threshold is exceed, then it is deemed missing. With
missing
packets, a low priority request for retransmission is made 604 and the time of
the
request is noted 605 in the DNQS 32. This process is repeated until the
missing packet
is received. When the missing packet arrives and the corresponding Media is
available
in the PIMB 30, the missing status of the Media is removed from the DNQS 32.
The
retransmission request defined in step 604 is therefore conditional based on
whether
the Media is determined to be missing.
[0187] If degraded, the DQM 32 determines if the Media is part of a live
Conversation 606. If not, a request for a full quality copy of the degraded
Media is
made 607, the full quality Media is designated as missing 608 and the request
time is
noted 609, in the DNQS 32. If the Media is part of a live Conversation, then
no action
is immediately taken in order to preserve network bandwidth. When the
Conversation
transitions out of the live mode, then the steps 607 through 609 are performed
to ensure
that a full quality (i.e. an exact or perfect) copy of the degraded Media is
eventually
received. When the data becomes available in the PIMB 30 of the recipient
Client 12,
the degraded status of the associated Media is removed from the DQNS 32. The
transmission request defined in step 607 is conditional on whether the Media
is both
degraded and not part of a live conversation.
[0188] The aforementioned process is continually repeated, as signified by the
return
arrows from 605 and 609 to the top of the flow diagram at 60i. By repeating
the
process outlined in Figure 9F, exact copies of all transmitted Media is
eventually
stored in the PIMB 30 of the receiving Device 13. In this manner, the storage
of exact
copies of transmitted Media is guaranteed at the recipient Device 13.
I. Graphical User Interface
[0189] Referring to Figure 10, an exemplary Device 13 running Client
application 12
is illustrated. The Device 13 includes a graphical user interface display 110,
data entry
buttons, keys, or keyboard 112, a microphone 114, and a transducer 116 for
converting electrical signals into sound, such as a speaker. The display 110
may also
accept input as a touch screen. Further, the display 110 and keyboard 112 may
be
combined using a touch screen interface. As noted above, the Device 13 may be
a
variety of different communication tools, such as a desktop computer, laptop
or other
mobile computers, personal digital assistants, a programmable land-line or
cellular
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phone, or programmable radios, or just about any other type of programmable
communication device. The exemplary Device 13 illustrated in the figure is
intended
to be "generic", in the sense that it is supposed to represent or encompass
all of the
communication devices listed above. In addition, the term "graphical" user
interface
should not be construed as limiting. Other types of user interfaces which can
be
implemented on a Device 13 as well including Audio/DTMF interfaces, Voice User
Interfaces (VUI), radio switch interfaces, or a combination thereof, can all
be used to
implement the various functions described below. For the sake of simplicity,
each of
these types of methods by which a User may interact with their Device 13 are
generically referred to as a "user interface".
[0190] All Devices 13, regardless of their type, preferably have a user
interface that
enables the user to operate the Device 13 and communicate with other User's in
the
system 10. Although the user interface can be designed to have virtually an
infinite
number of different look and feel implementations, there are certain functions
and
features that all Devices 13 should have in common. These functions and
features are
listed below.
[0191] The user interface preferably includes one or more of the following
status
indicators or flags: (i) battery indicator; (ii) connectivity indicator; (iii)
clock; (iv)
transmitter status; (v) transmission sync status; (vi) Reviewing status; (vii)
Priority
Messages needing attention; and (viii) missed Messages.
[0192] The user interface preferably includes the following functions, flags
and
components to conduct and manage a single Conversation: (i) name of a
Conversation
and/or list of Participants; (ii) Conversation status; (iii) Conversation
type; (iv)
Conversation duration; (v) time behind the Head of the Conversation; (vi)
outstanding
Messages; (vii) presence/status of Participants; (viii) meta data with
navigation; (iix)
Conversation attributes or designators; (ix) Conversation set-up including
title,
scheduling, Participants, Conversation summary; and (v) indicators showing
which
Participants have contributed Messages and which have Listened to or Reviewed
messages.
[0193] The user interface also preferably includes, in addition to those
listed
immediately above, the following functions, flags and components to conduct
and
manage multiple Conversations: (i) a name/identifier for each Conversation;
(ii)
live/active or standing/inactive indicator; (iii) Review position, either at
Head or Time
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shifted; (iv) Priority and other attributes; and (v) indicators of what
portions of
Conversations were missed.
