Interactive communication device
First Claim
1. An interactive communication apparatus for real-time cooperative working on one or more documents containing text, image, graphical or other information shared between multiple locations, said interactive communication apparatus comprising transceiver means, said transceiver means including:
- (a) combining means for receiving a first audio signal and a first document-and-display determining signal and for combining them to produce a combined signal;
(b) a modem for modulating a carrier waveform with the combined signal to produce a composite output signal for transmission to a second interactive communication apparatus; and
(c) means for receiving a composite output signal from the second interactive communications apparatus and for producing therefrom a second audio signal and a second document-and-display determining signal, said interactive communication apparatus further comprising visual display means and control means coupled to receive said first and second document-and-display determining signals and to control said visual display means to produce an image determined at least in part by a selected one or both of said document-and-display determining signals.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Two devices are connected via a single analogue signal path such as a public telephone line in such a manner as to permit the users to talk to each other while interactively modifying an image which is presented to both users simultaneously. Each device multiplexes a reduced voice signal, e.g. from a vocoder 3, with a control signal indicative of changes to make to the image, and transmits the composite signal via a modem 4. The devices either respond to both image signals to modify the image (e.g. if they are word processors responding to key presses) or to the same selected one of the signals as determined by a protocol (e.g. if a spreadsheet is being altered by only one user at a time). Each device may be stand alone, such as incorporating a computer or facsimile machine, or an adaptor for existing such machines; it may be inserted between a telephone set and the line, or have separate audio transducers and connect to the line via a telephone set.
42 Citations
45 Claims
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1. An interactive communication apparatus for real-time cooperative working on one or more documents containing text, image, graphical or other information shared between multiple locations, said interactive communication apparatus comprising transceiver means, said transceiver means including:
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(a) combining means for receiving a first audio signal and a first document-and-display determining signal and for combining them to produce a combined signal; (b) a modem for modulating a carrier waveform with the combined signal to produce a composite output signal for transmission to a second interactive communication apparatus; and (c) means for receiving a composite output signal from the second interactive communications apparatus and for producing therefrom a second audio signal and a second document-and-display determining signal, said interactive communication apparatus further comprising visual display means and control means coupled to receive said first and second document-and-display determining signals and to control said visual display means to produce an image determined at least in part by a selected one or both of said document-and-display determining signals. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 37, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45)
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19. An interactive communication apparatus for real-time cooperative working on one or more documents containing text, image, graphical or other information shared between multiple locations, the apparatus adapted for use with an existing device which has visual display means, determining means for producing a first digital document-and-display determining signal, and control means coupled between said determining means and said display means and responsive to said first determining signal to control an image displayed on the display means, said interactive communication apparatus providing an interface for adapting said existing device for cooperative audio visual use with another interactive communication apparatus, and comprising transceiver means including:
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(a) combining means for receiving a first audio signal and a first document-and-display determining signal and for combining them to produce a combined signal; (b) a modem for modulating a carrier waveform with the combined signal to produce a composite output signal for transmission to a second interactive communication apparatus; and (c) means for receiving a composite output signal from the second interactive communications apparatus and for producing therefrom a second audio signal and a second document-and-display determining signal, said interactive communication apparatus further comprising visual display means and control means coupled to receive said first and second document-and-display determining signals and to control said visual display means to produce an image determined at least in part by a selected one or both of said document-and-display determining signals. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 38)
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Specification