Method and apparatus for controlling participant input in a conferencing environment

• US 6,201,859 B1
• Filed: 11/26/1997
• Issued: 03/13/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 06/02/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Memhard, Jennifer, Porter, Daniel R., Salvador, Anthony C., Skarbo, Rune A.
• Primary Examiner(s): WOO, STELLA L
• Application Number:
  US08/978,666
• Time in Patent Office: 1,203 Days
• Field of Search: 348/15, 348/14, 348/16, 348/17, 379/202, 379/204, 379/206, 379/93.21, 370/260, 345/329, 345/330, 345/331, 345/332
• US Class Current: 379/93.21
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42161 via computer interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/56 Arrangements for connecting several subscribers to a common circuit, i.e. affording conference facilities video conference systems H04N7/15
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/569 using the instant speaker's algorithm speech detection per se G10L25/78
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/15 Conference systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/152 Multipoint control units therefor

Abstract

A method and apparatus for controlling participant input in a conferencing environment supporting at least first and second end points which can operate in at least two different modes. While in the first operating mode, the end points can make changes to the conference data at will. The conference remains in the first operating mode until a request is received from a participant to change the conference to a second operating mode. Once this request is received, the conference switches to the second operating mode. While in the second operating mode, only one of the first and second end points can make changes at any particular time.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

operating a conference wherein a plurality of end points are interconnected to exchange conference data based at least in part on the holding of an application token by a single token holder; and

allowing each end point, independently during the conference, to select a combination of automatic or manual acquiring of the application token and automatic or manual releasing of the application token, said automatic acquisition based at least in part on participant activity in the conferencing environment;

wherein only said single token holder may modify shared conference data.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the conference data received by each end point comprises graphical data.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the conference data received by each end point includes audio data.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

operating the conference in a first operating mode, wherein the first operating mode allows participant input at a first end point and participant input at a second end point to change conference data at will;

maintaining the conference in the first operating mode until a request is received from a participant to change to a second operating mode; and

changing, during the conference, the conference to a second operating mode, wherein the second operating mode allows, based on the holding of the application token, participant input at only one of the first end point and the second end point to change the conference data at a time.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein a message is broadcast to each end point when a change in the holder of the application token is made.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the end point monitors the amount of time that the token holder is continuously idle and automatically releases the application token when the token holder has been continuously idle for a predetermined period of time.

7. A machine-readable medium having stored thereon sequences of instructions, which when executed by a processor, cause the processor to:

operate a conference wherein a plurality of end points are interconnected to exchange conference data based at least in part on the holding of an application token by a single token holder; and

allow each end point, independently during the conference, to select a combination of automatic or manual acquiring of the application token and automatic or manual releasing of the application token, said automatic acquisition based at least in part on end point activity in the conference;

wherein only said single token holder may modify shared conference data.

8. The machine-readable medium of claim 7 wherein the conference data received by each end point comprises graphical data.

9. The machine-readable medium of claim 7 wherein the conference data received by each end point includes audio data.

10. The machine-readable medium of claim 7 further comprising sequences of instructions, which when executed cause the processor to:

operate the conference in a first operating mode, wherein the first operating mode allows participant input at a first end point and participant input at a second end point to change conference data at will;

maintain the conference in the first operating mode until a request is received from a participant to change to a second operating mode, said request causing said participant to obtain exclusive holding of the application token; and

change, during the conference, the conference to a second operating mode, wherein the second operating mode allows, based on the holding of the application token, participant input from the token holder to change the conference data.

11. The machine-readable medium of claim 7 further comprising sequences of instructions, which when executed cause the processor to broadcast a message to each end point when a change in the holder of the application token is made.

12. The machine-readable medium of claim 7 further comprising sequences of instructions, which when executed cause the processor to monitor the amount of time that the token holder is continuously idle and to automatically release the application token when the token holder has been continuously idle for a predetermined period of time.

