Composite image display device and service for video conferencing
First Claim
1. A multi-image video composition device resident in a network serving a plurality of user video conferencing stations each having a video screen having screen area, said composition device receiving at least one specific video image stream in analog form, moderating said specific video image stream into a composite image stream in analog form and delivering said composite image stream into the network such that the composite image stream creates an image grid having more than four grid boxes and such that an at least one specific video image carried by the at least one specific video image stream is displayed in a specific one of the more than four grid boxes on a specific user'"'"'s conferencing station screen, said composition device comprised of:
- at least two serially ganged quad boxes, each having four input ports and an output port; and
means for selectively directing the at least one specific video image stream along a path through a specific one of said four input ports of each of the at least two serially ganged quad boxes, to create the composite image stream.
5 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A network-based device creates composite video streams containing video images of users for display on video conferencing screens. Video image streams are cascaded through a series of quad boxes to create combined video streams and ultimately the composite video stream. The composite video stream produces a display grid comprised of a plurality of image boxes. The device uses quad box input port mapping to direct a specific video image stream to a specific image box by controlling the cascade path of each video image stream through the quad boxes in creating the composite video stream. A user interface permits a user to selectively determine the layout of user images on the video conferencing screen. Screen layout extends to size of each user image being incrementally controlled and location of each user image being selectively determined depending upon the size and the number of the various user images. By controlling size and location of each user image, the screen display area available for other uses, such as the display of applications programs, is increased.
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Citations
18 Claims
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1. A multi-image video composition device resident in a network serving a plurality of user video conferencing stations each having a video screen having screen area, said composition device receiving at least one specific video image stream in analog form, moderating said specific video image stream into a composite image stream in analog form and delivering said composite image stream into the network such that the composite image stream creates an image grid having more than four grid boxes and such that an at least one specific video image carried by the at least one specific video image stream is displayed in a specific one of the more than four grid boxes on a specific user'"'"'s conferencing station screen, said composition device comprised of:
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at least two serially ganged quad boxes, each having four input ports and an output port; and means for selectively directing the at least one specific video image stream along a path through a specific one of said four input ports of each of the at least two serially ganged quad boxes, to create the composite image stream. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. In a video conferencing system including a display screen, a video image composition device comprised of:
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a plurality of quad boxes ganged serially, each quad box having four input ports; and means for directing an analog video stream carrying a video image sequentially along a selectably determined path through said plurality of quad boxes, said path being to a specific one of the said four input ports on each of the plurality of serially ganged quad boxes, whereby the analog video stream becomes part of a composite analog video stream created by the serially ganged quad boxes and the composite analog video stream causes the display screen to display a grid comprised of a plurality of image boxes and the video image appears in a specific one of the plurality of image boxes. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. An analog image composition device for composing a plurality of video images of users in a video conference such that each video image appears at a determined location on a user'"'"'s video screen, comprised of:
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a plurality of quad boxes ganged serially for creating a display grid comprised of more than four grid boxes on the video screen; and means for directing a specific user video image to a specific desired grid box. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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Specification