System and method for point to point integration of personal computers with videoconferencing systems

• US 20050198134A1
• Filed: 04/07/2005
• Published: 09/08/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 06/02/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Polycom Incorporated (Plantronics, Inc.)
• Inventors: Horowitz, Michael, Kenoyer, Michael
• Granted Patent: US 9,197,852 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/204
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 5/06 with both visual and audible presentation of the material to be studied
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/28 characterised by path configuration, e.g. LAN [Local Area Networks] or WAN [Wide Area Networks] wireless communication networks H04W ; arrangements for dividing the transmission path H04W40/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/147 Communication arrangements, e.g. identifying the communication as a video-communication, intermediate storage of the signals selecting H04Q
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/148 Interfacing a video terminal to a particular transmission medium, e.g. ISDN
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/15 Conference systems

Abstract

A system and method for integrating a personal computer based presentation with a videoconferencing system. A coupling device includes a card, insertable into a PCMCIA slot of a laptop computer or like machine, which includes a cable coupled to the card at a first end and to a connector coupled at a second end. The card includes firmware for loading into RAM of the computer and software operable to execute code.

Claims

1. A system for integrating a computer-based presentation with a videoconference, comprising:

software for launching on a computer an application that supplies an interface to be displayed on a screen of the computer to control the presentation on a videoconferencing system; and

a LAN coupling the computer to the videoconferencing system.

2. A method of processing changes in images being presented over a videoconferencing system, comprising the steps of:

detecting a change in a macroblock;

coding and transmitting a first sub-image of the macroblock using a high quant, coding and transmitting the first sub-image using a low quant, and coding and transmitting subsequent sub-images of the macroblock using a low quant.

3. A method of integrating image content from a personal computer with a video conference comprising:

digitally capturing and coding an image displayed by the personal computer, wherein the capture and coding is performed by the personal computer;

transmitting the coded image from the personal computer to the video conferencing system for import into a video conference as received from the personal computer.

4. The method of claim 3 further comprising:

monitoring the image for changes or movement;

processing and coding only a changed portion of the image.

5. The method of claim 3 wherein the step of digitally capturing and coding an image comprises:

monitoring the image for changes or movement; and

if a change or movement is detected, processing and coding only the changed portion of the image; and

wherein the step of transmitting the coded image comprises transmitting only the changed portion of the image.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the step of monitoring the image for changes or movement comprises monitoring changes in macroblocks.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the changed portion of the image comprises the changed macroblocks.

8. The method of claim 5 wherein:

the image is divided into a plurality of sub-images and wherein a first of the sub-images is coded for faster transmission whereby a coarse image may be obtained sufficient to reasonably represent the final image.

9. The method of claim 5 wherein the step of transmitting the compressed image from the personal computer to the video conferencing system further comprises dynamically sharing bandwidth between the compressed image and other video conference content.