Multimedia collaboration system

• US 6,237,025 B1
• Filed: 12/19/1997
• Issued: 05/22/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 10/01/1993
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Pragmatus AV LLC (Pragmatus, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Collaboration Properties Incorporated
• Inventors: Lantz, Keith A., Lauwers, J. Chris, Burns, Emmett R., Burnett, Gerald J., Ludwig, Lester F.
• Primary Examiner(s): Dinh, Dung C.
• Application Number:
  US08/994,848
• Time in Patent Office: 1,250 Days
• Field of Search: 345/326, 345/329, 345/330, 345/331, 345/332, 345/335, 709/202, 709/205, 709/206, 709/207
• US Class Current: 709/204
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• 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 12/1818 Conference organisation arrangements, e.g. handling schedules, setting up parameters needed by nodes to attend a conference, booking network resources, notifying involved parties
• 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: H04L 12/1827 Network arrangements for conference optimisation or adaptation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1831 Tracking arrangements for later retrieval, e.g. recording contents, participants activities or behavior, network status
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1836 with heterogeneous network architecture
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/185 with management of multicast group membership
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/00 User-to-user messaging in packet-switching networks, transmitted according to store-and-forward or real-time protocols, e.g. e-mail
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/10 Multimedia information
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/4038 with floor control
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/80 Responding to QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/14 Session management for real-time applications in data packet communications networks H04L65/1066
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/75 Indicating network or usage conditions on the user display
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/38 Displays
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/5018 Initiating a conference during a two-party conversation, i.e. three-party-service or three-way-call computer conference organisation arrangements H04L12/1818
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/5027 Dropping a party from a conference conducting a computer conference, e.g. admission detection H04L12/1822
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42221 : Conversation recording systems at the subscriber's set H04M1/656
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42323 : PBX's with CTI arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4285 : Notifying, informing or entertaining a held party while on hold, e.g. Music On Hold
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/5307 : for recording messages comprising any combination of audio and non-audio components
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/562 : where the conference facilities are distributed
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/563 : User guidance or feature selection
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/564 : whereby the feature is a sub-conference
• 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 7/12 : for working between exchanges having different types of switching equipment, e.g. power-driven and step by step or decimal and non-decimal
• 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: H04N 7/152 : Multipoint control units therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/1305 : Software aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13093 : Personal computer, PC
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13175 : Graphical user interface [GUI], WWW interface, visual indication
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/1319 : Amplifier, attenuation circuit, echo suppressor
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/1322 : PBX
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/1324 : Conference call
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/1326 : Consultation call, broker's call, call hold, toggling
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/1332 : Logic circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13337 : Picturephone, videotelephony
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13389 : LAN, internet

Abstract

A multimedia collaboration system that integrates separate real-time and asynchronous networks—the former for real-time audio and video, and the latter for control signals and textual, graphical and other data—in a manner that is interoperable across different computer and network operating system platforms and which closely approximates the experience of face-to-face collaboration, while liberating the participants from the limitations of time and distance. These capabilities are achieved by exploiting a variety of hardware, software and networking technologies in a manner that preserves the quality and integrity of audio/video/data and other multimedia information, even after wide area transmission, and at a significantly reduced networking cost as compared to what would be required by presently known approaches. The system architecture is readily scalable to the largest enterprise network environments. It accommodates differing levels of collaborative capabilities available to individual users and permits high-quality audio and video capabilities to be readily superimposed onto existing personal computers and workstations and their interconnecting LANs and WANs. In a particular preferred embodiment, a plurality of geographically dispersed multimedia LANs are interconnected by a WAN. The demands made on the WAN are significantly reduced by employing multi-hopping techniques, including dynamically avoiding the unnecessary decompression of data at intermediate hops, and exploiting video mosaicing, cut-and-paste and audio mixing technologies so that significantly fewer wide area transmission paths are required while maintaining the high quality of the transmitted audio/video.

Claims

1. A teleconferencing system for conducting a teleconference among a plurality of participants comprising:

(a) a plurality of video display devices each having associated

(i) participant video capture capabilities, and

(ii) participant audio

(1) capture and

(2) reproduction capabilities; and

(b) at least one communication path

(i) along which signals

(1) representing participant audio and video

(ii) can be transmitted,

wherein the system maintains

(a) at least one directory, including

(i) a list of potential participants; and

(b) at least one database, including

(i) addresses of video display devices, and

(ii) audio and video capabilities of each video display device, and

(c) an association

(i) between the information in the directory and the database; and

wherein the system is configured to

(a) display information from

(i) at least the directory

(ii) on at least one video display device; and

(b) to initiate collaboration

(i) upon a selecting participant selecting

(1) one or more participants

i. from the displayed participant information and

(ii) then establishing communication

(1) with each selected participant

(2) using information in the database

(3) to define a teleconference.

