Systems and methods for real-time audio-visual communication and data collaboration in a network conference environment

A system that facilitates real-time multimedia information exchange in a conference environment, comprising:

• a Room Server located in a conference room;
• one or more local Data Clients that run on personal computing devices to facilitate data collaboration, located in the conference room;
• one or more remote Data Clients that run on one or more remote personal computing devices in at least one disparate location from the conference room;
• and
• zero or more audio/video (AV) clients that run at one or more of the conference room or at least one disparate location;
• at least one local Data Client or at least one remote Data Clients comprising a recipient Data Client:
• the one or more local Data Clients and the one or more remote Data Clients each including a respective user interface, each respective user interface including a Presentation Chute icon wherein:
• the Presentation Chute icon permits a user of a sending Data Client to drag-and-drop a file over the Presentation Chute icon to immediately unload the file to the Data Server, from which the Data Server facilitates presentation of the file to each particular recipient Data Client based on the viewer capabilities of each particular recipient Data Client such that, based on the file format, each particular Data Client launches an appropriate Data Viewer;
• and
• the Presentation Chute enables sharing an imaged, non-editable version of the file over which the user retains control with each particular receiving Data Client;
• the Room Server comprising a Data Server that:
• communicates with each of the at least one local Data Client, the at least one remote Data Clients, and the AV client;
• facilitates data transfer over at least one real-time communication channel;
• determines viewer capabilities of each-particular recipient Data Client;
• and
• formats a file for each-particular receiving Data Client for a respective viewer based upon the viewer capabilities of each-particular recipient Data Client.

A system that facilitates real-time multimedia information exchange in a conference room, comprising:

• a Room Server that resides on a Room Server PC and provides centralized control of information exchange, the room server comprising a Data Server that communicates with the one or more Data Clients;
• a local audio/video (AV) client that controls AV communication and resides in the Room Server PC;
• and
• one or more Data Clients connected to the Room Server, the one or more Data Clients being separate and distinct from the AV Client, the one or more Data Clients each include a user interface and each of the user interfaces include a Presentation Chute icon, wherein, at least one Data Client comprises a receiving Data Client, the one or more receiving Data Clients being permitted to view the document asynchronously where each of the one or more receiving Data Clients are allowed to skip ahead or revert backwards within the document from a view occupied by the sending Data Client, each of the user interfaces further include a Sync icon that automatically synchronizes the document to the view occupied by the sending Data Client when selected wherein:
• the Presentation Chute icon permits a user of a sending Data Client to drag-and-drop a file over the Presentation Chute icon to immediately unload the file to the Data Server, from which the Data Server facilitates presentation of the file to each particular receiving Data Client based on the viewer capabilities of each particular receiving Data Client such that, based on the file format, each particular receiving Data Client will launch an appropriate Data Viewer;
• and
• the Presentation Chute enables sharing an imaged, non-editable version of the file over which the user retains control with each particular receiving Data Client;
• and
• the Data Server determines viewer capabilities of each-particular receiving Data Client and formats a file for each-particular receiving Data Client for a respective viewer based upon the viewer capabilities of each particular receiving Data Client.

A system that facilitates real-time multimedia information exchange, comprising:

• means for capturing audio/video information in at least one of a first location or a second location remote from the first location;
• means for presenting captured audio/video information to at least two users, each user is located in at least one of the first or second locations;
• means for permitting data collaboration between the at least two users;
• means for providing a communications link between the at least two users;
• means for permitting real-time document transfer from a first user to at least a second user, the means for permitting comprising a Presentation Chute icon permitting the first user to drag-and-drop a file over the Presentation Chute icon to immediately upload the file to a Data Server, the Presentation Chute icon comprising a means enabling sharing an imaged, non-editable version of the real-time document over which the first user retains control with the device employed by the second user while the first user retains control of the imaged, non-editable version of the real-time document;
• means for determining capabilities associated with a device employed by the second users, the means for determining comprising the Data Server, which facilitates presentation of the file to the device employed by the second user based on the viewer capabilities of the device employed by the second user;
• means for formatting the real-time document based upon the determined capabilities of the device when communicating the real-time document to the second user, the means for formatting operating such that, based at least on the file format, the device employed by the second user will launch an appropriate Data Viewer;
• and
• means for synchronizing a view of the real-time document employed by the second user to a view of the real-time document employed by the first user based upon input from the second user subsequent to permitting desynchronous review of the real-time document by the second user.

A method for real-time information exchange in a multimedia conferencing environment, comprising:

• providing a Data Client that permits data collaboration;
• providing an AV Client that permits AV communication, the AV Client and the Data Client operate independently of each other;
• presenting a user interface to a sending user with the Data Client, the user interface comprises a Presentation Chute icon wherein:
• the Presentation Chute icon permits a user of the Data Client to drag-and-drop a file over the Presentation Chute icon to immediately upload the file to a Data Server, from which the Data Server facilitates presentation of the file to at least one receiving Data Client based on the viewer capabilities of a particular receiving Data Client such that, based on the file format, the particular receiving Data Client launches an appropriate Data Viewer;
• and
• the Presentation Chute enables sharing an imaged, non-editable version of the file over which the user retains control including at the particular receiving Data Client;
• receiving a real-time file dragged-and-dropped upon the Presentation Chute icon by the sending user employing the Data Client;
• uploading the real-time file to the Data Server, wherein the Data Server determines viewer capabilities of a disparate, recipient Data Client and formats the real-time file for the disparate, recipient Data Client for a respective viewer based upon the viewer capabilities of the disparate, recipient Data Client;
• transmitting the real-time file to the disparate, recipient Data Client from the Data Server;
• facilitating shared control such that:
• in an event that the user has relinquished control of the real-time file:
• permitting desynchronization of the real-time file to enable a receiving user utilizing the disparate, recipient Data Client to scroll through the real-time file at a differing pace from a pace employed by the sending user, and
• allowing the receiving user utilizing the disparate, recipient Data Client to synchronize the real-time file to a view employed by the sending user based upon input from the receiving user;
• in an event that the user has not relinquished control of the real-time file:
• not permitting desynchronization of the real-time file to enable the receiving user utilizing the disparate, recipient Data Client to scroll through the real-time file at a differing pace from a pace employed by the sending user.