Video conference reservation system and storage media for storing therein video conference reservation program

• US 6,195,117 B1
• Filed: 12/21/1998
• Issued: 02/27/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 12/25/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Original Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Inventors: Miyazaki, Makoto
• Primary Examiner(s): Kuntz, Curtis A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ramakrishnaiah, Melur
• Application Number:
  US09/217,417
• Time in Patent Office: 799 Days
• Field of Search: 348/14, 348/15, 348/16, 379/202, 379/93.24, 379/93.21, 370/260, 709/204, 709/205
• US Class Current: 348/14.09
• 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 7/15 Conference systems

Abstract

A video conference reservation system enables reservation of a video conference to be implemented without using a special purpose terminal for video conference reservation, and enables a distributed conference notification to be referred to without using the special purpose terminal while distributing the conference notification automatically. There is reserved a video conference to a conference control device from the first to the n-th conference member terminals through the first circuit network. The conference control device prepares a conference notification using a conference establishment information, subsequently establishing distribution destination of the prepared conference notification, thus distributing the conference notification to the established distribution destination through an electronic mail.

Claims

1. A method of video conference reservation comprising the steps of:

triggering a conference program of a video conference, a conference member terminal is automatically connected to a conference control device through a first circuit network;

establishing a day which is to hold a video conference to the conference control device from key board;

selecting a place where is to participate to the video conference by means of a mouse for example, to establish to the conference control device;

establishing the conference participation point, connecting configuration concerning the conference to be held such as circuit speed establishment, multi place conference, broadcasting type conference or the like to the conference control device;

judging whether or not a second circuit network is a leased line, such the second circuit network connecting the conference control device to the first to the n-th video conference terminals;

establishing either a call originating being implemented from the conference control device to the first to the n-th video conference terminals, or a call originating being implemented from the first to the n-th video conference terminals to the conference control device;

establishing start time and end time of the video conference to be reserved to the conference control device;

establishing title of conference of the video conference to be held, communication destination of the subscriber and so forth;

displaying a confirmation screen for implementing whether or not there is formed established content of reservation of the video conference by way of notification of the conference to be held to the conference member terminal;

forming the notification of the conference;

displaying a selection screen for selecting whether there is distributed by the electronic mail or there is distributed the notification of the conference with it printed to the conference member terminal;

selecting the electronic mail address of transmission destination from the electronic mail address stored in the electronic mail address storing section within the conference control device;

displaying selection screen for selecting whether or not there is terminated a video conference reservation program; and

terminating the reservation program of the video conference while disconnecting connection to the conference control device.