[0194] The user interface also preferably includes, a number of navigation
features,
such as: (i) DVR style fast back/forward per conversation; (ii) instant
messaging style
personal message navigation; (iii) Conversation Time indicators; (iv) time
scale
shifting (i.e. zooming backward and forward through a Message or the Messages
of a
Conversation); (v) changing Priority of Conversations; (vi) hanging up; and
(vii)
home.
[0195] The aforementioned functions and features may be implemented in a
variety
of ways, for example using a touch-screen graphical user interface 110, or
other input
devices, such as the data entry buttons, keys, or keyboard 112, a mouse, by
voice-
activated commands, or a combination thereof. Again the functions and features
listed
above and how they are implemented is not intended to be exhaustive. The
various
methods and technologies that could be used is so comprehensive, that it is
not
practical to list or discuss them all herein.
J. Conversations
[0196] The MCMS application 20 supports a number of different types of
Conversations, such as a near real time or "live" calls where the delay from
when a
Participant speaks and the other Participant(s) hear the first Participant is
very small,
Conversations where Participants exchange voice Messages back and forth with a
longer delay between Messages, "live" conference calls involving multiple
Users,
standing Conference calls at a regularly scheduled times, or configurable
structured
call types such as a simultaneous briefing, where Participants each leave a
Message
briefing beforehand for others to Review to before everyone joins the live
conference
call. Yet another unique attribute of the MCMS application 20 is the ability
for Users
to transition between the different types of Conversations. For example, the
Participants can seamlessly transition from a voice-messaging mode to a live
call and
back again. Or the Participants of a live conference call can transition to a
voice-
messaging mode and send updates or action items to each other after the
conference
call. While several examples have been noted, it should be understood that the
system
10 is extremely flexible and provides numerous options to transition between
different
types of calls or Conversations and between multiple conversations. By varying
the
delay between Messages, the Participants effectively flows between the type of
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Conversation that best suits their needs. The above examples should therefore
not be
construed as limiting.
[0197] As noted above, Conversations consist of Messages maintained in their
original context and sequence. A sent Message either belongs to an existing
Conversation or begins a new Conversation. A typical Conversation includes a
set of
Messages that are organized around a defined subject matter, topic, time,
Group or
Channel. For example, Conversations may involve a common Group of people such
as the members of a club, a company may have a standing Conversation at a
fixed
time, such as a weekly sales meeting, or friends may have ad-hoc Conversations
on
various topics, such as making dinner plans.
[0198] Each Conversation is defined by a set of attributes, including a name,
a list of
Participants, begin and end time, and state including at least pending,
active, or
terminated. Other Conversation states are possible in other embodiments. A
User
interacts with the MCMS application 20 on their Devices 13. In preferred
embodiments, the interface allows a User to organize Conversations by any of
the
various attributes.
[0199] The relationship between a Participant and a Conversation also has
attributes.
These attributes include, but are not limited to, Priority, Status (states of
participation
in a Conversation). The values of Participant status include active,
participation in
more than one Conversation at a time, Reviewing a Conversation in a time-
shifted
mode, Catching Up To Live, passively participating (i.e., not actively
Reviewing, but
receiving high Priority Messages), standby, or ignoring a Conversation (i.e.,
declined
to participate or record the Conversation).
[0200] From a recipient's perspective, a User may select or define the
relative priority
of Messages. For example, Messages from a person's boss would typically be
given a
higher Priority than a social acquaintance. In some embodiments, a recipient
has the
ability to set their own Priorities. In the implementation of MCMS-C the User
selects
a subset of their Conversations to be rendered consecutively. The User then
sets
ordered Priorities for these Conversations. The system uses the priorities set
by the
user to order the Messages to be rendered. The aforementioned algorithm queues
the
Messages to be rendered using User Priorities and information concerning
Message
data available (beyond MTSD).
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[0201] In other embodiments, such as tactical communications, the recipient
may
have no or limited ability to set Priorities. For example, a fire fighter may
have no
ability to lower the Priority of Messages from the fire chief. A sending-User,
however, has the ability to send urgent or highly important Messages. By
Tagging a
Message as urgent or an emergency, the Message is rendered as soon as possible
at
the recipient(s), overriding any Priority settings of the recipient. Any
conflicts among
multiple emergency messages are resolved based on a predetermined priority
scheme.
