Teleconference system

• US 5,852,466 A
• Filed: 02/12/1996
• Issued: 12/22/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/1992
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Kawai, Hisashi, Komine, Takayuki
• Primary Examiner(s): WOO, STELLA L
• Application Number:
  US08/599,666
• Time in Patent Office: 1,044 Days
• Field of Search: 348/15, 348/14, 348/16, 348/17, 379/202, 379/203, 379/204, 379/205, 379/206, 379/93, 379/94, 379/96, 379/97, 379/98, 379/100, 379/132, 379/93.21, 379/93.17, 379/93.23, 379/93.14, 370/260, 370/261, 370/262
• US Class Current: 348/14.1
• 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 7/148 Interfacing a video terminal to a particular transmission medium, e.g. ISDN
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/15 Conference systems

Abstract

A teleconference system by which a reservation for use can be readily and certainly established. The teleconference system includes an input unit for inputting image data and audio data; an output unit for outputting image data and audio data; a communication unit for multiplexing the image data and the audio data; a reservation management unit for controlling a reservation time at which the teleconference system is used and for allowing a reservation partner to use the teleconference system when the reservation time has come; and an interface unit for connecting with an external device. The reservation management unit performs a reservation control of a teleconference system based on reservation information sent from the external device via the interface unit.

Claims

1. A teleconference system comprising:

input means for inputting image data and audio data;

output means for outputting image data and audio data;

communication means coupled between said input means and said output means, for communicating the input image data and audio data and the output image data and audio data;

reservation management means coupled to said communication means, for controlling a reservation time at which said teleconference system is used and for allowing a reservation partner to use said teleconference system when the reservation time has arrived, said reservation management means including an inhibit means for inhibiting partners other than said reservation partner from using said teleconference system when said reservation time has come;

notification means coupled to said reservation management means, for receiving from a communication partner'"'"'s teleconference system a reservation table stored in the communication partner'"'"'s teleconference system, said notification means notifying a user of said teleconference system contents of the reservation table received from said communication partner'"'"'s teleconference system;

selection means coupled to said reservation management means, for selecting the reservation time controlled by said management means;

transmission means coupled to said reservation management means, for transmitting the reservation time selected by said selection means to said communication partner'"'"'s teleconference system; and

releasing means for releasing said inhibit means from inhibiting the use of said teleconference system when the reservation partner does use said teleconference system during a predetermined period of time after the reservation time has arrived.

2. A teleconference system according to claim 1, further comprising

interface means coupled to said reservation management means, for connecting said reservation management means with an external device, and

wherein said interface means is connected to said external device via a local area network (LAN).

3. A teleconference system according to claim 1,

wherein said reservation management means outputs an audible sound and an image to inform said output means that a reservation completion time will come immediately.

4. A teleconference system comprising:

input means for inputting image data and audio data;

output means for outputting image data and audio data;

communication means coupled between said input means and said output means, for communicating the input image data and audio data and the output image data and audio data;

reservation management means coupled to said communication means, for controlling a reservation time to use said teleconference system and for allowing a reservation partner at which said teleconference system is used to use, and for inhibiting partners other than said reservation partner from using, said teleconference system when the reservation time has arrived, and

releasing means for releasing said reservation management means from inhibiting the use of said teleconference system when the reservation partner does not use said teleconference system during a predetermined period of time after the reservation time has arrived.

5. A teleconference system according to claim 4, further comprising

interface means for connecting to an external device, and

wherein said reservation management means performs a reservation management of said teleconference system based on reservation information sent from said external device via said interface means.

6. A teleconference system according to claim 5, wherein said interface means is connected to said external device via a local area network (LAN).

7. A teleconference system according to claim 5, wherein said interface means is connected to said external device via an integrated services digital network (ISDN).

8. A teleconference system according to claim 4, wherein said reservation management means outputs an audio and an image to inform said output means that a reservation completion time will come immediately.

