MOBILE CONFERENCING SYSTEM

• US 20120306994A1
• Filed: 06/05/2012
• Published: 12/06/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/06/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ted Schwartz
• Original Assignee: Ted Schwartz
• Inventors: SCHWARTZ, TED
• Granted Patent: US 8,988,483 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/14.08
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 80/00 ICT specially adapted for facilitating communication between medical practitioners or patients, e.g. for collaborative diagnosis, therapy or health monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/142 Constructional details of the terminal equipment, e.g. arrangements of the camera and the display

Abstract

In accordance with the present invention, there is provided a remote video conferencing system which is specifically suited for use in a medical environment. The video conferencing system comprises an elongate, primary support structure such as a pole which is outfitted with castors or similar structures to allow for the selective positioning thereof in any prescribed location within an operating room. Attached to an upper region of the pole is at least one remote controlled video camera which preferably includes a laser pointer operatively coupled thereto. During a surgical procedure, the remotely located manufacturer'"'"'s representative or other medical professional is able to use the internet to remotely control the video camera, and hence the laser pointer coupled thereto.

Claims

1. A remote medical procedure conferencing system for linking personnel at an operating site with an internal network and a remote site external to the network, the system comprising:

a virtual private network server connected to an internal network of the operating site and accessible from the remote site;

a router connected to the virtual private network server, the router being part of the internal network of the operating site; and

one or more video capture devices and one or more video display devices installed at the operating site and communicatively linked to the router over the internal network;

wherein the virtual private network server receives video data from the one or more video capture devices for transmission to the remote site upon being authenticated to the virtual private network server, and transmits video data received from the remote site for transmission to the one or more video display devices.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein a one of the video display devices is a computer system including a display screen, and one of the video capture devices is a camera installed on the computer system.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the computer system includes videoconferencing software loaded thereon operative to transmit and receive the video data to and from the remote site.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein a network connection between a one of the video capture devices and the router is wired.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the wired network connection is Category-5 cable.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein each of the video capture devices and video display devices are assigned a unique internal Internet Protocol address.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the virtual private network server has a static Internet Protocol address, with the unique Internet Protocol addresses of the video capture devices and the video display devices being abstracted from the remote site.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein a network connection between a one of the video capture devices and the router is wireless.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more video capture devices are receptive to camera control commands received from the remote site to adjust viewing angles.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein a network connection between the remote site and the virtual private network server is a secure data transfer link.

11. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a firewall associated with the operating site and connected to an upstream link of the router;

wherein the virtual private network server establishes a static data communication link to the firewall.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the virtual private networks server is a website.

13. A support structure for use in a remote medical procedure conferencing system for linking personnel at an operating site with an internal network and a remote site external to the network, the support structure comprising:

an elongate pole having opposed upper and lower end portions;

a base assembly attached to the lower end portion of the pole;

at least one shelf attached to the pole between the upper and lower end portions thereof;

a storage box attached to the pole between the shelf and the base assembly; and

at least one video camera attached to the upper end portion of the pole, the video camera being configured such the pan, tilt and/or zoom thereof may be remotely controlled by an operator at the remote site; and

a laser pointer attached to the camera a concurrently movable therewith relative to the pole.

14. The support structure of claim 13 comprising first and second video cameras attached to the upper end portion of the pole, each of the video cameras being configured such the pan, tilt and/or zoom thereof may be remotely controlled independently by an operator at the remote site, the laser pointer being attached to a selected one of the video cameras.

15. The support structure of claim 14 further comprising a router disposed within the storage box and operatively interfaced to each of the first and second video cameras.

16. The support structure of claim 15 further comprising a computer attached to the shelf and operatively interfaced to the router and to each of the first and second video cameras.

17. The support structure of claim 16 further in combination with a pair of wireless lapel microphones which are each adapted to wirelessly communicate with the computer.