System and method for real-time feedback with conservative network usage in a teleconferencing system

• US 8,069,206 B2
• Filed: 03/18/2005
• Issued: 11/29/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/18/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Clearone Incorporated
• Original Assignee: ClearOne Communications Inc. (Clearone Incorporated)
• Inventors: McDonald, Jr., Rex E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Pwu, Jeffrey
• Assistant Examiner(s): LI, GUANG W
• Application Number:
  US11/083,827
• Publication Number:
  US 20060230106A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,447 Days
• Field of Search: 709/204, 455/416, 348/14.08, 348/14.09, 348/211.12
• US Class Current: 709/204
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/4038 with floor control
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/34 involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416

Abstract

Disclosed herein are teleconferencing devices having remote access monitoring and control functions, and network systems and methods including and using the same. Also disclosed herein are methods for interacting with teleconferencing devices over an HTTP or other network service utilizing a persistent network connection and systems which implement the methods. Also disclosed are systems that permit clients to select which types of information to be updated in real-time to conserve bandwidth. Detailed information on various example embodiments of the inventions are provided in the Detailed Description below, and the inventions are defined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A teleconferencing system having a network interface including facilities for providing connections to client computing devices, comprising:

a processor;

at least one audio input device;

at least one audio output device;

network facilities providing network communication between said processor and network devices;

facilities for connecting to and communicating over a bi-directional audio channel, said facilities providing for transmission of audio signals through the audio channel received at said audio input devices, said facilities further providing for audible sound production at said audio output devices for signals received from the audio channel;

at least one storage device; and

computer executable instructions stored to said storage devices, said instructions executable by said processor and by through said network facilities to perform the functions of;

(i) operating a network service;

(ii) receiving requests from client computing devices for a connection to the teleconferencing system through the network service;

(iii) providing to a client computing device a client executable object, the client executable object executable by the client computing device to access teleconferencing functions through the network service of the teleconferencing system;

(iv) connecting to provided client executable objects through the network service;

(v) receiving from a connected client executable object a set of information types selected from a group of information types available on the teleconferencing system to be monitored;

(vi) providing to a connected client executable object the state of a selected set of information types;

(vii) repeatedly providing to a connected client executable object changes to the state of a monitored set of information types;

(viii) through said network facilities, receiving control commands generated from a connected client executable object for directing control of the teleconferencing system;

(ix) interpreting received control commands received from the connected client executable object; and

(x) performing actions to the teleconferencing system in accordance with interpreted control commands.

2. The teleconferencing system according to claim 1, wherein said interpreting interprets commands selected from the group consisting of volume changes, entering a telephone number, dialing a telephone number, redialing a telephone number, enabling a teleconference, going on hook, going off hook, and performing a system check.

3. The teleconferencing system according to claim 1, wherein said computer executable instructions are executable by said processor to provide to a connected client executable object that changes to the state of a selected set of information types over a persistent connection.

4. The teleconferencing system according to claim 1, wherein said instructions are further executable to perform the function of providing, on request by a connected client executable object, the current state of an information type not included in a monitored selected set of information types.

5. The teleconferencing system according to claim 1, wherein the provided client executable object is a multi-platform object.

6. A teleconferencing system having a network interface including facilities for providing connections to client computing devices, comprising:

a processor;

at least one audio input device;

at least one audio output device;

network facilities providing network communication between said processor and network devices;

facilities for connecting to and communicating over a bi-directional audio channel, said facilities providing for transmission of audio signals received at said audio input devices, said facilities further providing for audible sound production at said audio output devices for signals received from the audio channel;

at least one storage device; and

computer executable instructions stored to said storage devices, said instructions executable by said processor and by threw said network facilities to perform the functions of;

(i) operating an HTTP network service;

(ii) receiving requests through the HTTP service from HTTP browsers operating on client computing devices for a connection to the teleconferencing system;

(iii) providing to a client computing device a client executable object, the client executable object being executable to access the network service of the teleconferencing system;

(iv) receiving through the HTTP service a request to connect, the request to connect identifying a connection from the client executable object to an HTTP teleconferencing service;

(v) upon receiving a request to an HTTP teleconferencing service, creating a teleconferencing connection to the client executable object;

(vi) reassigning a teleconferencing connection to a teleconferencing communications service;

(vii) receiving through the teleconferencing communications service by way of a teleconferencing connection a set of information types to be monitored, the set of information types selected from a group of information types available on the teleconferencing system;

(viii) providing to a client executable object connected by a teleconferencing connection the state of a selected set of information types; and

(ix) providing to a client executable object connected by a teleconferencing connection changes to the state of a monitored set of information types;

(x) receiving commands generated from a connected client executable object for directing control of the teleconferencing system;

(xi) interpreting commands received from the connected client executable object; and

(xii) performing actions to the teleconferencing system in accordance with interpreted commands.

7. The teleconferencing system according to claim 6, wherein said interpreting interprets commands selected from the group consisting of volume changes, entering a telephone number, dialing a telephone number, redialing a telephone number, enabling a teleconference, going on hook, going off hook, and performing a system check.

8. The teleconferencing system according to claim 6, wherein said computer executable instructions are executable by said processor to provide to a connected client executable object that changes to the state of a selected set of information types over a persistent connection.

9. The teleconferencing system according to claim 6, wherein said instructions are further executable to perform the function of providing, on request by a connected client executable object, the current state of an information type not included in a monitored selected set of information types.

10. The teleconferencing system according to claim 6, wherein the provided client executable object is a multi-platform object.

11. A method of providing network access from a teleconferencing system to an HTTP browser, comprising the steps of:

operating an HTTP network service;

receiving requests though the HTTP service from HTTP browsers operating on client computing devices for a connection to the teleconferencing system;

providing to a client computing device a client executable object, the client executable object executable to access the network service of the teleconferencing system;

receiving through the HTTP service a request to connect, the request to connect identifying a connection from the client executable object to an HTTP teleconferencing service;

upon receiving a request to an HTTP teleconferencing service, creating a teleconferencing connection to the client executable object;

reassigning a teleconferencing connection to a teleconferencing communications service;

receiving through the teleconferencing communications service by way of a teleconferencing

connection a set of information types selected from a group of information types available on the teleconferencing system to be monitored;

providing to a client executable object connected by a teleconferencing connection the state of a selected set of information types; and

providing to a client executable object connected by a teleconferencing connection changes to the state of a monitored set of information types;

receiving commands generated from a connected client executable object for directing control of the teleconferencing system;

interpreting commands received from the connected client executable object; and

performing actions to the teleconferencing system in accordance with interpreted commands.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein said interpreting interprets commands selected from the group consisting of volume changes, entering a telephone number, dialing a telephone number, redialing a telephone number, enabling a teleconference, going on hook, going off hook, and performing a system check.

13. The method according to claim 11, wherein connections to provided client executable objects is persistent, and wherein repeated steps of providing to a connected client executable object that changes to the state of a selected set of information types is performed over a persistent connection.

14. The method according to claim 11, further comprising the step of providing, on request by a connected client executable object, the current state of an information type not included in a monitored selected set of information types.

15. The teleconferencing system according to claim 11, wherein the provided client executable object is a multi-platform object.