UTP based video conferencing

• US 6,959,322 B2
• Filed: 03/04/2003
• Issued: 10/25/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 10/01/1993
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Pragmatus AV LLC (Pragmatus, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Collaboration Properties Incorporated
• Inventors: Lauwers, J. Chris, Ludwig, Lester F.
• Primary Examiner(s): Dinh, Dung C.
• Application Number:
  US10/382,553
• Publication Number:
  US 20030158901A1
• Time in Patent Office: 966 Days
• Field of Search: 709204-206, 709/207, 370260-270, 348 14- 15
• US Class Current: 709/204
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 15/16 Combinations of two or more digital computers each having at least an arithmetic unit, a program unit and a register, e.g. for a simultaneous processing of several programs coordinating program control therefor G06F9/52; in regulating and control system G05B
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1818 Conference organisation arrangements, e.g. handling schedules, setting up parameters needed by nodes to attend a conference, booking network resources, notifying involved parties
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99953 Recoverability

Abstract

A multimedia collaboration system and method utilizing an unshielded twisted pair (UTP) network among a plurality of workstations, the UTP network defining a data path along which data can be shared among workstation participants and an AV path along which AV signals, representing video images and spoken audio of the participants, can be carried among the workstations. The system is configured to manage a data conference during which the data is shared and interactively displayed on at least two participants'"'"' workstation monitors, and to control the reproduction of the video images and spoken audio of one or more participants at the workstation of another participant during a videoconference.

Claims

1. A videoconferencing system comprising:

(a) at least two workstations, each workstation having at least one processor capable of providing data conferencing signals, at least one video signal source, and at least one video display device;

(b) audio/video (A/V) switching circuitry in communication with each workstation;

(c) at least one data communication path arranged for transportation of data conferencing signals between the at least two workstations; and

(d) at least one unshielded twisted pair of wires arranged for transportation of video signals between the at least two workstations and the A/V switching circuitry, defining a UTP video communication path,

wherein the system is configured to reproduce video images at TV quality on one of the video display devices, based on the transported video signals, and display information on one of the video display devices, based on the transported data conferencing signals.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the data communication path is defined by at least one unshielded twisted pair of wires.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein images based on the video signals can be reproduced in a first window on one of the video display devices, and information based on the data conferencing signals can be displayed in a second window on the same one of the video display devices.

4. The system of claim 2, further comprising a control communication path which transports control signals to which the system responds to control the display of the video images.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein least one unshielded twisted pair of wires defining the data communication path further defines the control communication path.

6. The system of claim 4, wherein the system is configured to control the reproduction of video images and spoken audio of a first user of a workstation at a different workstation of a second user.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the information based on the data conferencing signals can be displayed interactively on at least two display devices.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the video signals are analog.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the video signals are digital.

10. A teleconferencing system, comprising:

(a) plurality of workstations each associated with at least one user, each workstation including a video display device and associated audio reproduction capabilities;

(b) audio/video (A/V) capture capabilities configured to captured video images and spoken audio of a workstation user;

(c) A/V switching circuitry in communication with each workstation; and

(d) at least one unshielded twisted pair of wires defining a UTP data path for transporting data conferencing signals to enable data to be shared among the workstations and a UTP A/V path along which A/V signals representing user video images and audio can be transported between a workstation and the A/V switching circuitry,

wherein the system is configured to interactively display images on at least two of the video display devices based on the shared data, and reproduce video images at TV quality and spoken audio on at leas one of the video display devices based on the A/V signals.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein images based on the A/V signals can be reproduced in a first window on one of the video display devices, and information based on the data conferencing signals can be displayed in a second window on the same one of the video display devices.

12. The system of claim 10, further comprising a control communication path which transports control signals to which the system responds to control the display of the video images.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the at least one unshielded twisted pair of wires further defines the control communication path.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein the UTP data path and the UTP A/V path are separate.