K. MCMS Operation
[0202] Referring to Figure 11A, an organizational diagram 1100 grouping the
major
functions of the MCMS application 20 is illustrated. The major functions
include
account management 1102, conversation management 1104, aggregate conversation
list management 1106, conversation participation 1108, call controls 1110, and
contact management 1112. After registering and logging into the system 10, the
User
may navigate through the user interface of their Device 13 implementing the
various
management functions, described in detail below. In some embodiments, this
functionality will provide a great deal of flexibility. In other embodiments,
such as
tactical or communication radios, the implementation of the user interface may
be
constrained with many of the user functionality and options preconfigured to
meet the
utility of the device. The discussion here is exemplary and is not intended to
be an
exhaustive explanation of the MCMS functionality, but rather is intended to
provide
just an overview of some of the MCMS attributes.
K.1 Account Management
[0203] Under the account management function 1102, a registered User may
change
certain settings and preferences. A User may change their email address,
password,
name, phone number, phone password, call-in number, default and/or User
defined
rendering speeds, Tags, gain or volume levels for Reviewing Messages, Catch Up
to
Live mode, etc. To make these changes, the User enters the appropriate
information
through the interface 110 of their Device 13. The MCMS application 20 responds
by
writing the updated preferences into the MCMS database 22.
K.2 Conversation Management
[0204] As illustrated in Figure 11B, conversation management 1104 is a set of
functions that allow a User to view their aggregate Conversation lists, create
a new
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Conversation, update the details of a Conversation, delete a Conversation, and
close a
Conversation. Each of these functions are described below.
[0205] View Conversations 1104a - For each Conversation, the MCMS application
20 may provide the User the one or more of the following attributes: the name
of the
Conversation, the actual start time, the last activity, Tags, duration, and
the list of
Participants. For each Participant, the name and/or phone number, status
(live, other
call, in past, catch-up-mode, offline-reachable, offline-unavailable.)
[0206] Create a Conversation 1104b - A User creates a Conversation through the
interface 110 by inputting a Conversation name, a list of Contacts, and an
optional
scheduled start time. If no start time is designated, it is assumed the start
time is
immediate. In response, the MCMS application 20 creates a new Conversation in
the
database 22, associating records for each Participant on the Contacts list.
The MCMS
application 20 also creates in the database 22 Participant records for each
User on the
Contact list, allowing the caller to receive the presence information of the
others on
the Contact list. If the Conversation is scheduled, the MCMS application 20
starts the
Conversation at the designated time. Otherwise, the Conversation starts right
away.
[0207] Update Conversation Details 1104c - The User may make changes to a
Conversation through the user interface 110. For example, Participants may be
added
or removed. Any change in status of the participants is updated in the MCMS
database 22.
[0208] Delete a Conversation 1104d - A User may delete a specific Conversation
from their list of Conversations through the interface 110. In response, the
MCMS
application 20 notes the change in the database 22, and designates the
Conversation as
deleted.
[0209] Close a Conversation 1104e - A User may elect to terminate or close a
Conversation. In one embodiment, only the User that creates a Conversation can
elect
to terminate that Conversation.
K.3 A22re2ate Conversation List Management
[0210] As illustrated in Figure 11C, the aggregate conversation list
management 1106
is a set of functions that allow a User to engage in multiple Conversations
(i.e., the
User's aggregate conversation list). The aggregate conversation list
management
functions allow a User, through the interface 110 on their device, to
participate in one
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Conversation "live", while participating in other Conversations in a time-
shifted
mode.
[0211] Chose Conversation 1106a - Through the interface 110, a User may select
one
Conversation among the User's aggregate conversation list as current. The
Messages
of the current Conversation may be rendered in either the "live" or time-
shifted
modes. The User may switch the current conversation among the aggregate
conversation list from time-to-time.
[0212] Switch Conversations Modes1106b - In an optional embodiment, a User may
be able to switch from the MCMS, MCMS-C and MCMS-S modes of operation.
K.4 Conversation Participation
[0213] As illustrated in Figure 11D, conversation participation 1108 is a set
of
functions that allow a User to start a Conversation, receive a notification to
join a
Conversation, obtain Conversation status information, and hang up on a
Conversation.
