Video conferencing apparatus and method
First Claim
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1. A single body video conferencing system, comprising:
- a host device capable of processing and outputting a live stream of audio data, said host device including a user-operable switch;
software of the host device arranged to send requests for the live stream of audio data to the microphone; and
a microphone unit integrally coupled to the host device configured to capture the live stream of audio data when enabled comprising;
a microphone and an indicator unit hard-wired to the microphone arranged to provide an affirmative indication that the microphone is truly on such that an end user cannot be misled into thinking that the microphone is off when in reality it is still on, wherein the microphone can only transmit said live stream of audio data to the host device when a user enables the user-operable switch mechanism and when the microphone is receiving the requests for the live stream of audio data from the software of the host device, thereby precluding an inadvertent transmission of said live stream of audio data.
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Abstract
A video conferencing system having video and/or audio capture device for video and audio communications is disclosed. The video and audio capture device may include one or more switches for securely activating and deactivating the device. Furthermore, an indicator may be hard-wired to the video and/or audio components so to provide a true indication of when these components are on and off. The video and audio capture device may also be integrated into a single unit.
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Citations
29 Claims
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1. A single body video conferencing system, comprising:
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a host device capable of processing and outputting a live stream of audio data, said host device including a user-operable switch; software of the host device arranged to send requests for the live stream of audio data to the microphone; and a microphone unit integrally coupled to the host device configured to capture the live stream of audio data when enabled comprising;
a microphone and an indicator unit hard-wired to the microphone arranged to provide an affirmative indication that the microphone is truly on such that an end user cannot be misled into thinking that the microphone is off when in reality it is still on, wherein the microphone can only transmit said live stream of audio data to the host device when a user enables the user-operable switch mechanism and when the microphone is receiving the requests for the live stream of audio data from the software of the host device, thereby precluding an inadvertent transmission of said live stream of audio data. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A computer-operated host device that combines multiple data collecting components into a single unit, comprising:
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an image capture device configured to collect video data comprising;
a camera and a camera indicator unit hard-wired to the camera arranged to provide an affirmative indication that the camera is truly on such that an end user cannot be misled into thinking that the camera is off when in reality it is still on; andan audio capture device configured to collect a live stream of audio data comprising;
a microphone and a microphone indicator unit hard-wired to the microphone arranged to provide an affirmative indication that the microphone is truly on such that an end user cannot be misled into thinking that the microphone is off when in reality it is still on, said host device having a user-operable switch configured to capture the live stream of audio data when enabled, wherein the audio and image capture devices can only transmit data to said host device when a user enables the user-operable switch and the audio capture device is receiving requests for the live stream of audio data from software of the host device, thereby precluding an inadvertent transmission of said live stream of audio data. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. An audio conferencing host device configured as a single unit comprising:
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a user-operable switch; an audio capture device configured to capture a live stream of audio data, wherein the audio capture device can only transmit said live stream of audio data to said host device when the switch is enabled by a user and the audio capture device is receiving requests for said live stream of audio data from software of the host device, and wherein when the user disables the switch, the audio capture device stops data transmissions from the audio capture device to the host device; and an on-air indicator that is hard-wired to the audio capture device, the on air indicator informing the user when the audio capture device is transmitting said live stream of audio data to the host device. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21, 22)
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23. A non-transitory computer readable medium for storing executable instructions executed by a processor in computer-operated host device that combines multiple data collecting components into a single unit, comprising:
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computer code for operating an image capture device configured to collect video data comprising;
a camera and a camera indicator unit hard-wired to the camera, wherein the computer code for operating the image capture device causes the camera indicator to provide an affirmative indication that the camera is truly on such that an end user cannot be misled into thinking that the camera is off when in reality it is still on; andcomputer code for operating an audio capture device configured to collect a live stream of audio data comprising;
a microphone and a microphone indicator unit hard-wired to the microphone, wherein the computer code for operating the audio capture device causes the microphone indicator to provide an affirmative indication that the microphone is truly on such that an end user cannot be misled into thinking that the microphone is off when in reality it is still on, said host device having a user-operable switch configured to capture the live stream of audio data when enabled, wherein the audio and image capture devices can only transmit data to said host device when a user enables the user-operable switch and the audio capture device is receiving requests for the live stream of audio data from software of the host device, thereby precluding an inadvertent transmission of said live stream of audio data. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29)
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Specification