Multi-site video conference control system and method for controlling video conference terminals via communication lines
First Claim
1. A system for controlling a multi-site video conference over communication lines, comprising:
- video conference terminals respectively situated at a number of sites; and
a video conference control unit to interconnect said video conference terminals via the communication lines to open the multi-site video conference;
each of said video conference terminals including;
communication line interface means for calling said video conference control unit; and
connection data means for managing connection data for all of said video conference terminals to be connected and for transmitting, at one time, all the connection data of selected video conference terminals to said video conference control unit; and
said video conference control unit including;
control calling means for calling, at one time, all the selected video conference terminals corresponding to the connection data transmitted from said connection data means, based on the calling by said communication line interface means of one of said video conference terminals; and
connection controlling means for connecting the one of said video conference terminals whose communication line interface means called said video conference control unit and the selected video conference terminals called by said control calling means with the communication lines.
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A multi-site video conference control system comprising a number of video conference terminals respectively situated at a number of sites and a video conference control unit for controlling a video conference. A communication line interface provided at each terminal makes a single calling with respect to the video conference control unit. A connection data section, which is provided at each terminal, manages connection data for other terminals to be connected and transmits the connection data to the video conference control unit. A control calling section, which is provided at the video conference control unit, calls the terminal corresponding to the connection data to be transmitted from the connection data section, based on the single calling. A connection controller, which is provided at the video conference control unit, connects the calling terminal, whose communication line interface made the single calling, and the other terminals called by the control calling section, with communication lines.
29 Citations
33 Claims
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1. A system for controlling a multi-site video conference over communication lines, comprising:
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video conference terminals respectively situated at a number of sites; and a video conference control unit to interconnect said video conference terminals via the communication lines to open the multi-site video conference; each of said video conference terminals including; communication line interface means for calling said video conference control unit; and connection data means for managing connection data for all of said video conference terminals to be connected and for transmitting, at one time, all the connection data of selected video conference terminals to said video conference control unit; and said video conference control unit including; control calling means for calling, at one time, all the selected video conference terminals corresponding to the connection data transmitted from said connection data means, based on the calling by said communication line interface means of one of said video conference terminals; and connection controlling means for connecting the one of said video conference terminals whose communication line interface means called said video conference control unit and the selected video conference terminals called by said control calling means with the communication lines. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4)
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5. A system for controlling a multi-site video conference over communication lines, comprising:
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video conference terminals respectively situated at a number of sites; a video conference control unit to interconnect said video conference terminals via the communication lines and to open the multi-site video conference; and a control terminal to manage connection data for all of said video conference terminals to be connected and to transmit the connection data of selected video conference terminals to said video conference control unit, said control terminal including calling command means for supplying a calling command; said video conference control unit including; control port means for receiving the connection data and the calling command transmitted from said control terminal; control calling means for receiving the calling command and the connection data from said control terminal via said control port means and for calling all of the selected video conference terminals corresponding to the connection data; and connection controlling means for connecting all of the selected video conference terminals corresponding to the connection data called by said control calling means, with the communication lines. - View Dependent Claims (6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A method of controlling a multi-site video conference to be held by connecting video conference terminals, which are respectively situated at a number of sites, with a video conference control unit via communication lines, said method comprising:
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managing connection data for all of the video conference terminals to be connected; calling the video conference control unit from one of the video conference terminals and transmitting, at one time, all the connection data of selected video conference terminals to the video conference control unit; calling, by the video conference control unit, at one time, all of the selected video conference terminals corresponding to the connection data transmitted to the video conference control unit based on said calling by the one of the video conference terminals; and connecting, by the video conference control unit using the communication lines to open the multi-site video conference, the one of the video conference terminals from which said video conference control unit is called and all of the selected video conference terminals called in said calling by the video conference control unit. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14)
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15. A method of controlling a multi-site video conference to be held by connecting video conference terminals, which are respectively situated at a number of sites, with a video conference control unit via communication lines, said method comprising the steps of:
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(a) managing, in a control terminal, connection data for all of the video conference terminals to be connected and transmitting, at one time, all the connection data of selected video conference terminals to the video conference control unit; (b) supplying the connection data, which is to be transmitted, to a control port; (c) supplying a calling command from the control terminal to the video conference control unit via the control port; (d) calling, at one time, all of the selected video conference terminals corresponding to the connection data supplied from the control ports; and (e) connecting all of the selected video conference terminals corresponding to the connection data, called in said calling in step (d), with the communication lines. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. A video conference control unit, for opening a multi-site video conference, connectable via communication lines to video conference terminals respectively situated at a number of sites, the video conference terminals including a calling terminal, said video conference control unit comprising:
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control calling means for calling, at one time, selected video conference terminals corresponding to connection data transmitted from the calling terminal; and connection control means for connecting the calling terminal and the selected video conference terminals called by said control calling means, with the communication lines. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22)
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23. A video conference terminal connectable by a video conference control unit to a plurality of video conference terminals respectively situated at a number of sites, comprising:
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communication line interface means for calling the video conference control unit to open a multi-site video conference; and connection data means for managing connection data for all of the video conference terminals to be connected with the video conference control unit and for transmitting, at one time, all the connection data to the video conference control unit.
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24. A video conference control unit, for opening a multi-site video conference, connectable via communication lines to a control terminal and video conference terminals respectively situated at a number of sites, comprising:
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control port means for inputting connection data of selected video conference terminals to be connected and a calling command transmitted from the control terminal which manages the calling command and the connection data for all of the video conference terminals to be connected; control calling means for calling, at one time all of the selected video conference terminals to be connected corresponding to the connection data supplied from said control port means; and connection control means for connecting via the communication lines all of the selected video conference terminals to be connected, which are called by said control calling means based on the connection data. - View Dependent Claims (25, 26)
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27. A control terminal device causing the connection of video conference terminals, respectively situated at a number of sites, by a video conference control unit which opens a video conference, comprising:
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connection data means for managing connection data for all of the video conference terminals which are to be interconnected and for supplying the connection data of selected video conference terminals to be interconnected to the video conference control unit; call command means for supplying to the video conference control unit a call command for calling all of the selected video conference terminals corresponding to the connection data; and setting means for setting time data including at least one of a start time and an ending time of the video conference to preset the video conference and for outputting the time data to the video conference control unit.
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28. A system for controlling a multi-site video conference using communication lines, comprising:
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a plurality of video conference terminals respectively located at a plurality of sites; connection data control means for managing connection data for all of said video conference terminals to be interconnected and outputting a calling command and the connection data of selected video conference terminals to be interconnected; and a video conference control unit for interconnecting the selected video conference terminals via the communication lines to open the video conference based on the connection data and the calling command, said video conference control unit including control calling means for calling all of the selected video conference terminals corresponding to the connection data; and connection controlling means for connecting the selected video conference terminals called by said control calling means with the communication lines. - View Dependent Claims (29, 30, 31, 32, 33)
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Specification