Method and system of multilocation video conferencing

• US 20060244815A1
• Filed: 04/27/2005
• Published: 11/02/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 04/27/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SBC Knowledge Ventures LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: SBC Knowledge Ventures LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Barreiro, Giovanna
• Granted Patent: US 7,468,738 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/14.70
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/15 Conference systems

Abstract

A method and system of video conferencing. The video conferencing generally relates to supporting video and/or audio conferencing between remotely located individuals. The method and system permit multiple individuals at one location to be viewed from one or more locations located remotely therefrom.

Claims

1. A method of allowing parents to video conference with their children when the children are at a childcare facility and the parents are located at other remote locations, the method comprising

configuring a video conferencing unit to be accessible through a network and for outputting signals for displaying video;

configuring the video conferencing unit to receive video at least one childcare video camera located at the childcare facility, each childcare video camera being configured to record video from at least one room in the childcare facility and to transport the recorded video to the video conferencing unit;

configuring the video conferencing unit to receive video from one or more parent video cameras located at the remote parent locations, the parent video cameras being configured to record video of the parents and to transport the recorded video to the video conferencing unit;

determining one or more active parents, the active parents being those desiring to video conference with the childcare facility;

configuring the video conferencing unit to output signals for displaying video from one or more of the active parents on a childcare display located at the childcare facility so that the displayed parents are simultaneously visible on the childcare display for viewing by their children; and

configuring the video conferencing unit to output signals for displaying video from one or more of the one or more childcare video cameras on the parent displays of each active parent so that the children are visible on the parent displays.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

configuring the video conferencing unit to selectively control which video from the one or more childcare video cameras is displayed on the parent displays.

3. The method of claim 2 further comprising:

configuring the video conferencing unit to permit the parents to selectively determine which one or more videos from the one or more childcare video cameras is displayed on the parent displays.

4. The method of claim 3 further comprising:

configuring the childcare video cameras to be remotely controlled by the video conferencing unit and configuring the video conferencing unit to allow the parents to selectively control operation of the one or more childcare video cameras selected by the parents.

5. The method of claim 2 further comprising:

including an identification unit on one or more of the children and configuring the video conferencing unit to associate children with video from the one or more childcare video cameras as a function of the identification units, and configuring the video conferencing unit to determine which video from the one or more childcare video cameras is associated with each child so that video displayed on the parent displays includes video of the child associated with the parent viewing the parent display.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

configuring the video conferencing unit to receive audio recorded by one or more audio communicators associated with the children and their parents, and configuring the video conferencing unit to selectively communicate audio between the parents and children.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the video conferencing unit is configured to communicate the audio so that multiple parents may communicate with their children without the other children and parents hearing the audio associated therewith.

8. The method of claim 6 further comprising:

configuring the video conferencing unit to support broadcast operations, the broadcast operations permitting one or more parents or one or more providers at the childcare facility to interrupt video and/or audio communicated to the other parents so as to permit the interrupting parent or provider to broadcast video and/or audio to the interrupted parents.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

configuring the video conferencing unit to limit video recorded by the childcare video cameras and video displayed by the childcare display as a function of predefined rules of operation.

10. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

configuring the video conferencing unit to permit multiple parents of the same child to simultaneously view video from one or more the childcare video cameras.

11. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

configuring the video conferencing unit to allow the parents to selectively determine whether their video is displayed on the childcare display.

12. A method of video conferencing between a central office and multiple satellite offices, the satellite offices being located remotely from the central office, the method comprising

recording video from at least one central office, the central office including a number of individuals such that multiple individuals are recorded;

recording video from at least one satellite office, the satellite offices including at least one individual such that video from each satellite office includes at least one individual;

determining one or more active satellite offices, the active satellite offices being those desiring to video conference with the central office;

displaying video from one or more of the active satellite offices on a common central office display such that the individuals associated therewith are simultaneously displayed on the common display so that the multiple central office individuals may view multiple individuals from different satellite offices; and

displaying video from the central office at each active satellite office.

13. The method of claim 12 further comprising:

receiving audio from one or more of the individuals and separately communicating the audio between multiple individuals without the other individuals hearing the audio.

14. The method of claim 12 further comprising

providing one or more of the satellite offices with capabilities for controlling one or more cameras at the central office.

15. The method of claim 12 further comprising:

providing one or more individuals at the central office with identifications units and associating the video recording with the identifications units so as to facilitate display video of specific individuals at the satellite locations.

16. A system of allowing parents to video conference with their children when the children are at a childcare facility and the parents are located at other remote locations, the system comprising:

a video conferencing unit, the video conferencing unit being accessible through a network and configured for outputting signals for displaying video;

at least one childcare video camera located at the childcare facility, the childcare video camera configured to record video from at least one room in the childcare facility and to transport the recorded video to the video conferencing unit;

one or more parent video cameras located at the remote parent locations, the parent video cameras being configured to record video of the parents and to transport the recorded video to the video conferencing unit; and

wherein the video conferencing unit is configured to output signals for displaying video from one or more of the active parents on a childcare display located at the childcare facility so that the displayed parents are simultaneously visible on the childcare display for viewing by their children and to output signals for displaying video from one or more of the one or more childcare video cameras on the parent displays of each active parent so that the children are visible on the parent displays.

17. The system of claim 16 further comprising:

a number of audio communicators, the audio communicators being configured to support audio communications between one or more parents and one or more children.

18. The system of claim 17 wherein the video conferencing unit is configured to support separate audio communications between the parents and children so that parents can communicate with their children without other children and parents hearing the audio associated therewith.

19. The system of claim 16 further comprising:

a number of identification units, the identification units being associated with one or more children for tracking the children within the childcare facility and to facilitate tracking video recording of the children.

20. The system of claim 19 wherein the video conferencing unit is configured to control operation of one or more of the childcare monitors as a function of one or more identification units so as to facilitate continuous video recording of one or more children.