System, method and computer program product for concurrent performance of video teleconference and delivery of multimedia presentation and archiving of same

• US 7,761,505 B2
• Filed: 02/03/2003
• Issued: 07/20/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/18/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: OpenPeak Inc.
• Inventors: Krzyzanowski, Paul, Pitts, Michael, Trotter, John
• Primary Examiner(s): Harrell, Robert B
• Application Number:
  US10/356,528
• Publication Number:
  US 20040098456A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,724 Days
• Field of Search: 709/204, 709/217, 709/245, 709/219, 709/225, 709/231, 709/246, 709/203, 709/205, 725/101, 370/260, 345/753, 345/730, 345/751, 345/804, 345/2.2, 715/500.1, 455/404.1, 434/350, 434/308, 710/65, 707/104.1, 386/69, 379/37, 348/584, 382/232
• US Class Current: 709/204
• 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 67/1097 for distributed storage of data in networks, e.g. transport arrangements for network file system [NFS], storage area networks [SAN] or network attached storage [NAS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4788 communicating with other users, e.g. chatting arrangements for providing for computer conferences, e.g. chat rooms, to substation in data switching networks H04L12/1813; distributed application using peer-to-peer [P2P] networks H04L67/104
• 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: H04Q 11/0435 Details
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13093 Personal computer, PC
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13248 Multimedia
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13337 Picturephone, videotelephony

Abstract

A video teleconferencing and multimedia presentation system is provided. The system is integrated and network-ready to facilitate ease of set-up and operation, and also utilizes IP and/or wireless networking to provide advanced features and functionality, such as remote access and control and the ability to perform secure archiving and retrieval of recorded video and audio data. The system further utilizes a unique peer-to-peer conference network solution in order to address the bandwidth limitations that plague conventional systems and allow enhanced viewing of high-bandwidth applications.

Claims

1. An integrated video teleconferencing system, comprising:

a processor configured to receive a copy of a multimedia presentation from a remote video teleconferencing system;

a memory configured to store said copy of said multimedia presentation;

display means;

one or more speakers; and

a storage system;

wherein said processor is further configured to receive audio and video data corresponding to a video teleconference from said remote video teleconferencing system, said received audio data representing data captured by a microphone and said received video data representing data captured by a camera, to play said received audio data via at least one of said one or more speakers, to present said received video data to said display means, to receive commands from said remote video teleconferencing system during said video teleconference, said commands for initiating and controlling display of said copy of said multimedia presentation to said display means, to record said audio and video data and said commands received from said remote video teleconferencing system, and to store said recorded audio and video data, said recorded commands, and said copy of said multimedia presentation to said storage system in a manner that allows for repeated concurrent playback of said video teleconference and presentation of said copy of said multimedia presentation.

2. The integrated video teleconferencing system of claim 1, further comprising a network interface for receiving said copy of said multimedia presentation, said audio and video data, and said commands from said remote video teleconferencing system over a network.

3. The integrated video teleconferencing system of claim 2, wherein said network interface comprises an interface to a local area network.

4. The integrated video teleconferencing system of claim 2, wherein said network interface comprises an interface to a wide area network.

5. The integrated video teleconferencing system of claim 1, further comprising:

a wireless network interface;

wherein said processor is further configured to receive user input from a handheld device via said wireless network interface.

6. The integrated video teleconferencing system of claim 5, wherein said processor is further configured to receive user input from a personal digital assistant via said wireless network interface.

7. The integrated video teleconferencing system of claim 1, wherein said processor is further configured to receive said copy of said multimedia presentation concurrently with receiving said commands.

8. The integrated video teleconferencing system of claim 1, wherein said display means comprises a touch sensitive display.

9. The integrated video teleconferencing system of claim 1, wherein said display means comprises a display having a first display area for displaying said received video data and a second display area for displaying said copy of said multimedia presentation.

10. The integrated video teleconferencing system of claim 1, wherein said display means comprises a first display configured to display said received video data and a second display configured to display said copy of said multimedia presentation.

11. The integrated video teleconferencing system of claim 1, wherein said storage system comprises one of:

an optical disk drive, a storage area network, or network attached storage.

12. The integrated video teleconferencing system of claim 1, wherein said processor is further configured to retrieve said recorded audio and video data, said recorded commands, and said copy of said multimedia presentation from said storage system and to play back the video teleconference based on said recorded audio and video data and concurrently present said copy of said multimedia presentation in accordance with said recorded commands.