15. The system of claim 10, wherein the A/V signals are analog.

16. The system of claim 10, wherein the A/V signals are digital.

17. A method of conducting a videoconference over at least one unshielded twisted pair of wires defining a UTP video communication path using a system including at least two workstations and A/V switching circuitry, each workstation having at least one processor, at least one video signal source, at least one video display device, and at least one data communication path the method comprising the steps of:

(a) transporting video signals over the UTP video communication path to between one of the at least two workstations and the A/V switching circuitry;

(b) reproducing video images at TV quality on the display device of a workstation based on the transported video signals;

(c) transporting data conferencing signals over the at least one data communication path from one of the at least two workstations to another of the at least two workstations; and

(d) displaying information at one of the at least two workstations based on the transported data conferencing signals on the display device of a workstation.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising the step of reproducing the images based on the video signals in a first window on of the one of the display devices and the information based on the data conferencing signals in a second window on the same display device.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising the steps of:

(e) transporting control signals over al least one control communication path; and

(f) controlling the display of the video images in response to the transported control signals.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising an unshielded twisted pair of wires defining the data communication path.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the at least one unshielded twisted pair of wires defining the data communication path further defines the control communication path.

22. The method of claim 17, wherein the method further includes the step of controlling the reproduction of video images and spoken audio of a first user of a workstation at a different workstation of a second user.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the information based on the data conferencing signals can be displayed interactively on at least two display devices.

24. The method of claim 17, wherein the video signals are analog.

25. The method of claim 17, wherein the video signals are digital.

26. A method for conducting a teleconference among a plurality of users over at least one unshielded twisted pair of wires defining both a UTP data path and a UTP audio/video (A/V) path, and using a system including A/V switching circuitry and a plurality of workstations, each workstation being associated with at least one user and having a video display device, the method comprising:

(a) capturing TV-quality video images and spoken audio of a workstation user;

(b) representing the captured user video images and audio as A/V signals;

(c) transporting the A/V signals over the UTP A/V path between one of the plurality of workstations and the A/V switching circuitry;

(d) reproducing TV-quality video images and spoken audio on at least one of the video display devices based on the A/V signals;

(e) transporting data over the UTP data path among the workstations; and

(f) interactively displaying images on at least two of the video display devices based on the shared data.

27. The method of claim 26, further comprising the steps of:

(g) displaying images based on the video signals in a first window on one of the display devices; and

(h) displaying information based on the data conferencing signals in a second window on the same one of the display devices.

28. The method of claim 26, further comprising the step of using control signals transmitted on the UTP data path to control the reproduction of the video images and spoken audio.

29. The method of claim 26, wherein the A/V signals are analog.

30. The method of claim 26, wherein the A/V signals are digital.

31. A videoconferencing system for operation with at least two workstations, A/V switching circuitry, at least one data communication path arranged for transporting data conferencing signals between the workstations, and at least one unshielded twisted pair of wires defining a video communication path for transporting video signals between one of the al least two workstations and the A/V switching circuitry, each workstation having at least one video source, at least one display device, and at least one processor, wherein the system is configured to reproduce video images at TV quality on a display device based on the transported video signals and to display information on a display device based on the transported data conferencing signals.

32. The system of claim 31, further comprising at least one unshielded twisted pair of wires defining the data communication path.

33. The system of claim 31, wherein images based on the video signals can be reproduced in a first window on a display device and information based on the data conferencing signals can be displayed in a second window on the same display device.

34. The system of claim 32, wherein further including a control communication path for transporting control signals to control the display of the video images.

35. The system of claim 34, wherein the least one unshielded twisted pair of wires defining, the data communication path further defines the control communication path.

36. The system of claim 31, wherein the system is further configured to control the reproduction of video images and spoken audio of a first user of a workstation at a different workstation of a second user.

37. The system of claim 31, wherein the information based on the data Conferencing signals can be displayed interactively on at least two display devices.

38. The system of claim 31, wherein the video signals are analog.

39. The system of claim 31, wherein the video signals are digital.