Videcoconferencing method and system for connecting a host with a plurality of participants

• US 8,593,505 B2
• Filed: 11/21/2012
• Issued: 11/26/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Forkner, Terry Ray, Lamar, George, Melton, Richard L
• Primary Examiner(s): Ramakrishnaiah, Melur
• Application Number:
  US13/683,802
• Publication Number:
  US 20130083156A1
• Time in Patent Office: 370 Days
• Field of Search: 348 1401- 1416
• US Class Current: 348/14.08
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/15 Conference systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/152 Multipoint control units therefor

Abstract

A system that incorporates the subject disclosure may include, for example, a method for selecting, by a first party device, a second party device from a queue of devices, transmitting, by the first party device, video of a first party device to the second party device, receiving, by the first party device, video of the second party device while the first party device does not receive video from a plurality of devices other than the second party device, and transmitting, by the first party device, combined video of the first and second devices to the plurality of devices other than the second party device. Other embodiments are disclosed.

Claims

1. A tangible computer-readable storage medium, comprising computer instructions, wherein responsive to executing the computer instructions by a first party device, the first party device performs operations comprising:

adding, by the first party device, a device to a queue of devices;

selecting, by the first party device, a second party device from the queue of devices;

transmitting, by the first party device, video of the first party device to the second party device;

receiving, by the first party device, video from the second party device, wherein while receiving video from the second party device, the first party device does not receive video from any of a plurality of party devices other than the second party device; and

transmitting, by the first party device, combined video of the first party device and the second party device to the plurality of party devices other than the second party device.

2. The tangible computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the second party device does not receive video from other party devices.

3. The tangible computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the second party device does not receive the combined video.

4. The tangible computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the first party device does not receive the combined video.

5. The tangible computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the video from the second party device is received by the first party device via a network.

6. The tangible computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise:

transmitting, by the first party device, audio of the first party device to the second party device;

receiving, by the first party device, audio of the second party device, wherein the first party device does not receive audio from the plurality of party devices other than the second party device; and

transmitting, by the first party device, combined audio of the first and second party devices to the plurality of party devices other than the second party device.

7. The tangible computer-readable storage medium of claim 6, wherein the second party device does not receive the combined audio.

8. The tangible computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein the plurality of party devices comprises a third party device, and wherein the operations further comprise:

receiving, by the first party device, a request from the third party device;

transmitting, by the first party device, video of the first party device to the third party device;

receiving, by the first party device, video of the third party device, wherein while receiving video from the third party device, the first party device does not receive video from the plurality of party devices other than the third party device; and

transmitting, by the first party device, combined video of the first party device and the third party device to the plurality of party devices other than the third party device.

9. The tangible computer-readable storage medium of claim 1, wherein transmitting video of the first party device to the second party device, receiving video of the second party device at the first party device, and transmitting combined video of the first party device and the second party device are performed in response to selecting the second party device from the queue.

10. A method, comprising:

selecting, by a first party device comprising a processor, a second party device from a queue of devices;

transmitting, by the first party device, video of the first party device to the second party device;

receiving, by the first party device, video of the second party device while the first party device does not receive video from a plurality of devices other than the second party device; and

transmitting, by the first party device, combined video of the first and second party devices to the plurality of devices other than the second party device.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein selecting comprises selecting the second party device responsive to receiving a request from the second party device.

12. The method of claim 10, comprising adding the second party to the queue.

13. The method of claim 10, comprising:

receiving a request from a third party device;

transmitting video of the first party device to the third party device;

receiving video of the third party device at the first party device, wherein while receiving video of the third party device, the first party device does not receive video from the plurality of devices other than the third party device; and

transmitting combined video of the first and third devices to the plurality of devices other than the third party device.

14. A first party device, comprising:

a memory to instructions; and

a processor coupled to the memory, wherein the processor, responsive to executing the instructions, performs operations comprising;

receiving a request from a second party device;

transmitting video to the second party device without receiving video from a plurality of party devices other than the second party device; and

transmitting combined video of the first and second party devices to the plurality of party devices other than the second party device.

15. The first party device of claim 14, wherein the operations comprise selecting the second party device from a queue of devices responsive to receiving the request.

16. The first party device of claim 15, wherein the operations comprise:

adding the second party device to the queue of devices responsive to receiving the request; and

selecting the second party device from the queue of devices.

17. The first party device of claim 14, wherein the operations comprise receiving a request from a third party device.

18. The first party device of claim 17, wherein the operations further comprise transmitting video of the first party device to the third party device.

19. The first party device of claim 18, wherein the operations further comprise receiving video of the third party device at the first party device, wherein while receiving video of the third party device, the first party device does not receive video from the plurality of party devices other than the third party device.

20. The first party device of claim 19, wherein the operations further comprise transmitting combined video of the first and third party devices to the plurality of party devices other than the third party device.