Method and system for allowing video conference to choose between various associated videoconferences

• US 20060164508A1
• Filed: 01/27/2005
• Published: 07/27/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 01/27/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Polycom Incorporated (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Eshkoli, Noam, Wagner, Niv
• Granted Patent: US 7,679,638 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/14.90
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1093 by adding participants; by removing participants
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/4015 where at least one of the additional parallel sessions is real time or time sensitive, e.g. white board sharing, collaboration or spawning of a subconference
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/403 Arrangements for multi-party communication, e.g. for conferences data switching systems for conference H04L12/18; arrangements for connecting several subscribers to a common circuit, i.e. affording conference facilities H04M3/56; television conferencing systems H04N7/15
• 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 7/152 Multipoint control units therefor

Abstract

An association of videoconferencing services is disclosed that enables two or more videoconferences to be generated with each videoconference running independently from the others and having its own conferees. The association is achieved by having at least one conferee (a traveler) that can “move” or “travel” from one videoconference to another in the association. The one or more travelers belong to the association and not to any particular videoconference. In exemplary embodiments, the traveler can choose between the various associated videoconferences by making a selection to a multipoint control unit (MCU) that controls the associated videoconferences.

Claims

1. A method for accessing one of a plurality of videoconferences controlled by at least one multipoint control unit, the method comprising:

defining at least one endpoint as a first endpoint capable of connection to a plurality of videoconferences;

associating the first endpoint with a group of the plurality of videoconferences;

receiving a selection from the first endpoint to connect to at least one of the videoconferences in the group; and

connecting the first endpoint to the at least one selected videoconference.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein defining the first endpoint comprises recognition of indicia sent by that endpoint and recognized by the at least one multipoint control unit.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein associating the first endpoint comprises comparing indicia sent by that endpoint with profiles for the videoconferences accessible to the at least one multipoint control unit.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving control signals from the first endpoint to control the at least one selected videoconference.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising presenting associated videoconferences of the group to the first endpoint for the selection.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the first endpoint is connected to two or more associated videoconferences of the group simultaneously.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising, displaying the video of the two or more associated videoconferences to the first endpoint.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising, after connecting the first endpoint to the at least one selected videoconference, receiving a selection to connect the first endpoint to a different of the group of associated videoconferences.

15. The system of claim 2e, wherein the control module is further configured to display the video of the two or more associated conferences over the first endpoint.

9. A system for accessing one of a plurality of videoconferences using at least one multipoint control unit, comprising:

a control module, wherein the control module is configured to

define at least one endpoint as a first endpoint capable of connection to a plurality of videoconferences;

associate the first endpoint with a group of the plurality of videoconferences;

receive a selection from the first endpoint to connect to at least one of the associated videoconferences; and

connect the first endpoint to the at least one selected videoconference.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the control module is further configured to define the first endpoint via recognition of indicia sent by that endpoint and recognized by the control module.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the control module is further configured to associate the first endpoint via comparing indicia sent by that endpoint with profiles for the videoconferences accessible to the control module.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein the control module is further configured to receive control signals from the first endpoint to control the at least one selected videoconference.

13. The system of claim 9, wherein the control module is further configured to present the associated videoconferences to the first endpoint for the selection.

14. The system of claim 9, wherein first endpoint is connected to two or more of the associated videoconferences of the group simultaneously.

16. The system of claim 9, wherein the control module is further configured to, after connecting the first endpoint to the at least one selected videoconferences, receive a selection to connect the first endpoint to a different of the group of associated videoconferences.