CONFERENCE SYSTEM AND ASSOCIATED SIGNALLING METHOD

• US 20130165088A1
• Filed: 12/10/2010
• Published: 06/27/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/10/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: RingCentral Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Unify Patente GmbH & Co. KG (Atos Se)
• Inventors: Lederer, Thomas, Agsteiner, Florian, Haeberle, Tobias, Hanel, Matthias, Jadid, Adnane, Reiss, Maximillian
• Granted Patent: US 8,965,350 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/416
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/017 Gesture based interaction, e.g. based on a set of recognized hand gestures interaction based on gestures traced on a digitiser G06F3/04883
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/189 in combination with wireless systems selective distribution or broadcast in wireless communication networks H04W4/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2535 adapted for voice communication over an Internet Protocol [IP] network Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) network equipment and services H04M7/006; implementation or adaptation of Internet protocol [IP], of transmission control protocol [TCP] or of user datagram protocol [UDP] H04L69/16
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72427 for supporting games or graphical animations
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72454 according to context-related or environment-related conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/12 including a sensor for measuring a physical value, e.g. temperature or motion telephones including GPS signal receivers H04M2250/10
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/62 user interface aspects of conference calls
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/56 Arrangements for connecting several subscribers to a common circuit, i.e. affording conference facilities video conference systems H04N7/15
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/16 Communication-related supplementary services, e.g. call-transfer or call-hold
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]

Abstract

The conference system (KS) comprises at least two mobile terminals (M1, M2, M3) with a respective signalling apparatus which contains a sensor which detects motion by the signalling apparatus and outputs a corresponding motion signal. In addition, it contains a motion signal processing apparatus which associates the motion signal from a gesture in nonverbal interhuman communication with a motion signal pattern and, as a result of an association having been made, produces an output signal with a corresponding piece of information about the type of detected gesture in the nonverbal interhuman communication. Furthermore, the conference system (KS) contains a transmission apparatus for supplying the output signal to a transmission channel (F1, F2, F3) which is respectively connected to a local area network (LAN). The latter has a telephone, preferably an IP telephone (11), for a moderator and also a screen (U1) for conference control connected to it. Furthermore, an associated signalling method is proposed.

Claims

1. A conference system comprising:

at least two mobile terminals each with a signal-transmitting device comprising;

a sensor that detects a movement of the signal-transmitting device and outputs a corresponding motion signal;

a motion signal processing device that associates the motion signal for a nonverbal interpersonal communication gesture with a motion signal pattern, and if an association is made generates an output signal with corresponding information about the type of nonverbal interpersonal communication gesture detected;

a transmitting device for supplying the output signal to at least one transmission channel said

at least one transmission channel associated with each of the mobile terminals;

a local area network connected to said at least one transmission channel;

a telephone, for a moderator connected to the Local Area Network; and

a screen for conference control connected to the local area network.

2. The conference system of claim 1, where the output signal comprises information that provides an indication as to the originator of the motion signal.

3. The conference system of claim 1, wherein the motion signal processing device detects at least one of human nonverbal gestures of drawing attention and a message as a result of a movement of the signal-transmitting device contained in one of the at least two mobile terminals.

4. The conference system of claim 1, wherein the motion signal of a gesture associates the gesture with a motion signal pattern that is known to the signal-transmitting device, stored therein, or stored in the signal-transmitting device.

5. The conference system of claim 1, wherein the sensor and the motion signal processing device are designed to suppress unintentional nonverbal interpersonal communication gestures so that said gestures do not cause at least one of a motion signal and an output signal.

6. The conference system of claim 1, wherein the signal-transmitting device processes and stores motion signal patterns from an external data source that is not part of the signal-transmitting device.

7. The conference system of claim 1, wherein the transmission channel is formed by a WLAN net with a WLAN access point or an UMTS data net.

8. The conference system of claim 1, wherein the signaling device in each of the at least two mobile terminals contains an output device that outputs the information of the output signal in a way selected from the group consisting of visually on a screen, acoustically and as haptic stimuli, that corresponds with the nonverbal interpersonal communication gesture.

9. The conference system of claim 1, wherein the screen that is connected to the local area network is designed as a touch user interface, which is housed in a personal computer or in a telephone.

10. The conference system of claim 1, further comprising:

a SIP server;

a conference server; and

a conference application;

wherein the SIP server, the conference server, and the conference control application, are connected to the local area network.

11. A signaling method for a conference system, comprising:

detecting a motion of a signal-transmitting device and outputting a motion signal;

associating the motion signal with a nonverbal interpersonal communication gesture;

generating an output signal if an association is made, with said output signal containing information that corresponds to the nonverbal interpersonal communication gesture;

transmitting the output signal via a transmission channel;

receiving the output signal that is transferred via the transmission channel, and displaying a respective marker that is associated with a mobile terminal on a screen for conference control.

12. The signaling method of claim 11, wherein a switching state “

mute”

or “

unmute”

of a mobile terminal is also shown on the conference control screen in display fields and can be modified depending on the marker, whereby this switching action is performed automatically or manually by a moderator.

13. A method for voting, comprising, performing the signaling method of claim 11 and evaluating two different motion forms of the signal-transmitting device as a “

yes/no”

decision.

14. A method for conducting an auction, comprising performing the signaling method of claim 11, wherein a “

raising of a hand”

motion of the mobile terminal by a participant is interpreted as a bid with a price increase by a certain amount, and wherein an announcement of a new bid price to participants occurs through one of an announcement by a moderator or a “

text to speech”

component.

15. The method of claim 11, further comprising evaluating and transferring to the transmission system gestures of participants selected from the group consisting of raising a hand, head shaking, head nodding and finger signs.