Video view selection by a chairperson

A method for controlling a video conference between plurality of video terminals interconnected by a telecommunication switching system with each video terminal transmitting a video picture and a first one of the video terminals controlling the video conference, the method comprising the steps of:

• determining a chair view picture by a second one of the video terminals by transmission of first control information to the first one of the video terminals wherein the chair view picture is then made available to all video terminals from the telecommunication switching system;
• requesting delivery of the chair view picture as determined by the second one of the video terminals from the telecommunication switching system by a third one of the video terminals by transmission of second control information to the first one of the video terminals by the third one of the video terminals;
• requesting delivery of a first video picture from the telecommunication switching system by a fourth one of the video terminals by the fourth one of the video terminals transmitting third control information to the first one of the video terminals;
• the step of determining the chair view picture comprises the step of defining a composite of all of the video pictures transmitted to the telecommunication Switching system by all of the video terminals;
• the step of determining the chair view picture further comprises the step of defining a Composite of the video picture from a fifth one of the video terminals inserted into the video picture from a sixth one of the video terminals;
• requesting a second video picture from the first one of the video terminals by the second one of the video terminals without altering the chair view video picture being received by the third one of the video terminals;
• and
• the step of requesting delivery of the chair view picture by the third one of the video terminals comprises the step of using a visual indicator device attached to the third one of the video terminals.

A method for controlling a video conference between plurality of video terminals interconnected by a telecommunication switching system with each video terminal transmitting a video picture and one of the video terminals being a chair person video terminal, the method comprising the steps of:

• determining a chair view picture by the chair person video terminal wherein the chair view picture is then made available to all video terminals;
• delivering the chair view picture as determined by the chair person video terminal from the telecommunication switching system to all of the video terminals;
• requesting permission of the chair person video terminal to ask a question by a user of one of the other video terminals;
• inserting the video picture from the requesting one of the video terminals into the chair view picture upon permission being granted by the chair person video terminal;
• the step of requesting comprises the step of lap ting the identity of the requesting one of the video terminals into a queue maintained in the chair person video terminal;
• and
• the step of inserting comprises the step of retrieving the identity of the requesting one of the video terminals from the queue to use the identity to insert the video picture from the requesting one of the video terminals into the chair view picture.

A method for controlling a video conference between plurality of video terminals interconnected by a telecommunication switching system with each video terminal transmitting a video picture and one of the video terminals being a chair person video terminal that is controlling the video conference, the method comprising the steps of:

• determining a chair view picture by the chair person video terminal to be provided by the telecommunication switching system under control of first control information transmitted to the telecommunication switching system from the chair person video terminal wherein the chair view picture is then made available to all video terminals;
• delivering the chair view picture as determined by the chair person video terminal from the telecommunication switching system to all of the video terminals;
• requesting permission of the chair person video terminal to ask a question by a user of one of the other video terminals by transmission of second control information to the chair person video terminal;
• inserting the video picture from the requesting one of the video terminals into the chair view picture by the telecommunication switching system under control of third control information being transmitted to the telecommunication switching system from the chair person video terminal upon permission being granted by the chair person video terminal;
• the step of requesting comprises the step of placing the identity of the requesting one of the video terminals into a queue maintained in the chair person video terminal;
• and
• the step of inserting comprises the step of retrieving the identity of the requesting one of the video terminals from the queue to use the identity to generate the third control information for inserting the video picture from the requesting one of the video terminals into the chair view picture.

An apparatus for controlling a video conference between plurality of video terminals interconnected by a telecommunication switching system with each video terminal transmitting a video picture, comprising:

• means for determining a chair view picture by a first one of the video terminals wherein the chair view picture is then made available to all video terminals;
• means for requesting delivery of the chair view picture as determined by the first one of the video terminals from the telecommunication switching system by a second one of the video terminals;
• means for requesting delivery of a first video picture from the telecommunication switching system by a third one of the video terminals;
• the means for determining the chair view picture comprises means for defining a composite of all of the video pictures transmitted to the telecommunication switching system by all of the video terminals;
• the means for determining the chair view picture further comprises means for defining a composite of the video picture from a fourth one of the video terminals inserted into the video picture from a fifth one of the video terminals;
• means for requesting a second video picture from the telecommunication switching system by the first one of the video terminals without altering the chair view video picture being received by the second video terminal;
• means for determining a new chair view video picture by the third one of the video terminals wherein the new chair view video picture is transmitted to the second one of the video terminals;
• the means for requesting delivery of the chair view picture by the second one of the video terminals is responsive to actuation of a single button on the second one of the video terminals;
• and
• the means for requesting delivery of the chair view picture by the second one of the video terminals is responsive to use of a visual indicator device attached to the second one of the video terminals.

An apparatus for controlling a video conference between plurality of video terminals interconnected by a telecommunication switching system with each video terminal transmitting a video picture and a first one of the video terminals controlling the video conference, comprising:

• means for determining a chair view picture by a second one of the video terminals by transmission of first control information to the first one of the video terminals by the second one of the video terminals wherein the chair view picture is then made available to all video terminals from the telecommunication switching system;
• means for requesting delivery of the chair view picture as determined by the second one of the video terminals from the telecommunication switching system by a third one of the video terminals by transmission of second control information to the first one of the video terminals by the third one of the video terminals;
• means for requesting delivery of a first video picture from the telecommunication switching system by a fourth one of the video terminals by the fourth one of the video terminals transmitting third control information to the first one of the video terminals;
• the means for determining the chair view picture comprises means for defining a composite of all of the video pictures transmitted to the telecommunication switching system by all of the video terminals;
• the means for determining the chair view picture further comprises means for defining a composite of the video picture from a fifth one of the video terminals inserted into the video picture from a sixth one of the video terminals;
• means for requesting a second video picture from the telecommunication switching system by the second one of the video terminals without altering the chair view video picture being received by the third one of the video terminals;
• and
• the means for requesting delivery of the chair view picture by the third one of the video terminals comprises means for using a visual indicator device attached to the third one of the video terminals.

An apparatus for controlling a video conference between plurality of video terminals interconnected by a telecommunication switching system with each video terminal transmitting a video picture and one of the video terminals being a chair person video terminal, comprising:

• means for determining a chair view picture by the chair person video terminal wherein the chair view picture is then made available to all video terminals;
• means for delivering the chair view picture as determined by the chair person video terminal from the telecommunication switching system to all of the video terminals;
• means for requesting permission of the chair person video terminal to ask a question by a user of one of the other video terminals;
• means for inserting the video picture from the requesting one of the video terminals into the chair view picture upon permission being granted by the chair person video terminal;
• the means for requesting crises means for placing the identity of the requesting one of the video terminals into a queue maintained in the chair person video terminal;
• and
• the means for inserting comprises means for retrieving the identity of the requesting one of the video terminals from the queue to use the identity to insert the video picture from the requesting one of the video terminals into the chair view picture.

An apparatus for controlling a video conference between plurality of video terminals interconnected by a telecommunication switching system with each video terminal transmitting a video picture and one of the video terminals being a chair person video terminal that is controlling the video conference, comprising:

• means for determining a chair view picture by the chair person video terminal to be provided by the telecommunication switching system under control of first control information transmitted to the telecommunication switching system from the chair person video terminal wherein the chair view picture is then made available to all video terminals;
• means for delivering the chair view picture as determined by the chair person video terminal from the telecommunication switching system to all of the video terminals;
• means for requesting permission of the chair person video terminal to ask a question by a user of one of the other video terminals by transmission of second control information to the chair person video terminal;
• means for inserting the video picture from the requesting one of the video terminals into the chair view picture by the telecommunication switching system under control of third control information being transmitted to the telecommunication switching system from the chair person video terminal upon permission being granted by the chair person video terminal;
• the means for requesting comprises means for placing the identity of the requesting one of the video terminals into a queue maintained in the chair person video terminal;
• and
• the means for inserting comprises means for retrieving the identity of the requesting one of the video terminals from the queue to use the identity to generate the third control information for inserting the video picture from the requesting one of the video terminals into the chair view picture.