System and method of monitoring video and/or audio conferencing through a rapid-update website

• US 20040039794A1
• Filed: 09/25/2003
• Published: 02/26/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 03/01/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Danny Biby, Rami Y. Boneh, Rivka Rotkovitch
• Original Assignee: Danny Biby, Rami Y. Boneh, Rivka Rotkovitch
• Inventors: Rotkovitch, Rivka, Biby, Danny, Boneh, Rami Y.
• Granted Patent: US 7,574,472 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/217
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1827 Network arrangements for conference optimisation or adaptation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1895 for short real-time information, e.g. alarms, notifications, alerts, updates
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/00 Arrangements for monitoring or testing data switching networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0817 by checking functioning
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/4038 with floor control
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/535 Tracking the activity of the user network monitoring arrangements H04L43/00; recording of computer activity G06F11/34
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/567 Multimedia conference systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/006 Networks other than PSTN/ISDN providing telephone service, e.g. Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) , including next generation networks with a packet-switched transport layer H04L65/00 takes precedence; aspects not specific to the type of network H04M3/00; special services in those networks H04M3/42
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/152 Multipoint control units therefor

Abstract

The operation and status of a system, such as a video/audio conferencing system, is monitored through the use of a web-based system. The system includes multiple client computer devices that interconnect with a web server. The web server is able to access the system to determine status changes, as well as to control the operation of the system. For operability across multiple platforms and technologies, the interface between the web server and the system is performed using a Microsoft Component Object Model (“COM”) application. The web server also includes an ASP page constructed with a server script and one or more client scripts embedded or invoked from the server script. The server script is set up to operate in a looped configuration. Each pass through the loop of the server script, the system is queried to determine if a status change has occurred. If no change has occurred, the server script delays and then restarts the loop. If a change in status has occurred, the client script is updated to reflect the status change and the client script is downloaded to the client computer device. The client computer device includes a web browser that loads a split pane website from the web server—one pane being visible and the other pane being invisible. The client script runs within the invisible pane and is generally constructed to update the visible pane to reflect the status change. Thus, the visible pane on the client computer system can be updated automatically and rapidly without requiring a user to perform any functions, such as actuating a refresh button.

Claims

1. A system for providing a semi real-time, automatically-updateable web page, the system comprising:

a web server;

a client computer device having a display and a web browser;

a server script running on the web server, the server script being operative to receive data information from a data information source and generate a client script based, at least in part, on the data information, and download the client script to the client computer device; and

the web browser running on the client computer device being operative to enable the client computer device to interface with the web server through a network, the web browser receiving the client script from the web server and running the client script, whereby the display of the client computer device is updated to display the data information.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the server script runs in a loop.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the server script is operative to receive data information from a data information source by placing a call to a COM application.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the COM application runs on the web server.

6. The system of claim 4, wherein the COM application runs on the web server and provides an interface to an external device from which to obtain the data information.

3. The system of claim 3, wherein the server script runs in a loop and the server script is operative to download the client script to the client computer device, every cycle of the loop, only when new data information has been received, whereby using the loop keeps an on going connection between the web server and the client.

7. The system of claim 3, wherein the web browser running on the client computer device, in response to receiving a particular URL, downloads a monitoring web page from the web server, the monitoring web page defining a visible pane and an invisible pane.

8. The system of claim 3, wherein the web browser running on the client computer device, in response to receiving a particular URL, downloads a monitoring web page from the web server, the monitoring web page defining a visible pane and an invisible pane, the invisible pane receiving the client script, the visible pane being visible on the display of the client server and being updated via the client script.

9. The system of claim 3, wherein the network is selected from a group consisting of the Internet and intranet.

10. The system of claim 3, wherein the web server includes a COM application and the client computer device includes a control interface and, in response to receiving a control command on the control interface of the client computer device, the web browser requests the download of a command web page, the command web page including a command server script which when executed, places a call to a COM application running on the web server, the COM application being operative to perform the control command.

11. The system of claim 3, wherein the web server includes a COM application and the client computer device includes a control interface and, in response to receiving a control command on the control interface of the client computer device, the web browser requests the download of a command web page, the command web page including a command server script which when executed, places a call to a COM application running on the web server, the COM application being operative to send the command to be executed on another device.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein if the COM application is successful to perform the control command, an empty web page is downloaded to the client computer device.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein if the COM application is not successful to perform the control command, an error web page is downloaded to the client computer device.

14. The system of claim 3, wherein web server includes a COM application and a plurality of command server scripts, and the client computer device includes a control interface and, in response to receiving a control command on the control interface of the client computer device, the web browser requests the download of a command web page including at least one of the plurality of command server scripts, each of the plurality of command server scripts being operative, when executed, to place a call to the COM application to perform the control command.

15. The system of claim 3, wherein web server includes a COM application and a plurality of command server scripts, and the client computer device includes a control interface and, in response to receiving a control command on the control interface of the client computer device, the web browser requests the download of a command web page including at least one of the plurality of command server scripts, each of the plurality of command server scripts being operative, when executed, to place a call to send the command to be executed on another device.

16. A client computer device supporting an updateable web page, the client computer device comprising:

a web server interface;

a display;

a control interface;

a memory storage device containing a web browser; and

a processing unit;

the processing unit, in conjunction with the web browser, being operative to;

receive a monitoring web page URL via the control interface;

receive the monitoring web page corresponding with the monitoring web page URL via the web server interface, the monitoring web page including an invisible pane and a visible pane, the invisible pane being operative to periodically receive a client script via the web server interface and to execute the client script whereby the information in the visible pane of the monitoring web page is automatically updated, the visible pane being displayed on the display device by the web browser.

