1. Field
The present disclosure is generally related to a digital media communication protocol structured to facilitate transferring and/or transmitting one or more digital media files to and/or from a media terminal and a media node via at least one interactive computer network.
2. Description of the Related Art
As technology continues to develop and play a significant role in today's society, a vast majority of portable devices, including mobile telephones, cellular telephones, portable MP3 players, handheld or portable game consoles, Personal Digital Assistants (“PDA”), etc. are equipped with memory devices, such as hard drives and/or removable flash or memory cards, which are capable of holding or storing large amounts of data and or digital media files including digital photographs, videos, audio/music files, etc. Accordingly, with the advent of such devices having these capabilities, individuals or users are more inclined to carry around their media files, such as, for example, digital photo albums, family videos, and/or favorite music tracks.
The drawback to the above noted portable media devices, however, is that many of the devices include relatively small display screens, some of which display poor quality photos and/or videos. In addition, the speakers associated with the corresponding portable device(s) are typically rather small and produce minimal or poor sound therefrom.
In addition, the individuals or users of the media devices may desire to share the digital media files and/or transfer, display, or play the files on a computer or other media device equipped with a larger or better quality screen, or having higher quality speakers than that disposed on the portable device(s). In addition, some media devices may have better editing software, or have access to the World Wide Web to further distribute the digital media files.
Accordingly, it would be advantageous if the digital media communication protocol of the present specification is structured to facilitate transferring or transmitting one or more digital media files between two or more media devices, such as a media terminal and/or a media node, via at least one interactive computer network. In particular, it would be beneficial if the digital media communication protocol includes a communication link structured to bypass at least one or more security measures, such as a password and/or firewall, employed by the interactive computer network, the corresponding networking devices, and/or the particular media devices themselves.
In addition, once the communication link is established it would be particularly beneficial if the various media devices, including the media terminal(s) and/or media node(s), are structured to display, save, edit, manipulate, and/or transfer the one or more digital media files.
For a more complete understanding of the nature of the present disclosure, reference should be had to the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:
Like reference numerals refer to like parts throughout the several views of the drawings.
As shown in the accompanying drawings, the present specification relates to a digital media communication protocol, generally indicated as 10. As illustrated in
The media node(s) 30 of at least one embodiment of the present system 10 generally includes a portable device such as a cellular or mobile telephone, PDA, portable mp3 player, laptop or notebook computer, or any other digital media device structured to facilitate the practice of the present system in the intended manner. In at least one embodiment, however, the media node 30 is not limited to a portable device, and may include a more stationary device or structure such as, for example, a desktop computer.
Furthermore, the various embodiments of the present specification include at least one interactive computer network 40, 40′. In particular, as illustrated in
In addition, and still referring to
In addition, and as an attempt to minimize or eliminate unauthorized access or security breaches to the interactive computer network 40, the interactive computer network 40 and/or the various networking device(s) 42 may include one or more networking device security measures 41 including a firewall, and/or passwords/keys such as, for example, Wi-Fi Protected Access (“WPA”) keys, and/or Wireless Application Protocol (“WAP”) keys. Accordingly, only authorized individuals or computers may generally have access to the interactive computer network 40 through the firewall, via use of the password(s)/key(s), and/or any other networking device security measure(s) 41.
The present system 10 further includes at least one digital media file 60 initially disposed or saved on at least one of the media terminal(s) 20 or media node(s) 30. Specifically, the digital media file(s) 60 may be disposed on the media terminal(s) 20, the media node(s) 30, or both. However, it should be apparent that for purposes of the present system 10, the digital media file 60 need not necessarily be created or originated on either the media terminal(s) 20 or the media node(s) 30. In particular, the digital media file(s) 60 may include virtually any electronic file or data such as a digital photograph, video, audio, animation, text, or any other electronic document or object.
