Video conferencing system

Claim 2

A video conferencing system wherein a local site is networked with at least one remote site to interchange audio and video information, the at least one remote site having a video camera, a video monitor, a loudspeaker and a microphone, the local site having a video camera, a loudspeaker and a microphone, and further having: a controller, comprising: an interconnected video display section and control section, for controlling distribution of generated audio and video information among the sites selectively in accordance with electrical signals fed to the control section in response to a tactile command from a podium speaker to the video display section, wherein the video display section includes, in a first mode of operation preview display section includes, in a first mode of operation preview and presentation video display areas, wherein video information from a first video source, selected from a plurality of different video sources including video cameras at the remote and local sites, being displayed in the presentation area is distributed to the video monitor at the at least one remote site, and wherein the control section, in response to a command from the podium speaker, causes video information from a second video source selected from the video sources, being displayed in the preview area to be distributed to the video monitor at the at least one remote site in place of the previously distributed, first mentioned video information from the first selected video source.

Claim 3

The video conferencing system recited in claim 1 wherein each of the presentation and preview areas includes a corresponding video source selection area for displaying icons representative of the plurality of different video sources and wherein the control section selectively couples one, or ones, of the video sources to the preview and presentation display areas in response to the tactile commands by the podium speaker to the corresponding video source selection area.

Claim 4

The video conferencing system recited in claim 2 wherein the local site further comprises a video monitor for displaying the video information being displayed in the presentation area.

Claim 5

The video conferencing system recited in claim 2 wherein the video display section includes a site selection area for displaying site icons representative of the locations of remote sites and wherein the control section provides a control signal to couple video signals from a selected remote site to the video display in response to a site selection tactile command to a selected site icon.

Claim 6

The system recited in claim 2 wherein the video display section includes a plurality of video source control icons for controlling operation of a selected one of the video sources.

Claim 7

The video conferencing system recited in claim 1 wherein video information provided by the control section to the preview area is transferred to the presentation area in response to a tactile command by the speaker to the display section.

Claim 8

The video conferencing system recited in claim 1 wherein the control section, in a second, mark-up mode of operation, in response to podium speaker tactile commands to the video display section, edits the video information displayed on the video display section and controls the distribution of the edited information to the video monitors at the remote and local sites.

Claim 9

The video conferencing system recited in claim 1 wherein the video display section includes a video source control area for displaying icons representative of control functions for the plurality of different video sources and wherein the control section provides control signals to the plurality of different video sources in accordance with tactile commands by the podium speaker to the video source control area.

Claim 10

The video conferencing system recited in claim 1 wherein the controller includes a zoom control, responsive to speaker tactile commands to the video display section identifying a portion of the video information displayed on the video display section, for commanding one of a plurality of video source cameras generating the video information on the video display section to zoom in on the identified portion.

Claim 11

The video conferencing system recited in claim 9 wherein each one of the preview and presentation areas have a corresponding video source selection area for displaying source icons representative of the plurality of different plurality of different video sources and wherein the control section selectively couples one, or ones, of the video sources to the preview and presentation display areas in response to tactile commands by the speaker to the source icons in the corresponding video source selection area.

Claim 12

The video conferencing system of claim 1, wherein in a mark-up mode of operation, the control section edits the video information displayed on the controller video display section in response to a command from the podium speaker such that the video information displayed on the controller video display section is held for annotation in response to a hold command and the held video information is distributed to the video monitor at the at least one remote site in response to a go live command.

Claim 13

A video conferencing system wherein a local site is networked with at least one remote site to interchange audio and video information, the at least one remote site having a video camera, a video monitor, a loudspeaker and a microphone, the local site having a video camera, a loudspeaker and a microphone, and further having: a controller, comprising: an interconnected control panel section, video display section, and computer for causing distribution of generated audio and video information among the local and the at least one remote sites selectively in accordance with command signals fed to the controller by a director, the controller video display section displaying video information generated by a selected one of a plurality of video sources, including video cameras at the remote and local sites, and causing distribution of the video information from the selected one of the video sources to the video monitor at the at least one remote site and to the video display section; and, a zoom control, responsive to a tactile command by the director on the video display section identifying a portion of the video information displayed on the controller video display section, for commanding the one of the video sources generating the video information on the video display section to zoom in on the selected identified portion.

