Method and system for conveying video messages

Electrical computers and digital processing systems: multicomput – Computer conferencing – Demand based messaging

Reexamination Certificate

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Details

C709S241000, C709S202000, C709S208000, C709S219000, C709S231000, C725S041000, C725S047000, C725S087000, C345S215000, C345S215000, C345S215000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06748421

ABSTRACT:

FIELD OF INVENTION
The present invention relates to asynchronous video messaging, and in particular, to a method and system for conveying video messages. The invention also relates to a computer program product including a computer readable medium having recorded thereon a computer program for conveying video messages.
BACKGROUND OF INVENTION
There is currently a boom in the use of asynchronous messaging technologies including email and voice-mail. An exceptional volume of messages sent and received by corporate and government workers have meant changes in the way in which people structure their day and has put an emphasis on managing information flow. The high level of messaging is attributed in part to the current difficulty in scheduling synchronous communication (face-to-face, telephone, videoconference, etc). Synchronous communication is considered a luxury put aside for relationship building and immediate closure whereas asynchronous communication is used for most other communication.
Video messaging refers to asynchronous video communication, that is, there is a delay between the generation of a message and its delivery, and typically, communication is not simultaneously bi-directional, as opposed to the synchronous communication of person-to-person telephone calls or video conferencing.
Currently, video email products such as “SeeMail” by RealMedia Inc. or “VideoLink Mail” by Smith Micro Software Inc are good examples of the state of the art video messaging technology and are largely simple packages which are distributed with video capture cards or sold separately and support the basic capture and sending of a video message as an email attachment or as the main body of an email. These packages, however, do not take advantage of the unique qualities of this kind of message to provide support for effective communication, but instead, rely on the conventional capture and usage model of linear video. Even where video and/or audio editing capabilities may be provided, it is typical that the sender, if wishing to review a message, or a recipient, must conform to the constraints of the conventional linear playing method for video messages.
Video is a time-based medium and typically requires time equal to its duration to view fully, although there are some video/audio fast-play technologies available which provide a particular solution to the dilemma of enforced linear replay of video/audio material, but these amount to fast cuing or fast forwarding of the linear video message. Conventional video is a difficult medium to navigate through and manipulate. For example, one possible use for video messages is for a sender to send a weekly report to one or more recipients. Such a weekly report can contain, scattered through its content, a set of actions for the various recipients of the message. A recipient might view the whole message once initially, and need to subsequently access parts of the message when ready to perform the actions requested. Doing this with a conventional video cassette recorder-style (VCR-style) interface is very inefficient and in most practical situations time consuming.
It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to ameliorate one or more disadvantages of the prior art.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
According to a first aspect of the invention there is provided a method of conveying a video message comprising the steps of:
(i) capturing video data comprising at least image data and associated audio data;
(ii) creating a video message structure;
(iii) establishing a link between said structure and the video data to create a structured video message, said structured video message being characterized by a video message structure that provides an originator, of the message, enhanced manipulation capabilities for the video data by manipulating said structure; and
(iv) conveying the structured video message to a recipient for viewing and/or for providing said recipient substantially the same enhanced manipulation capabilities.
According to a second aspect of the invention there is provided an apparatus for conveying a video message, said apparatus comprising:
capturing means for capturing video data comprising at least image data and associated audio data;
processing means for creating a video message structure and establishing a link between said structure and the video data to create a structured video message, said structured video message being characterized by a video message structure that provides an originator, of the message, enhanced manipulation capabilities for the video data by manipulating said structure; and
means for conveying the structured video message to a recipient for viewing and/or for providing said recipient substantially the same enhanced manipulation capabilities.
According to a third aspect of the invention there is provided a computer readable memory medium for storing a program for apparatus which processes data, said processing comprising a method of conveying a video message, said program comprising:
code for capturing video data comprising at least image data and associated audio data;
code for creating a video message structure;
code for establishing a link between said structure and the video data to create a structured video message, said structured video message being characterized by a video message structure that provides an originator, of the message, enhanced manipulation capabilities for the video data by manipulating said structure; and
code for conveying the structured video message to a recipient for viewing and/or for providing said recipient substantially the same enhanced manipulation capabilities.
According to a fourth aspect of the invention there is provided a method of creating a video message comprising the steps of;
providing a video message structure including at least one node;
providing video data, said video data comprising at least image data and associated audio data;
associating at least one node of the video message structure with at least one segment of the video data to provide an associated structure; and
utilizing the associated structure to provide enhanced manipulation capabilities of the video data to create a structured video message.
According to a fifth aspect of the invention there is provided a method of creating a video message comprising the steps of;
creating a video message structure including at least one node;
capturing video data, said video data comprising at least image data and audio data;
linking at least one node of the video message structure with at least one segment of the video data to provide an associated structure;
storing the video data and the video message structure; and
utilizing the associated structure to provide enhanced manipulation capabilities of the video data to create a structured video message.
According to a sixth aspect of the invention there is provided an apparatus for creating a video message comprising;
means for creating a video message structure including at least one node;
means for capturing video data, said video data comprising at least image data and audio data;
means for linking at least one node of the video message structure with at least one segment of the video data to provide an associated structure;
means for storing the video data and the video message structure; and
means for utilizing the associated structure to provide enhanced manipulation capabilities of the video data to create a structured video message.
According to a seventh aspect of the invention there is provided an apparatus for creating a video message comprising;
a video camera and capture manager for capturing video data, said video data comprising at least image data and audio data;
a message structure editor for creating a video message structure and for associating the video message structure with at least one segment of the video data to provide an associated structure;
a storage device for storing said video data and the video message structure; and
manipulation means for using the associated structure to provide enhanced manipulation capabilities of the video

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