Telecommunication and multimedia management method and apparatus

Abstract

A communication device, method and computer code configured to simultaneously render two or more conversations by (i) progressively rendering and progressively storing on the communication device incoming voice messages associated with two or more conversations as the incoming voice messages are received at the communication device; (ii) pausing the rendering of the incoming voice message or messages on the communication device for all but a selected one conversation among the two or more conversations; and (iii) rendering the incoming voice message or messages on the communication device for the selected one conversation without interrupting the progressive storage of the incoming voice message or messages associated with the non-selected conversations or conversations.

1 . A method performed on a communication device connected to a network, comprising:
 progressively rendering and progressively storing on the communication device an incoming voice message or voice messages associated with two or more conversations as the incoming voice message or voice messages are received at the communication device;   pausing the rendering of the incoming voice message or messages on the communication device for all but a selected one conversation among the two or more conversations; and   rendering the incoming voice message or messages on the communication device for the selected one conversation without interrupting the progressive storage of the incoming voice message or messages associated with the non-selected conversations or conversations.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 generating an outgoing voice message associated with the selected conversation; and   transmitting the outgoing voice message to participants of the selected conversation as voice media of the outgoing message is created.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein transmitting the outgoing voice message further comprises transmitting the outgoing voice message using a transmission protocol capable of supporting near real-time communication. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein transmitting the outgoing voice message further comprises transmitting the outgoing voice message using a transmission protocol that guarantees delivery of a complete of the voice message as encoded when the voice message was created. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 generating an outgoing voice message associated with the selected conversation; and   transmitting the outgoing voice message to participants of the selected conversation as fast as conditions on the network permit.   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 generating an outgoing voice message associated with the selected conversation;   progressively storing the outgoing voice message as the outgoing voice message is created; and   transmitting the voice media out of storage if the communication device was disconnected from the network when the outgoing voice message was created and after the communication device reconnects to the network.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 generating an outgoing voice message associated with the selected conversation; and   progressively storing the outgoing voice message as the outgoing voice message is created.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 transitioning the selected one conversation among the two or more conversations; and   rendering the received voice message or messages of the selected one conversation after the transition, without interrupting the progressive storage of the incoming voice message or messages associated with the non-selected conversation or conversations.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 receiving instructions at the communication device defining the selected one conversation among the two or more conversations for participation;   rendering the incoming voice message or messages received for the selected one conversation, without interrupting the progressive storage of the incoming voice message or messages associated with the non-selected conversation or conversations;   generating an outgoing voice message associated with the selected conversation; and   transmitting the outgoing voice message to participants of the selected conversation.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , further comprising:
 receiving instructions at the communication device for selectively transitioning the selected one conversation among the two or more conversations;   rendering the incoming voice message or messages of the selected one conversation after the transition, without interrupting the progressive storage of the incoming voice message associated with the non-selected conversations; and   generating and transmitting an outgoing voice message associated with the selected conversation after the transition.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the progressively rendering of the incoming message or messages associated with the two or more conversations further comprises simultaneously rendering the incoming messages associated with the two or more conversations on the communication device overlapping in time. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the two or more conversations each comprise an exchange of the incoming and outgoing messages associated with each conversation respectively. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising resuming the progressive rendering and progressive storing on the communication device the incoming voice message or messages associated with the two or more conversations as the incoming voice message or messages are received at the communication device after the pause. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising selectively rendering previously received voice messages associated with the selected one conversation during the pause. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising providing one or more of the following rendering options on the communication device to render the voice media of the incoming one or more messages:
 (i) play   (ii) play faster   (iii) player slower   (iv) jump backward;   (v) jump forward;   (vi) catch up to live; and   (vii) jump to live.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 receiving programming instructions at the communication device defining the two or more conversations for progressive rendering; and   configuring the communication device to progressively render the incoming voice message or messages associated with the two or more conversations.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the conversations, besides voice messages, further comprise messages containing one or more of the following types of media: text; photos, sensor data, positional data, GPS data, video, or any combination thereof. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the communication device comprises one of the following: a wireless phone, a cellular phone, a satellite phone, a radio, tactical radio, desktop computer, or a mobile computer. 
     