[0214] Start a Conversation 1108a - After a Conversation has been created,
either by
the User through the interface 110 or the scheduler in the MCMS application,
the
status of each Participant is checked. If a Participant is offline, then an
effort is made
to contact that person. If a Participant is online but engaged in another
Conversation,
then the MCMS application 20 notifies that Participant. The presence status of
all
online Participants is updated in the database 22.
[0215] Receive a Notification 1108b - The system may notify a User that their
attention has been requested on a Conversation through a graphic display
and/or
audible notification via the user interface 110.
[0216] Conversation Status 1108c - A user may request the status of a
Conversation
through the interface 110 of their Device 13. In response, the MCMS
application 20
assembles the status information stored in the database 22 and presents the
information to the User.
[0217] Conversation Pause 1108d- Through user interface 110, a User may hang
up
or switch away from an active Conversation. In response, the MCMS application
20
updates the User's participant status for active Conversations in the database
22 and
directs the Store and Stream module 24 to remove the User from the
Conversation.
K.5 Conversation Controls
[0218] As illustrated in Figure 11E, conversation control 1110 is a set of
functions
that allow a User to control their participation in a Conversation. These
functions
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allow a User to catch-up-to live, skip to the Head, jump to a past location,
pause, play
faster and play slower when Reviewing the Messages of a Conversation. Each of
these functions is triggered by the User through the interface 110 on the
Device 13.
[0219] Catch-up-to-live 1110a - A User may Catch Up To Live in an ongoing
Conversation using the "CTL" function. When this function is activated, the
MCMS
application 20 checks the last point in the Conversation the User has reviewed
and
directs the Store and Stream module 24 to render the Messages not previously
heard,
using a faster than normal rendering option designated by the User, and to
seamlessly
transition to live mode when it reaches the head.
[0220] Jump to Head 1110c - This function enables a User to jump to the Head
of a
Conversation, skipping over any intervening Messages between the current point
of
the User in the Conversation and the Head. When implemented, the MCMS
application 20 instructs the Store and Stream module to immediately render the
Messages at the Head of the Conversation. (If the Head of the Conversation is
currently live this is called Jump to Live (JTL).
[0221] Jump to past 1110d - This function enables a User to jump back to a
previous
Message or point in the Conversation, similar to a rewind or replay function.
When
implemented, the MCMS application 20 instructs the Store and Stream module 24
to
render Media starting from the rewind point.
[0222] Pause 1110e - This function enables the User to pause the Reviewing of
the
Messages of a Conversation. In response, the Store and Stream module 24 stops
the
rendering of Messages until another command is issued.
[0223] Play faster 1110f - This function enables a User to render Messages
more
quickly. In response, the Store and Stream module 24 renders the Messages at a
faster
rate than normal. The rendering rate may be either specified by the User or
the User
may select from a number of preset options.
[0224] Play slower 1110g - This function enables a User to render Messages
more
slowly. In response, the Store and Stream module 24 renders the Messages at a
slower
rate than normal. The rendering rate may be either specified by the User or
the User
may select from a number of preset options.
K.6 Contact Management
[0225] As illustrated in Figure 11F, the system 10 provides the User with a
host of
functions for managing Contact lists and user Groups. These functions include
the
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adding, editing, deleting Contacts and user Groups. Each of these functions
are
implemented by a User though the interface of their Device 13. Any revisions
or
deletions in a User's Contact list or Group list is stored in the MCMS
database 22.
[0226] Add a Contact 1112a - This function enables a User to add a new Contact
to
their contact list. The new Contact can be either a registered User or an
external
contact. Typically the name, phone number(s), type of number (cell, office,
home,
computer, etc.), email address and other personal information are provided for
each
contact record.
[0227] Edit a Contact 1112b - This function enables a User to edit or update
an
existing contact record.
[0228] Delete a Contact 1112c - This function enables a User to remove or
delete an
existing contact record.
[0229] Search for a Contact 1112d - This function enables a User to search for
a
specific Contact in their contact list. The search may be conducted using a
number of
criteria, such as name, phone number, most recently called, most frequently
called,
Group, etc.
[0230] Get a Participant list 1112e - This function enables a User to search
and
retrieve a list of Participants of a Conversation by a number of different
search
criteria, including for example by name, most recent outgoing calls, most
recent
incoming calls, most frequently called, etc.
