Videcoconferencing Method and System for Connecting a Host with a Plurality of Participants

• US 20080174656A1
• Filed: 03/27/2008
• Published: 07/24/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/1998
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Melton, Richard Lee, LaMar, George Thomas, Forkner, Terry Ray
• Granted Patent: US 8,345,081 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/14.08
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/15 Conference systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/152 Multipoint control units therefor

Abstract

An improved videoconferencing system and method are provided for connecting a host to a plurality of participants. Unlike other videoconferencing methods and systems, the videoconferencing system and method of these preferred embodiments allow each of the parties of a videoconference to benefit from the interaction between the host and the selected participant without limiting the number of participants that can join the videoconference. The host and participants can interact with the videoconferencing system by issuing voice commands or DTMF signals to a voice response unit or by using a computer to access the videoconferencing system directly or indirectly though a network such as the World Wide Web.

Claims

1. A method for use in a system comprising a network coupled with a first party with a plurality of parties comprising a second party, the method comprising:

receiving a request from the second party;

transmitting video of the first party to the second party;

receiving video of the second party at the first party, wherein while receiving video of the second party, the first party does not receive video from parties of the plurality of parties other than the second party; and

transmitting combined video of the first and second parties to the parties of the plurality of parties other than the second party.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the second party does not receive video of other parties of the plurality of parties.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the second party does not receive its own video.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the first party does not receive its own video.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the request from the second party is received via the World Wide Web.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting audio of the first party to the second party;

receiving audio of the second party at the first party, wherein the first party does not receive audio from parties of the plurality of parties other than the second party; and

transmitting combined audio of the first and second parties to the parties of the plurality of parties other than the second party.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the second party does not receive audio from other parties of the plurality of parties.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of parties further comprises a third party, and wherein the method further comprises:

receiving a request from the third party;

transmitting video of the first party to the third party;

receiving video of the third party at the first party, wherein while receiving video of the third party, the first party does not receive video from parties of the plurality of parties other than the third party; and

transmitting combined video of the first and third parties to the parties of the plurality of parties other than the third party.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

adding the second party to a queue in response to receiving the request from the second party; and

selecting the second party from the queue;

wherein the acts of transmitting video of the first party to the second party, receiving video of the second party at the first party, and transmitting combined video of the first and second parties are performed in response to selecting the second party from the queue.

10. A computer-readable storage medium comprising a set of instructions to direct a processor to perform acts over a network coupling a first party with a plurality of parties comprising a second party, the acts comprising:

receiving a request from the second party;

transmitting video of the first party to the second party;

receiving video of the second party at the first party, wherein while receiving video of the second party, the first party does not receive video from parties of the plurality of parties other than the second party; and

transmitting combined video of the first and second parties to the parties of the plurality of parties other than the second party.

11. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein the request from the second party is received over the World Wide Web.

12. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 10, further comprising a set of instructions to direct a processor to perform acts of:

adding the second party to a queue in response to receiving the request from the second party; and

selecting the second party from the queue;

wherein the acts of transmitting video of the first party to the second party, receiving video of the second party at the first party, and transmitting combined video of the first and second parties are performed in response to selecting the second party from the queue.

13. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 10, further comprising a set of instructions to direct a processor to perform acts of:

receiving a request from the third party;

transmitting video of the first party to the third party;

receiving video of the third party at the first party, wherein while receiving video of the third party, the first party does not receive video from parties of the plurality of parties other than the third party; and

transmitting combined video of the first and third parties to the parties of the plurality of parties other than the third party.

14. A system comprising:

a network element coupled to a network coupling a first party with a plurality of parties comprising a second party, the network element operative to;

receive a request from the second party;

transmit video of the first party to the second party;

receive video of the second party at the first party, wherein while receiving video of the second party, the first party does not receive video from parties of the plurality of parties other than the second party; and

transmit combined video of the first and second parties to the parties of the plurality of parties other than the second party.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the request from the second party is received over the World Wide Web.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein the network element is further operative to:

add the second party to a queue in response to receiving the request from the second party; and

select the second party from the queue;

wherein the acts of transmitting video of the first party to the second party, receiving video of the second party at the first party, and transmitting combined video of the first and second parties are performed in response to selecting the second party from the queue.

17. The system of claim 14, wherein the network element is further operative to:

receive a request from the third party;

transmit video of the first party to the third party;

receive video of the third party at the first party, wherein while receiving video of the third party, the first party does not receive video from parties of the plurality of parties other than the third party; and

transmit combined video of the first and third parties to the parties of the plurality of parties other than the third party.