Video conference system and methods for use at multi-station sites
First Claim
1. A system comprising:
- a. means, coupled to a network, for maintaining participant information comprising an identifier of a first participant;
b. means, coupled to the network, for scheduling a conference, the conference being scheduled with the identifier of the first participant;
c. a first site comprising a first means for coordinating a conference coupled to the network; and
a plurality of first means for participating in a conference coupled to the network; and
d. a second site comprising a second means for coordinating a conference coupled to the network; and
a plurality of second means for participating in a conference coupled to the network;
wherein;
e. the first means for coordinating provides a first notice of a conference;
notice being provided for assuring participation by the first participant at a particular first means for participating identified in the first notice; and
f. the second means for coordinating provides a second notice of the conference for assuring participation by a second participant at a particular second means for participating identified in the second notice.
9 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A video conference system includes at each of several sites multiple participant stations and a control station. A conference coordinator (e.g., a guard or receptionist) operating the control station receives notice from the control station that a scheduled conference is about to begin and directs a person identified to be a participant of the conference to a station designated by the notice. Signals from participant stations are monitored and if a participant station is determined to be unavailable, the conference may be rescheduled to replace the unavailable station with an alternate available station. Notice sufficient to direct a participant to the alternate station is provided via the control station to the coordinator. The subject of detecting availability and rescheduling alternatives may be an item of equipment or an equipment capability (e.g., a recorder channel to be used for recording the conference). Higher ranking requests may force rescheduling of already scheduled lower ranking conferences.
-
Citations
43 Claims
-
1. A system comprising:
-
a. means, coupled to a network, for maintaining participant information comprising an identifier of a first participant;
b. means, coupled to the network, for scheduling a conference, the conference being scheduled with the identifier of the first participant;
c. a first site comprising a first means for coordinating a conference coupled to the network; and
a plurality of first means for participating in a conference coupled to the network; and
d. a second site comprising a second means for coordinating a conference coupled to the network; and
a plurality of second means for participating in a conference coupled to the network;
wherein;
e. the first means for coordinating provides a first notice of a conference;
notice being provided for assuring participation by the first participant at a particular first means for participating identified in the first notice; and
f. the second means for coordinating provides a second notice of the conference for assuring participation by a second participant at a particular second means for participating identified in the second notice. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4)
-
-
5. A system comprising:
-
a. means for communicating as a network;
b. a plurality of means for participating in a conference coupled to the means for communicating, the plurality arranged with at least one site having a multiplicity of particular means for participating of the plurality; and
c. means for coordinating a conference coupled to the means for communicating and located at the site, wherein the means for coordinating provides notice to a participant for directing the participant to a particular means for participating.
-
-
6. A system comprising:
-
a. means for communicating as a network;
b. means for operating a database comprising participant location information;
the means for operating coupled to the means for communicating; and
c. a plurality of sites, each site comprising;
(1) a respective multiplicity of first means, coupled to the means for communicating, for participating in a conference; and
(2) a respective second means for coordinating a conference, the second means physically distinct from the first means, the second means coupled to the means for communicating;
whereind. notice is provided to a participant to attend a conference, notice being provided by a particular means for coordinating of a particular site determined in accordance with the database to be nearest the participant at a time prior to the conference. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8)
-
-
9. A system for conducting a conference, the system comprising:
-
a. means for communicating as a network; and
b. a plurality of means for coupling, each means being for coupling a respective plurality of participant stations to the means for communicating;
wherein each means for coupling comprises;
(1) means for storing respective indicia of the conference, wherein indicia of the conference comprise a start time and identification of participant stations of the respective plurality for the conference; and
(2) means for initiating communication to conduct the conference, communication being with the identified participant station;
initiating being aborted if a signal is not received by the means for initiating from the identified participant station within a period after the start time. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12)
-
-
13. A database for at least one of planning, conducting, and recording a conference, the database comprising:
-
a. means for associating a conference identifier, a participant identifier, and indicia of a physical location where the participant is expected for participation in the conference corresponding to the conference identifier; and
b. means for accessing the association to accomplish at least one of planning, conducting, and recording the conference. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15)
-
-
16. A database for at least one of planning, conducting, and recording a conference, the database comprising:
-
a. means for associating a conference identifier, an equipment identifier, and indicia of a physical location where the equipment is expected for participation in the conference corresponding to the conference identifier; and
b. means for accessing-the association to accomplish at least one of planning, conducting, and recording the conference.
