System for implementing multiple simultaneous meetings in a virtual reality mixed media meeting room
First Claim
1. A telecommunication system mixed media virtual reality conference interface for managing the participation of conferees, each equipped with a terminal device, in a mixed media conference, comprising:
- means for storing a substantially visually accurate perspective view image of a conference room;
means for storing a plurality of visual images, each of which corresponds to a visually accurate representation of a physical appearance of a present state of a one of a plurality of pieces of communication equipment used in said conference room; and
means for rendering a display that integrates said substantially visually accurate perspective view image of said conference room with those of said plurality of visual images that represent a presence, location in said conference room, and a present state of a plurality of communication equipment used in said conference room.
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Accused Products
Abstract
The virtual reality mixed media meeting room functions to provide the user with a visually familiar conference format and conference controls that are intuitive to operate. In particular, the system presents the conference participants with a visual representation of the various communication equipment that is typically present in a conference room and that is available in the virtual reality mixed media conference. The operation of this communication equipment is analogous to that of the physical communication equipment, so the conference participant needs no training to actively and efficiently participate in the virtual reality mixed media conference. The various aspects of the virtual reality conference are presented in a rendering that emulates the physical appearance and presence of the physical participants and communication devices that would be present in a traditional conference room. The user interacts with the virtual reality mixed media meeting room via the graphical user interface in a point and click manner, thereby eliminating the need for the conference participant to be aware of specific controls or keyboard entries required in previous systems to control their participation in the conference. Furthermore, switching among the plurality of concurrently active virtual reality mixed media conferences to participate in one of these conferences is accomplished by a visually familiar mechanism, such as panning or traveling through a hallway that interconnects the various virtual reality mixed media "conference rooms." In addition to being able to move among a plurality of conferences, the conference participants in any selected conference can share applications and jointly participate in the modification of presentations and displays.
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Citations
26 Claims
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1. A telecommunication system mixed media virtual reality conference interface for managing the participation of conferees, each equipped with a terminal device, in a mixed media conference, comprising:
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means for storing a substantially visually accurate perspective view image of a conference room; means for storing a plurality of visual images, each of which corresponds to a visually accurate representation of a physical appearance of a present state of a one of a plurality of pieces of communication equipment used in said conference room; and means for rendering a display that integrates said substantially visually accurate perspective view image of said conference room with those of said plurality of visual images that represent a presence, location in said conference room, and a present state of a plurality of communication equipment used in said conference room. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. A method operational in a telecommunication system mixed media virtual reality conference interface for managing the participation of conferees, each equipped with a terminal device, in a mixed media conference, comprising the steps of:
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storing in a memory a substantially visually accurate perspective view image of a conference room; storing in a memory a plurality of visual images, each of which corresponds to a visually accurate representation of a physical appearance of a present state of a one of a plurality of pieces of communication equipment used in said conference room; and rendering a display that integrates said substantially visually accurate perspective view image of said conference room with those of said plurality of visual images that represent a presence, location in said conference room, and a present state of a plurality of communication equipment used in said conference room. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A telecommunication system mixed media virtual reality conference interface for managing the participation of a plurality of conferees, each equipped with a terminal device, in a plurality of mixed media conferences, comprising:
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means for storing a substantially visually accurate perspective view image of a conference room for each of a plurality of concurrently active conferences; means for storing a plurality of a substantially visually accurate perspective view images for each of said plurality of concurrently active conferences, each of which corresponds to a substantially visually accurate perspective view representation of a physical appearance of a present state of a one of a plurality of pieces of communication equipment used in an associated one of said plurality of concurrently active conferences; means for enabling a conferee to select on a dynamic basis at least one of said plurality of concurrently active conferences in which to be a participant; and means for rendering a display that integrates a one of said stored images of said selected conference room with those of said plurality of visual images that represent a presence, location in said conference room of said conferee as well as a presence, location in said conference room, and a present state of a plurality of communication equipment used in said selected conference. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 25, 26)
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20. A method of operating a telecommunication system mixed media virtual reality conference interface for managing the participation of a plurality of conferees, each equipped with a terminal device, in a plurality of mixed media conferences, comprising the steps of:
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storing in a memory a substantially visually accurate perspective view image of a conference room for each of a plurality of concurrently active conferences; storing in a memory a plurality of visual images for each of said plurality of concurrently active conferences, each of which corresponds to a visually accurate representation of a physical appearance of a present state of a one of a plurality of pieces of communication equipment used in an associated one of said plurality of concurrently active conferences; enabling a conferee to select on a dynamic basis at least one of said plurality of concurrently active conferences in which to be a participant; and rendering a display that integrates a one of said stored substantially visually accurate perspective view images of said selected conference room with those of said plurality of visual images that represent a presence, location in said conference room of said conferee as well as a presence, location in said conference room, and a present state of a plurality of communication equipment used in said selected conference. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24)
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Specification