AU2005337646A1

AU2005337646A1 - Video storage system and method

Info

Publication number: AU2005337646A1
Application number: AU2005337646A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Ying Lim
Original assignee: Singapore Telecommunications Ltd
Current assignee: Singapore Telecommunications Ltd
Priority date: 2005-10-25
Filing date: 2005-10-25
Publication date: 2007-05-03
Also published as: WO2007050036A1

Description

WO 2007/050036 PCT/SG2005/000365 1 VIDEO STORAGE SYSTEM AND METHOD FIELD OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to a method of storing and accessing videos from video telephony applications. 5 BACKGROUND With the increased availability of mobile telephones that have video recording capability users are increasingly using mobile telephones to record videos. One issue facing users is the limited storage capacity of mobile telephones to store videos. 10 One method of addressing this problem is to provide storage on removable memory cards. When a card is full the user can replace the card with another. While improving the storage capacity, the user still has to carry a number of cards and the capacity is still limited. Further when a user has recorded a video they have limited ability to 15 share the video, in particular with multiple other users. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to overcome the above disadvantages or at least provide the public or industry with useful choice. Accordingly in a first embodiment the invention consists in a method of 20 storing and accessing videos recorded by a telephony device, comprising the steps of: providing storage for said videos; WO 2007/050036 PCT/SG2005/000365 2 providing a telephone number for a user to call to access or store said videos, said number when called prompting a user, said prompts allowing a user to upload a new video or to view a previously stored video. Preferably said prompts are voice or video prompts. 5 Preferably said user is identified, and wherein the videos a user is allowed to view are determined by their identification. Preferably said user is identified, and whether a user is allowed to record a video is determined by their identification. Preferably said user is identified by their calling number. 10 In a second embodiment the invention consists in a method of storing and accessing videos recorded by a telephony device, comprising the steps of: providing storage for said videos; providing a telephone number for a user to call to access or store said videos, said number when called prompting a user; 15 receiving an instruction entered by a user on their keypad; interpreting said instruction; upon receipt of an instruction to record a video, provisioning a video stream receiver to receive said video stream from said telephony device; and upon receipt of an instruction to play a video, provisioning a video 20 stream player to play said video stream to said telephony device WO 2007/050036 PCT/SG2005/000365 3 Preferably said prompts are voice or video prompts. Preferably said user is identified, and wherein the videos a user is allowed to view are determined by their identification. Preferably said user is identified, and whether a user is allowed to record 5 a video is determined by their identification. Preferably said user is identified by their calling number. In a third embodiment the invention consists in a system for storing and accessing videos recorded by a telephony device, comprising: storage for said videos; 10 a telephone interface connected to a telephone number for a user to call to access or store said videos, said number when called prompting a user, said prompts allowing a user to upload a new video or to view a previously stored video. Preferably said user is identified by identification means, and wherein 15 the videos a user is allowed to view are determined by their identification. Preferably said user is identified by identification means, and whether a user is allowed to record a video is determined by their identification. In a fourth embodiment the invention consists in a system for storing and accessing videos recorded by a telephony device, comprising: 20 storage for said videos; WO 2007/050036 PCT/SG2005/000365 4 a telephone interface connected to a telephone number for a user to call to access or store said videos, said number when called prompting a user, said interface receiving instructions entered by a user on their keypad, said interface interpreting said instructions, 5 a video stream receiver which on receipt of an instruction to record a video, receives said video stream from said telephony device; and a video stream player which on receipt of an instruction to play a video, plays a requested video stream to said telephony device Preferably said prompts are voice or video prompts. 10 Preferably said user is identified by identification means, and wherein the videos a user is allowed to view are determined by their identification. Preferably said user is identified by identification means, and whether a user is allowed to record a video is determined by their identification. Preferably said identification means identifies the calling telephone 15 number. This invention may also be said broadly to consist in the parts, elements and features referred to or indicated in the specification of the application, individually or collectively, and any or all combinations of any two or more of said parts, elements or features, and where specific integers are mentioned 20 herein which have known equivalents in the art to which this invention relates, such known equivalents are deemed to be incorporated herein as if individually set forth.

