Intelligent switching system for voice and data

• US 7,391,856 B2
• Filed: 12/07/2006
• Issued: 06/24/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 02/16/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Global Technologies, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Global Technologies, Inc.
• Inventors: Miodownik, Saul, Raniere, Keith, Delaney, Thomas A, Danzig, Steven
• Primary Examiner(s): Hong, Harry S.
• Application Number:
  US11/567,842
• Publication Number:
  US 20070126855A1
• Time in Patent Office: 565 Days
• Field of Search: 348/14.08, 348/14.1, 370260-267, 370/270, 375/222, 379/90.01, 379/93.01, 379/93.05, 379/93.09, 379/93.14, 379/93.21, 379/93.26, 379/93.28, 379/93.37
• US Class Current: 379/202.01
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/18 for broadcast or conference , e.g. multicast
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1827 Network arrangements for conference optimisation or adaptation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/4015 where at least one of the additional parallel sessions is real time or time sensitive, e.g. white board sharing, collaboration or spawning of a subconference
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/403 Arrangements for multi-party communication, e.g. for conferences data switching systems for conference H04L12/18; arrangements for connecting several subscribers to a common circuit, i.e. affording conference facilities H04M3/56; television conferencing systems H04N7/15
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 11/06 Simultaneous speech and data transmission, e.g. telegraphic transmission over the same conductors
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/563 User guidance or feature selection
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/567 Multimedia conference systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/0027 Collaboration services where a computer is used for data transfer and the telephone is used for telephonic communication
• 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 7/15 Conference systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/72 Finding out and indicating number of calling subscriber
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 379/90 Internet, e.g. Internet phone, webphone, internet-based telephony

Abstract

A teleconferencing system for voice and data provides interconnections among user sites via a central station. User stations at user sites each alternate operation between a data mode connecting a user computer and modem to a user telephone communication path and a voice mode connecting a telephony circuit to the communication path. The teleconferencing system is adapted for conducting a voice conference over standard telephone lines while allowing simultaneous viewing of data objects such as slides, graphs, or text. A host computer connected to the central station serves as a central repository for storage and retrieval of data objects for use in teleconferences.

Claims

1. A conferencing method comprising:

providing a plurality of interconnected user sites;

transmitting a data object from at least a first user site to at least a second user site prior to conferencing between any user sites of said plurality of interconnected sites;

locally storing said transmitted data object by the at least second user site; and

retrieving said locally stored data object as directed by a signal transmitted by any user site of said plurality of interconnected sites during conferencing.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the data object is at least one of a common data object and a private data object.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the data object includes an ASCII character.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the data object includes image data.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of user sites is interconnected via a wide area network, wherein the wide area network comprises an Internet network.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the plurality of user sites is interconnected via a wide area network, wherein the wide area network comprises a satellite network.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing a central site to which at least two user sites of said plurality of interconnected user sites are connected.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein retrieving said locally stored data object as directed by a signal transmitted by a user site of said plurality of interconnected sites during conferencing, further comprises transmitting said signal through point-to-point conferencing.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein transmitting a data object further comprises transmitting said data object from said at least a first user site to a central site, which central site in turn distributes said data object to said at least a second user site prior to conferencing between any user sites of said plurality of interconnected sites.

10. A conferencing method comprising:

providing a plurality of interconnected user sites, wherein at least a first user site and a second user site of said plurality of user sites are interconnected to a central cite;

transmitting a data object from at least said first user site to said central site prior to conferencing between any user sites of said plurality of interconnected sites;

locally storing said transmitted data object by the central site; and

disseminating said data object locally stored by the central site to at least said second user site as directed by a signal transmitted by any user site of said plurality of interconnected sites during conferencing.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the data object is at least one of a common data object and a private data object.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the data object includes an ASCII character.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the data object includes image data.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein the plurality of user sites is interconnected via a wide area network, wherein the wide area network comprises an Internet network.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein the plurality of user sites is interconnected via a wide area network, wherein the wide area network comprises a satellite network.

16. The method of claim 10, further comprising transmitting another data object point-to-point from a user site to another user site prior to conferencing between any user sites of said plurality of interconnected sites.

17. A conferencing method comprising:

providing a plurality of interconnected user sites;

transmitting a data object point-to-point from at least a first user site to at least a second user site prior to conferencing between any user sites of said plurality of interconnected sites;

locally storing said transmitted data object by said second user site; and

retrieving said locally stored data object as directed by a signal transmitted by any user site of said plurality of interconnected sites during conferencing.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the data object is at least one of a common data object and a private data object.

19. The method of claim 17, further comprising providing a central site to which at least two user sites of said plurality of interconnected user sites are connected.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising transmitting another data object from one of said at least two user sites connected to said central site, which central site in turn distributes said another data object to another user site of said at least two user sites connected to said central site prior to conferencing between any user sites of said plurality of interconnected sites.