13. The integrated video teleconferencing system of claim 1, wherein said processor is further configured to provide a web interface to a remote computer system, and to receive input from a user of said remote computer system via said web interface.

14. An integrated video teleconferencing and multimedia presentation unit comprising:

a communication infrastructure;

a video camera connected to the communication infrastructure;

a microphone connected to the communication infrastructure;

input/output (I/O) means connected to the communication infrastructure;

a network interface connected to the communication infrastructure, the network interface providing a means to communicate with a remote integrated video teleconferencing and multimedia presentation unit over a network;

a processor connected to the communication infrastructure; and

one or more memory devices connected to the communication infrastructure, at least one of the one or more memory devices storing software routines for execution by the processor, the software routines configured to enable the processor to transmit audio information captured by the microphone and video information captured by the video camera to the remote integrated video teleconferencing and multimedia presentation unit for playback thereon and to concurrently transmit commands submitted by a user using the I/O means to the remote integrated video teleconferencing and multimedia presentation unit, the commands being useable by the remote integrated video teleconferencing and multimedia presentation unit to control presentation of a first multimedia presentation thereon.

15. The integrated video teleconferencing and multimedia presentation unit of claim 14, wherein the network interface comprises a wide area network interface.

16. The integrated video teleconferencing and multimedia presentation unit of claim 15, further comprising:

a storage system connected to the communication infrastructure;

wherein the software routines are further configured to enable the processor to store the second multimedia presentation, the received audio and video information, and the received commands to the storage system.

17. The integrated video teleconferencing and multimedia presentation unit of claim 16, wherein the storage system comprises one of:

an optical disk drive, a storage area network, or network attached storage.

18. The integrated video teleconferencing and multimedia system of claim 16, wherein said processor is further configured to retrieve the second multimedia presentation, the received audio and video information and the received commands from the storage system.

19. The integrated video teleconferencing and multimedia presentation unit of claim 15, wherein the I/O means and the display means comprise a touch sensitive display.

20. The integrated video teleconferencing and multimedia presentation unit of claim 14, further comprising:

display means connected to the communication infrastructure;

one or more speakers connected to the communication infrastructure;

wherein the software routines are further configured to enable the processor to receive audio information and video information from the remote integrated video teleconferencing and multimedia presentation unit, to play the received audio information via at least one of the one or more speakers, to present the received video information to the display means, to present a second multimedia presentation to the display means, and to control the presentation of the second multimedia presentation based on commands received from the remote integrated video teleconferencing and multimedia presentation unit concurrently with the received audio information and received video information.

21. The integrated video teleconferencing and multimedia presentation unit of claim 20, wherein the software routines are further configured to enable the processor to receive the second multimedia presentation for storage in one of the one or more memory devices prior to receiving the audio and video information and commands from the remote integrated video teleconferencing and multimedia presentation unit.

22. The integrated video teleconferencing and multimedia presentation unit of claim 20, wherein the display means comprises a single display comprising a first display area for displaying the received audio and video information and a second display area for displaying the second multimedia presentation.

23. The integrated video teleconferencing and multimedia presentation unit of claim 20, wherein the display means comprises a first display for displaying the received audio and video information and a second display for displaying the second multimedia presentation.

24. The integrated video teleconferencing and multimedia presentation unit of claim 14, wherein the network interface comprises a local area network interface.

25. The integrated video teleconferencing and multimedia presentation unit of claim 14, wherein the software routines are further configured to enable the processor to transfer the first multimedia presentation from one of the one or more memory devices to the remote integrated video teleconferencing and multimedia presentation unit prior to transmission of the audio and video information and the commands.

26. A method for concurrently conducting a video teleconference and delivering a multimedia presentation, comprising:

transmitting a copy of a multimedia presentation from a first video teleconferencing system to a second video teleconferencing system, wherein said second video teleconferencing system is remotely located with respect to said first video teleconferencing system;

storing said copy of said multimedia presentation locally with respect to said second video teleconferencing system;

initiating a video teleconference between said first video teleconferencing system and said second video teleconferencing system; and

during said video teleconference, (a) transmitting audio and video data from said first video teleconferencing system to said second video teleconferencing system over a network, wherein said audio data represents data captured by a microphone and said video data represents data captured by a camera, and concurrently transmitting commands from said first video teleconferencing system to said second video teleconferencing system over said network to initiate and control display of said copy of said multimedia presentation on said second video teleconferencing system, (b) recording said audio and video data and said commands transmitted from the first video teleconferencing system, and (c) storing said recorded audio and video data, said recorded commands, and said copy of said multimedia presentation to a storage system in a manner that allows for repeated concurrent playback of said video teleconference and presentation of said copy of said multimedia presentation.