WO 2007/050036 PCT/SG2005/000365 5 BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS A mobile video storage system and method will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the present invention; 5 Figure 2; is a flow diagram of a user recording and storing video from a telephony device using the present invention; and Figure 3 is a flow diagram of a user playing a previously stored video to a telephony device using the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 10 Referring to Figure 1 the present invention provides a system and method that provides storage for videos recorded on mobile telephony devices equipped with video cameras. The system comprises a video streaming controller 1 that allows a mobile telephone 2 access to access and store videos. The video streaming controller 1 and mobile telephones are connected together 15 via a mobile telephone network 6. The videos are stored on a storage device 3, which in the preferred embodiment is a file system or a database. Access to online storage via the Internet is well known and in addition to providing access to the store via mobile telephones, access is additionally provided via the internet 7 using well known methods. Such access can either 20 be via a computer 5 or a mobile telephone equipped with a web browser. Referring to Figure 2 a user wishing to access the video streaming controller via telephony mode first dials a number for example 123. The user WO 2007/050036 PCT/SG2005/000365 6 is then prompted 201 via a voice interface to enter commands via the keypad of the telephone device. For example the user is prompted to press 1 to record 202 and press the # key when finished. The user can then record their video in the normal way 5 and the video will be stored by the video streaming controller 1. Once the user has pressed the # key to end the recording the user is given the choice 203 to upload the video, by pressing 1 so that it is accessible via the internet or by pressing 2 to preview the video on their mobile telephone. If the user has pressed 2 to preview the video, the video streaming 10 controller streams the video to the mobile telephony device for the user to preview. If the user has chosen to upload the video the user is then given the choice to make it accessible 204 to other users. To make it accessible to other users the user presses the 1 on their keypad. Having done so they are prompted for the telephone number of the person they wish to share the video with. The 15 user then enters the number via their keypad. The system then prompts the user to confirm 205 the number that they entered or to re-enter a wrongly entered number. Once the user has confirmed the number an SMS message is sent to the number that the user has chosen to share the video with 207. If the number that the user entered was wrong or 20 invalid the user is also voice prompted 208. In addition to recording using mobile telephony devices a user may use a video telephone 10 connected via the PSTN 9 or VOIP to record or view a video. When accessing videos referring to Figure 3 a user dials a number for 25 example 123 and is prompted as to whether or not they wish to view their own WO 2007/050036 PCT/SG2005/000365 7 videos or the videos shared by friends or business associates 301. If they select their own videos the video streaming controller retrieves a list of stored videos and prompts the user as to which video they wish to view. Once they select the video by pressing a number that the system has associated with the video they 5 want to view the video streaming controller steams the video to the users device. The prompts a user receives may be voice prompts, video prompts or a combination of voice and video prompts. Access to the system is preferably controlled by the system checking to 10 see if the calling number is authorized. In an alternative embodiment a user identifier and a password would control access to the system. A combination of checking the calling number and a user identifier and password could be used. In yet another embodiment the telephone identification number commonly known as the Electronic Serial Number ("ESN") could be used 15 either alone or with any other method previously discussed to restrict access. The foregoing description of the preferred embodiment of the invention has been presented for purposes of illustration and description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise forms disclosed, since many modifications or variations thereof are possible in the 20 light of the above teaching. All such modifications and variations are within the scope of the invention. The embodiments described herein were chosen and described in order best to explain the principles of the invention and its practical application, thereby to enable others skilled in the art to utilise the invention in various embodiments and with various modifications as are suited 25 to the particular use contemplated thereof. It is intended that the scope of the invention be defined by the claims appended hereto, when interpreted in accordance with the full breadth to which they are legally and equitably suited.

Claims

1. A method of storing and accessing videos recorded by a telephony device, comprising the steps of: providing storage for said videos; 5 providing a telephone number for a user to call to access or store said videos, said number when called prompting a user, said prompts allowing a user to upload a new video or to view a previously stored video.