2. The teleconferencing system of claim 1, wherein

(a) the participant information is displayed in two sets in which the second set includes at one least of the group consisting of

(i) displayed icons and text

(1) representing the potential participants.

3. The teleconferencing system of claim 1, wherein

(a) a selecting participant can

(i) select

(1) at least one of the participants and

(2) at least one of a set of displayed communication types;

and

wherein the system is further configured to

(i) establish communication

(1) of the selected type

(2) with each selected participant.

4. The teleconferencing system of claim 3, wherein

(a) the set of communication types includes at least one of:

(i) data conferencing, videoconferencing, telephone conferencing, sending faxes, sending electronic mail, and the sending of multimedia mail messages.

5. The teleconferencing system of claim 3, wherein

(a) the selecting participant can use

(i) at least one computer graphic user interface

(ii) to select

(1) at least one of the participant(s) and/or

(2) at least one of the collaboration types.

6. The teleconferencing system of claim 3, wherein the system

(a) defaults

(i) to a default collaboration type

(ii) upon selection of a participant.

7. The teleconferencing system of claim 1, wherein the system is further configured to allow a participant:

(a) to select

(i) a further participant

(ii) from the potential participants and

(b) add

(i) the new participant

(ii) to an existing teleconference call.

8. The teleconferencing system of claim 1, wherein the system is further configured to:

(a) allow

(i) at least one participant

(ii) access

(1) to at least one audio and/or video signal source; and

(b) reproduce

(i) audio and/or video

(1) based on signals

(2) from the accessed signal source

(ii) for another participant.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the association between the information in the directory and the database is dynamically changeable.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein

(a) a selecting participant can

(i) select

(1) at least one of the participants

(2) using a hot key.

11. A method for conducting a teleconference among a plurality of participants, each having

an associated video capture and display and

audio capture and reproduction capabilities,

the method comprising the steps of:

(a) maintaining

(i) at least one directory, including

(1) a list of potential participants; and

(ii) at least one database, including

(1) addresses of video display devices, and

(2) audio and video capabilities of each video display device, and

(iii) an association

(1) between the information in the directory and the database;

(b) displaying

(i) participant information from at least the directory

(c) selecting

(i) one or more participants

(1) from among the displayed participant information; and

(d) establishing communication

(i) with each selected participant

(ii) using information in the database.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein

(a) the participant information is displayed in two sets in which the second set includes at least one of the group consisting of

(i) displayed icons and text

(1) representing potential participants.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising the steps of:

(a) selecting a communication type,

(i) from a displayed set of communication types; and

(b) establishing communication

(i) of the selected type,

(ii) with each selected participant.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein

(a) the set of communication types includes at least one of:

(i) data conferencing, videoconferencing, telephone conferencing, sending faxes, sending electronic mail and sending multimedia mail messages.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein

(a) the step of selecting

(i) one or more participants

(ii) invokes a default collaboration type.

16. The method of claim 11, further comprising the steps of:

(a) selecting

(i) a new participant

(ii) from among a plurality of potential participants; and

(b) adding

(i) the new participant

(ii) to an existing teleconference.

17. The method of claim 11, further comprising the steps of:

(a) detecting,

(i) during a first teleconference

(1) between a first and a second participant,

(ii) an attempt

(1) by a third caller

(2) to initiate a second teleconference

(3) with the second participant;

(b) notifying

(i) the second participant

(ii) of the attempt; and

(c) allowing the second participant

(i) to add

(ii) the third caller

(iii) to the first teleconference.

18. The method of claim 11, further comprising the steps of:

(a) allowing at least one participant

(i) access to at least one audio and/or video signal source; and

(b) reproducing video and/or audio

(i) based on signals,

(ii) from the accessed signal source;

(iii) for another participant.

19. The method of claim 11, further comprising the step of:

(a) allowing a participant

(i) in an existing teleconference with

(1) a plurality of other participants

(ii) to place on hold

(iii) at least one of the other participants.

20. The method of claim 11, further comprising the step of:

(a) allowing a participant

(i) in an existing teleconference with

(1) a plurality of other participants

(ii) to disconnect

(iii) at least one of the other participants.

21. The method of claim 11, wherein the association between the information in the directory and the database is dynamically changeable.

22. The method of claim 11, further comprising the steps of:

(a) selecting a participant

(i) by using a hot key.

23. A teleconferencing system for conducting a teleconference among a plurality of participants comprising:

(a) a plurality of video display devices each having associated

(i) participant video capture capabilities, and

(ii) participant audio

(1) capture and

(2) reproduction capabilities; and

(b) at least one communication path

(i) along which signals

(1) representing participant audio and video

(ii) can be transmitted,

wherein the system maintains

(a) at least one directory, including

(i) a list of potential participants; and

(b) at least one database, including

(i) addresses of video display devices, and

(c) an association

(i) between the information in the directory; and

the database in which the association is dynamically changeable; and

wherein the system is configured to

(a) display information from

(i) at least the directory

(ii) on at least one video display device; and

(b) to initiate collaboration

(i) upon a selecting participant selecting

(1) one or more participants

i. from the displayed participant information and

(ii) then establishing communication

(1) with each selected participant

(2) using information in the database

(3) to define a teleconference.

