Status and control icons on a continuous presence display in a videoconferencing system

• US 7,990,410 B2
• Filed: 04/17/2006
• Issued: 08/02/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/02/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lifesize, Inc. (Enghouse Systems Limited)
• Original Assignee: Lifesize, Inc. (Enghouse Systems Limited)
• Inventors: Kenoyer, Michael L., Mock, Wayne E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kuntz; Curtis
• Assistant Examiner(s): El-Zoobi; Maria
• Application Number:
  US11/405,371
• Publication Number:
  US 20060256188A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,933 Days
• Field of Search: 348 1401- 1408, 709/204, 379/202.01
• US Class Current: 348/14.01
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/403 Arrangements for multi-party communication, e.g. for conferences data switching systems for conference H04L12/18; arrangements for connecting several subscribers to a common circuit, i.e. affording conference facilities H04M3/56; television conferencing systems H04N7/15
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/4038 with floor control
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/4046 with distributed floor control
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/142 Constructional details of the terminal equipment, e.g. arrangements of the camera and the display
• 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 7/152 Multipoint control units therefor

Abstract

Various embodiments of a videoconferencing system and methods for visually indicating status and/or control information on a continuous presence display for a videoconference are described herein. In one embodiment, status information may be received from one or more of the endpoints of the videoconference and one or more status icons may be displayed on a continuous presence display in response to the status information. In another embodiment, a control icon may be displayed on the continuous presence display in order to visually indicate an endpoint that has been selected for controlling one or more of its properties.

Claims

1. A method for displaying information for a videoconference, the method comprising:

receiving a video signal from each of a plurality of endpoints of the videoconference;

displaying the video signals from each of the plurality of endpoints concurrently on a display device;

receiving status information from two or more of the endpoints of the videoconference, wherein the two or more endpoints includes a first endpoint, wherein the status information received from the first endpoint includes a first type of status information and a second type of status information; and

concurrently displaying a plurality of status icons on the display device indicating the status information received from the two or more endpoints, wherein each of the status icons corresponds to one of the two or more endpoints, wherein each respective status icon is displayed proximally to the displayed video signal of the respective endpoint to which the respective status icon corresponds, wherein each respective status icon has a graphical appearance that graphically indicates at least a portion of the status information received from the respective endpoint to which the respective status icon corresponds;

wherein said displaying the status icons comprises displaying a first status icon and a second status icon proximally to the video signal of the first endpoint, wherein the first status icon has a first graphical appearance that graphically indicates the first type of status information received from the first endpoint, and wherein the second status icon has a second graphical appearance that graphically indicates the second type of status information received from the first endpoint.

2. The method of claim 1,

wherein the two or more endpoints includes a second endpoint;

wherein said displaying the status icons comprises displaying a third status icon proximally to the video signal of the second endpoint, wherein the third status icon graphically indicates at least a portion of the status information received from the second endpoint, and wherein the third status icon is displayed concurrently with the first status icon and the second status icon.

3. The method of claim 1,

wherein said receiving status information from the two or more endpoints comprises receiving status information from each of the plurality of endpoints;

wherein said displaying the status icons comprises;

for each respective endpoint of the plurality of endpoints, displaying a respective one or more status icons proximally to the displayed video signal of the respective endpoint, wherein the respective one or more status icons graphically indicate the status information received from the respective endpoint.

4. The method of claim 1,

wherein the first type of status information received from the first endpoint indicates that audio is muted at the first endpoint;

wherein said displaying the first status icon comprises displaying a first mute status icon proximally to the displayed video signal of the first endpoint, wherein the first mute status icon graphically indicates that audio is muted at the first endpoint.

5. The method of claim 4,

wherein said receiving status information from the two or more endpoints comprises receiving status information from a second endpoint, wherein the status information from the second indicates that audio is muted at the second endpoint;

wherein said displaying the status icons further comprises displaying a second mute status icon proximally to the displayed video signal of the second endpoint, wherein the second mute status icon graphically indicates that audio is muted at the second endpoint.

6. The method of claim 1,

wherein the first type of status information received from the first endpoint indicates one of the following:

a volume level for the first endpoint;

a video source for the first endpoint;

or

camera information for the first endpoint.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

creating a composite image including the video signals from each of the plurality of endpoints and the status icons, wherein said displaying the video signals and displaying the status icons comprises displaying the composite image.

8. The method of claim 1,

wherein said receiving the video signals comprises receiving the video signals at a particular endpoint of the videoconference, wherein said receiving the video signals comprises receiving a local video signal from the particular endpoint and receiving a remote video signal from a different endpoint that is a remote endpoint with respect to the first endpoint;

wherein said displaying the status icons comprises;

displaying at least one status icon proximally to the local video signal of the particular endpoint, wherein the at least one status icon displayed proximally to the local video signal of the particular endpoint graphically indicates status information received from the particular endpoint; and

displaying at least one status icon proximally to the remote video signal of the different endpoint, wherein the at least one status icon displayed proximally to the remote video signal of the different endpoint graphically indicates status information received from the different endpoint.