9. A teleconference system comprising:

input means for inputting image data and audio data;

output means for outputting image data and audio data;

communication means coupled between said input means and said output means, for communicating the input image data and audio data and the output image data and audio data;

reservation management means coupled to said communication means, for controlling a reservation time at which said teleconference system is used and for allowing a reservation partner to use said teleconference system when the reservation time has arrived, said reservation management means including preparing means for preparing a communication to an opposite device when the reservation time has arrived, said reservation management means further comprising automatic call generation means for automatically generating a call to the opposite device when the reservation time has arrived,

wherein said preparing means sets a telephone number of the opposite device by correlating the telephone number with a one-touch dial key when the reservation time has arrived, and

said preparing means provides an originating call to the opposite device when the one-touch dial key is depressed by the reservation partner; and

selection means for selecting either one of the setting of the telephone number of the opposite device by said preparing means and the automatic call generation to the opposite device by said automatic call generation means.

10. A teleconference system according to claim 9, further comprising interface means for connecting to an external device;

and wherein said reservation management means performs a reservation management of said teleconference system based on reservation information sent from said external device via said interface means.

11. A teleconference system according to claim 10, wherein said interface means is connected to said external device via a local area network (LAN).

12. A teleconference system according to claim 10, wherein said interface means is connected to said external device via an integrated services digital network (ISDN).

13. A teleconference system according to claim 9, wherein said reservation management means includes an inhibit means for inhibiting partners other than said reservation partner from using said teleconference system when said reservation time has come.

14. A teleconference system according to claim 13, further comprising releasing means for releasing said inhibit means from inhibiting the use of said teleconference system when the reservation partner does not use said teleconference system during a predetermined period of time after the reservation time has arrived.

15. A teleconference system according to claim 9, wherein said reservation management means outputs an audio and an image to inform said output means that said reservation completion time will come immediately.

16. A teleconference system comprising:

input means for inputting image data and audio data;

output means for outputting image data and audio data;

communication means coupled between said input means and said output means, for communicating the input image data and audio data and the output image data and audio data; and

reservation management means for controlling a reservation time at which said teleconference system is used and for allowing a reservation partner to use said teleconference system when said reservation time has arrived; and

setting means connected to said reservation management means, for setting a time for an alarm before a reservation completion time arrives,

wherein said reservation management means informs said output means that the reservation completion time will arrive immediately, when the time set by said setting means arrives, and

the time for the alarm set by said setting means is capable of being set at an arbitrary time by an operator of said teleconference system.

17. A method of operating a teleconference system comprising the steps of:

inputting image data and audio data;

outputting image data and audio data;

communicating the input image data and audio data and the output image data and audio data;

controlling a reservation time to use said teleconference system and allowing a reservation partner at which said teleconference system is used to use, inhibiting partners other than said reservation partner from using, said teleconference system when the reservation time has arrived by a reservation management means; and

releasing said reservation management means from inhibiting the use of said teleconference system when the reservation partner does not use said teleconference system during a predetermined period of time after the reservation time has arrived.

18. A method of operating a teleconference system comprising the steps of:

inputting image data and audio data;

outputting image data and audio data;

communicating the input image data and audio data and the output image data and audio data;

controlling a reservation time at which said teleconference system is used and allowing a reservation partner to use said teleconference system when the reservation time has arrived by a reservation management means including a step of preparing a communication to an opposite device when the reservation time has arrived and a step of automatically generating a call to the opposite device when the reservation time has arrived,

wherein said preparing step includes setting a telephone number of the opposite device by correlating the telephone number with a one-touch dial key when the reservation time has arrived, and

said preparing step further includes providing an originating call to the opposite device when the one-touch dial key is depressed by the reservation partner; and

selecting either one of the setting of the telephone number of the opposite device in said preparing step and the automatic call generation to the opposite device.

19. A method of operating a teleconference system comprising the steps of:

inputting image data and audio data;

outputting image data and audio data;

communicating the input image data and audio data and the output image data and audio data; and

controlling a reservation time at which said teleconference system is used and allowing a reservation partner to use said teleconference system when said reservation time has arrived by a reservation management means; and

setting a time for an alarm before a reservation completion time arrives,

wherein said reservation management means informs that the reservation completion time will arrive immediately, when the set time arrives, and

the time for the alarm is capable of being set at an arbitrary time by an operator of said teleconference system.