Videoconferencing system

• US 7,164,435 B2
• Filed: 12/31/2003
• Issued: 01/16/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 02/10/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: D-Link Systems Incorporated (D-Link Corporation)
• Original Assignee: D-Link Systems Incorporated (D-Link Corporation)
• Inventors: Wang, Ah-Jee, Joe, Steven
• Primary Examiner(s): Ramakrishnaiah; Melur
• Application Number:
  US10/750,126
• Publication Number:
  US 20040218034A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,112 Days
• Field of Search: 348 1401- 1409, 348/14.1, 348/14.11, 348/14.12, 348/14.13, 370/260, 370/261, 370/352, 709/204
• US Class Current: 348/14.08
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1822 Conducting the conference, e.g. admission, detection, selection or grouping of participants, correlating users to one or more conference sessions, prioritising transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/4557 Directories for hybrid networks, e.g. including telephone numbers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1106 Call signalling protocols; H.323 and related
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/4038 with floor control
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/765 intermediate
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/34 involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/148 Interfacing a video terminal to a particular transmission medium, e.g. ISDN
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/15 Conference systems

Abstract

A videoconferencing system uses a stand-alone video/audio transcapture module with an H.323-compliant broadband Internet connection through a server to conduct real-time videoconferencing. The system provides directory service to work behind Network Address Translation systems by means of backend servers that use Lightweight Directory Assistance Protocol servers to map numbers to IP addresses. The system further incorporates an automatic firmware update service to provide updated firmware updates each time the transcapture module is rebooted. The system also provides an automatic commercial download service to provide module specific bannerization capability, so that each transcapture module can receive directed commercials.

Claims

1. A system for conducting videoconferences over a broadband Internet connection, comprising:

a broadband Internet connection,

a stand-alone transcapture module to transmit and receive video and audio signals over the broadband Internet connection, the module further comprising a video camera capable of recording images, a microphone capable of recording sound, firmware to operate the module, an IP address associated with the module'"'"'s broadband Internet connection, a directory service protocol to assign a conventional telephone number to an IP address, a protocol to send module firmware version information and request and receive updates to firmware, data memory, and a commercial identification number embedded in the memory during manufacture,

a video image monitor having a display screen and connected to the module by a visual signal cable,

an audio speaker connected to the module by an audio signal cable,

a broadband signal transmission connection between the module and the broadband Internet connection,

a server having a broadband Internet connection, wherein the server further comprises an address table that maps conventional telephone numbers to IP addresses, a firmware version table, a protocol to receive firmware version information and requests for updates to firmware and send updates when the received request identifies firmware in need of an update, and an automatic commercial download service to map the commercial identification number against a direction table and send outgoing information to the module if the commercial identification number relates to available outgoing information on the direction table,

wherein the module establishes a connection with the server through the broadband Internet connection, and wherein the module provides the server with the IP address associated with the module'"'"'s broadband Internet connection and the conventional telephone number assigned to the IP address by the directory service protocol, and wherein the module provides the server with the module firmware version information and requests updates to firmware when the module firmware version is in need of an update, and wherein the module provides the server with the commercial identification number, and

wherein the server accepts the broadband Internet connection with the module, and wherein the server receives the IP address associated with the module'"'"'s broadband Internet connection and the conventional telephone number assigned to the IP address by the directory service protocol, and wherein the server maps the conventional telephone number to IP address associated with the module'"'"'s broadband Internet connection in the address table, and wherein the server receives the firmware version information from the module and compares the firmware version information against the firmware version table to determine if a firmware update is available, and wherein the server sends the firmware update to the module if the firmware update is available, and wherein the server receives the commercial identification number from the module and maps the commercial identification number against the direction table, and wherein the server sends the outgoing information to the module if the commercial identification number relates to available outgoing information on the direction table.