27. The method of claim 26, further comprising:

accessing said first video teleconferencing system from a computer system that is remotely located with respect to said first video teleconferencing system, wherein said accessing comprises using a web interface.

28. The method of claim 27, further comprising:

transmitting said multimedia presentation from said computer system to said first video teleconferencing system using said web interface.

29. The method of claim 26, further comprising:

transmitting commands for controlling said first video teleconferencing system from a handheld device to said first video teleconferencing system over a wireless network.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein said handheld device comprises a personal digital assistant.

31. The method of claim 26, wherein said copy of said multimedia presentation comprises a slide presentation.

32. The method of claim 31, wherein said commands for controlling display of said copy of said multimedia presentation includes a command for advancing to a next slide of said slide presentation.

33. The method of claim 26, wherein transmitting said copy of said multimedia presentation occurs concurrently with said transmitting said commands.

34. The method of claim 26, wherein said storing said recorded audio and video data, said recorded commands, and said copy of said multimedia presentation to a storage system comprises storing said recorded audio and video data, said recorded commands and said copy of said multimedia presentation to one of:

an optical disk drive, a storage area network, or network attached storage.

35. The method of claim 26, further comprising retrieving said recorded audio and video data, said recorded commands and said copy of said multimedia presentation from said storage system and playing back the video teleconference based on said recorded audio and video data and concurrently presenting said copy of the multimedia presentation in accordance with said recorded commands.

36. The method of claim 26, wherein said transmitting said copy of said multimedia presentation, transmitting said audio and video data, and transmitting said commands comprises transmitting data over a local area network.

37. The method of claim 26, wherein said transmitting said copy of said multimedia presentation, transmitting said audio and video data, and transmitting said commands comprises transmitting data over a wide area network.

38. A computer program product comprising a tangible computer useable medium having computer program logic recorded thereon for enabling a processor in a video teleconferencing system to concurrently conduct a video teleconference and present a multimedia presentation, said computer program logic comprising:

means for enabling the processor to receive a copy of a multimedia presentation from a remote video teleconferencing system;

means for enabling the processor to store said copy of said multimedia presentation;

means for enabling the processor to receive audio and video data corresponding to a video teleconference from said remote video teleconferencing system, said audio data representing data captured by a microphone and said video data representing data captured by a camera, to play the received audio data via one or more speakers, to present the received video data to a display means, and to receive commands from said remote video teleconferencing system during said video teleconference, said commands for initiating and controlling display of said copy of said multimedia presentation to said display means; and

means for enabling the processor to record said audio and video data and said commands received from said remote video teleconferencing system and to store said recorded audio and video data, said recorded commands, and said copy of said multimedia presentation to a storage system in a manner that allows for repeated concurrent playback of said video teleconference and presentation of said copy of said multimedia presentation.

39. The computer program product of claim 38, wherein said means for enabling the processor to receive a copy of said multimedia presentation comprises means for enabling the processor to receive said copy of said multimedia presentation concurrently with receiving said commands.

40. The computer program product of claim 38, further comprising means for enabling the processor to retrieve said recorded audio and video data, said recorded commands, and said copy of said multimedia presentation from said storage system and to play back the video teleconference based on said recorded audio and video data and concurrently present said copy of said multimedia presentation in accordance with said recorded commands.

41. The computer program product of claim 38, further comprising means for enabling the processor to receive said audio and video data, said copy of aid multimedia presentation and said commands from said remote video teleconferencing system over a local area network.

42. The computer program product of claim 38, further comprising means for enabling the processor to receive said audio and video data, said copy of said multimedia presentation and said commands from said remote video teleconferencing system over a wide area network.

43. The computer program product of claim 38, further comprising:

means for enabling the processor to provide a web interface to a remote computer system; and

means to enable the processor to receive input from a user of said remote computer system via said web interface.

44. The computer program product of claim 38, further comprising:

means for enabling the processor to receive user input from a handheld device via a wireless network interface.