Claim 14

A video conferencing system wherein a local site is networked with at least one remote site to interchange audio and video information, the at least one remote site having a video camera, a video monitor, a loudspeaker and a microphone, the local site having a video camera, a loudspeaker and a microphone, and further having: a controller, comprising: an interconnected control panel section, video display section, and computer for causing distribution of generated audio and video information among the local and the at least one remote sites selectively in accordance with command signals fed to the controller by a director, the controller video display section displaying video information generated by a selected one of a plurality of video sources, including video cameras at the remote and local sites, and causing distribution of the video information from the selected one of the video sources to the video monitor at the at least one remote site and to the video display section; and, a zoom control, responsive to a tactile command by the director on the video display section identifying a portion of the video information displayed on the controller video display section, for commanding the one of the video sources generating the video information on the video display section to zoom in on the selected identified portion.

Claim 15

The video conferencing system recited in claim 12 wherein the controller video display section includes a preview video display area for displaying video information from a second selected one of the plurality of video sources and in response to a command from the director, causes distribution of such information to the video monitor at the at least one remote site in place of the previously distributed, video information from the first mentioned selected one of the plurality of video sources.

Claim 16

The video conferencing system recited in claim 13 wherein the video information from the second selected one of the plurality of video sources is transferred to the first mentioned display section in response to a transfer command from the director and such transferred video information is distributed to the video monitor at the at least one remote site in place of the previously distributed, video information from the first mentioned selected one of the plurality of video sources.

Claim 17

The video conferencing system recited in claim 14 including an editor, responsive to the director, for editing the video information displayed on the controller video display section and for causing distribution of the edited displayed video information to the video monitor at the at least one remote site.

Claim 18

The video conferencing system recited in claim 13 including an editor, responsive to the director, for editing the video information displayed on the preview video display area and for causing distribution of the edited displayed video information from the preview area to the video monitor at the at least one remote site when transferred to the first mentioned video display section.

Claim 19

The video conferencing system recited in claim 12 including an editor, responsive to the director, for editing the video information displayed on the controller video display section and for causing distribution of the edited information to the video monitor at the at least one remote site.

Claim 20

A video conferencing system wherein a local site is networked with at least one remote site to interchange audio and video information, the local site and the at least one remote site having a video camera, a video monitor, a loudspeaker and a microphone, the local site having: a controller, comprising: an interconnected control panel section, video display section, and computer, for causing distribution of generated audio and video information among the sites selectively in accordance with command signals fed to the controller by a director, the controller video display section displaying video information generated by a selected one of a plurality of video sources, the video sources including video cameras at the remote and local sites, the controller further for causing distribution of the video information from the selected one of the video sources to the video monitors at the local and remote sites, the controller video display section comprising a plurality of different display regions, one of said display regions being adapted to display presentation video information being distributed to the video monitors at the remote and local sites, another of said regions being adapted to display preview video information from a second selected one of the plurality of video sources, wherein the controller, in response to a director command, causes the preview video information to replace the presentation video information being distributed to the video monitors at the local and remote sites.

Claim 21

A video conferencing system wherein a local site is networked with at least one remote site to interchange audio and video information, the local site and the at least one remote site having a video camera, a video monitor, a loudspeaker and a microphone, the local site having: a controller, comprising: an interconnected control panel section, video display section, and computer, for causing distribution of generated audio and video information among the sites selectively in accordance with command signals fed to the controller by a director, the controller video display section displaying video information generated by a selected one of a plurality of video sources, the video sources including video cameras at the remote and local sites, the controller further for causing distribution of the video information from the selected one of the video sources to the video monitors at the local and remote sites, the controller video display section comprising a plurality of different display regions, one of said display regions being adapted to display presentation video information being distributed to the video monitors at the remote and local sites, another of said regions being adapted to display preview video information from a second selected one of the plurality of video sources, wherein the controller, in response to a director command, causes the preview video information to replace the presentation video information being distributed to the video monitors at the local and remote sites.

Claim 22

The video conferencing system recited in claim 18 including an editor, responsive to the director, for editing the preview video information displayed on the controller video display section and causing distribution of the edited displayed information to the video monitors at the remote and local sites.