2. A method of storing and accessing videos recorded by a telephony device, as claimed in claim 1, wherein said prompts are voice or video prompts. 10

3. A method of storing and accessing videos recorded by a telephony device, as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2, wherein said user is identified, and wherein the videos a user is allowed to view are determined by their identification.

4. A method of storing and accessing videos recorded by a telephony 15 device, as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3 wherein said user is identified, and whether a user is allowed to record a video is determined by their identification.

5. A method of storing and accessing videos recorded by a telephony device, as claimed in claim 3 or claim 4, wherein said user is identified by their 20 calling number.

6. A method of storing and accessing videos recorded by a telephony device, comprising the steps of: WO 2007/050036 PCT/SG2005/000365 9 providing storage for said videos; providing a telephone number for a user to call to access or store said videos, said number when called prompting a user; receiving an instruction entered by a user on their keypad; 5 interpreting said instruction; upon receipt of an instruction to record a video, provisioning a video stream receiver to receive said video stream from said telephony device; and upon receipt of an instruction to play a video, provisioning a video stream player to play said video stream to said telephony device. 10

7. A method of storing and accessing videos recorded by a telephony device, as claimed in claim 6, wherein said prompts are voice or video prompts.

8. A method of storing and accessing videos recorded by a telephony device, as claimed in claim 6 or claim 7, wherein said user is identified, and wherein the videos a user is allowed to view are determined by their 15 identification.

9. A method of storing and accessing videos recorded by a telephony device, as claimed in any one of claims 6 to 8, wherein said user is identified, and whether a user is allowed to record a video is determined by their identification. 20

10. A method of storing and accessing videos recorded by a telephony device, as claimed in claim 8 or claim 9, wherein said user is identified by their calling number. WO 2007/050036 PCT/SG2005/000365 10

11. A system for storing and accessing videos recorded by a telephony device, comprising: storage for said videos; a telephone interface connected to a telephone number for a user to call 5 to access or store said videos, said number when called prompting a user, said prompts allowing a user to upload a new video or to view a previously stored video.

12. A system for storing and accessing videos recorded by a telephony device, as claimed in claim 11, wherein said prompts are voice or video 10 prompts.

13. A system for storing and accessing videos recorded by a telephony device, as claimed in claim 11 or claim 12, wherein said user is identified by identification means, and wherein the videos a user is allowed to view are determined by their identification. 15

14. A system for storing and accessing videos recorded by a telephony device, as claimed in any one of claims 11 to 13, wherein said user is identified by identification means which identifies the calling telephone number, and whether a user is allowed to record a video is determined by their number.

15. A system for storing and accessing videos recorded by a telephony 20 device, as claimed in claim 13 or claim 14, wherein said identification means identifies the calling telephone number.

16. A system for storing and accessing videos recorded by a telephony device, comprising: WO 2007/050036 PCT/SG2005/000365 11 storage for said videos; a telephone interface connected to a telephone number for a user to call to access or store said videos, said number when called prompting a user, said interface receiving instructions entered by a user on their keypad, said interface 5 interpreting said instructions, a video stream receiver which on receipt of an instruction to record a video, receives said video stream from said telephony device; and a video stream player which on receipt of an instruction to play a video, plays a requested video stream to said telephony device. 10

17. A system for storing and accessing videos recorded by a telephony device, as claimed in claim 16, wherein said prompts are voice or video prompts.

18. A system for storing and accessing videos recorded by a telephony device, as claimed in claim 16 or claim 17, wherein said user is, and wherein 15 the videos a user is allowed to view are determined by their identification.

19. A system for storing and accessing videos recorded by a telephony device, as claimed in any one of claims 16 to 18, wherein said user is identified by identification means, and whether a user is allowed to record a video is determined by their identification.

20 20. A system for storing and accessing videos recorded by a telephony device, as claimed in claim 18 or claim 19, wherein said identification means identifies the calling telephone number.