Conferencing over multiple transports

• US 5,524,110 A
• Filed: 11/16/1994
• Issued: 06/04/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 11/24/1993
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Schlesinger, Robert, Danneels, Gunner, Gates, Gregory
• Primary Examiner(s): Olms, Douglas W.
• Assistant Examiner(s): BLUM, RUSSELL
• Application Number:
  US08/341,402
• Time in Patent Office: 566 Days
• Field of Search: 370/62, 370/79, 370/85.13, 370/85.14, 379/158, 379/202, 379/203, 379/204, 379/205, 379/206, 395/200
• US Class Current: 709/204
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 1/00 General purpose image data processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2200/16 involving adaptation to the client's capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1813 for computer conferences, e.g. chat rooms instant messaging H04L51/04; protocols for multimedia communication H04L65/1101; arrangements for multi-party communication H04L65/403; telephonic conference arrangements H04M3/56; television conference systems H04N7/15
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1822 Conducting the conference, e.g. admission, detection, selection or grouping of participants, correlating users to one or more conference sessions, prioritising transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/567 Multimedia conference systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/006 Networks other than PSTN/ISDN providing telephone service, e.g. Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) , including next generation networks with a packet-switched transport layer H04L65/00 takes precedence; aspects not specific to the type of network H04M3/00; special services in those networks H04M3/42
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 9/08 Two-way loud-speaking telephone systems with means for conditioning the signal, e.g. for suppressing echoes for one or both directions of traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4143 embedded in a Personal Computer [PC]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/643 Communication protocols network streaming protocols, e.g. real-time transport protocol [RTP] or real-time control protocol [RTCP], H04L65/65
• 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 7/148 Interfacing a video terminal to a particular transmission medium, e.g. ISDN
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/15 Conference systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13003 Constructional details of switching devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13103 Memory
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13106 Microprocessor, CPU
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13204 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13209 ISDN
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/1324 Conference call
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13299 Bus
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13337 Picturephone, videotelephony
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13389 : LAN, internet

Abstract

A computer-based conferencing system capable of selectively conferencing with a remote node over two or more different transports. A host processor controls the generation of local conferencing signals for transmission to the remote node over either a first transport or a second transport. The host processor also controls the processing of remote conferencing signals received from the remote node over either the first transport or the second transport. In a preferred embodiment, the first transport is an ISDN network and the second transport is a LAN network. In one embodiment, the computer system has a combined audio/ISDN board, a video board, and a LAN card. In an alternative embodiment, the computer system has a combined audio/video board, an ISDN board, and a LAN card.

Claims

1. A computer system for conferencing, comprising:

(a) a digital bus;

(b) a host processor, electrically connected to the digital bus;

(c) first means, electrically connected to the digital bus, for transmitting and receiving signals over a first transport; and

(d) second means, electrically connected to the digital bus, for transmitting and receiving signals over a second transport, wherein;

the host processor is adapted to;

control generation of local conferencing signals of a first type for transmission by the first means to a remote conferencing node over the first transport;

control playback of remote conferencing signals of the first type received by the first means from the remote conferencing node over the first transport;

control generation of local conferencing signals of a second type for transmission by the second means to the remote conferencing node over the second transport; and

control playback of remote conferencing signals of the second type received by the second means from the remote conferencing node over the second transport wherein;

the first means is a combined audio/ISDN board, electrically connected to an ISDN network; and

the second means is a LAN card, electrically connected to a local area network.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the host processor is adapted to:

selectively control the generation of the first-type local conferencing signals and the playback of the first-type remote conferencing signals; and

selectively control the generation of the second-type local conferencing signals and the playback of the second-type remote conferencing signals.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein:

for ISDN-based conferencing, the combined audio/ISDN board is adapted to;

generate and format local audio signals for ISDN transmission;

transmit the ISDN-formatted local audio signals to the remote conferencing node over the ISDN network;

receive ISDN-formatted remote audio signals from the remote conferencing node over the ISDN network; and

deformat and play back the ISDN-formatted remote audio signals;

for LAN-based conferencing, the combined audio/ISDN board is adapted to generate and transmit local audio signals to the host processor;

for LAN-based conferencing, the host processor is adapted to;

