Videoconferencing method and system for connecting a host with a plurality of participants

• US 6,947,068 B2
• Filed: 08/03/2004
• Issued: 09/20/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: AT&T Knowledge Ventures, L.P. (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: SBC Properties, L.P. (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Melton, Richard Lee, LaMar, George Thomas, Forkner, Terry Ray
• Primary Examiner(s): Eng, George
• Application Number:
  US10/911,206
• Publication Number:
  US 20050036030A1
• Time in Patent Office: 413 Days
• Field of Search: 348/14.01, 348/14.02, 348/14.03, 348/14.07, 348/14.08, 348/14.09, 348/14.1, 348/14.11, 348/14.12, 348262-565, 348/584, 348/588, 379/93.21, 379/202.01, 370260-266, 370/401, 370/410, 709/204, 725143-148, 725/54, 715/753
• US Class Current: 348/14.07
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/15 Conference systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/152 Multipoint control units therefor

Abstract

An improved videoconferencing system and method are provided for connecting a host to a plurality of participants. Unlike other videoconferencing methods and systems, the videoconferencing system and method of these preferred embodiments allow each of the parties of a videoconference to benefit from the interaction between the host and the selected participant without limiting the number of participants that can join the videoconference. The host and participants can interact with the videoconferencing system by issuing voice commands or DTMF signals to a voice response unit or by using a computer to access the videoconferencing system directly or indirectly though a network such as the World Wide Web.

Claims

1. A computer-usable medium having computer-readable program code embodied therein, the computer-readable program code executable by a processor and comprising:

first computer-readable program code operative to transmit a video signal of a host to a selected participant, wherein the selected participant does not receive its own video signal and does not receive video signals of non-selected participants, wherein the host is coupled with the selected participant and the non-selected participants;

second computer-readable program code operative to transmit a video signal of the selected participant to the host, wherein the host does not receive its own video signal and does not receive the video signals of the non-selected participants; and

third computer-readable program code operative to transmit combined video signals of the host and selected participant to the non-selected participants.

2. The computer-usable medium of claim 1 further comprising:

fourth computer-readable program code operative to combine the video signals of the host and selected participant.

3. The computer-usable medium of claim 1 further comprising:

fourth computer-readable program code operative to transmit an audio signal of the host to the selected participant, wherein the selected participant does not receive its own audio signal and does not receive audio signals of non-selected participants;

fifth computer-readable program code operative to transmit an audio signal of the selected participant to the host, wherein the host does not receive its own audio signal and does not receive the audio signals of the non-selected participants; and

sixth computer-readable program code operative to transmit combined audio signals of the host and selected participant to the non-selected participants.

4. The computer-usable medium of claim 1 further comprising:

fourth computer-readable program code operative to select the selected participant.

5. The computer-usable medium of claim 1, wherein the selected participant becomes a non-selected participant when the new selected participant is selected.

6. The computer-usable medium of claim 5 further comprising:

fourth computer-readable program code operative to transmit the video signal of the host to the new selected participant, wherein the new selected participant does not receive its own video signal and does not receive video signals of non-selected participants;

fifth computer-readable program code operative to transmit a video signal of the new selected participant to the host, wherein the host does not receive its own video signal and does not receive the video signals of the non-selected participants; and

sixth computer-readable program code operative to transmit combined video signals of the host and new selected participant to the non-selected participants.

7. A computer-usable medium having computer-readable program code embodied therein, the computer-readable program code executable by a processor and comprising:

first computer-readable program code operative to transmit a video signal of a first party to a second party, wherein the second party does not receive its own video signal and does not receive a video signal of a third party, wherein the first party is coupled with the second party and the third party;

second computer-readable program code operative to transmit a video signal of the second party to the first party, wherein the first party does not receive its own video signal and does not receive the video signal of the third party; and

third computer-readable program code operative to transmit combined video signals of the first and second parties to the third party.

8. The computer-usable medium of claim 7 further comprising:

fourth computer-readable program code operative to combine the video signals of the first and second parties.

9. The computer-usable medium of claim 7 further comprising:

fourth computer-readable program code operative to transmit an audio signal of the first party to the second party, wherein the second party does not receive its own audio signal and does not receive an audio signal of a third party;

fifth computer-readable program code operative to transmit an audio signal of the second party to the first party, wherein the first party does not receive its own audio signal and does not receive the audio signal the third party; and

sixth computer-readable program code operative to transmit combined audio signals of the first and second parties to the third party.

10. The computer-usable medium of claim 7 further comprising:

fourth computer-readable program code operative to select the second party.

11. The computer-usable medium of claim 7 further comprising:

fourth computer-readable program code operative to transmit the video signal of the first party to the third party, wherein the third party does not receive its own video signal and does not receive a video signal of the second party;

fifth computer-readable program code operative to transmit the video signal of the third party to the first party, wherein the first party does not receive its own video signal and does not receive the video signal of the second party; and

sixth computer-readable program code operative to transmit combined video signals of the first and third parties to the second party.

12. The computer-usable medium of claim 11, wherein the fourth, fifth, and sixth computer-readable program codes are operative to transmit in response to selecting the third party.

13. The computer-usable medium of claim 7 further comprising:

fourth computer-readable program code operative to transmit combined video signals of the first and second parties to at least one additional party.

14. The computer-usable medium of claim 7, wherein the first party comprises a host, wherein the second party comprises a selected participant, and wherein the third party comprises a non-selected participant.