13. An apparatus comprising:

means for operating a conference wherein a plurality of end points are interconnected to exchange conference data based at least in part on the holding of an application token by a single token holder, wherein only said single token holder may modify shared conference data; and

means for allowing each end point, independently during the conference, to select a combination of automatic or manual acquiring of the application token and automatic or manual releasing of the application token, said automatic acquisition based at least in part on participant activity in the conferencing environment.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein the conference data received by each end point comprises graphical data.

15. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein the conference data received by each end point includes audio data.

16. The apparatus of claim 13 further comprising:

means for operating the conference in a first operating mode, wherein the first operating mode allows participant input at a first end point and participant input at a second end point to change conference data at will;

means for maintaining the conference in the first operating mode until a request is received from a participant to change to a second operating mode, said request causing said participant to obtain exclusive holding of the application token; and

means for changing, during the conference, the conference to a second operating mode;

wherein the second operating mode allows, based on the holding of the application token, participant input from the token holder to change the conference data.

17. The apparatus of claim 13 further comprising means to broadcast a message to each end point when a change in the holder of the application token is made.

18. The apparatus of claim 13 further comprising means to monitor the amount of time that the token holder is continuously idle and to automatically release the application token when the token holder has been continuously idle for a predetermined period of time.

19. A conferencing system comprising:

a memory;

a processor coupled to the memory, the processor to cause the conferencing system to operate in a conferencing environment as one of a plurality of end points,

wherein participant input to the conferencing system causes the conferencing system to receive conferencing data from another end point based on the participant input and further

wherein the processor allows a user of the computer system, during the conference, to independently select a combination of automatic or manual acquiring of the application token and automatic or manual releasing of the application token, said automatic acquisition based at least in part on participant activity in the conferencing environment; and

an output device coupled to the processor to output conference data;

wherein there is only a single token holder, and only such single token holder may modify shared conference data.

20. The conferencing system of claim 19 wherein the conferencing data is graphical data.

21. The conferencing system of claim 19 wherein the conferencing data is audio data.

22. The conferencing system of claim 19,

wherein the processor initiates the conference in a first operating mode which allows the conferencing system to change conference data at will, and

wherein the processor is capable of subsequently changing the conference, during the conference, to a second operating mode, wherein the second operating mode allows the conferencing system to change the conference data based on actions of the single token holder.

23. The conferencing system of claim 19 wherein a message is broadcast to each end point when a change in the holder of the application token is made.

24. The conferencing system of claim 19 wherein the amount of time that the token holder is continuously idle is monitored and the application token is automatically released when the token holder has been continuously idle for a predetermined period of time.

25. A conferencing environment comprising:

a network communications device; and

a plurality of conferencing systems coupled to the network communications device and interconnected to share conference data, each conferencing system having at least one input device and at least one output device;

wherein each of the plurality of conferencing systems individually determine, during a conference, another conferencing system from which to receive conference data;

wherein each conferencing system independently determines, during the conference, a combination of automatic or manual acquiring of an application token and automatic or manual releasing of the application token, wherein said automatic acquisition based at least in part on activity of the plurality of conferencing systems during the conference; and

wherein there is only a single token holder, and only such single token holder may modify shared conference data.

26. The conferencing environment of claim 25 wherein the network communications device is a local area network.

27. The conferencing environment of claim 25 wherein the network communications device is the Internet.

28. The conferencing environment of claim 25 wherein the conferencing data is graphical data.

29. The conferencing environment of claim 25 wherein the conferencing data is audio data.

30. The conferencing environment of claim 25, further comprising:

wherein a first conferencing system of the plurality of conferencing systems initiates a conference in a first operating mode;

wherein the first operating mode allows each conferencing system to change conference data at will;

wherein the first conferencing system is configured to subsequently change the conference, during the conference, to a second operating mode without mediating said mode change; and

wherein the second operating mode allows, based on the holding by a token holder of an application token, only said token holder to change conference data.

31. The conferencing environment of claim 25 wherein a message is broadcast to each end point when a change in the holder of the application token is made.

32. The conferencing environment of claim 25 wherein the amount of time that the token holder is continuously idle is monitored and the application token is automatically released when the token holder has been continuously idle for a predetermined period of time.