[0231] Authorize a caller to review status 1112f - This function enables a
first User to
authorize other Users to view the first User's status. Non-authorized Users
may not
view the status of the first User.
[0232] Create a Group of Contacts 1112g - This function enables a User to
associate
a number of Contacts into a Group. When a User defines a Group, the list of
Contacts
in that Group are stored in the MCMS database 22.
[0233] Edit a Contact Group 1112h - This function enables a User to edit a
Group, or
update the contact information for a member of the Group.
[0234] Delete a Contact Group 1112i - This function enables a User to delete a
Group.
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L. MCMS Operation
L.1 MCMS-C
[0235] As noted above, the MCMS-C operation is similar to MCMS, with the added
feature of enabling Users to manage and participate in multiple conversations
consecutively through a hierarchical system of Priorities and the time-
shifting of
Messages, which are automatically managed by the system. Implementing the
MCMS-C functionality includes three basic processes. As illustrated in Figure
12A,
the first process involves defining a set of Conversations for consecutive
rendering.
Once the list is defined, a hierarchical set of Priorities and other factors
are applied to
the indexed media payloads associated with the set of Conversations. The
indexed
media payloads are then sequenced into a sequencing order. By rendering the
media
in the sequence order, the Messages of the set of Conversations are
consecutively
rendered.
[0236] Referring to Figure 12A, a flow chart illustrating the steps for
defining the
list of Conversations to render consecutively is shown. In the initial step
1202, the
User's aggregate list of Conversations is defined. Either the User or pre-
configuration
data (step 1204) is next used to select the Conversations among the aggregate
list for
consecutive rendering (step 1206). With a tactical communication system for
example, typically pre-configuration data is used to impose the Conversations
to be
consecutively rendered. With non-tactical applications, the User is typically
given a
higher degree of flexibility to select the Conversations for consecutive
rendering.
[0237] Referring to Figure 12B, a flow chart illustrating the steps for
defining
hierarchical set of priorities for rendering the Messages of consecutive
Conversations
is illustrated. In the initial step (1208), a set of priority rules are
defined and applied to
the list of Conversations to be rendered consecutively (1206). In various
embodiments, the set of priority rules may range from a rigid, hierarchical
communication protocol to a highly flexible communication protocol. For
example in
a tactical communication system where a rigid hierarchy is often desirable,
the set of
priority rules will preferably impose a specific order in which concurrent
Messages
are rendered. For example with a first-responder tactical system, Messages
from a fire
chief may be given the highest priority. The next level of priority may be
given to fire
fighters inside a burning building. At the next level, priority may be given
to fire
fighters outside the building, etc. By defining a rigid priority, the current
Messages of
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those supervising the efforts to fight the fire, or those in harms way, are
rendered
ahead of those performing a less critical role. With non-tactical
communications, a
User may be given a great deal of flexibility to define their own priority
scheme to
meet personal needs. A sales executive may for example define a priority
scheme
listing consecutive Conversations with clients from the most important to the
least
important. Or a User may prioritize consecutive Messages among family and
friends.
Regardless of the scheme used, a priority list for consecutive Conversations
is defined
(step 1210) in this process.
[0238] Referring to Figure 12C, a flow diagram illustrating the construction
of a
queue of Messages received from the various consecutive Conversations is
illustrated.
In the initial step, the availability of non-rendered indexed media payloads
of
Messages (i.e., media streams) is continually detected (step 1212) for each of
the
Conversations to be consecutively rendered. The priority hierarchy is applied
to the
available indexed media payload streams (step 1214). Based at least partially
on the
priority hierarchy, and possible other parameters as mentioned below, the
available
indexed media payloads are arranged into a sequence order (step 1216). The
indexed
media payloads are then continuously rendered in the sequence order (step
1218). By
continuously repeating the above-described process, the Messages of multiple
Conversations are consecutively rendered.
[0239] In one embodiment, the sequencing order is based either partly or fully
on the
priority hierarchy. In alternative embodiments, other parameters in addition
to the
hierarchy and availability may be considered as well. For example, the
sequence order
may be defined using one or more parameters such as the switching costs
associated
with interrupting a currently rendered stream of indexed media payloads with
the
indexed media payloads of a higher priority Conversation, the quality of the
available
streams of indexed media payloads, the relative time the indexed media
payloads
were received, a shuffling order, or from input of a controller of the system.
