Videoconferencing using distributed processing

A system for managing videoconferencing signals, comprising:

• a sender for communication with a receiver, the sender operatively connected to a communication network, the sender including:
• a decision module for receiving at least one input signal from the sender and one input signal from the receiver, the input signals representative of a condition at the sender or receiver, respectively, the decision module deciding at the sender, responsive to input signals, whether to encode a first videoconferencing signal, the input signals comprising a signal indicative of movement in a video image generated at the sender;
• a signal generator for generating the first videoconferencing signal;
• an encoder for encoding the first videoconferencing signal responsive to the deciding;
• and
• a sending module for sending the encoded first videoconferencing signal from the sender to the receiver.

A computer program product for managing videoconferencing signals for a videoconferencing system, the system including a sender for communication with a receiver, the sender operatively connected to a communication network, comprising:

• program code for receiving at the sender at least one input signal from the sender and receiver, wherein the input signal is representative of a condition at the sender or receiver, respectively, the input signal comprising a signal indicative of movement in a video image generated at the sender;
• program code for deciding at the sender, responsive to the input signals, whether to send a first videoconferencing signal;
• program code for generating the first videoconferencing signal;
• program code for encoding the first videoconferencing signal responsive to the deciding;
• and
• program code for sending the encoded first videoconferencing signal from the sender to the receiver.