Computer conference system with video phone connecting function

• US 6,094,213 A
• Filed: 04/13/1998
• Issued: 07/25/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 04/12/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Mun, Byung-Do, Park, Kyun-Hoe
• Primary Examiner(s): Kuntz, Curtis A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ramakrishnaiah, Melur
• Application Number:
  US09/058,558
• Time in Patent Office: 834 Days
• Field of Search: 379/90.01, 379/93.17, 379/93.21, 379/102.06, 379/167, 379/53, 379/54, 348/14, 348/15, 348/143, 348/156
• US Class Current: 348/14.05
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/14 Systems for two-way working H04N7/12, H04N7/173 take precedence

Abstract

A video conference system used in home automation for performing audio and video conferencing between a personal computer and a video phone as well as remote conference system. The personal computer stores audio/video information of the visitor supplied from the video phone and automatically connects with the remote conference system in response to a bell signal input of the visitor. A subsystem is installed in the video phone for supplying audio/video data of the visitor to a main control system for receiving audio/video information transmitted from the remote conference system over a communication network.

Claims

1. A computer conference system for establishing two way audio and video conferencing between a computer, connected to a video phone, and a remote conference system over a communication network, the computer conference system comprising:

a main control system for storing audio/video information of a visitor supplied from the video phone and for automatically connecting the computer to the remote conference system at a remote location over a communication network in response to a bell signal input by the visitor via the video phone; and

a subsystem for supplying audio/video information of the visitor to the main control system and for receiving audio/video information transmitted from the remote conference system over said communication network to the visitor via the video phone;

wherein said main control system detects a bell signal generated by the video phone when a visitor presses a bell button of the video phone, and checks whether the computer system is in use;

when the computer system is in use, said main control system causes the computer system to enter a remote conference mode;

when the computer system is not in use, said main control system wakes up the computer system, and determines whether the computer system is set to the remote conference mode;

when the computer system is set to the remote conference mode, said main control system enters a predetermined remote connection routine for automatically establishing video and audio conferencing with the remote conference system over said communication network; and

when the computer system is not set in the remote conference mode, said main control system stores the video/audio information of the visitor supplied from the video phone system in a memory.

2. The computer conference system of claim 1, said main control system comprising:

a remote connector for generating an enable signal in response to the bell signal input from the video phone;

an audio board for outputting an audio message to the subsystem in response to the enable signal;

a video board for overlaying/capturing a video image of the visitor for a visual display in response to the enable signal; and

a communication board coupled to the audio board and to the video board via a bus, and connected to the remote conference system via said communication network.

3. The computer conference system of claim 1, said subsystem comprising:

an audio board having an audio input connected to a microphone and having an audio output connected to a speaker;

a video board having a video input from a camera and a video output connected to a monitor; and

a multiplexer/demultiplexer for interfacing audio information and video information generated by the audio board and the video board, respectively.

4. A method of performing video and audio conferencing between a computer system connected to a video phone and a remote computer conference system over a communication network, said method comprising the steps of:

detecting a bell signal generated by the video phone when a visitor presses a bell button of the video phone;

checking whether the computer system is in use;

when the computer system is in use, causing the computer system to enter a remote conference mode;

when the computer system is not in use, waking up the computer system, and determining whether the computer system is set to the remote conference mode;

when the computer system is set to the remote conference mode, entering a predetermined remote connection routine for automatically establishing video and audio conferencing with the remote conference system over said communication network; and

when the computer system is not set to the remote conference mode, storing video/audio information of the visitor supplied from a memory in the video phone.

5. The method of claim 4, said remote connection routine comprising the steps of:

reading remote conference setup data set by a user and stored in said memory;

establishing a dial-up connection with the remote conference system through a modem using said remote conference setup data;

determining whether the dial-up connection is established within a preset time interval;

performing audio/video conferencing between the visitor and a called party at the remote conference system over said communication network; and

causing the computer system to return to a hibernation mode when the computer conferencing has been completed.

6. The method of claim 4, further comprising the steps of:

storing audio/video information of the visitor supplied from the video phone and automatically connecting the computer system to the remote conference system at a remote location over a communication network in response to the bell signal input of the visitor; and

supplying audio/video information of the visitor to the main control system and receiving audio/video information transmitted from the remote conference system over said communication network.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising the steps of:

generating an enable signal in response to the bell signal input from the video phone;

outputting an audio message to the subsystem in response to the enable signal; and

overlaying/capturing a video image of the visitor for a visual display in response to the enable signal.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising the steps of:

receiving an audio input from a microphone and providing an audio output to a speaker;

receiving a video input from a camera and providing a video output to a monitor; and

interfacing audio and video information.

9. A two way video conference system, comprising:

a subsystem for generating digitized audio/video signal of a visitor based on input of audio/video signal from a video phone; and

a main control system for storing audio/video information of the visitor supplied from the subsystem and for connecting a computer system to a remote conference system located at a remote site over a communication network, said main control system including a remote connector for transmitting audio/video data received from the subsystem to the remote conference system in response to a bell signal input by the visitor via the video phone;

wherein said main control system detects a bell signal generated by the video phone when a visitor presses a bell button of the video phone, and checks whether the computer system is in use;

when the computer system is in use, said main control system causes the computer system to enter a remote conference mode;

when the computer system is not in use, said main control system wakes-up the computer system, and determines whether the computer system is set to the remote conference mode;

when the computer system is set to the remote conference mode, said main control system enters a predetermined remote connection routine for automatically establishing video and audio conferencing with the remote conference system over said communication network; and

when the computer system is not set in the remote conference mode, said main control system stores the video/audio information of the visitor supplied from the video phone system in a memory.

10. The video conference system of claim 9, said main control system comprising:

said remote connector generating an enable signal in response to the bell signal input from the video phone;

an audio board for outputting an audio message to the subsystem in response to the enable signal;

a video board for overlaying/capturing a video image of the visitor for a visual display in response to the enable signal; and

a communication board coupled to the audio board and to the video board via a bus, and connected to the remote conference system via said communication network.

11. The video conference system of claim 10, said subsystem comprising:

an audio board having an audio input connected to a microphone and having an audio output connected to a speaker;

a video board having a video input from a camera and a video output connected to a monitor; and

a multiplexer/demultiplexer for interfacing audio information and video information generated by the audio board and the video board, respectively.