-
-
17. A method for conducting a conference via a system having a plurality of sites, each site including a multiplicity of participant stations and a control station, the system further comprising a database for maintaining a tuple including a conference identifier, an identifier of a participant, and an identifier of a participant station, the method comprising:
-
a step for obtaining a notice at the control station of a site, the notice comprising the conference identifier, the identifier of a participant, and the identifier of a participant station; and
a step for directing a participant to a participant station in accordance with the notice, the participant corresponding to the identifier of the participant, the participant station corresponding to the identifier of the participant station. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21)
-
-
22. A method for conducting a conference via a system having a multiplicity of participant stations and a control station, the system further comprising a database for maintaining a tuple including a conference identifier, an identifier of a participant station, and an identifier of a participant, the method comprising:
-
a step for detecting the unavailability of a first participant station of the multiplicity;
a step for detecting the availability of an alternate participant station of the multiplicity;
a step for obtaining confirmation that the alternate participant station is to be used in the conference corresponding to the conference identifier;
a step for revising the tuple to exclude the first participant station and to include an identifier of the alternate participant station to reschedule the conference;
a step for obtaining at the control station a notice that the conference associated with the conference identifier is to commence, the notice in accordance with the revised tuple; and
a step for directing a participant corresponding to the identifier of the participant to the alternate participant station in accordance with the notice. - View Dependent Claims (23)
-
-
24. The method of claim 24 wherein the step for detecting availability comprises:
a step for assuring that the notice will be timely as provided in accordance with at least one of a transit time and a notification time associated with at least one of the identifier of the participant and the identifier of the alternate participant station. - View Dependent Claims (25)
-
26. A method for conducting a conference via a system having a multiplicity of participant stations and a control station, the system further comprising a database for maintaining a first tuple and a second tuple, the first tuple relating a conference identifier, an identifier of a participant station, and an identifier of a participant, the second tuple relating the identifier of the participant and a location of the participant, the method comprising:
-
a step for detecting a revision of the second tuple; and
a step for rescheduling the conference in accordance with the revised second tuple. - View Dependent Claims (27)
-
-
28. A method for conducting a conference via a system, the system including a multiplicity of participants and a database for maintaining a tuple of a conference identifier and an identifier of a first participant, the method comprising:
-
a step for detecting the unavailability of a participant corresponding to the identifier of the first participant;
a step for detecting the availability of an alternate participant; and
a step for revising the tuple to exclude the identifier of the first participant and to include an identifier of the alternate participant, to reschedule the conference. - View Dependent Claims (29)
-
-
30. A method for scheduling a conference in accordance with a request, the request comprising indicia of a plurality of participants and a start time, the method comprising:
-
a step for maintaining for each participant of the plurality a respective first list of future times;
a step for forming for each participant of the plurality a respective sublist of the first list including times after the start time;
a step for forming for each participant of the plurality a respective second list of unavailable times;
a step for intersecting for each participant of the plurality the respective first list and the respective second list to form a respective availability list;
a step for intersecting all participant availability lists to form an opportunity list; and
a step for scheduling the conference in accordance with a selected item of the opportunity list. - View Dependent Claims (31, 32, 33, 34)
-
-
35. A method for scheduling a conference among stations of a plurality in accordance with a first request formed at a first station of the plurality, the first request comprising indicia of a plurality of participants and a start time, the method comprising:
-
a step for maintaining for each participant of the plurality a respective first list of future times;
a step for sending a second request to a second station of the plurality, the second request comprising indicia of at least one particular participant of the plurality of participants and the start time;
a step for forming for each participant of the plurality a respective sublist of the first list including times after the start time;
a step for forming for each participant of the plurality a respective second list of unavailable times;
a step for intersecting for each participant of the plurality the respective first list and the respective second list to form a respective availability list;
a step for receiving a response to the second request, the response comprising an availability list of the particular participant;
a step for intersecting all participant availability lists including the availability list of the particular participant to form an opportunity list;
a step for forming a proposed schedule of the conference in accordance with a selected item of the opportunity list;
a step for providing a notice to the second station in accordance with the proposed schedule; and
a step for scheduling the conference in accordance with a response to the notice.
-
-
36. A method for conducting a video conference by a system, the system including a database and at least two conference participant stations, each station comprising means for inputting audio and means for detecting use by the participant of the means for inputting audio, the method comprising:
-
a step for recalling from the database a start time for a conference;
a step for detecting use of the respective means for inputting audio of each station; and
a step for coupling the conference participant stations for the video conference in accordance with whether use was detected at each station within a respective predetermined time that includes the start time. - View Dependent Claims (37, 38, 39)
-
-
40. A method for conducting a video conference by a system, the system including a database and at least two conference participant stations, each station comprising means for inputting audio and means for detecting use by the participant of the means for inputting audio, the method comprising:
-
a step for determining an end time of a conference in accordance with the database;
a step for displaying at each station a remaining duration of the conference; and
a step for decoupling the conference participant stations to discontinue video conferencing in accordance with the end time. - View Dependent Claims (41, 42, 43)
-
Specification