Teleconferencing system
First Claim
1. A teleconferencing system comprisingthree or more audiographic teleconferencing terminals,means for establishing and maintaining audio and facsimile image data communications between said teleconferencing terminals wherein said audio and facsimile image data communications are commonly established and maintained between all of said terminals through a public switched telephone network to an audio conference bridge wherein any one of said terminals can alternately act as a sending terminal or a receiving terminal during a teleconferencing session wherein each of said terminals has a single telephone line connection to said audio bridge and wherein each of said terminals includes means for transmitting said facsimile image data, where any one of said terminals can act as a sending terminal to either transmit audio information simultaneously to each of the remaining of said terminals or transmit facsimile image data simultaneously to each of the remaining of said terminals such that said remaining terminals act as receiving terminals wherein each of said terminals includes means for establishing a dual tone multifrequency (DTMF) based broadcast and listen protocol when acting as a sending terminal to insure that each of said receiving terminals is connected and enabled for receiving facsimile image data and for establishing parameters for receiving facsimile image data, said sending terminal includingmeans for generating and transmitting said audio information and facsimile image data to each of said receiving terminals, each of said receiving terminals includingmeans for printing an image corresponding to said transmitted facsimile image data,telephone speaker means for generating audible signals corresponding to said transmitted audio information,means for acknowledging to said sending terminal receipt of protocol parameters and facsimile image data and wherein each of said terminals includes energy detection means for detecting DTMF signal energy within a certain time period when said DTMF signal energy would be received to confirm receipt of said protocol parameters.
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Accused Products
Abstract
The teleconferencing system includes three or more audiographic teleconferencing terminals where any one of the terminals can act as a sending terminal and/or a receiving terminal during a teleconferencing session. Each terminal includes means for establishing a broadcast and listen protocol that permits a sending terminal to transmit a facsimile image to multiple receiver terminals simultaneously.
61 Citations
11 Claims
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1. A teleconferencing system comprising
three or more audiographic teleconferencing terminals, means for establishing and maintaining audio and facsimile image data communications between said teleconferencing terminals wherein said audio and facsimile image data communications are commonly established and maintained between all of said terminals through a public switched telephone network to an audio conference bridge wherein any one of said terminals can alternately act as a sending terminal or a receiving terminal during a teleconferencing session wherein each of said terminals has a single telephone line connection to said audio bridge and wherein each of said terminals includes means for transmitting said facsimile image data, where any one of said terminals can act as a sending terminal to either transmit audio information simultaneously to each of the remaining of said terminals or transmit facsimile image data simultaneously to each of the remaining of said terminals such that said remaining terminals act as receiving terminals wherein each of said terminals includes means for establishing a dual tone multifrequency (DTMF) based broadcast and listen protocol when acting as a sending terminal to insure that each of said receiving terminals is connected and enabled for receiving facsimile image data and for establishing parameters for receiving facsimile image data, said sending terminal including means for generating and transmitting said audio information and facsimile image data to each of said receiving terminals, each of said receiving terminals including means for printing an image corresponding to said transmitted facsimile image data, telephone speaker means for generating audible signals corresponding to said transmitted audio information, means for acknowledging to said sending terminal receipt of protocol parameters and facsimile image data and wherein each of said terminals includes energy detection means for detecting DTMF signal energy within a certain time period when said DTMF signal energy would be received to confirm receipt of said protocol parameters.
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11. A teleconferencing system comprising
three or more audiographic teleconferencing terminals, means for establishing and maintaining audio and facsimile image data communications between said teleconferencing terminals wherein said audio and facsimile image data comunications are commonly established and maintained between all of said terminals thrugh a public switched telephone network to an audio conference bridge wherein any one of said terminals can alternately act as a sending terminal or a receiving terminal during a teleconferencing session wherein each of said terminals has a single telephone line connection to said audio bridge and wherein each of said terminals includes means for transmitting said facsimile image data, where any one of said terminals can act as a sending terminal to either transmit audio information simultaneously to each of the remaining of said terminals or transmit facsimile image data simultaneously to each of the remaining of said terminals such that said remaining terminals act as receiving terminals wherein each of said terminals includes means for establishing a dual tone multi-frequency based broadcast and listen protocol when acting as a sending terminal to insure that each of said receiving terminals is connected and enabled for receiving facsimile image data and for establishing parameters for receiving facsimile image data, said sending terminal including means for generating and transmitting said audio information and facsimile image data to each of said receiving terminals, each of said terminals including means for printing an image corresponding to said transmitted facsimile image data, telephone speaker means for generating audible signals corresponding to said transmitted audio information, and means for acknowledging to said sending terminal receipt of protocol parameters and facsimile image data.
Specification