Claim 23

The video conferencing system recited in claim 18 wherein the controller provides a video display from a selected one of the plurality of video sources in a sub-region within the first mentioned region of the display section, the video displayed in such first mentioned display section with the sub-region therein being distributed to the video display monitors at the local and remote sites.

Claim 24

The video conferencing system recited in claim 20 wherein the controller, in response to a director command transfers the video information displayed at the second one of the display regions to the first one of the display regions.

Claim 25

The video conferencing system recited in claim 21 wherein the display section comprises a touch screen adapted to respond to commands resulting from director contact with the screen.

Claim 26

The video conferencing system recited in claim 22 wherein the display section includes a plurality of location icons, each one of such location icons representing a remote site, and wherein the controller displays video information from a remote site in response to a touch command by the director of the icon representing such remote site.

Claim 27

The video conferencing system recited in claim 22 wherein the display section includes a plurality of video source icons, each one of such video source icons representing one of the plurality of video sources, and wherein the controller displays video information from one of the plurality of video sources in response to a touch command by the director of the icon representing such one of the plurality of video sources.

Claim 28

The video conferencing system recited in claim 24 wherein the video information from the plurality of video sources includes information being stored in one of slides, videotapes, documents, and computer images.

Claim 29

The video conferencing system recited in claim 25 wherein the sub-region presents a video image of the director at the local site overlaid on the video image being displayed in said sub-region, such overlaid image being produced by video camera at the local site.

Claim 30

A video conferencing system wherein a local site is networked with at least one remote site to interchange audio and video information, the local site and the at least one remote site having a video camera, a video monitor, a loudspeaker and a microphone, the local site having: a controller, comprising: an interconnected control panel section, video display section, and computer, for causing distribution of generated audio and video information among the sites selectively in accordance with command signals fed to the controller by a podium speaker, the controller video display section displaying video information from a selected one of a plurality of video sources, the video sources including video cameras at the remote and local sites, the controller further for causing distribution of the video information from the selected one of the video sources to the video monitors at the local and remote sites; and an editor, responsive to the podium speaker structured to allow the podium speaker to annotate video information on the controller video display section and then distribute the annotated information to remote sites, the editor being structured to hold the video information displayed on the controller video display section for annotation in response to a hold command and to distribute the held video information to the video monitor at the at least one remote site in response to a go live command.

Claim 31

A video conferencing system wherein a local site is networked with at least one remote site to interchange audio and video information, the local site and the at least one remote site having a video camera, a video monitor, a loudspeaker and a microphone, the local site having: a controller, comprising: an interconnected control panel section, video display section, and computer, for causing distribution of generated audio and video information among the sites selectively in accordance with command signals fed to the controller by a podium speaker, the controller video display section displaying video information from a selected one of a plurality of video sources, the video sources including video cameras at the remote and local sites, the controller further for causing distribution of the video information from the selected one of the video sources to the video monitors at the local and remote sites; and an editor, responsive to the podium speaker structured to allow the podium speaker to annotate video information on the controller video display section and then distribute the annotated information to remote sites, the editor being structured to hold the video information displayed on the controller video display section for annotation in response to a hold command and to distribute the held video information to the video monitor at the at least one remote site in response to a go live command.

Claim 32

A video conferencing system wherein a local site is networked with at least one remote site to interchange audio and video information, the at least one remote site having a video camera, a video monitor, a loudspeaker and a microphone, the local site having a video camera a loudspeaker and a microphone, such system having: a bridge, responsive to audio signals produced by the microphones at the local and remote sites, adapted to select that one of the video signals produced by the video camera at the site corresponding to the loudest audio signal for presentation on the video monitor at the at least one remote site during a teach/direct mode; and a controller, at the local site, comprising: an interconnected control panel section, video display section, and computer for overriding the video signal selected by the bridge in the teach/director mode and for causing distribution of generated video information among the sites selectively in accordance with a director/teach command mode signal fed to the controller by a podium speaker.

