Videoconferencing method and system for connecting a host with a plurality of participants
First Claim
1. A videoconferencing method comprising:
- transmitting a video signal of a host to a selected participant, wherein the selected participant does not receive its own video signal and does not receive video signals of non-selected participants;
transmitting a video signal of the selected participant to the host, wherein the host does not receive its own video signal and does not receive the video signals of the non-selected participants; and
transmitting combined video signals of the host and selected participant to the non-selected participants.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An improved videoconferencing system and method are provided for connecting a host to a plurality of participants. Unlike other videoconferencing methods and systems, the videoconferencing system and method of these preferred embodiments allow each of the parties of a videoconference to benefit from the interaction between the host and the selected participant without limiting the number of participants that can join the videoconference. The host and participants can interact with the videoconferencing system by issuing voice commands or DTMF signals to a voice response unit or by using a computer to access the videoconferencing system directly or indirectly though a network such as the World Wide Web.
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Citations
19 Claims
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1. A videoconferencing method comprising:
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transmitting a video signal of a host to a selected participant, wherein the selected participant does not receive its own video signal and does not receive video signals of non-selected participants;
transmitting a video signal of the selected participant to the host, wherein the host does not receive its own video signal and does not receive the video signals of the non-selected participants; and
transmitting combined video signals of the host and selected participant to the non-selected participants. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. A videoconferencing method comprising:
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transmitting a video signal of a first party to a second party, wherein the second party does not receive its own video signal and does not receive a video signal of a third party;
transmitting a video signal of the second party to the first party, wherein the first party does not receive its own video signal and does not receive the video signal of the third party; and
transmitting combined video signals of the first and second parties to the third party. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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15. A method for videoconferencing first, second, and third parties, wherein the first party receives a video signal only of the second party, the second party receives a video signal of only the first party, and the third party received combined video signals of the first and second parties.
Specification