Video conference system, band control method, conference control device, video conference terminal device and recording medium recording program

A recording medium for recording a computer readable program, the program allowing the computer to execute the steps of:

• performing transmission/reception processing of conference information containing voice information and image information between the computer and a plurality of video conference terminal devices through a network using a communication processing part;
• collecting information on connection paths between the computer and the respective video conference terminal devices;
• sorting the plurality of video conference terminal devices into a plurality of groups based on collected information on the connection paths;
• monitoring a use band of the communication processing part in accordance with every group;
• and
• controlling, when the group having the use band of less than a predetermined value is present, the bandwidth of the respective video conference terminal devices which belong to the group.

A band control method in a conference control device comprising the steps of:

• performing transmission/reception processing of conference information containing voice information and image information between a conference control device and a plurality of video conference terminal devices through a network using a communication processing unit;
• collecting information on connection paths between the conference control device and the respective video conference terminal devices;
• sorting the plurality of video conference terminal devices into a plurality of groups based on collected information on the connection paths;
• monitoring a use band of the communication processing unit in accordance with every group;
• and
• controlling, when the group having the use band of less than a predetermined value is present, the bandwidth of the respective video conference terminal devices which belong to the group.

A video conference system comprising:

• a plurality of video conference terminal devices;
• and
• a conference control device which is connected to the video conference terminal devices through a network and is configured to control communication between the conference control device and the video conference terminal devices, wherein the conference control device comprises:
• a communication processing unit which is configured to perform transmission/reception processing of conference information containing voice information and image information between the conference control device and the video conference terminal devices through a network;
• an information collecting unit which is configured to collect information on connection paths between the conference control device and the respective video conference terminal devices;
• a grouping unit which is configured to sort the plurality of video conference terminal devices into a plurality of groups based on information on the connection paths collected by the information collecting unit;
• a band monitoring unit which is configured to monitor a use band of the communication processing unit in accordance with every group;
• and
• a bandwidth control unit which is configured to, when the presence of the group having the use band of less than a predetermined value is detected by the band monitoring unit, control the bandwidth of the video conference terminal devices which belong to the group.

A video conference terminal device in a video conference system which is connected to a plurality of video conference terminal devices through a network and performs conference communication between the video conference terminal devices, the video conference terminal device comprising:

• a communication processing unit which is configured to perform transmission/reception processing of conference information containing voice information and image information between the video conference terminal device which constitutes an own device and a video conference terminal device which constitutes a communication partner through the network;
• an information collecting unit which collects information on connection paths between the own device and the video conference terminal device which constitutes the communication partner;
• a grouping unit which is configured to sort the plurality of video conference terminal devices into a plurality of groups based on information on the connection paths collected by the information collecting unit;
• a band monitoring unit which is configured to monitor a use band of the group which includes the own device out of the groups formed by grouping;
• and
• a bandwidth control unit which is configured to, when the presence of the group having the use band of less than a predetermined value is detected by the band monitoring unit, control a bandwidth of the communication processing unit or a bandwidth of the video conference terminal devices which belong to the group to which the own device belongs.