Claim 33

A video conferencing system wherein a local site is networked with at least one remote site to interchange audio and video information, the at least one remote site having a video camera, a video monitor, a loudspeaker and a microphone, the local site having a video camera a loudspeaker and a microphone, such system having: a bridge, responsive to audio signals produced by the microphones at the local and remote sites, adapted to select that one of the video signals produced by the video camera at the site corresponding to the loudest audio signal for presentation on the video monitor at the at least one remote site during a teach/direct mode; and a controller, at the local site, comprising: an interconnected control panel section, video display section, and computer for overriding the video signal selected by the bridge in the teach/director mode and for causing distribution of generated video information among the sites selectively in accordance with a director/teach command mode signal fed to the controller by a podium speaker.

Claim 36

The method recited in claim 29 including providing the video display section with a video source selection area for displaying source icons representative of the plurality of different video sources and selectively coupling one, or ones, of the video sources to the video display section in response to the tactile commands to the icons.

Claim 37

The method recited in claim 29 wherein the controlling includes causing the video information being distributed to the remote sites to be distributed to a video monitor at the local site.

Claim 38

The method recited in claim 29 including transferring the video information being displayed in the preview area to the presentation area in response to a tactile command by the sodium speaker to the display section.

Claim 39

The method recited in claim 29 including editing, in a second, mark-up mode of operation, in response to podium speaker tactile commands to the video display section, the video information displayed on the video display section and controlling distribution of the edited information to the video monitors at the remote and local sites.

Claim 40

The method recited in claim 29 including providing the video display section with a video source control area for displaying control icons representative of control functions for the plurality of different video sources and including providing control signals to the plurality of different video sources in accordance with tactile commands by the podium speaker to the control area.

Claim 41

The method recited in claim 30 including providing the video display section with a site selection area for displaying site icons representative of the locations of remote sites and providing a control signal to couple video signals from a selected site to the video display section.

Claim 42

The method recited in claim 29 wherein the controller includes a zoom control and including commanding, in response to podium speaker tactile commands to the video display section identifying a portion of the video information displayed on the video display section, one of a plurality of video source cameras generating the video information on the video display section to zoom in on the identified portion.

Claim 43

The method recited in claim 36 including providing each of the preview and presentation video display areas with a corresponding video source selection area for displaying source icons representative of the plurality of different plurality of different video sources and including selectively coupling one, or ones, of the video sources to the preview and presentation display areas in response to tactile commands by the podium speaker to the corresponding video source selection area.

Claim 46

The method recited in claim 38 including providing the controller video display section with a preview video display area for displaying video information from a second selected one of the plurality of video sources and including, distributing such information to the video monitor at the at least one remote site in place of the previously distributed, first mentioned selected one of the plurality of video sources in response to a command from the director.

Claim 47

The method recited in claim 39 including transferring the video information from the second selected one of the plurality of video sources to the first mentioned display area in response to a transfer command from the director and distributing such transferred video source to the video monitor at the at least one remote site in place of the previously distributed, first mentioned selected one of the plurality of video sources.

Claim 48

The method recited in claim 39 including providing an editor and editing the video information displayed on the preview video display area in response to the director and distributing the edited displayed information to the video monitor at the at least one remote site when transferred to the first mentioned video display area.

Claim 49

The method recited in claim 41 including providing an editor, editing the video information displayed on the controller video display section in response to the director, and distributing the edited displayed information to the video monitor at the at least one remote site.

Claim 50

The method recited in claim 38 including providing an editor and editing the video information displayed on the controller video display section in response to the director and distributing the edited information to the video monitor at the at least one remote site.

Claim 53

The method recited in claim 44 including providing an editor, editing the video information displayed on the controller video display section in response to editing signals fed to the controller by the director, and distributing the edited displayed information to the video monitors at the remote and local sites.

Claim 54

The method recited in claim 44 including providing a video display from a selected one of the plurality of video sources in a sub-region within the first mentioned region of the display section, and distributing the video displayed in such first mentioned display section with the sub-region to the video display monitors at the local and remote sites.

Claim 55

The method recited in claim 46 including transferring, in response to a director command, the video information displayed at the second one of the display regions to the first one of the display regions.

Claim 56

The method recited in claim 47 including providing the display section with a touch screen adapted to respond to commands resulting from director contact with the screen.

