Multifunctional conferencing systems and methods

• US 10,257,463 B2
• Filed: 02/26/2018
• Issued: 04/09/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 02/16/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Covidien LP (Medtronic Plc)
• Original Assignee: Covidien LP (Medtronic Plc)
• Inventors: Power, James M., Licursi, Scott A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Quoc D
• Application Number:
  US15/904,558
• Publication Number:
  US 20180192004A1
• Time in Patent Office: 407 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1822 Conducting the conference, e.g. admission, detection, selection or grouping of participants, correlating users to one or more conference sessions, prioritising transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1827 Network arrangements for conference optimisation or adaptation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/611 for multicast or broadcast systems for broadcast or conference H04L12/18; arrangements for broadcast or distribution combined with broadcast H04H20/00; arrangements for broadcast applications with a direct linkage to broadcast information or to broadcast space-time H04H60/00; selective distribution of broadcast services, e.g. multimedia broadcast multicast service [MBMS], H04W4/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/15 Conference systems

Abstract

A conferencing system for providing remote assistance according to the present disclosure includes a service requester device configured to execute a service requester application, a service provider device configured to execute a service provider application and a server application executing on a computer server remotely located from the service requester and service provider devices, the service requester and service provider applications are configured to dynamically connect to each other through the at least one server application.

Claims

1. A system for providing remote assistance, the system comprising:

a service requester device configured to execute a service requester application and to capture an image of a surgical device;

a service provider device configured to execute a service provider application; and

a computer server configured to execute a server application to establish a connection between the service requester application and the service provider application,

wherein at least one of the service requester device, the service provider device, or the server application is configured to identify the surgical device, and the service provider device is configured to control the surgical device via the connection established between the service requester application and the service provider application.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the service requester device, the service provider device, or the server application is configured to identify the surgical device based on the image of the surgical device captured by the service requester device.

3. The system according to claim 1, wherein the connection is selected between one of an audio connection, an audio and video connection, an audio and still image connection, or a SMS messaging connection.

4. The system according to claim 1, wherein the computer server is configured to select the service provider device based on a location of the service requester device.

5. The system according to claim 1, wherein the service provider device is configured to identify the surgical device based on a communication between the service requester device and the surgical device.

6. The system according to claim 1, wherein the service provider device is configured to identify the surgical device based on a connection between the service requester device and the surgical device.

7. The system according to claim 1, wherein the computer server is remotely located from at least one of the service requester device or the service provider device.

8. A system for providing remote assistance, the system comprising:

a service requester device networked with a service provider device through a server application, the service requester device configured to capture an image of a surgical device, wherein at least one of the service requester device, the service provider device, or the server application is configured to identify the surgical device and the service provider device is configured to control the surgical device via a communication established between the service requester device and the surgical device.

9. The system according to claim 8, wherein the service requester device includes a video monitor and wherein the service provider device is configured to direct content to the video monitor of the service requester device.

10. The system according to claim 9, wherein the service provider device is configured to display an annotation on the video monitor of the service requester device.

11. The system according to claim 9, wherein the service provider device is configured to display content on the video monitor of the service requester device.

12. The system according to claim 11, wherein the content displayed on the service requester device is a video.

13. The system according to claim 11, wherein the content displayed on the service requester device is an image.

14. The system according to claim 8, wherein at least one of the service requester device, the service provider device, or the server application is configured to identify the surgical device based on the image of the surgical device captured by the service requester device.