[0240] Typically when conflicts between the Messages of different
Conversations
occur, the indexed media payloads first in sequence order are rendered while
the
rendering of other available indexed media payloads are paused or delayed.
When
there no conflicts, indexed media payloads are immediately rendered as they
become
available.
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[0241] In yet another embodiment, the Messages of the consecutively rendered
Conversations may be optionally reviewed in a time-shifted mode. If the User
of the
first communication device generated any Media associated with the
consecutively
rendered Conversations, that media is indexed and stored in the PIMB 30 of the
Device as well as the PIMB(s) 85 of the Servers 16 on the network. Thus when a
Conversation is reviewed in the time shifted mode, the User has the option of
reviewing just the incoming Messages associated with the Conversation, or both
the
incoming Messages as well as the Media created by the first User associated
with the
Conversation in time index order.
L.2 MCMS-S Operation
[0242] In the MCMS-S or simultaneous mode, a User of a Client 12 enabled
Device
13 may define a set of Conversations for simultaneous rendering. Once the set
of
Conversations is defined, the indexed media payload streams associated with
the set
of Conversations are simultaneously rendered on the Device 13, regardless if
they
overlap or not. In alternative embodiments, the User may optionally render the
received indexed media payloads from the set of media streams separately. The
indexed media payloads of the simultaneous Conversations may also be
optionally
rendered in near real-time or in the time-shifted mode.
L.3 MCMS, MCMS-C and MCMS-S Examples
[0243] In Figures 13A through 13D, a series of diagrams illustrating the
attributes of
a Conversation and the operation of MCMS, MCMS-C and MSMS-S is illustrated.
[0244] In Figure 13A, a time diagram illustrating the sequence of rendering
the
indexed media payloads of the Messages of a Conversation labeled "A" between a
User "X" and two other users, designated "Y" and "Z". In this example, Media
is
generated by user Y during the time intervals designated by t1, t5, 56, t7 and
t9.
Media is generated by user Z during the time intervals designated t3, t6 and
t9 through
t10.
[0245] The rendering sequence at the Device 13 of User X is illustrated at the
bottom
of the figure. During intervals t1, t5, and t7, Media derived only from Y is
rendered.
During intervals t3 and t10, only Media derived from Z is rendered. In
intervals t6 and
t9, Media from both Y and Z is rendered. In intervals t2, t4 and t8, nothing
is being
rendered because neither users Y or Z are generating Media during these
periods. It
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should be noted that intervals t1 through t10 are not intended to mean fixed
time
intervals, but rather, just periods of time when Media is being generated.
[0246] The diagram of Figure 13A is useful in illustrating the attributes of
Conversations. When one user is generating Media (either Y or Z), that Media
is
received at the Device 13 of X and is available for rendering. When both users
X and
Y are generating Media, both Media streams are received at Device 13 of X and
is
available for Mixing. When neither user X or Y is generating Media, no Media
is
received at Device 13 of X. As noted above, User X has the option of Reviewing
the
Media generated during Conversation A in either the near real-time or time-
shifted
modes. Also the User X has the option of Reviewing the Media in the Mixed
format
as illustrated, or to separately Reviewing the Media from Y and Z in the time-
shifted
mode.
[0247] Figure 13B illustrates the operation of MCMS. In this example, the User
is
Participating in three Conversations, designated A, B and C. For Conversations
A, B,
and C, the User either generates or receives Messages designated (Al, A2, A3,
and
A4), (B1, B2 and B3) and (Cland C2) respectively. The timing and duration of
each
Message is indicated by the starting point along the time-line. It is useful
to note that
in this example, all of the Messages overlap in time to some degree, except
Message
B2.
[0248] With the MCMS application, the User selects one Conversation as
current. For
the selected Conversation, the User may Review incoming Messages and generate
Messages which are transmitted to the other Participants of the Conversation.
In this
example, the User selects in order Conversation B, C and A as current
respectively.
The Message sequence is therefore initially B1, B2, and B3, followed by Cl and
C2,
and then finally A1 through A4. Again, while a particular Conversation is
selected as
current, the User may transition between the near real-time and the time-
shifted
modes and back again. The final rendering as illustrated in the diagram is not
intended
to correspond in timing of the received Messages as illustrated in the top
portion of
the diagram. Rather the lower portion of the diagram is intended to show only
the
rendering order of the Messages, based on Conversation order selected by the
User.
