Videoconferencing system

• US 20040071098A1
• Filed: 02/20/2001
• Published: 04/15/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 02/22/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ncast Corp.
• Original Assignee: Ncast Corp.
• Inventors: Magnuski, Henry S.
• Granted Patent: US 7,280,492 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/260
• 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.

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 said subchannel for other data comprises at least one subchannel for conveying one or more parameters that vary and which are selected for a particular conference.

5. The system of claim 3 wherein each terminal comprises a database of permanent multicast conference records, and wherein said database includes records, and wherein at least one field in each record includes an identifier of a subchannel and at least another field includes at least one parameter utilized to configure said terminal to communicate in said conference.

10. The terminal of claim 1 wherein said means for selecting includes software that can load permanent multicast parameters from a stored table, or can load temporary multicast parameters received from a remote terminal.

17. A multicast terminal of claim 1 wherein said means for configuring includes means for receiving a signal from a remote source in order to configure said terminal to participate in the conference.

18. A multicast conference system of claim 1 wherein said means for configuring comprises means for receiving commands from a remote server running scheduling software for the purpose of implementing conferences.

19. The multicast conference system of claim 1 further comprising a means for sending commands to the terminal from a Web page.

25. The system of claim 1 wherein said parameters to configure includes a parameter specifying bandwidth.

26. The system of claim 1 wherein said parameters include an identification of specific conference participants, which identification implements arbitration control among conference participants.

27. The system of claim 25 wherein said parameters vary dynamically during the conference.

6. 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.

7. The terminal of claim 6 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.

8. The terminal of claim 6 wherein at least one icon is generated after parameters associated with a multicast conference are received from a remote destination.

9. A terminal for participating in a multicast conference occurring on multiple subchannels and with multiple parameters, said terminal comprising means for receiving from a remote terminal, over a data network, plural parameters specifying a multicast conference, means for storing and utilizing said parameters in a future multicast conference, and means for joining a multicast conference by selecting between said stored parameters and parameters conveyed from a conference participant at a time when said conference is to be initiated.

11. The terminal of claim 9 wherein said means for storing includes means for accessing a remotely located storage medium over a data network.

12. The terminal of claim 9 wherein at least one of said parameters is a subchannel to contain at least some of the communications from said conference, and at least other of said parameters are not subchannels.

20. The terminal of claim 9 further comprising announcement means for announcing to other terminals various parameters of said conference.

21. The terminal of claim 9 further comprising means for receiving authentication information prior to allowing access to said conference.

13. A method of participating in a multicast conference, said method comprising receiving parameters to specify audio, video and control subchannels from a remote terminal, storing said parameters, generating an icon to correspond to said parameters, receiving a user selection of said icon, and in response to said selection, determining other subchannels associated with said conference by receiving information on at least one of said audio, video, or control subchannels.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein said at least one of said subchannels is the control subchannel.

15. The method of claim of claim 14 wherein at least one of said subchannels contains plural parameters for use in participating in a multicast conference.

16. A multicast conferencing system according to claim wherein the subchannels are stored on a server remote from said terminal.

22. A multicast conferencing terminal having means for accessing a stored channel table, said channel table having information sufficient to instruct said terminal of which several subchannels on which a specified conference is occurring, and means at said terminal for joining said specified conference in response to a command entered when it is desired to join the conference or in response to a command automatically executed upon said terminal booting up.

23. The terminal of claim 22 wherein said command entered is entered after receipt from a remote computer that has been preprogrammed to issue said command at a specified time.

24. The terminal of claim 23 further comprising a reader for allowing a user to input authorization information.

31. The terminal of claim 24 wherein said reader permits input of said parameters for use in participating in a conference.

28. A terminal for multicast conferencing comprising a table, the table including plural parameters to specify each of a plurality of permanent multicast channels, some of said parameters being indicative of subchannels, and some of said parameters not being so indicative.

29. The terminal of claim 28 wherein at least one of the parameters indicative of subchannels is indicative of subchannels on which variable parameters for the conference are broadcast.

30. The terminal of claim 29 wherein at least one of said variable parameters is an encoding method.