     
         19 . Computer code embedded in a non-transitory tangible computer readable medium and intended to run on a communication device connected to a network, the computer code configured to:
 progressively render and progressively store on the communication device an incoming voice message or voice messages associated with two or more conversations as the incoming voice message or voice messages are received at the communication device;   pause the rendering of the incoming voice message or messages on the communication device for all but a selected one conversation among the two or more conversations; and   render the incoming voice message or messages on the communication device for the selected one conversation without interrupting the progressive storage of the incoming voice message or messages associated with the non-selected conversations or conversations.   
     
     
         20 . The code of  claim 19 , further configured to:
 generate an outgoing voice message associated with the selected conversation; and   transmit the outgoing voice message to participants of the selected conversation as voice media of the outgoing message is created.   
     
     
         21 . The code of  claim 20 , wherein transmitting the outgoing voice message further comprises transmitting the outgoing voice message using a transmission protocol capable of supporting near real-time communication. 
     
     
         22 . The code of  claim 20 , wherein transmitting the outgoing message further comprises transmitting the outgoing message using a transmission protocol that guarantees delivery of a complete of the voice message as encoded when the voice message was created. 
     
     
         23 . The code of  claim 19 , further configured to:
 generate an outgoing voice message associated with the selected conversation; and   transmit the outgoing voice message to participants of the selected conversation as fast as conditions on the network permit.   
     
     
         24 . The code of  claim 19 , further configured to:
 generate an outgoing voice message associated with the selected conversation;   progressively store the outgoing voice message as the outgoing voice message is created; and   transmit the outgoing voice message out of storage if the communication device was disconnected from the network when the outgoing voice message was created and after the communication device reconnects to the communication network.   
     
     
         25 . The code of  claim 19 , further configure to:
 generate an outgoing voice message associated with the selected conversation; and   progressively store the outgoing voice message as the outgoing voice message is created.   
     
     
         26 . The code of  claim 19 , further configured to:
 transition the selected one conversation among the two or more conversations in response to input received at the communication device; and   render the received voice message or messages of the selected one conversation after the transition, without interrupting the progressive storage of the incoming voice message or messages associated with the non-selected conversation or conversations.   
     
     
         27 . The code of  claim 19 , further configured to:
 receive instructions at the communication device defining the selected one conversation among the two or more conversations for participation;   render the incoming voice message or messages received for the selected one conversation, without interrupting the progressive storage of the incoming voice message or messages associated with the non-selected conversation or conversations;   generate an outgoing voice message associated with the selected conversation; and   transmit the outgoing voice message to participants of the selected conversation.   
     
     
         28 . The code of  claim 27 , further configured to:
 receive instructions at the communication device for selectively transitioning the selected one conversation among the two or more conversations;   render the incoming voice message or messages of the selected one conversation after the transition, without interrupting the progressive storage of the incoming voice message associated with the non-selected conversations; and   generate and transmit an outgoing voice message associated with the selected conversation after the transition.   
     
     
         29 . The code of  claim 19 , wherein the progressively rendering of the incoming message or messages associated with the two or more conversations further comprises simultaneously rendering the incoming messages associated with the two or more conversations on the communication device overlapping in time. 
     
     
         30 . The code of  claim 19 , wherein the two or more conversations each comprise an exchange of the incoming and outgoing messages associated with each conversation respectively. 
     
     
         31 . The code of  claim 19 , wherein the code is further configured to progressively render and progressively store on the communication device the incoming voice message or messages associated with the two or more conversations as the incoming voice message or messages are received at the communication device after the pause. 
     
     
         32 . The code of  claim 19 , further configured to selectively render previously received voice messages associated with the selected one conversation during the pause. 
     
     
         33 . The code of  claim 19 , further configured to provide one or more of the following rendering options on the communication device to render the voice media of the incoming one or more messages:
 (iii) play   (iv) play faster   (viii) player slower   (ix) jump backward;   (x) jump forward;   (xi) catch up to live; and   (xii) jump to live.   
     
