System and method for personal communication over a global computer network

{
  "publication_number": "US2005114527A1",
  "country": "US",
  "kind": "A1",
  "title": "System and method for personal communication over a global computer network",
  "abstract": "A system and method for facilitating and enhancing substantially real-time interpersonal communication over a network such as the Internet, the method comprising at least the steps of facilitating data communication between at least a primary user and at least a secondary user, both the primary user and each secondary user being in communication with the network through a computing system, the data communication including at least communication of video data, audio date or text data. In one embodiment, the present invention is a computer application directed towards interpersonal communications which allows a user to access, communicate and log in to a pre-determined Internet web site. Once logged in, the application allows a user to view other users of the application, allows a user to create a new room or electronic meeting area, join an existing room or electronic meeting area created by another user, or utilize an online, real time video, audio and/or text conferencing program to communicate with one or more other users on the same web site. The present invention does not require the user to download any specialized software, platform specific software or application specific software.",
  "claims": [
    "1. A computing system for providing interpersonal communication over a network, the system including at least one microprocessor in communication with at least one memory device and the network, the system further including a server software program adapted to communicate with a client software program, the server software program being stored on the memory device and operated by each microprocessor, the system adapted to: maintain and control a selectively accessible interpersonal web site located on the network; to selectively allow one or more users to access the interpersonal web site through an Internet web browser; and to enable a primary user to exchange interpersonal data with at least one pre-selected secondary user through the interpersonal web site in substantially real time, the interpersonal data including interpersonal video data, audio data and text data.",
    "2. The computing system of claim 1, the server software program being in substantially simultaneous communication with the client software over the network to achieve substantially real time data communication.",
    "3. The computing system of claim 2, the client software program being an embedded flash application adapted to operate in conjunction with the Internet web browser which is viewable on a viewing device.",
    "4. The computing system of claim 3, the server software program being adapted to control the client software so as to be able to modify the primary user's viewing device and modify each secondary user's viewing device to respond to any command entered by the primary user or any secondary user.",
    "5. The computing system of claim 5, the system further including at least a login interface adapted to selectively allow a user to access the system, and a video/audio interface adapted to communicate interpersonal video data streams between the primary user and each secondary user in substantially real time, the login interface and the video/audio interface both viewable on the primary user's viewing device, and both being in communication with the server software over the network.",
    "6. A computer implemented method of facilitating interpersonal communication over a network, the method comprising in any order at least the steps of: facilitating data communication between a primary user having a first computing system and at least a secondary user having at least a secondary computing system, the first computing system being in interpersonal data communication with each secondary computing system over a network through a server computing system, the interpersonal data communication being at least substantially real-time communication of video data.",
    "7. The computing system of claim 5, the interpersonal data communication being at least substantially real-time communication of audio data.",
    "8. A method for facilitating interpersonal communication over a network, the method comprising the steps of: providing a computer system having at least one microprocessor and at least one memory storage device, the computer system being in communication with a computer network, the computer system adapted to maintain and control a web site selectively accessible on the computer network; allowing at least a primary user to access the web site; and allowing at least a secondary user to access the web site to achieve substantially real-time interpersonal communication with the at least primary user."
  ],
  "description_excerpt": "This invention claims priority to, and the benefit of, U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/509,778, entitled “System and Method for Personal Communication Over a Global Computer Network”, filed Oct. 8, 2003, the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference.\n\nThe present invention relates generally to one or more integrated software applications coupled to one or more computers which are available over a global computer network for text and/or video-based personal communication between users of the computers, to user interfaces and content for real-time communication, and more specifically, to an integrated software system and method available over or accessible through the Internet which allows users to communicate in a multi-user dating or matchmaking community environment in real-time.\n\nComputer users now have the capability, through advancement in the art, of communicating with other users over a computer network such as the Internet. Typically, in order to achieve such communication, each person communicating must have a computing means adapted to access a computer network (such as a personal computer coupled to the Internet, for example), a video transceiver coupled to the computing means (such as a web cam, for example) and an audio transceiver coupled to the computing means (such as a microphone and speakers, for example).",
  "cpc": [
    "H04L 63/083"
  ],
  "ipc": [
    "G06F 15/16",
    "H04L 29/06"
  ],
  "inventors": [
    "Michael Hankey",
    "Robert Garner",
    "Ernesto Morales",
    "Abe Smilowitz",
    "Brian Hoffman"
  ],
  "filing_date": "2004-10-08",
  "publication_date": "2005-05-26",
  "priority_date": "2003-10-08",
  "application_number": "US-96185204-A",
  "family_id": "34594721",
  "cited_by_count": 139,
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