24. The teleconferencing system of claim 23, wherein

(a) the participant information is displayed in two sets in which the second set includes any one or more of the group consisting of

(i) displayed icons and text

(1) representing the potential participants.

25. The teleconferencing system of claim 23, wherein

(a) a selecting participant can

(i) select

(1) at least one of the participants and

(2) at least one of a set of displayed communication types;

and

wherein the system is further configured to

(i) establish communication

(1) of the selected type

(2) with each selected participant.

26. The teleconferencing system of claim 25, wherein

(a) the set of communication types includes at least one of:

(i) data conferencing, videoconferencing, telephone conferencing, sending faxes, sending electronic mail, and the sending of multimedia mail messages.

27. The teleconferencing system of claim 25, wherein

(a) the selecting participant can use

(i) at least one computer graphic user interface

(ii) to select

(1) at least one of the participant(s) and/or

(2) at least one of the collaboration types.

28. The teleconferencing system of claim 25, wherein the system

(a) defaults

(i) to a default collaboration type

(ii) upon selection of a participant.

29. The teleconferencing system of claim 23, wherein the system is further configured to allow a participant:

(a) to select

(i) a further participant

(ii) from the potential participants and

(b) add

(i) the new participant

(ii) to an existing teleconference call.

30. The teleconferencing system of claim 23, wherein the system is further configured to:

(a) allow

(i) at least one participant

(ii) access

(1) to at least one audio and/or video signal source; and

(b) reproduce

(i) audio and/or video

(1) based on signals

(2) from the accessed signal source

(ii) for another participant.

31. The system of claim 23, wherein the database further includes audio and video capabilities of each video display device.

32. The system of claim 23, wherein

(a) a selecting participant can

(i) select

(1) at least one of the participants

(2) using a hot key.

33. A method for conducting a teleconference among a plurality of participants, each having

an associated video capture and display and

audio capture and reproduction capabilities,

the method comprising the steps of:

(a) maintaining

(i) at least one directory, including

(1) a list of potential participants; and

(ii) at least one database, including

(1) addresses of video display devices, and

(iii) an association

(1) between the information in the directory and the database

(2) in which the association is dynamically changeable;

(b) displaying

(i) participant information from at least the directory

(c) selecting

(i) one or more participants

(1) from among the displayed participant information; and

(d) establishing communication

(i) with each selected participant

(ii) using information in the database.

34. The method of claim 33, wherein

(a) the participant information is displayed in two sets in which the second set includes anyone or more of the group consisting of

(i) displayed icons and text

(1) representing potential participants.

35. The method of claim 33, further comprising the steps of:

(a) selecting a communication type,

(i) from a displayed set of communication types; and

(b) establishing communication

(i) of the selected type,

(ii) with each selected participant.

36. The method of claim 35, wherein

(a) the set of communication types includes at least one of:

(i) data conferencing, videoconferencing, telephone conferencing, sending faxes, sending electronic mail and sending multimedia mail messages.

37. The method of claim 35, wherein

(a) the step of selecting

(i) one or more participants

(ii) invokes a default collaboration type.

38. The method of claim 33, further comprising the steps of:

(a) selecting

(i) a new participant

(ii) from among a plurality of potential participants; and

(b) adding

(i) the new participant

(ii) to an existing teleconference.

39. The method of claim 33, further comprising the steps of:

(a) detecting,

(i) during a first teleconference

(1) between a first and a second participant,

(ii) an attempt

(1) by a third caller

(2) to initiate a second teleconference

(3) with the second participant;

(b) notifying

(i) the second participant

(ii) of the attempt; and

(c) allowing the second participant

(i) to add

(ii) the third caller

(iii) to the first teleconference.

40. The method of claim 33, further comprising the steps of:

(a) allowing at least one participant

(i) access to at least one audio and/or video signal source; and

(b) reproducing video and/or audio

(i) based on signals,

(ii) from the accessed signal source;

(iii) for another participant.

41. The method of claim 33, further comprising the step of:

(a) allowing a participant

(i) in an existing teleconference with

(1) a plurality of other participants

(ii) to place on hold

(iii) at least one of the other participants.

42. The method of claim 33, further comprising the step of:

(a) allowing a participant

(i) in an existing teleconference with

(1) a plurality of other participants

(ii) to disconnect

(iii) at least one of the other participants.

43. The method of claim 33, wherein the database further includes audio and video capabilities of each video display device.

44. The method of claim 33, further comprising the steps of:

(a) selecting a participant

(i) by using a hot key.