Method and apparatus for a video conference user interface

• US 5,872,922 A
• Filed: 08/08/1997
• Issued: 02/16/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 03/07/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Vtel Corporation
• Inventors: Hogan, Michael J., Rinn, Reed Howard
• Primary Examiner(s): PEESO, THOMAS R
• Application Number:
  US08/908,759
• Time in Patent Office: 557 Days
• Field of Search: 395/200.34, 395/200.57, 348/12, 348/13, 348/14, 348/15, 348/17, 348/18, 348/20, 348/211, 348/240
• US Class Current: 709/204
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/142 Constructional details of the terminal equipment, e.g. arrangements of the camera and the display

Abstract

A video conference platform includes a graphical user interface for configuration and control of a video conference. In particular, the graphical user interface allows for "windows" type operations to control various aspects of the video conference, including initial configuration, camera control, and data transmission.

Claims

1. A video conference platform for transmitting and receiving audio and video signals to and from other video conference platforms, comprising:

a display for displaying video generated at a selected one of a remote camera and a local camera;

an input device operable to generate input signals, said input signals used in part to position a cursor on said display; and

a processor coupled to said display and said input device, said processor operable;

to receive said input signals;

to determine a position of said cursor on said display;

to effect pan, tilt, and zoom of the selected camera based on said position of said cursor; and

to cause the selected camera to pan and tilt to center video from the selected camera on said position of said cursor.

2. The video conference platform of claim 1, wherein said video is displayed full-screen on said display.

3. A method of controlling a video conference, comprising:

displaying video generated at a selected one of a remote camera and a local camera on a display;

positioning a cursor on the display;

determining a position of the cursor on the display; and

panning, tilting, and zooming the selected camera based on the position of the cursor to center video from the selected camera on said position of said cursor.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein displaying video comprises displaying full-screen video.

5. A method of controlling a video conference, comprising:

displaying video generated at a remote camera on a display;

displaying a tool bar on the display, the tool bar including a plurality of icons representing video conference functions; and

positioning a cursor on a selected one of the plurality of icons and initiating the video conference function represented by the selected icon; and

transmitting a computer object to a remote video conference platform in response to an icon representing said computer object being selected, dragged and dropped onto said video.