[0249] The example of Figure 13B is thus useful in illustrating the attributes
of the
MCMS application. A User selects one Conversation as current. The other
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Conversations are paused. The User may also transition the current
Conversation
among all the Conversations at any time.
[0250] Referring to Figure 13C, a diagram illustrating the operation of MCMS-C
is
illustrated. In this example, the User is Participating in two consecutive
Conversations, A and B. With Conversation A, three Messages are received A1,
A2,
and A3. With Conversation B, three Messages are received B1, B2 and B3. It is
useful to note that with this example, Message B1 conflicts with Messages Al.
Also
Conversation A has a higher priority that Conversation B.
[0251] During the consecutive rendering of the two Conversations, the higher
priority
Messages Al and A2 are first rendered in near real-time, as represented by the
vertical dashed lines in the figure. Since there is a relatively large time
gap between
Messages A2 and A3, this space is filled by time shifting and rendering
Messages B1
and B2. When A3 arrives, it is rendered in near real-time, while Message B3 is
rendered only after the higher priority Message A3 is rendered. By time-
shifting
rendering of the lower priority Messages between the higher Priority Messages,
consecutive multiple conversations can be managed. It should be noted that in
this
simple example, priority is the only parameter used to determine the
consecutive
order for rendering. As noted above, a number of other parameters may be used
as
well.
[0252] Referring to Figure 13D, a diagram illustrating MCMS-S is illustrated.
In this
example, a User is engaged in three simultaneous Conversations, A, B and C.
The
Messages Al, A2 and A3, B1, B2 and B3, and Cl and C2 are received for each
Conversation A, B and C are shown in the diagram respectively. With the MCMS-
S,
the incoming Messages are rendered at a recipients Device 13 as they are
received.
The rendering sequence of the Messages of the three Conversations A, B and C,
as
illustrated in the lower portion of the diagram, are therefore the same as
when the
Messages were received. In this manner, multiple Conversations may be
simultaneously rendered.
[0253] In the aforementioned examples, several variations of the MCMS
application
were described, including MSMS-C and MCMS-S. Regardless of the specific type
of
MCMS application used, they all share several common characteristics. In each
case,
the Conversations are defined by a threaded sequence or organization of
Messages.
The Messages are segmented from a stream of Media, with each Message given a
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sequence identifier and indexed by the time the Media was created. Depending
on the
variation of the MCMS application, Messages can be rendered in accordance with
one
or more rendering options. The rendering options include, in one form or
another, the
filtering, grouping overlapping and/or serialization of Messages, using
anywhere from
zero to a plurality of different attributes. In this manner, multiple
Conversations, each
including a string of Messages, can be conducted on a single Client 12 enabled
Device 13. Lastly, each of the variations of MCMS may handle the receipt of
interrupt
Messages in the same way. When an interrupt Message is received, it typically
takes
precedent over and is rendered before other Messages belonging to other
Conversations.
M. Client and Server Hardware
[0254] Referring to Figure 14A, a block diagram 140 illustrating the hardware
of a
Device 13 used for storing and executing the Client application 12 is shown.
The
hardware includes a CPU 142, main memory 144 and mass storage 146. As is well
known in the art, the Client application 12 is loaded and stored in main
memory144
and mass storage 146 and executed by the CPU 142.
[0255] Referring to Figure 14B, a block diagram 150 illustrating the hardware
of a
Server 16 used for storing and executing the server application 78 is shown.
The
hardware includes a CPU 152, main memory 154, mass storage 156, and the
archive
89. As is well known in the art, the server application 78 is loaded and
stored in main
memory 154 and mass storage 156 and executed by the CPU 152. As noted above,
indexed media payloads of one or more Users are stored in the archive 89.
[0256] Although many of the components and processes are described above in
the
singular for convenience, it will be appreciated by one of skill in the art
that multiple
components and repeated processes can also be used to practice the techniques
of the
system and method described herein. Further, while the invention has been
particularly shown and described with reference to specific embodiments
thereof, it
will be understood by those skilled in the art that changes in the form and
details of
the disclosed embodiments may be made without departing from the spirit or
scope of
the invention. For example, embodiments of the invention may be employed with
a
variety of components and should not be restricted to the ones mentioned
above. It is
therefore intended that the invention be interpreted to include all variations
and
equivalents that fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention.
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