9. A method for displaying information for a videoconference, the method comprising:

receiving a video signal from each of a plurality of endpoints of the videoconference;

displaying the video signals from each of the plurality of endpoints concurrently on a display device, wherein the displayed video signals include a first displayed video signal corresponding to a first endpoint of the plurality of endpoints and a second displayed video signal corresponding to a second endpoint of the plurality of endpoints;

receiving first user input selecting the first endpoint as an endpoint to control;

displaying a control icon proximally to the first displayed video signal corresponding to the first endpoint, wherein the control icon has a pictorial appearance that pictorially indicates that the first endpoint is selected for controlling one or more properties of the first endpoint;

receiving second user input selecting the second endpoint as the endpoint to control, wherein the second user input is received after said displaying the control icon proximally to the first displayed video signal; and

re-displaying the control icon proximally to the second displayed video signal corresponding to the second endpoint in response to the second user input, wherein said re-displaying the control icon proximally to the second displayed video signal indicates that the second endpoint has been selected as the endpoint to control instead of the first endpoint.

10. The method of claim 9,

wherein said displaying the control icon proximally to the first displayed video signal corresponding to the first endpoint visually indicates that the first endpoint is selected for controlling one or more of the following properties of the first endpoint:

panning of a camera at the first endpoint;

tilting of a camera at the first endpoint;

zooming of a camera at the first endpoint;

selection of a video source at the first endpoint.

11. A videoconferencing device configured to:

receive a video signal from each of a plurality of endpoints of a videoconference;

display the video signals from each of the plurality of endpoints concurrently on a display device;

receive status information from two or more of the endpoints of the videoconference, wherein the two or more endpoints includes a first endpoint, wherein the status information received from the first endpoint includes a first type of status information and a second type of status information; and

concurrently display a plurality of status icons on the display device indicating the status information received from the two or more endpoints, wherein each of the status icons corresponds to one of the two or more endpoints, wherein each respective status icon is displayed proximally to the displayed video signal of the respective endpoint to which the respective status icon corresponds, wherein each-respective status icon has a graphical appearance that graphically indicates at least a portion of the status information received from the respective endpoint to which the respective status icon corresponds;

wherein said displaying the status icons comprises displaying a first status icon and a second status icon proximally to the video signal of the first endpoint, wherein the first status icon has a first graphical appearance that graphically indicates the first type of status information received from the first endpoint, and wherein the second status icon has a second graphical appearance that graphically indicates the second type of status information received from the first endpoint.

12. The videoconferencing device of claim 11,

wherein the two or more endpoints includes a second endpoint;

wherein said displaying the status icons comprises displaying a third status icon proximally to the video signal of the second endpoint, wherein the third status icon graphically indicates at least a portion of the status information received from the second endpoint, and wherein the third status icon is displayed concurrently with the first status icon and the second status icon.

13. The videoconferencing device of claim 11,

wherein said receiving status information from the two or more endpoints comprises receiving status information from each of the plurality of endpoints;

wherein said displaying the status icons comprises;

for each respective endpoint of the plurality of endpoints, displaying a respective one or more status icons proximally to the displayed video signal of the respective endpoint, wherein the respective one or more status icons graphically indicate the status information received from the respective endpoint.

14. The videoconferencing device of claim 11,

wherein the first type of status information received from the first endpoint indicates that audio is muted at the first endpoint;

wherein said displaying the first status icon comprises displaying a first mute status icon proximally to the displayed video signal of the first endpoint, wherein the first mute status icon graphically indicates that audio is muted at the first endpoint.

15. The videoconferencing device of claim 11,

wherein the videoconferencing device is configured to create a composite image including the video signals from each of the plurality of endpoints and the status icons, wherein said displaying the video signals and displaying the status icons comprises displaying the composite image.

16. A videoconferencing device configured to:

receive a video signal from each of a plurality of endpoints of the videoconference;

display the video signals from each of the plurality of endpoints concurrently on a display device, wherein the displayed video signals include a first displayed video signal corresponding to a first endpoint of the plurality of endpoints and a second displayed video signal corresponding to a second endpoint of the plurality of endpoints;

receive first user input selecting the first endpoint as an endpoint to control;

display a control icon proximally to the first displayed video signal corresponding to the first endpoint, wherein the control icon has a pictorial appearance that pictorially indicates that the first endpoint is selected for controlling one or more properties of the first endpoint;

receive second user input selecting the second endpoint as the endpoint to control, wherein the second user input is received after said displaying the control icon proximally to the first displayed video signal; and

re-display the control icon proximally to the second displayed video signal corresponding to the second endpoint in response to the second user input, wherein said re-displaying the control icon proximally to the second displayed video signal indicates that the second endpoint has been selected as the endpoint to control instead of the first endpoint.