Michael Scott Sears

US Patent:

20030041333, Feb 27, 2003

Filed:

Aug 27, 2001

Appl. No.:

09/940181

Inventors:

Paul Allen - Mercer Island WA, US
Michael Sears - Bellevue WA, US
John Kellum - Seattle WA, US

International Classification:

H04N007/173

US Classification:

725/106000, 725/122000

Abstract:

A request to establish video communication between a caller and a user of an interactive television system is detected. The caller is identified using information contained within the request. The user is prompted to accept or reject the request. In response to the user rejecting the request or not accepting the request within an established time interval, a pre-recorded video greeting is sent to the caller. Thereafter, a video message is recorded including a video signal received from the caller. While the video message is being recorded, the user may interrupt the recording to establish two-way video communication with the caller.

US Patent:

20030046705, Mar 6, 2003

Filed:

Aug 28, 2001

Appl. No.:

09/941239

Inventors:

Michael Sears - Bellevue WA, US

International Classification:

H04N007/173
H04L012/403
H04L012/42
H04J001/00
H04H001/04

US Classification:

725/106000, 725/131000, 725/117000, 725/119000, 370/486000, 370/449000

Abstract:

In response to a request to establish video communication between a video-enabled (e.g., videophone) and non-video-enabled (e.g., cellular telephone) communication device, two-way audio communication is established between the two devices. One-way video communication is also established between a server and the video-enabled device. Video signals generated by the video-enabled device during the two-way audio communication are captured and cached within the server. The cached video signals may be subsequently retrieved and displayed by a computer terminal or video-enabled communication device.