format the local audio signals for LAN transmission; and

transmit the LAN-formatted local audio signals to the LAN card;

for LAN-based conferencing, the LAN card is adapted to;

transmit the LAN-formatted local audio signals to the remote conferencing node over the local area network;

receive LAN-formatted remote audio signals from the remote conferencing node over the local area network; and

transmit the LAN-formatted remote audio signals to the host processor;

for LAN-based conferencing, the host processor is further adapted to;

deformat the LAN-formatted remote audio signals; and

transmit the deformatted remote audio signals to the combined audio/ISDN board; and

for LAN-based conferencing, the combined audio/ISDN board is further adapted to play back the deformatted remote audio signals.

4. The system of claim 1, further comprising a video board, electrically connected to the digital bus, for generating and transmitting local video signals to the host processor, wherein the host processor is adapted to:

format the local video signals for ISDN transmission during ISDN-based conferencing; and

format the local video signals for LAN transmission during LAN-based conferencing.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the host processor is further adapted to:

receive ISDN-formatted remote video signals from the combined audio/ISDN board, and deformat and play back the ISDN-formatted remote video signals during ISDN-based conferencing; and

receive LAN-formatted remote video signals from the LAN card, and deformat and play back the LAN-formatted remote video signals during LAN-based conferencing.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the first-type and second-type local and remote conferencing signals comprise audio signals and video signals.

7. A computer system for conferencing, comprising:

(a) a digital bus;

(b) a host processor, electrically connected to the digital bus;

(c) first means, electrically connected to the digital bus, for transmitting and receiving signals over a first transport; and

(d) second means, electrically connected to the digital bus, for transmitting and receiving signals over a second transport, wherein;

the host processor is adapted to;

control generation of local conferencing signals of a first type for transmission by the first means to a remote conferencing node over the first transport;

control playback of remote conferencing signals of the first type received by the first means from the remote conferencing node over the first transport;

control generation of local conferencing signals of a second type for transmission by the second means to the remote conferencing node over the second transport; and

control playback of remote conferencing signals of the second type received by the second means from the remote conferencing node over the second transport, wherein;

the first means is an ISDN board, electrically connected to an ISDN network; and

the second means is a LAN card, electrically connected to a local area network; and

further comprising a combined audio/video board, wherein;

the combined audio/video board is adapted to generate and transmit local audio and video signals to the host processor;

for ISDN-based conferencing, the host processor is adapted to transmit the local audio and video signals to the ISDN board;

for ISDN-based conferencing, the ISDN board is adapted to;

format the local audio and video signals for ISDN transmission;

transmit the ISDN-formatted local audio and video signals to the remote conferencing node over the ISDN network;

receive ISDN-formatted remote audio and video signals from the remote conferencing node over the ISDN network;

deformat the ISDN-formatted remote audio and video signals;

transmit the deformatted remote audio and video signals to the host processor;

for ISDN-based conferencing, the host processor is further adapted to;

play back the deformatted remote video signals; and

transmit the deformatted remote audio signals to the combined audio/video board;

for ISDN-based conferencing, the combined audio/video board is further adapted to play back the deformatted remote audio signals;

for LAN-based conferencing, the host processor is adapted to;

format the local audio and video signals for LAN transmission; and

transmit the LAN-formatted local audio and video signals to the LAN card;

for LAN-based conferencing, the LAN card is adapted to;

transmit the LAN-formatted local audio and video signals to the remote conferencing node over the local area network;

receive LAN-formatted remote audio and video signals from the remote conferencing node over the local area network; and

transmit the LAN-formatted remote audio and video signals to the host processor;

for LAN-based conferencing, the host processor is further adapted to;

deformat the LAN-formatted remote audio and video signals;

play back the deformatted remote, video signals; and

transmit the deformatted remote audio signals to the combined audio/video board; and

for LAN-based conferencing, the combined audio/video board is further adapted to play back the deformatted remote audio signals.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the host processor is adapted to:

selectively control the generation of the first-type local conferencing signals and the playback of the first-type remote conferencing signals; and

selectively control the generation of the second-type local conferencing signals and the playback of the second-type remote conferencing signals.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein the first-type and second-type local and remote conferencing signals comprise audio signals and video signals.