VIDEO MESSAGING
Systems and techniques for transferring electronic data between users of a communications system by receiving, at an instant messaging host, a video file from a sender and intended for a recipient; authenticating the video file; and sending the video file to the intended recipient.
1 . A communications method, comprising:
enabling instant messaging communication between a sender and at least one recipient through an instant messaging host; and
enabling video communication between the sender and the recipient through the instant messaging host.
2 . The method of claim 1 further comprising receiving and authenticating a text instant from the sender at the instant messaging host.
3 . The method of claim 2 wherein authenticating comprises identifying a screen name associated with at least one of the sender and the recipient.
4 . The method of claim 3 wherein authenticating comprises identifying an IP address associated with at least one of the sender and the recipient.
5 . The method of claim 1 further comprising determining capabilities of the recipient at the instant messaging host.
6 . The method of claim 5 wherein determining comprises identifying hardware associated with the recipient.
7 . The method of claim 5 wherein determining comprises identifying software associated with the recipient.
8 . The method of claim 5 further comprising reporting the capabilities of the recipient to the sender.
9 . The method of claim 8 wherein the sender displays a user interface according to the capabilities of the recipient.
10 . The method of claim 1 further comprising receiving, at the instant messaging host, a request to establish video communication.
11 . The method of claim 10 wherein the request is from the sender.
12 . The method of claim 10 wherein the request is from the recipient.
13 . The method of claim 10 further comprising authenticating the request.
14 . The method of claim 13 wherein authenticating comprises identifying a screen name associated with at least one of the sender and the recipient.
15 . The method of claim 13 wherein authenticating comprises identifying an IP address associated with at least one of the sender and the recipient.
16 . The method of claim 1 wherein enabling video communication comprises establishing a generic signaling interface channel, a control channel, and a video channel between the sender and the recipient.
17 . The method of claim 16 wherein the control channel comprises a TCP/IP socket.
18 . The method of claim 16 wherein the video channel comprises a UDP channel.
19 . The method of claim 16 wherein the video channel comprises a TCP channel.
20 . A communications apparatus comprising an instant messaging host configured to:
enable instant messaging communication between a sender an at least one recipient; and
enable video communication between the sender and the recipient.