Multilocation video conference terminal including an arrangement to reduce disruption in video switching
First Claim
1. In apparatus for transmitting video signals to a plurality of remote locations, wherein said remote locations include at least one conference location and each of said conference locations includes means responsive to a fast picture update command signal for generating fast video picture update information, responsive to said fast picture update command signal for generating a get ready control signal prior to transmitting the fast video picture update information,means for generating a fast video picture update command signal,means for transmitting said fast video picture update command signal to a selected conference location, andmeans responsive to said get ready control signal from the selected conference location for controllably switching the transmission of a video signal from said selected conference location to prescribed ones of said remote locations, wherein a switch of the video signal being transmitted is delayed until said get ready control signal from the selected conference location is received by this apparatus.
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Abstract
In a Multilocation Conference Terminal (MLCT), disruptions in the video being viewed which are caused by switching from one conference location to another are minimized by delaying switching of the video signal until a so-called get ready control signal is received from the conference location to be viewed. The conference location transmits the get ready control signal a predetermined interval prior to transmitting a so-called fast video picture update in response to a request from a Multilocation Conference Terminal (MLCT). Additional possible disruptions in the video are eliminated by minimizing the number of fast video picture updates that are used to serve a multiplicity of requests from other conference locations. When multiple MLCTs are employed in a conference, the MLCTs communicate to each other the video select modes of all the conference locations in the conference, i.e., a manual select mode or an automatic select mode. Then, the video select mode information is used to minimize the number of fast video picture updates needed to serve conference locations in the automatic select mode.
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Citations
11 Claims
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1. In apparatus for transmitting video signals to a plurality of remote locations, wherein said remote locations include at least one conference location and each of said conference locations includes means responsive to a fast picture update command signal for generating fast video picture update information, responsive to said fast picture update command signal for generating a get ready control signal prior to transmitting the fast video picture update information,
means for generating a fast video picture update command signal, means for transmitting said fast video picture update command signal to a selected conference location, and means responsive to said get ready control signal from the selected conference location for controllably switching the transmission of a video signal from said selected conference location to prescribed ones of said remote locations, wherein a switch of the video signal being transmitted is delayed until said get ready control signal from the selected conference location is received by this apparatus.
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8. In apparatus for transmitting video signals to a plurality of remote locations, wherein the remote locations include at least one conference location and can include other apparatus for transmitting video signals to a plurality of remote locations having at least one conference location to be included in the conference, each of said conference locations including means for generating fast video picture update signals, and means for generating a manual override signal to control the selection of a video signal to be transmitted to that conference location from one of the other conference locations and for generating a manual override release signal to enable the apparatus to select the video signal to be transmitted to the conference location, said manual override signal and said manual override release signal indicating either a manual or an automatic video select mode for the conference location,
means for transmitting a video select mode for each of the conference locations assigned to this apparatus to the other apparatus in the conference, means for receiving the video select modes of conference locations assigned to the other apparatus in the conference, means for storing the video select modes of all the conference locations in a conference, means responsive to said manual override signal and to said manual override release signal for controllably selecting the video signal to be transmitted to said remote locations and for indicating the video transmission state for each conference location, said controllably selecting means including means for automatically selecting the video signal to be transmitted to individual ones of the remote locations, means responsive to said manual override signal to inhibit the automatic selection of the video signal to be transmitted to a corresponding conference location and for controlling the selection of a video signal to be transmitted to said corresponding conference location and means responsive to said manual override release signal for enabling operation of said means for automatically selecting, means for storing said video transmission state for each conference location, and means for utilizing said stored video transmission states and said stored video select modes to determine the fast video picture update signals required from conference locations assigned to this apparatus.
Specification