Method and system for handling video signals of conference
First Claim
1. A method of conducting a conference between a plurality of terminals with a conferencing control unit, the method comprising:
- designating at the control unit at least one terminal as a panel terminal and at least one terminal as an audience terminal byallocating at least one input video module of the control unit only for the at least one panel terminal and not for the at least one audience terminal;
allocating at least one output video module of the control unit for both the at least one panel terminal and the at least one audience terminal;
processing at the control unit input video signals only from the at least one panel terminal using the at least one input video module only allocated for the at least one panel terminal to form one or more output video signals;
sending the one or more output video signals from the control unit to the at least one panel terminal and to the at least one audience terminal using the at least one output video module; and
receiving at the control unit a request from the at least one audience terminal.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A system and method particularly useful in handling the video of a “large” conference is disclosed. The system and method initially defines certain conferees as panel members, which can provide input video signals to the multipoint control unit and can receive output video signals or a composite layout for the conference from the multipoint control unit. The system and method also initially defines audience members, which only passively receive the output video signals or layout from the multipoint control unit and do not have their video signals incorporated into the layout of the videoconference. In one aspect, an audience terminal can request to participate in the conference. By making an appropriate request, the audience terminal can, if system resources are adequate, participate fully as a panel member and may supply video signals to the conference for at least some portion of time. Alternatively, the audience member can supply information other than video signals to the conference, such as voting data or other data allowing the audience member to participate in the conference as more than a merely passive viewing participant.
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Citations
42 Claims
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1. A method of conducting a conference between a plurality of terminals with a conferencing control unit, the method comprising:
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designating at the control unit at least one terminal as a panel terminal and at least one terminal as an audience terminal by allocating at least one input video module of the control unit only for the at least one panel terminal and not for the at least one audience terminal; allocating at least one output video module of the control unit for both the at least one panel terminal and the at least one audience terminal; processing at the control unit input video signals only from the at least one panel terminal using the at least one input video module only allocated for the at least one panel terminal to form one or more output video signals; sending the one or more output video signals from the control unit to the at least one panel terminal and to the at least one audience terminal using the at least one output video module; and receiving at the control unit a request from the at least one audience terminal. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A method of conducting a conference between a plurality of terminals with a conferencing control unit, the method comprising:
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allocating at least one input video resource and at least one output video resource of the control unit; initially designating at the control unit at least one terminal as a panel terminal by allocating a panel module of the control unit for the at least one panel terminal, the panel module associated with both the at least one input video resource and the at least one output video resource, wherein the panel terminal transmits an input video signal for the conference to the at least one input video resource of the control unit and receives a first output video signal from the output video resource of the control unit; initially designating at the control unit at least one terminal as an audience terminal by allocating an audience module of the control unit for the at least one audience terminal, the audience module associated with the at least one output video resource and not associated with any of the at least one input video resources, wherein the audience terminal receives a second output video signal from the at least one output video resource of the control unit, wherein the first and second output video signals include the input video signals transmitted only from the at least one panel terminal to the input video resource; and receiving at the audience module of the control unit a request from the at least one audience terminal. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27)
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28. A system for conducting a conference over a network and between a plurality of terminals, the system comprising:
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a control unit in communication with the terminals via the network, each terminal being designatable by the control unit as a panel terminal or an audience terminal, wherein the control unit comprises; one or more input video modules allocated only to the panel terminals and not to the audience terminals for receiving input video signals only from the panel terminals, and one or more output video modules allocated to the panel and audience terminals for sending one or more layouts of the conference to the terminals, the control unit processing input video signals with the one or more input video modules only from the panel terminals to form one or more output video signals and sending the one or more output video signals with the one or more output video modules to the panel terminals and to the audience terminals, wherein the control unit receives and responds to electronic signals from the audience terminals. - View Dependent Claims (29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34)
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35. A control unit for conducting a conference between a plurality of terminals, the control unit comprising:
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one or more input video resources allocated for receiving input video signals; one or more output video resources allocated for sending one or more layouts of a conference; at least one panel module allocated for one or more panel terminals of the plurality of terminals, the panel module associated with both the one or more input video resources and the one or more output video resources, the panel module processing input video signals only from the panel terminals using the one or more input video resources to be displayed in the one or more layouts for the conference, the panel terminal sending the one or more layouts of the conference to the plurality of terminals using the one or more output video resources; and at least one audience module allocated for one or more audience terminals of the plurality of terminals, the audience module associated with the one or more output video resources and not associated with any of the one or more input video resources, the audience module receiving an audience signal from the audience terminals. - View Dependent Claims (36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42)
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Specification