Collaboration appliance and methods thereof

• US 8,842,152 B2
• Filed: 05/03/2011
• Issued: 09/23/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/03/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mitel Networks Corporation
• Original Assignee: Mitel Networks Corporation
• Inventors: Couse, Peter Francis
• Primary Examiner(s): El-Zoobi, Maria
• Application Number:
  US13/068,170
• Publication Number:
  US 20120281057A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,239 Days
• Field of Search: 348 1401- 1409
• US Class Current: 348/14.01
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/567 Multimedia conference systems
• 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 7/15 Conference systems

Abstract

Generally described, the present disclosure relates to electronic devices. More specifically, the disclosure relates to a collaboration appliance and methods thereof. In one illustrative embodiment, the collaboration appliance can provide an all-in-one conference room solution having numerous functions and features. The collaboration appliance can incorporate a beam forming microphone array and speaker for high quality audio conferencing, a built-in display capability that supports two different displays, one being an external high resolution monitor or projector connected via a high-definition multimedia interface, the other being a built-in liquid crystal display that has a touch overlay for navigation and application invocation. Built-in support for multi-party high definition video conferencing can be provided.

Claims

1. A collaboration apparatus comprising:

a speaker;

a video camera;

a plurality of audio receivers;

a transfer port connected to a network;

a display having a touch screen interface;

a port connected to a projector or monitor;

a light-emitting diode ring;

at least one processor; and

a memory operatively coupled to said processor, said memory storing program instructions that when executed by said processor, causes said processor to;

provide a graphical user interface on said display for managing a conference;

administer said conference through said touch screen interface on said display using said graphical user interface;

receive pre-recorded audio and video from at least one file;

receive live audio and video through said transfer port connected to said network from at least one remote device;

provide said pre-recorded audio from said at least one file and said live audio from said at least one remote device to said speaker;

receive live audio from said plurality of audio receivers;

provide said pre-recorded audio from said at least one file and said live audio from said plurality of audio receivers through said transfer port connected to said network to said at least one remote device;

receive live video from said video camera;

provide said live video from said video camera and live video from said at least one remote device and said pre-recorded video from said at least one file over said port connected to said projector or monitor;

provide said pre-recorded video from said at least one file and said live video from said video camera through said transfer port connected to said network to said at least one remote device;

at a first time, illuminate a portion of said light-emitting diode ring in a direction where said audio from said plurality of audio receivers is received; and

at a second time, illuminate at least a portion of said light-emitting diode ring in a pattern and color to indicate a call state of said collaboration apparatus.

2. The collaboration apparatus of claim 1, wherein said memory storing program instructions, when executed by said processor, causes said processor to mix said live audio and video from said at least one remote device and provide said live audio and video from said at least one remote device through said transfer port connected to said network to other remote devices.

3. The collaboration apparatus of claim 1, comprising an external speaker associated with said projector or monitor, wherein said memory storing program instructions, when executed by said processor, causes said processor to provide said audio from said at least one file and said audio from said at least one remote device to said external speaker associated with said projector or monitor.

4. The collaboration apparatus of claim 1, comprising at least one of a universal serial bus device interface, a secure digital card interface and a Bluetooth™

wireless device interface, wherein said memory storing program instructions, when executed by said processor, causes said processor to receive said at least one file through said universal serial bus device interface, secure digital card interface or Bluetooth™

wireless device interface.

5. The collaboration apparatus of claim 1, wherein said speaker is placed in a housing portion on said collaboration apparatus.

6. The collaboration apparatus of claim 1, wherein said memory storing program instructions, when executed by said processor, causes said processor to remove background noise from said audio received from said plurality of audio receivers using a beam forming audio algorithm.

7. The collaboration apparatus of claim 1, wherein said memory storing program instructions, when executed by said processor, causes said processor to open an application locally to receive said pre-recorded audio and video from said at least one file.

8. The collaboration apparatus of claim 7, wherein said application comprises at least one of a corporate telephone directory, a personal contacts directory, an office suite, a file browser, a web browser, an instant messaging client, a document viewer and a remote desktop client.

9. The collaboration apparatus of claim 1, wherein said pre-recorded audio and video received from said at least one file are retrieved through said transfer port connected to said network.

10. The collaboration apparatus of claim 1, wherein said at least one file is a presentation.

11. A system comprising:

a communication device including a light-emitting diode ring, wherein the light-emitting diode ring;

at a first time, has a lighted portion pointing in a direction of live audio; and

at a second time, has at least a portion illuminated in a pattern and color to indicate a call state of said communication device, said communication device providing a multi-party video conference;

wherein providing said multi-party video conference comprises retrieving said live audio and video from at least one remote device, processing said live audio and video along with live audio and video received by said communication device and presenting said processed live audio and video while adjusting resolution of said processed video as new video is incorporated.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein providing said multi-party video conference comprises transferring a presentation to said at least one remote device.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein said communication device includes pre-recorded audio and video playback.

14. On a collaboration device, a method for establishing conferences comprising:

determining from input provided through a touch screen display of said collaboration device at least one remote device to communicate with;

receiving live audio and video from said at least one remote device;

at a first time, pointing a lighted portion of a light-emitting diode ring in a direction of said live audio;

at a second time, illuminating at least a portion of said light-emitting diode ring in a pattern and color to indicate a call states of said collaboration device;

incorporating said live audio from said at least one remote device with live audio received by a plurality of audio receivers on said collaboration device;

incorporating said live video from said at least one remote device into live video received by a camera of said collaboration device;

providing said live audio received by said plurality of audio receivers, incorporating said live audio from said at least one remote device, to a speaker of said collaboration device and said live video received by said camera, incorporating said live video from said at least one remote device, to said touch screen display of said collaboration device or a connected projector or monitor.

15. The method of claim 14, comprising providing said live audio received by said plurality of audio receivers, incorporating said live audio from said at least one remote device, to a speaker of said at least one remote device and said live video received by said camera, incorporating said live video from said at least one remote device, to a display of said at least one remote device.

16. The method of claim 14, comprises providing a graphical user interface on said touch screen display showing at least one phone capability, said at least one phone capability comprising at least one of making calls, receiving calls, placing calls from hold, retrieving calls from hold, transferring callers, conferencing callers together, adjusting speakerphone volume, muting said at least one audio receiver and adjusting ringer volume.

17. The method of claim 14, comprising automatically adjusting resolution of said live video received by said camera and said live video from said at least one remote device as new live video is provided from other devices to fit within a maximum resolution of said connected projector or monitor.

18. The method of claim 14, comprising performing at least one of read/write access to a network connected disk drive for uploading a file to display on said collaboration device, read access to a corporate telephone directory, read/write access to a personal contact, read/write access to a personal calendar, read/write access to an email account, setup of a remote desktop session and read/write access to a chat application.