Claim 57

The method recited in claim 48 including providing the display section with a plurality of location icons, each one of such location icons representing a remote site, and displaying the video information from a remote site in response to a touch command by the director of the icon, representing such remote site.

Claim 58

The method recited in claim 48 including providing the display section with a plurality of video source icons, each one of such video source icons representing one of the plurality of video sources, and displaying video information from one of the plurality of video sources in response to a touch command by the director of the icon representing such one of the plurality of video sources.

Claim 59

The method recited in claim 50 including providing video information from one of slides, videotapes, documents, and computer images from one of the plurality of video sources.

Claim 60

The method recited in claim 51 including presenting in the sub-region a video image of the presenter at the local site overlaid on the video image being displayed in said sub-region, and producing such overlaid image by a video camera at the local site.

Claim 65

A video conferencing system wherein a local site is networked with at least one remote site to interchange audio and video information, the local site and the at least one remote site having a video camera, a video monitor, a loudspeaker and a microphone, the local site having: a controller, comprising a video display section being interconnected with a control section, for controlling distribution of generated audio and video information among the local and remote sites selectively in accordance with electrical signals fed to the control section in response to a tactile command from a podium speaker to the video display section, the control section comprising: a video selector having a plurality of input ports and a plurality of output ports, for coupling a selected one, or ones, of the input ports to a selected one, or ones, of the output ports in accordance with a control signal, and; a computer for producing the control signal in response to the tactile command a picture in picture unit having a pair of input ports and an output port, a first one of the pair of input ports of the unit being coupled to the computer, a second one of the pair of input ports of the unit being coupled to one of the output ports of the selector and the output port of the unit being coupled to one of the input ports of the video selector.

Claim 66

A video conferencing system wherein a local site is networked with at least one remote site to interchange audio and video information, the local site and the at least one remote site having a video camera, a video monitor, a loudspeaker and a microphone, the local site having: a controller, comprising a video display section being interconnected with a control section, for controlling distribution of generated audio and video information among the local and remote sites selectively in accordance with electrical signals fed to the control section in response to a tactile command from a podium speaker to the video display section, the control section comprising: a video selector having a plurality of input ports and a plurality of output ports, for coupling a selected one, or ones, of the input ports to a selected one, or ones, of the output ports in accordance with a control signal, and; a computer for producing the control signal in response to the tactile command a picture in picture unit having a pair of input ports and an output port, a first one of the pair of input ports of the unit being coupled to the computer, a second one of the pair of input ports of the unit being coupled to one of the output ports of the selector and the output port of the unit being coupled to one of the input ports of the video selector.

Claim 67

The video conferencing system recited in claim 55 including a picture in picture unit having a pair of input ports and an output port, a first one of the pair of input ports of the unit being coupled to the computer, a second one of the pair of input ports of the unit being coupled to one of the output ports of the selector and the output port of the unit being coupled to one of the input ports of the video selector.

Claim 68

The video conferencing system recited in claim 55 wherein the computer includes a graphics card having an input coupled to one of the output ports of the video selectors an output port coupled to the first one of the pair of input ports of the picture in picture unit, and an output port coupled to one of the input ports of the video selector.

Claim 69

The video conferencing system recited in claim 57 wherein the computer includes a disk drive coupled to the graphics card.

Claim 70

The video conferencing system recited in claim 58 wherein the computer includes a video section having an output coupled to the video display section.

Claim 71

The video conferencing system recited in claim 59 wherein the video section includes a pair of video capture/display cards and a VGA video card.

Claim 72

The video conferencing system recited in claim 60 wherein each one of the pair of video display/capture cards has a pair of inputs and an output, and wherein the VGA graphics card has an input coupled to the computer and an output coupled to a first one of the pair of video display/capture cards, a second one of the pair of inputs of the first one of the pair of video display/capture cards being coupled to one of the output ports of the video selector, and wherein the output port of the first one of the pair of video display/capture cards is coupled to one of the pair of input ports of the second one of the pair of video display/capture cards, the output of the second one of the pair of video display/capture cards being coupled to the video display section.

Claim 73

The video conferencing system recited in claim 61 wherein the VGA card produces a first color in one region of a video display of the video display region and a second color in a different region of the display, and wherein the first one of the pair of video display/capture cards writes in the first one of the regions and the second one of the pair of video display/capture cards writes video in the second one of the display regions.