     
         34 . The code of  claim 19 , further configured to:
 define the two or more conversations for progressive rendering in response to programming instructions received at the communication device; and   configure the communication device to progressively render the incoming voice message or messages associated with the two or more conversations.   
     
     
         35 . The code of  claim 19 , wherein the conversations, besides voice messages, further comprise messages containing one or more of the following types of media: text; photos, sensor data, positional data, GPS data, video, or any combination thereof. 
     
     
         36 . The code of  claim 19 , wherein the communication device comprises one of the following: a wireless phone, a cellular phone, a satellite phone, a radio, tactical radio, desktop computer, or a mobile computer. 
     
     
         37 . A communication device connected to a network, the communication device comprising:
 a render element configured to progressively render an incoming voice message or messages associated with two or more conversations as the incoming voice message or messages are received at the communication device;   a storage element configured to progressively store the incoming voice message or messages associated with two or more conversations as the incoming voice message or messages are received at the communication device; and   a pause element configured to pause the rendering of the incoming voice message or messages on the communication device for all but a selected one conversation among the two or more conversations;   the render element configured to render the incoming voice message or messages on the communication device for the selected one conversation without interrupting the progressive storage of the incoming voice message or messages associated with the non-selected conversations or conversations.   
     
     
         38 . The device of  claim 37 , further comprising a transmit element configured to transmit an outgoing voice message to participants of the selected conversation as voice media of the outgoing message is created. 
     
     
         39 . The device of  claim 38 , wherein the transmit element is further configured to transmit the outgoing voice message using a transmission protocol capable of supporting near real-time communication. 
     
     
         40 . The device of  claim 38 , wherein the transmit element is further configured to transmit the outgoing voice message using a transmission protocol that guarantees delivery of a complete of the outgoing voice message as encoded when the outgoing voice message was created. 
     
     
         41 . The device of  claim 37 , further comprising a transmit element configured to transmit an outgoing voice message to participants of the selected conversation as fast as conditions on the network permit. 
     
     
         42 . The device of  claim 37 , further comprising a transmit element configured to transmit an outgoing voice message out of storage if the communication device was disconnected from the network when the outgoing voice message was created and after the communication device reconnects to the communication network. 
     
     
         43 . The device of  claim 37 , wherein the storage element is further configured to progressively store an outgoing voice message associated with the selected conversation as voice media of the outgoing voice message is created. 
     
     
         44 . The device of  claim 37 , further comprising a transition element configured to selectively transition the selected one conversation among the two or more conversations in response to input received at the communication device. 
     
     
         45 . The device of  claim 37 , wherein the render element is further configured to simultaneously render the incoming messages associated with the two or more conversations on the communication device overlapping in time. 
     
     
         46 . The device of  claim 37 , wherein the two or more conversations each comprise an exchange of the incoming and outgoing messages associated with each conversation respectively. 
     
     
         47 . The device of  claim 37 , wherein the render element and storage element are further configured to progressively render and progressively store on the communication device the incoming voice message or messages associated with the two or more conversations as the incoming voice message or messages are received at the communication device after the pause. 
     
     
         48 . The device of  claim 37 , wherein the render element is further configured to selectively render previously received voice messages associated with the selected one conversation during the pause. 
     
     
         49 . The device of  claim 37 , wherein the render element is further configured to provide one or more of the following rendering options:
 (v) play   (vi) play faster   (xiii) player slower   (xiv) jump backward;   (xv) jump forward;   (xvi) catch up to live; and   (xvii) jump to live.   
     
     
         50 . The device of  claim 37 , wherein the conversations, besides voice messages, further comprise messages containing one or more of the following types of media: text; photos, sensor data, positional data, GPS data, video, or any combination thereof. 
     
     
         51 . The device of  claim 37 , wherein the device comprises one of the following: a wireless phone, a cellular phone, a satellite phone, a radio, tactical radio, desktop computer, or a mobile computer.