Moreover, in at least one embodiment of the present system 10, the media node(s) 30 is disposable within the wireless range 50, wherein the media node 30 is detectable by the media terminal 20. In particular, as stated above, in at least one embodiment, the media node 30 includes a portable device, such as a mobile or cellular phone, PDA, laptop, etc. Accordingly, the media node 30 may be disposed within, i.e., enter, the confines of the wireless range 50, for example, when a user or individual carries the media node 30 therein. In addition, for purposes of the present system 10, the media node 30 may be disposed within the wireless range 50 when the device is powered on, activated, or otherwise configured into a discoverable and/or detectable state while simultaneously being physically disposed within the confines of the wireless range 50, and as such, the media node 30 need not necessarily be portable or easily movable. For instance, while physically disposed within the confines of the wireless range 50, the media node(s) 30 may be powered on or otherwise have wireless or Bluetooth capabilities activated.
Furthermore, the media terminal(s) 20 disposed in accessible relation to the interactive computer network 40 are structured to detect the media node(s) 30 as the media node(s) 30 is disposed within the confines of or is otherwise detectable within the wireless range 50. Particularly, in at least one embodiment, each media node 30 includes a node identifier structured to distinguish one media node 30 within the wireless range 50 from another. For example, the node identifier may include a device name, model/serial number, Media Access Control (“MAC”) address, or Internet Protocol (“IP”) address. Accordingly, as the media node 30 enters or is otherwise disposed within the wireless range 50, the media terminal 20 is structured to detect and/or identify the media node 30, for example, by the corresponding node identifier.
In addition, at least one embodiment of the present system 10 includes a terminal program disposed in an accessible relation to the media terminal 20. In particular, the terminal program of at least one embodiment is a computer software program structured to facilitate the practice of the present system 10 in the intended fashion, at least from the media terminal 20 side of the system 10. The terminal program, of at least one embodiment, may be disposed on the media terminal 20, such as, for example, on a hard drive, or other memory device associated with the media terminal 20. In yet another embodiment, however, the terminal program may be accessible via the at least one interactive network 40, 40′, such as, for example, via the World Wide Web. For example, in the embodiment wherein the terminal program is accessible via the World Wide Web, a user may direct a web browser disposed in the media terminal 20 to a particular web site, which then runs or executes the terminal program and/or downloads the terminal program to the media terminal 20.
Either way, the terminal program may include at least one script which is structured to consistently or periodically monitor the wireless range 50 associated with the interactive computer network 40 for the existence of media nodes 30. When a media node 30 is disposed within the wireless range 50, the terminal program may be structured or configured to automatically alert a user at the media terminal 20 of the existence or detection of the media node 20. In particular, the terminal program may deploy a pop-up display, play an audio alarm or tone, etc. On the other hand, the terminal program may be structured or configured to alert or notify the user of any detected media nodes 30 only upon the user's specific instructions. For example, the media terminal 20, and in particular the terminal program thereof, may be structured to list or display the media nodes 30 currently disposed within the wireless range 50 upon the user clicking on or otherwise manipulating a corresponding option of the terminal program.
