Videoconferencing terminal

• US 20020054205A1
• Filed: 02/22/2001
• Published: 05/09/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 02/22/2000
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Ncast Corp.
• Original Assignee: Ncast Corp.
• Inventors: Magnuski, Henry S.
• Application Number:
  US09/790,854
• Publication Number:
  US 20020054205A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/14.1
• 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: H04N 7/15 Conference systems

Abstract

A multicasting conferencing system is described wherein permanently or temporarily assigned addressing may be used. When permanently assigned multicast addressing is used, several channel parameters are assigned to a multicast session, and any terminals desiring to “tune in” to the multicast session simply invoke those parameters from a storage location at which they have been previously stored.

Claims

1. A multicast conferencing system comprising a plurality of terminals each including means for storing a plurality of subchannels associated with a multicast channel, and means for configuring said terminal to communicate on said subchannels when a user selects said multicast channel, wherein at least one of the subchannels is utilized to facilitate communications among users for a conference, and at least another of said channels is utilized to convey parameters to configure the channel to participate in the conference, at least one such terminal including a card reader to input said subchannels.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein each terminal comprises means for participating in multicast conferences that are set up by assigning a temporary set of one or more subchannels for the purpose of said multicast conference, and wherein each terminal also comprises means for participating in a permanent multicast conference.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein each permanent multicast address comprises plural subchannels, and wherein said subchannels comprise at least one for video, one for audio, and one for other data.

4. The system of claim 3 wherein each terminal comprises a memory and wherein said memory is arranged to store a graphics image for presentation along with said videoconference.

5. The system of claim 4 wherein said graphic image is of the SVGA format.

6. The system of claim 5 wherein storage and display of the graphic image is controlled by an FPGA.

7. A videoconferencing terminal for communicating over a data network comprising a table for storing a plurality of records, each record defining a channel, each record having plural fields, at least one field representing a video subchannel of said channel, at least one field representing and audio subchannel of said channel, and a media reading reader for inputting information into said records, and further comprising a means for joining a conference defined by information in said table or by information input directly from a storage media through said media reader.

8. The terminal of claim 7 wherein said media reader is a card reader.

9. The terminal of claim 8 further comprising a storage area configured to store graphics images to be displayed in addition to said videoconference, said storage area being connected to a means that reads out said graphics images during times that said terminal is idle.

10. A terminal for participating in multicast conferencing, said terminal comprising means for generating a plurality of icons on a screen, any one or more of which being selectable by a user, and means for storing parameters associated with a multicast conference to occur within parameters associated with said icon, said parameters including at least a first parameter to specify video communications, a second parameter to specify audio communications, a third parameter to specify graphics communications, and a fourth parameter to specify control communications for the multicast conference, said terminal also including a card reader for inputting said parameters, and software for displaying SVGA images stored in memory, said software including steps for monitoring processor activity and for processing SVGA images to be displayed during times of relatively low processor loading.

11. The terminal of claim 10 wherein at least some of said parameters are permanently associated with said icon, and wherein at one other one of said parameters varies for each particular conference set up.

12. The terminal of claim 11 wherein at least one icon is generated after parameters associated with a multicast conference are received from a remote destination.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein said times comprise a blanking period of said video signal.

15. The method of claim 13 wherein said processing comprises moving RGB signals from an external memory to a main memory.

16. The method of claim 13 wherein said processing comprises moving RGB signals from a main memory to a CPU, and converting said signals to a compressed format.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein the compressed format is one of either JPEG, H.241, or H.243.

18. The method of claim 16 wherein said compressed format signals are then transmitted onto a data network.

13. A method of implementing a videoconference in a terminal comprising:

Transmitting a video subchannel of information to a network;

Capturing and processing a graphics subchannel of information during times when said video subchannel presents a relatively low load on said terminal.