Videotelephone conference system

• US 4,054,908 A
• Filed: 05/24/1976
• Issued: 10/18/1977
• Est. Priority Date: 05/27/1975
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Alain M. Poirier, Georges Buchner, Gilbert Francois Martel
• Original Assignee: Alain M. Poirier, Georges Buchner, Gilbert Francois Martel
• Inventors: Buchner, Georges, Poirier, Alain M., Martel, Gilbert Francois
• Primary Examiner(s): Richardson, Robert L.
• Application Number:
  US05/689,179
• Time in Patent Office: 512 Days
• Field of Search: 358/84, 358/85, 358/86, 179/2 TV, 179/1 CN, 179/2 TS
• US Class Current: 348/14.09
• 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: H04M 3/567 Multimedia conference systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/569 using the instant speaker's algorithm speech detection per se G10L25/78
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/147 Communication arrangements, e.g. identifying the communication as a video-communication, intermediate storage of the signals selecting H04Q
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/15 Conference systems

Abstract

Video conference system connecting a plurality of remotely located conference rooms, each containing a group of conferees. It comprises in each room a plurality of videotelephones respectively assigned to the conferees, each including a camera and an image receiver and a plurality of microphones respectively associated with these videotelephones. Means are provided for comparing the levels of the speech signals generated by said microphones in each room and registering an address signal defining the videotelephone associated with the microphone generating the loudest speech signal. Means are further provided for adding all the signals generated by the microphones in each room and thereby obtaining room cumulated microphone signals, the levels of which are compared and an address signal defining the room whose microphones generate the loudest cumulated signal is registered. The rooms are connected through transmitting and receiving video facilities. Switching means selectively connects the cameras of the videotelephones of a room to the image receivers thereof and to said video signal transmitting and receiving video facilities and a switch logic controls said switching means and is itself controlled by the videotelephone address signals and the room address signals.

Claims

1. A video conference system connecting a plurality of remotely located conference rooms, each containing a group of conferees, comprising a plurality of videotelephones in each room assigned to the conferees in said room and each comprising a camera and an image receiver, a plurality of microphones respectively associated with the videotelephones, means for comparing the levels of the speech signals generated by said microphones in each room and registering the address of the videotelephone associated with the microphone geneating the loudest speech signal, means for mixing all the speech signals generated by the microphones in each room and thereby obtaining room mixed speech signals, means for comparing the levels of the mixed speech signals of the rooms and registering the address of the room whose microphones generate the loudest mixed speech signals, means for transmitting video signals from each conference room to the other, video switching means for selectively connecting the cameras of the videotelephones or each room to the image receiver of said room and to said video signal transmitting means and means controlled by the videotelephone address register means and the room address register means for generating control signals for said switching means in response to said loudest speech signal and said loudest mixed speech signal.

2. A video conference system connecting a plurality of remotely located conference rooms, each containing a group of conferees, comprising a plurality of videotelephones in each room assigned to the conferees in said room and each comprising a camera and an image receiver, a plurality of microphones respectively associated with the videotelephones, means for comparing the levels of the speech signals generated by said microphones in each room and registering the present address of the videotelephone associated with the microphone generating the loudest speech signal, means for memorizing said present videotelephone address when a microphone associated with another videotelephone generates a louder speech signal, said memorized videotelephone address being the past address of the videotelephone associated with the microphone generating the loudest speech signal, means for mixing all the speech signals generated by the microphones in each room and thereby obtaining room mixed speech signals, means for comparing the levels of the mixed speech signals of the rooms and registering the present address of the room whose microphones generate the loudest mixed speech signal, means for memorizing said present room address when the microphones of a room generate a louder mixed speech signal, said memorized room address being the past address of the room whose microphones generate the loudest mixed speech signal, means for transmitting video signals from each conference room to the other, video switching means for selectively connecting the cameras of the videotelephones of each room to the image receivers of said room and to said video signal transmitting means and means controlled by the videotelephone present and past addresses and the room present and past addresses, for generating control signals for said switching means in response to the present and last loudest speech signals and the present and last loudest mixed speech signals.

3. A video conference system connecting a plurality of remotely located conference rooms, each containing a group of conferees, comprising:

a. a plurality of videotelephones in each room assigned to the conferees in said room and each comprising a camera and an image receiver;

b. a plurality of microphones respectively associated with the videotelephones;

c. means for comparing the levels of the speech signals generated by said microphones in each room and registering a videotelephone address signal defining the videotelephone associated with the microphone generating the loudest speech signal;

d. means for mixing all the signals generated by the microphones in each room and thereby obtaining room mixed speech signals;

e. means for comparing the levels of the mixed speech signals of the rooms and registering a room address signal defining the room whose microphones generate the loudest mixed speech signal;

f. means for transmitting and receiving video signals to and from each conference room from and to the other one;

g. a plurality of video switching means a first group of which selectively connects the camera of each videotelephone of each room to the image receivers of the other videotelephones of said room and a second group of which selectively connects the video signal receiving means to the image receivers of the videotelephones of said room and the cameras of the videotelephones of said room to the video signal transmitting means, each video switching means being under control of a signal applied to its control input;

h. means for generating control signals for said first group of video switching means in response to said videotelephone address signals and for said second group of video switching means in response to said room address signals.

4. A video conference system connecting a plurality of remotely located conference rooms, each containing a group of conferees, comprising:

a. a plurality of videotelephones in each room assigned to the conferees in said room and each comprising a camera and an image receiver;

b. a plurality of microphones respectively associated with the videotelephones;

c. a television monitor means;

d. an overview camera;

e. means for comparing the levels of the speech signals generated by said microphones in each room and registering a videotelephone address signal defining the videotelephone associated with the microphone generating the loudest speech signal;

f. means for mixing all the signals generated by the microphones in each room and thereby obtaining room mixed speech signals;

g. means for comparing the levels of the mixed speech signals of the rooms and registering a room address signal defining the room whose microphones generate the loudest mixed speech signal;

h. means for detecting the absence during a predetermined period of all the videotelephone address signals and room address signals and generating a control signal when said absence lasts at least said period;

i. means for transmitting and receiving video signals to and from each conference room from and to the other one;

j. a plurality of video switching means a first group of which selectively connects the camera of each videotelephone of each room to the image receivers of the other videotelephones of said room, a second group of which selectively connects the video signal receiving means to the image receivers of the videotelephones of said room and the cameras of the videotelephones of said room to the video signal transmitting means, and a third group of which selectively connects the overview camera of said room and the television monitor means of said room to said video signal transmitting and receiving means, each video switching means being under control of a signal applied to its control input; and

k. means for generating control signals for said first group of video switching means in response to said videotelephone address signals, for said second group of video switching means in response to said room address signals, and for third group of video switching means in response to said control signal generated by said detecting means.