Electrical computers and digital processing systems: multicomput – Computer conferencing
Reexamination Certificate
1998-10-16
2001-02-06
Meky, Moustafa M. (Department: 2757)
Electrical computers and digital processing systems: multicomput
Computer conferencing
Reexamination Certificate
active
06185602
ABSTRACT:
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BACKGROUND
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to communication technology and, more particularly, to multi-user interaction for multimedia communication.
2. Background of the Invention
Multi-User Interaction (MUI) over the Internet has become increasingly popular. For example, virtual chat rooms allow multiple users to interact via text-based communication over the Internet. Multiple users see the text-based messages sent by all other users in the chat room and can send their own text-based message as well, which is then broadcast to all of the other users in the chat room.
Multimedia computing involves the processing and display of digital multimedia data, such as audio, computer graphics, or video data. A variety of standard multimedia protocols have been developed. For example, Moving Pictures Expert Group (MPEG) has developed MPEG-1 (coding of multimedia for digital storage media) and MPEG-2 (coding of moving video and associated audio for digital storage media, television broadcasting, and communication) standards.
MPEG is currently developing an object-based multimedia standard called MPEG-4 for lower bandwidth communication environments, such as the Internet. MPEG-4 defines the bit stream syntax and decoder semantics of encoded media. Version 1 (systems level) of MPEG-4 will be an International Standard in December of 1998. MPEG-4 is directed to a standard for providing single-user object-based multimedia communication from disk, CD-ROM, or via a network (e.g., the World Wide Web (WWW)).
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
MPEG-4 represents an example of a media streaming technology for communicating digital multimedia over networks, such as the Internet (using the Internet Protocol), ATM (Asynchronous Transfer Mode) networks, mobile networks, or the PSTN (Public Switched Telephone Network). MPEG-4 (Version 1) is directed to a client-server architecture for object-based media broadcast in which a media server is generally assumed. However, MPEG-4 (Version 1) only supports single-user interaction. Accordingly, the present invention provides Multi-User Interaction (MUI) (i.e., at least two users interacting with each other dynamically, such as interacting with a shared scene, through servers or directly client-to-client) for multimedia communication. For example, the present invention provides a cost-effective and high-performance MUI protocol for MPEG-4 communication over the Internet. MUI for multimedia communication can be applied in a variety of application domains, such as collaborative computing, distance learning, shared virtual worlds, virtual chat rooms, entertainment, and E-commerce (Electronic-commerce), which involves interaction of two or more users with each other.
In one embodiment, a process for multi-user interaction for multimedia communication includes generating a message on a local user machine, the message including object-based media (i.e., streamed, digital audio or digital video or both) data, and transmitting the message to a remote user machine, in which the local user machine displays a scene that includes the object-based media data, the scene being shared by the local user machine and the remote user machine. The remote user machine instantiates the transmitted message using a message handler class. In one embodiment, the multi-user interaction for multimedia communication is an extension to MPEG-4 Version-1.
In one embodiment, the process further includes instantiating the message on the local user machine using a message class, in which the message class provides Multiple messages of variable types. The message class and the message handler class can be implemented in a JAVA programming language, which allows for a dynamic and flexible MUI protocol for multimedia communication over a network, such as the Internet.
Other aspects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description and accompanying drawings.
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Meky Moustafa M.
Sony Corporation
Sony IPD
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