METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR VIDEO SERVICES

1 . A method of receiving media from a multimedia terminal, the method comprising:

establishing an audio link between the multimedia terminal and the server over an audio channel;

establishing a visual link from the multimedia terminal and the server over a video channel;

receiving, at the server, a first media stream from the multimedia terminal over the audio channel;

receiving, at the server, a second media stream from the multimedia terminal over the video channel; and

storing, at the server, the first media stream and the second media stream.

2 . The method of claim 1 wherein the audio channel is a circuit switched voice channel and the video channel is a packet switched channel.

3 . The method of claim 1 wherein storing comprises storing the first media stream and second media stream at the server into a multimedia file.

4 . A method of transmitting media to a multimedia terminal, the method comprising:

establishing an audio link between the multimedia terminal and the server over an audio channel;

establishing a visual link from the multimedia terminal and the server over a video channel;

retrieving, at the server, a multimedia content comprising a first media content and a second media content;

transmitting, from the server, a first media stream associated with the first media content to the multimedia terminal over the audio channel; and

transmitting, at the server, a second media stream associated with the second media content to the multimedia terminal over the video channel.

5 . The method of claim 4 wherein the audio channel is a circuit switched voice channel and the video channel is a packet switched channel.

6 . The method of claim 4 wherein the multimedia content is a multimedia file.

7 . A method for providing a multimedia service to a multimedia terminal, the method comprising:

establishing an audio link between the multimedia terminal and a server over an audio channel;

detecting one or more media capabilities of the multimedia terminal;

providing an application logic for the multimedia service;

establishing a visual link between the multimedia terminal and the server over a video channel;

providing an audio stream for the multimedia service over the audio link;

providing a visual stream for the multimedia service over the video link;

combining the video link and the audio link; and

adjusting a transmission time of one or more packets in the visual stream to synchronize the visual stream with the audio stream.

8 . The method of claim 7 wherein the audio channel is established on a circuit switched network and the video channel is established on a packet switched network.

9 . The method of claim 7 wherein the multimedia service is an interactive video and voice response service.

10 . The method of claim 7 wherein detecting one or more media capabilities of the multimedia terminal comprises:

receiving an identification associated with the multimedia terminal from a voice call signaling message;

determining one or more privileges of the multimedia terminal;

detecting one or more video capabilities provided by a network associated with the multimedia terminal; and

determining the multimedia terminal comprises one or more characteristics for the multimedia service.

11 . The method of claim 7 wherein establishing a visual link comprises:

originating a video session to the multimedia terminal via a packet-switched network;

sending one or more voice messages to the multimedia terminal wherein the one or more voice messages are provided to assist a user in establishing a second video session;

receiving a connection message from the multimedia terminal for the second video session; and

negotiating one or more video capabilities for the second video session with the multimedia terminal.

12 . The method of claim 7 wherein combining the visual link and the voice link comprises:

registering a first call ID associated with the voice link to a database;

registering a second call ID associated with the visual link to the database; and

linking the first call ID and the second call ID as a single media call session.

13 . The method of claim 7 wherein adjusting a transmission time of sending one or more packets comprises:

estimating an end-to-end delay of the audio link;

estimating an end-to-end delay of the video link; and

controlling a sending time of the one or more packets depending on a difference between the end-to-end delay of the audio link and the end-to-end delay of the video link.

14 . The method of claim 7 wherein adjusting a transmission time of one or more packets comprises:

receiving, at the server, a message comprising network delay data; and

determining the transmission time of one or more packets from the message.

15 . The method of claim 7 wherein delivering a multimedia service further comprises:

executing the application logic;

loading a media content from a content provider system;

sending an audio part of the media content to the multimedia terminal over the audio stream;

sending a video part of the media content to the multimedia terminal over the video stream;

receiving an incoming audio stream from the voice link; and

receiving an incoming video stream from the video link.

16 . The method of claim 7 wherein the multimedia service is a video share blogging service, wherein the video share blogging service further comprises:

establishing a media session between the multimedia terminal and the server, wherein the media session comprises of a two-way circuit-switched voice call, and a one-way packet-switched video stream from the server to the multimedia terminal;

sending a first voice prompt message and an associated video message to the multimedia terminal;

closing the one-way packet-switched video stream;

playing a second voice prompt message to the multimedia terminal, the second voice prompt being associated with a request for the multimedia terminal to begin a video session;

accepting a second one-way packet-switched video stream from the multimedia terminal to the server;

combining a voice signal from the two-way circuit-switched voice call and a video signal from the second one-way packet-switched video streaming into a recorded media file.

17 . The method of claim 7 wherein the multimedia service is a video share casting service, wherein the video share casting service further comprises:

establishing a first voice call from a first terminal associated with a first participant to the server;

establishing a first one-way video channel from the server to the first terminal;

determining the first participant has a priority status;

establishing a second one-way video channel from the first terminal to the server;

receiving a second video stream from the second one-way video channel, and transmitting the second video stream on a broadcasting channel.

18 . A method for providing a multimedia portal service from a server to a renderer, the renderer being capable of receiving one or more downloadable modules, the method comprising:

receiving at the server, a request associated with the renderer;

providing, from the server to the renderer, a first module comprising computer code for providing a first media window supporting display of streaming video;

providing, from the server to the renderer, a second module comprising computer code for providing a second media window supporting display of streaming video;

transmitting, from the server to the renderer, a first video session for display in the first media window; and

transmitting, from the server to the renderer, a second video session for display in the second media window.

19 . The method of claim 18 wherein the renderer is a web browser.

20 . The method of claim 18 wherein the first module is a Flash file.

21 . The service of claim 18 further comprising:

transmitting, from the server to the renderer, a first audio session associated with the first video session.

22 . The method of claim 21 wherein the first audio session is on a circuit switched network and the first video session is on a packet switched network.

23 . The method of claim 18 wherein the first media window is provided by a plug-in technology.

24 . The method of claim 18 wherein transmitting the second video session is triggered by a second action.