Web page based video service and apparatus

Abstract

A telepresence server is for connection to a telecommunications network for providing access to a reality engine for a plurality of passive users. The reality engine can be controlled by an active user or a professional director through the network or by a local professional director. Active/passive mode displays can be used by the passive users in a passive mode and an active/passive mode display can be used by the active user in an active mode.

1 . Method, comprising: 
 providing a web page showing a plurality of available videos from a corresponding plurality of video cameras of various owners, said cameras for acquiring said videos and made available by said owners over a telecommunications network for selection by a plurality of users using said web page on a corresponding plurality of displays in different geographic locations,    providing videos selected by said plurality of users via said telecommunications network to said plurality of users of said corresponding plurality of displays according to selection signals received over said network from said plurality of users wherein each selection signal is indicative of a particular video selected by a particular user of said web page and wherein each of said plurality of available videos is selectable for use in viewing at a same time by more than one user of said plurality of users of said web page at said different geographic locations, and    storing one or more of said plurality of available videos for display on said web page as stored videos for selection by said plurality of users so that video selection for viewing is delayed in time after video acquisition by said cameras to any extent.    
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein at least one user of said plurality of users is able to use a selected live video as an active user, that is, by providing a user control signal for controlling said live video and, alternatively, to use said live video as a passive user, that is, without providing any user control signal for controlling said live video.  
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of said one or more user control signals is provided over said network by an active user for actively controlling a corresponding live video.  
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein said active user is also able to use a selected live video as a passive user, that is, without providing any user control signal for controlling said live video.  
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein multiple users selecting said live video actively controlled by said active user only provide selection signals and are not providing any control signals and are therefore passive users of said live video.  
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of said one or more control signals is provided over said network by a remote director user for remotely controlling one or more corresponding live videos.  
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein multiple users selecting a remotely controlled one of said live videos actively controlled by said remote director user only provide selection signals and are not providing any control signals and are therefore only passive users of said remotely controlled live videos.  
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of said one or more control signals is provided by a local director user for locally controlling one or more corresponding live videos.  
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein multiple users selecting a locally controlled one of said live videos actively controlled by said local director user only provide selection signals and are not providing any control signals and are therefore only passive users of said one or more locally controlled live videos.  
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said method is carried out by a server.  
     
     
         11 . Apparatus, comprising: 
 a memory for storing a plurality of videos received from a corresponding plurality of video cameras of various owners at different sites; and    a server, for providing a web page for displaying a plurality of available videos on said web page indicative of said plurality of videos received from said corresponding plurality of video cameras, said server responsive to selection signals from a plurality of users in different geographic locations via a telecommunications network, for providing selected videos to said plurality of users via said telecommunications network according to said selection signals wherein each of said one or more videos is selectable by multiple users at a same time, wherein any one or more of said plurality of available videos from said plurality of video cameras are stored in said memory for display on said web page as stored videos for selection by said users so that video selection for viewing is delayed in time after video acquisition by said cameras to any extent.    
     
     
         12 . The apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein a user is able to view a display of a particular selected video as a passive user, that is, without providing any active user control signal back to said server, while another user of said plurality of users provides said active user control signal for controlling said particular selected video and for viewing a display of said selected video as an active user.  
     
     
         13 . The apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein at least one of one or more control signals is provided over said network by a remote director user for remotely controlling one or more corresponding videos.  
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein at least one of one or more control signals is provided by a local director user for locally controlling one or more corresponding videos.  
     
     
         15 . The apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein an active user control signal can come from any one of said plurality of users any one of which is also able to use said video as a passive user, that is, without providing any user control signal for controlling said video while another user of said plurality of users provides said active user control signal for viewing a display of said selected video as an active user.  
     
     
         16 . The apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein said server is responsive to an active user control signal from one user among said plurality of users for controlling said video actively while others of said plurality of users are without active control of said video but rather use the video passively, according to the control of said one user.  
     
     
         17 . Apparatus, comprising: 
 means for providing a web page showing a plurality of available videos from a corresponding plurality of video cameras of various owners, said cameras for acquiring said videos and made available by said owners over a telecommunications network for selection by a plurality of users using said web page on a corresponding plurality of displays in different geographic locations,    means for providing videos selected by said plurality of users via said telecommunications network to said plurality of users of said corresponding plurality of displays according to selection signals received over said network from said plurality of users wherein each selection signal is indicative of a particular video selected by a particular user of said web page and wherein each of said plurality of available videos is selectable for use in viewing at a same time by more than one user of said plurality of users of said web page at said different geographic locations, and    means for storing one or more of said plurality of available videos for display on said web page as stored videos for selection by said plurality of users so that video selection for viewing is delayed in time after video acquisition by said cameras to any extent.    
     
     
         18 . The apparatus of  claim 17 , wherein at least one user of said plurality of users is able to use a selected live video as an active user, that is, by providing a user control signal for controlling said live video and, alternatively, to use said live video as a passive user, that is, without providing any user control signal for controlling said live video.  
     
     
         19 . The apparatus of  claim 17 , wherein at least one of one or more control signals is provided over said network by a remote director user for remotely controlling one or more corresponding videos.  
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein at least one of one or more control signals is provided by a local director user for locally controlling one or more corresponding videos.