System and apparatus for smart devices based conferencing

• US 9,398,250 B2
• Filed: 01/05/2015
• Issued: 07/19/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 01/06/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: S-Square Systems, LLC
• Original Assignee: Arun Sobti & Associates, LLC
• Inventors: Sobti, Arun, Panchal, Rajendra, Panchal, Darshana
• Primary Examiner(s): Gauthier, Gerald
• Application Number:
  US14/589,442
• Publication Number:
  US 20150195489A1
• Time in Patent Office: 561 Days
• Field of Search: 345/633, 348/14.08, 379/219, 379/428.04, 455/556.1, 455/557, 455/416, 455/556.2, 710/303, 713/153, 370/260, 704/246, 708/109, 709/204, 709/223, 725/50
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1632 External expansion units, e.g. docking stations
• 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 7/15 Conference systems

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a multi-site, multi-location, three dimensional video conferencing system that incorporates at least one conferencing apparatus that is operatively coupled with a server (say in the cloud), wherein the conferencing apparatus enables user'"'"'s own smartphones and/or tablets to be inserted/detected therein to enable conferencing to take place.

Claims

1. A conferencing apparatus comprising:

an inner docking base; and

an outer docking base concentrically positioned around and extended outward from the inner docking base and operatively coupled to said inner docking base, and wherein said the inner docking base and the outer docking base comprises a plurality of docking slots, wherein said plurality of docking slots are detachably coupled to one or more portable devices, and wherein the inner docking base and the outer docking base comprises one or more processors that are configured to execute programmed instructions stored in a memory to;

receive one or more portable devices at one or more of the plurality of docking slots;

authenticate the received one or more portable devices via an authentication server; and

provide a video conferencing facility to the authenticated one or more portable devices, wherein the provided video conferencing facility can be a single video conferencing facility for all of the authenticated one or more portable devices or a unique video conferencing facility for each of the authenticated one or more portable devices, based on a physical docking slot identification number of the one or more of the plurality of docking slots at which the one or more portable devices were received.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said outer docking base is operatively coupled with one or more processors configured to execute programmed instructions stored in the memory to detect said one or more portable devices and enable coupled one or more portable devices to join said conferencing.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein said one or more processors are configured to execute programmed instructions stored in the memory to measure signal strength coming from microphones or speakers of said apparatus or of said one or more portable devices, and further configured to detect the one or more microphone(s) associated with a strongest signal.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said outer docking base is rotatable.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said inner docking base is operatively coupled with one or more processors configured to execute programmed instructions to detect said one or more portable devices and enable said conferencing to take place between said coupled one or more portable devices at a remote location.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein said one or more processors are configured to execute programmed instructions to rotate said outer docking base or said inner docking base based on strongest signal strength.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said inner docking base is configured to be extended to a telescopic level from the outer docking base that is higher than said one or more portable devices docked on said outer docking base.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein one or more electrical contacts are configured between said inner docking base, and said outer docking base.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said inner docking base is oriented at an angle to said outer docking base.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said inner docking base is rotatable around said outer docking base.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said apparatus further comprises one or more microphones or one or more speakers, wherein during said conferencing, microphone or speakers said apparatus or said one or more portable devices are used.

12. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein one or more video output ports are configured in any or a combination of said inner docking base and said outer docking base, wherein one or more of a television or a projector is connected to the conferencing apparatus via said one or more video output ports.

13. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said one or more portable devices comprise one or a combination of tablet PC, mobile phone, one or more sensors, or smart phones.

14. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said apparatus is modular.

15. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said inner docking base and said outer docking base comprises one or more docking base modules configured on said base.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein said one or more docking base modules are of different sizes and shapes, and wherein each of said one or more docking base modules includes at least one docking slot to accommodate at least one smart device.

17. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein said one or more docking base modules are operatively coupled with each other to form a daisy chain.

18. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein said one or more docking base modules are LEGO type docking modules.

19. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said apparatus is authenticated by an authentication server, and wherein said apparatus further configured to execute programmed instruction to enable authentication of said one or more portable devices.

20. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the one or more processors in the inner docking base and the outer docking base are configured to execute programmed instructions stored in the memory to:

receive patient vital sign monitoring data from one or more sensors coupled to the inner docking base and the outer docking base;

secure the received patient vital sign monitoring data; and

transmit the secured patient vital sign monitoring data to a healthcare provider device via a communication network.