REMOTE CONFERENCE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM AND METHOD EMPLOYING THE SAME

• US 20120206561A1
• Filed: 03/29/2011
• Published: 08/16/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 02/16/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: HUANG, LIANG-YI
• Granted Patent: US 8,487,978 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/14.09
• 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 7/15 Conference systems

Abstract

A remote conference management system includes a conferencing control terminal and a conferencing terminal in electronic communication with the conferencing control terminal. The conferencing control terminal includes a multipoint control unit that stores a plurality of predetermined face images of anticipated meeting participants. The conferencing terminal includes an image recording unit and a signal control unit. The image recording unit records face images of current participants. The signal control unit receives the face images from the image recording unit and transmits the face image to the MCU. The MCU compares the received face images with the prestored face images, and creates and communicates attendance information of the current participants according to the comparison.

Claims

1. A remote conference management system, comprising:

a conferencing control terminal comprising;

a multipoint control unit (MCU) storing a plurality of predetermined face images of anticipated meeting participants; and

a conferencing terminal in electronic communication with the conferencing control terminal, the conferencing terminal comprising;

an image recording unit that captures and records face images of current meeting participants; and

a signal control unit that electrically connects with the image recording unit, wherein the signal control unit receives the face images of the current meeting participants from the image recording unit and transmits the face images to the MCU, the MCU compares the received face images with the prestored face images and creates an attendance record according to the comparison.

2. The remote conference management system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the remote conference management system uses facial detection and recognition technologies to manage remote conferences.

3. The remote conference management system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the attendance record comprises names of current meeting participants, time of the current participants joined the meeting, and names of anticipated participants who have not yet joined the meeting.

4. The remote conference management system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the conferencing control terminal further comprises a control unit electrically communicated with the MCU, and the control unit is for controlling the MCU to implement different operations.

5. The remote conference management system as claimed in claim 4, wherein the conferencing control terminal further comprises a signal storage unit, the signal storage unit is electrically connected to the MCU and is for storing face images and information regarding current meeting participants from the conferencing terminal.

6. The remote conference management system as claimed in claim 5, wherein the conferencing control terminal further comprises a message transmission unit electrically connected to the signal storage unit, the message transmission unit is for sending reminder messages to the anticipated meeting participants to remind them to attend the conference or to alert them when the meeting has started if they have not yet started participation.

7. The remote conference management system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the signal control unit is electrically connected to the image recording unit through a universal serial bus, and is for controlling the image recording unit to capture and record the face images and transmitting the face images of the current participants in the meeting to the MCU of the conferencing control terminal.

8. The remote conference management system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the conferencing terminal further comprises a display unit, the display unit is electrically connected to the signal control unit through a high definition multimedia interface, the display unit receives video and/or face images of the current meeting participants from the MCU of the conferencing control terminal and displays the video and/or the face images.

9. The remote conference management system as claimed in claim 8, wherein the conferencing terminal further comprises a remote control in electronic communication with the signal control unit, the remote control is for controlling the signal control unit to implement different operation and further controlling the image recording unit to capture and record face images of the current meeting participants.

10. The remote conference management system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the signal control unit identifies the voice of a speaker using voice recognition technology to determine identity of the speaker, the signal control unit controls and adjusts the image recording unit to capture and record the face images of the speaker and transmits the face images to MCU, and the MCU compares the face images with the prestored face images.

11. The remote conference management system as claimed in claim 10, wherein if the MCU identifies the face image of the speaker, the face images and related information of the speaker is transmitted to the signal control unit, and is displayed on the display unit;

if the MCU fails to identify and find the face image of speaker, the MCU sends a warning signal to remind the conferencing control terminal to confirm identity of the speaker and add information.

12. The remote conference management system as claimed in claim 3, wherein the control unit sends a command signal to the signal control unit to aim and focus the image recording unit on the speaker to capture the face images, and the face images are transmitted to the MCU.

13. The remote conference management system as claimed in claim 8, wherein the remote control sends a command signal to the signal control unit to aim and focus the image recording unit on the speaker to capture the face images, and the face images are transmitted to the MCU.

14. The remote conference management system as claimed in claim 8, wherein information about the anticipated meeting participants are arranged and numbered according to a predetermined order corresponding to a number on the remote control, the remote control selects the corresponding number to display and share face image and information on the display unit.

15. A management method for controlling remote conference, comprising steps of:

capturing face images of current meeting participants;

comparing the face images of the current meeting participants with prestored face images;

creating and storing an attendance record; and

communicating the attendance record.

16. The management method as claimed in claim 15, further comprising electronically reminding the anticipated meeting participants of the conference.

17. The management method as claimed in claim 15, further comprising capturing and transmitting face images of a speaker.

18. The management method as claimed in claim 17, further comprising determining whether the face images of the speaker are consistent with the prestored images or not.

19. The management method as claimed in claim 18, further comprising displaying the face images and information of the speaker when the face images are consistent with the prestored face images.

20. The management method as claimed in claim 17, further comprising sending a warning signal to confirm identity of the speaker to add related information when the face images are inconsistent with the prestored face images.