Teleconferencing method and system

• US 20020129112A1
• Filed: 02/28/2002
• Published: 09/12/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 03/01/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Square Enix Holdings Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Block, Inc. (f/k/a Square, Inc.)
• Inventors: Maehiro, Kazutoyo
• Application Number:
  US10/084,332
• Publication Number:
  US 20020129112A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/207
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/407 Data transfer via internet
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/50 characterized by details of game servers
• 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: H04M 3/42059 Making use of the calling party identifier
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/533 Voice mail systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5335 Message type or catagory, e.g. priority, indication
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/56 Arrangements for connecting several subscribers to a common circuit, i.e. affording conference facilities video conference systems H04N7/15
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/564 whereby the feature is a sub-conference
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/141 between two video terminals, e.g. videophone telephonic communication systems combined with television receiver for reception of entertainment or information matter H04M11/085

Abstract

A source terminal adds to a message a header including a flag indicating whether the message is private communication and information for identifying a recipient of the message and sends the message to a server. The recipient terminal displays the message received from the server, to which the flag is added, along with information indicating that the message is a private communication.

Claims

1. A teleconferencing method for performing a teleconference by using an area set in a database in a server, comprising:

causing a source terminal to add to a message, a header including a flag indicating whether the message is sent as a private communication and information for identifying a recipient of the message, and to send the message to the server;

causing the server to transfer the message, to which the flag is added, to the recipient terminal based on the information identifying the recipient; and

causing the recipient terminal to display the message transferred from the server terminal, along with information indicating the private communication.

2. A message control method for causing a server to provide a private communication service in a teleconference, comprising:

receiving a message from a source terminal, to which message a header including a flag indicating whether the message is sent as a private communication and information for identifying a recipient terminal is added; and

transferring to the recipient terminal the received message, based on the information identifying the recipient terminal.

3. A message control method for performing private communication among terminals participating in a teleconference by using an area set in a database in a server, comprising:

causing a source terminal to add to a message a header including a flag indicating whether the message is sent as a private communication and information for identifying a recipient of the message, and to send the message to the server terminal; and

causing the recipient terminal to display the message transferred from the server terminal, along with information indicating the message is sent as the private communication.

4. The message control method according to claim 3, wherein the source terminal receives a private communication selection that selects whether the message is sent as the private communication and a recipient selection indicating the recipient of the message transferred as the private communication, and creates the header based on the private communication selection and the recipient selection.

5. The message control method according to claim 3, wherein the recipient terminal displays the message, and the information that the message is sent as the private communication on the same display area where a general message is displayed.

6. A teleconferencing system for performing a teleconference by using an area set in a database in a server, comprising:

a source terminal comprising a sending system that sends a message to the server, while adding a header to the message, the header including a flag indicating whether the message is sent as private communication and information for identifying a recipient of the message;

the server comprising transferring system that transfers to the recipient terminal the message to which the flag is added, based on the information identifying the recipient; and

the recipient terminal comprising a display system that displays the message transferred from the server terminal, along with information indicating the message is sent as the private communication.

7. A server for providing a private communication service in a teleconference, comprising:

a receiver that receives from a source terminal a message to which a header including a flag indicating whether the message is sent as a private communication and information for identifying a recipient; and

a transferring system that transfers to the recipient the received message, to which the flag indicating the message is sent as the private communication is added, based on the information identifying the recipient.

8. A system including terminals participating in a teleconference by using an area set in a database in a server, comprising:

a source terminal comprising a sending system that sends a message to the server, while adding to the message a header including a flag indicating whether the message is sent as private communication and information for identifying a recipient of the message; and

a recipient terminal comprising a display system that displays the message transferred from the server, along with information indicating the message is sent as the private communication.

9. A computer-readable recording medium on which is recorded a program for controlling a server for providing a private communication service in a teleconference and for causing a computer to execute:

receiving from a source terminal a message to which a header is added including a flag indicating whether the message is sent as a private communication and information for identifying a recipient; and

transferring to a recipient terminal the received message, to which the flag indicating that the message is sent through the private communication is added, based on the information identifying the recipient.

10. A computer readable recording medium on which is recorded a program for controlling a plurality of terminals for performing a private communication service in a teleconference and for causing a computer to execute:

sending to a server a message, while adding to the message a header including a flag indicating whether or not the message is sent as private communication and information for identifying a recipient of the message; and

displaying the message received from the server, along with information that the message is sent as the private communication.

11. The computer-readable recording medium according to claim 10, wherein, in sending the message to the server, a source terminal accepts a private communication selection indicating whether the message is sent through the private communication or not and a recipient selection indicating the recipient of the message in the private communication, and creates the header based on the private communication selection and the recipient selection.

12. The computer readable recording medium according to claim 10, wherein, in displaying the message received from the server, a recipient terminal displays the message, to which the flag indicating that the message is sent through the private communication is added, and the information that the message is sent as the private communication on the same display area where a general message is displayed.

13. A teleconferencing method for performing a teleconference with a server and a plurality of terminals, the server transferring a message sent from one of the terminals to the other terminals, each of the other terminals displaying cumulatively a scrolled message display screen each time the transferred message is received, the method comprising;

causing a source terminal to accept a private communication selection indicating whether the message is sent as a private communication and a recipient selection indicating a recipient of the message in the private communication, to create and to send a privacy message when the private communication selection exists or a general message when there is no the private communication selection;

causing the server to transfer the general message to all of the terminals participating in the teleconference or to transfer the privacy message to the recipient terminal; and

causing the terminal to display the general message on a display area of the message display screen or to display the privacy message on the display area along with information indicating that the privacy message is private communication.