Method and system for interactively transmitting multimedia information over ...

1. A communications system for transmitting interactive multimedia information over a communication medium having limited bandwidth, the system comprising:

interactive multimedia mastering (IMM) system means for receiving multimedia program materials from a program source, the IMM system including means for optimizing the program materials by separating the information into primary and secondary layers using psychographic parameters to differentiate between important and less important multimedia information, the program materials further optimized by enhancing information in the primary layers to provide a perceived improvement in the quality of the information when presented to a user, and by compressing at least a portion of the optimized program materials to reduce the bandwidth required to transmit the optimized program materials, the optimized program materials including a plurality of program branches where each of the branches allows a plurality of functions and data to be accessed in order to replicate the program source;

a multimedia call processing system (MCPS) coupled to the IMM for receiving and distributing the optimized program materials from the IMM; and

a plurality of interactive multimedia devices (IMDs) for receiving the optimized program materials from the MCPS, the plurality of the IMDs including means for accepting user commands for multimedia information and for responsively transmitting a control signal to the MCPS,

the MCPS including a voice mode means responsive to the control signal for branching to a program branch in the optimized program materials indicated by the control signal, the MCPS including means for switching to a data mode for transmitting data from the indicated program branch back to the at least one of the plurality of IMDs and then switching back to the voice mode to accept further control signals from the at least one of the plurality of IMDs, whereby only selected portions of the optimized program materials are sent from the MCPS to the IMDs thereby further reducing the bandwidth required to transmit the multimedia program materials.

2. The system of claim 1 in which the IMM system provides for subjective control of the quality of the multimedia information, wherein the subjective control is controlled by user feedback.

3. The system of claim 1 in which the IMM system provides for objective control of the quality of the multimedia information through the use of a quality metric.

4. The system of claim 1 in which the multimedia call processing system further comprises:

means for creating multiple multimedia files for use by the multimedia mastering system.

5. The system of claim 1 in which the interactive multimedia devices are coupled to a printer to print information from the multimedia network.

6. The system of claim 5 in which the interactive multimedia devices are coupled to a display.

7. The system of claim 5 in which each of the interactive multimedia device has the ability to store information related to demographics and the characteristics of the interactive multimedia device and thereafter forward the information at an appropriate time.

8. The system of claim 7 in which interactive multimedia device can delay transmission of information stored there within until the communication network is not in use.

9. The system of claim 7 in which the display comprises a television.

10. The system of claim 9 in which control of the transmission of program source material is accomplished using a standard voice response system.

11. The system of claim 9 in which control of the transmission of program source material is accomplished using an interactive voice response system.

12. The system of claim 9 in which control of the transmission of program source material is accomplished using a computer processing system.

13. The system of claim 10 in which a facsimile machine is connected to the IMD.

14. The system of claim 9 in which a telephone handset is used to control and select the transmission and presentation of program source material.

15. The system of claim 9 in which telephone keypad is used to control and select the transmission and presentation of program source material.

16. The system of claim 9 in which a remote control is used to control and select the transmission and presentation of program source material.

17. The system of claim 10 in which the IMD comprises a music synthesizer and a multimedia decompression means for generating program source material.

18. The system of claim 10 in which the IMD comprises a music synthesizer and a key coding means for generating program source material.

19. The system of claim 10 in which the IMD comprises a music synthesizer and a generator means for generating program source material.

20. The system of claim 10 in which utilizes switching between data, voice and facsimile on a single telephone line to transmit program source material.

21. The system of claim 10 in which utilizes switching between data, voice and facsimile on multiple telephone lines to transmit program source material in parallel.

22. The system of claim 10 in which certain portions are designated as primary program material portions and certain portions of the MCPS are designated as secondary program material portions and are used to communicate primary and secondary multimedia information.

23. The system of claim 22 in which program transmission can occur simultaneously.

24. The system of claim 22 in which program material transmission can occur at a specified period of the day.

25. The system of claim 22 in which the program transmission can occur when the telephone line is not being utilized.

26. An interactive multimedia system for providing interactive multimedia information to a user over a communication network, the system comprising:

an interactive multimedia mastering system (IMMS) including,

means for separating multimedia information into primary and secondary layers based upon a program model,

means for enhancing the layers in accordance with the program model to enhance user interactivity of the multimedia information, the layers being enhanced through selective use of an objective quality standard that includes metrics of the quality of the layers, and a subjective quality standard that is controlled by user feedback,

means for compressing at least a portion the enhanced layers creating compressed layers and uncompressed layers, and

means for transmitting the compressed and uncompressed layers over the communication medium; and

an interactive multimedia device (IMD) including,

communication means for receiving the compressed and uncompressed layers from the communication medium,

memory means for storing the compressed and uncompressed layers,

means for decompressing the compressed layers,

means for mixing the decompressed layers with the uncompressed layers, and

means for interactively controlling the communication means, memory means, decompressing means, and mixing means to provide enhanced interactive multimedia information to a display.

27. A system for interactively providing enhanced information related to a communication network, the network including a first set of pro,ram source materials that is produced for a user, the network further including a second set of pro,ram source material that is related to the first set of program source material, the second set of program source material is stored in a separate layer than the first set of program source material, the system comprising:

means for linking the first set of program source material with the second set of program source material in synchronization, the first set of program source material being a different media type than the second set of program source material;

means coupled to the linking means for controlling the quality of the first and second sets of program source materials by selective use of an objective quality standard that includes metrics of the quality of the layers, and a subjective quality standard that is controlled by user feedback, and

means for interactively producing the second set of program source material; wherein the user of the system can produce additional information related to the first set of program source material.

28. The system of claim 27 including means for simultaneously displaying the second set of program source material with the first set of program source material.

29. The system of claim 27 in which the second set of program source materials provides more detailed information related to the first set of program source materials.

30. The system of claim 27 in which the second set of program source materials provides information that is different from but related to the first set of program source materials.

31. The system of claim 27 in which the interactively producing means interactively displays the second set of program source material while the first set of program source material is produced.

32. The system of claim 27 which further comprises means for selecting related services based upon the second set of program source material.