At least one embodiment of the present system 10 further includes a communication link 70 structured to dispose the media terminal(s) 20 and the media node(s) 30 in a communicative relation with one another via the interactive computer network 40. In particular, the communication link 70 of the various embodiments of the present system 10 is created and/or requested by the media terminal 20. As stated above, the media terminal 20 is structured to detect the media node(s) 30 disposed within the wireless range 50. As also stated above, the media node 30 may, but need not, however, be configured to have access to the interactive computer network 40. For example, the interactive computer network 40 and/or the corresponding networking device(s) 42 may be equipped with one or more security measures 41, including a WEP key or other password. The media node 30 may, but need not have access to the WEP key or other security measure 41 so as to access the corresponding interactive computer network 40. Even so, the media terminal 20 is structured to create and/or initiate a communication link 70 with the one or more detected media nodes 30 disposed within the wireless range 50, for example, by sending and/or transmitting a request to the corresponding media node(s) 30 to establish a communication link 70 therewith via the interactive computer network 40. As illustrated in
More in particular, the communication link 70 of at least one embodiment of the present specification is structured to bypass one or more media terminal security measures 21, media node security measures 31, and/or networking device security measures 41. Moreover, the security measures 21, 31, 41 may includes passwords, keys, firewalls, etc. structured to minimize or eliminate unauthorized access to the corresponding media terminal 20, media node 30, networking device(s) 42, and/or interactive computer network 40, 40′. Referring again to
Moreover, the media terminal 20 of at least one embodiment of the present system 10 may be structured or configured to automatically create and/or initiate a communication link 70 with the detected media nodes 30. However, more practically, a user in control of the media terminal 20 may direct the media terminal 20 to create and/or initiate the communication link 70 with one or more selected media node(s) 30, for example, via the terminal program. Similarly, the media node 30 may be structured or configured to automatically accept or decline creation of the communication link 70 initiated by the media terminal 20. However, in at least one embodiment of the present system 10, the media node(s) 30 may be structured or configured for a user in control of the media node 30 to selectively accept or decline the creation or establishment of a communication link 70 initiated by the corresponding media terminal 20. As such, in at least one embodiment, the media node 30 includes one or more node programs structured to facilitate the practice of the present system 10 in the intended fashion, at least from the media node 30 side of the system 10.
Once the communication link 70 is initiated, accepted, and/or ultimately established between the media terminal 20 and the media node 30, the digital media file(s) 60 may be selectively transmitted therebetween. In particular, if the digital media file 60 is initially disposed on the media node 30, the media node 30 and the media terminal 20 may cooperatively communicate via the communication link 70 such that the digital media file 60 may be transmitted from the media node 30 to the media terminal 20. In addition, the converse is also true. Particularly, if the digital media file 60 is disposed on the media terminal 20, the media node 30 and the media terminal 20 may cooperatively communicate via the communication link 70 such that the digital media file 60 may be transmitted from the media terminal 20 to the media node 30. Furthermore, in at least one embodiment of the present system 10, the device on which the digital media file 60 is initially disposed, such as the media node 30 or the media terminal 20, is structured to “push” the digital media file 60 to the receiving device 20, 30 via the communication link 70. Similarly, in at least one embodiment, once the communication link 70 is established, the receiving device 20, 30 is structured to “pull” the digital media file 60 from the transmitting device 30, 20 via the communication link 70.
For illustrative purposes only, the communication link 70, the terminal program, and/or the node program may be structured to include a selective set of parameters which define or limit the permissions associated with the communication link 70. In particular, in at least one embodiment, the selective set of parameters may include the option of transmitting the digital media file 60 via the communication link 70 merely for purposes of displaying and/or playing the digital media file 60, saving the digital media file 60, manipulating or otherwise editing the digital media file 60, etc. In the various embodiments of the present system 10, it is contemplated that these parameters may be selected from either the media terminal 20 or the media node 30, at various times. For instance, the parameters may be selected by the media terminal 20, or a user in control thereof, when the communication link 70 is created and/or initiated, or by either the media terminal 20 or the media node 30 when the communication link 70 is accepted or created.
Furthermore, it is contemplated that the protocol 10 of the present system includes a plurality of versions of the terminal program and/or the node program, stated and described above. For instance, at least one embodiment includes at least one limited version of the terminal and/or node programs and at least one full version of the programs. It is contemplated that the limited versions of the terminal and/or node programs are distributed at no cost or at least a lower cost than the corresponding full versions, and as such, provide limited functionality. Of course, the terminal and/or node programs, whether the limited and/or full versions, may come pre-installed with the corresponding media terminal 20 or media node 30.
Moreover, for illustrative purposes only,
Furthermore, the digital media file 60 of the present illustrative implementation of
As shown in
More in particular, because the digital media file 60, for purposes of the illustrative implementation shown in
This application is a Continuation-in-Part of U.S. application Ser. No. 11/999,570, filed on Dec. 7, 2007, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
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Number | Date | Country | |
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20120254360 A1 | Oct 2012 | US |
Number | Date | Country | |
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Parent | 11999570 | Dec 2007 | US |
Child | 13494097 | US |