Claim 74

A video conferencing system wherein a local site is networked with at least one remote site to interchange audio and video information, the local site and the at least one remote site having a video camera, a video monitor, a loudspeaker and a microphone, the local site having: a controller, comprising a video display section being interconnected with a control section, for controlling distribution of generated audio and video information among the local and remote sites selectively in accordance with electrical signals fed to the control section in response to a tactile command from a podium speaker to the video display section, the control section comprising: a video selector having a plurality of input ports and a plurality of output ports, for coupling a selected one, or ones, of the input ports to a selected one, or ones, of the output ports in accordance with a control signal, and; a computer for producing the control signal in response to the tactile command, the computer having a video section having an output coupled to the video display section, wherein the video section of the computer includes a pair of video capture/display cards and a VGA video card.

Claim 75

A video conferencing system wherein a local site is networked with at least one remote site to interchange audio and video information, the local site and the at least one remote site having a video camera, a video monitor, a loudspeaker and a microphone, the local site having: a controller, comprising a video display section being interconnected with a control section, for controlling distribution of generated audio and video information among the local and remote sites selectively in accordance with electrical signals fed to the control section in response to a tactile command from a podium speaker to the video display section, the control section comprising: a video selector having a plurality of input ports and a plurality of output ports, for coupling a selected one, or ones, of the input ports to a selected one, or ones, of the output ports in accordance with a control signal, and; a computer for producing the control signal in response to the tactile command, the computer having a video section having an output coupled to the video display section, wherein the video section of the computer includes a pair of video capture/display cards and a VGA video card.

Claim 76

The video conferencing system recited in claim 63 wherein each one of the pair of video display/capture cards has a pair of inputs and an output, and wherein the VGA graphics card has an input coupled to the computer and an output coupled to a first one of the pair of video display/capture cards, a second one of the pair of inputs of the first one of the pair of video display/capture cards being coupled to one of the output ports of the selector, and wherein the output port of the first one of the pair of video display/capture cards is coupled to one of the pair of input ports of the second one of the pair of video display/capture cards, the output of the second one of the pair of video display/capture cards being coupled to the video display section.

Claim 77

The video conferencing system recited in claim 64 wherein the VGA card produces a first color in one region of a video display of the video display region and a second color in a different region of the display, and wherein the first one of the pair of video display/capture cards writes in the first one of the regions and the second one of the pair of video display/capture cards writes video in the second one of the display regions.

Claim 80

A video conferencing system wherein a local site is networked with at least one remote site to interchange audio and video information, the at least one remote site having a video camera, a video monitor, a loudspeaker and a microphone, the local site having a video camera, a loudspeaker and a microphone, and further having: a controller, comprising: an interconnected video display section and control section, for controlling distribution of generated audio and video information among the local and remote sites selectively in accordance with electrical signals fed to the control section in response to a tactile command from a podium speaker to the video display section, the controller video display section displaying video information from a selected one of a plurality of video sources including video cameras at the remote and local sites, wherein in a mark-up mode of operation, the control section edits the video information displayed on the controller video display section in response to a command from the podium speaker such that the video information displayed on the controller video display section is held for annotation in response to a hold command and the held video information is distributed to the video monitor at the at least one remote site in response to a go live command.

Claim 81

A video conferencing system wherein a local site is networked with at least one remote site to interchange audio and video information, the at least one remote site having a video camera, a video monitor, a loudspeaker and a microphone, the local site having a video camera, a loudspeaker and a microphone, and further having: a controller, comprising: an interconnected video display section and control section, for controlling distribution of generated audio and video information among the local and remote sites selectively in accordance with electrical signals fed to the control section in response to a tactile command from a podium speaker to the video display section, the controller video display section displaying video information from a selected one of a plurality of video sources including video cameras at the remote and local sites, wherein in a mark-up mode of operation, the control section edits the video information displayed on the controller video display section in response to a command from the podium speaker such that the video information displayed on the controller video display section is held for annotation in response to a hold command and the held video information is distributed to the video monitor at the at least one remote site in response to a go live command.