17. A method for providing an updateable web page that can provide updates of rapidly changing data to a client computer device, the method comprising:

retrieving a monitoring web page from a web server, the monitoring web page defining a visible pane and an invisible pane, the web server including an ASP page, the ASP page including a server script and a client, the server script being operative to obtain status information, modify the client script in accordance with the status information, and load the client script into the invisible pane of the monitoring web page; and

executing the client script, the client script being operative to modify the visible pane of the monitoring web page to display the data information.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the server script is operative to obtain status information by placing a call to a COM application and receiving a response from the COM application, the COM application being operative to interface to an external device and obtain status information and provide the status information to the server script in the form of a response.

19. A system for controlling the operation of a conference via a network, the conference being provided by a conference system that includes a conference system controller, the system comprising:

a web server including a conference system controller interface to provide control information to the conference system controller and a network interface;

a client computer device having a display and being communicatively connected to the web server through the network interface; and

a web browser running on the client computer device and being operative to receive a monitoring web page from the web server, the monitoring web page defining at least one control element which when actuated causes the web browser to request the web server to send a control action to the conference system controller over the conference system controller interface, the control action being associated with the actuated control element.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein web server includes a COM application and the web browser requests the web server to send a control action to the conference system controller by requesting the download of a command ASP page from the web server, the command ASP page including a server script with a call to the COM application, and the COM application, in response to receiving the call from the server script being operative to interface to the conference system controller over the conference system controller interface.

21. The system of claim 19, wherein the monitoring web page from the web server defines a visible pane and an invisible pane, the visible pane receiving content from a first site and the invisible pane receiving content from a second site, whereby using different sites the operator can interact with the visible pane during operation.

22. A system for monitoring the status of a conference via a network, the conference being provisioned by a conferencing system that includes a conference system controller, the system comprising:

a web server including a conference system controller interface to receive status information from the conference system controller, and a network interface;

a client computer device having a display and being communicatively connected to the web server through the network interface;

a looped server script running on the web server, the server script being operative to receive status information from conference system controller interface and when the status information is new, to generate a client script based, at least in part, on the status information, and download the client script to the client computer device; and

a web browser running on the client computer device and enabling the client computer device to interface with the web server via the network interface, the web browser being operative to receive the client script from the web server and run the client script, whereby the display of the client computer device is updated to display the status information.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein the web server includes a COM application and the server script is operative to receive status information from the conference system controller in response to placing a call to the COM application.

24. The system of claim 22, wherein the web browser running on the client computer device, in response to receiving a particular URL, downloads a monitoring web page from the web server, the monitoring web page defining a visible pane and an invisible pane.

25. The system of claim 22, wherein the web browser running on the client computer device, in response to receiving a particular URL, downloads a monitoring web page from the web server, the monitoring web page defining a visible pane and an invisible pane, the invisible pane receiving the client script, the visible pane being visible on the display of the client computing device and being updated when the client script is run.

26. The system of claim 22, wherein the network is selected from a group consisting of the Internet and intranet.

27. The system of claim 22, wherein the web server includes a COM application and the client computer device includes a control interface and, in response to receiving a control command on the control interface of the client computer device, the web browser requests the download of a command web page, the command web page including a command server script which when executed, places a call to a COM application running on the web server, the COM application being operative to perform the control command.

28. The system of claim 27, wherein if the COM application is successful to perform the control command, an empty web page is downloaded to the client computer device.

29. The system of claim 27, wherein if the COM application is not successful to perform the control command, an error web page is downloaded to the client computer device.

30. A web server for providing automatic updates to a web page displayed on a remote device, the web server comprising:

a network interface;

a memory storage device containing a program module and a COM application; and

a processing unit;

the processing unit, in response to executing the program module, being operative to;

receive a request via the network interface to download a monitoring web page to the remote device;

execute a looped server script, the looped server script being operative to interface with the COM application to obtain updated status information;

generate a client script based, at least in part, on the updated status information; and

download the client script to the remote device via the network interface.

31. The web server of claim 30, wherein the COM application provides an interface to an external device from which to obtain the status information.

32. The web server of claim 30, wherein the network interface is selected from a group consisting of an interface to the Internet and an interface to an intranet.

33. A system for providing a semi real-time, on-line monitoring of a process via a global network, the system comprising:

a web server;

a client computer device having a display;

a COM application and a server script running on the web server, the COM application providing an interface to an external device, the server script being operative to receive status information pertaining to the external device by placing a call to the COM application, generate a client script based, at least in part, on the status information, and download the client script to the client computer device; and

a web browser running on the client computer device and enabling the client computer device to interface with the web server through a network, the web browser receiving the client script from the web server and running the client script, whereby the display of the client computer device is updated to display the data information.

34. The system of claim 33, wherein the server script runs in a loop.

35. The system of claim 33, wherein the server script runs in a loop and the server script is operative to download the client script to the client computer device only when new data information has been received.

36. The system of claim 33, wherein the web browser running on the client computer device, in response to receiving a particular URL, downloads a monitoring web page from the web server, the monitoring web page defining a visible pane and an invisible pane.

37. The system of claim 33, wherein the web browser running on the client computer device, in response to receiving a particular URL, downloads a monitoring web page from the web server, the monitoring web page defining a visible pane and an invisible pane, the invisible pane receiving the client script, the visible pane being visible on the display of the client server and being updated when the client script is run.