Communicating multimedia data

Abstract

A method of communicating multimedia data includes establishing a first connection between a transmitter unit and an administration server, establishing a second connection between a receiver unit and the administration server, assigning a same unique communication channel to the transmitter unit and the receiver unit by the administration server, establishing a third connection between the transmitter unit and the receiver unit using the same unique communication channel upon the first and second connections being established, and transmitting the multimedia data from the transmitter unit to the receiver unit via the third connection. The transmitter and receiver units respectively have unique identification codes that uniquely identify the units from other units connected to the administration server. The communication channel is assigned using the unique identification codes. The transmitter and receiver units respectively automatically initiate establishing the first and second connections upon being connected to the Internet.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of communicating multimedia data, comprising:
 establishing a first connection between a transmitter unit and an administration server, wherein the transmitter unit automatically initiates establishing the first connection upon being connected to an Internet, and the transmitter unit has a first unique identification (ID) code that uniquely identifies the transmitter unit from other units connected to the administration server;   establishing a second connection between a receiver unit and the administration server, wherein the receiver unit automatically initiates establishing the second connection upon being connected to the Internet, and the receiver unit has a second unique ID code that uniquely identifies the receiver unit from the other units connected to the administration server;   assigning a same unique communication channel to the transmitter unit and the receiver unit, by the administration server, using the first and second unique ID codes;   establishing a third connection between the transmitter unit and the receiver unit using the same unique communication channel, by the administration server, upon the first and second connections being established; and   transmitting the multimedia data from the transmitter unit to the receiver unit via the third connection.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 configuring transmission properties, by the administration sewer, for transmitting the multimedia data from the transmitter unit to the receiver unit,   wherein the multimedia data is transmitted from the transmitter unit to the receiver unit via the third connection in accordance with the configured transmission properties.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein configuring the transmission properties is based on a quality of the first connection and a quality of the second connection. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein configuring the transmission properties is further based on pre-set transmission settings relating to the multimedia data. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 2 , further comprising:
 initiating a first network status test corresponding to the first connection, automatically by the administration server, upon establishing the first connection; and   initiating a second network status test corresponding to the second connection, automatically by the administration server, upon establishing the second connection.   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein configuring the transmission properties is based on the first and second network status tests. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein configuring the transmission properties comprises at least one of setting a starting bitrate of the multimedia data, setting a minimum bitrate of the multimedia data, setting a maximum bitrate of the multimedia data, setting a compression type of the multimedia data, and setting a maximum latency value of the multimedia data. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the first network status test indicates to the administration server a first Internet connection speed currently available to the transmitter unit, and the second network status test indicates to the administration server a second Internet connection speed currently available to the receiver unit. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the first network status test indicates to the administration server whether access to any communication ports relating to the first connection is prohibited to the transmitter unit, and whether access to any communication ports relating to the second connection is prohibited to the receiver unit. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the third connection is automatically established without intervention of a first user of the transmitter unit and a second user of the receiver unit. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1  wherein:
 the transmitter unit automatically initiates establishing the first connection in response to a first network cable being plugged into a first network connection interface of the transmitter unit, and 
 the receiver unit automatically initiates establishing the second connection in response to a second network cable being, plugged into a second network connection interface of the receiver unit. 
 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the same unique communication channel is assigned to the transmitter unit and the receiver unit prior to establishing the first and second connections. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the same unique communication channel is assigned to the transmitter unit and the receiver unit at substantially a same time as establishing the first and second connections. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 initiating a timer, at the administration server, that tracks an amount of time that the multimedia data is transmitted from the transmitter unit to the receiver unit.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 pre-setting a start time and an end time for transmitting the multimedia data from the transmitter unit to the receiver unit.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the receiver unit is a first receiver unit, and the method further comprises:
 transmitting the multimedia data to the first receiver unit at a first time; and   transmitting the multimedia data to a second receiver unit at a second time, different from the first time.   
     
     
         17 . A system of communicating multimedia data comprising:
 a transmitter device having a first unique identification (ID) code that uniquely identifies the transmitter device from other transmitter and receiver devices connected to an administration server, wherein the transmitter device receives multimedia data and comprises:
 a first network adapter that establishes a first connection between the transmitter device and the administration server, wherein the transmitter device automatically establishes the first connection upon the first network adapter being connected to an Internet; 
   a receiver device having a second unique ID code that uniquely identifies the receiver device from the other transmitter and receiver devices connected to the administration server, wherein the receiver device comprises:
 a second network adapter that establishes a second connection between the receiver device and the administration server, wherein the receiver device automatically establishes the second connection upon the second network adapter being connected to the Internet; and 
   the administration server, wherein the administration server:
 assigns a same unique communication channel to the transmitter device and the receiver device using the first and second unique ID codes; and 
 establishes a third connection between the transmitter device and the receiver device using the same unique communication channel upon the first and second connections being established, 
   wherein the multimedia data is transmitted from the transmitter device to the receiver device via the third connection.   
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 17 , wherein the administration server further:
 configures transmission properties for transmitting the multimedia data from the transmitter device to the receiver device,   wherein the multimedia data is transmitted from the transmitter device to the receiver device via the third connection in accordance with the configured transmission properties.   
     
     
         19 . A system of communicating multimedia data, comprising:
 a transmitter device having a first unique identification (ID) code that uniquely identifies the transmitter device from other transmitter and receiver devices connected to an administration server, wherein the transmitter device comprises:
 an audio/video input interface that connects to a capture device, wherein the capture device captures the multimedia data; 
 an encoder that encodes the multimedia data; and 
 a first network adapter that establishes a first connection between the transmitter device and the administration server, wherein the transmitter device automatically establishes the first connection upon the first network adapter being connected to an Internet; 
   a receiver device having a second unique code that uniquely identities the receiver device from the other transmitter and receiver devices connected to the administration server, wherein the receiver device comprises:
 an audio/video output interface that connects to a display device, wherein the display device displays the multimedia data; 
 a decoder that decodes the multimedia data; and 
 a second network adapter that establishes a second connection between the receiver device and the administration server, wherein the receiver device automatically establishes the second connection upon the second network adapter being connected to the Internet; and 
   the administration server, wherein the administration server:
 assigns a same unique communication channel to the transmitter device and the receiver device using the first and second unique ID codes; and 
 establishes a third connection between the transmitter device and the receiver device using the same unique communication channel upon the first and second connections being established, 
   wherein the multimedia data is transmitted from the transmitter device to the receiver device via the third connection.   
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 19 , wherein the administration server further:
 configures transmission properties for transmitting the multimedia data from the transmitter device to the receiver device,   wherein the multimedia data is transmitted from the transmitter device to the receiver device via the third connection in accordance with the configured transmission properties.