Court video teleconferencing system & method

• US 20070285506A1
• Filed: 04/25/2007
• Published: 12/13/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 04/28/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Vidcom, Co.
• Original Assignee: Vidcom, Co.
• Inventors: Schneider, Roland
• Granted Patent: US 8,477,662 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/14.80
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/15 Conference systems

Abstract

A court appearance is conducted at a scheduled date and time where at least one attorney or other participant at a remote location appears before a court by video teleconference. The court and the remote participant communicate using video and audio conferencing equipment having the capability of displaying concurrently images of the court and the remote participant during the court appearance. This enables the court and the participant to hear and see video images each other during the court appearance. The operation of the conferencing equipment is initiated and terminated at the scheduled date and time of the court appearance.

Claims

1. A system enabling at least one attorney or other participant at a remote location to appear before a court, said system comprising

video and audio conferencing equipment at the location of each participant appearing before the court by video teleconference,

video and audio conferencing equipment at the court, and

communication links that place said conferencing equipment of each participant and the court in video and audio in communication,

said communication links having the same or different protocols and being connected to each other concurrently regardless of the protocol of any communication link.

2. The system of claim 1 including a dedicated telephone link that enables the court to keep open a communication link with a remote conference manager who establishes communication between the court and each participant appearing before the court by video teleconference.

3. The system of claim 2 including a bridging center that enables the conference manager to initiate and terminate any court video teleconference appearance.

4. The system of claim 2 including a bridging center that enables the conference manager to communicate with any participant at a scheduled video teleconference appearance.

5. A system enabling at least one attorney or other participant at a remote location to appear before a court, said system comprising

participant video and audio conferencing equipment at the location of any participant appearing before the court by video teleconference,

said participant video and audio conferencing equipment enabling any participant to send and receive video and audio transmissions over an individual communication link having a predetermined protocol,

court video and audio conferencing equipment at the court that enables the court to send and receive video and audio transmissions over a private communication link having a predetermined protocol, and

a bridging center that receives, transcodes, and transmits video and audio transmissions between the court and any participant,

said bridging center placing said conferencing equipment of the court and each participant in video and audio communication with each other concurrently regardless of the protocols of the communication links of any participant and the court.

6. A video conferencing system for a court enabling at least one endpoint user at a remote location to communicate with the court, said video conferencing system comprising

a video and audio conferencing terminal at the court and the location of each endpoint user, said terminals being placed in communication with each other by communication links having the same or different protocols,

a bridging center in communication with the terminals over said communication links that provides a gateway allowing said terminals to send and receive concurrently digital audio and video signal streams regardless of the protocols,

said bridging center including a computer system programmed to enable simultaneous real-time communication between said terminals, and

each said terminal including a device for near-real time compression and decompression of the audio and video signal streams transmitted or received thereby.

7. The system of claim 6 including a private communication network comprising the court'"'"'s video and audio conferencing terminal and the bridging center.

8. The system of claim 7 where the private communication network is a high speed and high bandwidth network.

9. The system of claim 6 including a dedicated telephone link that enables the court to keep an open line and communicate with a remote conference manager who establishes communication between the court and each endpoint user.

10. The system of claim 6 where an individual communication link uses a conventional protocol.

11. The system of claim 6 where each terminal includes a configurable variation comprising a video camera, a video display screen, a microphone, a speaker, and a codec device.

12. The system of claim 6 where the bridging center transcodes each protocol regardless of bit rate, frame rate, resolution rate, and video and audio compression and decompression schemes.

13. The system of claim 6 where the bridging center includes a single platform having multi-network connectivity.

14. A system enabling at least one attorney or other participant at a remote location to appear before a court, said system comprising

video and audio conferencing equipment at the court,

video and audio conferencing equipment at the location of each participant appearing before the court by video teleconference, and

a transmission system having the capability of enabling a conference manager to initiate and terminate a scheduled video teleconference,

said transmission system including a bridging center with a single platform having multi-network connectivity having the capability of establishing concurrently audio and video communication between the court and each participant through communication links having the same or different protocols.

15. The system of claim 14 where an individual communication link uses one of the following protocols:

an ISDN (Integrated Services Digital Network) such as H.320, or DS1 (Digital signal 1, also known as a T1), or a DSL (Digital Subscriber Line) such as H.323 network connections in conjunction with IP (Internet Protocol) or SIP (Session Initiation Protocol).

16. A system wherein at least two attorneys or other participants at different locations remote from a court appear before the court, said system comprising

first video and audio conferencing equipment at the location of a first participant,

second video and audio conferencing equipment at the location of a second participant,

third video and audio conferencing equipment at the court,

a transmission system for placing said conferencing equipment of the court and first and second participants in video and audio communication with each other concurrently,

a bridging center operably connected to the transmission system and under the control of a conference manager that enables said conference manager to initiate and terminate a scheduled court video teleconference, and

a dedicated telephone link in communication with the court that enables the conference manager to communicate with the court during a scheduled court video teleconference.

17. A digital video conferencing system for at least two endpoint users at different remote locations to communicate with a court, said system comprising

a first video and audio conferencing terminal at the location of a first endpoint user,

a second video and audio conferencing terminal at the location of a second endpoint user,

third and fourth video and audio conferencing terminals at the court, and

a fifth video and audio conferencing terminal at a bridging center,

said terminals connected by communication links having predetermined protocols,

said bridging center placing the terminals in communication regardless of the protocols of the communication links.

18. The system of claim 17 where the terminals of the court and the bridging center are connected by a private internet.

19. The system of claim 17 where said terminals each includes a monitor screen providing a plurality of sections for displaying concurrently the images of the court and end users.

20. The system of claim 17 including a controller under the control of the court in communication with the bridging center that enables the court to control the images being transmitted.

21. A method of conducting a court appearance where at least one attorney or other participant at a remote location appears before a court, said method comprising the steps of

(a) scheduling a date and time for a court appearance by video teleconference,

(b) providing the court and each participant with video and audio conferencing equipment capable of displaying concurrently images of the court and each participant during the court video teleconference appearance, thereby enabling the court and each participant during the appearance to hear each other and see video images of each other, and

(c) initiating and terminating the operation of the conferencing equipment at the scheduled date and time of the appearance.

22. A method of enabling at least one endpoint user at a remote location to communicate with a court, said method comprising the steps of

(a) initiating communication between the court and endpoint user after confirming the availability of the court and endpoint user,

(b) providing the court and the endpoint user each with a video conferencing terminal comprising of a video camera, a video display screen, a microphone, and a speakers, each said terminal being capable of transmitting concurrently audio signals and video images of the court and the endpoint user, thereby enabling the court and endpoint user to hear each other and see video images of each other, and

(c) initiating the operation of the said terminals to establish communication between the court and endpoint user and terminating the operation of the said terminals when the communication is over.

23. The method of claim 22 where a conference manager at a remote location initiates and terminates the operation of the terminals.

24. The method of claim 23 where the conference manager has conference observation equipment that enables said conference manager to observe video images of the court and endpoint users during the communication.

25. The method of claim 23 where the conference manager is in communication with the court during the scheduled communication over a dedicated telephone link.

26. The method of claim 22 where the court controls the video images being transmitted during the communication.

28. The method of claim 22 where the endpoint user video conferencing terminal is conveyed to different locations by a mobile unit.

29. The method of claim 22 where the terminal of the court is connected by a private network with a remote bridging center that places the terminal of the court and each remote endpoint user in video and audio communication with each other concurrently over different communication links which have the same or different protocols regardless of the protocol of the communication link.