Video based interfaces for video message systems and services

1. A method for providing a multi-media user interface to a calling party over a digital wireless telecommunications network, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving at a communications platform an access request to a multi-media message store associated with a first party, the access request being received from a video capable device that is associated with a video based service, wherein the video capable device is associated with a second party and the access request is for the purpose of depositing a multi-media message into the first party message store;

identifying multi-media content uniquely associated with the message store of the first party, the multi-media content including video content and audio content;

providing at least a portion of the multi-media content to the requesting device, wherein the provided portion comprises instructions to the second party for navigation of the communications platform, prior to deposit of a multi-media message into the first party message store, via actuation of the requesting device;

rendering the at least a portion of the multi-media content on the requesting device;

receiving an actuation from the requesting device; and

augmenting the provision of the multi-media content based on the actuation.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of providing at least a portion of the multi-media content further comprises:

creating a thumbnail screen representing the video content; and

transmitting the thumbnail screen to the requesting device.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein further comprising the steps of:

associating a hyperlink with the thumbnail screen, the hyperlink being operative to direct the accessing device of the second party to a file containing the multi-media content that is uniquely associated with the message store of the first party;

traversing the hyperlink; and

receiving the multi-media content.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the video content of the multi-media content comprises a plurality of video frames and further comprising the steps of:

determining that the video content of the plurality of video frames includes some active video portions;

separating the active video portions from static video portions; and

providing at least a portion of the multi-media content to the requesting device of the calling party further comprises:

initially providing and entire first frame that includes the active and static video portions; and

providing only the active portions of subsequent video frames.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the video content is a series of menu screens with menu items, the active portions of the video frames include serially augmenting each menu item in the menu screen, and the audio content is associated with the menu items of the series of menu screens, and the steps of providing the multi-media content to the requesting device of the calling party further comprises synchronizing the provision of the audio content with the video content such that as each menu item in the menu screen is augmented, the audio content associated with the augmented menu item is provided.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the actuation received from the requesting device of the second party is a selection of a menu item and the step of augmenting the provision of the multi-media content based on the actuation comprises providing separate multi-media content associated with the menu item.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the step of providing separate multi-media content comprises providing a video feed associated with a monitoring system.

8. The method of claim 6 , wherein the step of providing separate multi-media content comprises providing a video feed associated with a particular camera of a monitoring system.

9. A telecommunications system that provides a multi-media user interface to user devices over a digital wireless telecommunications network, the telecommunications system comprising:

a transcoding gateway interfacing to the digital wireless network for receiving control, video and audio content and for providing response, video and audio content to the user devices on the digital wireless network;

a message store associated with a first party for storing video and audio content;

a video media server interfacing to the transcoding gateway and the message store, and in response to being accessed by a second party calling device, being operable to:

identify the multi-media message store associated with the first party;

identify video and audio content associated with the multi-media message store of the first party;

provide at least a portion of the video content and audio content to the second party calling device;

receive actuation signals from the second party calling device; and

modify further provision of video and audio content based on the received actuation signal.

10. The telecommunications system of claim 9 , wherein the video media server is operable to:

process the video content through a compression technique by determining that the video content is a still image; and

provide the processed video and audio content to the destination device in a synchronized manner by providing the still image to the destination device a single time, independent of the manner for providing the audio content, and providing the audio content in a loop while the still image is being displayed on the destination device.

11. The telecommunications system of claim 9 , wherein the video content comprises a plurality of video frames and the video media server is operable to provide the video content through a compression technique by:

determining that the video content of the plurality of video frames includes some active video portions;

separating the active video portions from static video portions; and

the video media server is operable to provide processed video and audio content to the destination device by:

initially providing and entire first frame that includes the active and static video portions; and

providing only the active portions of subsequent video frames.

12. The telecommunications system of claim 11 , wherein the video content is a series of menu screens with menu items, the active portions of the video frames includes serially augmenting each menu item in the menu screen, and the audio content is associated with the menu items of the series of menu screens, and the video media server is operable to provide the audio content to the destination device by:

synchronizing the provision of the audio content with the video content such that as each menu item in the menu screen is augmented, the audio content associated with the augmented menu item is provided.

13. The telecommunications system of claim 9 , wherein the video content comprises a plurality of video frames and the video media server is operable to process the video content through a compression technique by identifying a first frame group of contiguous frames of the plurality of video frames in which the video content is substantially static; and

the video media server is operable to provide the processed video and audio content to the destination device by providing only a single frame of the first frame group.

14. The telecommunications system of claim 13 , wherein the video media server is further operable to:

identify a second frame group of contiguous frames of the plurality of video frames in which the video content is substantially static; and

provide the processed video content to the destination by providing only a single frame of the second frame group.

15. The telecommunications system of claim 14 , wherein the video media server provides a next frame to the destination device after the single frame of the first frame group and the next frame may be a single frame of the second frame group or a single independent frame.

16. The telecommunications system of claim 15 , wherein the audio content is synchronized with the plurality of video frames, and the video media server provides the processed video and audio in a synchronized manner such that as the single frame of the first frame group is displayed, the audio content associated with the entire frame group is provided to the destination device and, when the next frame is provided to the destination group, the audio content associated with that next frame is provided.