Moderator methods, systems and program products for managing video conferences

• US 9,160,969 B2
• Filed: 04/08/2014
• Issued: 10/13/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/09/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Iocom UK Limited
• Original Assignee: inSORS Integrated Communications, Inc.
• Inventors: Swanson, Jon N., Arnold, Jonathan
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, TUAN DUC
• Application Number:
  US14/247,926
• Publication Number:
  US 20140340469A1
• Time in Patent Office: 553 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/14 Systems for two-way working H04N7/12, H04N7/173 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/152 Multipoint control units therefor

Abstract

A video conference system in which a plurality of users communicate video to one another over a data network in a video conference and at least one moderator that moderates the video conference. At least one conference server links users and at least one moderator over a data network so users can communicate at least one video data stream to others. A hierarchical arrangement of control parameters control communications between the users over the at least one conference server. Moderator control parameters in the hierarchical arrangement permit the at least one moderator to specify control parameters from the hierarchical arrangement for one or more of the plurality of users and/or participation rights of one or more of the plurality of users. Computer program products provide a moderator with control or participation of users in accordance with a user set of parameters.

Claims

1. A video conference system in which a plurality of users communicate video to one another over a data network in a video conference and at least one moderator that moderates the video conference, the system comprising:

at least one conference server linking the plurality of users and the at least one moderator over a data network whereby each of the plurality of users can communicate at least one video data stream to others of the users; and

a hierarchical arrangement of control parameters that control communications between the users over the at least one conference server;

wherein;

the at least one moderator is provided moderator control parameters in the hierarchical arrangement that permit the at least one moderator to specify control parameters from the hierarchical arrangement for one or more of the plurality of users and/or participation rights of one or more of the plurality of users.

2. A video conference system as defined by claim 1 wherein the at least one moderator comprises one of the plurality of users that sets up the video conference.

3. A video conference system as defined by claim 1, wherein the moderator control parameters permit the at least one moderator to control participation rights of all of the plurality of users.

4. A video conference system as defined by claim 1, wherein the moderator control parameters permit the at least one moderator to control participation rights of one or more of the plurality of users.

5. A video conference system as defined by claim 4, wherein the moderator control parameters permit the at least one moderator to control participation rights of one or more of the plurality of users by choosing speakers from among the plurality of users.

6. A video conference system as defined by claim 4, wherein the moderator control parameters permit the at least one moderator to control participation rights of one or more of the plurality of users by controlling communication rights of the plurality of users to maintain an established schedule.

7. A video conference system as defined by claim 4, wherein the moderator control parameters permit the at least one moderator to control participation rights of one or more of the plurality of users by choosing which of the video streams are communicated to each of the plurality of users.

8. A video conference system as defined by claim 4, wherein the moderator control parameters permit the at least one moderator to control participation rights of one or more of the plurality of users including an ability to terminate participation of a user.

9. A video conference system as defined by claim 8, wherein the moderator control parameters permit the at least one moderator to control participation rights of one or more of the plurality of users including an ability to ban a user from re-entering a video conference after being terminated from a video conference.

10. A video conference system as defined by claim 8, wherein the moderator control parameters permit the at least one moderator to control participation rights of one or more of the plurality of users including an ability to ban a user from attending a conference.

11. A video conference system as defined by claim 4, wherein the moderator control parameters permit the at least one moderator to control priority of video streams on the display communicated to each of the plurality of users.

12. A video conference system as defined by claim 4, wherein the moderator control parameters permit the at least one moderator to control bandwidth of video streams on the display communicated to each of the plurality of users.

13. A video conference system as defined by claim 4, wherein the moderator control parameters permit the at least one moderator to control a maximum number of video streams per user for each of the plurality of users.

14. A video conference system as defined by claim 4, wherein the moderator control parameters permit the at least one moderator to control a video coding of video streams per user for each of the plurality of users.

15. A video conference system as defined by claim 1, wherein the moderator control parameters permit the at least one moderator to view video streams of a plurality of users and choose video streams that are communicated among the plurality of users.

16. A video conference system as defined by claim 1, wherein the moderator control parameters permit the at least one moderator to set conference specific parameters for the plurality of users in a specific video conference while the at least one moderator is exempt from the conference specific parameters.

17. A video conference system as defined by claim 1, wherein the moderator control parameters permit the at least one moderator to designate an additional moderator for a specific video conference.

18. A computer program product for managing a videoconference, the program product including computer executable instructions stored on a non-volatile, not-transitory computer readable storage medium that when executed by one or more computers cause the one or more computers to perform the steps of:

receiving a moderator set of parameters that apply to a at least one moderator to permit the at least one moderator to moderate a videoconference to be conducted over one or more videoconference servers;

receiving a user set of parameters that include only a subset of the moderator set, and that subject users participating in videoconferences to be conducted over the one or more videoconference servers to be controlled by a moderator that can apply the moderator set of parameters; and

accepting instructions in accordance with the moderator set of parameters from a moderator to control participation of the users in accordance with the user set of parameters in a video conference conducted over the one or more videoconference servers.

19. A computer program product as defined by claim 18, wherein the moderator set of parameters permit the at least one moderator to control participation rights of all of the plurality of users.

20. A computer program product as defined by claim 18, wherein the moderator set of parameters permit the at least one moderator to control participation rights of one or more of the plurality of users.

21. A computer program product as defined by claim 18, wherein the moderator set of parameters permit the at least one moderator to choose speakers from among the plurality of users.

22. A computer program product as defined by claim 18, wherein the moderator set of parameters permit the at least one moderator to control communication rights of the plurality of users to maintain an established schedule.

23. A computer program product as defined by claim 18, wherein the moderator set of parameters permit the at least one moderator to choose which of the video streams are communicated to each of the plurality of users.

24. A computer program product as defined by claim 18, wherein the moderator set of parameters permit the at least one moderator to terminate participation of a user.

25. A computer program product as defined by claim 18, wherein the moderator set of parameters permit the at least one moderator to ban a user from attending a conference.

26. A computer program product as defined by claim 18, wherein the moderator set of parameters permit the at least one moderator to move one or more users between conferences.