Video conference system providing private and attorney-client privileged communications

• US 20050128283A1
• Filed: 12/16/2003
• Published: 06/16/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 12/16/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Combined Public Communications, LLC
• Original Assignee: Vugate, Inc.
• Inventors: Bulriss, Michael E., Franz, James F.
• Granted Patent: US 7,061,521 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/14.100
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/147 Communication arrangements, e.g. identifying the communication as a video-communication, intermediate storage of the signals selecting H04Q

Abstract

A conference system includes a first conference station generating at least one of audio and video signals from at least an attorney and a second conference station generating at least one of audio and video signals from the attorney'"'"'s client, the attorney and the attorney'"'"'s client having a relationship protected by the attorney-client privilege. The system also includes at least one communications link connecting the first and second conference stations that carries the audio and/or video signals between the first and second conference stations. A signal processor is disposed within the communications link between the first and second conference stations to route signals between the first and second conference stations. At least one control panel communicates with the signal processor and provides control over audio and/or video signals so that the attorney and the attorney'"'"'s client are permitted to engage in a private communication without vitiating the attorney-client privilege.

Claims

1. A conference system, comprising:

a communications link coupling a first location to a second location;

a first input-output device disposed at the first location, generating a signal from an attorney;

a second input-output device disposed at the second location, generating a signal from the attorney'"'"'s client, the attorney and the client having a relationship protected by the attorney-client privilege;

a third input-output device disposed at the first location, generating a signal from a third party;

a signal processor disposed in the communications link between the first and second locations, the signal processor routing the signals between the input-output devices at the first and second locations; and

a control panel operatively coupled to the signal processor, providing control over the signals routed thereby;

wherein the communications link communicatively couples the first, second and third input-output devices to one another, such that each of the input-output devices is configured to receive and play signals from the others of the input-output devices, and

wherein the control panel also controls the input-output devices so that a private communication may be established between the first and second input-output devices, at the exclusion of the third input-output device, such that the signals generated by the first and second input-output devices are maintained in confidence and such that the attorney and the attorney'"'"'s client are permitted to engage in a private communication without vitiating the attorney-client privilege.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the communications link establishes a point-to-point conference between the first and second locations.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the signals comprise at least audio and video components.

4. The system of claim 1, further comprising a control interface device disposed in the communications link,

wherein the control interface device is communicatively coupled between the first input-output device and the signal processor, and

wherein the signal processor is communicatively coupled between the control interface device and the second input-output device, and

wherein the control panel is operatively coupled to the control interface device.

5. The system of claim 1, further comprising first and second control interface devices disposed in the communications link between the first and second input-output devices,

wherein the first input-output device is communicatively coupled to the first control interface device,

wherein the first control interface device is communicatively coupled between the first input-output device and the signal processor,

wherein the signal processor is communicatively coupled between the second control interface and the second input-output device, and

wherein the control panel is operatively coupled to the second control interface.

6. The system of claim 1, further comprising a control interface device disposed in the communications link, communicatively coupled between the signal processor and the second input-output device.

7. The system of claim 1, further comprising first and second control interface devices disposed in the communications link, operatively coupled between the first and second input-output devices,

wherein the second input-output device is communicatively coupled to the first control interface device,

wherein the first control interface device is communicatively coupled between the second input-output device and the signal processor, and

wherein the signal processor is communicatively coupled between the second control interface and the second input-output device.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the first input-output device is disposed within a courtroom and the second input-output device is disposed within a jail.

9. The system of claim 8, further comprising at least one display device disposed within the courtroom, capable of playing the signals generated by the input-output devices.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein, along at least a portion thereof, the communications link comprises at least one selected from a wired connection, a wireless connection, a network connection, and the Internet.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the control panel is configured to be controlled by a judge.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the attorney is a defense attorney and the attorney'"'"'s client is a jail inmate.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the first input-output device is configured to capture audio-visual information from the defense attorney and the second input-output device is configured to capture audio-visual information from the jail inmate during a trial proceeding.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the third input-output device is configured to capture audio-visual information from a prosecuting attorney during a trial proceeding.

15. The system of claim 12, further comprising a fourth input-output device configured to capture audio-visual information from a judge overseeing a trial proceeding.

16. The system of claim 1, further comprising a display device communicatively coupled to the signal processor to display information generated by the input-output devices.

17. The system of claim 16, further comprising a plurality of input devices communicatively coupled to the communications link, wherein the plurality of input devices are configured to interject audio-visual information for play on the at least one display device during the trial proceeding.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the plurality of input devices comprises at least one selected from a group comprising a computer, a video cassette recorder, a digital video disk recorder, a memory device, an audio recorder, and a document camera.

19. The system of claim 1, wherein the control panel comprises one selected from a group comprising a personal computer, a telephone handset, a touchpad device, a touch-screen device, and a keypad device.

20. The system of claim 1, wherein the signal processor is a switching device.

21. The system of claim 1, wherein the first input-output device comprises a first privacy handset and the second input-output device comprises a second privacy handset, wherein the handsets permit the attorney and client to engage in a private communication without vitiating the attorney-client privilege.

22. An audio-video conferencing method between a courtroom and a jail, comprising:

providing a first input-output device in the courtroom to capture information from an attorney during a trial and generate an attorney audio-visual signal;

providing a second input-output device in the jail to capture information from an inmate during a trial and generate an inmate audio-visual signal;

providing a third input-output device in the courtroom to capture information from another participant during trial and generate a third party audio-visual signal;

communicatively coupling the first, second, and third input-output device to one another;

controlling the audio-visual signals communicated from the courtroom to the jail with a signal processor; and

operatively coupling a control panel, controlled by a judge, to the signal processor;

wherein, when the attorney wishes to conduct an attorney-client privileged communication with the inmate, the judge selects an attorney-client sidebar function via the control panel,

wherein, after initiating the attorney-client sidebar feature, the first and second input-output devices communicate with one another, to the exclusion of the third input-output device, thereby permitting the attorney and client to engage in an attorney-client communication without vitiating the attorney-client privilege.

23. A conference system, comprising:

a communications link coupling a first location to a second location;

a first input-output device disposed at the first location, generating a signal from an first party;

a second input-output device disposed at the second location, generating a signal from a second party;

a third input-output device disposed at one of either the first and second locations, generating a signal from a third party;

a signal processor disposed in the communications link between the first and second locations, the signal processor routing the signals between the input-output devices at the first and second locations; and

a control panel operatively coupled to the signal processor, providing control over the signals routed thereby;

wherein the communications link communicatively couples the first, second and third input-output devices to one another, such that each of the input-output devices is configured to receive and play signals from the others of the input-output devices, and

wherein the control panel also controls the input-output devices so that a private communication may be established between the first and second input-output devices, at the exclusion of the third input-output device, such that the signals generated by the first and second input-output devices are maintained in confidence.