# US 12,113,761 B2 · Real-time messaging method and apparatus > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,113,761 B2 - Document ID: US12113761B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 18/584,519 - Filed: 2024-02-22 - Published: 2024-06-13 - Granted: 2024-10-08 - Earliest claimed: 2007-06-28 - Assignees: Voxer IP LLC - Applicants: Voxer IP LLC - Inventors: Thomas E. Katis; James T. Panttaja; Mary G. Panttaja; Matthew J. Ranney - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12113761B2 ## CPC - G06Q 10/107: Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing] - H04L 45/34: {Source routing} - H04L 51/04: Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM] - H04L 51/046: Interoperability with other network applications or services - H04L 51/08: Annexed information, e.g. attachments - H04L 51/10: Multimedia information - H04L 51/214: using selective forwarding - H04L 61/4511: using domain name system [DNS] - H04L 61/5007: Internet protocol [IP] addresses - H04L 65/1069: Session establishment or de-establishment - H04L 65/61: for supporting one-way streaming services, e.g. Internet radio - H04L 65/612: for unicast - H04L 69/16: Implementation or adaptation of Internet protocol [IP], of transmission control protocol [TCP] or of user datagram protocol [UDP] - H04L 2101/37: E-mail addresses - G06Q: INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES; SYSTEMS OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR - H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M) ## Abstract A system and method for the late-binding of time-based media in real-time. With late binding, the sender may create time-based media before or at the same time an active delivery route to the recipient is discovered. As soon as the route becomes available, the media is transmitted. The existing DNS and email infrastructure is possibly used for route discovery, while any real-time transmission protocol may be used for the actual delivery of the media. “Progressive” emails may also be used for the real-time delivery of time-based media. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method for conducting a conversation over a network, comprising: maintaining a messaging infrastructure on the network; receiving, at the messaging infrastructure, email-related information from a first device used by a first user initiating the conversation, the email-related information usable by the messaging infrastructure for ascertaining one or more second users of the messaging infrastructure for participation in the conversation; ascertaining one or more second devices, connected to and available on the network, associated with the one or more second users respectively; receiving at the messaging infrastructure video media for a video message streamed by the first user using the first device; notifying the one or more of the second users of the video message while the video media is streamed by the first user; enabling any of the one or more second users to selectively render at least portions of the video media of the video message in a real-time mode as: (a) the video media of the video message is streamed by the first device; (b) the video media is received at and stored by the messaging infrastructure; and (c) the video media of the video message is streamed by the video messaging infrastructure to the one or more second devices associated with the one or more second users that have elected to selectively render the video message in the real-time mode, the selective rendering occurring without having to first set up an end-to-end connection over the network between the first device and any of the one or more second devices respectively; enabling at least one of the one or more of the second users that have elected to selectively render the video message in the real-time mode to selectively participate in the conversation by selectively adding one or more additional messages to the conversation; and enabling rendering of the one or more additional messages while selectively rendering the video media of the video message in the real-time mode. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising serving the video media and the one or more additional messages from storage so that the one or more additional messages and the video media of the video message can be rendered in a time-shifted mode. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising organizing the one or more additional messages into a string of messages pertaining to the conversation. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising transcoding the video media of the video message from one encoding format as streamed by the first device to one or more second encoding format(s) as needed for rendering on the one or more second device(s) respectively. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising adaptively adjusting a number of bits contained in video media payloads, based on bandwidth conditions on the network, when streaming the video media of the video message. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the video message is a broadcast. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the video message is a broadcast to a channel. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the email-related information defines an email domain. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the email-related information identifies the second users by email addresses respectively. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the email-related information identifies the second users within an email domain. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the email-related information identifies a group of users within an email domain, the group including the second users. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the email-related information includes one or more email addresses for one or more of the second users respectively. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising specifying a name for the conversation. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising specifying a start time and date for the conversation. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising assigning a conversation identifier to the conversation. ### Claim 16 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising assigning a message identifier to the video message. ### Claim 17 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: providing a Universal Resource Locator (URL) link to the one or more second devices; and serving the video media of the video message to any of the one or more second devices in response to a selection of the URL link. ### Claim 18 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising enabling the first user to selectively add to the one or more additional messages of the conversation while the video media of the video message is being streamed. ### Claim 19 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising enabling the first user to selectively render the one or more additional messages of the conversation while the video media of the video message is being streamed. ### Claim 20 A method for conducting a conversation over a network, comprising: maintaining a messaging infrastructure on the network; receiving, at the messaging infrastructure, email-related information from a first device used by a first user initiating the conversation, the email-related information usable by the messaging infrastructure for ascertaining one or more second users of the messaging infrastructure for participation in the conversation, wherein the email related information includes or identifies one or more of the following: (i) an email domain; (ii) the second users within an email domain; (iii) one or more email addresses; (iv) the second users within an email domain; or (v) a group within an email domain; ascertaining one or more second devices, connected to and available on the network, associated with the one or more second users respectively; receiving at the messaging infrastructure video media for a video message streamed by the first user using the first device; notifying the one or more second users of the video message while the video media is streamed by the first user; enabling any of the one or more second users to selectively render at least portions of the video media of the video message in a real-time mode as: (a) the video media of the video message is streamed by the first device; (b) the video media is received at and stored by the messaging infrastructure; and (c) the video media of the video message is streamed by the video messaging infrastructure to the one or more second devices associated with the one or more second users that have elected to selectively render the video message in the real-time mode, the selective rendering occurring without having to first set up an end-to-end connection over the network between the first device and any of the one or more second devices respectively; enabling the first user or at least one of the one or more of the second users that have elected to selectively render the video message in the real-time mode to selectively participate in the conversation by selectively adding one or more additional messages to the conversation; and enabling the one or more of the second users that have elected to selectively render the video message in the real-time mode to simultaneously render the one or more additional messages while rendering the video media of the video message in the real-time mode. ### Claim 21 (depends on 20) The method of claim 20, further comprising serving the video media and the one or more additional messages from storage so that the one or more additional messages and the video media of the video message can be rendered in a time-shifted mode. ### Claim 22 (depends on 20) The method of claim 20, further comprising transcoding the video media of the video message from one encoding format to one or more second encoding format(s) as needed for rendering on the one or more second device(s) respectively. ### Claim 23 (depends on 20) The method of claim 20, further comprising adaptively adjusting a number of bits contained in video media payloads, based on bandwidth conditions on the network, when streaming the video media of the video message. ### Claim 24 (depends on 20) The method of claim 20, further comprising one of the following: (i) specifying a name for the conversation; (ii) specifying a start time and date for the conversation; (iii) assigning a conversation identifier to the conversation; (iv) assigning a message identifier to the video message; or (vi) any combination of (i) through (iv).