Audio control system for video teleconferencing
AssigneeIntel Corporation
InventorAllen H. Simon
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A visual indicator is employed on screen at each station of a video teleconference to inform respective participants of their place in a talk request queue. The indicators are controlled automatically in accordance with designer-chosen conference parameters. Optional system failsafe mechanisms protect against system lock-up.
Claims19
In a video teleconferencing system comprising a plurality of participating stations, a method for allocating speaking turns, comprising the steps of:
- (A) employing a visual indicator at each participating station for viewing by a participant at the station to characterize each participating station's individual transmission status;
- (B) allowing at any point in time, the visual indicator of only one of said plurality of participating stations to indicate that that one station is cleared to transmit, wherein each of said participating stations includes a talk request key whereby a teleconference participant can acquire a place in a talk request queue of conference participants who desire to have an option to transmit, further wherein a specified time delay is provided to allow a participant, whose visual indicator has just changed to a cleared to transmit status, a limited period of silence before that participant is required to speak.
In a video teleconferencing system comprising a plurality of participating stations, a method for allocating speaking turns, comprising the steps of:
- (A) employing a visual indicator at each participating station for viewing by a participant at the station to characterize each participating station's individual transmission status;
- (B) allowing at any point in time, the visual indicator of only one of said plurality of participating stations to indicate that that one station is cleared to transmit, wherein each of said participating stations includes a talk request key whereby a teleconference participant can acquire a place in a talk request queue of conference participants who desire to have an option to transmit, further wherein a participant at a station having the option to transmit is allowed to continue to speak until a stoppage of speaking occurs for a specified stoppage time.
In a video teleconferencing system comprising a plurality of participating stations, a method for allocating speaking turns, comprising the steps of:
- (A) employing a visual indicator at each participating station for viewing by a participant at the station to characterize each participating station's individual transmission status;
- (B) allowing at any point in time, the visual indicator of only one of said plurality of participating stations to indicate that that one station is cleared to transmit, wherein each of said participating stations includes a talk request key whereby a teleconference participant can acquire a place in a talk request queue of conference participants who desire to have an option to transmit, further wherein all stations participating in said conference automatically communicate with whichever station currently has the option to transmit, wherein said automatic communication uses a system update signal request at regular time intervals, wherein if said station currently having the option to transmit does not respond, said station currently having the option to transmit will automatically lose said option to the next station in the talk request queue.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.