Automatic determination of a configuration for a conference

• US 8,305,421 B2
• Filed: 06/29/2009
• Issued: 11/06/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lifesize, Inc. (Enghouse Systems Limited)
• Original Assignee: Lifesize, Inc. (Enghouse Systems Limited)
• Inventors: Khot, Gautam, Ranganath, Prithvi, Belur, Raghuram, Lakshmipathy, Sandeep
• Primary Examiner(s): Kuntz, Curtis
• Assistant Examiner(s): El-Zoobi, Maria
• Application Number:
  US12/493,862
• Publication Number:
  US 20100328421A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,226 Days
• Field of Search: 348 1401- 1409
• US Class Current: 348/14.01
• 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 7/15 Conference systems

Abstract

Determining a configuration for a conference. Input may be received specifying a plurality of devices for use in the conference. A configuration may be automatically determined for the plurality of devices for the conference. The configuration may be automatically determined based on the specified plurality of devices and may specify usage of the plurality of devices during the conference. The configuration may specify a first device of the plurality of devices as a control unit. Automatic determination may include obtaining information regarding capabilities of each of the plurality of devices, and creating the configuration based on the capabilities of each of the plurality of devices. Finally, the configuration may be displayed on a display device.

Claims

1. A non-transitory computer readable memory medium comprising program instructions for determining a configuration for a videoconference, wherein the program instructions are executable to:

receive user input specifying at least three videoconferencing units for use in the videoconference, wherein each videoconferencing unit corresponds to a respective, different videoconferencing location;

automatically determine a configuration of the at least three videoconferencing units for the videoconference, wherein the configuration is automatically determined based on the specified at least three videoconferencing units, wherein the configuration specifies usage of the at least three videoconferencing units during the videoconference, wherein the configuration specifies a first videoconferencing unit of the at least three videoconferencing units as a control unit, and wherein, in automatically determining the configuration, the program instructions are executable to;

obtain information regarding capabilities of each of the at least three videoconferencing units; and

create the configuration based on the capabilities of each of the at least three videoconferencing units; and

display the configuration on a display device.

2. The non-transitory computer readable memory medium of claim 1, wherein said displaying the configuration comprises:

displaying the first videoconferencing unit as a root node of the tree structure; and

displaying one or more other videoconferencing units of the at least three videoconferencing units as leaf nodes of the tree structure.

3. The non-transitory computer readable memory medium of claim 1, wherein the program instructions are further executable to:

receive user input to generate a different configuration; and

automatically determine a different configuration of the at least three videoconferencing units for the videoconference.

4. The non-transitory computer readable memory medium of claim 1, wherein the program instructions are further executable to:

receive user input specifying a second videoconferencing unit of the at least three videoconferencing units as the control unit.

5. The non-transitory computer readable memory medium of claim 1, wherein the program instructions are further executable to:

provide status information during the videoconference regarding each of the at least three videoconferencing units.

6. The non-transitory computer readable memory medium of claim 1, wherein said displaying the configuration comprises indicating cost information for the configuration.

7. The non-transitory computer readable memory medium of claim 1, wherein said displaying the configuration comprises indicating physical proximity information for at least a subset of the at least three videoconferencing units.

8. The non-transitory computer readable memory medium of claim 1, wherein said displaying the configuration comprises indicating schedule conflicts of participants of the videoconference.

9. A method for determining a configuration for a conference for a plurality of participants, wherein at least a subset of the participants are geographically remote from each other, comprising:

a computer system receiving input specifying at least three videoconferencing units for use in the conference, wherein each videoconferencing unit corresponds to a respective, different videoconferencing location;

the computer system automatically determining a configuration of the at least three videoconferencing units for the conference, wherein the configuration is automatically determined based on the specified at least three videoconferencing units, wherein the configuration specifies usage of the at least three videoconferencing units during the conference, wherein the configuration specifies a first videoconferencing unit of the at least three videoconferencing units as a control unit, and wherein said automatically determining the configuration comprises;

obtaining information regarding capabilities of each of the at least three videoconferencing units; and

creating the configuration based on the capabilities of each of the at least three videoconferencing units; and

the computer system providing the configuration for display on a display device.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein said displaying the configuration comprises:

displaying the first videoconferencing unit as a root node of the tree structure; and

displaying one or more other videoconferencing units of the at least three videoconferencing units as leaf nodes of the tree structure.

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

receiving user input to generate a different configuration; and

automatically determining a different configuration of the at least three videoconferencing units for the conference.

12. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

receiving user input specifying a second videoconferencing unit of the at least three videoconferencing units as the control unit.

13. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

providing status information during the conference regarding each of the at least three videoconferencing units.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein said displaying the configuration comprises indicating cost information for the configuration.

15. The method of claim 9, wherein said displaying the configuration comprises indicating physical proximity information for at least a subset of the at least three videoconferencing units.

16. The method of claim 9, wherein said displaying the configuration comprises indicating schedule conflicts of participants of the conference.

17. A system for determining a configuration for a conference for a plurality of participants, wherein at least a subset of the participants are geographically remote from each other, :

comprising;

a processor;

a display coupled to the processor;

a memory medium coupled to the processor which stores program instructions for determining a configuration for a videoconference, wherein the program instructions are executable by the processor to;

receive user input specifying at least three plurality of devices videoconferencing units for use in the videoconference, wherein each videoconferencing unit corresponds to a respective, different videoconferencing location;

automatically determine a configuration of the plurality of devices at least three videoconferencing units for the videoconference, wherein the configuration is automatically determined based on the specified plurality of devices at least three videoconferencing units, wherein the configuration specifies usage of the plurality of devices at least three videoconferencing units during the videoconference, wherein the configuration specifies a first device videoconferencing unit of the plurality of devices at least three videoconferencing units as a control unit, and wherein, in automatically determining the configuration, the program instructions are executable to;

obtain information regarding capabilities of each of the plurality of devices at least three videoconferencing units; and

create the configuration based on the capabilities of each of the plurality of devices at least three videoconferencing units; and

display the configuration on the display.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the program instructions are further executable to:

receive user input to generate a different configuration; and

automatically determine a different configuration of the at least three videoconferencing units for the videoconference.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein the program instructions are further executable to:

receive user input specifying a second videoconferencing unit of the at least three videoconferencing units as the control unit.

20. The system of claim 17, wherein the program instructions are further executable to:

provide status information during the videoconference regarding each of the at least three videoconferencing units.